U.S. Ryder Cup Team

The guessing game is over. Many were deliberating of US captain Corey Pavin and his four captain's pick for the Ryder Cup. One was way too obvious, Tiger Woods. The other three did have an air of mystery. The other three selected were Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler. Let's take a bit of a close look at the 12 US participants.

Will it be thumbs up for Lefty?

Phil Mickelson - Appearances: 8th; World Ranking: 2nd; Ryder Cup Record: 10-14-6

Lefty has had the opportunity to unseat Tiger as the world's #1 will little success. Still, Phil will be the defending Masters champ come April. He followed that win with a 2nd at Quail Hollow. Earlier this summer, Lefty told of an arthritic condition he is battling. That does give a pause for some concern going forward. Take into consideration how the weather will be when the competition starts and things could get a little hazy. The experience factor Phil brings will serve the "newcomers" well.

Hunter Mahan - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 13th; Ryder Cup Record: 2-0-3
Mahan played in all five matches in Valhalla in 2008 and that alone could serve him well in Wales. He's seen it all except for the foreign soil aspect. His record could have been 3-0-2 if not for that drive on the 18th during the singles matches.Mahan won at the WCG-Bridgestone Invitational and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Both events draw excellent fields and knowing the he's won provides Mahan with confidence.

Bubba Watson - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 25th: Ryder Cup Record: none
Bubba will more recently be known for his errant tee shot and second shot on the final playoff hole of the PGA Championship. He's more known for his long (extremely long) drives. Bubba did break through in 2010 scoring his first PGA TOUR victory (an emotional one at that) at the Travelers. Watson also has three other top-3 finishes in 2010 (Bob Hope Classic - T2, Transitions Champ. - 3rd and PGA Champ. - 2nd)

Jim Furyk - Appearances: 7th; World Ranking: 5th; Ryder Cup Record: 8-13-3
It wouldn't be a Ryder Cup if Furyk weren't on the team. His record isn't the greatest, but Furyk's course demeanor always serves as a lesson for the others. He seems so even keeled. Furyk also took home two trophies in 2010, the Verizon Heritage and the Transitions Championship. The win at the Transitions put Furyk's name back on the front page and deservedly so.

Steve Stricker - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 4th; Ryder Cup Record: 0-2-1
Hard to believe this will only be Strick's 2nd go around with the Ryder Cup. Two wins (John Deere Classic and Northern Trust Open) and no missed cuts shows exactly how consistent Stricker is on the course. I think we all know who he will be paired with...Tiger. The two teamed up for the President's Cup last year and won all four points possibles in their matches.

Dustin Johnson - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 24th; Ryder Cup Record: none
How can you not want Dustin to do well? After the two-stroke penalty on the 72nd hole of the PGA, every American will probably root for Johnson more than any other player. That being said, all the other players know of Johnson's ability. He is the two-time winner of the AT and T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2008 and 2009). That tourney boasts a pretty stellar field. And Johnson made the cut in all four majors this year despite the gaffe at Pebble for the US Open and the penalty at Whistling Straits (Masters - T38, US Open - T8, the Open Championship - T14, PGA - T5).

Jeff Overton - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 47th; Ryder Cup Record: none
The most amazing fact about Overton is that he made the team on points and did not record a single victory this year. Five top-3 finishes propelled the 27-year-old onto the team (The Greenbriar Classic - 2nd, AT and T National - 3rd, Colonial - T3, HP Byron Nelson - T2, Zurich Classic - 2nd). And he's still alive in the FedEx Cup. His tenacity will bode well in matches.

Matt Kuchar - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 11th; Ryder Cup Record: none
The one-time phenom has couldn't have righted the ship any better in 2010. Kuchar has also played well in the four majors (Masters - T24, US Open - T6, Open Champ. - T27 and PGA - T10). Kuchar also picked up a win at The Barclays to vault to the top of the FedEx Cup standings. He also has not missed a cut since Quail Hollow.

Has Woods found his swing?

Tiger Woods (captain's pick) - Appearances: 6th; World Ranking: 1st; Ryder Cup Record: 10-13-2

Woods RC record isn't anything to boast about, but Tiger still has an aura. Granted, not like it was a year ago, but having Tiger here still plants a seed. After a horrendous showing at the WGC-Bridgestone, Woods has managed a T11 last week at the Deutsche Bank and a T12 at The Barclays. Working with Sean Foley a bit has improved Woods' swing and it shows. That should provide some confidence for not only Tiger, but the rest of the team as well.

Zach Johnson (captain's pick) - Appearances: 2nd; World Ranking: 17th; Ryder Cup record: 1-2-1
Every year since his big win at The Masters, Johnson wins a tourney every year. This year provided another big win as he scored top honors at Colonial. Most people thought Johnson's selection was imminent, but he's only posted one top-ten since Colonial (T3 at the PGA). Regardless, just like Jeff Overton has tenacity, Johnson exudes it. He will scrap for every hole and every point.

Stewart Cink (captain's pick) - Appearances: 5th; World Ranking: 35th; Ryder Cup Record: 4-7-4
Since capturing the Open Championship last year, Cink has struggled logging only one top-5 finish in 2010, but that was at the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He RC record isn't impressive either, but Cink clawed is way from behind during last year's win at the Open and that may be all captain Corey Pavin needed to see.

Rickie Fowler (captain's pick) - Appearances: 1st; World Ranking: 33rd; Ryder Cup Record: none
This pick is not a surprise at all. Consider Fowler's Walker Cup record in the equation. Out of four possible points Fowler could receive in last year's competition, Fowler netted...four. His closest match was a 1-up win in the Saturday foursomes match. In his singles matches, Fowler was completely dominant in a 7-and-6 win on Saturday and followed with a 2-and-1 win on his Sunday match.

There are a couple that were left off the team and have you maybe scratching your head. Anthony Kim, J.B. Holmes, Lucas Glover, Ben Crane, Nick Watney and Bo Van Pelt all made Pavin's choices difficult.

Holmes and Kim played during the 2008 win at Valhalla and both posted winning records (Holmes: 2-0-1, Kim: 2-1-1). Kim paired with Lefty for the first three sessions and went 1-1-1 before lifting the hammer for the US on a 5&4 win over Sergio Garcia in the first singles match out on Sunday. Kim does struggle in coming back from a wrist ailment and has missed four consecutive cuts.

Holmes, a big hitter in his own right, also scored a singles win over Soren Hansen to go along with a victory in a pairing with Boo Weekley during the Saturday fourball matches. He has failed to register a win over the last two years on tour.

Are these the right guys to select? Considering their RC records, I'm inclined to say no. But we all know how crafty Pavin is. He already has a plan laid out.

U.S. Open Prep

Update: Congrats to Graeme McDowell on his win. I was there with my prediction of Dustin Johnson through 54 holes. Johnson didn't exactly have a good start to his day firing a devastating 42 on the front nine.

Ah. Tomorrow's the day. The 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach commences and this year is the 110th such Open. Here's a few things that should catch your eye over the next few days.

1. Tiger Woods
A no-brainer that Tiger's game is under its biggest microscope ever. Woods has yet to bring his "A" game this year, but I think we can cut him a bit of a break. He's only started four tournaments in 2010. His best finish is T4 at The Masters. He also has a missed cut at Quail Hollow and Tiger had to withdraw from The Players due to his neck issues. You better believe the entire world will be watching Mr. Woods. Remember the lat time the U.S. Open was at Pebble Beach? Tiger posted a -12 and won by an incredible 15 strokes. Tiger also won at Pebble in February, 2000.

2. The "Can Lefty be #1" watch
There are four different scenarios where Phil Mickelson can leave Pebble being ranked as the #1. Class is in session, so pay attention.

• Lefty wins, OR
• Lefty finishes 2nd and Tiger finishes outside the top 4, OR
• Lefty finishes 3rd and Tiger finishes outside the top 18, OR
• Lefty finishes in a two-way tie for 3rd or better and Tiger misses the cut

Winning it all is the best of both worlds for Mickelson. He gets another major win, a major he has yet to emerge as the victor. We all remember the debacle at Winged Foot in 2006. That bore out the quote "I'm such an idiot" from Lefty. In 2000 when Tiger blitzed the field, Phil finished at +9, 21 strokes behind Woods. Mickelson has won at Pebble Beach three times (1998, 2005, 2007). Mickelson has 5 runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open and in each year of his Masters victories, Lefty has been the runner-up in the Open. By using that, Tiger must play some good golf or #1 will be gone.

3. Can Steve Stricker capture his first major?
Stricker now wears the title of "best player to not win a major". His best finish in a major is at the 1998 PGA Championship at Sahalee which was won by Vijay Singh. Another downer is that Sticker hasn't won at Pebble Beach. Personally, Stricker's too good a guy to have not won a major.

Four Things to Take from The Players

Golf's "Fifth Major" provided us with a few things take going forward. Here's four items on my list.

Woods' future? Who knows.

1. Tiger Withdraws
Before television coverage begin, news alerts were all over the place as Tiger Woods had to withdraw from the tourney due to what has been deemed as a possible bulging disc in Wooods' upper back or lower neck area. Not something to fool around with and Tiger sought attention.

Here's my issue. We've been hearing from Tiger that things are okay, but when pressed after his round abruptly ended on the 7th hole, Tiger revealed that he'd been dealing with this for quite a while. If everything (physically) with Tiger has been okay, why has this not previously been a concern? We're arriving to the point where I think we're being fed a built-in excuse for poor play. If I suck, tell them about an injury.

I'm not doubting the injury, I'm doubting the timing of its revelation.

His schedule for the remainder of 2010 is "up in the air". An MRI will be done, and Tiger can only go on from there...and so can we.

Will Mickelson ever be #1?

2. Lefty's Still #2.
Phil Mickelson had an opportunity to take over as the world's top golfer. He needed two things to happen. First, Tiger had to finish outside the top 5. Check. Second, win The Players. Not a check. Lefty did manage to put himself in a decent position to make a Sunday run, but a 2-over-par 74 spelled doom.

For now, it may be best if Lefty stays at that #2 ranking. When he was asked about the potential of attaining that #1 ranking, he bristled at the question. He does have other more pressing needs in his life, and that's where his efforts will be aimed for the time being. Phil did inch closer, and do not dismiss the possibility of his status changing this year. With Tiger's current injury woes, Phil may be #1 sooner that we think.

The driver let Westwood down on Sunday.

3. Lee Westwood
You cannot help but feel sorry for Westwood. For the second time this year, Westwood owned the overnight lead heading into the final round...only to come up short. At The Masters, Westwood had to deal with Mickelson. That was a bit easier to do since they were in the same pairing. Yesterday wasn't the case. All Westwood could do was watch the leader board and sometimes, that's not the best thing to do.

A final round 74 proved costly (especially when his tee shot went in the drink at #17) after posting rounds of 67-65-70. His driving was once again the main culprit as it was at Augusta.

All Westwood has to do is seal the deal. Until he performs in a final round when there's pressure, don't be shocked if people affix the "choke" tag to the world's #4 player.

A well earned victory (and trophy).

4. Tim Clark's First Win on US Soil
Start #206 in the US proved to be Clark's best. After scoring 68 and 71 in his first two rounds (-5), Clark seemed poised to merely collect a check. The check he ended up with was far greater than anyone has thought going into the weekend. A Saturday 66 followed by a bogey-free 67 on Sunday proved too much for the rest of the field. His 67 on Sunday was one of only two rounds in the 60's (Davis Love III had the other).

Clark's check? A cool $1.7 million. Plus, Clark was the only one that really played like he wanted the win. No more questions about getting a win on the PGA TOUR anymore.

One last thing (BONUS!)
I'm revisiting Lee Westwood here. After in what can only be termed as a major disappointment for him, Westwood took all questions from the media. He's always been that way, too. Ask him a question, good or bad, you get an answer that's straight and to the point. He doesn't give you a run around. He never dodges a questions either.

Someone should learn from this.

Masterful Mickelson Still Overshadowed

Victory has never been sweeter
for the Mickelson's

In what can only be defined as a storybook ending, Phil Mickelson captured his third green jacket at Augusta National. No doubt his victory is a popular win among the golf community.

But I'm growing weary of something, the constant gravitation of media coverage toward Tiger Woods. You can claim that I'm doing the same, but it's to prove a point. The fact that a guy who imposed a self-exiled from the golf world still commands as much media attention as he does can only be termed as crappy...and unfortunate.

I'm well aware that Woods was making his season debut and this is huge for the sport of golf. What got a bit shuffled toward the back was the fact that Lefty won and Tiger didn't. Did I expect Tiger to win? No, but I do applaud his effort on Sunday despite showing a lackluster swing that does require more work with Hank Haney. It will come back.

Consider the following questions. Why did ESPN feel compelled to show on their Bottom Line a virtual hole-by-hole coverage on Tiger. Yes, the same was granted to Mickelson, Lee Westwood and K. J. Choi, but Tiger was never truly in the mix during the final round. Why did the Golf Channel construct a piece on how Tiger's emotions may not have been kept in check? Look, he was unhappy with a fourth place finish, so of course he's going to be miffed at his round. Did we all honestly need that? All anyone had to do was watch Tiger's post round interview with CBS's Peter Kostis and it was beyond obvious. Do all golf fans seriously need that much attention given to one player? If anyone deserved the media attention yesterday, it was Phil, not Tiger.

Mickelson was robbed of his well deserved, well earned spotlight. His victory was a perfect opportunity for all of the media to make a campaign for breast cancer awareness due to Lefty's wife and mother being diagnosed with the disease. Instead, it dissolved into another Tiger-mania.

AK's all smiles after firing a 65 on Sunday.

The stage was also taken from those that finished ahead of Woods: Lee Westwood and Anthony Kim. How many people were truly aware that Kim shot a 65 yesterday? How many people saw the extremely classy Westwood conduct his interview after his loss? And what about Choi? The only reference made was that he shot the exact score as Woods on all four days. That's it. Nothing else.

And the PGA TOUR wonders why their sport doesn't get the ratings when Tiger is not in the field. No other player is granted the limelight.

Storylines Make Final Round at The Masters

Within the last 19 years, Zach Johnson is the only player outside the final group to win The Masters. That was only in 2007 when he pulled off the feat. Currently, three players are within four strokes of the leader Lee Westwood. What about the final two pairings? Here's a look.

K. J. Choi (-8): Choi has never won at Augusta and has a 3rd in 2004 as his best finish. Come to think of it, Choi has never won a major, but Choi's usually calm demeanor lends itself well to playing in majors. Keep on eye on him because Choi can sneak up and claim the lead if he converts early birdie opportunities. Unassuming to say the least, but Choi is crafty enough to use such a cover to his advantage. Considering Choi missed the cut in two majors last year (The Masters and the Open Championship), striving for that first major victory is priority #1.

Tiger Woods (-8): Tiger has four green jackets and 14 total major titles. For the fourth consecutive round, Woods will be paired with Choi. There's an obvious comfort level between the two and that could very well lead to some spectacular golf. You get the feeling a bit of vindication would be in order if Woods were to don another green jacket. If Tiger can climb the four stroke mountain in front of him, emotion would overcome him as well. The negative to his deficit, Tiger has never come from behind. He's always been the hunted and that's a role he relishes. Can he play the role of the hunter this year? As we all know, Woods rests atop the world golf rankings.

Phil Mickelson (-11): Lefty has two green jackets to go along with his three total major titles. His other major was in the 2005 PGA Championship held at Baltusrol. Phil may be an even bigger emotional favorite than Tiger. This year's Masters is the first time the Mickelson's have travelled as a family since Lefty's wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer last year. What a celebration that would be if Mickelson were to emerge as the victor. One point we cannot discount is Phil's caddy, Jim Mackay, or Bones as he is referred to. The two have a chemistry that cannot be duplicated and the two work spectacularly together. Lefty is currently ranked at #3 in the world rankings.

Lee Westwood (-12): No majors, but Westwood has three 3rd place major finishes on his resume' ('08 US Open, '09 Open Championship and PGA Championship). He's knocking on the door, he only needs to walk through. Closing the deal at Augusta would prove that Westwood deserves mention as one of the world's top players. Holding off Phil and Tiger in that effort could even catapult him a bit more. Westwood also possesses a unique opportunity. No player has ever shot in the 60's for all four rounds at Augusta National. With rounds of 67, 69 and 68, Westwood would be the first...and most likely capture his first major. Westwood carries the ranking of 4th.

One last player I want to mention and he has no chance at victory is the Italian amateur Matteo Manassero. He was was a T13 in last year's Open Championship and the only amateur to make the cut at The Masters...at the ripe old age of 16 years, 11 months and 22 days, the youngest to ever make the cut. Manassero will turn pro in a couple of weeks and make his debut at the BMW Italian Open.

Regardless of Sunday's outcome, we will have a first time major champ, the feel good story of possibly the decade or the greatest return in golf for quite some time.

Yes, Sunday at Augusta is in full bloom.

And in this corner, Scott McCarron!

Update 2/3/2010: Mickelson has pulled the disputed wedge from his bag. Also, Scott McCarron has apologized for his comments...in person.

Much was made over the biggest issue in the golf world this past weekend. It would be the use of the Ping 2 Eye wedge and some of the quotes that have arisen out of the use of that wedge.

Why was this brought to light. It has to do with the new regulations on the grooves on club faces. The Ping wedge has grooves which are considered illegal according to the new rules. Case closed.

Not so fast. Ping, the USGA and PGA entered into an agreement some 20 years ago when a simliar controversy developed. According to the terms of that agreement, the Ping 2 Eye wedge has now been "grandfathered" under the new groove ruling.

Enter PGA vets Phil Mickelson and Scott McCarron.

Mickelson's role in this controversy is the simplest. He's using said wedge. He admitted that according to the new regulations the wedge is actually illegal, but he could use it due to it being "grandfathered".

One thing some are losing sight of is that Callaway, the clubs which Lefty uses, developed a wedge, but it was deemed not in compliance with the new groove rule. Therefore, Phil put the Ping in his bag for last weekend's event at Torrey Pines.

McCarron's role is bit more, shall I say, notable.

Lefty is our family guy

On Wednesday, Phil Mickleson, golf's #2 player, held center stage.

Since this is Lefty's first tournament of the season, he was asked a myriad of questions. When asked about the status of Tiger Woods, Phil declined any type of remark stating that he and Woods are friends and that he didn't want to cross any line or compromise their friendship. There was one thing he did say about Woods.

“The game of golf needs him to come back,” Mickelson said of Woods. “But right now he’s got a lot more important things going on in his life.”

Phil's right. Golf needs Tiger, and Tiger needs golf, but Tiger also has issues to take care of first. Mickelson recognizes that. It's about family.

The biggest surprise of Mickelson's presser was when he announced that he would not be a participant in the Accenture Match Play Championships this year. He would most liklely be the #1 seed, unless there's a Tiger sighting between now and the beginning of the event.

So #1 and #2 won't be there. Why wouldn't Lefty be playing at the Match Play? We know of Tiger's dilemma.

“The Match Play is a week that my kids are out of school and that’s why I’m skipping this year, not because I want to,” Mickelson said. “It was the best week for us to have a family vacation that we had to reschedule because of our procedures.”

That family vacation had to be scrapped last year. It was around the time of that family vacation that the Mickelson's received the news of Phil's wife Amy being diagnosed with breast cancer. The time was taken for the family to get things in order.

And later on in the year, the same diagnosis was given to his mother. Lefty proved how close his family really is. And the golf world embraced every bit of it. From pink shirts at Colonial to the outpouring from well-wishers at Bethpage, last year was one the Mickelson's can't forget.

There's two reasons Phil won't forget 2009.

One was that he was 2-for-2 against Tiger at the end of the season. The other was the Phil has never forgotten what the late Payne Stewart told him.

"You're going to be a father."

Family is everything to him, and that's why Lefty is special.

It's about family.

PGA kicks off year without Tiger

All is still quiet with golf's #1, Tiger Woods.

As the PGA commences another season at Kapalua in Hawaii with the SBS Championships, many may wonder how the PGA tour will hold up with out Tiger's presence. I, and I may be in the minority, think it will be fine despite what past numbers have shown.

In the past, there's no question that Tiger's absence has had ramifications on the numbers of viewers. If you watch golf just for Tiger, then you're missing out. I can give you (easily) another ten players worth watching in 2010.

1. Phil Mickleson (left). Lefty is currently #2 in the world rankings. He has a knack for being extremely creative on a golf course. Want to improve your short game? Watch Phil. Want to see a player interact with the galley? Watch Phil. He's probably the most popular player. The story of both his wife and mother dealing with breast cancer helped bring even more awareness in '09. Phil is the guy until we see Eldrick again.
2. Sergio Garcia. Is this the year Sergio breaks through and wins a major? He had a down year in '09 both in the U.S. and Europe. He's won at Sawgrass in Tiger's absence in '08 (and promptly thanked him for that). Want charisma? Watch Sergio. It oozes from his pores.

3. Jim Furyk. He didn't win an "official" tournamnet in '09 but won Tiger's tourney at Sherwood. That might be just the boost Furyk needs going into 2010. There's not many that play a more steady game than Furyk. The only knock, don't even try to emulate his swing. Just emulate his steady play.

4. Steve Stricker. You can group Strick with Furyk. He's steady and for some reason, nothing seems to get to him. He's the Tour's best putter, so watch him on the greens.

5. Boo Weekley (right). There's no player that is more down to earth than Boo. You might be able to call Boo the PGA's version of Yogi Berra due to his quotes that have to rattle aound in your head a bit before they can even come close to making sense. That's what a "Booism" is. Weekley's known as the player from the '08 Ryder Cup playing "giddy up" on a club. No better personality on Tour.

6. Bubba Watson. Watson doesn't exactly strike you as a golfer, but nobody lauches a drive like Bubba. He may not be very accurate (53.05% in '09), but he hits the ball a mile (311 yds. on average in '09, 2nd on Tour). The rest of his game is starting to take shape.

7. Rickie Fowler (left). He's going to get a lot a press as one of the Tour's future stars. He might be one of the guys that can make us temporarily forget Woods, especailly if he's got the game he showed at Q-School. This kid can play. He has all the shots.

8. Padraig Harrington. He's as gritty and gutsy as they come, and Harrington pushed Tiger in a few events last year.

9. Kenny Perry. Is there anyone out there that doesn;t like this guy? Perry will turn 50 in August of this year, but by no means let his age fool you. He has no thoughts of playing on the Champions Tour just yet and he can still "hang with the big boys". Could this be the year Perry gets his first major after coming so close at the Masters in '09? Hard not to root for Kenny.

10. Geoff Ogilvy. In my opinion, I can't remember watching a sweeter swing since Fred Couples, and Couples still has a spectacular swing. I know Ernie Els has a beautiful, easy swing, but Ogilvy's swing is as elegant as they come. It just doesn't seem that such an easy looking swing can launch a ball so far. And he's won a major.

See, I told you there's a lot more to watch than just Tiger.

I saw an interview on ESPN with Jerry Kelly. Kelly made a comment to the effect that the game of golf will be here with or without Woods. Kelly's been on the Tour since 1989, so he's been around before the "Tiger Era" began.

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem hopes Kelly is right. I think Kelly is.

Top 2009 stories from the golfing world.

What a year 2009 has been. Here's a quick look at the world of golf from the past year.

5. Phil Mickleson

Lefty had to have one of the roughest seasons he's ever faced. And I'm talking off the course. Phil's wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast caner in May. Players and fans showed their support for Amy by wearing pink at Colonial, a class move by all that were involved. Lefty's year took another twist in early July when it was revealed that his mother also had the disease. You wondered if we would see Phil on tour again in '09. When Lefty came back, it was for the betterment of the tour as he won the TOUR Championship in late September and followed that with a win at the HSBC Championship in China.

4. Wie wins first title

This picture says it all. Just when a lot of golf fans were wondering about the fate of American golfers on the LPGA, Wie broke through with his first tourney win at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The win more soldified Wie as a threat to win every week. A couple of things I'll add to this. Having Wie play on the Solheim Cup team helped. Wie found more confidence than she has ever had. Also, not concentrating on making PGA events has forced Wie to gear her game more for the LPGA tour. I sincerely doubt this will be the last we see and/or hear of Michelle Wie winning.

3. Y.E. Yang tames Tiger for PGA at Hazeltine

Some things you just never see coming, and Y.E. Yang's victory at Hazeltine has to rate as the biggest surprise win in 2009 (yes, even ahead of Lucas Glover's U.S. Open win). What made Yang's feat more amazing is that he was paired with Tiger for the final round. Yang stared the world's #1 in the face and left with the prize. You can count on one hand the number of players that have achieved that feat. A surprising stat. Over the first 23 holes, Yang was +5 while Woods was -4. The last 49 holes tells a different story where Yang was an incredible -13 and Tiger could only manage a -1. Seems Yang found his game just into his second round to shock the world.

2. Tom Watson's run at the Open Championship

Time has a way of cycling through just like everything else. And no tournament exhibited that more than the Open Championship. Tom Watson became front and center at the venue, Turnberry in Scotland,  that produced yet another duel. The opponent this time was Stewart Cink. Last time, the Golden Bear. Watson missed a par putt on the 72nd hole that would have given him the most incredible win of his storied career. Instad, Watson left Scotland second after losing the playoff to Cink. Oh, I forgot to mention that Watson was 59.

1. Tiger

What else can be said? After a single car accident, Tiger's world came tumbling down. That accident lead to speculation that Woods had a number of affiars. How it spiraled that direction, I'll never really know. Something about a golf club around the scene of the crash, I guess. Tiger later posted on his website that he had made such mistakes and the ball still keeps rolling like the shot on #16 at Augusta. When I first started to compile this list in mid-November, this story was non-existant. Amazing what a holiday can do. Look at this, too. Tiger was booed by the Stanford crowd as he was inducted into Stanford's Hall of Fame. Maybe they already knew something.