Can a 17-year old win the U.S. Open?

   Of all the potential story lines in the final round of the U.S. Open, none is more intriguing than the possibility -- with admittedly long odds -- of 17-year old amateur Beau Hossler going home with the trophy.
   "I still have the goal to be low amateur, but my goal now is to win the tournament," Hossler said Saturday afternoon with the bullet-proof mentality of a teenager.
   Why not?
   He starts the final round four strokes off the lead but with all the trapdoors scattered around The Olympic Club, it wouldn't take much for the leaders to move backward. If Hossler is the guy who moves forward, well, hello world.
   The U.S. Open is supposed to scare people. It hasn't scared Hossler. He looks like he's playing a friendly round with his mates from Rancho Santa Margherita High.
   You want emotion? He's not real big on that but his game says plenty.
   He's already booked to attend Texas but he has to finish high school first.
   It won't be a shock if shoots something close to 80 in the final round. It's a huge day and the golf course will be wicked.
   But maybe he'll shoot something under par. He thinks he can. That's the first step. 

McDowell: I don't fear success. I fear failure

   Rarely do you hear athletes talk about their fears.
   What's Tiger Woods afraid of? Who knows?
   But Graeme McDowell, who is 18 holes away from winning two U.S. Opens 90 miles and two years apart, made no secret Saturday night that he was wrestling with some demons before he teed off in the third round at The Olympic Club. McDowell was two off the lead before the round started and had the jitters, not unlike the feeling he had two years ago on Saturday at Pebble Beach.
   The difference this time is he's in the lead going into Sunday, not playing from behind as he did at Pebble Beach where Dustin Johnson soon chopped away his chances.
    "I've gone through these emotions all the time," McDowell said. "It's basic stuff. It's basically fear. Fear of going out there and messing it all up. The two fears we all have are fear of success and fear of failure. I don't fear success. I fear failure."
   McDowell said he expects to feel more relaxed Sunday than he did Saturday.
  "I'll just try to go out and do my job," he said. "If it's good enough, great. If it's not, perhaps I'll
drink a cold beer and get over it."
   Sounds like a plan.

The U.S. Open: What have we learned?

   What have we learned halfway through this U.S. Open?
   Here's the good:
  -- Tiger Woods is back. He may not win but he's ready to win another major -- finally. You can see it in the look and the confidence in his swing.
     Now all he has to do is finish it.
    -- Graeme McDowell is a great interview and a pretty good player. When McDowell's playing career is over, which may be a while, he has a future in television.
    Asked what he expects the winning score to be, McDowell said, "Levelish."
    He's probably right.
   -- The qualifying process gives the U.S. Open stories like 17-year old amateur Beau Hossler, 14-year old Andy Zhang and 40-year old Casey Martin. The Masters is great, by far my favorite event, but it doesn't have characters like the U.S. Open does.
   -- Plodders prevail.
     Check them out: McDowell. Jim Furyk. David Toms. Matt Kuchar. Jason Dufner. Hunter Mahan. All in the top 10.
   The bad:
    -- Luke Donald. Even he admits it.
    -- Rory McIlroy. He's going through a phase...I hope.
    -- Bubba Watson. Not built to win U.S. Opens.
    -- Traffic on the Bay Bridge. Okay, it has nothing to do with the Open but they've had a couple of really rough days getting back and forth to Oakland so I thought I'd at least mention it.
   

The Open: Love it tough but not impossible

   Why is it some people love to watch the pros make bogeys and double bogeys in the U.S. Open?
   They enjoy it, almost wallowing in the big numbers that accumulate on Open scorecards like another gnome in a hoarder's den.
   I don't get it.
   Well, I suppose I do get it. People like to see golf's one percent suffer once in a while.
   We all know how hard golf is. I don't need to watch Luke Donald shooting 79 to remind me again. This is the U.S. Open, one of the most important tournaments in the world, and I'm okay if guys make some birdies. I'm not advocating 16-under par like Rory McIlroy shot last year at Congressional but I'm okay if 5, 6 or 7-under wins the Open.
   I get the 'total examination' idea of the U.S. Open. The winner should prove he can drive in the fairway, hit greens, chip and, of course, putt. But I prefer to see the leaders move forward, not gradually fall away like the last leaves of autumn.
    Determining a champion should include a guy being able to make something happen, not to be the best at avoiding calamity.
    Mike Davis and Tom O'Toole, the two guys in charge of setting up U.S. Open courses, get that idea, too. It's their job to find the balance, leaning toward tougher is better, but not squeezing all the fun out of the championship.
   O'Toole says "it might not be particularly spectator oriented" but that's the nature of the challenge.
   "I think that if fans had to see this 52 weeks of the year, it probably wouldn't be good," Davis said. "But to see it once a year, at least the feedback we've gotten...is that it's something that fans want to see a tough test one week of the year."
   The trick, Davis said, is making it difficult but keeping it exciting. The Olympic Club can allow both.
   The first six holes are wicked, the middle portion of the course is like a dull headache and the closing holes allow for birdies. The par-5 17th is reachable in two and the 18th is a short par-4, creating at least the possibilty for fireworks rather than a dumpster fire at the end.
   It's the U.S. Open. It's supposed to be hard, not impossible.
  

The best in the world? Are you sure?

   Of all the surprising things that happened in the first round of the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club including Ian Poulter's canary yellow shoes, nothing was as unexpected as the utter collapse of Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy.
   It was so complete that it made playing partner Lee Westwood's 73 practically glisten.
   I'll admit to being one of those who thought Donald was the man to beat this week. He was playing well, keeps the ball in play, has a brilliant short game and it seems time for him to win a major championship.
   What does Donald do? He goes out and shoots 79.
   Thanks, Luke.
   Nine pars. Nine bogeys.
   That won't win you any money in a nassau with your buddies. I know it's the U.S. Open but he's the No. 1 player in the world and he had 36 putts. Was he putting with a snow shovel?
    The good news is Donald tied 14-year old Andy Zhang.
    Then there was McIlroy, who posted a smooth 77.
    At least he made a birdie. One. Former Charlotte 49er Jeff Curl birdied three of his last eight holes.
    Westwood may have kept himself in the tournament, grinding out a 73 that started with a double bogey.
    The top three players in the world, Numeros Uno, Two and Three, were a combined 19-over par Thursday. Just for that, they should be forced to wear Poulter's yellow shoes on Friday.
   

Walking with Tiger, Phil and Bubba

   After walking the first nine holes with the Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods-Bubba Watson pairing today, a few quick observations:
   -- There wasn't much conversation among the three because they rarely walked to the same places. Tiger kept walking down the middle of the fairway. Phil and Bubba kept going to the rough.
  -- Woods looked like the old Tiger, in control. The other two looked like they were driving a car with a stuck accelerator.
  -- The galleries were enormous, as you would expect, but because they were making bogeys rather than birdies, there weren't many explosive cheers. That's the U.S. Open for you.
  -- After Mickelson bounced a tee shot off a man in the gallery on the 14th hole, he tossed another ball to the guy as a souvenir. A man standing nearby said, "Next time, hit me."
   Another spectator said, "Go stand in the fairway, then." Mickelson just smirked.
  -- Olympic is very difficult. When Woods ripped a beautiful 3-wood tee shot on the par-5 17th hole then watched it roll across the fairway and into the rough -- something that happens a lot at Olympic -- he handed his club back to caddie Joe LaCava and just shrugged.

Former 49er Curl feeling good again

   Jeff Curl, the former Charlotte 49ers golf star, is playing in his first U.S. Open this week and it comes at the same place -- the Olympic Club -- that his father, former tour player, Rod Curl, played in his first Open 46 years ago.
  "That's pretty cool," Curl said during a practice round prior to his first major championship appearance.
   The course has changed significantly since his father played it but the elder Curl is in San Francisco, sharing the experience with his son.
   Jeff Curl finished at Charlotte in 2000 and finally feels his golf career coming together. A full-time member of the Nationwide Tour, Curl is coming off an eighth-place finish last week and he's healthy for the first time in years.
   He's had two shoulder surgeries, a torn ligament in his ankle and he cracked five bones in his back last November when he was "goofing around."
   After living in Charlotte for five years, Curl recently married and moved to Birmingham, Ala.
   "Marriage changed my life," he said. "I've settled down a little bit."
  This will be Curl's third PGA Tour start and he isn't intimidated. He's played with and against many of the players in the field and spent the weekend playing practice rounds with Ernie Els and Steve Marino among others.
   "I always tell people that when I'm healthy, I feel I'm as good as anyone," Curl said. "But the times I've been healthy have been few and far between. I really started feeling great about a month ago.
   "Obviously, this is the U.S. Open but my game is built on ball-striking. I won't surprise me if I shoot 82 or if I finish in the top 20. I feel good about my game."

Rory: My bobblehead is better looking than me

 Defending U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy has the distinction of throwing out the first pitch prior to the San Francisco Giants' game Tuesday night against the Houston Astros. It's not something he practiced in advance.
  "I've been throwing a few golf balls on the course, threw a few medicine balls around ... at the gym.
  "I don't know whether to play it conservatively and just lob it into his hand or go for the fast one."
   McIlroy's appearance included fans receiving a bobblehead doll with McIlroy's likeness.
  "I think it's maybe better looking than me which is a good thing."

Charlotte CC to host City Am finale

  Catching up on things before heading to the U.S. Open at Olympic Club:
  -- The course rotation for the 53rd Charlotte City Amateur championship is set and registration for the prestigious event is nearing a close.

    The tournament, Aug. 17-19, will be played at Cedarwood Country Club, Carmel Country Club and Charlotte Country Club. The field will be cut after each round.

   Registration closes June 22. If you're interested in playing, visit www.charlottecityam.com.

   -- Gastonia's Harold Varner III, whose college career just ended, will defend his title in the North Carolina Amateur championship beginning Thursday at Treyburn Country Club in Durham.

   Varner, who helped East Carolina to an NCAA tournament appearance as a senior, became the first African-American winner of the event. Top challengers are expected to be another ECU golfer, Adam Stephenson, 2011 runner-up Richard Fountain, Paul Simson and 2012 Carolinas Mid-Am champion Paul Simson.

  -- If you didn't visit the media tent at the RBC Heritage over the years, you probably didn't know Arnie Burdick, who oversaw the place for years. He was a retired newspaperman from upstate New York who settled on Hilton Head Island and became as much a part of the annual PGA Tour stop there as the famous tartan blazer awarded to the champion.

   Burdick passed away last week at age 92 after a brief illness. He was still at his post in April when the tournament rolled around again, serving mostly as a greeter and making sure everyone had what they needed. We lost a good one.

   -- If you want to be part of the 2014 men's and women's U.S. Opens at Pinehurst and you don't have the game to qualify, here's your chance: The tournaments are looking for approximately 7,000 volunteers to work over the two-week period.

   Volunteers don't have to work every day. There are four and five-day shifts available. If you're interested, visit http://2014volunteers.usga.org.

Tiger, the way it used to be

What did you do Sunday afternoon when Tiger Woods holed it from San Quentin behind the 16th green at Muirfield Village for a birdie David Cooperfield couldn't explain?

Did you shout (I did)?

Did you high-five your dog?

Did you shake your head, call your wife and tell her watch this?

You did something because Tiger Woods, the one we saw again Sunday winning the Memorial, does things that make us react. He does things on the golf course that we remember.

In his prime, when he was painting the game like no one has before him, Woods astonished us. No one else has done that, at least not as consistently and spectacularly as Woods did for a decade or more. He gave us remember where you were moments.

The 215-yard 7-iron up the hill at No. 6 at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open. The 6-iron from a fairway bunker over the water at the Canadian Open. The chip shot at No. 16 at Augusta National the last time he won the Masters.

Most great players have one of those moments. Tiger has them in an eight-piece place setting.

For the last two-plus years, all the talk has justifiably been about whether we'd get the Tiger Woods we knew back or if time and turmoil had taken him away forever. His win at Arnold Palmer's tournament in March validated his contention he could still win and, after a dreary stretch that included a second straight missed cut at the Wells Fargo Championship, Woods showed us Sunday what we once took for granted.

With Jack Nicklaus watching, he tied the Golden Bear for second on the all-time list with 73 PGA Tour victories. It was a nice bit of symmetry and it rekindled the thought that Tiger may still chase down Jack's record of 18 major championship victories.

He still needs four to tie, five to go where no one ever has. It's a huge ask, a Hall of Fame career still be built to get it done but Sunday reminded us why we used to think Tiger would make it happen. I'm guilty of saying and writing he would win 20 or more majors. If you didn't say it, you thought it because of how dominant he was.

It's different now but suddenly the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in two weeks has a familiar feel. A week ago, it was about Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald and now it's about Tiger going for No. 15.

It's nice to know the thrill isn't gone.

Will Tiger-Phil be like Nicklaus -Watson?

   It was nice to see Jack Nicklaus get misty-eyed Wednesday when introducing Tom Watson as the special honoree at this year's Memorial Tournament.
   Watson, in return, got a little choked up in his acceptance speech.
   And it got me wondering if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will feel similarly about each other when their playing careers wind down.
   Probably not.
   But time changes people.
   Maybe it will change Tiger.
   The Nicklaus-Watson rivalry didn't have the personality of the Nicklaus-Arnold Palmer rivalry because Palmer was the most popular player the game has ever had. He still is.
   Nicklaus came along, usurped Arnie's throne and went about building the greatest record in the game's history. Part of what makes Nicklaus's record so spectacular is the players he beat -- and sometimes didn't beat. He got Palmer at the end of his career but he got Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf and Watson in their primes.
   Watson got the best of Nicklaus four times in major championships, most famously in the British Open at Turnberry and the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach where Watson chipped in at the 17th hole to win. Watson counter-punched against Nicklaus as well as anyone ever did.
   They became friends and Nicklaus referred to them as competitors rather than rivals. Both of them have aged gracefully and remained relevant in the game. Nicklaus has embraced Watson, Trevino and Palmer, among others.
   The Tiger-Phil rivalry hasn't had the defining major championship moments like Nicklaus and Watson had against each other. They've gone head to head at times in regular tour events and they had their unfortunate day together at the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.
   But when you think about Tiger versus Phil, what comes to mind? Personalities, for sure. Different styles, no doubt. But they've not had their Turnberry moment.
   It's easy to see Mickelson reminiscing about the glory days years from now, eyes twinkling at the memories. It's not so easy to see Woods that way.
   He may feel some of it but he's rarely been one to show his emotions, other than crying on Steve Williams' shoulder when he won the British Open after his father's death.
   Like it or not, both Woods and Mickelson have helped define the other and will for years to come.

Growing greens: Welcome to the future

   We're in the midst of a revolution around Charlotte.
   Bentgrass greens are going away.
   Permanently.
   You know what happens to bent greens in the summer around here. They're soft and mushy and slow because superintendents have to devote their lives to keeping them alive from June through early September.
   And when bent greens should be their best -- spring and fall -- they're getting aerated.
   This summer, several Charlotte-area courses including The Peninsula Club, River Run, Verdict Ridge and River Hills among them, are converting from bentgrass to the more popular and heat-tolerant bermuda grass. It takes about two months to make the switch and you're playing again.
   The Golf Club at Ballantyne and Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, S.C., were among the first to do it a couple of years ago. Soon, virtually every course in the Charlotte area -- public and private -- will have bermuda greens. Quail Hollow Club has already announced it'll change to bermuda prior to the 2017 PGA Championship.
   I'm writing a bigger story about what's involved and why it's so popular. It's not a trend. The USGA Green Section representative for this area says we'll hardly see any bentgrass around here in 10 years.
   Welcome to the future.

Coore, Crenshaw designing Pinehurst No. 9

   Officials at Pinehurst Resort were so pleased by the restoration work done by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore on course No. 2, they've asked them to design the resort's ninth golf course.
   It's not likely to be built for at least two years but the project is already underway with routing plans being finalized.
   "We're not anywhere close to building it but (owner) Bob Dedman (Jr.) wanted Bill to go ahead with the routing," Don Padgett II, president of Pinehurst said.
   "We wanted Bill to have the land he wanted and he carved out what he'd need for 18 holes."
   A portion of the new course will be built on property where The Pit golf course is located. Pinehurst bought The Pit last year after it closed due to financial difficulties. Resort officials decided not to reopen The Pit but will use a piece of the land near Aberdeen for its new layout.
   Pinehurst is preparing to host the men's and women's U.S. Opens in consecutive weeks in 2014, the first time the Opens have been played back to back at the same site.
   "I don't think we'll kick this off before now and the Open," Padgett said, "and it will probably take two years to build."

LPGA makes a point about slow play

   More than belly putters and bad pants, slow play is the bane of professional golf.
   It fits with the shanks and 'carts on path' as the worst things in the game.
   So when the LPGA took the shocking step of penalizing Morgan Pressel in the Sybase Match Play Championship Sunday it sent a message across the tour that, at least for one day, the tour is intent on doing something to speed the pace of play. Good for the LPGA Tour. Others talk about it but that's all they do.
   It long ago became apparent that fining PGA Tour players doesn't change the pace of play. It's going to take adding shots to players' scores -- and doing it regularly -- to have an impact. Some of the players will fight the idea but others would endorse it. Wouldn't it be nice if the PGA Tour could change its slogan to 'These Guys Are Fast?"
   The problem with what the LPGA did was the timing of it.
   With all the stroke-play tournaments, it seems strange that the tour chose Sunday when there were only four players on the course to drop a bomb on Pressel, who doesn't have the rep for being slow. The penalty had a huge impact, costing her a hole she thought she'd won, turning a what would have been a 3-up advantage through 12 holes to a 1-up advantage that eventually went away.
   Pressel suggested she was penalized for opponent Azahara Munoz's slow play, though Pressel admittedly took a long time on the 12th hole, trying to figure out which club to hit in the gusting wind.
   Slow-play penalties should be part of the game and they should be administered fairly.
   The LPGA made a point Sunday.
   Let's hope it's not a one-time, one-tour thing.
   
  

Golf's top 10 achievements: What's No. 1?

With the HP Byron Nelson Championship being played this week, it naturally brings to mind Lord Byron's remarkable 1945 season in which he won 11 consecutive tournaments and 18 for the year.

And it got me thinking - is Nelson's run of 11 straight victories (the second of which came at Myers Park Country Club in a playoff with Sam Snead) the greatest achievement in golf history?

It's the most unreachable record, for certain. Tiger Woods won seven in a row once and six in a row another time while Ben Hogan won six in a row once. Otherwise, no one has gotten half as far as Nelson went.

Here's my list of the 10 greatest achievements in golf history:

10. Tiger's cut streak

Woods made the cut in a remarkable 142 consecutive PGA Tour events, breaking Nelson's record of 113. Granted, Woods played in multiple no-cut events that counted in the streak (Nelson's streak also included some no-cut events) but it remains a 7 year stretch of sustained excellence.

It's worth noting that the last event in the streak was the 2005 Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

9. Mr. 59

When Al Geiberger shot 59 at Colonial Country Club in the second round of the Danny Thomas Memphis Open, he broke golf's four-minute mile.

There was nothing flukey about it. Geiberger did it on a hot day on a 7,000-yard golf course using a persimmon-headed driver.

Five other PGA Tour players have posted 59 since but Geiberger is golf's Roger Bannister.

8. Arnie at Cherry Hills

You know the story by now. After the morning round of the U.S. Open's then-traditional Saturday finish, Arnold Palmer was seven strokes behind leader Mike Souchak.

At lunch, Palmer asked his sports writer friend Bob Drum what would happen if he shot 65 in the afternoon.

Nothing, Drum told him.

"It would give me 280," Palmer told Drum. "Doesn't 280 always win the Open?"

"Only when Hogan shoots it," Drum said.

Palmer went out, drove the green on the 346-yard par-4 first hole, made a birdie at shot 65 to win his only U.S. Open when Ben Hogan finished bogey, triple-bogey.

7. Jack in '86

Like Palmer in '60, Nicklaus seemed too far behind when the final round of the 1986 Masters began and was a virtual afterthought until he birdied the ninth hole.

And the 10th and the 11th.

A bogey at 12, another birdie at 13, an eagle at 15, a near-ace at 16 and the 'yes, sir!' birdie at 17.

30 on the back. 65 on Sunday. A sixth green jacket.

The coolest day ever at Augusta.

6. Tiger conquers Augusta

Woods' victory in the 1997 Masters reached beyond golf. It was a socially important achievement, the first man of color to win the Masters.

I remember being in the crowd near the first tee when he teed off in the final round, his victory essentially secure with a nine-shot lead, and seeing Lee Elder, the first African-American to play in the Masters. I remember seeing African-American staff members coming out of the clubhouse to watch.

Woods won by 12 strokes at 18-under par, both tournament records. Golf changed.

5. Francis Ouimet wins the U.S. Open

When the 20-year old Ouimet, an amateur, beat Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff to win the 1913 U.S. Open near his home at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., it was a massive upset.

Ouimet's success - Vardon and Ray were considered the two best players in the world -- brought golf into the consciousness of the American public and the game's popularity soon boomed.

4. Hogan's great season

In 1953, four years after a nearly fateful auto accident, Ben Hogan played in just seven tournaments.

He won five of them.

Three of his victories were major championships - the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open - by a combined 15 strokes.

Because qualifying for the PGA Championship overlapped with the British Open, Hogan couldn't play in the year's fourth major championship but he became the first player to win three professional majors in the same year.

3. The Tiger Slam

Jack Nicklaus may still be considered golf's greatest champion but no one has played golf better than Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2001.

Just look at his victory in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. At 12-under par, he became the first player in the 106-year history of the U.S. Open to finish double-digits under par and he won by a remarkable 15 strokes despite a third-round triple bogey.

He went on to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews, beat Bob May in a playoff for the PGA at Valhalla and finished it off at the 2001 Masters. Only the calendar kept it from being the true grand slam of golf.

2. Nelson's streak

Think about it - he won 11 consecutive tournaments.

You'd think somewhere along the line, he'd hit it someplace bad and make a triple-bogey that cost him. Or the putts wouldn't fall or someone got silly hot. Nothing stopped Nelson.

The rap against it, if there is one, is it was a war year (1945) and the fields weren't as deep as they might have been. But Ben Hogan and Sam Snead won were playing and, between them, won 11 events in '45.

The streak started in Miami then ran through Charlotte, Greensboro and Durham then on down the line.

1. Bobby Jones grand slam

It's the achievement against which all others in golf are judged.

What Jones accomplished in 1930 - winning the U.S. and British Amateurs and the U.S. and British Opens - has never been equaled, though Woods came very close.

He played under enormous expectations - he even placed a bet with British oddsmakers on himself at 50-1 that paid off $80,000 - that he could win golf's four majors in the same year.

Jones retired after the achievement to start Augusta National and what became the Masters. Not a bad second act.

How slow can you go?

Kevin.

Na.

Is.

Maddeningly.

Slow.

DMV slow.

And somehow I wound up pulling for him at The Players Championship.

That's not to say I wasn't happy to see smiling Matt Kuchar finally bag a big one. It was time for Kuchar to knock down a big title and his story -- wife, kids, parents all right there -- was perfectly sweet for Mother's Day.

And I really like the part where Kuchar said it took him all of five swipes for the swing change that altered his career to kick in. Five swings. Kevin Na has more waggles before a shot.

Sort of puts a dent in that "needing millions of reps" theory that's going around.

As for Na, watching him deal publicly with his demons -- every golfer has them -- was both awkward and humanizing. In a game that's strangling on slow play, among other things, Na officially became the face of slow play on the tour this weekend.

He was already the leader in the clubhouse on tour but at the TPC Stadium Course the viewing public got a full serving of Na's idiosyncrasies when he's over the ball. Watching Na fidget is like being unable to reach that spot on your back that really itches.

To his credit, Na has admitted his issues and talked about how he struggles with hitting a shot. If you play golf, you know the screaming that can go on inside your head before a swing. Na looks like he has a Metallica concert going on in his noggin.

Na said he's not intentionally slow and he spends part of each round apologizing for being so, uh, methodical. It's embarassing and to have his game break down Sunday when he pushed himself to play faster with the chance to win one of the biggest championships in the game was a reminder of what the game can do to even the best players.

Golf is best played in a rhythm, not fast but quicker rather than slower. Most slow golfers don't realize they're slow. But they're the ones who treat every shot like it's a tax audit. There's no reason a casual round of golf should take more than four hours to play. I repeat, no reason.

Na doesn't want sympathy. He wants to play at a reasonable pace and says he's trying. It didn't work Sunday when he was quicker than he was on Saturday.

What Na didn't deserve was getting heckled by the jerks who thought they were being funny by barking at him to hit it. I'm just guessing here but at least some of the hecklers are the same guys who yell "get in the hole" immediately after a shot is struck and wear those tacky trousers John Daly gets paid to wear. Have another beer.

The PGA Tour talks a good game about dealing with slow play but until it starts adding strokes to scores -- and doing it regularly -- it's not going to change.

Na says he's trying to change and he seems sincere. Good for him.

But don't expect it to happen in a hurry.

Chamblee slams Tiger, Woods fires back

   Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, never one to hold back his opinion, took a big swing at Tiger Woods Wednesday in a teleconference preceding The Players Championship and Woods swung back.
   On a call with Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller, Chamblee said Woods' extended struggles which included a missed cut at the Wells Fargo Championship last week in Charlotte, could be solved by a return to his former instructor Butch Harmon rather than his continuing to work with Sean Foley.
   "Simply, he needs to fire Sean, call Butch. I think that would get it done right there. Fire Sean, call Butch," Chamblee said.
  "And I know he'll never do that because he's letting his ego get in the way of common sense. He wants to prove to people he's right. He would rather prove to people he's right than be right.
   "He's going to ride this thing as long as he can and it's just sad to see."
  It's not the first time Chamblee has leveled criticism at Woods and his work with Foley but this time it earned a reaction from Tiger.
   "Well, I can understand that everyone has an opinion, and he's entitled to his. But he's no longer playing anymore, so, so be it," Woods said when asked specifically about Chamblee's comments at The Players Championship.
   Harmon now works with, among others, Phil Mickelson, long considered Woods' top rival. It's unlikely Harmon would consider working with Woods again given his allegiance to Mickelson, even if Woods were to approach him. Harmon pointed out to Mickelson some of the little things Woods had used to disrupt or distract Mickelson in their competitive rounds together and since then, Woods has not beaten Mickelson head to head.
   Woods said the process of changing his swing under Foley's tutelage is similar to what he went through when he hired Harmon in 1997 after his record-setting Masters victory and again when he hired Hank Haney nearly a decade ago. Woods said his progress has been slowed this time by injuries but he remains committed to Foley's direction.
  Chamblee believes Woods is making a great mistake.
   "The frustration that we've seen from Tiger Woods, I've never seen one
person try to incorporate the swing thoughts of the golf machine (theory), and that's essentially maybe a little
bit sort of an annexed version of the golf machine, is what he's trying to incorporate. I've never seen
one person try to incorporate those thoughts into their golf swing without getting frustrated, without
getting confused, without getting lost, because it's science.
   "He's literally lost the art of the game, and I think Butch could help him, one, have more fun; two, he would find the art in the game; three, he would find the rhythm in the game; and four, he would be back to playing the type of golf that we know he can play."
    If you saw Woods at Quail Hollow, you saw a very different player from the one who won here in 2007. Chamblee isn't the only one who wonders if we'll ever see that player again.

Wells Fargo Championship delivers again

   It's easy to take for granted how good in every way the Wells Fargo Championship is.
   That's part of its beauty.
   All the little things, the details from getting people in and out to having a frozen yogurt machine for players and their families, add up to creating an event that's as special as the feeling it gives off.
   The tournament did it again this year.
   If you were on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow Sunday afternoon when the championship was being decided, you saw a spectacular scene. The golf course was as good as it has ever been and the gallery around the finishing hole as large as I can remember seeing.
   Having Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy in a playoff with D.A. Points gave it just the right amount of star power at the end. Being the scene of Fowler's first PGA Tour victory adds another impressive chapter to a 10-year champions' story that's as good as you'll find. Woods. Singh. Furyk. McIlroy. And now Fowler.
   It's 10 years old. Hard to believe. But it keeps getting better.

Day 2: Lessons learned, questions ahead

  Five things we learned at the Wells Fargo Championship Friday:
  1. It's possible for Tiger Woods' golf ball to disappear in front hundreds of spectators
  2. Phil Mickelson couldn't will a birdie putt into the hole.
  3. Rory McIlroy has hit just 10 fairways in two rounds but has kept leaders in sight.
  4. The guys who played Friday afternoon got, by far, the toughest playing conditions.
  5. Stewart Cink's swing changes may be kicking in at just the right time.

  Five things to watch Saturday:  1. Who will make the big move early and play themselves into contention?
  2. How tough will Quail Hollow play after surrendering so many low scores?
  3. Will thunderstorms get in the way of third-round action?
  4. Wonder what Tiger Woods is doing today?
  5. How many spectators will be watching golf and how many will be socializing today at Quail?
 

Round One: What we learned, what's next

   Five things we learned from the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship:
   1. Membership has its advantages as Quail Hollow member Webb Simpson showed.
   2. Tiger Woods is still chasing his swing and consistency
   3. When No. 17 plays only 167 yards with little wind, it's not so scary.
   4. Golf has a heart -- struggling Stewart Cink shot 65
   5. J.B. Holmes still has it as his 368-yard drive at No. 7 proved.

  
   Five questions entering Friday's second round:
   1. Will the scoring be as low or will the greens firm up and be more difficult?
   2. Can Woods, Mickelson or Westwood post a low number to get in contention?
   3. Is Patrick Reed a one-day wonder or will he stay in the mix?
   4. What will it take to make the 36-hole cut?
   5. Is this Rickie Fowler's breakthrough week on the PGA Tour?

An evening with Butch Harmon

   Were there a Mt. Rushmore of golf instructors, Butch Harmon would be there.

   Greg Norman. Tiger Woods. Ernie Els. Phil Mickelson.

   He's worked with them all and made each of them better.

   Harmon is 69 and still active, working the range with his clients at Quail Hollow this week. He still loves the people and the process, chasing perfection in an imperfect game.

   He invited a group of writers to dinner Wednesday night where he shared a glass or two of wine and a collection of stories that sounded like a first-person history of golf. The session was off the record, Harmon offering his unfiltered thoughts on people he's known and worked with.

   It could have lasted all night. Harmon, who is on the record saying Hank Haney's tell-all book about his time working with Tiger Woods violated an unspoken player-coach code, has a rare understanding of the game and what it does to the people who play it.

   The stories are funny. The insights telling.

   Harmon has a four-hour video -- 'Butch Harmon About Golf' -- that shares his teaching principles and, perhaps more importantly, includes his former students talking about their time with Harmon and what he did for them. It includes Woods, who sat down two years ago to talk about his relationship with Harmon, which included the Tiger Slam.

   The video, Harmon said, is his last big project. He can see retirement approaching and he wanted to share what's learned and the people he's known through the video.

    It doesn't come with dinner but it's the next best thing.

Phil talks Masters, Hall of Fame and more

    Phil Mickelson walked, well, actually he stumbled up a step, into his pre-tournament press conference Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Championship and seeing the media waiting for him, tossed a little dart.

   "You guys didn't see my video?" Mickelson asked, an obvious jab at Tiger Woods' decision to bypass a pre-tournament media session this week in favor of answering questions from fans on his website.

   Mickelson then spent 15 minutes talking about the state of his game, the triple-bogey he made on No. 4 in the final round of the Masters, his impending Hall of Fame induction and other matters. He was engaged, enthusiastic and fully Phil.

   Asked if he's ever been guilty of playing not to lose, he smiled and said, "If anything, I might go a little bit overboard the other way, which we can all attest."

   On his Masters disappointment: "On the weekend I felt I played about as well as I ever have. I didn't make a single bogey other than the mishap on 4...If (the tee shot) is a yard short or a yard  long, I probably make par because what shot do I practice there? I practice the chip from the drop area...because it's straight uphill."

  On entering the Hall of Fame: "I'm very appreciative of being inducted this year. I wouldn't be opposed to moving the age to 50 because with fitness being a bigger part of the tour, guys' careers are going longer."

   On his future: "I feel like these next five years could be the best of my career."

Quail looks great, will look different next year

With a weather forecast that looks more like July than early May, Quail Hollow may play as firm and fast as ever in this Wells Fargo Championship.

 The course is in excellent shape, as good as it has been, and with the heat, sun and breeze, the greens will only firm up, adding to the difficulty of putting the heavily contoured surfaces. With the fairways running, it brings the rough more into play and there's enough thick stuff to make a difference to players who spray their tee shots.

Most interesting may be how they set up the par-3 17th hole with the switch to the left-side tees this year. It brings a front left hole location into play -- just 15 feet from the water -- but if the wind is behind the players, tour officials may opt for a more forgiving location.

Players like the change at 17 away from the brutally difficult right tee. One player was overheard saying it went from one the worst par-3s on tour to one of the best just by moving the tee markers. It's an overdue change at Quail Hollow and it won't be the last change.

After this year's event, the par-4 eighth hole will be revamped, creating a new green left of where the existing green is. There won't be many tears shed by players when the existing hole goes.

Also, the par-4 fourth hole will get a new tee, significantly left of where the tee is now and there are plans to soften the controversial 12th green.

Wells Fargo first-round tee times

Thursday tee times at the Wells Fargo Championship:

 First tee 

7:00 a.m.: Pat Perez, Dickie Pride, Josh Teater

7:10: Steve Flesch, Rickie Fowler, Ken Duke

 7:20: Chez Reavie, Chad Campbell, Jeff Maggert

7:30: Bill Lunde, Bo Van Pelt, John Senden

7:40: Stuart Appleby, Retief Goosen, Robert Allenby

 7:50: Jonathan Byrd, Trevor Immelman, Charles Howell III

 8:00: Ben Curtis, Johnson Wagner, Zach Johnson

8:10: John Huh, Kevin Na, Robert Garrigus

8:20: Joe Ogilvie, Tom Pernice Jr., Kris Blank

8:30: Nathan Green, Ryuji Imada, Kevin Chappell

 8:40: Martin Flores, Steve Wheatcroft, William McGirt

 8:50: Jamie Lovemark, Charlie Beljan, Patrick Reed

9:00: Jonas Blixt, Jason Kokrak, Nick Flanagan

10th Tee

7:00: David Duval, Tommy Gainey, David Mathis

7:10: Chris DiMarco, Charlie Wi, Blake Adams

7:20: Chris Stroud, Kevin Stadler, J.J. Killeen

7:30: Rory Sabbatini, Aaron Baddeley, D.A. Points

7:40: Tim Clark, Derek Lamely, Stephen Ames

7:50: Scott Stallings, Brendan Steele, Gary Woodland

8:00: Bill Haas, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley

8:10: Kyle Stanley, Lucas Glover, Lee Westwood

8:20: Brian Davis, Jimmy Walker, Tom Gillis

8:30: Billy Mayfair, Brendon de Jonge, Sang-Moon Bae

8:40: Seung-Yul Noh, Colt Knost, Garth Mulroy

8:50: Danny Lee, Miguel Angel Carbello, Gary Christian

9:00: Brian Harman, Kevin Kisner, Frank Adams

1st Tee 

12:25 p.m.: Chris Couch, James Driscoll, Hank Kuehne

12:35: J.B. Holmes, Robert Karlsson, Hunter Haas

12:45: J.J. Henry, Cameron Tringale, Michael Thompson

12:55: Chris Kirk, Jhonattan Vegas, Arjun Atwal

 1:05: Matt Bettencourt, Camilo Villegas, Cameron Beckman

1:15: George McNeill, Henrik Stenson, Mike Weir

1:25: Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Geoff Ogilvy

1:35: Rory McIlroy, David Toms, Jim Furyk

1:45: Vaughn Taylor, Marc Leishman, John Merrick

1:55: Troy Matteson, D.J. Trahan, Patrick Sheehan

2:05: Stephen Gangluff, Ted Potter Jr., Richard Lee

2:15: Brendon Todd, Will Claxton, Troy Kelly

2:25: Kyle Reifers, Tommy Biershenk, Rick Lewallen

10th Tee

12:25: Jeff Overton, Nick O'Hern, Gavin Coles

12:35: Ryan Moore, Spencer Levin, Sunghoon Kang

12:45: Andres Romero, Brandt Jobe, David Hearn

12:55: Mark Wilson, Heath Slocum, Vijay Singh

1:05: Sean O'Hair, Stewart Cink, Angel Cabrera

1:15: Rocco Mediate, Jason Bohn, Anthony Kim

1:25: Carl Pettersson, Nick Watney, Jason Day

1:35: Hunter Mahan, Ben Crane, Martin Laird

1:45: Mathew Goggin, Greg Owen, Marco Dawson

1:55: Matt Every, Scott Brown, Edward Loar

2:05: Bobby Gates, Daniel Summerhays, Harris English

2:15: Erick Compton, Roberto Castro, Mark Anderson

2:25: Kyle Thompson, Billy Hurley III, Bryan Bigley

It's Bigley 2.0 at Quail Hollow this year

Bryan Bigley knows what to expect this year. The groundskeeper/mini-tour golfer Monday qualified into the Wells Fargo Championship for the second straight year, shooting 64 at Carolina Golf Club to play his way in and avoid a 10-man playoff for the final two spots (Frank Adams III and Nick Flanagan survived the nine extra holes). Bigley has been playing eGolf Professional Tour events this year and felt good going into the qualifier. Back at Quail Hollow, he feels more at home than last year when he shot 78-76 to miss the 36-hole cut. "Last year, I was still trying to find the range and find the locker room," Bigley said. "Having been here before, I know more what to expect." Last year, Bigley's goal was to make the cut. This year, he wants more. "My goal is to compete," Bigley said. "Making the cut would be huge because it would make me some money and get me through some pre-qualifying (events) but I really want to compete."

Tiger feels ready, praises Harris, Quail Hollow

Tiger Woods says he feels he has resolved the ball-striking issues that bedeviled him at the Masters, leading to a disappointing performance in the year's first major championship after winning two weeks earlier at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.


Woods said posture issues at address led to takeaway problems at Augusta and he believes his recent work with instructor Sean Foley has remedied the issue.

"At Augusta, it wasn't quite there," Woods said on a video posted on his website in which he answered questions submitted by fans. "My posture was a little off and my takeaway was off because my posture was off. I've fixed those things the last couple of weeks and I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks."

Rather than hold a pre-tournament interview session with the media at Quail Hollow this week, Woods opted to answer questions in a 14-minute video on his website (www.tigerwoods.com)

Asked how he would feel to win a second Wells Fargo Championship, Woods said, "It'd feel just as good (as 2007). winning is winning. It's been a few years since I've won (at Quail Hollow). I'd like to get back in the winner's circle there.

"I love what (Quail Hollow president) John Harris has done for the event. He's going to get a PGA there and maybe a Ryder Cup down the road. He means so much to that area and what he's done for golf in general is just phenomenal. It's why all the players are there. It's a great golf course and (because of) what John has done for golf."

Woods said he took a week off after the Masters but went back to work on his game two weeks ago in preparation for the Wells Fargo Championship and The Players Championship.

Tiger, Phil go early and late Wednesday

Tiger Woods will start it and Phil Mickelson will finish it Wednesday at the Wells Fargo pro-am at Quail Hollow Club.


Woods will play at 7:30 a.m. off the first tee while Mickelson won't play until 2:03 p.m. in the Wednesday event.

The morning pro-am wave will include Davis Love III, Rickie Fowler, Vijay Singh, Hunter Mahan and Keegan Bradley, among others.

The afternoon wave includes defending champion Lucas Glover, Geoff Ogilvy, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Zach Johnson and Mickelson, among others.

Amateur pairings will be finalized at a party Tuesday night.

Here are the professional tee times for Wednesday:

First Tee


7:30 a.m.: Tiger Woods

7:39: Aaron Baddeley

7:48: Davis Love III

7:57: Charles Howell III

8:06: Rickie Fowler

8:15: Camilo Villegas

8:24: Tommy Gainey

8:33: John Senden

8:42: Spencer Levin

8:51: Vijay Singh

9:00: Rory Sabbatini

9:09: Hunter Mahan

9:18: David Toms
10th Tee

7:30: Jason Day

7:39: Gary Woodland

7:48: Brendan Steele

7:57: Jonathan Byrd

8:06: Brendan Steele

8:15: Johnson Wagner

8:24: Bill Haas

8:33: Chez Reavie

8:42: Kevin Na

8:51: Bo Van Pelt

9:00: Mark Wilson

9:09: Keegan Bradley

9:18: Nick Watney
First Tee


12:15: Lucas Glover

12:24: Ryan Moore

12:33: Rory McIlroy

12:42: Geoff Ogilvy

12:51: Chris Kirk

1:00: Anthony Kim

1:09: Robert Karlsson

1:18: Brandt Job

1:27: Joe Ogilvie

1:36: Jim Furyk

1:45: Robert Garrigus

1:54: Robert Allenby

2:03: Phil Mickelson

Tenth Tee

12:15: Martin Laird

12:24: Scott Stallings

12:33: Trevor Immelman

12:42: Zach Johnson

12:51: Jhonattan Vegas

1:00: Stewart Cink

1:09: Ben Crane

1:18: Carl Pettersson

1:27: Lee Westwood

1:36: Kyle Stanley

1:45: Sean O'Hair

1:54: George McNeill

2:03: J.B. Holmes

Woods talking to fans, not media, before Wells Fargo

If you're interested in what Tiger Woods thinks about Quail Hollow, the Wells Fargo Championship and the state of his golf game, he's going to talk about those things on his website (www.tigerwoods.com) Monday rather than address the media prior to the tournament next week.

Rather than do a pre-tournament media session at various events, Woods will post a video on his website that will include him answering questions submitted by fans via his Twitter account and Facebook. The first video is expected to be posted on Monday.

"Instead of talking to the media, he'll talk directly to his fans," Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg said. "With social media today, it made sense to connect to (fans) so we'll selectively pick some events to do that."

Steinberg said Woods has made himself available for a formal interview or an informal gathering with reporters prior to the start of each tournament he has played. That will change at Quail Hollow next week. He will not address the media on Wednesday either before or after his pro-am round.

Woods will still talk with the media after he plays tournament rounds and will do pre-tournament interviews where is the defending champion, at major championships and selected events.

Steinberg said the new initiative is not in response to media criticism, most recently when Woods was criticized for kicking a club after hitting a bad shot at the Masters.

"The media will continue to have access to him," Steinberg said. "This isn't anything more than a couple of times a year to interact with the fans. They deserve that.

"This isn't intended to make a statement. This is intended to be more inclusive. This isn't a statement whatsoever. Some in the media might interpret it that way but that's not the intent."

Wells Fargo golf sold out again

The Wells Fargo Championship, which begins Monday at Quail Hollow Club, is a sellout again.


Ticket sales closed Friday with all available tickets purchased.

The field includes Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan and others as the event celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Carolina Panthers football coach Ron Rivera is scheduled to participate in the Monday pro-am at Quail Hollow while Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney is scheduled to play in the Wednesday pro-am. Tournament play starts Thursday.

Wells Fargo donates $100,000 to First Tee of Charlotte

Wells Fargo has made a $100,000 donation to The First Tee of Charlotte, part of the bank's celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Wells Fargo Championship next week at Quail Hollow Club and the company's third annual Reading Above Par community program.

"Wells Fargo remains committed to making a real difference in the lives of children by maintaining an active involvement with our public education system and local communities," said Kendall Alley, Wells Fargo Charlotte region president.

"This is accomplished through our companywide volunteer efforts and support of community organizations like The First Tee, which help to create a brighter future for our young people."

Wells Fargo volunteers have spent the past month working directly with Charlotte-area students enrolled in The First Tee program, reading with the students in an effort to meet the Reading Above Par curriculum before next week's PGA Tour event.

Students who achieve the goal before the tournament will get to meet several PGA Tour players at a tournament-week event which will include the formal presentation of the $100,000 check.

"The First Tee of Charlotte youth are extremely grateful to companies like Wells Fargo that recognize the importance of building life skills and are willing to dedicate resources to help our students reach their goals," said Jennifer MacCurrach, executive director of The First Tee of Charlotte.

The gift will help The First Tee program be incorporated into 41 of 100 elementary schools in the Charlotte area by next fall.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to play pro-am

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney and New Jersey Nets star Deron Williams are scheduled to particpate in the Wednesday pro-am prior to the start of the Wells Fargo Championship May 2 at Quail Hollow Club.

Also, former Charlotte sports radio personality Gary Williams, now with The Golf Channel, and his 'Morning Drive' colleague Holly Sonders will play in the Wednesday pro-am.

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is scheduled to play in the Monday pro-am at Quail Hollow.

Among the recent player commitments are Jason Day, No. 16 in the world, and Rickie Fowler, joining Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and others in the field.

Daily tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are sold out. Weekly badges ($140) are available at www.wellsfargochampionship.com or at the tournament kiosk in Southpark Mall.

Georgia Tech takes ACC men's golf title

    Georgia Tech added to its collection of ACC hardware Sunday as the Yellow Jackets captured the ACC men’s golf championship at Old North State Club.

   It was the Yellow Jackets’ 14^th team championship as they rolled to a seven-stroke victory over Virginia. Georgia Tech finished at 27-under par 837, playing the final round in rainy, breezy and cool conditions.

   The Cavaliers were led by Ben Rusch, who won the ACC individual championship, becoming the first Virginia golfer since Pete Arend in 1955 to win the league title.

   Florida State finished third in the team competition, Virginia Tech and Clemson tied for fourth followed by Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Maryland and Boston College.
   Earlier this month, Duke claimed its 17th women's golf championship led by medialist Lindy Duncan.

   

Green Mile gets tweaked for Wells Fargo Championship

Quail Hollow Club's Green Mile will have a different look in the Wells Fargo Championship this year.

Club and tournament officials have decided to play the watery par-3 17th hole from the left side 'member' tees for all four days of the tournament. It's a change in a course set-up that players have suggested through the tournament's first nine years.

Earlier this year, the decision was made to play two tournament rounds from the left side, which provides a more receptive angle into the green. After deliberation, it was decided all four days will played from the left side where the hole is likely to play between 190 and 205 yards.

Grandstands have been constructed behind the left-side tee box offering a dramatic view of the 14th, 16th and 17th holes. There are no grandstands behind the right side tee box anymore.

"I think the players will be very excited by the move so we decided to do it," Quail Hollow president Johnny Harris said.

Pinehurst No. 2 again top best in NC list

  If you're into golf course ratings, and many people are, the North Carolina Golf Panel recently announced its ranking of the state's best courses.


   To no one's surprise, Pinehurst No. 2, recently redone maginificently by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, again tops the list.

   Here's how the rest of the top 10 breaks down and how the panel ranked courses in the Charlotte area that made the state's top 100. If you want to see the full lists, you can visit www.NCGolfPanel.com/courserankings.cfm

   Pinehurst No. 2 again tops the list of the state's best courses as voted on by the North Carolina Golf Panel. Pinehurst No. 2 has been No. 1 since the voting began in 1995.

   The rest of the top 10, in order is: Grandfather Golf & Country Club; Quail Hollow Club; Old North State Club; Pine Needles; Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood); Charlotte Country Club; Elk River Club; Forest Creek (South); and, Pinehurst No. 8.

   The panel also ranked the top courses in the Charlotte area. They are, in order: Quail Hollow Club; Charlotte Country Club; Myers Park Country Club; Carmel Country Club (South); The Club at Irish Creek; The Club at Longview; Gaston Country Club; Carolina Golf Club; The Golf Club at Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge; River Run Country Club; Ballantyne Country Club; and, Providence Country Club.

   If you're wondering, I'm not a member of the North Carolina Golf Panel though my list of the top three courses in the state would mirror the panel's list. From there, things would look different.

Luke Donald surrenders No. 1 to Rory McIlroy again

With his 39th-place finish at the RBC Heritage, Luke Donald lost his spot atop the world golf rankings, falling to second behind Rory McIlroy.

Donald could have stayed No. 1 with a finish of eighth or better at Harbour Town but he was never a factor, struggling to deal with the firm greens, ending a run of three straight years in which he finished third or better.

 Donald said he intends to direct his attention to sharpening his short game rather than dwelling on being No. 2 now.

 "Is it a concern? No," Donald said. "Obviously, I would have liked to have played a bit more consistently this year. I built up a nice lead last year through some good tournaments and winning a bunch and being consistent. This year hasn't been quite as consistent. As a result, there's a little bit of fluctuation in the world rankings now. So, nothing too worried about."

 Donald held the No. 1 spot for 40 weeks, lost it to McIlroy for two weeks then held it four more weeks after his victory in the Transitions Championship.

 "I didn't have it just for a few weeks," Donald said. "I had it for something like 40 or 45 weeks, so I've experienced it and enjoyed it and hopefully I can get it back again. It's never really been the focus. Obviously, there was a lot more focus the first time around, trying to get to No. 1. Now my focus is solely on trying to win tournaments and win majors."

 Donald will not play in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Beach putting, it's hard to miss

Taking a morning walk on the beach at HIlton Head (one of the many benefits of covering the RBC Heritage), I saw the usual sights:


Kids digging in the sand, adults reading and an old man (not me) taking a stroll wearing shorts and gray socks pulled up to his knees.

And there was a man with his putter and three golf balls, stroking putts back and forth on the hard-packed sand. The beach was quick, maybe 13 on the Stimpmeter and, not surprisingly, everything breaks toward the water.

The guy looked at peace, or at least as much at peace as a guy putting can appear. Funny how easy putting looks when there's no hole to worry about.

I might try it tomorrow morning.

Boo Weekley is on the way back

Boo Weekley is on the way back.


He's at Harbour Town this week, playing in the RBC Heritage which he won in both 2007 and 2008, his only two PGA Tour victories. And if he's not exactly Davis Love III at Harbour Town (Love has five tartan jackets), he's the next best thing.

And Boo is back on good terms with golf.

He spent last year dealing with a shoulder issue that ultimately required surgery. He made just 11 of 25 cuts and though Boo led the PGA Tour in greens in regulation, he fell out of the top 125 money winners.

But with a tie for third at the Puerto Rico Open earlier this year and a tie for 14th at the Shell Houston Open, Weekley's game is coming back.

"So far, it's been a great year. I'm ready to play some golf," Weekley said.

He's changed to TaylorMade equipment this year, made a couple of other tweaks and feels fresh. When he hits shots now, there's no fear.

"Last year I didn't feel confident in with what I had and what I was doing in my swing and where I was trying to get the ball to go," Weekley said.

"I was afraid to dig it up. I drive into the ground and there were weeks out there I'd have to go get cortisone shots because I so afraid to dig it out. I don't like playing golf like that. I was playing scared. I was scared to fire it at a pin. I was scared of getting (the club) stuck and the next thing you know, you're tearing it up."

It's all good now.

"It feels good again," Weekley said.

Clemson's Stanley ready to roll again

Kyle Stanley is trying to de-clutter.

Since his emotional two-week career-changing turn in February -- when he lost a big lead and the Farmers Insurance Classic one weekend only to rally from behind to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open a week later -- Stanley has been coping with changes on and off the course.

He became a star, a player in demand, and it's required an adjustment.

In his last four starts, Stanley has missed two cuts and not finished inside the top 50 in the other two events. He's hoping the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town will be a renewal of sorts for him.

"I've had a lot going on off the golf course, a lot of clutter...it's been hard for me to focus on what I'm doing," Stanley, a former Clemson All-American, said. "We're making some changes, some adjustments. We're in a pretty good spot right now."

Stanley lives just off the island at Hilton Head, having developed a fondness for the area while in college. He also vacationed in the area as a kid, making the trip with his family from Gig Harbor, Wash.

Stanley won the Junior Heritage several years ago and likes the vibe of being back at Hilton Head. He's struggled with his short game in recent weeks but is intent on fixing that.

"I just haven't been very comfortable on the greens," Stanley said. "I'm probably thinking a little bit too much, overanalyzing some things. I just need to get back to my instincts a bit."

10 reasons the RBC Heritage is cool

Ten things that make the RBC Heritage cool:

   1. Men walk around in tartan kilts.
   Okay, not a lot of them but some do and, even if they're paid to do it, you don't see that every day.

   2. Boo Weekley won this event -- twice.
   Find another PGA Tour event that can say that.

   3. It's fun to say Calibogue.
   Try it -- Cal-ah-bogey. See, you can do it.

   4. They have a putting contest for kids on the practice green on Tuesday afternoon.
  A few of the pros hang around for it, too.

   5. There aren't any cars in ponds at Harbour Town.
  There are, however, some really impressive boats in the marina.

   6. It has a lighthouse.
   You usually have to play miniature golf to have a lighthouse. Not here, though it is a small course by PGA Tour standards.

   7. Bubba Watson isn't playing but people are still talking about him.

  8. Champagne is sold at some concession stands around the course.
  Funnel cakes, however, are unavailable.

   9. It's hard to tell there was a recession when you're at Harbour Town.

   10. It has real live alligators.
  Just don't get too close -- but you probably knew that.

Bubba golf, it's a blast

Add this to the list of things you never thought you'd hear:

A guy named Bubba, who could use a haircut, explaining that he plays "Bubba golf" while wearing his new green jacket.

The Masters, which finds a way to get the story right more often than Disney studios, did it again Sunday when Bubba Watson made four straight back-nine birdies and then made an Alcatraz-quality escape from a pine-forest jail to beat Louis Oosthuizen to win the Masters.

Who says golf can't be fun?

Watch Bubba play.

Watch Bubba fidget.

Watch Bubba hit it, as the cliche goes, farther than most people go on vacation.

Phil Mickelson used to own the title as golf's most imaginative player. Now, his game looks like a black-and-white Polaroid snapshot when you put it beside Bubba golf.

This is grip it and rip it, juiced by Red Bull.

Until Sunday, no one was quite sure whether Bubba Watson could win a major championship. He had a chance at the 2010 PGA but lost to Martin Kaymer in a playoff. In his three previous PGA Tour wins, he'd done it despite nerves that looked jumpier than a teenager approaching their first kiss.

On an Augusta Sunday, Watson answered all the questions.

And it was a blast to watch.

Where else would you want to be?

Late Saturday afternoon, with the chance his boss, Phil Mickelson could win a fourth Masters Sunday afternoon, caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay said what many of us believe.


"It's the greatest event in sports in my opinion. Where else would you want to be?" Mackay said.

The sun was setting and the sound was dying across Augusta National after a Saturday afternoon that included Mickelson rattling the old place with an eagle at No. 13 and a 6-under par 30 on the back nine that sent him rocketing up the big white leader boards around the course.

The only player better was Sweden's Peter Hanson, who third-round 65 staked him to a one-stroke lead over Mickelson entering the final round while Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson and others not named Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy lurked in the periphery.

Mickelson and the Masters delivered again Saturday afternoon. That's what the great ones -- whether players or events -- find a way to do over and over.

The day started slowly, Birdies were as hard to find as tournament badges on the open market but around mid-afternoon, someone flipped the electricity switch.

It turned into another great Saturday and left us with one question:

How good might Sunday be?

Can Fred Couples win the Masters?

Can Fred Couples win this Masters?

Of course he can.

And he just might.

Were I in Las Vegas, I'd probably put my money on Rory McIlroy halfway through this Masters. He's spotting Couples and Jason Dufner one stroke and that's nothing. Winning the Masters is often about creating magic and no one near the top of the leader board can create more supernatural stuff than Rors.

But being 52 years old with a cranky back and having a share of the Masters lead -- again -- is magic in itself.

Put it to a vote right now and Freddie wins the Masters popularity contest by a mile and that's with McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, two of the most magnetic figures in the game, lurking. Like McIlroy said, he's just cool.

I don't think Couples consciously tries to be cool. It just comes naturally to him. It can't be bought or sold or faked.

He's a guy who likes to talk sports, doesn't like to get in a hurry and isn't a big fan of crowds, though he draws them like Elvis in soft spikes. Right now, many more people hope Couples can win than think he can win.

He thinks he can win.

That's what matters.

And how cool would that be?

Friday at Augusta: Something big is brewing

Friday afternoon has arrived at the Masters and so, thankfully, has the sunshine.

It started like a morning in Dublin, Ireland, gray, cool and breezy. It stayed that way until shortly after noon when the names of Rory McIlroy, Fred Couples and Sergio Garcia joined a leader board topped by Lee Westwood and Peter Hanson.

Where it goes from here, nobody knows.

The good news is the sun is expected to remain, the winds should diminish tonight and the weekend looks almost as perfect as Augusta National's greens.

McIlroy's name somehow looks bigger on the boards than any of the others, Westwood's included. When he closed with two birdies in Thursday afternoon damp, gathering darkness, it seemed a hint of things to come. Marching steadily around Augusta National today, McIlroy is right where he needs to be.

Phil Mickelson is still sputtering, Webb Simpson is flirting with the cut line and there's no magic to Bubba Watson's game today.

The afternoon belongs to Tiger Woods. If he hits it like he did Thursday, the weekend will belong to someone else.

The sun has arrived -- and so has the feeling that something big is brewing.

 

Masters Day One: What we learned

The best thing that happened at Augusta National Thursday besides Lee Westwood's opening-round 67?

The way the late-afternoon line of thunderstorms somehow sidestepped an already wet golf course, allowing the first round to be completed and, barring a heavy overnight downpour, giving the course a chance to firm up a little more by the weekend.

What are the takeaways from the first round?

Lee Westwood will be hard to beat. He still has to prove he can win a major obviously, but his start is a huge boost. He doesn't have to play from behind now, at least not seriously behind.

If he can keep avoiding mistakes and collect a few birdies along the way, Westwood will have a great chance to finally win that elusive first major.

Yes, it's just one day in a typically turbulent tournament but amid all the early expectations, Westwood delivered.

Don't discount Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Hanson.

When Oosthuizen gets going, he's renowned for going deep. He inexplicably shot 41 on the front nine of the final round of the Shell Houston Open last Sunday to kick away a tournament he was poised to win but apparently the disappointment didn't linger.

And keep an eye on Hanson. He has top-five finishes in both World Golf Championships this year. He's about to become famous here.

None of that precludes Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy or Phil Mickelson from storming back to the top. It's a golf course that can allow low scores but it can go the other way in a hurry.

The Masters is just getting started.

Arnie, Jack and Gary, together again

The morning was perfect -- cool and clear with a dressing of dew on the ground -- and so were the tee shots.

First, Arnold Palmer's, then Gary Player's and, finally, Jack Nicklaus's, each landing in the middle of the first fairway, dotting the hillside and serving as the ceremonial start to another Masters.

There were cheers and smiles before breakfast. Palmer walks slower now, bent a few degrees forward at the hips now and Nicklaus's swing has surrendered its power to the years. And then there was Player, eternally energetic, winning the long-drive contest in his first time as a ceremonial starter.

It's not about how they play now. It's about how they played for all those years and how they pulled us along with them. The numbers are staggering. Among them, they played 147 Masters, winning 13 of them. In one seven-year stretch in the '60s, they won every Masters played.

No wonder they were called the Big Three.

And no wonder Phil Mickelson was on the first tee this morning to watch them together again.

When someone asked if they remembered the first time they saw ceremonial starters at Augusta, Player mentioned seeing Jock Hutchinson and Nicklaus joked that he remembers seeing Arnie as the starter before that.

Palmer, now 82, told of hearing both Nicklaus and Player tell him they planned to retire at age 35. Palmer's response at the time -- and again this morning -- was, well, something you might find on the ground at a cattle ranch.

His recent blood pressure scare resolved, Palmer said his health is good and "I'd still be (playing the Masters) if I could."

When asked if they might play nine holes rather than just hit an opening tee shot as honorary starters used to do, Nicklaus said that's not the deal anymore.

"Look at our tee shots," he said. "We'd all have to hit 3-wood (second shots) and we'd still have a little left (to the green) after that. You see why we aren't (playing nine)."

No one cares how they play now. It's how they played before and what they've meant across the ages.

They made a pretty morning beautiful.

Photo: Jeff Siner, The Charlotte Observer

A woman at Augusta; to be continued...

Long before Augusta National chairman Billy Payne took a seat in the media room Wednesday for his annual question-and-answer session with the assembled scribes and commentators, he knew the question was coming.

When will Augusta National accept its first female member?

The question blooms annually, like the azaleas whose blossoms have come and gone already, and the answer is just as reliable. Club matters remain the private business of the club.

Podcast: Masters preview with Ron Green Jr. and Ron Green Sr.

The question, almost dormant since Martha Burk's crusade a decade ago, has resurfaced now that the new IBM CEO is a woman, Virginia Rometty. Previous CEOs of Big Blue have been invited to join Augusta National but Rometty is different because she's female.

For all we know, she may be on her way to becoming the first female member or, perhaps, part of the first group of female members. When the day comes that there are female members at Augusta National, it will likely come with virtually no fanfare, just a trickle of information having been doled out, acknowledging what will feel like a monumental change at the club.

Payne offered no hints about Rometty's status or that of any other female Wednesday. No matter how the question was phrased, he volleyed it back with the same answer, saying it's a private club business. When the media pushing continued, Payne stuck to the club line.

When he was asked what he would tell his granddaughters about the club's policy, he defended that conversation on the grounds of personal privacy. But the question put the topic on a personal level.

It was an awkward session but it's an awkward topic. On one hand, Payne and Augusta National have taken an aggressive approach to growing golf around the world. They are proactive and progressive, whether it's adding its weight behind the Asian Amateur championship, contributing heavily to The First Tee initiative or the club's involvement in a variety of other programs.

Then there's the membership issue.

It's the club's right to establish its own membership criteria. Augusta National gets the attention but there are plenty of other private organizations with exclusionary criteria.

Burk tried to use social blackmail and it backfired. In the case of Rometty's promotion, does it move from a gender issue to a business decision? Does that make a difference?

Women are welcome at Augusta National, playing literally hundreds of rounds of golf there each year. To this point, though, none has been asked to join the club, at least not to anyone's knowledge.

That day may be close. Or, maybe it's not close. Maybe the plan is to extend an invitation to Rometty on the club's schedule, not forcing it because of media scrutiny.

It's no surprise that the question was asked again -- and again -- on Wednesday. Maybe one day soon, it won't have to be asked again.

Storm damages Augusta; Payne mum on membership

An overnight storm dumped 1.4 inches of rain on Augusta National, forcing a significant clean-up project on the final practice day prior to Thursday's start of the Masters.


Chairman Billy Payne said several trees were brought down by the storm though none that would impact the competition. He also said Rae's Creek, which runs in front of the par-3 12th green, briefly overran its banks but there was no significant damage.

A large tree fell on the million-dollar restroom facility near the 16th tee, doing major damage. Payne said the structure should "be rebuilt and up and running by the end of the day."

In his annual question and answer session with the media, Payne addressed several topics, including the decision not to offer a special exemption to Ernie Els, whose streak of 18 consecutive Masters appearances ended, and the issue of female membership in the all-male club.

On Els, Payne said he expects Els to "be back with us often" but the decision was made not to offer him a special invitation this year.

The issue of female members has been heightened with the promotion of Jenny Rommety to president of IBM in January. Previous IBM presidents -- all men -- have been members of the exclusive club.

Payne reiterated the club's long-standing position that all membership matters will remain private.

"All issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members," Payne said.

Payne was pressed on the matter, even asked what he would tell his granddaughters about their not being allowed membership at Augusta National, and he offered the same answer, citing the club's privacy in regard to membership.

Tiger Woods plans to play at Quail Hollow Club

It looks like the Wells Fargo Championship is collecting stars again.

Sources close to Tiger Woods confirmed Tuesday that the 14-time major champion plans to play in the Wells Fargo Championship next month at Quail Hollow Club.

Woods has not officially committed to the event but is expected to make his participation official sometime after the Masters. Woods won the event in 2007 but missed the event last year because of an Achilles injury he suffered while playing in the Masters.

Players have until the Friday before an event to officially commit.

Also, 2010 Wells Fargo Championship winner Rory McIlroy confirmed he will play at Quail Hollow Club May 3-6. McIlroy had listed the Charlotte stop on his newly-launched website this week.

"Sure, of course," McIlroy said when asked Tuesday if will play at Quail Hollow.

Like Woods, McIlroy has not yet officially committed.

Phil Mickelson has indicated he plans to play at Quail Hollow as will Lee Westwood. World No. 1 Luke Donald does not plan to play in Charlotte, having bypassed the event in recent years.

Masters first-round pairings

Tiger Woods will play the first two rounds of the Masters with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Korean's Sang Moon-Bae, the tournament announced today with the release of tee times for the Thursday and Friday.


Woods will start at 10:35 a.m. on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy will get a late start Thursday, teeing off in the second to last group at 1:42 p.m. with Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Bubba Watson. Phil Mickelson will follow at 1:53 p.m. with Hunter Mahan and Sweden's Peter Hanson.

Charlotte's Webb Simpson will play at 12:47 p.m., with Mike Weir and Brandt Snedeker while Johnson Wagner goes with Tom Watson and Hideki Matsuyama at 9:40 a.m.

Robert Karlsson plays at 8:35 a.m. Thursday with Ben Crenshaw and amateur Bryden Macpherson. Martin Laird plays at 11:08 a.m. with Mark O'Meara and Chez Reavie.



Tee times for Thursday's first round of the Masters:

7:40 a.m.: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player (honorary)

7:50: Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele, Tim Clark

8:01: Jose Maria Olazabal, Robert Garrigus, Randal Lewis (a)

8:12: Larry Mize, Paul Lawrie, Anders Hansen

8:23: Ross Fisher, Ryan Palmer, Harrison Frazar

8:34: Ben Crenshaw, Robert Karlsson, Bryden Macpherson (a)

8:45: Adam Scott, Bo Van Pelt, Martin Kaymer

8:56: Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink

9:07: Aaron Baddeley, Kyung-Tae Kim, Lucas Glover

9:18: Kyle Stanley, Jason Day, Bill Haas

9:29: Trevor Immelman, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose

9:40: Tom Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hideki Matsuyama (a)

10:02: Matt Kuchar, Geoff Ogilvy, Yong-Eun Yang

10:13: Gary Woodland, Henrik Stenson, Alvaro Quiros

10:24: Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Kelly Kraft (a)

10:35: Tiger Woods, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sang-Moon Bae

10:46: Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari, Nick Watney

10:57: Scott Verplank Sean O'Hair, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano

11:08: mark O'Meara, Chez Reavie, Martin Laird

11:19: Sandy Lyle, Simon Dyson, Corbin Mills (a)

11:30: Ian Woosnam, Edoardo Molinari, Kevin Chappell

11:41: Louis Oosthuizen, Mark Wilson, Graeme McDowell

11:52: Zach Johnson, ian Poulter, Patrick Cantlay (a)

12: 14: Kevin Na, Fredrick Jacobson, Ben Crane

12:25: John Senden, Jonathan Byrd, Paul Casey

12:36: Bernhard Langer, Jason Dufner, Charles Howell III

12:47: Mike Weir, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson

12:58: Vijay Singh, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk

1:09: Thomas Bjorn, Scott Stallings, Rory Sabbatini

1:20: Fred Couples, Darren Clarke, Ryo Ishikawa

1:31: David Toms, K.J. Choi, Sergio Garcia

1:42: Angel Cabrera, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson

1:53: Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Peter Hanson

Rory McIlroy: 'Obviously there's memories'

The next time someone in the business of handling famous people wants to show their client how it's done in a press conference, they should get a tape of Rory McIlroy's 25-minute session in the Masters media room this morning.

He was charming, insightful, funny, self-deprecating, honest and more, talking about all that happened to him on Sunday last April when his golf world went kaboom. It could have been a testy session, one in which McIlroy waved off questions about what happened last year and tried to focus the conversation on this week.

Instead, he answered everything head on.

He joked about how close the white cabins to the left of the 10th tee now seem to be. He blushed when the phone in his pocket rang during the interview. "No phones at Augusta," he apologized. He talked about crying when he talked to his mother a day later.

He said he watched a replay of that Sunday and saw a guy looking at the ground with his shoulders hunched, the opposite of how he usually walks. He tried to be perfect and mean and it's not who he is.

Of course, he won the U.S. Open two months later and now he's here, one of the co-favorites along with Tiger Woods in this Masters.

"Every time you come back to this place, you just get excited," McIlroy said. "Obviously there's memories that come back and memories that you probably don't want... It's fine. I got that all out of the way and (I'm) just looking forward to this week."

McIlroy also confrmed he'll play in the Wells Fargo Championship next month. "Sure, of course," he said when asked if it's on his schedule.

Rory has Quail on his schedule

   Checking in from the Masters, where it looks as magnificent as ever, even if the azalea blooms are largely gone:

  -- Rory McIlroy says on his official website that that his next event after the Masters will be the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in early May. McIlroy still has to put his name on the PGA Tour's official commitment list but that's essentially a formality. McIlroy, of course, won the 2010 event at Quail Hollow;

  -- Webb Simpson is going to be a father for the second time. Simpson said Monday his wife, Dowd, is due with their second child in early August. Their first child, James, is 13 months olds.

  -- Johnson Wagner says he's hitting the ball as well as he has at any time in his PGA Tour career and he feels he's ironed out a few unwanted wrinkles in his putting. Wagner said he got too focused on certain mechanics in his stroke and is working on decluttering his pre-shot process on the greens.

Simpson on Masters: 'I'm hoping to win'

Webb Simpson of Charlotte plays in his first Masters next week, and he spent this past Monday at Augusta National, prepping for the tournament with his caddie Paul Tesori.

Simpson first played Augusta National as a 12-year old in 1998 -- you can read about his pre-teen visit there in my Sunday story about it in the Observer -- and he's been back a handful of times since. It's different, though, when it's Masters week. Tesori, who has caddied in 10 Masters, is a perfect partner for Simpson, focusing on what they need to do on each shot rather than letting their minds wander.

The first challenge next week, Tesori said, is understanding the nerves that will be dancing. "He's going to be more nervous than he has been," Tesori said this week. "It's Augusta and we've all been watching it since we were five." Tesori related a story from when he caddied for Sean O'Hair in the 2010 Masters and they played a practice round with Phil Mickelson.

In explaining his approach to playing Augusta National, Mickelson told O'Hair to fight the urge to try to be perfect. Just play. Know where not to miss it but don't get upset if you miss a shot. It's going to happen.

"I have to fight trying to be too perfect," Simpson said.

With three top-10 finishes already this year, Simpson has kept his momentum from 2011 going. He had a disappointing 78 in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last Sunday, but a recent swing tweak has solved some inconsistency that had crept into his driver.

Simpson said he'll go into the Masters expecting good things. "I'm definitely showing up hoping to win," Simpson said.

(We'll have full coverage from Ron Green Sr., Tom Sorensen, Taylor Zarzour and myself starting on Monday).

Bradley latest to commit to Wells Fargo event

   PGA champion Keegan Bradley is the latest player ranked among the top 20 in the world to add his name to a list of players officially committed to play in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club. The list also includes Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Bill Haas, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney and Johnson Wagner, among many others.


   Official commitments will increase in the coming weeks and tournament officials are optimistic that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood will be among those who play in the 10th annual event April 30-May 6. None of those four has officially committed yet.

   Asked specifically about Woods Thursday, tournament executive director Kym Hougham said, "We've had good indications but we had good indications last year (when Woods missed the event due to injury). We're sure hoping he comes. Until his name is on the commitment list, we don't take anything for granted."

    TICKET UPGRADE: Ticket sales are ahead of last year's pace (the event was a sellout in 2011) executive director Kym Hougham said Thursday and there's a new twist on tickets sales at Southpark Mall.
   Patrons who purchase their tickets at the mall will be eligible for a drawing on April 16 that will award upgrades to clubhouse and lawn access.

Wells Fargo tickets available at SouthPark

  
  You can tell the Wells Fargo Championship is getting close when the ticket kiosk opens in SouthPark mall.

   The SouthPark option begins Wednesday, offering golf fans the opportunity to purchase tickets for the PGA Tour event at the Quail Hollow Club April 30-May 6. All ticket packages, from single-day tickets to premium tickets with hospitality are available at SouthPark.

  The SouthPark kiosk allows patrons to save a $10 shipping and handling fee and have their tournament tickets in hand. The kiosk will be open 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

   Weekly ticket books cost $140 apiece and does not require the same individual to use the ticket each day. Practice packages, good Monday through Wednesday when patrons are allowed to bring cameras, can be purchased for $25. Individual day tickets for each of the four tournament days are also available.

   Children under 12 are admitted free in the company of a paying adult.

   Among the players are committed to the Wells Fargo Championship are defending champion Lucas Glover, Webb Simpson, Johnson Wagner, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan and Bill Haas.

Tiger sets Masters stage perfectly

Maybe the early spring has taken most of the azalea blooms around Augusta National but the Masters arrives in one week with the game -- and Tiger Woods -- in full bloom.

Woods' victory Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational was as impressive as it was overdue. Having gone 924 days between PGA Tour victories, Woods nailed down No. 72 at Bay Hill with a performance that thundered in its impact and execution.

Healthy, in control of his game and in command of the tournament, it felt like five years ago. After a 2 1/2-year interlude, we now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

For months, Woods has been saying he's close, if he could just stay healthy long enough to pull all the pieces together. Words turned his words into a trophy Sunday.

"Pure joy," is how Woods described it.

Nice words because you wonder how much of that he's had the past couple of years.

When it all starts for real next Thursday at Augusta National, after Jack and Arnie and Gary have slapped the ceremonial tee shots into the hill in the first fairway, Tiger goes after his fifth green jacket and and 15th major championship. It's been a long, long time since Torrey Pines in 2008.

Woods hasn't won at Augusta since 2005 but he'll arrive as co-favorite with Rory McIlroy, who exited there a year ago with a final-round 80 that collapsed his chances. Since then, McIlroy has been brilliant and now, it seems, Woods is in a good place again.

The Masters won't be just about McIlroy and Woods. Phil Mickelson inhales inspiration driving down Magnolia Lane. No. 1 Luke Donald is relentless. Lee Westwood still wants a major.

It's a week away. Bring it on.