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This Week: Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am takes place on the PGA Tour this week, the first of two times we'll see Pebble Beach Golf Links this year. Pebble also is the site of the 2010 U.S. Open.

There's a new course in the rotation this year. Monterey Peninsula Country Club replaces Poppy Hills, a move that makes most of the pros happy. (And Monterey should provide some great views for those watching at home, too.) Monterey Peninsula was included in the rota for many years, but the last time the tournament visited the club was 1977.

The new world No. 2, Steve Stricker, isn't playing this week. But the world No. 424, John Daly, is entered. So if you've been on pins and needles wondering if Daly's threat to retire was real, well, rest easy.

The defending champion is Dustin Johnson, who finished third in the Northern Trust Open. Sergio Garcia makes his 2010 PGA Tour debut this week, and Sam Saunders, grandson of Arnold Palmer, gets his second sponsor exemption of the year. Also in the field are Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, last week's runner-up Luke Donald, and J.B. Holmes, who finished tied for third last week.

Check our AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament page for the list of past championship plus more tourney info and trivia.

This Week: Pebble Beach Pro-Am originally appeared on About.com Golf on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 09:41:08.

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Stricker Bumps Mickelson from No. 2 World Ranking

Who is the best golfer in the world? Tiger Woods, but he's not playing. The best golfer who is playing right now is Steve Stricker, according to the world rankings. By winning the Northern Trust Open on Sunday, Stricker bumped Phil Mickelson down to No. 3 in the rankings, taking over the second spot himself.

Stricker moving ahead of Mickelson isn't just an artifact of the ranking system's math, either. Stricker has earned it. Mickelson finished 2009 hot, but Stricker outplayed him over the course of the year.

In 2009, Stricker and Mickelson both had three PGA Tour wins. Mickelson later won the WGC HSBC Champions, a big win albeit one that didn't count as an official PGA Tour victory. Advantage to Mickelson.

But Stricker had more than twice as many Top 25 finishes as Phil (16 to 7), more Top 10s (11 to 7), won nearly $1 million more, and posted an actual scoring average more than one full stroke better than Mickelson's (69.51 to 70.83). In adjusted scoring - which takes into account course difficulty and strength of field - Stricker still easily bested Mickelson, ranking second to Phil's 28th.

And now Stricker has started 2010 with a 10th, a third and a win. While Mickelson opened the year with two indifferent showings on courses where he usually plays great.

Stricker is a couple weeks away from turning 43, and during the television broadcast one of the NBC announcers suggested Stricker might turn into another Vijay Singh - a victory machine in his 40s. Sure, that might happen, but let's not get carried away just yet.

It's more likely Stricker could turn into another Kenny Perry, who has 11 wins in his 40s. Stricker's Northern Trust Open victory was his fifth in his 40s. Vijay? He has 22.

Of course, Singh had a headstart on Stricker - he's four years and one day older than Stricker. But by the time Singh was the age Stricker is now, Vijay had already won 17 times in his 40s. It's asking a lot of any golfer - it will be asking a lot of Mickelson and of Tiger someday - to match Vijay's post-40 performance.

But any way you look at Stricker's play over the past 14 months, he deserves the No. 2 world ranking that he seized on Sunday.

See also:

• Most PGA Tour wins after age 40

Stricker Bumps Mickelson from No. 2 World Ranking originally appeared on About.com Golf on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 18:31:46.

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Latest Tiger Rumor: He'll Return at Tavistock Cup

Where will Tiger Woods make his return to golf? The celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com is reporting that Woods will play in the Tavistock Cup March 22-23.

Of all the celebrity gossip sites/magazines jumping on the Tiger Woods rumor train, TMZ.com's reporting has probably been the most solid. It's certainly had its share of reports that turned out to be wrong, however. The Web site claims its source is "someone who works for the Woods family."

Many have speculated that Woods will return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, two weeks prior to The Masters. The Tavistock Cup is played in the days in-between the Transitions Championship and the Palmer, so it, too, is little more than two weeks prior to The Masters.

The Tavistock Cup is a team event that pits pros representing two of Florida's most exclusive clubs, Isleworth and Lake Nona. The event raises money for charity, but the participants - 10 players for each team - are very well-compensated. The purse in 2009 was $3.5 million.

A Tiger return at the Tavistock Cup makes sense on several levels, not the least of which is that fans are let through the gates on an invitation-only basis. The Tavistock Cup Web site explains the availability of tickets this way: "We are sorry, but tickets are not available to the general public. Only members of Isleworth Golf & Country Club, members of Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, tournament sponsors, and VIP guests are allowed to attend this event."

Woods would be among friends, with a smaller gallery full of rich people like himself, a gallery that is tightly controlled. It makes sense, doesn't it? Certainly more sense than last week's big rumor about a Tiger return at the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Latest Tiger Rumor: He'll Return at Tavistock Cup originally appeared on About.com Golf on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 13:23:46.

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Beginners: How to Rake a Sand Bunker

It sounds like a very simple thing - and it is a very simple thing - but there's a right way to rank sand bunkers. And that's the way you want to do it, because you should always leave a bunker you've visited in good shape for the golfers following behind you on the course.

See also:

• FAQ: Should rakes be left inside or outside of bunkers?

Beginners: How to Rake a Sand Bunker originally appeared on About.com Golf on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 05:09:15.

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Accenture Match Play Ready for Tiger - Just In Case

Is Tiger Woods returning to golf at the Accenture Match Play Championship in two weeks? That's what an Australian newspaper said recently, not bothering to cite any sources at all - merely referencing "strengthening whispers." A Tiger return at the Match Play doesn't seem too likely to me, but more surprising things have happened.

The folks who run the Accenture Match Play won't be taken by surprise, however, if this particular Tiger rumor turns out to be true. Not because they know anything - they stress that they don't - but because they're prepared for anything.

"This is exactly what happened last year," Judy McDermott, one of the tournament managers, told the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. "Last year" refers to Woods' return from knee surgery, which was preceeded by weeks of speculation about where that return might happen. It wound up happening at the Accenture Match Play, leading to a surge in interest, media credentials and fans.

The Daily Star reports:

Wade Dunagan, executive director of the WGC event, recently awoke in the middle of a restless night. He worried that an unexpected Woods comeback might overwhelm spectator and media amenities at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

When he relayed those anxieties to McDermott, she told him to relax. "This is exactly what happened last year," she said. In 2009, Woods ended an eight-month injury layoff with a six-word statement: "I'm now ready to play again." He was at the Ritz five days later.

"This event has a lot of moving pieces," Dunagan told the Daily Star. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could add Tiger to the list?"

But don't get the idea from quotes like that one that the tournament officials know anything. They stress they do not. Dunagan told the Arizona Republic newspaper:

"The main question is, 'Do I know anything you don't?' The answer is no. We're still a little bit in the dark. I can't confirm or deny anything, because I don't know."

Tiger Woods Out of Rehab, Back on Course Soon?

According to a celebrity gossip site and an Australian newspaper, Tiger Woods is due to leave rehab for sexual addition at the end of this week, and the Aussie paper throws in that Woods might return to the PGA Tour just two weeks after that.

Woods is believed (it has never been proved beyond doubt) to be at the Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services clinic in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, undergoing treatment for sexual addiction. It is believed that Woods checked in to the clinic shortly before Christmas, and the clinic's treatment is a 6-week program.

RadarOnline.com claims that "Tiger Woods is leaving sex addiction rehab by the end of this week ... His wife Elin has flown to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to bring Tiger home." Citing "sources close to the situation," the Web site claims Tiger and Elin plan to go away alone together for a few days after his release.

Meanwhile, the Australian newspaper Herald Sun claims that Woods will return to golf at the Accenture Match Play Championship in just two weeks. It cites no sources for this assertion, referring only to "strengthening whispers."

The Accenture Match Play is where Woods returned following knee surgery, but Accenture is also one of Tiger's ex-sponsors, a company that pulled away from him the fastest in the aftermath of the cheating allegations. A Tiger return at Accenture's tournament, in just two weeks, doesn't make much sense on any level. But then, how much of this sordid tale does?

Tiger Woods Out of Rehab, Back on Course Soon? originally appeared on About.com Golf on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 16:14:32.

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Mickelson Won't Play Old Wedges This Week

Phil Mickelson said today that he's made his point: Close the loophole.

At a news conference today prior to the Northern Trust Open, Mickelson said that he won't use the old Ping Eye 2 wedges this week that are at the center of the groove-loophole storm. Despite being non-conforming under new groove rules, the old wedges remain legal for play due to long-ago legal agreements between the USGA and Ping and between the PGA Tour and Ping. Mickelson carried one of the old Ping Eye 2 wedges last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, something Tour veteran Scott McCarron called "cheating."

McCarron apologized to Mickelson this week for using the words "Phil Mickelson" and "cheating" in the same sentence. Mickelson isn't the only golfer who has used the old wedges, taking advantage of the loophole; John Daly was the highest-profile golfer to do so in the full-field season-opener, the Sony Open.

At his press conference Wednesday, Mickelson said:

"Out of respect for (fellow Tour players), I do not want to have an advantage over them, whether it's perceived or actual. So this week I won't be playing that wedge. My point's been made, I won't play it."

Mickelson slammed the USGA and PGA Tour for not working much earlier to close the Ping Eye 2 loophole. "You cannot put the players in the position to interpret what the rule means," Mickelson said. "This should have been decided well before this came out. It put me and it put all players in a bad spot and it needs to be changed."

And although Mickelson himself won't be playing the old Ping Eye 2s this week, he said he hopes other players do continue exploiting the loophole in order to keep pressure on the USGA and PGA Tour to work with Ping and find a way to close the loophole.

Earlier posts:

• Tour likely to try to ban old Ping Eye 2s
• McCarron not backing down on groove issue
• Mickelson ripped for using old wedge

PGA Tour Likely to Try to Ban Old Ping Eye 2s

Who would have guessed that 20- to 25-year old wedges would be behind such a kerfuffle on the PGA Tour. The latest on the PGA Tour and the old Ping Eye 2 loophole that some golfers are exploiting to continue using sharp-edged square grooves is that the Tour appears likely to attempt to ban the old clubs.

A players meeting took place on Tuesday at the site of the Northern Trust Open. After the meeting, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem spoke to Ping chairman and CEO John Solheim. Solheim released this statement:

"PGA Tour Commissioner Finchem and I had a brief discussion ... and he shared his belief that the 1993 settlement agreement allowed his organization to utilize the protocol to consider a special rule that would ban PING EYE2 irons and wedges. While we strongly disagree with their interpretation of the agreement, we agreed further dialogue on the topic was healthy. We hope to speak again in the next week or so. I've also been in contact with the USGA and expect to meet with them as well."

The "protocol" Solheim refers to is written into the 1993 agreement between the PGA Tour and Ping that stated the Tour would abide by USGA rulings regarding the legality for play of Ping Eye 2 irons made in the late 1980s. Since the USGA has its own legal agreement with Ping that stipulates those old Ping Eye 2s remain legal, those clubs also remain playable on the PGA Tour.

The "protocol" describes conditions under which the Tour could break away from the USGA's ruling regarding the Ping Eye 2s. That protocol involves a lot of legalese and some very specific conditions regarding the state of modern equipment. The Tour stated last week it believed it might be able to invoke the protocol; Ping's Solheim stated last week he didn't see how the conditions in the protocol could be considered met.

Based on Solheim's statement, it appears the PGA Tour will forge ahead and try to ban the old Ping Eye 2s. Commissioner Finchem is holding a press conference later today, where he'll be pressed about this matter. Stay tuned.

PGA Tour Likely to Try to Ban Old Ping Eye 2s originally appeared on About.com Golf on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 10:22:23.

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This Week: Northern Trust Open

The Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club boasts the strongest field yet in the early PGA Tour season, but the groove flap seems to be overshadowing that. It will be interesting to see whether more - or fewer - players are using the old Ping Eye 2 wedges this week, after the brouhaha that developed at last week's Farmers Insurance Open.

Will Phil Mickelson keep a Ping Eye 2 in his bag? He's in the field this week, as are big-name veterans Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh and Steve Stricker. Even David Duval is entered.

But the real fun might be in watching some of those youngsters, such as two who were involved in chasing eventual champ Ben Crane in the final round last week: Michael Sim and Rickie Fowler. And Japanese teen phenom Ryo Ishikawa is playing at Riviera, too.

Check our Northern Trust Open tournament page to view the list of past winners - Mickelson has won two in a row - along with other tourney tidbits.

This Week: Northern Trust Open originally appeared on About.com Golf on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 09:49:51.

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Scott McCarron Not Backing Down on Groove Issue, Phil Criticism

Veteran PGA Tour player Scott McCarron, a member of the Tour's Player Advisory Council, created a hornet's nest with his comments last week ripping Phil Mickelson and others for taking advantage of a loophole in the new groove rules.

The new groove rules ban square grooves. The loophole - which exists for PGA Tour and USGA competitions - allows square-grooved Ping Eye 2 irons and wedges made in the late 1980s to continue being used, even though they don't conform to the new groove rules. The loophole dates to a legal battle between the USGA and Ping, and the PGA Tour and Ping, in the late '80s and early 1990s.

When Mickelson decided last week to use an old Ping Eye 2 wedge at the Farmers Insurance Open, McCarron blasted the decision, saying: "It's cheating and I am appalled Phil has put it in play."

Today, McCarron posted a note on his Web site standing by those comments and calling for the PGA Tour to ban the old Ping Eye 2s, while also saying he never called Mickelson a cheater.

McCarron is technically right about that. He never said "Phil Mickelson is a cheater." But when you say that a) using the old Pings is cheating; and note that b) Mickelson is using the old Pings; you are saying "Phil Mickelson is cheating." "He's a cheater" vs. "he's cheating." Yes, there's a difference, but not enough of one for McCarron to be offended that some are saying he called Mickelson a cheater.

Read more...

Scott McCarron Not Backing Down on Groove Issue, Phil Criticism originally appeared on About.com Golf on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 16:31:27.

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