Tiger vs. the PGA

By John Gottlieb
The Phanatic Magazine

I know it's a little late, but how dare Tiger Woods skip the Barclays as the PGA tries to institute its new playoff system.

Tiger complained about the toll taken on his body playing in the previous two tourneys, but the PGA is the reason why Woods has a beautiful wife, millions upon millions of dollars, and will most likely hold every golfing record when his career is done.

Seriously, why is Tiger so tired? Because he collected over $2.6 million by winning the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship.

But, Tiger should suck it up, get out there, and throw some legitimacy to the FedEx Cup, PGA's new playoff system that awards points to golfers through the final four tournaments of the season. Less and less golfers are allowed to take part in each successive tourney until a champion is crowned.

Leading to the FedEx Cup Tiger had more points than any other golfer, but didn't feel it was necessary to take part at the Barclays.

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem played nice and said he was disappointed that Tiger decided not to come to New York, but imagine how steamed he really was that Woods backed out?

This is a convoluted, hard-to-understand playoff system, but that all would have been forgotten is Tiger was there.

Instead we were thankfully graced with a Sunday matchup of Steve Stricker and K.J. Choi.

Reportedly, Tiger doesn't enjoy the rowdy New York crowds and that could be the real reason why he skipped the Barclays, which he hasn't taken part in for the last few seasons.

Woods now finds himself in fourth place in the FedEx Cup standings, just over 4,000 points behind Stricker, heading into the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston this weekend.

The PGA should take a strong stance and make it that if you want to take part in the FedEx Cup then you have to take part in the first of the four tournaments.

I wonder if Tim Finchem would've been happier if Tiger hasn't won the PGA Championship?

Tiger is bigger than the sport of golf, but how's about giving something back to the PGA and taking part in the inaugural event of the inaugural FedEx Cup.

A Man with Only Memories

**The Phanatic Magazine recognizes the charitable causes involved with the TLS Memorial and the man they represent. The magazine's name will be proudly displayed in support on the 13th tee box during this Friday's TLS Memorial Golf Tournament**

By Jared Trexler
The Phanatic Magazine

A large shadow crippled to a mere skeleton by death's doing.

Imagine being in denial all that time. As a deadly disease's course won over the newest and strongest drugs, all a young college kid could muster were dreams.

Yet, even they couldn't overcome a real-life nightmare. A 6-foot-7 giant in appearance and exuberance reduced to a ghost, fading away with each passing moment as Christmas Day 2004 neared.

Terry Stevens died practically hours after I returned home for winter break. I came home early, skipping my last final and driving three-plus hours as my father kept preparing me for the worst.

"It isn't good. He doesn't look like himself."
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He did many months earlier.

A bad back withstanding, Terry had taken up golf to spend more time with me. Using a set of clubs far too small, he whacked a little white ball far too many times without a hint of disgust.

Instead he spent his time laughing, offering logic to calm my club-tossing tendencies, holding an ailing back every so often.

That ailing back was cancer...in his liver. With each doctor's appointment came worse news. It was in his lungs, spreading fast and furious. It was stage four, likely to the point that one of the nation's premier cancer center's (Sloan/Kettering in New York City) couldn't save him.

Yet, he stayed positive. He lived life, maintaining a strong relationship with his wife and two young boys. Jacy Stevens was born just months before his father's passing.

His friends, my parents, his wife Lisa all took turns driving with him to chemo treatments. I was three hours away from reality, tucked in Happy Valley, where everything was happy and cancer wasn't real.

It soon became very real.
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I last spoke to him just past Thanksgiving in 2004. He had lost some weight and all his hair. We talked about school, girls, basketball.

We didn't talk about cancer. Nor the apparent fact that he was dying.

The last piece of wisdom he uttered attempted to cheer me up. "You will find that special girl." A man dying finding time to cheer up someone else.

What could I say? "You won't die." I said nothing.
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I walked into the living room to a site I wasn't prepared for. Tubes everywhere, and a man that little resembled my uncle lying with his eyes closed holding his son Jonah on his lap.

Earlier in the day, Jonah had asked his mother, "Why is daddy always tired?" I asked myself that night, "Why is Uncle T dying on me?"

Everyone else left the room. It was me and him -- just like it was when I needed a sounding board. Someone to make sense of my early adolescence and venture toward adulthood.

He couldn't speak, the cancer building overflowing fluid in his lungs. I talked to him about school, girls, basketball.

I then finally broke down. "I love you. And I'm going to make you proud of me."
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Four years later, the TLS Memorial is going strong. The golf tournament gives money to a cancer organization, a high school scholarship and an education endowment for Terry's two young sons.

Each year, I say the goodbye I never managed when he could have answered back.

I miss him dearly. I wish I could tell him that today.

I try to with each swing of the club. Each story of the past.

On Friday, July 27, the area will again convene to remember a large shadow. There are no pictures of his cancer or his physical deterioration.

We remember Terry. I remember the most important male presence in my life save my father.

Uncle Johnny, this horse bite is for you.
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The Phanatic Magazine is a sponsor for the 2007 TLS Memorial. Jared Trexler can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

Splish, Splash: O'Hair takes choker's bath

By Jared Trexler

The Phanatic Magazine

American golf fans are desperate, and desperation clouds judgment.

They realize Tiger Woods is now a thirty-something with a wife, an expected child around British Open week and the singular goal of catching and destroying Jack Nicklaus' 18-major record.

He cares about history, chasing it endlessly, yet also now juggling it with a family. The young prodigy has masterfully transformed himself into the established champion well on his way to the title "Best Player Ever."

It's a ride past its midway point, and the American golfing landscape has never looked bleaker. Phil Mickelson, fresh off a PLAYERS title, is 37 and while he's likely to produce at least another half-decade of world class golf, the sands through an hour glass drip daily.

Jim Furyk is another thirty-something, and Davis Love III and Fred Couples are battling injuries as a result of success and its by-products -- the wear and tear that constitutes a winning desire at any cost.

The supposed next great young Americans haven't produced. Do you remember Ty Tyron, the overwhelming power of Hank Kuehne, the silky-smooth Jeff Quinney with the athletic family pedigree? All with so much hope, so many expectations, so few results.

Enter Sean O'Hair, 24 and rail thin. Maturity not an issue -- not when he grew up with an overbearing father who made him run a mile for every bogey, pulled him out of AJGA competition and forced him to train like a track star after every round in the black.

No, O'Hair has experienced so much pain through the early years that handling the pressures on a golf course will never compare. His demeanor has little ebb and flow, his golf swing a seamless motion of back and through.

And he's a Philadelphia boy -- from West Chester with stops in Florida at the David Leadbetter Academy and a subsequent childhood home of Best Westerns and the back of his father's car. Speaking of the father, well, he doesn't speak to him anymore. That story has been well chronicled on "60 Minutes" and every sports show from here to Bristol.

It makes you pull for the kid. Coupled with a fabulous golf swing, and well, O'Hair is American golf's next young hope, almost to the point where criticism is disallowed, unwarranted for fear of destroying his psyche, his fragile mindset, some even call it a ticking time bomb bottled up from years of "Yes, sir, right away sir."

Every golf writer nationwide has lauded O'Hair for guts and gumption on the 17th tee at The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass Sunday. Then they've patted him on the back for speaking to NBC's Roger Maltbie and handling disappointment with style and grace.

No one is pulling away the "Stars & Stripes forever" blinders, stepping back from the situation and calling O'Hair's Sunday decision making what it truly was.

Sean O'Hair choked. Just like Scott Hoch and Greg Norman and Jean Van de Velde. For some the pain was drawn out, for others it was over in the time it took to strike a three-foot putt.

Yet, in the end O'Hair never corralled the ever-building nerves and adrenaline. He and Mickelson weren't put on the clock, but they were a full hole behind Peter Lonard and Aaron Baddeley late in the round because O'Hair's pre-shot routine got longer and more hesitant.

Then there was the missed opportunities at 15 and 16, two relatively easy putts on some of the flattest greens on tour. NBC's Johnny Miller spoke ad naseum about Sawgrass' minimal breaks all week, then O'Hair missed a pair of putts inside 10 feet that would have trimmed Mickelson's lead in half.

But that wasn't the worst part. Standing on the 17th tee, O'Hair pulled nine iron for a 138-yard shot with negligible wind. It was way too much club -- Maltbie and Miller spoke in utter shock before the West Chester resident even pulled the trigger. Instead of talking him into a pitching wedge like a veteran caddie should, Steve Lucas (O'Hair's father-in-law) handed the youngster a signed, sealed and delivered death warrant.

A nine iron that never had a prayer -- not even taking into account his adrenaline and the events of just a day earlier. His nine iron on Saturday stopped just under five feet from the hole to a back pin playing approximately 143 yards. When he hit it, O'Hair almost became sick with the realization it was H20 bound.

The golf gods spared his ball, turning what could have been 4 or worse into the middle of three closing birdies. He wasn't so lucky Sunday.

He said he was playing "to win," and not for the paycheck. However, what's wrong with hitting wedge to the middle of the green, making par and heading to Sawgrass' hardest hole where a birdie-bogey swing is entirely possible?

What's wrong with keeping the possibility of failure in the back of Mickelson's mind as he stands on the 72nd tee of another top-notch event with the lead and sudden doom lurking down the left?

It's a much smarter proposition than trying to carve an easy nine iron into a sucker pin with so many emotions running through your head.

The young man will learn, and I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment that the TPC "fits his game." He may even be America's next young golfing star.

Many times, failure first leads to success in the long run. Let's hope choking has the same effect.

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Jared Trexler can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

Players Preview: No 5th Major, But Major Feel

By Jared Trexler

The Phanatic Magazine

Welcome to the Players Stadium Course, a fitting name for a piece of golf architecture in the PGA Tour's backyard -- built by Pete Dye with revisionist tinkering by a host of name players, and with the spectator's keen interest at heart.

Large mounds -- golf plateaus if you like -- provide picturesque backdrops, stunning vistas, and dramatic amphitheaters, especially circling the final three strips of land surrounded by trees, and a Florida beach's three famed ingredients.

Sand. Water. And susceptibility to gusty, swirling winds. The latter is what makes the par-5 16th a thinker's hole -- Do I go for the green in two? -- the famed island par-3 17th a test of wills and the par-4 18th the scariest tee shot in golf.

And then there's the water, beautiful to the eye and menacing to the heart. It lunges out at players to the right of the 16th green and hugs tightly to the left hip of the 18th hole from start to finish.

And 17 -- well the water is psychologically damning. How could anyone else explain the pre-shot terror and subsequent sinking of ball and hope all over a quaint little nine iron?

However, this year's story doesn't begin at the closing three holes, though they will go far in determining the championship novel's conclusion.

This year is about a new TPC Sawgrass, one with subtle changes, including a few feet added to the left side of the 17th island to support a new hole location. A chipping area taking the place of a bunker long right of the 7th green. About a Tiger Woods pitching wedge worth of card yardage added my moving several tees to Delray Beach.

Most importantly, the unseen changes may have the most impact on the tournament shot-to-shot. Sawgrass' "S" shaped fairways with sharp ending points that lead to tall rough, sand and water will again enter the equation thanks to firmer fairways, and in turn, approach shots not struck from the short grass will no longer allow spin to push them toward the hole.

It's all a result of a new drainage system -- a high-tech, hands-on system that allows the golf course superintendent and his henchmen to set the course's playability to a tee if not for some unforeseen rain squall charging in off the Atlantic. After last year's event, Pete Dye and company cut open Sawgrass' heart to find a sponge of forgiveness, soaking in rain water and yielding forgiving conditions even in the most challenging scoring environments.

Thus, the revamping project began, and didn't end until the clubhouse and championship itself also received major face lifts. An approximate $32 million dollars -- or the yearly salary of our very own John McMullen -- later, a breathtaking Mediterranean clubhouse now greets the players, giving the tournament an instant epic feel at the main entrance.

Then there is the tournament's new place on the FedEx Cup roster, a mid-May date comfortably placed between April's Masters and June's United States Open. A date that gives The Players Championship an opportunity to spread its collective wings and soar to even greater heights. Instead of playing little brother to March Madness and second fiddle to a fast-approaching Masters, The Players is now situated right in-between two majors with a perfect spot on the golf calendar.

Below, The Phanatic's 19th Hole dives into The Players Championship with three pressing questions then handicaps the field teeing off Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach.

1. Tiger called the 17th hole "gimmicky" in his Tuesday news conference. Big deal?

Not at all. The story needs to remain on the biggest purse in golf, a cool $9 million, the best field in golf and a new and improved Stadium Course. Woods knew he stuck his foot in mouth upon surmising that the 17th hole would "make a great 8th hole." It's the Stadium Course's landmark, its identifying point for golf fans and even the non-golf spectators. Woods has had his share of success on the diabolical hole -- remember NBC tower announcer Gary Koch's "Better than most...Better than most...Better than most!" line after Tiger's sidewinding 50-footer found the bottom of the cup. Yet, he's also found H20 and made the unenviable walk to the drop area. Woods, who has improved mightily with the media as he's matured, likely misspoke, and in turn, the scribes and talking heads misconstrued the message's real intent. He's not in love with the hole...but he's still got to navigate it at least four times this week.

2. The best performance in Players Championship history?

Craig Perks, who played a Tuesday practice round with Tiger, had quite a finish, capped by his chip-in par at the 18th to win in 2002 with a score a 280 -- 16 shots behind the all-time, never-will-be-broken scoring record of Greg Norman. Norman's dominating 1994 tournament victory will never be surpassed for several reasons, the most important being his blitz of the Stadium Course caused the first of several rounds of renovations. Secondly, at his world-class best Norman's high-ball, attack-attack game fit the TPC to a tee. He opened with a 63 then shot three consecutive 67s to win going away at 24-under. Another historic Players snapshot came on the 17th green that Sunday when Fuzzy Zoeller thought it was finally time to cool Norman off, wiping his brow with a golf towel.

3. What will the course changes mean in terms of winning score this week?

The course will play major-like, firm and fast, throughout the four days if the weather holds up. Isolated storms are a possibility each day but the tournament looks to be played in low-to-mid-80s with a mix of sun and clouds for the better part of four days. If it remains, the course will play similar to Southern Hills off the tee with an intense premium on shot shape and accuracy. You may even see some stinger long irons from Tiger on the shorter to medium length holes. The rough won't be overly long, instead forcing the players to decide between safe approach or risky attempt with the possibility of a flyer lie. The greens will likely hover around 11 on the Green-O-Meter, plenty of pace for complexes with this many humps and bumps. With all that said, I envision a winning score anywhere from 2 to 7 under depending on who can take advantage of softer morning conditions the first two days.

HANDICAPPING THE FIELD

Best Bets: Woods -- he of godly fame with a win last week at the Wachovia -- and owner of a victory and second place finish in this event. However, an interesting aside, Woods has ZERO Top 10s in his last five trips around the TPC. Adam Scott -- Having just a so-so year to date by his standards, Scott hoisted the Players trophy in 2004 with a T8 the following year.

Darkhorse: Ernie Els -- my how the mighty have fallen. Just putting Els in this category details his struggles his season save for a messy Masters rebound the following week at Hilton Head. Ernie hurt has back at the Wachovia and comes to The Players with little fanfare. That's usually when he strikes. He finished T8 last year, but surprisingly that equals his best finish ever. In a week where ball striking and steely-nerved putting will be a premium, it's time for Els to wake up.

19th Hole's champion: Els.

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Jared Trexler can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

From God's Grace to a Green Jacket

**Even if you aren't a golf fan, Jared Trexler takes you on a walk through newly-donned Masters champion Zach Johnson's life -- with a little golf thrown in**

By Jared Trexler
The Phanatic Magazine

Will Johnson really doesn't understand the gravity of this moment. Sucking on a pacifier and sleeping in the Serta that is his mother Kim's arms, Will is far more concerned with life's simplest treasures.

Split peas. Followed by a few firm pats on the back.

Yet, who Will Johnson really is took shape on Sunday afternoon at Augusta National, as his unheralded father took a major leap into golf's big time.

"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so."

The Johnson family has a strong religious upbringing, and in turn a deep faith in fate and guidance from above. Zach thanked Jesus almost immediately in his post-round interview behind the 18th green and then again during the Green Jacket ceremony in Butler Cabin.

Jesus guided him, perhaps even his dimpled white ball, through Amen Corner of all places -- golf's version of the Sistine Chapel. Its hallowed history and extraordinary beauty bestowed by the workings of mother nature provided the setting for God's great work.

And if you don't believe -- believe in a higher being, Johnson's God or any other form prayed to by other worldly religions -- can you honestly comprehend what you saw Sunday at Augusta National?

A tour pro with just one career victory -- just over two years ago in Atlanta at the BellSouth Classic -- never showing the nerves that accompany the gravity of the moment. A calm head at 13 and 15 -- not trying to play hero, instead instilling faith in his game built on the ideals of such faith.

Once in control, hitting a six-iron stiff below the hole at 16 then stroking home the birdie followed by a ceremonious pump of the fist. The pump very well could have been directed above.

A three-putt bogey at 17 was more a product of Augusta's tricky false front than Johnson's crumbling demeanor. He still looked rather calm, flipping the shades forward to shield the setting sun and perhaps a view of Kim and Will behind the 18th green. They represented finality -- and a new wardrobe addition -- and there was still work to be done.

A deft chip off the right side of the final green again illustrated the steely nerves, and the final tap-in posted a number only Tiger Woods could match.

Not this Sunday. Woods' 120-yard approach to the 17th green found the bunker, resulting in Tiger's bewildered assessment, "What the hell was that?"

In Johnson's mind, it had nothing to do with hell. It was all predestined from heaven.

"I'm very lucky today," said Johnson. "I'm beside myself."

Not Will. He's just fine, thank you.

"He's an amazing addition to the family," said Johnson. "He wouldn't have cared if I shot 85 today."

"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope says, 'Try it one more time.'"

And would anyone have been shocked if Johnson unraveled in the heat of the moment, ala Mike Weir in the PGA Championship at Medinah or even Johnson's Ryder Cup teammate Brett Wetterich during the third round of this very Masters?

His best finish in a major before Sunday was a tie for 17th. He played the Prairie Tour, something that sounds eerily similar to Spring-league high school baseball. (By the way, the season is right around the corner and I'm a huge fan of a certain player -- five-tool player I tell you).

He roamed the golfing landscape from Lincoln, Nebraska to Lawrence, Kansas with his first check putting $2,500 into his scarce bank account. His parents still have the poster-size replica, according to ESPN.com, but they or Johnson didn't cash it.

"I'm not Happy Gilmore," he said.

No, Gilmore hit the long ball. Johnson plays a methodical game, one that dominated the Hooters Tour and Nationwide Tour, but never placed him in the discussion to contend on the 7,400-plus yard track of redesigned Augusta National.

Yet, this was a strange week at Augusta. Temperatures dipped into the 50s and wind chills hovered in the mid 40s. Winds whipped through the towering pines at speeds nearing 25 miles per hour. The greens were rock hard and lightning fast. Scores reached levels not seen in over 50 years.

This was (Hootie) Johnson's dream, and (Zach) Johnson's tournament. Yet, it never would have been possible without love and support at life's crossroad.

Was he good enough? Was it financially feasible to travel the country by car and eat at every available Denny's after each round? Would one missed cut and a dwindling bank account end it all?

Those are life's questions. And in Kim and his parents, he found the answers. He found a resounding yes built in faith. An unwavering faith in Zach the golfer, and Zach the person.

If we all can be so lucky to find the person who not only allows us to chase our dream, but embraces it right along with us.

The strength of family -- another of Will's characteristics even as a young child. In just a few short years, he'll understand the love that surrounds him.

And one day, possibly after church and a large family gathering filled with hugs, handshakes and stories of the past, he will sneak into his father's bedroom and push open the closest.

He'll find a Green Jacket -- an aura-filled piece of clothing with many meanings. A new life of riches and fame, a new professional step for golfer Zach and a new, overwhelming sense of confidence.

But it won't define the Midwestern man, the staunch supporter of Kirk Ferentz and all Iowa athletics.

When asked, "Who are you?" in the post-round media room, Johnson never once mentioned the victory or the Masters Tournament.

Rather, he went back to his roots -- the same support system that carried him to victory Sunday.

"I'm Zach Johnson, and I'm from Cedar Rapids, Iowa," he said. "I'm a normal guy." And the father of a baby who will grow up the exact same way.
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Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Editor. He can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

Woods is Ready, Waiting for Augusta

By Jared Trexler

The Phanatic Magazine

A three iron, eight iron, flip wedge, two-putt from 50 feet sequence has become all the more customary for Tiger Woods.

Reducing the famed Blue Monster's 18th hole -- lined down the left with Florida aqua, down the right with mile-high, swaying palm towers, and complete with a devilishly slender piece of real estate we'll call the putting surface -- to a mire chip, chip, chip, putt, putt only begins to illustrate Woods' dominance...

Of a game no one, not even Jack Nicklaus, has ever dominated.

A second-round 66 in tepid conditions followed by a 68 on a rain-soaked Saturday left Woods four clear of the field, and a front nine 35 Sunday gave him a large enough lead that even three bogeys in the final eight holes couldn't deter the coronation.

Doral -- in the same company of St. Andrews, Firestone and a little Georgian Peach the golf world ascends upon in just over one week -- is Tiger's track.

And in the same sense, the World Golf Championships are Tiger's tournaments. He has won a remarkable 13 of 24 WGC events, including five of the last seven. He is also rather comfortable at Doral -- 74 under par in 20 rounds.

"I love this golf course," Woods said in the understatement of the golf season. "I always play well here."

But doesn't Woods play well everywhere? (The answer to that rhetorical question is a resounding, "YES!")

Next stop on the Tiger train, Augusta. The Masters -- where Woods' media-driven arch nemesis and the tournament's defending champion Phil Mickelson awaits. Speaking of Lefty, he finished 70-69 to finish a respectable T23 following an opening round 77.

Woods' double bogey-triple bogey "The world is tilting off its axis!" finish at Bay Hill the week prior was nothing but an aberration. The best players in the world -- more specifically the best player on the planet -- have hiccups in sports' most humbling arena from time to time.

He looked strong physically and poised mentally and emotionally for the task at hand -- and the task ahead.

Woods is driven by numerical standards of excellence -- particularly his record and subsequent victories in the four major championships. As customary, he takes the week off before Augusta to prepare.

As if he doesn't look ready already.

Making bogey because you can afford it on Doral's 72nd hole is an indication of that.

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Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Editor. He can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

With Tiger, the Tour will come

By Jared Trexler

Our nation's capital has risen in popularity over recent days.

Not only does 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue house our nation's leader and his corresponding governing ears, but now little-known Catholic University and the famed War Memorial tie together for an unique bond.

The springboard for an Idol career like never seen before. Welcome to the big time Antonella Barba.

Lost amidst soaking wet t-shirts and provocative poses, Washington, D.C. had other fairly significant news to announce Tuesday.

The golfing area of elite thoroughbreds that houses distinguished Congressional Country Club and its less recognizable neighbor TPC Avenel can now throw its collective support behind a PGA Tour event.

Again.

The Booz Allen Classic lost money, sponsorship and disappeared from the 2007 schedule, leaving the D.C. area void of a men's professional stop.

No Tiger Woods and a bland course like Avenel will do that to any Tour event. Now, commissioner Tim Finchem seems to have realized the formula for success.

Bring aboard Tiger and the money will come.

While its great to have an event back in a golf-crazed area, Woods' star power and the strong backing of his charitable organization -- the Tiger Woods Foundation -- made this deal possible. The world No. 1's foundation also is involved with the Deutsche Bank Championship held just outside Boston.

The good news to decipher from that bit of golf knowledge ist that Woods hasn't missed the Boston Golf Party since its inception in 2003. Now, a new tour event that almost guarantees Woods, possibly save this year with wife Elin's pregnancy and July due date, will replace an old Tour mainstay -- the Stableford-scoring International, which hadn't landed Tiger since 1999 and suffered because of it.

The new event -- without a name, title sponsor, purse and course until a March 7th press conference -- will slide into the Fourth of July weekend slot from July 5-8. It's only fitting a fireworks celebration representing freedom comes to the nation's capital.

"After an extensive search, we are very excited about our partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation to bring a PGA Tour event back to our nation's capital over the 4th of July holiday celebration," said Finchem.

The event will situate itself just after the Tour-favorite Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Michigan, an event Woods always plays due to his affiliation with the title sponsor and his success on the track.

The John Deere Classic, a second-tier event serving as a British Open "tune-up", comes the week after.

It's a perfect landing spot to attract Woods and some of the game's best, especially if the tournament is held on famed Congressional, site of the 1997 United States Open collapse of Tom Lehman and the subsequent Ernie Els victory. Another possible test is Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, the American home course for every Presidents Cup up until 2007.

The news also represents the Tour's growing desire to infuse money and time into today's youth.

The Tiger Woods Foundation's mission statement places focus on obtaining grants that provide opportunities to underserved youth ages 5-17. Programs and grant requests include funding for learning centers, tutoring/mentoring programs and an increased focus on children in urban areas.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to expand awareness and interest in the work we're doing for millions of kids across the country," said Woods. "I'm grateful the PGA Tour selected us as partners and am very excited my Foundation will host another amazing event, this time in our nation's capital. I'm delighted to think of all the young people this will help us reach."

It's a win, win, win -- or in golf terms a trio of birdies -- for the Tour, Tiger and Washington, D.C., which is back in the golf arena after a messy divorce with the Booz Allen.

Spectators can catch Woods and many of the game's best players on a likely revered track in the beauty of summer just after a national holiday.

Some may even tour Catholic University.

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Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Editor. You can reach him at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

WGC Match-Play Predictions: Ogilvy Repeats!

By Jared Trexler

Bobby Jones Bracket
Tiger Woods defeats J.J. Henry -- Solid ball-striker Henry could give Woods problems
Robert Allenby defeats Tim Clark -- Allenby has four Top-10s in four events this season
Rory Sabbatini defeats David Howell -- Mentally weak (Howell) vs. mentally nuts (Rory)
Lucas Glover defeats Nick O'Hern -- Talented American is better tee to green
Carl Petterson defeats K.J. Choi -- Three straight double-digit seeds advance
Henrik Stenson defeats Zach Johnson -- Intriguing Ryder Cup-style bout
Aaron Baddeley defeats Shingo Katayama -- Baddeley has blossomed this season
Luke Donald defeats Miguel Angel Jimenez -- Methodical match comes down to putting


Tiger Woods defeats Robert Allenby -- Best player knocks off red-hot Aussie
Lucas Glover defeats Rory Sabbatini -- I like the young American
Henrik Stenson defeats Carl Petterson -- Talented Euro finally realizing potential
Aaron Baddeley defeats Luke Donald -- Momentum carries Baddeley


Tiger Woods defeats Lucas Glover -- We all know where this is leading
Aaron Baddeley defeats Henrik Stenson -- I remember Aaron Baddeley years ago


Tiger Woods defeats Aaron Baddeley -- Can't overlook Woods' record in match play

Ben Hogan Bracket
Phil Mickelson downs Richard Green -- Battle of southpaws ends similarities
Justin Rose downs Michael Campbell -- Rose threatened at Hope before blowing in wind
Charles Howell III downs Stuart Appleby -- This isn't Hawaii, and Howell is on a roll
Sergio Garcia downs Darren Clarke -- Great match-up of Ryder Cup teammates
Chris DiMarco downs Brett Wetterich -- DiMarco eats this stuff for lunch
Trevor Immelman downs Thomas Bjorn -- South African loves this event
Bart Bryant downs Ian Poulter -- "77-75" isn't what Poulter had in mind before here
Ernie Els downs Bradley Dredge -- Welsh's golfing son little known in the States


Phil Mickelson downs Justin Rose -- Lefty is keeping lower body underneath his arms
Charles Howell III downs Sergio Garcia -- The momentum train sets up Nissan rematch
Chris DiMarco downs Trevor Immelman -- DiMarco is the ultimate Match Play bulldog
Ernie Els downs Bart Bryant -- Two relatively easy matches for Ernie


Phil Mickelson downs Charles Howell III -- Payback comes in third round
Ernie Els downs Chris DiMarco -- Victory sets up dynamic quarterfinal


Phil Mickelson downs Ernie Els -- Mickelson is great when driver is on like it is now

Gary Player Bracket
Jim Furyk beats Brett Quigley -- Quigley is an interesting Match Play study
Angel Cabrera beats Chad Campbell -- Haven't seen much from either player
David Toms beats Aaron Oberholser -- Aaron might have to withdraw
Davis Love III beats Ben Crane -- Crane's philosophy: play slow.
Stewart Cink beats Jeev Milkha Singh -- Welcome to the PGA Tour Jeev!
Padraig Harrington beats Lee Westwood -- Like Garcia v. Clarke, match of Ryder Cup
Stephen Ames beats Robert Karlsson -- Don't worry Stephen. Tiger is far, far away
Vigay Singh beats John Rollins -- Vigay's play has been s0-so, this could be an upset


Jim Furyk beats Angel Cabrera -- Furyk will capitalize on Cabrera's rust
Davis Love III beats David Toms -- Match-up of Ryder Cup friends on U.S. side
Stewart Cink beats Padraig Harrington -- Harrington was brilliant AT TIMES last week
Vigay Singh beats Stephen Ames -- Vigay is lucky to have this early draw


Davis Love III beats Jim Furyk -- I have a feeling about Davis if the back cooperates
Stewart Cink beats Vigay Singh -- Fairways and greens beats rough then scramble


Davis Love III beats Stewart Cink -- Entertaining match, Davis has too much firepower

Sam Snead Bracket
Adam Scott wins over Shaun Micheel -- This isn't the PGA Championship
Rod Pampling wins over Yang Yong-Eun -- WHO? Pampling is tailor made for golf course
Colin Montgomerie wins over Johan Edfors -- Monty another solid match play performer
Paul Casey wins over Mike Weir -- Weir's swing changes still a work in progress
Jose Maria Olazabal wins over Paul Goydos -- Jose's record in MP is stellar
Geoff Ogilvy wins over Steve Stricker -- Supremely talented Aussie advances
Joe Durant wins over Niclas Fasth -- Durant is fit in the "fairways and greens" mold
Scott Verplank wins over Retief Goosen -- Upset! Goose still rounding into form


Adam Scott wins over Rod Pampling -- Young gun survives battle of Aussies
Paul Casey wins over Colin Montgomerie -- Fascinating old guard-new guard battle
Geoff Ogilvy wins over Jose Maria Olazabal -- Talent vs. Experience -- classic battle
Scott Verplank wins over Joe Durant -- Plenty of fairways. Greens. And few bogeys


Adam Scott wins over Paul Casey -- Two of golf's rising stars
Geoff Ogilvy wins over Scott Verplank -- Ogilvy has massive length advantage


Geoff Ogilvy wins over Adam Scott -- Another battle of Aussies goes to the major champion

FINAL FOUR
Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson
Davis Love III vs. Geoff Ogilvy

Prediction: Golf TV would salivate over this Final Four, probably bringing in the highest ratings ever for this event if my predictions (highly unlikely) come to fruition. Mickelson's new-found long game versus Tiger's superior will and heart. The key to the match will be Wood's driver. If it is on, Tiger wins. If it is slightly off, Mickelson will prevail. Love III rode a hot putter and long driving to this point. Ogilvy is the more polished player at this stage of each player's career.

Mickelson defeats Woods, 2&1
Ogilvy defeats Love III, 3&2

The Championship Match will conclude A LOT of high-pressure golf for Mickelson during the West Coast Swing. His "new" body and endurance will be a key factor late in the 36-hole final against the fresher player. Ogilvy will withstand an early birdie barrage from Lefty, then win a few back nine holes when fatigue sets in.

Ogilvy defeats Mickelson, 2&1
-----
Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Editor. He can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

Howell's Evolution Not Nearing End

By Jared Trexler

From braces to birdies, Charles Howell III has grown from the next young American hopeful to, well, the next young American hopeful.

Along the way, nothing came easy -- in golf it rarely does. Frustration and the pressure it stemmed from were too much to handle emotionally and mentally, deteriorating Howell's god-given physical gift.

The kid could flush a golf ball. Yet, he couldn't quite get it in the hole fast enough, starting a mental avalanche of self doubt that culminated in a switch from long-time swing coach David Leadbetter before reconnecting with the teacher in Denver last summer.

Howell decided it was time to rebuild his swing, his approach and his golfing career from the ground up with the help of just one man -- God. The Augusta, Georgia native grew up just outside Amen Corner in hopes of one day dueling down the stretch on that unique three-hole landscape.

And like so many people, it took struggle to spur a renewed sense of drive.

It has been evident in Howell's play all season, despite a disappointing second-place finish at the Sony Open of Hawaii, Howell charged back to finish right behind Tiger Woods in second place at the Buick Open.

Then came Sunday at the Nissan Open. The day all bounces went his way. All tough putts were holed. Some call it destiny, others call it hard work -- but I just call it GOLF...

Maybe with God's help.

"I said, 'God, if this is the time, then let's knock this in,"' Howell said. "And fortunately, it was."

The time came after Phil Mickelson, a trimmer, straight-driving Mickelson, bogeyed the 18th hole to put Howell in a playoff then lost a winning chance at the second playoff hole (#10) before falling on the 18th.

But this story isn't about Phil. Last week's was if you want to take a look. Rather this story is about a 120-pound soaking wet American with the pedigree all along, now finally, the purpose to match.

Like a little kid, Howell shined brightly with words so genuine you knew he believed them.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world right now."

On February 18, 2007 in the world of golf, it was hard to argue with him. Now Howell -- not Tiger or Ernie or Phil -- finds himself at the top of the money list with just over $2 million, already more than he made in 30 events last season.

Five seasons removed from his first Tour victory at Kingsmill, it all came down to three feet. Renewed faith in God and golf all came down to three feet.

"That par putt was the longest par putt I hit in my life," he said.

Maybe until a two-footer to win the Masters. The evolutionary fairytale from braces to birdies doesn't need to stop here.

----

Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Magazine's Golf Writer. He can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

**Image courtesy of the PGA Tour**

Back in the Swing of Things

By Jared Trexler

Even at Pebble Beach, where dark clouds and nagging showers became known as (Bing) "Crosby weather" after the tournament founder, rays of happiness can shine through the clouds of disappointment.

Sunday -- on a picture-postcard afternoon along the Monterrey Peninsula -- with families eating picnics along the shoreline and newlyweds walking hand and hand toward a new day and a new life, Phil Mickelson walked up the 18th hole at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am not toward the 30th victory of his career.

Not toward a win so important in the greater context of the golfing world. Not toward a victory that could finally pull the plug on a grandstand, a waste basket and one shot too many at the U.S. Open's 72nd hole.

Rather, he walked toward his family -- two parents who started him in this game, a beautiful wife, two daughters and a son. The congregation referred to by CBS' Jim Nantz as the "Mickelson clan," the uniting force behind son/husband/dad's effervescent personality and unyielding drive for success, waited with open arms.

Just like they have, every single day, since that fateful afternoon at Winged Foot.

Golf's kingdom was preparing to anoint Mickelson its next great champion that day, pushing him out of the shadows of the great and into the conversation of the greatEST.

But, six swipes of a little white ball turned the coronation into a funeral procession. People clapped for Geoff Ogilvy, but the poor Australian deserved better for his first major breakthrough.

All eyes were on Mickelson, waiting for a single tear, one curse word, a hung head. Those same glaring eyes of interest hadn't left his side since that day, scribbling words of worry and writing the beginning stages of his sports obit.

"Golf is a psychological game. It's played between the ears. Some troubling results can never be explained. And the more you look for answers, the more it haunts you. To the point where Mickelson questioned whether it was worth it all."

The naysayers be damned, Mickelson spent the offseason like he always has with Amy and the children. On vacation, in the backyard, at Ruby Tuesday's -- wherever he was, it was with them.

Golf has always been a passion for Mickelson, but he never let his priorities linger from life's greatest major championship.

His family.

Maybe it motivated him to sure up a sloppy long game, resulting in textbook driving all week at Pebble Beach. Maybe it motivated him in the weight room, where the southpaw lost 25 pounds then added some muscle in hopes of maintaining endurance late in the season.

Or maybe, just maybe, it motivated him to keep things in perspective. The golf writers who were in the process of writing his eulogy never took into account how much the sport meant to Phil. Stronger men have succumbed to far simpler circumstances because they felt like they lost it all.

Not Mickelson. "It all," was around him every day. Then he went to play golf.

So, as the beacon of radiance shined on Pebble Beach Sunday, Mickelson walked up the 18th fairway with a smile shining almost as brightly. It wasn't caused by the impending victory, or the return of what was lost.

It was to hug his children and say to Amy, "We did it."

In the end, it was worth it all.

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Jared Trexler is the Golf Writer for The Phanatic Magazine. You can reach him at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com

Awesome Aussie Allenby Leads Hope

Say that five times fast. Everything came in slow motion for Robert Allenby Wednesday at LaQuinta Country Club, as the Aussie stormed into the first-round lead with a nine-under par 63.


By Jared Trexler

Maybe the spectators or The Golf Channel weren't aware Robert Allenby wasn't on the verge of history.

He was, however, on the cusp of the first round lead.

Allenby stormed through LaQuinta Country Club, posting a nine-under par 63 to seize a two-stroke advantage after Day One of the five-day birdiefest known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Allenby's round started almost an hour late because of frost, yes frost, that covered all four tournament courses, then had a nervous young scorer confuse his score to the point where Nick Faldo and his TV mates perhaps thought Allenby was coming into David Duval, magic number 59, territory.

"Obviously the Golf Channel thought I was trying to shoot 59 or 60, probably like everyone else. But I knew what was going on."

Did he ever.

He drained two snakes from 25-feet plus on the final two holes to vault into the lead, keeping the momentum from an eighth place showing in Hawaii last week.

Then there was the anticipated season debut of Phil Mickelson, filled with plenty of ebb and flow early but a birdie run starting at the 10th and concluding at the 12th steadied the ship. Mickelson, who also played at LaQuinta Country Club, opened with a two-under par 70.

"I hit a lot of great shots. I hit a lot of poor shots," he said. "It was a good round of 2-under par. After being 3-over through four holes, to come back and shoot under par, I'll gladly take that."

Trex's Tidbits: Fred Couples withdrew citing a sore calf. Good news for Couples' fans -- at least it wasn't the back...Duval opened with a 67. He is using his one-time exemption this season to play on Tour...Allenby's round is more impressive considering the next best round shot at LaQuinta was Andrew Buckle's 67.

Top 5 Leaderboard ML FEDEX
1. Robert Allenby -9 (LQ) 18 18
2. Mark Calcavecchia -7 (CC) NA NA
2. Craig Kanada -7 (BD) 21 T19
4. Charley Hoffman -6 (BD) NA NA
4. Jason Gore -6 (BD) NA NA
Six other players at -6


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The Phanatic

Hope for a New Season: Five Burning Questions

By Jared Trexler

I'd be cheating if I picked a winner this week, especially since Phil Mickelson has yet to make a par through five holes at LaQuinta Country Club. (Mickelson's Live Scoring) You can check out live total scoring as it happens at PGATour.com, the official scores and statistics provider for Phanatic Golf 2007.

We at The Phanatic plan to provide in-depth analysis of each major sport, hopefully in the coming months, with particular emphasis on your hometown teams. Our full-scale golf coverage is starting a little earlier than other sports because, well, I said so, and I'm the one manning the golf cart on this drive through what should be an intriguing 2007 season.

Everything found on these pages will transfer over to our WWW web home when the programming gods allow it. For now, you can receive comprehensive PGA Tour coverage comparable to any other Internet home.

Now, without further adieu, we pull up to the first tee on our inaugural voyage. I think we are playing Bermuda Dunes today, shortish and relatively straight, should be a perfect opportunity to get off to a blistering start.

1. What will I be able to find on Phanatic Golf 2007?

I'm glad you asked, because the basic answer is everything you need with the help from our fine friends at PGATour.com. Each Tuesday, a feature about a particular pro player, tour course, pressing issue or the like will be found in this very space. Each Wednesday, our weekly preview on the next stop on Tour takes shape in this very format -- five burning questions capped by a chosen champion. You will also be afforded the basic essentials of the tournament venue and recent tournament history. Each (Wednesday) Thursday-Sunday, check back here for a brief synopsis of the round that was, relevant news and notes and our "Top 10 scoreboard," which will not only include the generic first crop of leaders, but also list their position on the Money List and each player's correlating spot on Tour commissioner Tim Finchem's new baby -- the FedEx Cup. And when the World Golf Championships and Majors hit, we tee it high and let it fly!

2. I read the article on Lefty. What kind of season do you think he'll have?

I differ from the many skeptics, reasoning that a rededicated Mickelson will have a fantastic 2007. Tiger's win streak, the late-blooming career of Jim Furyk and the on and off course gawking directed toward Adam Scott will only serve as extra motivation. Mickelson is a family man above all else, but he looks fitter than every before and the look in his eyes yells DEDICATION. I wouldn't be surprised if he won more than twice this season, including a strong title defense at Augusta and a better than 50-50 chance at Oakmont.

3. Oakmont, that course outside Pittsburgh?

Yeah, and it's a beast. I've played in from the whites and I finished the day dehydrated, angry and about a dozen strokes over my handicap from the blues. I played the par-3 eighth from 209 yards, while the professionals will walk approximately a full sand wedge back, stretching the hole to 288 yards. Yes, a 288-yard par-3. "Skip Kendall...He's laying up with a driver, Johnny." Oakmont is a classic Bear, tree-lined, narrow and extremely penal if a green is missed to the short side. It will also play very, very, very long. It's months away, but the course has already provoked massive discussion.

4. Awards Time: Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Tournament of the Year?

People will call me foolish, but I put plenty of stock in Tiger Woods' first trip toward fatherhood. When he is playing the Tour, his focus will be squarely on the task at hand. However, Elin's pregnancy could place the family squarely between a pair of major championships, and the joy of creating a new life could -- and obviously should -- take precedent over pot bunkers and knee-high rough. Vigay Singh has jumped out of the gate with a win already, but last year may have been the first sign that the Fijian is wearing down from years constantly spent hitting golf balls. I like Mickelson, thinking he will win four times plus one major (repeat at Augusta). Woods will be a close second and capture another British Open, while we say here that both Luke Donald and Adam Scott will breakthrough and capture their first major championships at the United States Open and PGA Championship, respectively.

I reserve the right to change this pick midseason and before any of the majors.

The Rookie of the Year will be an interesting battle, one ultimately won by 5'10", 160-pound Anthony Kim, the youngest rookie on tour and one of eight players to slide through all three stages of Q-School. He burst on to the scene with a T-2 at the Valero Texas Open last year, and the three-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma was part of the victorious 2005 Walker Cup Team. We say here he gets his first PGA Tour victory this season, mixes in a few top-10s and finishes in the mid 40s-mid 60s on the money list.

The Tournament of the Year will not be a major -- at least not in this space -- but rather the Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico, an event played opposite the March Madness Version of Golf. The Greg Norman design will play host to the first official PGA Tour event held in Mexico and very well could sport a solid field including former major champions Norman, Jeff Sluman and Steve Elkington among others. If nothing else, the tournament will showcase a breathtaking piece of golf real estate and display the game's global outreach, quickly spanning to all sectors of the world.

Any more Bob Hope Classic information?

Charlie Hoffman is four-under through nine holes at Bermuda Dunes to hold the early lead. Eight of the first 15 names on the leaderboard are playing Bermuda Dunes, giving early support to the "Do It at the Dunes" theory. Also, who said the PGA Tour doesn't sell sex appeal to white, affluent males (the large demographic of the sport)?

I end the inaugural "Five Burning Questions" with Classic Girls!

**Jared Trexler is The Phanatic Golf Writer. He can be reached at jtt128@comcast.net***

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Mickelson is back -- and in better shape

By Jared Trexler

I boycotted Hawaii.

Why should the game's best players commence on a tropical paradise for the winner's-only, millions-guaranteed Stuart Appleby Invitational and Video Monopoly Open while we race to the nearest Muni track when the temperature reaches Susanne Summers' age.

So, for The Phanatic, the PGA Tour season kicks off this week at the first of two prominent West Coast celebrity outings, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, hosted by George Lopez. The comedian is filling the shoes of longtime host and avid golfer Bob Hope, who passed away on July 27, 2003.

"I love Chrysler, and I love the tournament. I've been playing in it for three years, and it's been a highlight for me every year. The people are great. The city is great. I can't wait to get back out there as the new host of the tournament. I've got to thank these guys; the board of directors of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic has been fantastic to me from the beginning. It's very exciting where I think we can take this," said Lopez.

I'd like to thank Dolores Hope, first and foremost, for anointing me the duty of following in her legendary husband's footsteps. It's something that I will always cherish and treat with the respect that it deserves. "

Like us, Phil Mickelson will be making his psycho-analyzed 2007 debut. A new Phil Mickelson, fresh off an "off-season" with Amy and the kids, time spent on the range and in the fitness room.
Mickelson is slimmer, and picked up martial arts as a way to improve his flexibility and endurance.

He attributed poor endurance as the major reason behind his fade down the stretch -- not to be confused with his block fade on the 72nd hole of last year's United States Open -- including disappointing efforts at "Glory's Last Shot" and the Ryder Cup.

The motivation for Lefty will certainly be there. He is no longer the Best Player in the World not named Eldrick -- that distinction falls to Pennsylvania native Jim Furyk. He is no longer widely considered the player most likely to challenge Woods' dominance -- in many circles, including this guy's, that title falls squarely on the shoulders of young Australian Adam Scott.

In fact, Mickelson doesn't even join the aforementioned three on the cover of the Tour's media guide.

The fact of omission points squarely at Mickelson's lackluster performance following the Trash Can debacle at Winged Foot and his infrequent tournament appearances once the leaves changed to Fall.

That could change this year with Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem's new baby -- the FedEx Cup -- and Mickelson has made it widely known early this week that he plans to play in six of the seven events.

Music to Finchem's ears.

Mickelson begins the five-round birdiefest in the heart of California's mountainous rich district with just one simple goal in mind.

Begin to peak for Augusta, where he will defend his green jacket this April.

Matter-of-factly, Mickelson should have no problem starting fast -- because he never has. A two-time winner of the Hope, Mickelson has won his season opener five times and is 141-under par in his first event during the last decade.

Mickelson's major weakness -- his play off the tee -- won't hurt him severely at any of the four courses, yet he maintains he learned his lesson from Winged Foot's 72nd hole and improved his accuracy with the long clubs.

"You know, I really believe that the past former presidents of the USGA that passed away were looking down and said no one should win the Open hitting two of 14 fairways," he said. "That certainly came back to bite me and I have got to address that need."

You see, every golf fan remembers the last image. But, what about Mickelson's other 11 drives that found thigh-high rough on that championship Sunday?

You can only live a mirage so long at the United States Open. Sooner or later, you die of thirst.

Yet, that event is a distant memory in Mickelson's mind. His juices are flowing as he enters a new year with a new mental and physical approach to the game.

Despite the added muscle and improved long game, the wide-eyed, always-smiling Mickelson still has the same youthful exuberance that has made him a gallery favorite.

"I just can't wait to get started."

Neither can we.

**Information obtained from the Tournament's official web home and PGATour.com***

Jared Trexler is The Phanatic's Golf Writer. Later today, he tackles five burning questions for the Tour season, and selects a winner at the Hope. He can be found firing darts at Green Pond Country Club, or reached at jtt128@comcast.net


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