Phil forms one-man focus group

Lethargic dictates, admits Phil

Phil Mickelson appeared on 'CBS This Morning' to speak with Charlie Rose about his education project and his golf game, which hasn't exactly been up to par the last two months. He admitted, 'I haven't played my best,' and he spent the last five days identifying the possible issues:

'One of the biggest areas'is that mentally I haven't been focusing as fine as I need to. I've been letting where I don't want the ball to go kind of creep in, in my head, as opposed to where I want it to go.

'I've been a little bit lethargic those last two months. We've got some big tournaments coming up. In fact, the next nine weeks I'm playing seven of them. This is an important stretch to finish the year off right, and I've been working hard to turn it around. It's been a fun challenge.

'If I look back over the last couple of months, it's easier to identify where I've been going off, and I haven't played with the same purpose, whether it's approach heading into the golf tournament or whether it's on each individual shot. That's what I'm going to try to focus on these coming months to get this back on track.'

He hasn't cited his arthritic condition as a reason, but that would be a very valid one.

Including his withdrawal from The Memorial back in May due to 'mental fatigue,' Phil hasn't made weekend play in four of his last six starts. He missed the cut at The Greenbrier Classic for the second year in a row, but he briefly revived his game at the Scottish Open, firing 64-65 on Friday and Saturday, respectively, before a final-round 74 dropped him back to T16. Then he went on to shoot a second-round 78 at the British Open that resulted in an early departure.

He has two big weeks in front of him and will try to shake off the lethargy beginning at the WGC-Bridgestone Championship in Akron, Ohio, and followed by the PGA Championship.

So soon? Yes, indeed. I think we could all use an extra week or two to recuperate!

Let the games begin: Dustin and Sergio drive balls into the Thames

Sergio and Dustin in a(nother) grand, brilliant PR stunt

As you may have heard, the 2012 London Olympics officially kick off with an Opening Ceremony of epic proportions ' check out the pictures leaking onto the inter-webs in this breaking story unfolding rapidly! ' that we'll all probably watch online via YouTube and other sources of non-NBC live-stream before we actually catch the 'real' version on the tape-delayed NBC broadcast (tonight at 7:30pm ET and PT <<collective groan>> ' sucks an extra three hours to live on the West Coast!).

First, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia opened the week on Monday in the Adidas Paints the Town Red Adidas London Golf Challenge event, staged to celebrate the re-entrance of golf in the 2016 Olympic Games (or basically, TaylorMade-adidas decided to hold another sweet exhibition because they can. I mean, have you seen their quarterly reports?!).

From a barge, DJ and Sergio launched drives onto a floating green on the River Thames with the Tower Bridge in the backdrop. Because you haven't seen enough shots of this iconic view all week, here's another:

Dustin or Sergio? Dustin, right?

 

One more:

 

Nice shot

By the way, what's the point of stroke play as the format for golf's monumental return to the Olympics in 2016 again? To identify the best golfer! But aren't we celebrating the honor and privilege to compete on behalf of our countries? No! ' I mean, really, have you been alive long enough to remember the last four Olympics? Well, yes, but, I was naively still sold on this notion of representing your country in the greatest competition in all of planet Earth.

Here's a video of DJ and Sergio's closest-to-the-pin contest:

(Photos courtesy of adidas/TaylorMade)

Photos: Behind the scenes at the 2012 Open Championship

Sunday practice round day at The Open

Even though I'm not finished sharing my thoughts and unloading all the tidbits from my notebook, I'm recovering from a major Open hangover, not to mention those voices chirping in my ear via talkback for about 12 hours a day. Huh? Yeah, I have a new appreciation of TV/radio people wearing an earpiece 24/7. I mean, I already have the voices in my head and then I had to separate those from the ones in my ear while I was working as a presenter/reporter for @The Open Live'GET OUT OF MY EAR. GO AWAY.

Sorry. Never mind.

It was weird not having time to post on WUP, but I was constantly thinking about it. (That's kind of sick, isn't it?) I'm not going to lie, though ' I enjoyed being done for the day almost immediately after we were off-air. The days were probably just as long since we started super early in the morning. I didn't spend much time in the media center until the end of the week, but I kind of relished in walking out as all the scribes were typing furiously around 7pm as I was hopping on a cart back to the TV compound (instead of slaving away for another 3-4 hours).

I can't begin to express how grateful I am for the fantastic learning experience. Newsflash: being on-air ' and being really good at it' is harder than it looks! Duh. (There are quite a few who make it appear so easy, though.) There was the mic, where to look, where not to look, the intro and the outro, reacting to the interviewee and your surroundings, not to mention the producer in your ear. Basically, you had to be absolutely perfect with a camera in your face.

I definitely felt like a fish out of water at times, but I loved the adrenaline rush of doing live interviews and commentary (and figuring out how to manage prepping and pure BS-ing in the moment). Now I'm thirsty for more! I want to apply what I learned, so I can get better. (Hint, hint!) I need reps! In the words of Tiger Woods, it's a process! It truly is.

Many thanks to a number of players, caddies, managers, etc., along with the @The Open Live crew for their help and patience. I wish I could name everyone right now and articulately express how grateful I am to those who went out of their way to lend a hand to a rookie (me). I guess you have to start somewhere, right?

Anyway, when I showed up to check in on Sunday (a week before the final round), I took tons of pictures while I walked Royal Lytham. Hopefully you were following me on Twitter and Instagram, where I posted as much as possible without clogging everyone's timelines, but saved most of it with the hope that I'd have time to publish them here.

I have more commentary on several of the photos (stay tuned!) and memorable moments, but for now, here are links to multiples outlets where I captured a special week at the 142nd Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

*First, from my Flickr feed:

• Shots from the practice days at Royal Lytham (Sunday-Wednesday)

• Shots from the championship days at Royal Lytham (Thursday-Sunday)

*More of the same on the WUP Facebook Page.

*Next, 360 Panoramas (360-degree panoramic views of the scene that are interactive and my new favorite app ' it really helps you feel like YOU'RE THERE)!

• The practice putting green, the clubhouse and the carpark.
• Standing on the 5th tee at Royal Lytham.
• Standing between the 8th green and 9th tee.
• Standing on the 18th tee while Adam Scott played the hole in a practice round on Sunday.
• View from the 11th tee while Brandt Snedeker gets ready to hit.
• Standing on the bridge that connects the chipping practice green to the driving range.
• Another one from the bridge.
• A busy driving range on Wednesday with players cramming before the real test starts.
• Another scene from the driving range during the second round.

*Some selects shots below, along with a photo gallery. (I've gotten feedback from readers saying they can't see Facebook from work, but surely Flickr can't be blocked, too, can it?!)

Practice putting green = pretty backdrop

Par-3 No. 9

 

Greenskeepers prepping the course after overnight rain

 

Me interviewing Shipnuck on camera-soapbox after the first round

 

View of 18th at Royal Lytham from the tee

 

Someone get me my camera-box!

*Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.

Ernie Something Els!

Ernie: class act

I have to get back to the TV compound, but I just wanted to throw up a quick post to congratulate Mr. Theodore Ernest Els and provide a thread for your comments on Adam Scott bogeying the last four holes to lose and Ernie coming from six shots back to capture his second Claret Jug ' that clutch putt for birdie on the 72nd hole was pretty bleeping sweet. Who else held their breath as he set up to what turned out to be the difference between an outright victory and playoff?

My heart Adam, who handled defeat like a true champ and class act, but I'm really happy for Ernie. It was painful to watch him let two tourneys ' the Transitions Championship (where his manager coined my nickname 'Jinx' because I showed up on the 16th when Ernie started missing putts) and the Zurich Classic (where Jason Dufner beat him in a playoff) ' get away from him earlier this year. Don't quote me on this, but I bet becoming the 2012 Open Champion Golfer of the Year makes up for those heartbreaks.

A win at Royal Lytham was due for Ernie ' as I've mentioned, he came close the last two times the Open was held here. In '96 he tied for second and in '01 he tied for third. A first place fittingly completed the trifecta.

Congrats, Ernie (and Team Els' his caddie Ricci Roberts and manager Andy Dawson, among others)! As Luke Donald tweeted, the Heinekens will be flowing tonight. No doubt! #insidejokes

(Getty Images/Andrew Redington)

Tipping point: R&A, USGA target long putters

Ernie Els' Open Championship victory appears to have reinvigorated the debate surrounding the use of so-called 'belly putters'.

Speaking in the wake of the South African's victory at Royal Lytham, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson suggested the sport's governing bodies were poised to take definitive action in the interest of resolving the long-running controversy.

Reuters' Tom Pilcher was on hand to collect the quotage:

'The situation is that the R&A and the USGA do have this subject firmly back on the radar' I think you're going to see us saying something about it one way or the other in a few months rather than years.'

In securing an improbable victory in Lancashire, Els, a conflicted exponent of the anchoring technique (the 42-year-old has branded it a form of cheating), became the third player in under a year to win a major championship using a longer-than-standard putter.

Coming after a decades-long drought, the current deluge of long-putter-wielding major champions has alarmed those charged with safeguarding the game.

Formerly the preserve of nervous veterans and senior citizens, the clubs have gained in popularity of late among touring professionals anxious to manufacture a repetitive putting action.

It's a development that has frustrated a number of high-profile players, among whom can be numbered 14-time major champion Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.

Indeed, the Irishman believes institutional complacency is to blame for the current dilemma.

'If somebody invented the belly putter tomorrow, it would not pass. I think we could all agree with that. The only reason it got through is the people that used it 20 years ago were coming to the end of their careers.

'People would have been sympathetic and didn't want to finish Bernhard Langer's career by telling him you can't hold it like this.'

• For a fairly thorough stating of the case against long putters, click HERE.

• For Tiger Woods' views on the issue, click HERE.

Conor Nagle

2012 Open Championship final round dartboard: Can Stevie capture his 14th major?!?

Tiger fist-pump...for the win?

The last twosome ' Graeme McDowell and Adam Scott ' has just teed off, but the atmosphere has been buzzing with anticipation here at Royal Lytham &St Annes since early this morning. It's already been a hectic day with the usual excited nervous energy that comes along with the final round at a major championship. What's more, look at the names on the leaderboard. We've got Adam Scott (and Stevie Williams), Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Ernie Els in the final three groups.

As we've seen with all the dramatic finishes this season, NO LEAD IS SAFE.

When was the last time we saw such an incredible leaderboard through 54 holes? Maybe the 2011 Masters? Meh, I like this one better.

I'm not surprised. Royal Lytham has produced worthy champions in the 10 Opens it has hosted. The winners have either been ranked No. 1 at some point or inducted in the Hall of Fame. In other words, it's a challenging test, but very fair because it separates the 'pretenders' (guys who aren't playing well) from the contenders. The cream rises to the top! (Ugh, cliche, sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Conditions have been very benign this week ' not much wind and surprisingly hardly any rain during tournament play ' which is weird for the Open Championship. Good news is that the golfing gods have answered our plea and the wind is finally up! The forecast says it's blowing at a steady 15-20 mph, with gusts of up to 25-30mph. This could definitely make things a little more interesting.

Heading into Sunday, Scott had a four-shot lead, which has already dwindled to 3 after he bogeyed the opening par-3. Oh, wait, he just threw a dart at the 2nd pin to about three feet. Anyway, I'm sure you're watching the action.

Sorry I haven't been around this week, but as you know, I've been working for @TheOpen Live, the R&A's official behind-the-scenes online broadcast, which was aired on theopen.com, livestream.com and the Open app. (Un)fortunately, there are no archives since it's a livecast, so if you weren't watching, you missed my 'on-camera' debut. And you didn't miss much. Well, actually, my camera-soap box spots were rather amusing (I'm 5'2', it just so happens the other two people were 6'0'). It's been an amazing learning experience and a ton of fun, but I'll elaborate later.

A few storylines to look out for this afternoon:

*Will we see another first-time major winner? Scott and Snedeker, who is putting his face off, have yet to join the club. We've also seen 15 different champs at the last 15 majors. The only name with some sort of shot (a long one) at ending that streak would be Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion golfer of the year.

*The Ernie tease. Els, a three-time major champ, has an excellent record in previous Opens at Royal Lytham. In 1996 he tied for third and in 2001 he was runner-up to David Duval. So I'm not surprised he's in the mix, but he's come so close this year so many times. There was the Transitions Championship and the Zurich Classic, where he made costly mistakes in the last few holes. He got into contention at the U.S. Open last month, but then faded away. Everyone is always pulling for Ernie, but it's tough because it's so disheartening when we get our hopes up.

In Tampa he had the lead through 69 holes, I showed up on the 16th and he missed a four-footer for birdie. Then he bogeyed the 17th and the 18th. It was rough. After that, his manager started calling me Jjinx' (in an endearing way, of course). I was instructed to stay as far away as possible from Ernie today. I promised I wouldn't come out and watch, but I had my fingers crossed'and it's obviously just a joke.

*Can Stevie capture his 14th major to tie Tiger Woods' record of all-time major victories? Stevie won 13 while caddying for Tiger. He's also a great frontrunner, as we all know. In all seriousness, Adam is an excellent frontrunner. In the 19 times he's held the 54-hole lead, he went on to win 14 of them.

*The long putter! If Scott can close out, he'll be the third in the last four majors to have won playing with a non-traditional putter. That should get the USGA and R&A to start taking a closer look at implementing a rule that says you can't anchor a putter to your body.

 

Can Stevie keep up his record as an excellent frontrunner?

*Graeme McDowell. Speaks for himself. A major favorite coming into the week.

*Tiger Woods, another obvious favorite, is trying to win no. 15 and his first major since the U.S. Open in 2008 (and of course, in the post-scandal era).

*Wind stats! Matt Cooper and I looked up how the top six players on the 54-hole leaderboard fare when the wind is blowing at least 20mph. Here's what we found (for the current season):

• Adam Scott ' 70.3 scoring average; 69.7 adjusted to field and par (the number that is more relevant). The average number of places he's improved'or dropped in Scott's case'in the leaderboard is 0.4.
• Graeme McDowell ' 72.5 scoring average; 67.9 adjusted; 2 average number of places he's improved.
• Brandt Snedeker ' 72.1 scoring average; 69.2 adjusted; 4 average number of places he's improved.
• Zach Johnson ' 71.2 scoring average; 69.3 adjusted, 7 average number of places he's improved.
• Ernie Els ' 71.8 scoring average; 69.9 adjusted; 9 average number of places he's improved.

*One last thing: Zach Johnson, who is now my favorite player and the best guy on Tour (and perhaps that I know) and the 2007 Masters champ. It's an uncomfortable thing to ask the guys if they'll do a pre-round on-camera interview. I never do that as working media and yeah, it's a little awkward when it comes to the weekend. Brandt Snedeker was awesome on Saturday and gave us a few minutes of his time. I caught Zach in the parking lot and convinced him to do a quick hit. Unfortunately, it was a chaotic mess and all the other cameras started coming in.

Yes, I choked, but hey, I was asked to ask him for an interview and at least I made that happen. Still, it's truly an awful, horrendous feeling (at the same time, it's just TV, sh*t happens). The other guy I was supposed to try and grab was Bill Haas, who was running late, so he didn't have time.

To be honest, I thought Bill would do it, but Zach wouldn't ' just because he rarely does pre-round stuff. He's absolutely the best post-round. Anyway, he's been very helpful this week'along with a bunch of other players, caddies and managers who knew it was my first time working in TV and all that.

I'm a strong believer in karma, so if this doesn't (or didn't) turn out to be their week and they can't catch Scotty and Stevie, well, my motto is pay it forward.

So, do you think Stevie Scotty will match Tiger's number of all-time majors? As we know, Snedeker likes to chase and he's three back of Scott right now'

Scott wears questionable sweater, draws within one

Adam Scott: patchy.

Adam Scott will begin the weekend at Royal Lytham & St. Anne's in uncharted territory, but you're unlikely to hear the Australian complaining.

A mere shot adrift of overnight leader Brandt Snedeker and in turn three shots clear of the next best-placed challenger (more about him later), the 32-year-old enters Saturday's third round perfectly placed to end his career-long wait for a major title.

Scott's opening round of 64, marred only by a careless bogey on the final hole, verged on the historic, but it was his second-round 67, carded after a gut-churning 24 hours of interrogation and media fanfare, that ultimately amounted to a more impressive statement of intent.

Arriving on the first tee four shots in arrears of Snedeker, the Tennessean having rampaged his way to a 64 earlier in the day, the former Players champion succeeded in maintaining his composure, even after an early setback ' an untidy bogey on the third ' threatened to set the tone for his afternoon.

It proved to be Scott's only dropped shot of the second day, however; a largely irresistible blend of precise ball-striking and confident putting ensured he covered remaining 15 holes in four-under-par.

Indeed, it's that newfound potency on the greens, largely the result of his switch to a broomhandle putter, that the Aussie credits with his recent emergence as a major championship threat

'My putting with the short putter was so hot and cold, and before I switched it was more often cold than hot. So very, very frustrating to play well and get nothing out of a round.

'Making the adjustment to putt with a long putter took a little bit of time, but it was effective once I brought it out on Tour. And I feel much ' I putt much more consistent with it, which has a really positive effect on the rest of my game. Takes a little pressure off the rest of my game.'

Much maligned in the past for his perceived lack of determination, the former European Tour wunderkind has also limited his playing schedule this season with a view to improving his performance at the season's biggest events.

'I needed a little more time to practise at home on the range, on the course, whatever practice is needed or even practice at the site.

'I feel I play better when I practice more. And I think it's been effective so far. Last year certainly my results were better in the majors, and this year, too, already. So I feel if that's putting me in a better frame of mind coming into these things and confidence'wise, then I'm doing the right thing.'

Though they currently enjoy a three-shot buffer, Scott anticipates he and Snedeker 'will have [their] work cut out' to retain an overall advantage heading into Sunday's final round.

Conor Nagle

Snedeker sets pace as Lytham frustrates favourites

Snedeker's 36-hole total of 130 ties the tournament record of (Sir) Nick Faldo.

Tennessee native Brandt Snedeker confounded the draw to seize a commanding lead in the second round of the 141st Open Championship.

Playing in the company of Alex Noren and Marc Leishman, the Vanderbilt alum, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, carded a six-under-par 64 to match his opening 66, a score he recorded in the most trying of Thursday's conditions (there was *gasp* a light breeze!).

Snedeker began his day by taking immediate advantage of an increasingly sodden layout, birdieing Lytham's opening hole for the second day in succession. Additional gains at the sixth, seventh and ninth ensured he made the turn in 30 shots.

Where his front nine had been an exercise in perfection ' a parade of sensible tee shots, crisp irons and confident putts ' the run to the clubhouse proved a more swashbuckling affair, salvaged by a brace of impressive par saves at the 14th and 18th.

Indeed, the 31-year-old's negotiation of the latter proved a highlight of the round.

Forced to muscle a pitch back into the fairway after a pushed drive leaked into the thickest of rough lining the fairway's right side, his approach, a lofted wedge spun to within four feet of the hole, betrayed little of the pressure he must have been feeling.

Met with a roar of approval from the gallery, Snedeker's conversion of the subsequent putt preserved what was then a four-shot lead and ensured his place in Open Championship history as one of only two players to record a 36-hole total of 130 (-10).

Incredibly, he'll begin tomorrow's penultimate round as the only player in the 156-man field yet to record a bogey.

Though calm, soft conditions have conspired to render low scoring a possibility, the strategic questions posed by this Lytham layout have exerted a strange psychological hold over the vast majority. Nervous fear of the venue's 208 bunkers and knee-high rough has prevented all but the most determined from making headway against par.

Among the less successful can be numbered pre-tournament favourites Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington, both projected to make the cut (+2) by a single shot, and world No3 Lee Westwood (+3).

Phil Mickelson is free to make alternative plans for the weekend, however; at 11-over-par for the tournament, he's currently alongside Paul Casey in a tie for 148th place.

Conor Nagle

WATCH: Tiger finishes his second round in style

Either massively ironic or downright appropriate, depending on your statistical perspective and faith in the Golfing Gods to manufacture cruel twists of Fate (see second paragraph), Tiger Woods brought his second round of this year's Open Championship to a riotous conclusion on Friday evening, holing a pitch shot from a greenside bunker for a closing birdie and second successive 67.

The former world No1 heads the tournament ball-striking classification through 36 holes, having found 93% of fairways and over 80% of Lytham's putting surfaces in regulation.

His form on the greens, however, has thus far lacked the explosiveness demanded of a prospective Open champion.

Unspectacular putting notwithstanding, Woods currently enjoys sole possession of third place (-6), three shots adrift of Australia's Adam Scott and leader Brandt Snedeker, both of whom have yet to claim a major championship.

That steady, efficient progress, when read in the context of both his recent form and career record, appears portentous.

It's an impression only strengthened on hearing the 36-year-old's evaluate his own performance thus far.

'Overall I'm very pleased at where I'm at. We're at the halfway point and I'm right there in the mix. With the weather that's forecasted on Sunday and tomorrow, it's going to be a good weekend'

'I figured I had a game plan that I thought would fit well on this golf course, and I figured I could execute it.  And I've done that so far.'

*Update* Woods is scheduled to play tomorrow's third round in the company of Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (22), who has just navigated the Lancashire gloaming to card a hugely impressive 66.

I penned a brief profile of the younster in February. He's since claimed his maiden European Tour victory.

Conor Nagle

Portrush's wait for Open Championship set to continue

Scene of a sell-out: Portrush's 18th during the Irish Open.

Buried amidst the mounting pre-tournament hysteria at Royal Lytham this week was news that Northern Ireland's 61-year wait to host the Open Championship will continue for the forseeable future.

Despite hosting the most successful event, in terms of ticket sales and attendance, in European Tour history earlier this month, Peter Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the R&A, believes Portrush continues to fall well short of the standard required to host a major tournament.

He outlined his reservations at the R&A's annual press conference on Wednesday.

'It's a favourite of mine. Wonderful golf course, wonderful challenge. And it's great to see how successful the Irish Open was and particularly the enthusiasm from the spectators in that part of the world.

'[But] if you were at the Irish Open and compare it with what we're doing here: we're talking 20,000 grandstand seats, and I doubt they had 2,000 at the Irish Open.  You're talking about a tented village here I would estimate to be ten or more times the size it was at the Irish Open. And the crowd size at the Irish Open, whilst it was very good, was only as good as perhaps the lowest crowd we expect at an Open venue, i.e. Turnberry.

'Where would you have the 72nd hole? Where would you put the big grandstand complex? The practice ground would need a lot of work at Portrush in my own estimation. And as I say, we don't have a finishing hole that would have the grandstands around it. So we're not really ' there would be much work to do for an Open to go to Portrush.'

The widespread popularity of the layout and its status as the 'spiritual home' of Northern Ireland's golfing renaissance (both Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke are members) had raised hopes of a return to the Dunluce Links this decade, perhaps as early as 2017.

Conor Nagle

Rory beans kid, puts him up in hotel

Photo op! Jason Blue (16) poses with his autographed glove.

Lancashire teenager Jason Blue was standing in the rough lining Royal Lytham's 15th fairway yesterday afternoon when he was struck in the head by a wayward tee shot.

The 16-year-old had been straining to catch a glimpse of Rory McIlroy at the time, little realising Fate had contrived a scenario under which he could meet the former US Open champion.

From the BBC:

'I can remember something hit me in the head and I fell over. I thought what the hell was that? What's hit me? It must be a golf ball.

'We couldn't see the tee because everyone down the side had umbrellas up and so we had no idea it was coming towards us, even though they'd put their hands out on the tee.

'I closed my eyes with the shock of it as I tried to work out what had happened, but I wasn't out cold and then there was people crowding around me.'

McIlroy arrived on the scene to find Blue in the care of a medical team, his head swathed in gauze. Described by onlookers as 'quite apologetic', the Northerner paused to autograph a glove ('Sorry ' Rory McIlroy') before going about his business.

*UPDATE* McIlroy later paid for Blue to spend the night in a local hotel; the teenager had planned on overnighting in a tent.

Quotage courtesy of The Sun:

'I hated the thought of him spending the night in a tent after getting that bang on the head.

'I'd like him to have a roof over his head tonight and a comfortable place to stay. It's the least I can do.'

Actually, shouting fore was the least he could have done.

Conor Nagle

Balls in the Air: Tiger and The Stinger'

Stingin' it.

Be warned: I've been nodding off since 9pm local and it's past midnight now, so I'm beyond delirious. There's a good chance I might literally fall asleep on my keyboard, but I wanted to at least post a reader's digest version of 'Balls in the Air' and name some of my picks.

The forecast for Wednesday called for torrential showers. In fact, it was supposed to be the worst weather day of the week. Well, this is how things go at The Open ' instead, the clouds cleared and the sun came out turning it into a beautiful afternoon.

A lot of players had finished their 'work' and preparation for the week yesterday because of the weather forecast. Shortly after the skies cleared, the practice areas filled up with guys cramming in some extra reps or playing a few holes to test out the course conditions (links are sand-based and drain well, except for the bunkers here at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, apparently.

As you can see in the above picture, Tiger Woods was one of the many guys to perfect his famous stinger and instill (even more) confidence in his ballstriking. From the looks of it, he was striping the ball.

Here's a screenshot of my Fantasy Golf team ' I really don't like the Yahoo format, but short of joining a pool where it's money-list based, this is all there is, so it's better than nothing' just a quick note: I based all my pics on the best tactical players who are also excellent ballstrikers ' or grinders/technicians ' particularly off the tee and also creative shotmakers. Length isn't premium. It's all about positioning the ball of the tee and accuracy. If you hit it in the long hay or in one of the 206 bunkers that line the landing area off the fairways and surround the greens, then you're basically screwed, for lack of a better term.

I actually have Hunter Mahan instead of Nicholas Colsaerts in my line-up, but Colsaerts isn't a bad long shot pick. I had a hard time narrowing it down to those players. I also like Rickie Fowler, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy (hey, if it stays wet and the wind down, then can anyone say Congressional?), Jim Furyk, among others. Other than Colsaerts, other dark horses include Raphael Jacquelin and Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

I think Royal Lytham St. Annes will produce a worthy winner; not a 'fluke' champ. The course is such a great test that I'd be surprised if it didn't identify the guy who is hitting the ball the best and tackling the course with a shrewd game plan.

Here's an interesting stat: In the history of The Open Championships at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, every winner ' Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval ' have held the No. 1 ranking in the world (since the OWGR started in 1986) or have been inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

So I suppose think future Hall-of-Famers and past-and-present world No. 1s! Luke, Lee, Rory and Tiger. Boom.

Alright, before I nod off, here are some pictures from the day.

Harris English, Justin Leonard, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk prepare to tee off No. 1

The guys walking off the par-3 No. 1

 

Foley and Tiggy checking out video

 

Rory practicing bunker shots

 

Nice...job teeing the ball.

Check out some of the 360-degree panoramic views I took on the golf course throughout the week and near the practice areas on Wednesday'

*Standing between the 8th green and 9th tee: http://360.io/ULNwPm

*Standing on the 11th tee: http://360.io/uHq7mx

*Standing on the overpass bridge that connects the chipping practice area to the driving range: http://360.io/uHq7mx

*Standing next to the practice putting green and the clubhouse: http://360.io/F7r7r7

Can someone get me a stepladder perhaps?

Wednesday was officially Day 1 of @TheOpenLive broadcast. Thanks to those of you who tuned in. For those who missed the previous posts, be sure to tune into the R&A's official online 'behind-the-scenes' channel ' go to TheOpen.com (the official Open Championship website), Livestream.com and/or the app. We go live at 7:30am local time (2:30am EST and 11:30 PST).

I'm not going to get into it now, but I feel incredibly lucky to be working with such a talented crew and wonderful team. I've learned more than I can articulate about on-air broadcasting/reporting in three days than you could imagine. I've obviously got a long ways to go and a lot to learn, but I'm having a good time and with each rep, I'm improving (I hope). Point is, I love it and this is what I've set out to do when I started my blog three years ago'

Enough about that. Way past my bedtime. See you LIVE in a few hours.

Glory beckons: a guide to Lytham's home straight

Hi! My name is Stephanie Wei. I grew up in Seattle. I live in Manhattan, NYC. I played competitive golf for ten years in the junior and college ranks. I went to Yale, where I played on the women's golf team and graduated in '05 with a B.A. in History.

I still enjoy pegging it, but don't ask me my handicap because I stopped keeping one when I left for college. More important, I'm feisty and I like to smile a lot. I also love sports, spandex and surprises.

I'm a freelance writer and reporter. Since December 2010 I've been a Sports Illustrated Golf+ contributor, and I covered the majors for Wall Street Journal in 2010 and 2011Wall Street Journal. I'm also a senior editor at Back9Network

Read more about me here (warning: it's boring).

This morning in FAIL

Hi! My name is Stephanie Wei. I grew up in Seattle. I live in Manhattan, NYC. I played competitive golf for ten years in the junior and college ranks. I went to Yale, where I played on the women's golf team and graduated in '05 with a B.A. in History.

I still enjoy pegging it, but don't ask me my handicap because I stopped keeping one when I left for college. More important, I'm feisty and I like to smile a lot. I also love sports, spandex and surprises.

I'm a freelance writer and reporter. Since December 2010 I've been a Sports Illustrated Golf+ contributor, and I covered the majors for Wall Street Journal in 2010 and 2011Wall Street Journal. I'm also a senior editor at Back9Network

Read more about me here (warning: it's boring).

Harrington ready for some rough stuff

"Me, a favourite? Pah!"

Padraig Harrington arrives at his 16th Open Championship this week in the midst of a modest renaissance. The Dubliner recorded near-misses in each of the season's opening major championships and has failed to break par only once in his last 12 competitive rounds.

With players, fans and meteorologists alike united in predicting a difficult weekend on the Lancashire coast, the 40-year-old, a famously resilient competitor, is among the few players relishing the prospect of rain.

Just not for four consecutive rounds.

'I would like some of the golf to be tough this week. But I know myself, if you have 72 holes of a rainy tournament, it's nearly last man standing at that stage, and that's really difficult for everybody.

'I would certainly like to see 18 holes, if not 36 holes, of difficult conditions because that will cut enough of the field out, and hopefully I won't be one of those.'

Asked to offer his verdict on what is fast becoming the dominant meme of the week's pre-tournament coverage, the 'democratisation' of professional golf, Harrington cast about for a few moments before volunteering this little nugget of insight.

'I think golfers are evolving. I think when I came out on Tour in '96 you kind of felt like you had to learn how to win and maybe lose a few tournaments before you were allowed a win'

'I think in recent times that feeling of patience and the feeling of a tournament being like a marathon has gone away.  It tends to be a sprint from Thursday morning.  If you're not three', four'under par after nine holes you feel like you're out of the tournament' Guys are turning up now at regular events and they're just hoping to hit their week. And if they hit their week, they run with it and they shoot the 20'under par and win.

'So you're seeing more of that coming into majors. Guys are turning up and if it's their week, they can win any week.  Rather than the attitude of ' 'I've got to be there all the time and serve my apprenticeship before I win'. Guys just turn up; if it's my week, I can beat anybody.'

In case you've missed every one of the several hundred articles to mention it, the previous 15 major championships have yielded 15 different major champions.

Harrington, whose USPGA victory in 2008 kick-started the streak, is at a loss to predict whether that run will be extended through this week's Open Championship, but he remains in little doubt as to the qualities Royal Lytham & St. Anne's will demand of a prospective champion.

'I think that possibly the biggest challenge on the golf course is the tee shots. If you hit 60 fairways you're going to be doing very nicely. I think any major, though, the biggest challenge and the biggest challenge for myself would be managing my game mentally and obviously putting well. I think those are the two big things you want to do every major tournament.  It generally comes down to those things at the end of the week..

You know, I thought Olympic was very generous off the tee. The rough wasn't too heavy. You could get away with missing it. I was very comfortable. Here, it's quite a bit different. You miss a fairway here, 'depends'' an element of luck is involved.  If you miss it slightly and go into one of those bunkers, well, they might as well have red stakes around the bunker, because you're coming out sideways. It's like hazards all the way around.'

Straight hitting, resilience, determination. Egad ' it sounds like a USGA event!

Conor Nagle

The Gospel according to David Duval

'[Responding to insinuation he's lost his appetite for the game] What were you doing yesterday from 3:30 to 5:30 when it was pouring?

'Working on an article, maybe? I was working, too. I was on the range hitting balls, soaked. It's not ' no, when I say 'Enough about the golf,' it's more, I mean, let's talk about the things that have really happened that are wonderful and important.

'No, I've worked my tail off.  Unfortunately for me I've had multiple nagging little injuries.  I've had tendonitis in both shoulders; I've got it in my elbows; I have bone bruises in my knees right now; I have a back problem that's well documented; had tendonitis in my wrist; I've had vertigo. Is that it? You all know, we've talked.

'So, I mean, there's a laundry list of problems.  And that stuff, you know what, frankly, it wrecks golf.  It wrecks your golf game' The great thing about wonderful athletes, wonderful golfers and football players, whatever it may be, but also the big detriment, is that we're sometimes not smart enough to stop.  Our egos think that we can just play and get through it.  And I continued to play and work through it, and all it did was get worse and worse and wreck my golf game and wreck my confidence, and there you are'

'In hindsight the big mistake I made in my career was not stopping sometime in early 2002 and probably not playing again until '04.  I should have taken at least a year, maybe more off, just made sure everything kind of got healed, protected my confidence, protected my golf game and moved on and just given away that year and a half, not eight years like I did.'

Early reports are in: Lytham's rough is 'absolutely brutal'

Tiger in action during Monday's practice round.

While great swathes of North America spent the first half of the summer as if under an enormous heatlamp, boiling or broiling with the shifts in humidity, the United Kingdom (and Ireland!) suffered a deluge of nearly biblical proportions.

Trying though the situation has been, and indeed remains, for the average punter ' those over the age of three tend to take little enjoyment in the wearing of wellingtons ' it has proven especially frustrating to those within the R&A charged with preparing Royal Lytham & St. Anne's for the 141st Open Championship.

Aware that their chosen venue plays at its nuanced and idiosyncratic best only when a hard, running surface and unpredictable wind combine to endow an otherwise unremarkable layout with a wealth of shot-making opportunities, tournament officials have spent the previous eight weeks (if not longer) contemplating disaster.

To wit:

Worst case scenario:

A dreary summer, record-breaking in its sogginess; four days of comparatively calm conditions: a blowout of epic proportions, a 'birdiefest' unbecoming of the game's most presitigious tournament, results.

Shame ensues. Humiliation. Links golf takes a hit in a perennially skeptical American media.

To avert possible catastrophe, then, the R&A appears to have taken the architectural equivalent of evasive action.

Fairways have narrowed, landing areas have shrunk and the rough, already thickened by months of wet, wet Lancashire weather, has snaked its way from the ankle to the mid-calf.

According to Tiger Woods, present when the R&A last flinched in the face of unfavourable conditions (at Carnoustie, in 1999), Open Championship rough has never looked or felt quite so severe.

'I've never seen the rough this high or thick and dense. You can't get out of it. That bottom ' six inches in some places ' is almost unplayable.'

The set-up, should it remain largely unchanged, represents something of a gamble for the R&A.

In the event of calm weather, the course is afforded an effective, if somewhat crude defence: a perimeter of rough reminiscent of something the USGA would fertilise into existence. Under this scenario, emphasis is placed on plodding accuracy over imagination and variety, but the Open's public dignity emerges unscathed.

If, however, a stiff breeze materialises to render more severe an already demanding layout, the event runs the risk of retreading Car-nasty's path from grim public massacre to farce.

Either way, a minority of fans ' Open Championship purists, you could call them ' are likely to leave Lytham with a creeping sense of dissatisfaction, even loss. Links golf, after all, is best determined by the invisible hand of Nature, not the bitch slap of an activist greenkeeper.

Defending champion Darren Clarke proved surprisingly willing to underscore Lytham's heretical character in an interview with Reuters' Tony Jimenez earlier this morning.

'It's not quite what we would expect on a links course. It's a little bit thicker than what you normally find.

'It's really tough ' if you start spraying the ball around this week you might as well go home. There are a few patches out there where it's just absolutely brutal.'

For what it's worth, Britain's summer is forecast to 'arrive' as early as this weekend; the presentation of the Claret Jug may yet take place under clear blue skies.

It's a prediction in which Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of the R&A, is likely to take cold comfort.

Conor Nagle

Open Championship pairings: a guide to the best (and some of the rest)

07.47 ' David Duval, Raphael Jacquelin, Miguel Angel Jimenez

Duval, the last man to win an Open Championship at Lytham, plays in the company of Spanish maestro Miguel Angel Jimenez, who tied for 5th in 2001. Smooth-swinging, uncomplicated Raphael Jacquelin stands as an object lesson in efficiency to amateurs everywhere.

08.09 - Stewart Cink, Raphael Cabrero-Bello, Johnson Wagner

That. Moustache. I' I don't understand.

08.31 - Davis Love III, Tim Clark, Paul Lawrie

On for the purists. All three players excel at course management, while Love and Lawrie share a particular affinity for links golf.

09.09 - Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Zach Johnson

Last year's winner, Darren Clarke, plays in the company of the 2002 champion and an in-form Zach Johnson. Though not especially enamoured with links golf, the latter fits the profile of a potential winner (straight, resilient, intelligent).

09.20 - Lee Westwood, Yoshinori Fujimoto, Bubba Watson

Serial bridesmaid (and strong home favourite) Lee Westwood will play in the company of the Masters champ' and some guy. Who needs a short game when you can hit all the greens (for three days)?

09.31 - Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Hiroyuki Fujita

The slower greens will likely suit DJ and McDowell, a course manager par excellence, will feel at home on Lytham's claustrophobic fairways.

09.42 - Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia

A win this week would see Tiger return to the summit of the world rankings. To get there, he'll need to produce four consecutive days of solid golf, a feat he hasn't accomplished since Barack Obama entered the White House. Coincidence?

10.15 - Jason Dufner, Martin Laird, Kevin Na

Is Jason Dufner a big-name player now, worthy of consideration regardless of his playing partners or prospects? I'm not so sure. The FedEx Cup hopeful will tackle Lytham in the company of Martin Laird, a Scot who doesn't like the wind, and prominent neurotic Kevin Na.

12.59 - Ben Curtis, Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman

Hmm' there's a message here, but what?

14.21 - Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley

All three have struggled for form in recent weeks, but'

14.32 - Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington, Manuel Trappel (a)

Harrington arrives at Royal Lytham a changed man, all confidence and consistency. He'll be hopeful of adding a third Open Championship to his resume. Similarly upbeat, Fowler returns to England a PGA Tour winner. What odds an improvement on his tie for fifth at Royal St. Georges last year?

14.43 - Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy

Their games may be a study in contrast, but both Donald and Mickelson struggled to find form of the major-winning variety at last week's Scottish Open. Ogilvy, on the other hand, is engaged in a long-term struggle. The Aussie has yet to record a top-10 finish this season.

15.27 - Marc Leishman, Brandt Snedeker, Alex Noren

I like Leishman as an Open Championship contender ' at some point in the future, perhaps; not necessarily this week ' while Noren has the skills, if not the self-belief, to mount a sustained challenge.

See you in England! (*Updated)

Mmmm, Lytham-y.

This is my first time writing a new post via the WordPress app ' I've edited posts plenty of times, but I was running short on time today, so let's see how this goes'

Bear with me as I'm sitting on the plane and might have to cut this short at any given moment.

Packing for The Open is never easy no matter how many times you've been there (this is the third I'm covering). I panicked at the last minute and it seems like I cleared out my closet! There was a greater emphasis on waterproofs and layers than in the last two years. Well, it was duly noted, though I might need a third set of waterproofs!

I'm taking the redeye to London and then getting a lift to Lytham. I'm looking forward to my gig for the week ' I'm a reporter for @TheOpen Live, the R&A's 'entertaining, irreverent, behind-the-scenes' online broadcast, which will be live streamed at TheOpen.com, livestream.com, Facebook and the app (I think, I'll double-check).

I'll also be in-studio giving updates or talking all things Open during what will probably be around lunch time EST for the American audience.

More details to come, but I'll also be working and writing for the Back9Network at the start of the week. If I have time, I'll be helping out SI/golf.com, too.

OK, it's time to turn off all electronic devices. I'll update this post when I arrive on the other side of the pond.

*Update: Got through immigration and customs without a glitch in 15 minutes max. Anyway, here are the broadcast times I was given for @TheOpen Live (all times local & subject to change ' 5 hours ahead of EST, 8 hours ahead of PST):

Wednesday (Live)
10am-11am
12.30am-2pm
3.30pm-4.30pm
5.30pm-6.30pm

Thursday & Friday
7.30am-9am
10am-11am
12.30pm-2pm
3.30pm-4.30pm
5.30pm-6.30pm

Saturday
9am-10.30am
12.30pm-2pm (or 1pm to 2.30pm dependant on leaders' tee times?)
3.30pm-4.30pm
5.30pm-6.30pm

Sunday
10am-11am
12.30pm-2.00pm (or 1pm to 2.30pm dependant on leaders' tee times?)
3.30pm-4.30pm
5.30pm-finish
Updates through to winner's press conference.

***

I'm doing some pre-tourney coverage for Back9Network, which will include video blogs and interviews from the Golf Punk relaunch party on Monday and at Royal Lytham St. Anne's or the area. I'll keep you posted!

By the way, have I mentioned The Open is my favorite tournament of the year? Well, it is. At the end of the week, I seriously countdown the days 'til the next. It's always an adventure, beginning with the first Open I covered in 2010 at St. Andrews. What a trip!

My director/producer for @TheOpen Live is almost here to pick me up for the 3-4 hours drive to Lytham.

Problem solved: Yani dumps caddie of two years

Yani and Jason in happier times... I think.

In an effort to rediscover her most potent form, women's world No1 Yani Tseng has parted ways with Melbourne native Jason Hamilton, her caddie of two years.

The 23-year-old, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, last broke par in a competitive round nearly six weeks ago, at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey.

Hamilton, with whom the Taiwanese collected 16 of her 26 professional victories, learned of his dismissal during a telephone conversation with Tseng on Tuesday.

The decision, he explained to Golfweek's Beth Ann Baldry, didn't come as a shock.

'I wasn't surprised at all. Things have been weird for four or five weeks.'

Hamilton will return to the PGA Tour in the employ of New Zealand's Danny Lee, for whom he has caddied in the past, while Tseng, yet to settle upon his replacement, is scheduled to begin her preparation for the Evian Masters.

Conor Nagle

The golfer formerly known as Gerry Lester Watson, Jr. was on the Tonight Show last night

About Me

Hi! My name is Stephanie Wei. I grew up in Seattle. I live in Manhattan, NYC. I played competitive golf for ten years in the junior and college ranks. I went to Yale, where I played on the women's golf team and graduated in '05 with a B.A. in History.

I still enjoy hacking a small, white ball around the golf course. Oh, I'm feisty and I like to smile a lot.

I'm a freelance writer and reporter. I'm a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated Golf+, and I covered the majors for Wall Street Journal in 2010 and 2011Wall Street Journal. I'm also a senior editor at Back9Network

In the past I've contributed to Huffington Post and Mediaite. My work has been published herehere and at ESPN.com.

*****

GET WEI UNDER PAR NEWS

*Follow me on Facebook

*Follow me on Twitter

Email: steph.wei@gmail.com

*****

"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." -Arnold Palmer

LPGA star wars: Cristie strikes back! (*Update)

Hold the finish... hold it....

Former US Open champion Cristie Kerr returned to Twitter yesterday afternoon to reject ' emphatically, repeatedly ' suggestions she is a callous, uncharitable prima donna.

The LPGA veteran was spurred into action by the mushrooming public relations fallout from 'Flag-gate' (I might be the only person calling it that), a controversy that originated on the Twitter feed of Swedish star Sophie Gustafson.

The Solheim Cup legend and GWAA award-winner publicly castigated Kerr on day two of last week's US Women's Open for refusing the opportunity to sign a flag she intended to donate to charity.

Kerr, who has been inundated with tweets from 'negative people' since the confrontation came to light, began by thanking her followers for their support'

Then, it got a bit Mean Girls'

Anxious to prove her charitable credentials, Kerr also retweeted a timely commendation from PGA professional Trace Gardiner. Apparently, it's considered classier to hand out signed photos of yourself ' like a matinee heroine from the golden age of cinema(?) ' than it is to sign an autograph in person.

Who knew?

Gustafson later interjected to refuse Kerr a second bite of the cherry (in best Soup Nazi voice: 'No flag for you!'), in turn prompting the 34-year-old to suggest a more convenient alternative.

Her offer has yet to elicit a response.

Conor Nagle

*Update from Stephanie: Cristie would like to set the record straight. I was actually humbled that she tweeted me, but it doesn't sound like she actually read the post. Conor, who as you can see from the byline at the top and bottom (I know the one at the top is not clear and that's being adjusted by a programmer in the next few days, but the one at the bottom is in bold), actually did include many of the positives she tweeted. Sometimes it's hard to convey a message in 140 characters, but I think Cristie's tweet meant that she wants people to know she and Sophie are not in a fight.

I guess this means Cristie and I are in a fight now! Rawr! I can't keep track anymore. Oh, this whole silly 'misunderstanding' continues to get more and more amusing. 'SW

*Update 2: This post was published before Sophie's reply. All is forgiven. Sounds like they've kissed and made up. Hooray.

Audio: Wei goes (went) on Tap with Maginnes

I joined John Maginnes on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on Monday evening to chat about all things golf. I'm told it was basically like two friends having a conversation about the past week's news pegs or other random ramblings. In case you missed it, the show's producer offered to send me the audio file to post here. Cross-platforming!

Aside: I know this sounds silly, but I actually didn't realize so many people listened to PGA Tour Radio. Obviously, it makes sense since golf fans are driving home from work, they'd naturally tune in. Forgive me, but I live in NYC and I've only recently started to appreciate the wonders of SiriusXM radio in my weekly rental cars.

Before my spot, I was still speeding back to NYC from West Virginia (overnight pit stop in Baltimore) and I tuned in to listen to Golf Channel's Jerry Foltz talk with Maginnes, which I found very entertaining. Well, duh, right? They're probably two of my favorite people in the world of golf. (I know, I know, I should probably have my head checked!) The dynamic duo of Maginnes and Foltzy were a tough act to follow, so luckily, I wasn't sent that segment!

They talked mostly about the impending announcement that was released this morning that detailed the death of Q-school and the new pathway to the PGA Tour via the three-tournament series at the end of the year. Jerry is like Mr. Nationwide Web.com Tour and played on what was then the Hogan Tour and Maginnes bounced back-and-forth between what was then the Nike Tour (and subsequently the BUY.Com Tour) and the PGA Tour. So it was really interesting and informative to hear their perspective(s).

I'll stop blabbering, so you can listen to me yap. Here's the link: Stephanie Wei talking with John Maginnes on July 9th, 2012.

Consider yourself warned ' it might be 20 minutes of your life you'll never get back!

Was Paul Lawrie right to skip the US Open?

About Me

Hi! My name is Stephanie Wei. I grew up in Seattle. I live in Manhattan, NYC. I played competitive golf for ten years in the junior and college ranks. I went to Yale, where I played on the women's golf team and graduated in '05 with a B.A. in History.

I still enjoy hacking a small, white ball around the golf course. Oh, I'm feisty and I like to smile a lot.

I'm a freelance writer and reporter. I'm a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated Golf+, and I covered the majors for Wall Street Journal in 2010 and 2011Wall Street Journal. I'm also a senior editor at Back9Network

In the past I've contributed to Huffington Post and Mediaite. My work has been published herehere and at ESPN.com.

*****

GET WEI UNDER PAR NEWS

*Follow me on Facebook

*Follow me on Twitter

Email: steph.wei@gmail.com

*****

"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." -Arnold Palmer

LPGA star wars: Cristie strikes back!

Hold the finish... hold it....

Former US Open champion Cristie Kerr returned to Twitter yesterday afternoon to reject ' emphatically, repeatedly ' suggestions she is a callous, uncharitable prima donna.

The LPGA veteran was spurred into action by the mushrooming public relations fallout from 'Flag-gate' (I might be the only person calling it that), a controversy that originated on the Twitter feed of Swedish star Sophie Gustafson.

The Solheim Cup legend and GWAA award-winner publicly castigated Kerr on day two of last week's US Women's Open for refusing the opportunity to sign a flag she intended to donate to charity.

Kerr, who has been inundated with tweets from 'negative people' since the confrontation came to light, began by thanking her followers for their support'

Then, it got a bit Mean Girls'

Anxious to prove her charitable credentials, Kerr also retweeted a timely commendation from PGA professional Trace Gardiner. Apparently, it's considered classier to hand out signed photos of yourself ' like a matinee heroine from the golden age of cinema(?) ' than it is to sign an autograph in person.

Who knew?

Gustafson later interjected to refuse Kerr a second bite of the cherry (in best Soup Nazi voice: 'No flag for you!'), in turn prompting the 34-year-old to suggest a more convenient alternative.

Her offer has yet to elicit a response.

Conor Nagle