The Monday Wrapup

The number one male and female golfers in the world proved their mettle this weekend

Tiger Woods wins the Bridgestone Invitational by eight strokes

Woods shot the best round of the day (by two strokes over Rod Pampling and Sergio Garcia) on a rainy Sunday where players were sent out in threesomes early to beat inclement weather heading for Akron. This is the sixth time Woods has won this event and the third year in a row. The victory is the third PGA Tour win for Woods this year, the only player this year to win that many, and it provides him some momentum into the PGA Championship, where he will be the defending champion. The AT&T National might be getting jealous; Tiger Woods also owns the Bridgestone.

Enough about Woods, how about Rory 'Chickenhawk' Sabbatini?

Losing to Tiger Woods isn't a crime, no one else could keep up with him Sunday. Mouthing off that the Tiger of today isn't as dominant as the Tiger of 2000 is technically accurate, if not the smartest thing to say out loud. Giving Tiger Woods added motavation may seem silly, but I'd rather golfers in the Tiger era take on the best player than defer to him (it is probably a good idea to use their inside voice instead of looking for the closest microphone, but different strokes for different folks).

What shouldn't be done is what Sabbatini did Sunday, quitely leave center stage when the world is looking. After a birdie on the first hole, Sabbatini went five over par the next nine holes. Even if Tiger played par golf over that stretch (he went 3 under par), he would have been four shots ahead of his fellow Nike endorser.

Failing early doesn't get the label that failing late does, just ask Phil Michelson. Sergio Garcia did this last year at the Open paired with Tiger and Stuart Appleby did it this year at the AT&T National and last year at the Masters. In some ways it says more about the athlete than failing late; it takes a level of athletic bravery to play a high level when the pressure is at its highest. It is easier to fade back when it gets hot; then you don't have to see if you can face late pressure.

Sabbatini already has had a great career in golf. I question if when his career ends, it will be able to cash the check his mouth regualrly writes.

Lorena Ochoa wins the Women's British Open by four strokes for her first major victory

The Major Mono (monkey in Spanish) is off Ochoa's back. Her prior failures are now in the 'learning how to win' category. Which would be bull, you don't get to be the number one golfer in the world without knowing how to win. What got her the win is blowing the field away in the first three rounds (she was six shot clear after the third round), and keeping it on the course Sunday.

The depth at the top of the LPGA is pretty good (especially if Annika Sorenstam fully recovers from her neck injury), but this win could propel Ochoa to an all-time season in 2008. She already has the LPGA Player of the year sewed up; she could decide to compete in triathlons (she's done so in the past) for the next six months and still would win.

The Tuesday Wrapup

I didn't watch much golf this weekend, hence the late wrapup. That and laziness.

Jonathan Byrd wins the John Deere Classic

The win qualifies Byrd for the British Open. He beat short hitting Australian Tim Clark (best known for his success at the Masters in the last few years), who was leading by two strokes on the back nine, by one stroke.

The John Deere Classic has the most entertaining tee markers on the PGA Tour. What it didn't have this year is Michelle Wie, who continues to recover from burnout an injured wrist. She played on a sponsor's exemption last year, but withdrew due to heat exhaustion.

Se Ri Pak wins the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic for the fifth time in her career

A rather appropriate five time winner, considering host Jamie Farr's most well known role as Klinger on M*A*S*H.

Pak went three under on the back nine to pass Morgan Pressel, including birdies on the last two holes Par 5 holes. Pressel played even par the last 9. That is getting caught from behind, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Gregory Havret wins the Scottish Open; beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff on the first hole

With the win, Havret qualifies for the British Open.

As for Mickelson , when you bogey three of the last six holes as Mickelson did (admittedly he birdied the other three holes), you invite getting caught. The good news is it appears his wrist is healed enough to allow him to play. The bad news is he failed stumbled down the stretch, something he has a habit of.

The Monday Wrapup

K.J. Choi wins Tiger’s Tournament

With the win, Choi joins Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Zack Johnson as multiple winners this season. By no coincidence, they are the top five players in the Fed Ex Cup point standings (somewhere Tim Finchem smiles with the Fed Ex mention). And Choi is the leader in the clubhouse for most impressive presenters for his victories.

There are two stories for me bigger than the Choi win. First, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area gave it up for the AT&T National like a virgin on prom night. D.C. had always been a good PGA market back to the days of the Kemper Open; add a tournament hosted by Tiger and lower than average ticket prices and you get a massive success. The only things standing in the way of similar success every year is if Tiget stops hosting or the Congressional Country Club members decide they don't want to give up their course every year (the U.S. Amateur is scheduled for the course in 2009; AT&T National will have to find somewhere else to play that year at least).

The other story is the complete collapse of Stuart Appleby in the final round, turning a two stroke lead after the third round into a tie for third, nine strokes behind Choi with a tidy six over par 76. He didn’t waste time either, double bogeying the Par 3 2nd and throwing four straight bogeys at the field starting at the 4th. Here are the possible reasons for the collapse:

• He always chokes when paired with Nike endorsers of Asian descent on the final day of a tournament.
• The ‘Let’s Do It Again’ like hypnosis of Appleby that made him believe he was in Hawaii wore off.
• It is winter in his native Australia and he wasn’t prepared for the temperatures in the 90s.

Brad Bryant wins the U.S. Senior Open

Even with his low round of the day (68), one of only five rounds under par for the day, this is another example of the winner being overshadowed by the collapse of another player. Tom Watson had a three stroke lead on Bryant after nine holes. He then shot seven over par down the stretch, dropping him to fourth.

Colin Montgomerie wins the Smurfit Kappa European Open by one stroke over Niclas Fasth

This was Montgomerie’s first win on the European Tour in almost 2 years, and it makes him the third winningest player in European Tour history; one better than Nick Faldo. With a third and first place finish the last two weeks, Montgomerie is in great shape to disappoint English fans with a missed cut at the British Open in two weeks.

More entertaining to me are the pants worn by Fasth Sunday. I don't know if I think they are a totally ridiculous monstrosity, or I want a pair for myself. Wow.

The Monday Wrapup

Cristie Kerr wins the U.S. Women’s Open

She held off Lorena Ochoa and 18 year old Angela Park for her first major. Before this win, Kerr could be considered the second best female player without…

We interrupt the Monday Wrapup for Special Commentary from Lou Dobbs:

It has been a glorious couple of days for the United States of America, as we approach our country’s birthday. First, the Amnesty bill big business tried to ram down working American’s throats failed in the Senate. Now a great American stands up against the outsourcing of our golf championships. Hopefully, Kerr, along with other major championship patriots like Morgan Pressel and Annika Sorenstam can continue the resurgence of American women’s golf…

Uh, excuse me Lou, Annika isn’t American. She is Swedish.

Annika’s Swedish?

Yes. Swedish.

…well…that’s white enough. At least she isn’t Mexican or Korean or something.

This concludes Special Commentary from Lou Dobbs

I watched Sunday’s telecast of the tournament. If Dan Hicks mentioned one more time that the U.S. Open was the most sought after major I would have cried. We are watching the tournament already; we don’t need for you to sell it any further.

Also, I was introduced to the female version of Golfer’s Tan. For those not up of it. Golfer’s Tan for men consists of just the head and arms from the elbow down. You can include upper thighs in the female version. At one point Pressel bent down from the waist to position her ball on the green. The camera angle was from behind, and the combination of her short golf skirt and her Golfer’s Tan reminded me of the scene in Pulp Fiction when the briefcase is opened.

Brian Bateman wins the Buick Open with a birdie on the final hole

The birdie broke a four way tie for the lead between Bateman, Justin Leonard, Jason Gore, and Wood Austin. The victory is his first on the PGA Tour and is the third week in a row for a first time winner (Angel Cabrera, Hunter Mahan).




Graeme Storm wins the French Open for his first European Tour win

There is something about European Tour action on the Golf Channel early Sunday morning. Eating breakfast while watching players you have never heard of with ridiculous fashions (Ian Poulter finished 9th, by the way) play golf for euros has a certain draw to it.

Colin Montgomerie was tied for the lead down the stretch, but bogeyed the 15th and 16th holes to fall into a tie for third. I don't know how he confused Versailles for America, but it appears he did.

The Monday Wrapup

Hunter Mahan wins the Travelers Championship on the first playoff hole over Jay Williamson

Two straight sick approach shots on the 18th; one directly inside Williamson's very good approach on the 72 hole, the other on the playoff hole within two feet, won Mahan his first PGA Tour win.

When I left the house for a walk (In my attempt to weigh less than the current U.S. Open champion) Mahan was 2 shots in front. When I came back, he was tied and quickly bogeyed the 17th to go one shot behind. The CBS crew were already warming up the 'sponsors exemption winning the tournament' storyline before Mahan went nuts. Mahan get to go to the Mercedes and Augusta nexct year, Williamson get to go to Flint, Michigan for the Buick Open with his top 10 finish. Williamson will not get to see Tiger Woods talk to framed paintings in person; Tiger pulled out of the Buick to spend more time with his new daughter.

As an aside, he is wearing an Under Armour shirt. You really shouldn't endorse Under Armour when it looks like you have never completed a pushup.

Lorena Ochoa defeats In-Kyung Kim on the second playoff hole to win the Wegmans LPGA

This is her third win on the LPGA Tour this year. More importantly, she didn't choke in a pressure situation as she has previously. The only thing missing from her resume is a major win. Hey, the U.S. Women's Open is next week.

I tried to find television coverage of this tournament and failed miserably. Only after it was over did I discover it was on ESPN2. I'm not as down on LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens as most, but her main job in my opinion is to solidify a regular U.S. television partner, whether it is ESPN2, Golf Channel, Versus or the Oxygen Channel. Her second main job is to put together a Ryder Cup like competion between U.S. and South Korean players. But that is for another post.

Official Golfing Negro LPGA favorite Christina Kim tied for 67th place

I am spared a drubbing by my father in law

He is coming to town on business this week, but will have no time for golf. He will have to suffice with his weekly calls from Louisiana, telling me how cheap the golf is down there and how well he is shooting.