Volume X, Issue 12

This isn't helping the balance of payments...
For the first time since the Masters began in 1934, Americans have gone five straight majors without winning. The streak began at the 2010 U.S. Open with Graeme McDowell’s victory and continued through this year’s U.S. Open with fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy’s win. In between, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open, Germany’s Martin Kaymer won the PGA Championship and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel won the Masters.
The last time international players won four straight majors was in 1994 when Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal won the Masters followed by South Africa’s Ernie Els at the U.S. Open and South Africa’s Nick Price at the British and PGA.
With the top four players in the Official World Ranking hailing from Europe and Tiger Woods’ drop to 17th, it is a tough time for American golf. U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Davis Love is trying to keep things in perspective. “Everything goes in streaks,’’ he said. “We might be talking about how four Americans win the next four."

Follow the money, urr, I mean follow the caddie...
Eyebrows were raised plenty high when Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ longtime caddie, was seen at Congressional Country Club with Adam Scott a few days before the start of the tournament. Turns out, Williams had asked his boss of 12 years for permission after being contacted by Scott.
“Steve’s been a good mate of mine for a lot of years out here,’’ said Scott, 30. “He’s been a bit of a confidante in my career. “I thought it would be worth a call seeing as I’m between guys at the moment. I’m really grateful that he hopped on a plane and came over. I’ve got to make the most of it.. . Hopefully I can put him in a position he is accustomed to.’’
That would be contending at a major championship. Williams, who before Woods last caddied for Raymond Floyd, has been a part of 13 of Woods’ 14 major titles. Scott, meanwhile, has rarely contended in a major, although he did in April at the Masters, where along with fellow Aussie Jason Day he tied for second, two strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel. Woods tied for fourth, but hasn’t completed a tournament since due to the injuries he suffered during the third round of that tournament.
Alas, the move didn’t do much for Scott, who ended up missing the cut.

Keeping score, Men's World Golf Rankings...
# 1 Luke Donald, England
# 2 Lee Westwood, England
# 3 Martin Kaymer, Germany
# 4 Rory Mcllroy, Ireland (#8 last week)
# 5 Steve Stricker, USA (#4 last week)
# 6 Phil Mickelson, USA (#5 last week)
# 7 Matt Kuchar, USA (#6 last week)
# 8 Graeme McDowell, Ireland (#7 last week)
# 9 Jason Day, Australia (#18 last week)
# 10 Charl Schwartzel, South Africa (#11 last week)
# 11 Dustin Johnson, USA (#9 last week)
# 12 Paul Casey, England (#10 last week)
# 13 Bubba Watson, USA (#12 last week)
# 14 Ian Poulter, England (#13 last week)
# 15 Nick Watney, USA (#14 last week)

The Big Easy, isn't finding it to be...
These are tough times for three-time major winner Ernie Els. The Big Easy is finding the game anything but these days, having missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Congressional, where he won the 1997 title. So far this year, Els has yet to finish better than 15th.

The best way to get something done is to begin......
The 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil are still five years away, but in terms of golf, the clock is ticking. That is because there is no golf course at which to play the Olympic tournament, and not even any plans on the drawing board.
That is because a designer has yet to be selected. Jack Nicklaus, who would collaborate on the new venue with Annika Sorenstam if chosen – and do it for free – said he’s heard nothing lately, even though the International Golf Federation has said it hoped to pick a designer by now.
“They’re trying to make up their mind what they want to do,’’ Nicklaus said. “I know we’re obviously in the mix, but I don’t know whether we’ll get selected.. . . We would love to be involved.’’
Others interested in the project include Greg Norman – who would team with Lorena Ochoa – Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Robert Trent Jones Jr. have also been discussed as possible designers.
“The game of golf hinges on what happens on this project,’’ Nicklaus said, noting that golf is not guaranteed to be part of the Olympics beyond 2016. “They better put their best forward.’’

Hey, there's more than one TOUR...
Rory McIlroy’s dazzling U.S. Open performance was brilliant and has focused attention on this young player, and rightly so. But what if he instead of one major, he already had three and was playing this week for a chance at a fourth? Can you imagine the buzz?
Now may be the time to point out the obvious, LPGA three-time major champ Yani Tseng, only 22 years old, is set to tee it up today in the women’s second major of the season, the LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club, Pittsford, NY click here. Yes, 22 year old Tseng, ranked #1 women in the world, has three majors to her credit? And she’s the same age as Rory Mac.
Yani Tseng owns seven career victories, including four straight wins this season. If you like brillant golf, remember to pay attention to Yani Tseng

Can you name this course?
I opened for play in 1928. I was designed by Allister MacKenzie, the designer of Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach and Augusta National Golf Club, Home of The Masters. I was built in a natural cathedral like setting in the majestic redwoods. I am a public course with $20 green fees. If you would like to experience a MacKenzie course, I may be your ticket, but to take advantage of the opportunity, you will need to know who I am. To see if you are correct, or to just learn the course name and read what people who have played the course say about this course, please click here. Thank you.

Keeping score, Women's World Golf Rankings...
# 1 Yani Tseng, TAIPEI
# 2 Cristie Kerr, USA
# 3 Suzann Pettersen, NORWAY
# 4 Jiyai Shin, KOREA
# 5 Na Yeon Choi, KOREA
# 6 Sun Ju Ahn, KOREA
# 7 I.K. Kim, KOREA
# 8 Ai Miyazato, JAPAN
# 9 Karrie Webb, AUSTRALIA
# 10 Michelle Wie, USA

Rules rules and more rules...

Q. Larry and I were playing golf last week. I had a sleeve of 3 balls in my bag. That should have been more enough. But it is fall, and leaves can hide a golf ball even in the Fairway. I lost a "fairway" ball to the leaves on holes number 4 and 11. I legitimately lost a ball in the creek on 16. At that point, having just lost my last ball, I turned to Larry and asked to borrow a ball to finish the round. Larry said, "sure, but instead of a 3 stroke penalty, one stroke penalty on each hole for using a borrowed ball (hole #s 16, 17, and 18), I will only assess you one stroke for the remaining 3 holes.

What, is the correct ruling?

A. Larry was incorrect; there is a total of a one stroke penalty for not planning adequately and needing to borrow golf balls to finish the round, regardless of the number of holes played.

B. Larry was incorrect; there is a total of a two stroke penalty for not planning adequately and needing to borrow golf balls to finish the round, regardless of the number of holes played.

C. Larry was correct, one stroke penalty per hole, but he was wrong to suggest that he would allow the penalty to be modified.

D. Larry was incorrect; there is no penalty for borrowing a golf ball.

And the answer is ... Click here to read the answer

Rules rules and more rules...

Q. Scott's Ball came to rest against a rake lying next to a bunker. Scott moved the rake in order to hit the ball without also hitting the rake. Scott's movement of the rake caused the ball to also move. Larry said the ball movement by Scott should result in a one stoke penalty.

What are the correct ruling?

A. Two stroke penalty. Scott improved his lie when he moved the rake and moved his ball, two stoke penalty.

B. One stoke penalty. Scott moved his ball, even though inadvertently, one stoke penalty.

C. No penalty, Scott moved the ball inadvertently while moving a movable obstruction, no penalty. Replace the ball and play on.

And the answer is ... Click here to read the answer

The Celtic Tiger...

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is understandably receiving high praise after his eight-shot U.S. Open victory. No doubt, McIlroy sparkled at Congressional, and the accolades he received for dominating the tournament were justified. Yes, he was younger than Jack Nicklaus when he won his first major championship. And he took over an event unlike any player since Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open. Padraig Harrington even suggested that McIlroy might be the one to look at to match Nicklaus’ 18 major championships.

But the comparisons to the two most prolific major winners are probably premature. McIlroy is an unbelievable talent, and observers such as Harrington and Graeme McDowell have been saying so for years. McDowell, 31, snapped to attention seven years ago when McIlroy, at age 15, shot a course-record 61 at Royal Portrush, a famous links in McDowell’s hometown.

And then there is the golf swing to die for, the languid, flexible motion that propels a ball a long way. McIlroy hits towering irons shots, has a solid short game, and when his putter works, can produce the kind of scores we saw over the weekend. But winning one major does not mean he will be hauling down Nicklaus or Woods. It is almost unfair to make such a leap.

Remember, this was just the third professional victory for McIlroy. He has one regular tour victory in Europe and on the PGA Tour along with the U.S. Open. He’s been in the mix a lot, but his win at Dubai in 2009 came after nearly blowing a six-shot lead on the back nine and his win at Quail Hollow last year came after making the cut on the number, then roaring from behind to shoot62 on the final day.

In McIlroy’s brief PGA Tour career over three seasons, he has missed six cuts – the same number Woods has missed in his career. He will obviously be fascinating to watch. McIlroy has led each of the past four majors at some point and has now led seven of the last eight rounds in majors.

Time to step back and get healthy...

Tiger Woods who withdrew prior to the start of the U.S. Open, has now announcedd that he is skipping the AT&T National tournament that benefits his foundation and now looks questionable for the British Open. At this point, what’s the rush? After injuries to his knees and Achilles suffered at the Masters and an aborted return at the Players Championship, Woods is far better getting healthy and focusing not on the rest of the year, but on the rest of his career.

Flash, breaking news...

Tiger Wood's hastily called press conference held at 11:45 AM EST this morning, Thursday, June 23rd, was jaw dropping in its effect on the almost disbelieving media reporters in attendance.

Tiger began the conference by congratulating Rory on his US Open victory. Tiger then went on to make a major announcement, he said, "In order to fully recovery from my injuries, I have decided to sit out the rest of the 2011 competitive season. I will concentrate my efforts on spending more time with my children, getting healthy for the 2012 season, working on my game, and supporting the PGA Tour."

Tiger went on to say, "It is clear to all of us that there is a new crop of very talented young golfers who have arrived on the scene. I will have my work cut out for me when I return next year, but I believe I can still compete at the highest levels and have my share of victories in the future

Perhaps the most surprising statement was when Mr Wood's said, "As a measure of my respect for Golf, the PGA TOUR, my fellow competitors, and golf fans everywhere, I will make weekend appearances at all remaining PGA Tour events in 2011. I will have a one hour a day autograph table and spend the rest of the time mingling with the gallery and watching the competition. While I would prefer to be playing, being in the gallery and mingling with the fans, and supporting the game I love will be the next best thing to playing."

See, it really isn't that hard to be gracious and be a really nice guy.

OK, OK, stop the presses, this news conference never happened.