Last chance dance for American Ryder Cup hopefuls before The Decision

Surprise? Shock? Both?

Similar to last week at The Barclays, the first of four legs in the FedExCup playoffs, there's more than just a tournament to follow at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which includes the top-100 finishers in points ' there's the race for the top 70 to advance to the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick.

For all the pomp and money (and more) that's on the line, the atmosphere has certainly been relaxed. In fact, I can't remember the last time vibe felt this relaxed. May? April? I know it's early in the week and the tournament has started, and I expect tensions to mount as the week progresses, but so far, it's not exactly what you might expect for the pressure-packed PLAYOFFS.

For the top players, like Rory McIlroy and Jason Dufner (who is so stressed that he skipped The Barclays), there's almost zero pressure. It's the end of the year ' the majors are over and they're already locked into making it to the Tour Championship. For many of the others, they're just happy to be there. They've made enough money to secure their Tour card for the 2013 season. They're playing for massive purses every week and they have a shot to qualify for the Tour Championship ' which, if you can believe it, comes along with more than the chance to win the $10 million bonus.

For some guys, like Greg Chalmers and Brian Harman, their top-ten finishes at The Barclays earned them enough points to move up high enough that it'd be virtually impossible for them to drop outside of the top 70. And for a few, like Graham DeLaet, they're extra happy to be in the field.

'We're playing for $8 million and there are 100 players in the field,' said Robert Garrigus, who is 32nd in FEC points with $2.1 million in earnings already in 2012. 'It's pretty lax, if you ask me.'

Charles Howell III is ranked 68th in FEC points, so he's a bubble boy. He should feel the heat as much as anyone to advance, right? (I didn't have the list memorized, so I was almost surprised when he told me his standing after we'd been just chitchatting for at least five minutes about more important things than golf, like the RNC convention and the upcoming presidential election.) Naw. He said there's already enough pressure and stuff to think about that he doesn't see the point of adding more than any other given week.

Life is good.

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All that said, there are six or seven guys in the field who have another component that is impossible to ignore. This is the last chance to impress U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Davis Love III before The Decision ' where he announces his four wildcard picks on Tuesday morning, after the Deutsche Bank Championship's Monday finish (due to the long weekend, this event is traditionally held Friday-Monday).

When I prudently approached Hunter Mahan on Thursday afternoon to ask him about the added pressure and the anticipation, he was much more relaxed than I expected ' it was business as usual ' and he didn't waste time cracking a joke (phew).

'Yep, The Decision, it's like Lebron James, Part Two,' he quipped.

Mahan, who came just short of qualifying on points despite two wins this season, including the WGC-Accenture Match Play, is believed to be one of the seven leading candidates for the four remaining wildcard picks.

The other candidates in the conversation have been Brandt Snedeker, who won early in the season, leads the Tour is the Strokes Gained Putting stat and finished second last week; Steve Stricker, who is essentially a lock as Tiger's designated partner, and is a steady veteran and solid putter; Jim Furyk, who endured tough losses at the U.S. Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational but also a steady veteran that has been consistent all year; Rickie Fowler, who was a captain's pick in 2010 and secured his first PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow in May; Dustin Johnson, who won in Memphis in June and rallied to finish T3 at The Barclays, and Nick Watney, who had a forgettable season until he won last week.

Good news is Captain Love has plenty of options. Bad news is he has to pick four out of the seven (and gently let down three guys on Monday night).

For the most part, Love has kept his cards close to his chest. At his press conference at the PGA Championship, he basically said that Stricker would get the nod because there's a guy on the team that pairs well with him (Tiger). He's also given indication that he wanted to go straight off the points standings ' or as close as possible ' to avoid controversy, which is his M.O. If you know Davis, then you know he's not going to throw a curve ball. He'll likely go with the 'safe' and 'logical' choices, which favors Stricker (again) and Furyk.

There are 'politics' involved. He can't leave off the veterans, right? That's justifiable for a relatively 'young' and inexperienced American team.

Snedeker is a member of the 'Sea Island Mafia' and shares the same management team as Love. Usually, you'd expect that to help Brandt, but in this case it kind of works against Snedeker because Love favors the 'politically correct' move. He wouldn't want the slightest hint of favoritism to taint his decision and captaincy. Brandt's fine play at The Barclays helped his cause, but he'll need another top finish to earn a spot.

Earlier this week, one member of the U.S. team seemed utterly baffled by the idea that the best putter on Tour (Snedeker) was not a lock as one of the four picks already.

I know I emphasized the relaxed vibe at TPC Boston, but I'm also stressing there are exceptions, particularly when it comes to the American RC hopefuls. On Wednesday Dustin was grinding as hard as I've seen ' he definitely had his game face on.

'Of course I'm thinking about it because I want to make the team,' said Johnson after he finished tinkering with his 3-wood in the TaylorMade truck (he was making it heavier). 'I was talking to Davis last week and it's hard, but he said, 'Go play golf and have fun,' which is what I try to do every week, but you're still thinking about it.'

Johnson said the powers-that-be would take into account the fact he missed three months due to injury.

'I think I've already done (what I can) with not just (finishing T3) last week, but all year,' he said, when I asked what he needed to do to make an indisputable case for himself. 'A good, solid week here would help.'

Fowler has seemed less stressed than others in general, but that might just be his personality. He also pointed out to me that he'd been through a similar situation two years ago (when Corey Pavin picked him during Fowler's rookie season) and perhaps he was calmer because he knew what to expect. He also has youth on his side and doesn't have to worry about the number of chances he has running out.

'I definitely want to be deserving of a spot,' said Rickie on his way to the range after playing in the pro-am on Thursday. 'If I felt like I wasn't playing well enough or wasn't on top of my game, I'd tell Davis that, but I've been swinging well. Just had a couple of tough breaks last week (T24). It's just the way golf is, but I'm looking forward to playing well this week.

'I've had a lot of success on teams ' two Walker Cups (as an amateur). I obviously didn't win a bunch of points two years ago on the Ryder Cup, but I made some good putts when it counted.

'Making the team would be awesome, but if I don't, I'm looking at it, like it's not my last one. That makes it easier on me, being as young as I am. I don't have to think about my chances are running out. I'm going to have a lot of opportunities.'

Team chemistry is always important and Fowler is easy-going and gets along with everyone, but if he has one specialty, it might be his expertise when it comes to babysitting Bubba Watson, who qualified second in the points standings.

'I'm probably one of the best babysitters for Bubba,' joked Rickie. 'Well, Caleb (Bubba's six-month-year-old inafnt) is starting to babysit Bubba every once in a while. He's getting there. I'm only second to Angie in that category, but I'm making the top five for sure.'

Seriously speaking, Fowler considers himself a 'rover,' which could give Davis some flexibility in the pairings. At the 2010 Ryder Cup, there was a timing issue, where it sounded like someone couldn't play with someone or it wasn't an ideal situation. Fowler had played in a practice round with Furyk that week, but they hadn't actually played together like they would normally if they expected to be partners.

'Just the pairings ' the way we had to do something the night before ' Corey asked me if I was okay playing with Jim and I said, 'Sure, let's do it,' said Rickie. 'I feel like I can be thrown around a little, which might help my cause, but you never know what they're picking (based) on.'

Meanwhile, as I mentioned, I expected Mahan to be more tense than he was ' just because he hasn't had the best summer in the world (and I'm speculating, but it that might have had something to do with wanting to make the Ryder Cup so badly). Since finishing T8 at the AT&T National in July, Mahan placed T19 at the Open Championship and then has had several forgettable tournaments, including missed cuts at the PGA Championship and The Barclays.

Still, it's baffling that a guy who has won twice this year didn't make the team automatically.

'The way the points work, they're weighted so heavily for majors this year and last year,' said Mahan, 'so if you don't play well in the majors, it's going to be tough to make it.

Like the others, inevitably, it's been on his mind.

'It's hard not to think about it,' he said on his way to the range after lunch and the morning-pro-am on Thursday afternoon. 'I've been trying not to think about it, but I think I need to embrace it ' get excited about the fact that I still have an opportunity to make the team. That's what I'm trying to do.

'I don't want to spend energy trying to push it out of my head or not think about it and relax. It gives you an edge sometimes because you're playing for something other than your own score. You're trying to be a part of a team. I want to be a part of the team because it's so much fun and an honor to do it, but it's not going to ruin my year or change my life.'

Mahan acknowledged he hasn't had the results he'd hope for lately.

'I'm not scoring as well as I'd like to,' he said. It's frustrating. You start thinking too much and not enough about certain things. You have to take a step back and just get back to playing good golf and hitting some good shots and go from there.'

Easier said than done, of course.

(Photo via)

Notah and Tiger put the smackdown on the Asian Invasion

Notah and his little bro

Well, no ones cares about the atmosphere on Wednesday at the Deutsche Bank Championship and other interesting tidbits, aka gossip on the range. like the handful of Americans who have one last week to make a case and impress Team USA captain Davis Love III before he announces his four wildcard picks on Tuesday morning' right?

Okay, that's what I thought, but in case you do, the short version: pretty chill and most relaxed and friendly I've seen it in months, with the exception of the half-dozen guys who are freaking out about making the Ryder Cup.

We'll return to those minor details later. First, the important news that may impact your Fantasy Golf lineup or betting margin ' Notah Begay III and Tiger Woods won Notah's charity event, the NB3 Foundation Challenge at Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote Golf Club. The 12-player field was split in half, pitting the West squad vs. the East (the Asians) team. Notah and Tiger represented the West, along with PGA Tour players Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler and LPGA pros Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson.

Tiger and Notah pummeled Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi 9-7 in one of three stroke-play matches that were 'billed as an 'East Meets West' challenge.' The other pairings had Woodland and Kerr against Danny Lee and Se Ri Pak, and Fowler and Thompson playing against Charlie Wi and Yani Tseng.

Woodland and Kerr beat Lee and Pak 8-7, and Tseng and Wi tied Fowler and Thompson 7-7, giving the Americans a 2.5 to 0.5 team victory.

Takeaway: White people are still better than Asians at golf. At least when you involve the men.

The game story on Tiger and Notah's major triumph, via the AP:

Before they teed off, Begay turned to Woods and said: ''We want to win, right?'' Woods shrugged, then went out and birdied the opening hole, his short putt catching the lip of the cup and dropping softly to match Yang's birdie.

Yang sank a 4-foot birdie putt at No. 4 and his tip-in birdie at the par-5 fifth hole, a dogleg left, brought his team to 3 under, one shot ahead after Begay rolled in a 6-foot birdie putt seconds later.

Woods made a 33-foot putt for birdie at No. 7 to even the score between the two groups and Begay followed with a short birdie putt at No. 8 as he and Woods reached 4 under.

When Choi rolled in a downhill 12-foot putt that broke slightly right to left at No. 9, he and Yang were at 4 under and tied with Woods and Begay, Fowler and Thompson, Woodland and Kerr, and Danny Lee and Pak. Tseng and Wi birdied the 10th hole to reach 4 under and knot the competition all around.

Moments later, the match turned. Woods birdied No. 10 and Begay followed with birdie at 11 while their foes made bogey, giving the American duo a two-stroke lead they protected over the remaining holes.

''Everybody out there was playing hard,'' Begay said. ''We've got a bunch of competitors here, and we certainly knew Y.E. and K.J. weren't going to give up.

''Tiger's solution to that? I walked over to him after we both kind of made a mess of No. 12 ' and I said, 'These guys aren't going to give up.' He said, 'That's OK, we'll just keep making birdies.' He has a calmness about him, which is good to see.''

The fun exhibition was a light warm-up for an 'upbeat' Tiger, who is playing in the second playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, this week in the Boston area. The 14-time major champion reminded us to keep are expectations reasonable these days. After all, Tiger didn't even make the FedExCup playoffs last year. (Gasp!)

''Considering that this time of year I wasn't playing last year, it's been nice to play a full season,'' Woods said. ''I've been very consistent this year considering I hadn't won in a while. All of a sudden I've got three wins this year. I think that's a positive sign. I've been in contention in a few majors. I've been close. Just got to keep pecking away at it.

''People don't realize that because I sat out for so long last year, I didn't really do any of the work that I needed to do just to improve my game. ''I was just trying to get healthy. The swing changes that I've been trying to implement are finally to start to take shape. I think that's why this season has been so much more productive and why I haven't had the lows I had last year.''

Blah, blah, yeah, OK, but Tiger, if you're Davis, who would you pick? Hunter, Stricks, Furyk and Sneds? Hunter, Stricks, Furyk and DJ? Stricks, Sneds, DJ and then ask Ollie if he wants to drop Kaymer and play 11 vs. 11? Give us a peek at your hand! Tiger kept his cards close to his chest, (shock!) when asked for his opinion during his appearance on the Morning Drive. Don't blame him ' not his place to say at this point, but we have to at least ask.

 (AP Photo/ KevinRivoli)

Catching up: Sunday's big winners and European Ryder Cup Team named

Now that's what I call a reaction

First of all, apologies for making anyone worry about my absence the last few days. I had to deal with some more health issues and I'm still not 100%, but it's nothing too serious and I'll be fine. Thanks for the emails and tweets and I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend the final round of The Barclays at Bethpage Black (one of my favorite venues bar none).

Well, I heard the Tour watered the greens on Saturday, so the course was 'playable,' yet the Black is still one hell of a test. Congrats to Nick Watney on his victory at The Barclays, the first leg of the FedExCup playoffs. Watney, who previously had somewhat of a forgettable season for a player of his caliber, shot a two-under 69 to overcome a two-stroke deficit going into the final round and win by a three-shot margin over Brandt Snedeker.

Watney, who entered the week with only three top-tens and 30th on the American Ryder Cup points, was previously not in the conversation as a candidate for one of captain Davis Love III's four wildcard picks to round up Team USA, but his name is in the mix now. Another top finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship would make it tough to leave him off. I'm guessing he'd need to place inside the top three and he'd also need some help from other candidates (to play poorly).

'I'm thinking much more now than I was coming in, because you know, coming in here, I didn't deserve to be in the conversation, because I had not played my way in,' said Watney in his post-victory presser on Sunday. 'Someone told me that Davis said he wanted a hot player, and we still have a week to go, but like I said, I'd love to be on the team. But I'm not really concerned with it just because it's out of my control.'

From Love's most recent comments, it sounds like he take to select his captain's picks straight off the points list ' the players that finished Nos. 9-12 were Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler ' that closed at the conclusion of the PGA Championship. As Love basically said at the PGA Championship, Stricker is a lock because Tiger likes to play with him, and I don't expect that to change.

However, it'll be difficult for Davis to disregard guys who make a significant case for themselves with strong showings in the first two playoff events (and the last regular season event, the Wyndham Championship). Let's just say, I don't envy Love right now'

What if players were earning points up until Love announces his captain's picks on Tuesday, September 4th, following the second playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship? Well, hypothetically, as of today, Mahan would still be ranked in the 9th spot, with Snedeker moving up to 10th and Stricker falling back to 11th. Dustin Johnson, who finished T3 at The Barclays, would be in 12th.

Brandt Snedeker, who finished 13th in the points standings, also strengthened his case for a captain's pick.

'I'm pretty much on the process of trying to win every tournament I show up right now,' said Snedeker after posting a one-under 70 on Sunday. 'I think I'm playing the best I can. Not a big deal. I love doing this, I wouldn't want to be any place else, so that's not too much of an issue. Ryder Cup's definitely on my mind. But I'm not letting it affect the way I play. Try to win every golf tournament, try and press the gap, it gives me more motivation to do it, and if I do that, I know I will make the decision easy for them.

'Davis has an extremely difficult choice with a bunch of guys who did not play well enough over the last two years to be on the team. You can't go wrong with any of them. I think that it's certainly helped everybody play well this week.

But that being said, I think Nick is a candidate; he beat one of the best fields we've ever had out here and played fantastic golf. Davis has a very tough decision, because he's got a lot of good friends on the outside, and I think it can't hurt my chances, I know that. So I'm happy with that aspect, and I still want to win, I need to win to impress the captain.'

Dustin Johnson's length is always an advantage in four-balls. His three-month absence due to a back injury put him behind the eight-ball a bit with opportunities to earn points, but he did win in his second start back from his long layoff at the St. Jude Classic.

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Sergio Garcia was in the mix again obviously, but struggled on Sunday, posting a four-over 75. He still finished T3. Not too shabby.

As we know, Sergio is taking off the Deutsche Bank Championship to rest for the Ryder Cup.

Wayne Richardson, the CBS spotter who caddied for him last week, will remain on Sergio's bag for the other two playoff events.

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Post-win celebratory water spray

The biggest story of the week came on the LPGA. 15-year-old amateur Lydia Ko won the Canadian Women's Open, closing out in style with a five-under 67 to win by a three-shot margin. Yep, she not only became the youngest winner in LPGA history, breaking the age record set by Lexi Thompson last September, but she kicked everyone's butts.

After she won, she gave a two-hour press conference. Is this kid for real?

Via the AP:

'To break another record, or being in the history, it's amazing, and it's always awesome to be able to play with the pros,' Ko said. 'The last few holes, it got a bit nerve-racking, but Stacy Lewis, after my birdie on 15, she said, 'You know you can do it.' It was really great to have another player that I look up to giving me that much support. It was really awesome.'

'

The glove Ko wore in the final round will be displayed in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

'To have something that's mine to be up there, it's amazing, and it doesn't come down or anything,' Ko said. 'So it will always remain there, and it'll be a good memory.'

In January, Ko won the New South Wales Open in Australia at 14 to become the youngest player to win a professional tour event, a mark broken by 14-year-old Brooke Henderson in June in a 36-hole Canadian Women's Tour event in Quebec.

Ko said she didn't cry after her victory Sunday, but did two weeks ago after winning the U.S. Women's Amateur.

'To me, the U.S. Amateur is a big event, and obviously this is a huge event as well,' Ko said. 'But still, as an amateur, winning one of the biggest amateur events, I feel like it was a better win ' even though this one was awesome.'

Smart girl.

Ko says she will remain amateur, finish high school and then attend college, with Stanford being her top pick. Over/under she sticks to the plan? Who knows, but much respect to Ko, either way.

Look out for an edition of 'Know Your Asians' featuring Ko later this week.

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There's no crying in golf!

Tiger Woods shot his worst score of the year on Sunday at Bethpage Black with a five-over 76. After a rollercoaster front nine, he managed to make the turn at even par, but he then unraveled on the back, starting with a double-bogey on No. 12. He was unable to recover and posted a five-over 40 to close the tournament. He declined all media requests and drove off in a rush. Yikes.

European RC Captain man of mystery...

The European Ryder Cup team has now been finalized. The ten players who qualified automatically were: Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Francesco Molinari, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson and Martin Kaymer.

No surprise that Captain Jose Maria Olazabal selected pro-prima donna whiner Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium as his wildcard picks. Via the AP:

'It is true Nicolas is going to be the only rookie on the team but we do have an experienced team,' said Olazabal. 'Out of the 12 players, 11 have played Ryder Cup. They have proven they can handle that pressure. They have the experience so we do have a very solid team.

'He's had a very solid season and on top of that he has made the extra effort trying to make the team, and he really showed me that he wanted to be part of that team and that is the reason I chose him.'

Colsaerts was 12th in the European Ryder Cup table, two places outside of automatic qualification. His commitment to the team was evident when he played in the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina and then crossed the Atlantic to tee up in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last weekend in an attempt to secure qualification.

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Finally, Eugene Wong won the Canadian Open Tour Championship by one stroke with a walk-off eagle from the fairway of the 72nd hole. Now that's one way to do it'

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One last thing: I can't say what a privilege it was to return to Bethpage Black a little over three years after I first attended the U.S. Open in 2009 there. I had just started my blog shortly before the '09 U.S. Open, so it was symbolic and meaningful to cover an event as a credentialed member of the media. Hard to describe the emotions right now, but it's been three years of sacrifices and hard work'and it was satisfying to be able to step back for a second and appreciate the journey that's taken me from outside the ropes to sharing it with the rest of you from the inside.

It's humbling when people come to me for advice on how to get into the biz. Here it is in short: don't sleep and don't even think about a social life; dedicate the next couple of years of your life to working your butt off and don't stop to think ' just do it.

(Getty Images/Scott Halleran; AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck; Getty Images/Andrew Redington)

How Paddy and Ollie parted ways

Frosty: Harrington and Olazabal in the immediate aftermath of their Seve Trophy debacle.

When Padraig Harrington shot 64 to seize the lead at Bethpage on Thursday, his performance was immediately cast in light of his ongoing struggle to secure a place on Jose Maria Olazabal's Ryder Cup team roster.

The Spaniard has, over the previous two months, made it explicitly clear that Harrington needs to produce something 'spectacular' to secure a coveted captain's pick ahead of Martin Kaymer, Nicolas Colsaerts and a host of less illustrious European rivals.

Though far from inexplicable ' the Dubliner, after all, has failed to produce at three successive Ryder Cups ' Olazabal's intransigence on the issue has been underpinned throughout by an unpleasant note of satisfaction, even smugness. Schadenfreude is writ large.

Where others have enjoyed words of encouragement, Harrington has received only grim reiterations of his numerous long-term failings and cursory dismissals of his most recent achievements, among which can be listed highly competitive showings at both the Masters and US Open.

It's an attitude that has, predictably, only served to compromise Harrington's usually robust mental equilibrium. His public pronouncements have grown strained and feverish (witness Thursday evening's press conference transcript), his on-course exploits ever more scattershot and mercurial.

He is, it appears, in the process of succumbing to PR water torture, a slow drip-drip of discouragement from on high.

But how did this rift, between two of the continent's most dignified elder statesmen, come to form?

For that, we need to cast our minds back to 2003' *cue dreamlike music and water effects*

' when Harrington and Olazabal contested a crucial Sunday singles match at the Seve Tropyhy in El Saler, Spain.

While surveying the line of a relatively short putt on the third green, the Spaniard pointed to a couple of blemishes he believed to be pitch marks. Harrington claimed to be less sure, however, and set about calling for the match referee to make a determination.

Before an official could arrive on the scene, however, Olazabal leant over, fork in hand, and set about repairing the indentations.

It's at this point that Harrington, drawing on his deep reserves of sarcasm (it's an Irish thing), is said to have remarked:

'Doing a bit of gardening down there, are we?'

Olazabal, whose professional career has revealed him to be nothing if not a proud and scrupulous competitor, took immediate offence. He opted to concede the hole rather than allow, as he saw it, his character to be called into question.

Harrington attempted to remonstrate, but to no avail.

The pair played the following 15 holes in a silence only broken when the Irishman converted a four-foot putt to rescue a half-point on the final green. Enough, incidentally, to ensure GB&I retained the trophy for another two years.

A further 15 minutes of debate, explanation, abortive apology and frustration yielded only deadlock.

The incident was then complicated by the intervention of Sergio Garcia (naturally), who set upon Harrington as he loitered with teammates in the vicinity of the club's practice green, shouting loud and sarcastic congratulations.

Harrington later explained the situation to reporters:

'It's not worth losing a friend over, but we had 15 very awkward holes. I was not trying to question his integrity but that's what he thought and I can 100% see his side.

'I certainly won't be celebrating tonight and it's not the way I would have liked to get a half.'

(Though an amalgam of several accounts, the above is best read as a complement to this radio interview with Des Smyth and Karl McGinty, then a GB&I vice-captain. Action begins just after the 40-minute mark.)

UPDATE: Brian Keogh, of Irish Golf Desk, has some interesting Ollie quotage this morning:

'If people believe that is interfering with my jugement, first of all they are completely wrong. If that was the case, I would be failing as a captain. So that is a lot of B.S. That's putting it gently.'

Conor Nagle

Tiger's back in pain, Sergio (co)leads, all is firm at Bethpage Black

That, folks, is what it looks like when you try to play golf with serious lower back pain

Tiger Woods walked with a limp and grimaced in pain (as seen above), but he managed to play through it ' and very well ' and shot an excellent two-under 69 on Friday afternoon at Bethpage Black. The golf course showed its real face in the second round of The Barclays and conditions were firm and fast (almost major-like with shades of the '09 U.S. Open).

Coincidentally enough, while Tiger's back was ailing him, I wasn't at Bethpage because I spent the day at the doctor's office getting treatment for my crappy back condition, so that ' no joke ' I could walk without a limp. I feel your pain, Tiger! I really do. I recommend muscle trigger therapy. I can refer you to my doc in the city.

Well, just let me know, Tig!

So what in the world was wrong with Tiger's back, anyway? How did he hurt it?

Q. First of all, is it knee, back?
TIGER WOODS:  It's lower back.

Q.  When did it happen?
TIGER WOODS:  This morning.  Must have slept funny on it.  Soft beds at the hotel, and woke up this morning with it stiff.  You know, as I warmed up, it got progressively worse, and then you saw what happened on the golf course.

Q.  Was it during your warmup or
TIGER WOODS:  No, it hurt all day.  It hurt all day.

Q.  How do you explain that you played well, and it looked like the hardest part of your day was getting the ball out of the hole.
TIGER WOODS:  Well, it was like a section of movement, so it didn't hurt standing up, it didn't hurt at the bottom of a squat, but it was the somewhere in between there it was going to catch.  You know, it would grab just before impact, so you'd kind of expect it, so I could get through that.  I've been through that kind of stuff before, so I know what it feels like.

Q.  Do you remind yourself of '08 at Torrey, that you know how to play like this?
TIGER WOODS:  Well, there's a difference between being in pain and injured.  This is just a little bit of pain.  That was an injury.

That's actually a very good point and if you don't get it, then you've never been both injured and/or in pain.

Q.  Do you feel like this is your new normal, that you're never going to have a stretch where you can get through six months or a whole year feeling 100 percent?
TIGER WOODS:  Well, geez, that's been the case since my first surgery in '94.

Q.  This isn't part of the
TIGER WOODS:  I've been dealing with this stuff since I was 18.  I had my first cut at Stanford in '94.

Q.  Does it get harder as you get older?
TIGER WOODS:  Well, it's harder to recover, there's no doubt.  There's no doubt.  But I'm infinitely stronger than I used to be and just as flexible as I used to be, which is very good.

Q.  Do you have any concern that you won't be able to get this taken care of?
TIGER WOODS:  No, I'm going to go there right now.  They're good at what they do, and I'll be ready by tomorrow.

Q.  Did the swing feel as good as it looked?
TIGER WOODS:  That's about all I've got.  I can't hit it any harder than that.  No, it didn't feel very good, but I got it around, and just because the swing didn't feel very good doesn't mean I can't make every putt.  I went out there with that kind of mindset and just buried a bunch of putts.

Again I empathize with Tiger. It's a pain to talk about pain and injuries. I wasn't going to share my whereabouts today, but it was kind of funny in a way with Tiger's back and all.

Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia continues his fine play, firing 66-68, eight-under total, to share the 36-hole lead with Nick Watney.

Oh man, I just realized I hadn't officially congratulated Sergio on WUP because Augusta National hijacked his glory on Monday. So, congrats on winning the Wyndham and making the European Ryder Cup team!

Here are some excerpts from Sergio's presser after Friday's round that I found interesting and informative:

Q.  What is it you're doing better?
SERGIO GARCIA:  It's a bit of everything.  Obviously we know how much confidence helps in this game.  But it's feeling better out there, feeling more comfortable with what I'm doing, being able to more or less do the right things.  Obviously getting a few breaks my way obviously helps.  But overall I think if you add all those things up, it helps.

Q.  Do you think walking off yardages yourself is giving you a more informed, comfortable preparation for golf right now?
SERGIO GARCIA:  I don't think so.  The only good thing that I have about this is that I'm making my decisions, good and bad.  So am I more aware, no.  When I have a professional caddie, obviously he tells me everything that I should know.  Am I more committed to pretty much all my shots?  Yes.  And when I didn't do it today, it showed up on the 3rd hole.  It's a hole that I don't feel very comfortable on it, and it shows up.
But other than that, you don't have to read more into it.

Q.  How much of a coincidence is it that your best play this year certainly has come with you sort of managing your game as opposed to having that other person?
SERGIO GARCIA:  Well, I don't know.  Golf is a funny game.  When you think that you have it under control, it kicks you down, and then all of a sudden it gives you something to love it again, I guess.

It's funny, that's the way it goes.  Like I said, the good thing about this is that I feel like I'm more committed to some of the things I'm doing.  Obviously if I'm not hitting the shots, then it doesn't help.  But at least if my commitment is better  you know, sometimes I think my mistake is that sometimes I seem to trust more what I hear than what I feel.  We all know how much of a feel player I am, and I should kind of trust those feelings a bit more.  These couple of weeks, they're kind of helping me do that, kind of go with what I feel and just try to trust my own feelings a little bit more than sometimes if somebody tells me to do one thing and I just do it for lack of confidence in myself.

Q.  Is playing with instincts and making decisions, does it take you a little bit back to when you were a junior player even?
SERGIO GARCIA:  It does feel funny.  I was talking to Adam yesterday when I was doing all my yardages and stuff.  It does feel like you're kind of back to your amateur days when you were doing all the things and kind of stepping out all the yardages and all those things.  It is kind of funny.
But sometimes it's good to go back to the beginning and get a little feel for what you used to do.

 

Back to the basics. I like that he's trusting his instincts. He's always struck me as a feel player. A happy Sergio playing good golf is a really fun combination. And I have a feeling it's going to be a dramatic and compelling weekend at Bethpage, especially with the course playing so firm and fast.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: Sergio said after his round that he wasn't playing the Deutsche Bank Championship next week.

(Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox)

Rory, Tiger and Zach put on a solid show, but Bethpage Black stole the spotlight

The new BFFs

Since this was meant to be published yesterday, I'll keep this concise and try to add to what you've already read and know. I was posting a bunch of my real-time opinions and analysis on Twitter. You know, like Tiger stepping out of the Port O' Potty and not receiving a standing ovation like he did in 2002 for the same movement ' the important details.

'I got a few claps, though,' Woods quipped after posting a scrappy three-under 68.

I was impressed with the crowds that made it out to Bethpage Black by 8:19am, and the 10th tee, no less. If you're not familiar with the layout, the 10th is about a mile away from the clubhouse. It's an understatement to call it a hike. Actually, walking the course literally feels like a hike. By the time the group reached No. 15, the crowds were almost comparable to the U.S. Open galleries. Then we reached the 17th, which has a stadium-like feel to it with the grandstands and boxes surrounding the green. It was packed.

I turned to Golf Digest's Ashley Mayo, whom I had the pleasure of walking with in the first round, and said, 'It's Thursday before 11am. Apparently unemployment really is at an all-time high.' I'd forgotten that August is a light work month in NYC. It feels like everyone ' by that, I mean, all the rich and fabulous ' are out of town and sunning themselves in the Hamptons or Nantucket or Fisher's Island, to name a few popular spots.

The atmosphere had already started to shift into the New-York gear as early as the par-3 14th, where there was a 10-15 minute back-up on the tee. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed the crowds at Bethpage in 2009.

A fan standing behind the tee remarked loudly, 'Keegan Bradley needs to speed it up. He wouldn't be allowed to play Bethpage (at this pace). He'd be thrown off. Phil (Mickelson) passed thru 20 minutes ago.

'This is slower than a (typical) Saturday.'

A kid who appeared to be his son kept nudging him to quiet down. No, keep it coming. There's nothing like the locals commenting on slow play. Clearly they won't put up with it. More fans need to speak up about the slow-play problem on Tour.

Moving on.

I was amazed at how much The Barclays at Bethpage Black reminded me of the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black (except for me, three years later, I have a better seat now). It was eerily similar. I mean, yesterday did not feel like the first round of any other Barclays I've attended ' this year is my fourth.

As I walked down the first fairway with a couple other scribes, we all sort of simultaneously commented on how crazy it was that this was the first round of The Barclays and how the atmosphere and buzz oddly reminded us of the 2009 U.S. Open (without the mud and rain). To even utter the tournaments in the same sentence seems like a slight to the U.S. Open, but it's really not ' it's a compliment to Bethpage as an incredible venue, which produces a major-like feel.

I already felt that vibe as I was taking a cart shuttle out to the 10th tee before 8 in the morning. Just watching the flock of people make their way toward the same direction was very cool. I knew the marquee pairing would attract crowds, but I clearly underestimated NY fans and the draw of Bethpage.

The course is an amazing stage and the grandeur brings more excitement to the tournament. I was here in 2009 as a fan (and had started this site just two or three months earlier'which is kind of crazy when I stop for a moment to reflect and realize what an incredible journey it's been) and I braved the mud and rain every day, and despite the weather problems, the greatness factor was still there. I'm not explaining it very well right now, but let's just say, Congressional doesn't conjure the same feelings (no offense).

What made it even more fun to watch was the setup. I'm glad the Tour didn't decided to try and go all U.S. Open-style. Well, they wouldn't have done that because they want people to see birdies. The course is still a beast, though. Of the threesome, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson and Tiger, Rory was clearly the longest driver, which gave him a massive advantage on the back nine (he teed off no. 10).

Rory came out bombing drives and attacking pins. He also was missing good looks for birdie. Funny thing was the first putt he made on No. 13 ' a downhill 30-footer ' was the longest attempt he had in four holes. He threw darts at the first few pins, which are considered tough because they're so brutally long. But again, he couldn't convert the putts for birdie. He made the turn at three-under, but he easily could have been six-under. He was playing much better than he was scoring.

Meanwhile, Zach was keeping up with the big boys'score-wise. The discrepancy between Rory's and Zach's drives were absurd. I mean, I'd guess Rory hit it 60-70 yards longer on some holes. Zach deserves more credit than he gets for minding his own game and shooting three-under 68 in the opening round. On the first nine he was playing better than he was scoring, as well, but it seemed like it was because of the distance disadvantage more than anything. Okay, his putting stroke was a little shaky the first few holes and he missed a few from the 8-10 feet range, which is usually his bread and butter. Zach was attacking all day, though, because well, he had to in order to score. His boring golf wasn't so boring on Thursday.

Tiger certainly opened the round playing Bethpage like it was the U.S. Open. I'm not sure if it was out of habit or what, but it was bizarre to see him reel back and hit 3-wood off Nos 11 and 12. He was playing extremely conservative, which was weird. It was like he had a game plan plotted out, but it was the one he usually uses at the U.S. Open when it's held at Bethpage and forgot this was The Barclays, initially. After he dropped a 15-footer for birdie on 14, he seemed to come back to his senses and then started playing more aggressively.

'Yeah, it was good,' said McIlroy when asked to assess Tiger's round. 'He didn't start off great, but he sort of weathered the storm a bit, and he got to 3-under without any bogeys, and bogeyed 6, but came back and birdied 7.  He got his way around the golf course like a true pro, even if he hadn't got his best game with him.  He still got it around, which was good.'

That was my take. On the other hand, Rory left a few out there. He took one more stroke than Zach and Tiger, but certainly played the best ' rather his ballstriking was superior.

Ready for round 2? Definitely. I'm also expecting thirsty fans and U.S. Open-size galleries this afternoon. If it's anything near as fun as it was yesterday (until the incident on No. 5), then it'll be a blast. Wait, what am I talking about? ' we're just getting started.

(AP Photos/Henny Ray Abrams)

Popcorn time: Tiger vs. Rory at the Black

Tiger and Rory, sitting in a tree...

Rory and Tiger. Tiger and Rory. The past and the future are playing together in the first two rounds of The Barclays, at Bethpage Black, no less.

Sit back, kick your feet up and get ready to watch some fun ' and hopefully great ' golf. And no, it won't be awkward.

Sorry folks, but the dynamic between Tiger and Rory is more like a bromance than a rivalry.

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods actually like each other. Like, a lot. They share a mutual respect for each other. They have some sort of bond and that's a good thing.

It's almost strange to watch them interact. Or rather Tiger show such genuine fondness for his 'replacement' as the golf's golden boy or the new king on the block or whatever people are calling this changing of the guard.

I didn't realize they were so chummy until the PGA Championship when the two were giggling and hanging out like old buddies on the driving range at Kiawah Island after the first round. Tiger was even checking out Rory's clubs, pulling them out of the bag to see what the kid was hitting, and he was also watching Rory swing. They mini-hang-out sesh lasted for a good 15 minutes.

Tiger and Rory hanging out at Kiawah, photo taken by Ewan Murray

Jaw were dropping left and right as members of the media observed from a short-distance away. I mean, Tiger went out of his way to stop and watch Rory swing and chat ' you know, like a regular human being. This doesn't usually happen in public, where there are cameras and hundreds of people watching.

Tiger isn't as 'unfriendly' as people think, but he's also not a social butterfly, per se. He's actually a lot more friendly to his peers than it seems, but it's rare to see him act so buddy-buddy with a foe. Maybe at the start of the week, but hardly ever once the tournament has begun (besides Arjun Atwal, his designated practice round companion and good friend).

He doesn't bad-mouth his competitors (publicly). In fact, he's more polite than several other big-named players. When asked about his fellow golfers, he usually provides a politically-correct compliment, but it's hard to tell if he really means it. However, you can easily tell (at least in my opinion) when he's being genuine. (Exhibit A: He's often brought up Ryo Ishikawa and raved about the kid's game without being prompted.)

'Well, it's going to be fun for both of us,' said Tiger Woods on Wednesday in his presser when asked about his pairing for the following two days. 'I enjoy playing with Rory, and I hope he feels the same way about being in the same group as me.

'I got a chance this year to play with him at Abu Dhabi in a practice round there, and we really hit it off. He's a great kid and it's great to be around him. What an amazing talent he really is.'

Rory echoed Tiger's sentiments: 'I'm looking forward to (playing with Tiger). I really enjoy his company. I know we'll have a good time out there. It really focuses you from the get-go, a pairing like that.'

This will be the first time the two are paired together in competition. Hard to believe, huh?

Tiger isn't easily wowed, but he likes Rory because he respects the kid's game. Rory grew up with Tiger as his boyhood hero. Interestingly enough, Tiger is partly to thank for giving the golf world Rory and the other amazing young talents.

Part of Rory's charm and appeal is he's the antithesis of Tiger. Their demeanor on- and-off-the course are polar opposite. But they have one thing in common for certain, which is what united them in a way: Their incredible talent that sets them aside from their peers. It's too early to say what Rory's effect on the game will be and where he'll fit in history. Tiger's is still in the works, but it's established.

Oh, wouldn't it be more juicy and fun if the greatest player of this era and possibly the greatest player of the new era hated each other? Naw, it's better this way.

McIlroy continued: 'You know, I'm looking forward to it. I really enjoy his company. I know we'll have a good time out there. I'm keeping him waiting here, so I'll stop talking about him.'

Tiger had arrived, and indeed, had to wait for Rory to finish his turn at the podium. He didn't appear to mind.

Next question. A reporter started asking about the Ryder Cup. 'I know the Ryder Cup is a ways away, but how..'

Rory didn't miss a beat, 'Yeah, I'd love to go out there,' he said. 'I'd love Tiger to go out first and kick his ass (laughter).'

See what he did there? Only 23 years old. Are you taking notes, Tiger? Ah, never mind.

As much as everyone wants a rivalry, sorry, folks, move along.

'I've always said, the players don't build up rivalries themselves, people from the outside build up the rivalries. I just want to play good golf. I want to try and keep winning golf tournaments. You know, that's all I can really concentrate on, just concentrate on myself.'

Tiger is 13-plus years older than young Rory, and it appears as if he's passing along the torch to the 23-year-old two-time major champ from Northern Ireland.

'I was always the youngest against when I played against Vijay, Phil and Ernie, Goose,' said Tiger when asked what separated Rory for his former foes. 'We went at it for just over a decade. I was always the youngest one out of that group.

'Rory is considerably younger than I am, but this is another generation. Those guys I just mentioned are all in their 40s, and this is the next generation of guys that are coming up, and Rory is one of them who's in his 20s.'

There you have it. This confirms the changing of the guard in golf. Tiger is SO 2000s.

Welcome to the 2010s and perhaps beyond.

So what separates Rory from the pack? Does he remind Tiger of himself?

'I won a couple about the same age as he did, and we've seen it before with Rory, once he gets it going, he gets it going. There are a few guys out here on Tour, the guys that I've actually growing up playing against, that once they get rolling, they get rolling,' said Tiger. 'Calc is within of them, Johnny Ray was another one. These guys could just go ungodly low. And I think Rory has that ability, once he gets rolling, he just makes birdie after birdie after birdie. Not afraid to keep trying to push it, to try to shoot lower scores. Some guys have a little governor on them and they'll back off, but there are a few players that just don't have that.'

No fear.

Added Tiger: 'I just hope that everyone just lets him grow and develop as a player because it's going to be fun to see over the next 20 years how this kid's career is going to pan out.'

//and if he beats my majors record

Rory is the best player in the world, according to the Official World Golf Rankings. However, we know they're flawed, but so far, they seem to be the best system to track performance empirically in a subjective sport where there's no longer one dominant player. As silly as it may be sometimes, we need some sort of 'objective' way to rank players.

As Rory points out, it's hard to say pinpoint just one 'best' player in the world. It's subjective, to an extent, But there's an edge that sets apart those who have the 'IT' factor and the rest of the pack.

'The thing about the best players in the world and maybe the people that are slightly under, they're just able to get it done,' said McIlroy. 'I don't know if it's just because they're a little better under pressure, they're able to handle the situation better. That's something that I learned a lot at Augusta last year when I didn't finish off the tournament so well. It's something I had to learn how to do, and I feel like I'm most of the way there on that.

'I think there's a few guys, I mean, Tiger has won more than anyone else this year, winning three times. I've won a couple of times, including a major. Luke has been very consistent again. It's hard for me to sit up here and say that I'm the best player in the world or Tiger is. Sure, I feel like I'm the best and Tiger feels like he's the best. It's really a hard one for me to come up here and say. Tiger has been the best player in the world for the last 15 years. Just that people that are mentioning my name with the likes of him is a huge compliment.'

The former best player in the world and the current best player in the world will tee it up at Bethpage Black at 8:16am on Thursday. Goodie for us.

Now just because Tiger enjoys playing with Rory doesn't mean he isn't going to be trying to kick his ass.

When asked if he was ready to have his butt kicked by Rory at Medinah in next month's Ryder Cup matches, Tiger, smiling, said, 'At Medinah? No.'

'I feel every time I've played with Tiger, he's sort of brought the best out of me,' said Rory. I really feel focused and obviously want to play well.'

I have a feeling Tiger will be more chatty on Thursday and Friday than his former foes, like say, Phil.

Well, this sounds like it's going to be fun for everybody. Probably even for Zach Johnson, the third player in the group.

Videos: Interviewing Zach and Rosey on the range at The Open

I'm not sure what exactly I was trying to find on YouTube, in the process, I came across the below interviews from the Open Championship, where I worked as a presenter for @The Open Live, the official behind-the-scenes online broadcast of the championship.

I started with the one I liked better (not the player, silly), which was Zach Johnson, fresh off his second victory on the PGA Tour in 2012 at the John Deere Classic.

When I saw Zach on Monday'probably not long after he had gotten off the plane from Quad Cities, I asked if he'd do the interview, but he was busy, apologized, and said he'd do it later in the week. Cool, no big deal.

When I needed to find a player to interview on Wednesday morning at Royal Lytham, I saw Zach at the other end of the range and as he saw me appraoching he said, 'Oh yeah, I owe you!'

For what? Being busy on Monday when I initially asked? Sounds good to me.

I wanted to hug Zach. I mean, how many of the top-ranked players would say and do that? Probably a handful (including Stewart Cink). Plus, the timing was perfect because we were going live in five minutes and I needed to find someone to interview for the spot.

Here's my chat with Zach, just a few days after he had won his second Tour victory of 2012, the John Deere Classic, in dramatic fashion (also for the second time of the season).

Secondly, here's the second or third interview I did on-camera at the start of the week. Justin Rose didn't have a most ideal week and and missed the cut at Lytham.

Talking Augusta National and golf's women issue on CNN International

I usually like to wait until after the spot is over before I tell people that I'll be on TV (at least these days), but for some reason, I felt inclined to post. Maybe it'll make me perform better for you all since as you know, I've been feeling extra feisty the past few days (and it's almost drained, but I can muster up one last boost).

OK, here are the details: I'll be on CNN International's World Sport talking with Amanda Davies on'what else ' yes, Augusta National opening its doors to its first women members. I'm told I'll be on-air around noon (12:18 to be, exact).

Catch me if you can. Crap, what am I going to wear?!

Update: It doesn't really hit you that you're appearing live on CNN for the first time ' something that you may or may not have dreamed of as a kid or last year ' until about a second before you go LIVE. Then there's NO TURNING BACK. Which is fine, until you realize you forgot to ask which camera to look at. I was in a satellite studio being interviewed  by Amanda, who was in London.

Great experience and appreciate the fine people from CNN for calling me up. Oh, I should actually thank the reader who works for CNN in London that suggested me. Yeah, I know, they must have really had to dig deep and everyone was booked, so they had to get creative, which was good news for me!

Right after the segment, I wish I had another one following it because I'm never happy with my performance the first time out the gate in a new environment, which is obviously something you become comfortable with reps and experience. I had so much to say and didn't spit out the right words and the message I wanted to get across, but c'est la vie. I'm starting to see some improvement and getting a hang of the TV thing even if it's not translating 100% yet.

Remember: PROCESS.

Sorry for the caps, I was typing to myself. I am dying for more opportunities this week since surprisingly the CNN spot gave me some confidence despite its imperfections. Maybe it's because I figured out more of the stuff I'm doing wrong and how to better prepare, etc. In other words: relax and stop over-thinking!

Embarrassing, but I'll share My friend Lock's reaction, which was priceless: 'You look fantastic!'

So, hit the mute button, guys.

Thanks, Mom, for videoing the TV. (I think she's actually finally proud of me.)

What do I have to do to get on the show again? I know I'll nail the next spot. Well, hopefully. I'd love to do a show all afternoon. For me, I've learned it's just about getting on a roll. It made me feel better to hear today from Jerry Foltz that he actually gets nervous every time he goes on-air! He says if you're not, then something's wrong ' it's like hitting the first tee shot at a golf tournament. Good analogy.

As another wise man once said to me, patience, young grasshopper.

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, FIle)

CNN World Sport Appearance (against my better judgment') at 12pm ET

I usually like to wait until after the spot is over before I tell people that I'll be on TV (at least these days), but for some reason, I felt inclined to post. Maybe it'll make me perform better for you all since as you know, I've been feeling extra feisty the past few days (and it's almost drained, but I can muster up one last boost).

OK, here are the details: I'll be on CNN International's World Sport talking with Amanda Davis on'what else ' yes, Augusta National opening its doors to women. I'm told I'll be on-air around noon.

Catch me if you can. Crap, what am I going to wear?!

It's about time: Congrats, Augusta'?

Chairman Payne: Women at last!

Finally'perhaps the understatement of the century (pick one), but Augusta National Golf Club has done away with its sexist Membership policy and accepted not just one woman, but two!

It's about time.

On Monday Chairman Billy Payne, who to my understanding deserves much of the credit for pushing it through, announced the club has admitted not just one, but two women members to the uber-exclusive old boy's club. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ' whom many predicted would be the one tapped when the time came ' and business executive Darla Moore will be the first female members of the club, according to the AP's Doug Ferguson.

After the rather compelling soap opera that unfolded in April and the growing scrutiny ANGC received from politicians and the public for their outdated practices,  it seemed inevitable Monday's announcement was imminent. There was a hostile sentiment in Payne's annual press conference the Wednesday of Masters week, and it didn't seem like real life at times, since The State of The Masters turned into a farce with Payne as the jester.

With Augusta becoming the butt of jokes on Twitter even among politicians'even though we know the club doesn't put up with outside pressures strong-arming them. Augusta does things on their own time and stealthily. Which is why we whispered that we'd probably learn of a woman member six or so months down the line. We assumed it'd be IBM CEO Ginny Rometty since it's tradition that the new CEO of one of Augusta's three sponsors receives a Green Jacket for his/her accomplishment. Ginny rising to her position gave Augusta a way out of its whole unpleasant sexist policy, but the club didn't bite.

However, about five months after this season's Masters'on their own timetable'Payne and ANGC just about blindsided everyone with this groundbreaking, heroic announcement. Women, at last!

When the news hit the wires on Monday, I was startled only because it was going to overshadow poor Sergio Garcia's excellent victory. And Augusta National admitting women is a story that transcends the golfing world. Others looking in find the whole ting farcical, which is exactly what it is. When I ask the average person their thoughts on Augusta's membership policy or such, I usually get one of those, 'Are you serious?' looks, as in 'This is actually an issue in this day and age and a massive controversy.' Color them not impressed with golf and it only strengthens the negative stereotypes that the game has long been synonymous with.

It wasn't a major surprise the announcement came at a somewhat random time, say the end of August. After all, ANGC does things on its own time and 'all issues of Membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the Members.'

'This is a joyous occasion as we enthusiastically welcome Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as members of Augusta National Golf Club,' said Payne in a statement sent to the media via email shortly after the news originally broke. 'We are fortunate to consider many qualified candidates for membership at Augusta National. Consideration with regard to any candidate is deliberate, held in strict confidence and always takes place over an extended period of time. The process for Condoleezza and Darla was no different.

'These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their Green Jackets when the Club opens this fall.

'This is a significant and positive time in our Club's history and, on behalf of our membership, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome them and all of our new members into the Augusta National family.'

Yes, it was quite a significant day, but why did it take so long? It's a positive that in the club's 80-year history, the gender barrier had been broken. Yee-haw. Break out the cigars and scotch.

Augusta and Payne do deserve to be congratulated ' for entering the 20th century! Okay, fine, the 21st! ' the 1960s. Better late than never, right? Um, sure. Well, golf claps on taking a step in the right direction.

Doing the right thing was long overdue, and I'm glad the club finally took the first step with this symbolic gesture. But there is still a long way to go in terms of breaking down golf's exclusionary and elitist reputation. Hopefully this will have a meaningful impact on the game, but I still think it's going to take years. (Which is what I said in our impromptu session of PGA Tour Confidential.)

Girls and women of any age aren't suddenly going to say, 'Hey, I heard Augusta now allows women members, I want to play golf!' Newsflash: Women who don't golf or come from a golfing family don't care and many don't even know what or where Augusta National is or that until Monday the club was all-male. (I just did a quick impromptu poll amongst my friends, but will try a larger sampling later'the general response is, oh that's where some big tournament or whatever is, right?

So, why didn't I feel overjoyed about the 'joyous occasion'? Why wasn't I doing cartwheels across my living room? Was something wrong with me? I felt'blah and a little miffed.

First of all,  I find it preposterous to describe something that should have happened 40-50 years ago with so much praise. Sure, I'm happy about its no longer all-male, but the rhetoric didn't sit well with me'personally, it sounds like he's likening this occasion of admitting women to the civil rights movements. What's so 'joyous' exactly? What are we celebrating? OK, good job'you were strong-armed into letting in two women. Rah-rah. It's 2012.

I loosely monitored the hoopla on my social media channels. I had to take a step back from the pom-poms and celebration (with the exception of a few rational-minded folks, like Michelle Beadle) that dominated my Twitter feed.

Two hours later, people were still giving each other proverbial high-fives and congratulating Augusta National via Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, blogs and columns, etc.

Really Really. For what? The old boy's club opened their doors to two women into the exclusive membership. It merely ook eighty years for to rid of their sexist policy. Again, progress!

Look, as I've said in other posts, I don't care about all-male private clubs when it comes to Pine Valley or Butler or Burning Tree ' those are all-male clubs that are, in fact, private. (Oh, please spare me the all-female club arguments. Curves! Um, last I checked Curves didn't influence policy on how all people worked out.)

Augusta is only private by name and is in a league of its own. It holds a very public role in the international golfing world. ANGC has a vote in the World Ranking, which 'affects the career of every pro golfer, and any tweaks to the formula can have a profound effect on a player's fortunes.' Then, there's their involvement in programs like The First Tee, which 'impacts the lives of millions of kids, and Augusta National's Jim Armstrong sets policy on their experience as a member of the The First Tee's board of directors.'

Kudos to Payne and ANGC for (finally) doing the right thing. But then I got a little feisty (more so than usual): This all just reminded me (for the 5,683th time) of how far behind the golf world is and how much progress needs to happen still. I see ANGC acting as the guardian of all things golf ' it's like the mecca ' and their exclusionary and close-minded policies haven't given the game the best image or reputation, per se.

Maybe this is unfair, because, as you know, Augusta National is a private club that just happens to hold a very famous golf tournament. Geez, it's not their fault! OK, then don't hold the Masters at all. Or since it's an Invitational and it's a 'private' club, stage the tournament and close the doors to 'patrons' and the media. Make it a private event instead of opening the doors to the public, profiting from the public and the networks for the TV rights.

Augusta National should have been better than its shameful history of exclusion and discrimination. It should have set a better example.

Crazy talk!

Due to my own personal experiences working in the golf industry in the past three years, I've grown skeptical (yet somehow still optimistic and enthusiastic for the most part 'I almost feel like a Golden Retriever sometimes) to a world that is still far behind in eliminating the prejudiced culture'whether it be ageism, sexism or racism.

Call me naive'and I'll plead no contest (fine, guilty). I'm also young, but I've lived about eight lives in 29 years. I don't even know how I've managed to fit it all in. Of course, I've got a lot to learn still. And I am, every day.

What I've seen and experienced makes me a little sad, only because it's shown me an intriguing yet unflattering reflection of a part of society that is far less evolved than we'd like to think.

I guess I'm hopeful that this massive first step Augusta finally took will be the start of actual progress. There's a lot of catching up to do.

*****

I will clarify and clean up what's been train of thought later'

For now, I must participate in an emergency session of PGA Tour Confidential. 

*Go here for the SI Golf Group's emergency PGA Tour Confidential roundtable on Augusta opening its doors to women.

 (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, FIle)

Sergio comes through in the clutch? TBD'

Sergio's reactions = best in golf

In my mind, Sergio Garcia's name is synonymous with the Ryder Cup. He lives and loves the biennial team matches. Name another player who shows more passion and intensity, not to mention has better cheerleading skills? Yeah, exactly.

Garcia was previously inside the European/World points list (Team Europe has a different qualifying system than the U.S.) before Ian Poulter went nuts in the final round of the PGA Championship to place T3, and surpass the Spaniard.

The automatic spots aren't finalized until after this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland, but Sergio is likely to lock up a berth with his clutch performance at the Wyndham Championship'which will be completed on Monday due to the great flood unexpectedly sweeping through Greensboro on Sunday.

Oh no. I hope I didn't just jinx him, but I'm trying to think of the last time I used the words 'clutch' and 'Sergio' in the same sentence. Probably last year at one of the tournaments he won. Speaking of which, it's been driving me crazy that the commentators keep saying Sergio hasn't won since 2008. Yes, that's accurate when referring to the PGA Tour, but from what I've heard the last two days, they haven't clarified that minor detail. I mean, it's kind of insulting to both Sergio and the European Tour. Do those two victories not count because they weren't in America? I just found it a little misleading. /End rant.

Anyway. Where was I? Oh, right.

Heading into the final regular-season PGA Tour event'which was delayed because of torrential showers and will resume on Monday at 9am'he needed a big week to ensure a move back inside the world points standings. There's a lot of golf left, but Sergio is currently leading a packed leaderboard at the Wyndham. He's 15-under through four holes in the final round. (Hmm, 14 more holes to play') I'd love to see him win for the first time on the PGA Tour in over four years.

From my super thorough calculations, chances are he should likely make the team.

To surpass Poulter, Garcia needs to finish in a three-way tie for third or in a six-way to for second or better. And to surpass Poulter and a struggling Martin Kaymer, Garcia needs to finish in a two-way tie for third or six-way tie for second or better. (Kudos to a Golf Channel graphic for that info.)

Two years ago, Garcia was not in a happy place golf-wise and took a self-imposed break from the game, which coincided with the 2010 Ryder Cup. His form was poor, so he wouldn't have earned a spot on the European team on merit, and would've had to rely on a captain's pick, which was a stretch considering Colin Montgomerie was already faced with a difficult decision of choosing from a strong group of players. Instead Sergio volunteered his services as a glorified cart driver and head cheerleader a special assistant captain.

If for some reason Sergio doesn't qualify on points, I can't see European Team captain Jose Maria Olazabal leaving him off the squad. I'd put money on Garcia being one of the three captain's picks, but hopefully it won't come down to that. We (a bunch of Americans, no less!) discussed this in PGA Tour Confidential last night and all agreed Sergio's presence is a necessity at the Ryder Cup.

*****

On a related note, who should fill the remaining spots on the European squad? I made a strong case for Nicholas Colsaerts, who was climbing up the leaderboard before play was called in Greensboro. He's probably too far back to win ' or rather he'll run out of holes. Through 12 holes in the final round, Colsaerts is 11-under, trailing Garcia by four at the moment. I've been keeping an eye on him after tipping him as a dark horse at The Open (where he placed T7). He not only hits it a mile (leading European Tour in driving distance with 317.1 average on holes measured), but he's a solid iron player.

Colsaerts added a few tournaments to move up in the world points standings and earn a spot on the Ryder Cup sqaud, including the Wyndham and this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. In order to pass Poulter and Kaymer, Colsaerts likely needs to finish in a two-way tie for second or better. I'm pulling for him'as you know, I'm a sucker for the underdog. It also might be a shot in the dark for him to make the team if he doesn't 'earn' his way. Well, it depends on how things shape up at the end of the week.

Meanwhile, Kaymer is sitting out and not playing the Johnnie Walker'probably to protect his world ranking points. Since he's been struggling, I'm guessing he doesn't want to mess up his chances by a poor showing and actually losing points. Which makes sense. But that's pure speculation on my part. Traditionally, he hasn't played there, so perhaps he simply doesn't like the course and/or doesn't fit in his schedule.

Alright, let's see if Sergio can close out the Wyndham Championship. Predictions not just welcome ' but encouraged.

(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

2012 PGA Championship Hangover

Those are tears of ecstasy, folks!

Miss me? Apologies for abandoning my duties to provide thrilling golf news updates, but I needed a week to recover from The Kiawah Logistical Nightmare, along with the mosquito bites, shuttle-itis, and excessive golf writer bitterness (careful: it's contagious!).

Oh, just kidding. I actually had PGA-itis. Okay, I'm kidding again. Kind of. I had some stuff I had to deal with (sleep being one of them), but I'm back now and almost ready for The Barclays at Bethpage Black!

Hooray.

Most of this stuff is SO last week, but too bad. Deal with it! <<evil dictator laugh>> No, really, you'll appreciate it'

*****

As much as I think Kiawah Island isn't equipped to hold a(nother) major championship, I was very, very luck that I witnessed Rory McIlroy's back nine in person, along with the incredible birdie putt on the 72nd hole, his reaction, and the exchange that needed no words between Rory and his dad Gerry McIlroy, while Carl Pettersson and Bo Van Pelt finished up.

In the second video below, you'll see Rory looking around in the crowd. He was trying to find his dad (whom I think he found when he initially walked up if I remember correctly). The gallery ' even inside the ropes ' had grown immensely before he dropped the putt. He had a tougher time finding his dad since Gerry was quietly standing where he had been. (Naturally, a bunch of tall people decided to stand right in front of us and blocked our view!)

When I saw Rory trying to get his dad's attention, I nudged Gerry and I can't recall what I said. I'm sure it was something like, 'Look, Rory''

Again, no words needed between father and son. Just smiles and Rory making 'OMG' or 'What the heck' type of gestures. (Too bad telecast didn't show those.)

 

 

I hadn't seen the replay of the final putt until, well, about 10 minutes ago. Goosebumps all over again!

First, here's what appears to be a fan taking a video with his iPhone of Rory's putt. I enjoyed this version because you really got a sense of the atmosphere and the crowd reaction (if you're at work, turn down the volume or put on headphones).

Next, here's the longer CBS version with Jim Nantz crooning over Rory's milestone victory.

*****

Update: Almost forgot to include comments from Rory's caddie J.P. Fitzgerald.

'Today was different than Congressional because (Ian) Poulter got within one or two (strokes). I think I saw Poulter get to eight-under and Rory knew it, too. Rory had a putt for par on 9 and he made it. When you've got 10 and 11 coming up, a tough stretch, he responded, obviously. I mean, the way he birdied 12'then I knew it was over.

'He's 23. He's obviously improving all the time. I thought this was a very special performance. Congressional was different. When he was on the range on Sunday there, I said, this guy can win by 12. He was just playing that good. There was no way he was losing. Today was different. You certainly didn't go at it with that attitude.'

I was most impressed with Rory's putting on Sunday.

'Yes, he did, he was great,' said J.P., emphatically, when I brought up Rory making all those 6-8 footers. 'It was just feel. This morning his pace wasn't great the first few holes. Then we said, look, they're a bit slower now, give them a little bit more.

'You get confident. Everything goes out from under you when you're under pressure, instinct takes over. I obviously don't know how it feels, but it obviously feels great to a player when you knock those putts in for pars. Then obviously you're trying to keep it out of the water. You just don't need to make a double.

'To me, I think (the putt) he made on 9 was crucial. Just to me, I don't know how he feels. I just saw with Poulter making the move, and (I thought it was important to) get out in 3-under (on the front nine).'

*****

Alright, so what was the deal with Tiger Woods' post-round comments? He was too relaxed on Saturday? Trying to have fun? He certainly didn't look like that way to me! Weird. That's not Tiger Woods. Would you imagine in a million years that Tiger would say he was just trying to enjoy himself? Um, no.

Personally, I think he was messing with us (the evil media and critics). SI's Michael Bamberger had a great take. And I agree with Vijay: Tiger is trying too hard. He's pressing.

*****

In case you missed it, another contribution: I made to Golf.com. Which was fun because it was probably something I would have done, anyway.

Besides each page having to reload for each picture (out of my control), what else would you like to see? Any suggestions for coverage at the Ryder Cup? As longtime readers know, I like to try and bring people inside the ropes and I'd love to do more of that over at Golf.com.

*****

OK, this is old news, but I wanted to clarify why I wasn't fond of The Ocean Course and called it an 'abomination' on Twitter ' maybe a little harsh, but I was err.. extra frustrated last Friday and feistier than usual. First of all, golf course architecture is subjective. It's art and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Clearly, I'm not a huge Pete Dye fan 'no one better in the biz at making a course aesthetically pleasing for TV and sickening for your game.

I'm more of a purist. When I asked swing instructor Pete Cowen in Akron about The Ocean Course, he had the perfect description in my mind: 'Whistling Straits but flat.' Obviously, it's not quite the same, but if you were to put it in a short phrase, that sums it up.

I didn't like some of the angles and all the eye candy. Or the run-offs. I couldn't stand people calling it a 'links' course. That was really what got to me.

A) It looks like a links course, but it doesn't play like one, which to me, is stupid, especially when the wind gets up as we saw in the second round.

I chased down Carl Pettersson after his presser on Friday: 'It looks like a links course, but it doesn't play like one because of the paspalum grass doesn't allow the ball to bounce and roll much. It's got a very links-y feel, but with that type of grass, you don't get much run on the drives and it doesn't bounce and roll everywhere. It plays pretty soft. When you do a bump-and-run, you really have to hit it firm. The first bounce really does check up.'

I have no problem with the course being hard, but there's a difference between hard and fair, and hard and stupid. The PGA moved up the tees ever so slightly on the par-3 No. 17 on Friday, but I didn't like that hole. Speaking of which, same goes for the par-3 No. 14. The 17th was pretty and all with the ocean view, but is there really a need for a 240-yard hole with water all along the right and the front of the green and a 'sandy area' on the left. Add in the wind (depending on direction but usually a cross wind) and it's just dumb. I saw shorter hitters plopping tee balls in the water with 5-woods! I'm going to stop before I get irked again.

B) I tweeted that Tiger Woods summed up in his post-round interview why the golf course was an abomination. Many tweeps asked what I was talking about. First of all, sorry if I gave the impression that Tiger called it an abomination (though I would have quoted if he had'so thought it was clear it was my description, but anyway'). He actually did a really good job explaining things and I wanted to post it right away, but didn't have time (because I was too busy in-transit all week, ha).

Here's what he said on TV:

'I just grinded.  I just grinded my way around this golf course.  It was a day in which  it would be great if we could utilize the ground and run the ball up, but that's gone.  Paspalum fairways and with this much rain, that's no longer in the equation.

And then it would be nice to bump-and-run it around the greens, too, to keep it out of the wind but we can't do that either because it's just too sticky.  It's a golf course in which it's seaside, linksy-type, but you've got to throw the ball up in the air.  With this wind and the way it's blowing and the way it's moving the golf ball, it's tough.'

Then he went into more detail in his post-round presser:

Now, as far as ' yeah, we've played in wind like this and we've played links golf, but it's no big deal because you can bump the ball on the ground.  You can throw it 30 yards short of the green and let it roll on the green.

Here, you just can't do it.  You've got to throw the ball in the air.  That's what makes it difficult is that it's a linksy'type of feel, in which you can't use the ground at all.  Paspalum, as well as the rain, it just negates all of that.

And then when you get around the greens, some of these shots would be nice to be able to bump it but you can't do, that either, because it's too sticky.  You might be able to play some kind of driving one 'hop'stop shot but even then you're taking a chance.

It's just, one, you can't short'side yourself out there, you've got to leave yourself on the fat side and give yourself some room.  And then some of these bunkers are not bunkers.  They are, you know, like either hard pan or mud.  A shot that Keegan played today on 16 was unbelievable, because it was mud down there.  And that's what can happen in some of these spots.

I had a spot on 8 today that where my feet were, I had no sand, but where the golf ball was, it was a ton of sand.  Luckily we are able to take practice swings and try to get a feel for it but it's tough out there.

Q.  Last week when you were here, and again earlier this week, you seemed to suggest you wanted some wind.  Wondering, though, if this is a little bit more than you would have hoped for?  Obviously you want it tough, but this is pretty brutal?

TIGER WOODS:  This is tough.  This is'' as you said, at times, it is a little bit brutal out there because you're playing so much drift.  Even if you hook it or slice the golf ball, it doesn't matter.  It's still drifting back at the end.  And even with these new golf balls that go so much straighter, they are still drifting a lot.

So at least we don't have to play this golf course with this much wind with balata balls.  That would have been interesting.

I'm sure The Ocean Course is fun to play for kicks and giggles from a reasonable yardage when the wind is down!

*****

One of the highlights of my week was riding the shuttle from Charleston to Kiawah on Thursday and Friday with legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins. He made the rides amusing. My only regret is not breaking out my iPhone and doing an interview with him on the shuttle.

After the shuttle ride on Friday morning, I was chatting with Mr. Jenkins and his son Marty. I mentioned the traffic problem caused by general parking being on the island (where they could charge $20) instead of Charleston and thereabouts. Mr. Jenkins quipped, 'No, why are we here in the first place?!?' Good point.

When we parted ways, Mr. Jenkins walked away, saying, 'I have to go tweet!'

Well, this is what happened. Start from the bottom.

He took a lunch break and came back with these tweets (again start from the bottom).

I was on the ground laughing. Almost. I was definitely cracking up whenever I read them and getting strange looks from people, but that happens anyway.

Here's the most important one from Saturday when the massive storm hit that suspended play:

The fans had it worst of all. Honestly, our shuttle wasn't so bad (for the most part or unless it broke down). I had to take the fan shuttle from general parking to the main entrance just about every day (in addition) because I was doing stuff at the SI at The Majors tent, which was about a quarter-mile or so from the pick-up/drop-off spot. It almost took an hour and we were on the island. I couldn't help but chat up the fans to ask about their experiences or what it took to get there, etc. There were definitely a fair amount who weren't impressed with the logistics and lack of shelter from the storm and/or the heat.

Brutal.

Basically, after they drove at least 2.5 hours, they had to park in a muddy lot (Friday was the worst, where buses and cars got stuck), then park and walk 20 minutes to the pick-up spot, wait in line, get on the bus'which is constant stop-and-go'and then finally reach the entrance only to wait in another line. The fans were the biggest heroes at Kiawah Island.

His parting tweets on Sunday.

No comment. All I'll say is despite everything, there's not one day that goes by where I'm not grateful for my job. (OK, except for the ones where I have to stop and take a few deep breaths and remember the downsides of being a woman in the biz.)

*****

I enjoyed this exchange of tweets between Luke Donald and ISM head honcho Chubby Chandler. I took screen shots of them right away in case they were deleted. (I just checked and oddly they've disappeared'didn't think they were so harmful'more funny than anything.) The gist: Luke thinks more roads should be built before another major event is held at Kiawah and Chubby just want more restaurants'

Update: After consulting a pro, I realized this was kind of buried, so I moved it to a separate post.

 

******

Many thanks to the Charleston CVB for their hospitality ' by far, the best I'd experienced for a tournament. The complimentary food and booze (which in retrospect I should have taken more advantage of) at the media hotel was much appreciated. Plus, don't know what I would have done without their generosity ' probably would have needed to be treated for malnourishment!

Alright, I'm done. Just had to get all that off my chest. Moving on.

(AP Photos/Evan Vucci, Lynn Sladky)

Deleted tweets: Luke and Chubby banter post-PGA, Kiawah edition

As I was unloading the notebook for my PGA Championship Hangover dissertation, I included this following item, but after an email exchange with the best in the biz, I realized it was far too funny (the actual tweets) to be so far too buried in my 5,000-word dossier (besides, most people probably fell asleep before getting to the fourth paragraph).

Besides, I enjoyed the below exchange of tweets between Luke Donald and ISM head honcho Chubby Chandler (whose stable includes Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, among others'oh, and formerly, Rory McIlroy) late Sunday night after the final round of the PGA Championship.

I took screen shots of them in case they were deleted and they were amusing'as in I LOLZ. I checked tonight, and oddly, they had disappeared from Luke and Chubby's timelines!

I don't know why. They were great! Well, I guess they didhighlight just a few reasons why it wasn't the best idea in the world, logistically, to hold it there in the first place, and piled on the argument that there shouldn't be a(nother) major event at The Ocean Course'again.

Hmmm'I wonder if they got phone calls. I'm surprised, Chubby!

The gist: Luke thinks more roads should be built and Chubby just want more hangouts restaurants.

After mentioning the 'deleted' tweets to Geoff Shackelford, he noticed the links still work. Basically, while they don't appear on Luke and/or Chubby's timelines, if you expand Luke's original tweet, then you get the rest of the conversation.

Interesting. That was news to me! NOTHING is actually deletable. Well, at least they didn't say something idiotic and call Kiawah the...never mind.

Before anyone comments on the time stamp on my phone, yes, I was up late. What do you expect on Sunday of a major? Pretty standard.

*Update: I'll obviously ask them about this horrible offense when I see them next'hopefully at The Barclays.

Video: SI @ the Majors Sunday Midday Report

Talking...Rory...and Tiger...duh!

Apologies for the belated posting of this, but I figured watching greatness in person was more important than waiting for the link to a video of our roundtable's opinions on Rory McIlroy's game plan to win on Sunday. I hope you all survived!

The video, which can be viewed over at Golf.com, was filmed at 2pm, just after the leaders teed off. For the record, I think my opinion was right (which happens rarely, so I need to revel in glory when I am, ha ha). What was it? You'll need to watch (I know, I'm such a tease!). I also added he needed to make those 6-8 footers that we've seen him have some trouble with in the past.

Well, it was a fun week at Sports Illustrated at the Majors Experience, PGA Championship edition. Thanks to those who stopped by. And if you missed us, you have one more chance this year at the Ryder Cup. The tent will be located in downtown Chicago. More details as it approaches.

*Related: Round Three Midday Report

Pettersson: 'We have a lot of stupid rules in golf.'

 

Hat tip to those on Twitter who sent me the link to the above video of the shot where Carl Pettersson, hitting out of a lateral hazard, grazed a leaf on his backswing and received a two-shot penalty on the first hole (and big thanks to Yahoo's Jay Busbee for posting it).

I watched the replay rather closely ' more than once ' and I didn't see The Leaf in question when Pettersson hit the shot. It was only when it was shown in super slo-mo and zoomed in that I could see the club cause a small flyaway object to change position (and I had to really squint to catch The Leaf).

And yes, I'm familiar with the rule he breached: Rule 13-4c. He moved a loose impediment in a lateral water hazard. Though it had no affect on the outcome of the shot or give him an advantage, too bad! Pettersson was slapped with a costly punishment.

'I wasn't thinking about the leaves, but going back to Brian Davis, the more I thought about it, it was a similar ruling he had,' said the Swedish national. 'I knew I could touch the grass.  I just didn't think about the leaves.  I didn't think twice about it when I hit the shot.'

Pettersson was told by the rules official immediately afterward that he had breached the rule, but it was going to be reviewed on video. Okay. What leaf?

Well, he made a fantastic par on No. 1. It wasn't until after Pettersson and his playing partners, Rory McIlroy and Bo Van Pelt, had teed off on No. 4 that he received confirmation for an official. His par turned into a double-bogey. Ouch.

Here's the explanation of the incident from the PGA of America:

Pettersson hit his tee shot into the lateral water hazard to the right of the fairway. Before making the stroke, he asked the walking official, Brad Gregory, if he was allowed to touch grass, in the hazard, with his club, prior to the stroke.

Pettersson was correctly informed that he could do so, provided that he did not ground the club in the hazard. In making his backswing, Pettersson's club brushed the grass behind the ball (not a breach) and at the same time moved a leaf (loose impediment), in breach of the Rule.

Pettersson was immediately notified by Gregory that there may have been a breach of Rule 13-4c, and that he (Gregory) wanted the stroke to be reviewed on video for confirmation.

PGA Rules Chairman, David Price, reviewed the stroke on video and confirmed that a loose impediment was moved during Pettersson's backswing.

Pettersson was notified of the penalty as he left the fourth tee. His score for the par-4 first hole was a 6.

So your club can touch the grass and brush something like a branch as long as it's implanted in the ground, but if it causes a 'loose impediment,' such as The Leaf, then BAM! Two-shot penalty!

To be told you were assessed a two-shot penalty on the fourth tee could have completely thrown him off. As told to me by Golf Digest's Dave Kindred, Pettersson's reaction was ' well, exactly what I'd expect and rather mild. The rules official informed him that the penalty had been confirmed and Carl said 'f'' and kept walking. About 30 seconds later, he stopped and asked the official if he was sure. The answer was yes.

Tough break, but he was 'pissed off in a good way' and used his anger to motivate him.

Pettersson birdied Nos. 4, 5 and 7. Without the penalty strokes, he would have made the turn with a four-under 32, eight-under total, and on the heels of McIlroy, who was 10-under through nine on Sunday.

'There was only one winner today, really,' said Pettersson after posting an even par 72 to finish tied for third. 'Rory played great.  I played good enough on the front nine, though.  Who knows what would have happened, but Rory played great.

'Yeah, sucks for me, I would have finished second on my own.'

As the runner-up, Pettersson would have earned $865,000. Instead, he took home $384,500 ' not a bad pay day ' for finishing a four-way tie for third with Justin Rose, Keegan Bradley and Ian Poulter. Turned out the two shots cost him the difference of $480,500.

Now it's not like he's strapped for cash with over $3 million in earnings just in 2012 and $18.6 in his career. But to quote Petterssson, who knows, and it's more of the principle that's upsetting. Once again, it brings to light another flaw in the Rules of Golf.

'I've got to take it on the chin, obviously, but it's one of those stupid rules, like Webb Simpson had where the ball moves a couple of  half a millimeter and it's a penalty,' said Carl. 'I didn't even realize I moved it, because I'm trying to hit the ball.'

Speaking of Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champ tweeted:

Exactly. It'd make too much sense to use common sense.

ESPN columnist Ian O'Connor summed it up well with this tweet: 'You can ground your club in the sand at the PGA but God forbid a stray leaf moves in the hazard on your backswing. Farce.'

Look, I get it. I'm not saying Pettersson didn't break a rule or that we don't need rules. But do I think it's a fair or good one? No.

'Obviously I broke a rule there,' said Carl. 'I didn't realize it myself.  I don't think it affected the outcome of the shot.  But just one of those things.  We have a lot of stupid rules in golf.'

As Pettersson mentioned, we've seen it happen before with Brian Davis at the Verizon Heritage in 2010. (Aside: Interesting going back to read what I wrote over two years ago!) It probably wouldn't have mattered because Jim Furyk was on the green in two and putting for birdie. Thus, there wasn't a huge fuss over the incident. Since Davis had called the penalty on himself, the focus was on his integrity and how golfers are better people, yada, yada, yada. (For the record, I'm a big fan of Brian Davis ' awesome guy.)

Two strokes very penal something relatively minor. So let me ask you, did the punishment fit the crime? In my opinion, it didn't. Maybe one shot, but there are other rules in golf that take into account intent and it's clear as day that Pettersson didn't intend to move The Leaf, which gave him no advantage whatsoever.

CBS's David Feherty, the on-course announcer following Pettersson, McIlroy and Bo Van Pelt on Sunday, couldn't have said it better.

'Why don't professional golfers make rules for professional golfers?' Feherty asked as reported by GolfChannel.com. 'We're the only sport that allows amateurs (to make rules). It's not working for me if a guy is trying to make a living. A major championship may have hung in the balance.

'That (rule) is designed so an amateur doesn't drag his club back and make a channel for themselves. What do you think would happen if a pro did that out there? I think we can account for that. How are you supposed to make a backswing? Use the club like a spear?'

Exactly.

Interesting enough, in two of the past three PGA Championships, there have been somewhat silly ' and controversial ' rules infractions that potentially impacted the outcome of the tournament. Oh, it gets better: the PGA of America official who informed Pettersson of Leafgate was David Price, the same official who notified Dustin Johnson that he'd grounded his club on the 72nd hole at Whistling Straits, also a Pete Dye joke design, aka Bunkergate.

Hopefully golf's governing bodies will take a look at rule 14-3, along with several others, and execute some necessary changes. When these unfortunate infractions happen, it takes away from the tournament and makes the game look rather absurd.