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by Jeff Skinner

Last year at Liberty National the FedEx Cup Playoffs got off to rousing start with Heath Slocum taking down the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Paddy Harrington and Steve Stricker.  Slocum entered the 2009 Barclays at 124^thplace in The FedEx Cup points list and stole the show from the big name golfers.  All he did was sink a twenty foot par putt on the eighteenth hole to win the first tournament of the playoffs.  It was a true Cinderella story and it kicked off a great string of tournaments.  The next three weeks saw Stricker, Woods and Mickelson win in succession.  If Tim Finchem could sign up for a replay of last year he would do it in a hurry.

That was then and this is now.  The Barclays has moved to a different course and Slocum is now 50^th in points.  Who will be this years’ Cinderella story?  Maybe #124, Robert Garrigus will be.  Maybe David Duval at #120 will be the story.  There are 125 players trying to move on to next week and this should be an interesting week.

Phil hits balls off the aircraft carrier Intrepid in NYC

Tiger will be getting into action a little earlier than he is used to.  The start times for The Barclays are based on the FedEx Cup rankings and since Tiger is 112^th he gets to be in the first group off at 7:10 am.  That’s usually a good time for his practice round but Woods is used to sleeping in a little bit longer.  There are still some that like Tiger’s chances to win but he’ll need some magic to pull himself out of the deepest funk he has ever seen.  With his divorce now final maybe Woods can find some peace of mind and put four rounds together.

If Dustin Johnson doesn’t win another tournament this season it will be a sin.  Johnson had two majors within his reach only to throw up on himself at The U.S. Open and be bunkered at The PGA Championship.  OK, so he has a win at The A.T. & T. Pebble Beach, but this guy was there for two majors on Sunday.  How about a little love for a real hot golfer, Johnson could win the whole darn thing.

Ernie Els is number one in Cup points and has two wins.  He wanted a major really bad this year and had a shot at The U.S. Open but missed his chance.  A win in the playoffs and The FedEx Cup would be a nice substitute for his missed major.

Phil Mickelson returns to the New York Metropolitan area as a “local” favorite.  No player is as loved in the New York area as Phil is.  He’ll feed off the energy of the fans and try to get all parts of his game working in sync for a change.  Phil’s season is already a success with his Masters win but he has been off his game recently.

Rory McIlroy would be a welcome champ at The Barclays.  The “young stud” could breathe some very young life into the playoffs and give Finchem the buzz that he wants.  Rory already has a win this year and has three top tens in his last three starts including third place finishes at The PGA and The Open Championship.

Quick one: Who leads the tour in actual scoring average and top ten finishes? Surprise… Matt Kuchar, that’s right, Kuchar.  Heck he has earned $2.9 million and hasn’t won this year yet.  This could be his time.  He is one of the hottest players on tour.

by Jeff Skinner

Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren have announced through their attorneys that their divorce is final.  After ten months of scandal, speculation and rumors the two finally have a bit of closure to an utterly distasteful period of their lives.  Tiger and Elin have been separated for months and this will allow the two of them to attempt to move on and get their respective lives together.  Their statement emphasizes their commitment to their children and their desire to concentrate on their well being.

Unfortunately children are the innocent victims anytime two parents have difficulty with their relationship.  Elin will be taking her maiden name back as she enters the next chapter in her life.  Few wives have had to endure the humiliation and drama that she has had the past year.  It’s time she started her new life.

While we haven’t seen much of Elin the past months we have seen more than enough of Tiger.  He has tried to get his game back on track but his performance this year has been dismal.  Tiger finished 112^th in FedEx Cup points to get him into the playoffs but he’ll need to pick it up to advance.  He’ll need to finish somewhere between 50^th to 57^thplace to move on the The Deutsche Bank Championship.  He’ll be trying his hardest as the DeutscheBank benefits his Tiger Woods Foundation.  If Tiger fails to play well again and misses the rest of the playoffs it may be a blessing in disguise.  He obviously has felt the effects of his personal troubles on the course.  He may be better served taking some time off and settling his life.  A few months off could be the best medicine for an ailing Tiger. He could spend some time with his children and regroup his personal life.  The 2011 season should be the start of Tiger’s new professional life and his journey towards Jack’s eighteen majors.

by Jeff Skinner

Cheers to Arjun Atwal as he parred the last to win The Wyndam Championship. He came into the tournament with nothing to lose as he had no chance at getting into the FedEx Cup playoffs.  He went out and qualified on Monday and ended up cashing the winner’s check.  He said he was playing to win and not worrying about anything else.  That certainly worked for him.  “I told my caddie, ‘We’ve got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it,”’ Atwal said. “Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedEx Cup spots or whatever. We’ve got nothing. I don’t have a card. I don’t have anything. Just go out there and freewheel it, and that’s what I did this week.”

Cheers to Ai Miyazato for winning The Safeway Classic on Sunday and claiming her fifth victory of the 2010 season.  The Japanese golfer also stepped back into the top spot in The Rolex Rankings as the number one women’s golfer in the world. Cristie Kerr was gaining on her but rinsed her ball on the 18^th and settled for a tie for second.  Miyazato has owned the LPGA this year.

Cheers to Fred Funk for winning The Jeld-Wen Tradition and completing his come back from severe knee problems. This is Funks second victory there in three years and a fitting climax to his season.  He has battled knee issues for two years and to see the Funkmaster take home the trophy is really great.  “I really like this golf course, and I really like this area. Obviously, it’s been good to me,” said Funk.

by Jeff Skinner

The LPGA is finally back in action this week as the ladies are in Oregon at beautiful Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club for the Safeway Classic.  After a three week layoff the tour could use a little shot in the arm to get back in the America’s sports consciousness.   Unfortunately the ladies look to have a dud on their hands.

America’s golfing sweetheart, Paula Creamer missed the cut as she is still feeling the effects of thumb surgery.  The very popular Cristina Kim and Morgan Pressel miss the cut also and Michelle Wie is back in the pack.  To top it off fan favorite and Hall of Famer Juli Inkster gets disqualified.  That’s right Juli Inkster gets DQ’d for using a training aid during the round.  Of all people to get fouled up by such a simple rule, Inkster has been on tour for 27 years and should know better.  To make matters worse she was in contention and tied for second place in the tournament.

During a lengthy wait at the tenth tee she put a weighted donut on her club to help her stay loose.  It was clear violation of the rules but no one caught it until an e-mail was sent to the LPGA by a television viewer.  I am sure Inkster wasn’t thrilled but I bet Commissioner Michael Whan was a little peeved too.  Here is a chance to get the tour rolling again and it falls flat.  Well, I guess every week can’t be a Paula Creamer win.

by Jeff Skinner

You have to give President Obama some credit.  Not just because he is The President and the most powerful man on earth but because he really never backs away from a challenge.  Such was the case on Friday when he decided to hit the links again while on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

The First Golfer played a round of golf on what many call the toughest golf course on the island, Vineyard Golf Club.  This is a President that loves to play.  He always plays a few times while on vacation and makes it a point to find a way to get a round or two in while he is in Washington.

He has some game too; this isn’t some ceremonial, recreational hacker.  He plays a good game.  Some of the pros on the Vineyard said he has good distance off the tee and is an accurate iron player.  His downfall is his putter.  The short stick has no political allegiance. It frustrates Democrats and Republicans alike.

by Jeff Skinner

So the PGA Tour kicks back into gear today at The Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.  The boys will be trying to earn enough FedEx Cup points to qualify for next week’s Barclays.

Fred Couples has made a strange decision.  He has opted out of the Champions Tour Jeld-Wen Tradition in Oregon, a senior major, to play in North Carolina.  At 164^th on the FedEx Cup list he would need a really great finish to qualify for the playoffs.  But, Freddy being Freddy offered his explanation to The Golf Channel last night.  He said he has been spending time with his girlfriend in Charlotte so he decided to stay local instead of making the cross country flight (even though next week he’s playing in Seattle).  Ah, the power of love.  Fred has always walked to his own beat and this week is no different.  It must be love for Freddy in North Carolina.

by Jeff Skinner

Lost in all the commotion surrounding Dustin Johnson’s bunker-gate on Sunday at The PGA Championship was an exceptional round of golf played by Jeff Overton.  The Ryder Cup rookie went out first, as a single when Ian Poulter withdrew and proceeded to set a PGA Championship record.  His 79 will never qualify as a scoring record but Overton was able to get around the hills and dunes of Whistling Straights in 2 hours and 9 minutes.  The PGA says he broke the old record of 2 hours and 10 minutes held by Phil Blackmaar.  That’s moving pretty fast, granted, he wasn’t really concerned about going low after going three over par after four holes but that is one quick round.

Most hackers can’t get through nine holes in 2 Hours and 9 minutes much less 18.  He had to be running around that course.  129 minutes with 79 shots, that’s one swing every 1.6 minutes or a shot every 98 seconds.  That’s absolutely amazing.  We all should take a lesson from Overton.  Play fast and enjoy.

by Jeff Skinner

The dust has settled at Whistling Straights, or should I say the sand has settled, and we are left with another first time major winner in the very deserving Martin Kaymer.  We also have the bulk of the 2010 Ryder Cup Team complete as The PGA Championship was the last opportunity to earn points.  Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar all earned enough points to earn an their way onto the team.

Now the fun starts for Captain Corey Pavin.  He gets four Captain’s Picks and he may have a difficult time in selecting his remaining four players.  With Tiger Woods declaring that he would play if selected as a pick Pavin has to pick him.  I know he is playing like dog crap but he still is the world number one and he has a lot of support on that team.  The other choices could give Pavin some pause.  Anthony Kim is just back playing and his thumb may present a problem.  Pavin has said he’ll announce his picks on September 7th so that gives Kim some more time to shake off the rust and heal.  He is a Ryder Cup stud and his enthusiasm would be a great asset for the team.  If Lucas Glover doesn’t miss the cut at The PGA he’s on the team.  He still warrants a pick.  Zach Johnson has been one of the most consistent players on tour and would be a fine choice.  Other players worth considering are Bo van Pelt and Stewart Cink.  Both have played well and would require that Pavin go off the board, below the twelve top point earners.

Maybe Pavin has a wild card pick like adding Rickie Fowler to get the “skater” crowd to follow The Ryder Cup.  If he wants to annoy the Europeans he could pick the slow playing Ben Crane to get the Euros off their game.  All that talk about Tom Watson or Fred Couples being selected for the team is just that: talk.  That’s not happening.

From my perspective if Pavin just took the top twelve point earners he would have a solid team and few could argue with that.  He could also follow Paul Azinger’s method for picking the lucky four.  Zinger let the players that earned their way on select the four Captain’s Picks.  That’s such a great way to do it.  I am shocked it took this long for a captain to do it that way.  It worked out pretty good for Zinger and his boys didn’t it.

by Jeff Skinner

The closing holes of The PGA Championship were some of the most exciting of the entire major season.  It looked like the 2010 major season would end with a bang.  Unfortunately, the day ended with resounding thud as Dustin Johnson’s mishap in a “bunker” deflated what was to be a spectacular finish.

The day started strangely.  It looked like the U.S. Open with the leader stumbling out of the gate.  When leader Nick Watney opened with a double bogey and went three over par after just four holes he was done for the day.  As play wound down to the conclusion it looked to be one of the most exciting finishes in major championship history.  Sure, there was no Tiger or Phil in the hunt but there were a half dozen players in position to take the 92^nd PGA Championship.

Bubba Watson had birdied 13, 14 and 16 to get to five under for the day and get back in the race.  Martin Kaymer had played flawless golf and was as solid as any player on the course until a bogey on 15.  Zach Johnson had a birdie putt on 18 to get to 11 under and join the playoff.  Rory McIlroy could have been around for the playoff if he had birdied one of his last two holes.  Dustin Johnson looked like he was ready to claim the major that he squandered at Pebble Beach.  Even Steve Elkington was making noise until consecutive bogeys on 17 and 18 left him two strokes short of the playoff.  The stage was set for a wild finish and it looked like the young guns were going to claim another major.

Johnson had a one stroke lead when his tee ball at 18 went horribly right.  His iron from the sandy lie went short and left of the green into deep rough.  With Watson and Kaymer in the house at 11 under Johnson needed to get up and down from the thick rough to win his first major championship. Johnson’s short game gets overlooked because of his tremendous length but he has a great touch and landed the ball about eight feet from the hole.  When he addressed the putt he and all of us thought he was putting for the title.  When he missed he was ready to go to the play off with Kaymer and Watson.  That’s when he was told of his rules violation in the “bunker” during his second shot on eighteen.

As Johnson and the PGA officials sorted things out the air seeped out of the PGA Championship’s balloon.  When Kaymer and Watson teed off to start the three hole playoff the focus was on Johnson and his unlucky break in that so called bunker.  To say the playoff was anti-climatic is an understatement.  It almost seemed like an afterthought.  This isn’t to take anything away from Kaymer.  He is a very good player and a class guy.  With five European tour wins and a major at 25 years old he will be a force to be reckoned with on all the tours.  Kaymer played well and was the last man standing on a grueling day over a difficult course.  He beat the strongest field of the year and we’ll see him on the European Ryder Cup Team.

Martin Kaymer’s win continued the trend of first time, young golfers capturing major championship.  The youth movement is alive and well in golf.

Kaymer may well be the games next superstar but his first major will forever be remembered as the one where Dustin Johnson got screwed when he grounded his club on a patch of sand that was surrounded by fans and The PGA called a bunker.

Does this look like a bunker?