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by Jeff Skinner

Sunday at The Masters…we’ve waited for it all year.  Since last year’s head to head battle with Phil and Tiger going at each other, Kenny Perry’s stumble down the stretch and Angel Cabrera’s fist pump to celebrate his victory, Sunday at The Masters is here again and it looks to be an absolute dandy.

If Saturday’s play is any indication of the quality of what we’ll see today we are all in for an extraordinary Sunday afternoon.  Rarely does any player come from way back in the pack to claim the green jacket so the winner will most likely come from the top five players and all are capable of going low and creating their own historic win.

Fred Couples created one of those classic “Augusta Roars” when he chipped in for eagle on fifteen and finished with a very good 68.  He is five back of leader Lee Westwood but is he out of it?  I think not.  With the way the eagles are flocking around Augusta National there is no telling how low Freddy and his nubby soled shoes can take him.  He’s fifty years old and he and Tom Watson have shown that age isn’t necessarily a disadvantage.  This is his favorite place of all and if he can hang in there and those golfers ahead of him stumble a bit he could sneak in for his second green jacket.

K.J. Choi has probably had the most difficult challenge of any player this week.  He has been paired with Tiger all week and will be side by side with him again today.  This pairing has suited him well as he is tied for third with none other than Woods.  Choi was considered the best player from South Korea for years but Y.E. Yang stole his thunder last year when he became the first Korean to win a men’s major at The PGA.  He’s four back of Westwood and capable of making his share of birds.  His victory would give South Korea back to back major titles and cast a new light on golf in South Korea.

Tiger Woods has been one of the few golfers that could make changes to his game during a round of golf.  During the middle of his round he lost any sense of pace on the greens.  It caused him to lose three strokes to par over four holes and he had three three putt greens.  He found his stroke on the back nine when he ripped off three straight birdies to get him to eight under par and tied with Choi in third place.  Tiger has never come from behind to win at a major and he’ll have his work cut out for him today.  Regardless of his finish today, considering his situation of no tournament golf and all the outside pressure, his performance this week is borderline miraculous.  One thing is for sure: Tiger is a golfing machine.  Much like the shark in Jaws, as Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) described it:  “what we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, an eating machine.”   Tiger is at home on the course and he is a golfing machine.  What we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, a golfing machine.  Whatever his personal issues are, they appear to be irrelevant to Woods when he is on the course.

Phil Mickelson played an amazing round of golf yesterday: a five under tally which had three bogeys, four birdies and two eagles.  He electrified the Augusta crowd, which are Phil’s people anyway, and climbed up the leaderboard to sit one stroke behind Westwood.  Going out in the last group is important to Phil.  He knows the advantage of coming down the stretch and being able to see what he needs to do.  No player will feel the crowd’s support as much as Phil.  The past year has been tough on Phil and his family as they deal with Amy’s and his mom’s cancer.  If Phil pulls off the win there won’t be enough Kleenex in the state of Georgia for all the tears being shed on the eighteenth green.

Lee Westwood has been in the hunt for a major before but this will be his sternest test.  A one stroke lead in the final round of The Masters isn’t really much of a lead at all.  The back nine at Augusta can turn a good round into a bad memory in the second it takes to splash a ball into Rae’s Creek.  Westwood has all three rounds in the 60’s and if he can pull that off today he may be slipping into that green jacket.  A Westwood win would be a bit of redemption.  Westwood has made the trip back to the world’s elite after falling below number 200 in the World Rankings.  His first major would be proof that the changes he made in his life have paid off.  English golf is back in a big way and Westwood is their best.  He’ll need his “A” game and a steady hand to combat his opponents and the nerves that face every golfer on the back nine at Augusta.

by Jeff Skinner

Just when you think Tiger Woods may actually be trying to change his ways he allows Nike to use him and his father’s voice in this new commercial.  I know Nike likes to create a buzz around its ads and tries to be on the cutting edge of the advertising world but this is disgusting.

Is this the “new Tiger” that lets Nike play on his relationship with his father?  How can Woods, who says he is changing his ways, allow Nike to abuse him and his father’s memory this way?  John Hawkins on The Golf Channel calls it offensive and exploitative.  I call is disgusting and contemptible.

Nike would like us to think that Earl Woods would be giving Tiger a verbal whipping for his actions of the past few years.  The truth is Earl had a reputation as a ladies’ man himself so who is to say how he would have reacted to his sons affairs.  Nike also might like us to go out and buy those new Nike Victory Red Irons or a few dozen balls.  This isn’t anything other than Nike trying to keep its swoosh in front of the faces of the buying public.  It’s cheap, repulsive and as Hawkins says exploitative.

I have never spent a dime on any Nike golf product and it has nothing to do with Tiger.  Prior to this scandal I was a huge Tiger fan but Nike products and their total assault on the golfing public turned me off.  If Nike could put its insatiable need for cash and publicity on hold for a few months Tiger may win back his legion of fans.  This ad however, has turned off many golf fans and Nike is now getting in the way of Tiger’s comeback to normalcy.  Isn’t that what Nike wants:  A normal Tiger that rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars for the mother of all sponsors.  Give him a chance and drop the ad. Let Woods play golf and show us all with is actions that he is changing his ways.  After all, Tiger has said he wants to show more respect for the game.  Nike should do the same.

by Jeff Skinner

Finally, someone with some big league chops gives Tiger what he deserves: a smack in the head.  Billy Payne, is the The Chairman of Augusta National and is the voice of the most exclusive club in America. In his press conference he says that Tiger has disappointed his fans and many of those fans wear green jackets.  Payne takes Tiger to the woodshed for his recent scandalous behavior.  The fact that Payne would publicly chastise Woods, a four time Masters Champion, speaks to the depth of the hurt and disappointment that the Augusta members feel.  Understand this, it may have been only Payne’s voice speaking the words but he represents the majority of the membership.

“As he ascended in our rankings of the world’s great golfers, he became an example to our kids that success is directly attributable to hard work and effort.  But as he now says himself, he forgot in the process to remember that with fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility. It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here; it is the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children.”

“Is there a way forward?” he said. “I hope yes, I think yes. But certainly his future will never again be measured only by his performance against par, but measured by the sincerity of his efforts to change. I hope he now realizes that every kid he passes on the course wants his swing, but would settle for his smile.”
I hope [Woods] can come to understand that life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who bring joy to the lives of other people.  We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner, but this time, with a significant difference from the past.”

The past four months have seen everyone with any kind of forum chime in with an opinion on Tiger and his troubles.  From sportswriters, to comedians, to bloggers to the president, everyone had an opinion on Tiger.  Billy Payne’s statement may be the most significant piece that has been said since Woods bounced his SUV off a fire hydrant.

Billy Payne is no lightweight. He isn’t a talk show host or some sportswriter looking to make a name, this guy runs Augusta.  He is a force to be reckoned with and when he speaks, those he is speaking to usually listen.

This is what this whole Tiger fiasco has been missing: someone that isn’t beholding to Tiger calling it as he sees it.  The golf media and The PGA Tour are tied to Tiger’s success to such an extent that any criticism of Woods is borderline blasphemy.  Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour players have seen their paychecks skyrocket in the Tiger Era. No one is willing to kill the golden goose.  No one will say the emperor has no clothes.  Billy Payne has done both and in doing so has brought a much needed dose of sanity to an otherwise insane situation.  Payne is in a rare position in the golf world: he is a powerful person that is not beholding to Tiger Woods.  Payne and his fellow members do what they want and don’t care what anyone thinks.  Go ask Martha Burke if you need a reference.

It’s about time someone with a stake in the game calls out Tiger. It was a highly unusual move for Payne, usually things get said and done at Augusta away from the cameras.  On this occasion Payne chose the biggest forum in golf.  I have a new respect for Payne and the membership of Augusta, not only do they run a special golf tournament they are concerned with the behavior of their champions.

Billy Payne said what many have been thinking for months and Tiger will have to take notice.  Payne wants Tiger back in the game but not at any cost and few can say that.

by Jeff Skinner

As The Masters inches closer each and every golf fan has their opinion as to who their choice is to take home the green jacket.  Tiger, Phil, Ernie, Paddy, Goose?  Who will it be?  It’s a tough question to answer but there is another question waiting to be answered and we won’t have to wait until Sunday afternoon to find out the answer:  Which Tiger Woods will show up?

The Tiger Woods that has been walking the fairways of Augusta this week appears to be a different one from the cold-blooded hit man that has won four green jackets.  We are used to seeing Tiger spend the entire week at Augusta and not crack a smile until he is slipping into the green jacket in the Butler Cabin.  If Woods is truly trying to change his ways as he said in his press conference on Monday we should see a different player on Thursday when he tees off.

He has spent plenty of time on the course the last few days and he has interacted with the crowd which he normally does not do.  Most of the time the old Tiger’s only dealings with the crowd was to look past them, have them help find his ball or move a boulder or two.  This week he has waved and smiled to the fans and he even spent time signing autographs.  Granted, he would have to sign autographs twenty four hours a day for the next few years to catch up with Phil’s total, but it’s a start.  Woods has said he will try to be more respectful of the game.  If that means he will try to stop tossing clubs and cursing out a bad swing, we should see that fairly soon on Thursday.

Is this a kinder, gentler Tiger Woods?  He said all the right things and pushed all the right buttons during his press conference when it came to questions of his golf and his temperament.  Yes, there were questions he avoided answering but as far as his state of mind and his “golf” he seemed straight forward.  This could possibly be the most pressure Woods has felt on the course.  He is certainly used to being the center of attention on the course but these past few months have been enough break any man even Woods.

If he truly believes “it isn’t about championships…it’s about the way you live your life” this week will be his first opportunity to prove it.  He can’t afford to lose any of his competitive fire but if he is actually more comfortable with his life and himself he’ll be able to play a freer, more relaxed game and that could mean more trouble for the field.

Will it be a “new Tiger” we see this week? We’ll have to wait and see but one major tournament does not constitute any change.  The changes Tiger says he is making will be seen over the course of the season, both on the course and off.  If he is true to his recent words he can still win plenty of championships but at the same time concentrate on “how you live your life.”

by Jeff Skinner

Tiger Woods gave his most telling and open answers since this scandal has derailed his seemingly unstoppable career.  At Augusta National, Woods offered up more information and facts surrounding the past four months than most would have guessed.  Woods came off as more human and sincere than he has before.  Whether it is an act, or he is truly committed to change his ways will only be proved in the weeks and months to come.  Woods doesn’t deserve much from the fans and the media other than time.  Give him the time to see if he is actually changing his life and prove this is more than just lip service.

Some surprising facts and attitudes emerged from the 34 minute press conference.

• He apologized to his fellow players for the distraction he created and all they had to endure the past months.
• He said he sustained a “busted lip and five stitches and a sore neck” in the accident.
• The most difficult thing during this time was “looking at myself” and “the harassment of my family by the media.”
• Woods says he will display more respect for the game and not get as hot on the course and acknowledge the fans to show his appreciation for them.
• Performance enhancing drugs was the most asked subject and Woods denied ever taking them.  He did admit to taking many blood spinning treatments.  He said his agent has been contacted by authorities and they will fully cooperate with the investigation.
• He said he had a partially torn Achilles tendon and took blood spinning treatment for that in addition to the knee rehab.
• He acknowledged that he expected the golf media, many of which he called “friends” to be critical of him.
• He still would not disclose what specific type of therapy he is in.  “It’s personal” was his curt response.
• When asked about his support from his wife and if he was returning too early to golf he only said he got support from his family.  It was one of the questions Woods didn’t really answer and moved on quickly.
• Woods appeared to get emotional when he pressed on how he could live such a double life.  “I acted terribly and fooled myself.”
• He talked about his perspective in life. “It isn’t about the championships…it’s about the way you live your life…I need to be a better man.”
• He said golf and winning wasn’t fun the last few years.  “Living a life when your lying is not fun.”
• He admitted to being extremely hurt emotionally when he was forced to miss his sons first birthday while he was in rehab.  He vowed never to miss another.

Overall, Woods appeared to be more honest and open than ever before.  He won winning marks from all the commentators and reporters that covered the press conference.  He only played hardball with a few of the questions and offered more new and revealing facts about his life than most expected.  It was clear from the exchange about his wife that there is still much to be repaired there.  His constant refusal to say “sex addiction rehab” may be attributed to fact that he doesn’t wish to further alienate sponsors.  He looked to be a more humbled and contrite Tiger than we have ever seen before.  He has talked the talk.  Now we will see if he can walk the walk.  One thing hasn’t changed about Tiger.  When he was asked what his expectations for the week were he responded in classic Woods form: “to try and win this thing.”

Link to a replay of the press conference.

Link to the press conference transcript.

by Jeff Skinner

The Tiger Woods Circus, otherwise known as The Masters, starts up today at 2:00pm at Augusta when Tiger Woods will hold his press conference.  It’s an odd way to begin a tournament that prides itself on tradition, dignity and decorum.  Augusta National and its members have to be choking on their pimento and cheese sandwiches to see their beloved and respected Invitational turned into a circus.  No other tournament places such a high premium on good manners and good behavior.  From its rules for the patrons, no running please, to its restrictions on commentators, Gary McCord is banned from Augusta; The Members of Augusta make extraordinary efforts to ensure their tournament portrays an air of stateliness and decency.  It is ironic that Woods, who has displayed anything but decency and decorum recently, will use Augusta as his springboard back to professional golf.

Woods has been asking us to believe that he has changed his ways and committed to a new way of life.  As he restarts his quest towards Jack Nicklaus and his record of eighteen major championships it is difficult to believe anything Woods says now.  His previous interviews with ESPN and The Golf Channel were controlled and his answers rehearsed.  His first “statement” looked insincere and calculated.  Woods and his team of agents and publicists have been working overtime to try a craft a comeback strategy that would get Woods back into the good graces of the fans and more importantly the sponsors that made him the highest paid athlete ever.

Try as they may to rebuild Tiger’s image he will never reach the level of adoration that he had in his pre-scandal days.  His image is hopelessly tainted. If Tiger continues to play golf at any level close to what he was previously he’ll probably pass Nicklaus’s major record.  He may beat his record but he’ll never come close to matching Nicklaus as a man.

Jack Nicklaus won his eighteen majors while playing against many of the greatest golfers of all time and he was actively raising a family the entire time. He managed to avoid any iota of scandal and controversy his entire career.  Just as importantly, Nicklaus treated everyone around him with respect and dignity.  Where Tiger has really no use for the media or the fans to a great extent, Nicklaus treated both the media and fans as an important part of the game and his career.  Let’s not forget that long before the obnoxious fans of the sixteenth at Scottsdale or the hecklers at Bethpage, Nicklaus was getting booed and jeered at by the fans at Oakmont when he was beating Arnold Palmer at the ’62 US Open.  Nicklaus handled the issue with class and poise, much like he has lived his entire life.  Let’s see how Tiger and his bodyguard, Steve Williams, handle a heckler or two.  Rest assured it won’t be like Nicklaus.

Woods and Nicklaus do have much in common: extraordinary skill and unparalleled focus on the golf course.  Few professional golfers have dominated on the course like these two champions.  Few have lived so different lives off the course.  Nicklaus spent his off time jetting back home for birthdays and ballgames.  Tiger spent his off time playing games of a different type.

His philandering has stained his career forever.  His association with a doctor known for distributing performance enhancing drugs has cast another shadow on his accomplishments.  Granted he is not Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire, but his career is similarly soiled.  Yes, Bonds holds the record for career home runs but by most he is regarded as a cheat.  Woods and his accomplishments will be forever linked to this time in his life, a time when he was shown to be a serial adulterer, a false role model and a less than adequate father.  No such dispersions could be cast towards Jack Nicklaus.

Tiger may well go on to win a dozen more majors and surpass Jack’s record but he’ll never match Jack as a man.  To call Tiger the greatest golfer of all time would be inappropriate.  The game of golf is based on honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.  These values have been absent from Tiger’s game and his life for quite some time.  Nicklaus on the other hand has spent his entire career epitomizing these same values.  Tiger’s legacy is yet to be written but it is forever soiled by his self-inflicted wounds.  He’ll never regain the same image that was once adored by millions.  Tiger is no rival to Nicklaus, no matter what he says at any press conference.  Sure, he’ll get some new sponsors and make more millions, hundreds of millions, but he’ll just be Tiger Woods; a golfer with a few dozen major championships.  He’ll never be Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of all time.  Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time.  He has proved it on the course and has lived it off the course.

by Jeff Skinner

It’s the week before The Masters and the field is set except for one very coveted spot.  The winner of the Shell Houston Open will get the last remaining space in the field for The 2010 Masters.  Davis Love III is in the same position he was last year.  Having not yet qualified under one of the criteria that The Masters selection committee uses to determine the field, Love will have to win this week.  He’ll have some support from real golf fans in Houston but most of them will be rooting for their adopted son and hottest Champions Tour golfer, Fred Couples.

There are 32 golfers playing at the Masters that will be teeing it up at Augusta but so far Love isn’t one of them and there is something wrong with that.  Love deserves to be at Augusta.  He certainly is worthy of a special invitation from the guys in the green jackets.

The Masters uses eighteen different criteria to determine its players.  Many players earn their way on through world ranking points, money lists, past major victories and finishes in prior major events.  Of course The Masters past champions make up one of the most appealing aspects of this tournament.  The Masters also invites many amateur champions that otherwise would never play at Augusta.  Unfortunately for Love he has failed to meet any of those criteria.  But the folks at The Masters boast about their commitment to grow the game and they certainly have taken steps to accomplish that.

Last year, in an effort to grow and broaden the game they issued a “special invitation” to Asian sensation Ryo Ishikawa.  He ended up missing the cut but during the season he went on to prove their decision right.

So why can’t they invite Love as a special invitee.  This guy has twenty PGA Tour wins, including a PGA and two Players Championships. It’s not like he’s John Daly! He’s as dedicated to this game as any professional and cherishes Augusta.  You want to talk about growing the game?  Talk to Davis Love III.  He campaigned for two years to get a PGA tournament at his beloved Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island Georgia.  Growing the game?  How about the golf academy that Love’s father started there in the seventies.  Growing the game?  How about Love and his buddy Zach Johnson hosting the PGA Tour in Georgia during The Fall Finish and bringing the spotlight to Georgia once again.  How many kids and juniors and newcomers get to participate in clinics at Augusta?   Do you think that more kids will be able to spend some time with the pros and take part in the activities at Love’s event or Augusta?  The Masters looks great on television but if you really want to grow the game, Love’s event has a better chance of getting kids turned on to golf with all the activities and the fan friendly environment  that Love will put forth at The McGladrey Classic.

The Masters is as special a tournament as there is in golf.  We all relish everything from the azaleas to Amen Corner to Butler Cabin and everything in between.  The Masters should make this year’s tournament even more special and award Davis Love III a special invitation.  Since they make their own rules they can do anything they wish.  They could even say that Love earned the invite based not only on his play on the course but also for his efforts to grow the game.  That is something The Green Coats and Love certainly have in common.

by Jeff Skinner

The people at the LPGA Kia’s Classic knew what they were doing when they extended a sponsor’s exemption to Hee Kyung Seo of South Korea.  She played well enough to dust the field by six strokes and claim her first victory on US soil.  The top American finishers in the tournament were Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie who tied for sixth.  Pressel shot her lowest round of the tournament with a 68 to finish and Michelle Wie carded a 72, a disputed 72 at that.

Wie thought she was entitled to a 70, not the 72 that included a two stroke penalty which the rules officials had accessed.  It happened on the eleventh hole with Wie’s ball sitting in a water hazard and she attempted to hit it with her right foot ankle deep in the water and her left foot on the bank.  She struck at the ball and it popped out with a huge splash, it hit the bank and rolled back within the boundary of the hazard.   At that point she looked to be trying to keep her balance and she struck the ground inside the hazard with her club.  She played out the hole with a par.

On the face of it, that’s a two stroke penalty, it’s in the rules, rule 13-4.  Wie was convinced that she was trying to maintain her balance and stop from falling back into the pond.  Later on during the round she had a discussion with a rules official and was informed that she had indeed violated the rule and she was assessed a two stroke penalty.

After her round was complete she went to the television compound and watched the footage of her shot with the rules officials.  There she offered her best Stanford Law School defense when she claimed she was losing her balance and trying to stop from falling in the water.  After repeated attempts to convince the officials she grew frustrated.  She certainly acknowledged she did ground her club but she said she felt off balance and thought that should have been enough to convince them that she didn’t deserve the penalty.  There was a lot of “it doesn’t seem right” and “I know that I felt it (off balance)” and “it really seems unfair to me right now.”  I thought her best line was that “It leads to a belief that I’m wearing a white skirt and I might fall in the water.”

I thought she had a fair argument and it appeared like she may have felt off balance but the rules officials said they needed more than just being off balance.  As anyone would be when they get hit with a penalty, she was upset and declared her belief that the penalty was unfair.  Without the two strokes she would have finished in a tie for second place, instead she was tied for sixth.  It cost her about $100,000.  She can chalk it up to another learning experience on tour and get ready for the first major of the season next week.

by Jeff Skinner

The LPGA Tour finally starts its domestic season this week when the ladies tee off tomorrow at the KIA Classic in Carlsbad, California.  The LPGA was last seen a month ago in Singapore and all the LPGA players are chomping at the bit to get the 2010 season restarted.  This will be the first tournament of the season for many players as many didn’t qualify for the first two events of the season or opted not to travel to Asia to compete.

Most of the top players in the world will be teeing it up at The La Costa Resort and Spa with the notable exception being Paula Creamer who is recovering from a thumb injury.  The ladies will all be doing their best to try and turn this tour back into the LPGA Tour and not the Ai Miyazato Tour. Miyazato has opened the season with back to back wins in both tour events and the field will be trying to derail her unbelievable start.

2010 brings another class of quality rookies to the tour.  The 2009 rookie class proved to be one of the best ever in LPGA history and claimed seven tour victories.  Jiyai Shin had three wins, Anna Nordqvist had two, including a major, and Michelle Wie broke through with her first win as did M.J. Hur.  Popular rookies Vicki Hurst, Mika Miyazato and Stacy Lewis rounded out a rookie class whose accomplishments make it a difficult act to follow. Amanda Blumenherst brings the most impressive resume to the LPGA this season.  She was the 2008 Women’s Champion and three time NCAA Player of the Year.

The 2010 rookie class may not have the pedigree of the 2009 class, but it certainly doesn’t lack for talented and interesting players.  One of those talented and appealing players is Jean Reynolds.

Reynolds snuck into the national spotlight last year when she played superb golf at the US Women’s Open.  She was one of only three players under par after the second round and threatened to challenge for the championship.  Her putter failed her during the third round and she admittedly learned a lesson the hard way during the fourth round, “Don’t go at pins on Sundays.”  The USGA appreciates that, they like teaching lessons that way.

In a phone conversation with Reynolds we spoke about her game, her life and her priorities.  While professional golf is important in her life, she has taken the road less travelled to the tour.  She was one of the rare, gifted amateur golfers that didn’t rush to turn professional and even put down her clubs while playing for the University of Georgia.  Many young golfers let their golf define their lives but Reynolds made a conscious effort to be more than just a golfer at college.  She chose to be a normal college student first and a golfer second and she doesn’t regret that decision one bit.

Like many players she was introduced to the game by her father, brothers and her grandfather.  She started playing around age six and stuck with it. Reynolds had a very good junior and amateur career claiming five Georgia State Golf Association Championships and was a member of the winning USGA State Championship Team from Georgia in 2005  She played well on the Duramed Futures Tour, finished second on the money list and earned her shot on The LPGA.

After being recruited by many SEC schools she choose to attend the University of Georgia on a partial scholarship, not because of the money or the golf, but because she already has plenty of friends in Athens.  It’s that kind of attitude that made Reynolds the atypical college golfer.

I asked her to tell me a little bit about herself and in a sweet, gentle, southern drawl she offered honest, open and thoughtful answers.

Jean Reynolds: “I grew up in Newnan, Georgia, small town, both sets of grandparents lived here, two brothers is what started me in golf, my dad’s a big golfer.  I kind of tagged along with him.

(I had a) pretty successful junior & amateur career, Georgia recruited me to play college golf there. I went there and red shirted my freshman.  I kind of got burned out, just with all the practice regimen and I was enjoying college and being a normal college student at the university and decided to walk away from it.  Then I picked it back up I believe my junior year. I studied abroad my sophomore year in Innsbruck, Austria. So I probably took a good year and a half off of competitive golf and then (I played one Georgia State Tournament before I left for Innsbruck). You know, my junior year, the competitive juices started flowing again and I played in the USGA State Team Championship. The captain was Pat Clark who is a dear friend of mine and we ended up winning that and that just got the competitive juices flowing again. I decided to try both Q-Schools, ended up finishing 5^th at the Futures Tour and gave that a run.  My first year, I think that was ’07, I had just kind of a mediocre year, more than anything I just had a terrible attitude.  At the end of the year I just sat down and reevaluated what I needed to work on because the golf game was there, even after the time off I had taken.  So my coach, Charlie King, he’s out of Reynolds Plantation down here in Georgia, he helped me tremendously with the mental thought of it just figuring what I really wanted out of this lifestyle and career and you know once we cleared all of the garbage out between the ears it was just, kind of go out and play golf and have fun again. That was the biggest thing for me for this past year and the success I had I think is due to just going back to your junior days and just playing golf and have fun.

LLG: So you actually went to college on a scholarship, prepared to play?

JR: I mean it wasn’t a full scholarship or anything like that, but you know I already had tons of friends at Athens and that was just kind of where I always wanted to go.  My two brothers went to Ole Miss and I had a lot of Southeastern Conference schools looking at me but Georgia was two hours from home. That was just kind of the best option

LLG: It sounds like you enjoyed your college life.

JR: I did, I loved it. I met some wonderful people there, some of my best friends.  I’ve got a very tight knit group of friends and I think that’s very important to keep a balance in your life.

LLG: What was the craziest thing you and your sorority sisters did in school?

JR: Oh goodness! (I can almost hear her blush as she laughs) There were probably a lot of them I don’t need to tell.  We lived in a six girl room in the sorority house which is kind of fun.  We all had bunk beds and I mean we were like little mice packed in there but we just had a good time. We really did. I mean everyone there has got a different personality, everyone’s got a different story and for me it was just nice to get away from the golf.  You know everyone associated me with golf, you know she’s a golfer, but there no one cared.  They didn’t understand golf and it was just a nice break.

LLG: So you didn’t want your life defined by golf? You wanted to explore everything else in college?

JR: Yeah, I mean I think your identity should be, obviously what you’re passionate about, but I mean there are other things that I think people want to be recognized for.

LLG: When you stopped playing, did you think you were going to play professional golf after you graduated?

JR: You know, deep down, I knew I was not quitting.  Of course I had a lot of people questioning me…you know “she burned out, she quit.” As far as I knew I was going to go back to play competitive golf. I didn’t know if that was to continue playing amateur tournaments or if I was going to turn pro. But it was kind of later in the year, probably (end of )06, early 07 that I did some research and I was like why not, let’s try it, do it for a couple years and see how it works out.

LLG: So now you’re a full time player on the LPGA Tour, how’s that feel?

JR: Pretty awesome!  It’s kind of a dream come true. Once you get there it’s not easy and you’ve got to keep bustin it and keep your focus at hand.  But for me I’m just enjoying the opportunity.  I think it’s going to be a fun year and you know I’m not going to put any expectations or pressure on myself. I’m just going out there and play golf and have fun.

LLG: Do you have any specific goals for the season?

JR: Obviously, to secure my card for next year, that would be a huge bonus.  Anytime you can avoid Q-School that is saving a huge headache.  So, to secure my card and I would just like to play well, and in order for me to do that I have to have fun.  So I’m just going to take it as it comes. (I’ll be very disappointed if I couldn’t finish in the top 90).

LLG: Are there any events you are looking especially forward to on the tour this year?

JR: Absolutely, my first one in San Diego (The Kia Classic). It’s been quite awhile since I’d teed it up.  But you know it was the same way last year. I’m kind of superstitious so I’m starting the routine I did going into my first tournament last year and that obviously worked out pretty kind of good.

LLG: What routine is that?

JR: I’ve been working out tremendously. But I didn’t play competitive tournaments going into my first event.  I went down to Orlando… and got a lot of good practice in and played a lot of golf down there. And I just got ready and felt good about my game going into that first tournament.  I’m kind of sticking with that routine.

LLG: Who, other than your parents, did you admire growing up, as far as a golfer?

JR: I’ve always been a big Fred Couples and a Davis Love III fan.  I just love their attitude.  I like the way they handle themselves on the golf course.

LLG: What do you think is going to be the most difficult adjustment you’ll have to make to the LPGA Tour?

JR: Probably just getting into the routine of things, kind of figuring out, travel and things.  I learned a lot through the Futures Tour with the travel.  Of course this will be a step up. But once you step in there and get your feet wet and observe what’s going on, I think you just kind of take it hand in hand.  I mean there are obviously some things you want to stay away from, but from there it’s a learning experience. I’m a fast learner.  So hopefully I can make adjustments in time to not have to worry about it during tournament week.

LLG: What are you looking forward to most on the tour?

JR: Getting to play golf with some of the different girls out there and learning a lot from their games.  Obviously, they are extremely talented or else they wouldn’t be where they are right now.  Just watching them, especially the short game, I’ll be observing a lot of that. It should be interesting as far as practice rounds.

LLG: Have you set your schedule for the season?

JR: Yea, I’m playing…I have committed to everything.  In order for me to play in the Kraft this year I’ll have to finish top ten In San Diego (Kia Classic).  After that I’m signed up to play everything and then of course the US Open, I’ll have to qualify for that…and then the British Open.   But everything, full field I’ll play.  (She’s hoping to qualify for the Evian Masters also).

LLG: Do you have a full time caddy?

JR: I do.  His name is Paulie Maggiore.  He’s from Pittsburgh.  I met him on the Futures Tour he was caddying for a good friend of mine all last year and he caddied for me at the Open this past year.  More than anything he is just good at keeping me relaxed and keeps me smiling.  For me that’s the most important thing on the golf course.

LLG: Sounds like you already have a good relationship with him?

JR: We’re good friends and like I said he just keeps me relaxed and that’s when I play my best golf.

LLG: Do you have some friends on the tour now that you played with on the Futures Tour?

JR: I’ve got Samantha Richdale, I played a lot with her and Mina Harigae and there are a few out there but I’m looking forward to meeting many more.

LLG: Do you have a favorite club, or a go to club?

JR: Oh gosh, I’m a fairly consistent driver of the golf ball.  I mean I can get it out there pretty good for my size.  I can rely on driving the ball.

After talking to Ms. Reynolds I was left with the impression that while she is passionate about her golf game, she’ll not let it define her life.  She knows what she wants and right now that’s to perform well on tour.  She said her key to playing well is being relaxed and happy.  That philosophy should serve her well not only on tour, but in her life as well.

by Jeff Skinner

As we all continue to digest Tiger’s dueling interviews, one thing is clear: Team Tiger is still trying to control the story.  Team Tiger is in full recovery mode now as they try to take as much heat off Tiger before he tees it up at The Masters.  The decision to give short, controlled interviews to a few selected outlets looks more like a type of damage control then it does a full, open dialogue between Tiger and the press.  Tiger’s people also offered an interview to CBS but they declined because of the time limitations on the questioning.  The Golf Channel and ESPN are really entertainment outlets and they chose to go ahead with the interviews with the time restriction.

Tiger did appear to look more like a real person as compared to the robotic, uncomfortable delivery he displayed during his “apology statement” last month.  He is still trying to call all the shots here.  He answered most questions with the same prepared statements and played the “between Elin and me” card anytime the questions turned to the events of November 27^th.  It was the intent of Team Tiger to make him look a little better in the public’s eye after these chats.  Maybe they succeeded in some respects but the ones who came out looking really good were Kelly Tilghman and Tom Rinaldi.

Tilghman and Rinaldi preformed very admirably in a tough situation.  They both knew Woods would stonewall them on the personal questions but they at least tried to get something out of him.  With the time limit they had little chance to follow up any of Tiger’s vague responses.  Some have said they should have touched on the area of performance enhancing drugs, but with so little time all the questions couldn’t be answered.

Tiger and his team are surely counting Sunday’s interviews as victories for Woods.  He got through them unscathed and to most he appeared to be making strides towards his return.  But in reality we learned nothing new about Tiger and his last four months.  He again displayed his obsessive need to control everything.  John Hawkins says Woods hasn’t really taken any steps at all.  He’s still the same Tiger. John Feinstein says that Woods followed the classic Ari Fleischer strategy:”say you’re sorry but don’t get into anything too specific.”  That’s exactly what Woods did.  Feinstein goes on to say “he was still selling himself, that was what this was all about…as far as I could tell he is still the same Tiger Woods he was before November 27^th”.

Let’s hope for his sake, for golf’s sake and his family’s sake that Woods has at least changed a little.  He’ll only be in for more heartache if he hasn’t.