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Fans Win When Federer and Tiger Lose

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:35:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Tennis

He was shrinking into someone else, wilting and cracking and melting down. Try as he did, he couldn't generate sufficient torque and let his first serve turn wilder than a podunk mayor throwing out a first pitch. He lost tiebreakers, which rarely happens, and he committed 15 unforced errors in the fifth set to merely four for a 20-year-old foe in his maiden Grand Slam final experience. Worse still, Roger Federer did something unbefitting a dignified, placid champion who speaks elegantly, wears stylish sweaters and counts Vogue editor Anna Wintour among his friends.

A gentleman lost his famed equlibrium, crashing for the shocked masses to see after Juan Martin del Potro challenged a shot via the electronic line-calling system -- which, by the way, Federer loathes. "No, no, no. I wasn't allowed to challenge after two seconds. The guy takes, like, 10. Every time. You can't allow that stuff to happen. Do you have any rules in there, or what?" he barked at chair unpire Jake Garner. When he was basically told to shut up, Federer responed with the latest obscenity in an expletive-filled tournament that should have been called the U.S. Bleeping Open.

"Stop showing me your hand, OK? Stop telling me to be quiet, OK?" he said. "When I want to talk, I talk. I don't give a s--- what you said. I say he's waiting too long."

Was this an alien? Was the real Federer abducted? Two points from his 16th Slam title, the one that would have solidified his place as the greatest tennis player ever, he collapsed Monday in an all-time tennis shocker. His invincibility at Flushing Meadows was toppled by del Potro, a 6-foot-6 force with a killer serve who crushed 38 forehands for winners. That quickly, a familiar argument was reborn: Can Federer truly be considered the best ever when he has struggled so often against Rafael Nadal and was ousted in his event, on his court, by del Potro? Doesn't he have to prove more in the next couple of years, when del Potro and Nadal will be dogging him along with Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and who knows who else?

Yes, he does.

And isn't it great to know?

Count me among those who'd prefer to watch Federer and Tiger Woods, partners in TV commercials and individual-sport pre-eminence, struggle in major events periodically rather than dominate them. Poised as we were to see Federer claim his third Slam of the year, his stunning takedown by del Potro was much better theater and adds more drama to a long-dormant sport that grabbed our attention -- for good reasons and bad -- the last two weeks. Suddenly, everywhere he looks, Federer has rivals who can conquer him at any time on any surface.

"I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances, and in the end was the better man," he said. "It's one of those finals, maybe I'll look back and have some regret. In the end, he was just too tough. That's the way it was. His effort was fantastic."

Sure beats watching Federer win his sixth consecutive U.S. Open title and 41st straight match in New York, a streak that began 2,200 days earlier in September 2003. And the result did succeed in revealing a surly, whiny side of Federer that is important to file away when discussing pantheons in sports. Nothing compares, of course, to the pathetic sportsmanship, rude behavior and threatening language of Serena Williams toward a line judge after her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters. But Federer did seem disingenuous when he said this defeat will be simpler to swallow because he got married this year, became the father of twin girls and won two Slam titles at Wimbledon and the French Open.

Ever hear Michael Jordan talk that way after a major loss? Or Woods? Or any of the greats? The most competitive champions never justify losing.

"I think this is easy to get over just because I've had the most amazing summer," Federer said. "I tried everything, you know. It didn't work. It's acceptable. Life goes on. No problem ... Being in all major finals and winning two of those and losing the other two in five sets -- sure, I would have loved to win those two as well. Being so close, that's the way it goes sometimes. But the year has been amazing already and it's not over yet. Got married and had kids. Don't know how much more I want."

He doesn't know how much more he wants? Like that, the fire is out? That's a complete turnaround from the scene in February, when he broke down in tears after Nadal beat him at the Australian Open and said while sobbing, "God, it's killing me.'' Yes, Federer was able to break Pete Sampras' men's record for most career Slams. But it wasn't long ago when he was a slave to Nadal, who may have continued to carve up Federer if not for the injuries -- abdominal for the short term, knees for the long term -- that threaten to sabotage his body of work.

Which is why it's vital to have a new rival and conversation piece in del Potro, who was last seen collpasing on the court and weeping after his 4-hour, 6-minute conquest. He hails from the small mountain town of Tandil, Argentina, a nation known for producing clay-court champs but not prodigies who bring down hard-court legends. Who didn't smile as he lay sprawled on the court, spread eagle, with his hands over his face? Who cared if it was on American soil? He was that warm and respectful after his first significant triumph in a career that should have many.

"When I would have a dream, it was to win the U.S. Open. The other one is to be like Roger," del Potro said.

"One is done."

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U.S. Open 2009

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Juan Martin Del Potro the 2009 US Open Tennis Champion poses with the US Open trophy on a viewing deck at the Empire State Building on September 15, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for ATP Tour) *** Local Caption *** Juan Martin Del Potro

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U.S. Open Photos

2009 U.S. Open tennis champion Juan Martin Del Potro visits The Empire State Building on September 15, 2009 in New York City. Juan Martin Del Potro Visits The Empire State Building After His 2009 US Open Victory The Empire State Building New York, NY United States September 15, 2009 Photo by John Lamparski/WireImage.com To license this image (58364537), contact WireImage.com

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In this image released by ABC, tennis pro Serena Williams, right, speaks with host Chris Cuomo on the morning news program, "Good Morning America," on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. Williams apologized Monday for what she called her "inappropriate outburst" during her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute )

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Juan Martin Del Potro (C) the 2009 US Open Tennis Champion, meets with CBS anchors Jeff Glor and Maggie Rodriguez (R) on The Early Show on September 15, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for ATP Tour) *** Local Caption *** Maggie Rodriguez;Jeff Glor;Juan Martin Del Potro

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Juan Martin Del Potro (R) the 2009 US Open Tennis Champion meets with anchors (L-R) Al Roker, Jenna Wolfe and Matt Lauer on NBC's "The Today Show" on September 15, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for ATP Tour) *** Local Caption *** Matt Lauer;Jenna Wolfe;Al Roker;Juan Martin Del Potro

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Can he be the next Federer? Or, maybe the better question is whether he's about to overtake Federer. Certainly, del Potro has a power game that's fueled by his signature shot, the punishing forehand, along with a monster serve and effective two-handed backhand. He eventually wore down Federer, who looked surprisingly soft and increasingly sluggish. Best of all, he's a humble young man who is close to his family, asking during the victory ceremony if he could say some words in Spanish. Initially, CBS' Dick Enberg said there wouldn't be time, but the network wisely changed course. Later, he called his parents in Argentina, having told them not to come to New York for the men's final. Together, they cried over the phone.

"It was difficult to speak, but they are so happy for me,'' del Potro told reporters Tuesday, before he flew to his homeland and launched a party with 150-some relatives. "It's amazing for me. This will be in my mind forever in my life. I don't have words for it. You know, since I (was) young, I dream of this and take trophy with me. I did my dream, and it's (an) unbelievable moment. It's amazing match, amazing people. Everything is perfect.''

This is new territory for him, including a first-prize check for $1.8 million. How will he spend it? "Maybe cheesecake for my birthday," he said.

It's refreshing to have him around. Not that we're tired of Federer, but it seems he's a bit weary of the scene after an astonishing 22 Grand Slam finals. "Six would have been a dream, but you can't have them all," he said of his U.S. Open streak. "I would never have thought five or six years ago, I would win 40 matches in a row here. I've had a wonderful year and I'm still No. 1.''

Woods likely will be able to make the same claim, even in a year when he didn't win a major and remains stuck on 14, four short of Jack Nicklaus' career record. Savvy observers will give him a break on that because he's only 15 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery, making his six victories this season a remarkable feat. Yet some will say his big-moment failures -- losing a duel to unheralded Y.E. Yang at the PGA Championship, bogeying the last two holes and falling out of contention at the Masters, missing the cut at the British Open -- overwhelm the fact that he now has 71 career wins, only two shy of Nicklaus on the career list.

In my mind, Yang is del Potro. He stared down Woods on a Sunday in Minnesota and beat him, which created much more intrigue than a routine Tiger victory. Is Woods' aura of invincibility gone in majors? You don't dare suggest that after last weekend in suburban Chicago, where he plundered the field at the BMW Championship. But the fact he didn't win a major -- when Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Yang did -- is good for golf. It's nice to know Woods can have bad putting days on red-shirt Sundays like the rest of us.

"To play as well as I have of late and not get the Ws has been a little bit frustrating, no doubt, because I've been so close," he said. "It's just been a matter of making a couple of putts here and there, and I would have won the tournaments. It's as simple as that.''

The fact he didn't win keeps us more interested. And the fact Federer didn't win Monday keeps us more interested. In the end, unpredictability trumps inevitability every time.

Fans Win When Federer and Tiger Lose originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Yin and the Yang: Woods Choked

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

CHASKA, Minn. -- His Sunday shirt is red, of course, as in the blood he usually extracts from his rivals. But this time, the blood sprayed all over Tiger Woods, staining him in ways we'd never observed in the final round of a major championship. He missed makeable putts. He hit tee shots into bunkers, off trees, into galleries. He cursed and talked to the golf ball and, in a revealing snapshot, leaned over and placed his hands on his knees, looking as desperate and exasperated as we've seen him.

"I did everything I was supposed to do,'' he said, "except get the golf ball in the hole.''

More: Final-Round Leaderboard | Yang's Scorecard | Tiger's Scorecard
Couch: Yang Does What No One Could | Who Is Y.E. Yang?

It was the moment that couldn't happen, the day Woods relinquished a 54-hole lead in a major, the one place in time when the greatest golfer of his generation -- prepare yourself for what I'm about to drop here -- CHOKED AWAY the 91st PGA Championship and let a hungrier, more focused, more composed golfer kick the stuffing out of him. His failure led to an epic milestone in the sport's history, the rise of Yong-Eun Yang as the first Asian-born player to win a major, with his native South Korea quivering in euphoric pride upon learning that their self-described "Average Joe,'' in an all-white outfit that smacked of a '70s disco king, outdueled the great Woods at Hazeltine National.

I'm not sure which was more shocking: the sight of Woods fumbling his 15th major title, which still leaves him four behind Jack Nicklaus as his 34th birthday nears, or the way Yang rolled in a chip from 20 yards short of the green on No. 14, pumped his fist repeatedly as Tiger would, took a one-stroke lead and never let it go as thousands of Minnesotans roared in disbelief. "I tried to do my best Tiger imitation there, but then I quickly tried to catch my emotions,'' Yang said through an interpreter. This may not have carried the social significance of the Miracle on Ice, but as sports upsets go, this was Buster Douglas whipping Mike Tyson, Appalachian State beating Michigan, Villanova beating Georgetown, the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl two years ago, Joe Willie Namath and the Jets beating the Colts in the Super Bowl 40 years ago. We've waited for someone, anyone, to hijack a major from Woods' grasp, watching the veteran likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els and younger players such as Sergio Garcia try and flop miserably. Who knew that upstart would be the 37-year-old Yang, ranked 110th in the world, winner of one PGA Tour event to Woods' 70, a man who didn't take up golf until he was 19 and served in the Korean Army before plunging seriously into the game? Who knew he would survive when even Padraig Harrington, the would-be challenger for Tiger, collapsed with a quintuple-bogey on No. 8?

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Latest Golf Photos

Y.E. Yang, of South Korea, celebrates after winning the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009. Behind his Tiger Woods. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Martin Kaymer of Germany bows to the gallery on the 18th green during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Martin Kaymer

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Y.E. Yang of South Korea (2nd L) celebrates a birdie putt on the 18th green alongside Tiger Woods (2nd R) during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Y.E. Yang;Tiger Woods

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: (L-R) Y.E. Yang of South Korea celebrates a birdie putt on the 18th green alongside Tiger Woods during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Y.E. Yang;Tiger Woods

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Y.E. Yang of South Korea celebrates his birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Y.E. Yang

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Y.E. Yang of South Korea poses for photographers with the Wanamaker Trophy after his three-stroke victory at the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Y.E. Yang

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Y.E. Yang of South Korea poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after his three-stroke victory at the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Y.E. Yang

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: Tiger Woods (R) waits with his caddie Steve Williams during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods;Steve Wiliams

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CHASKA, MN - AUGUST 16: The Wanamaker Trophy is seen during the final round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 16, 2009 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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The Yin and the Yang of it is that the blueprint for slaying Woods in a major now has been written. If someone can come out of nowhere to do it, imagine the hope it provides dozens of golfers who'd given up on the possibility. While we'd be foolish to suggest Tiger now will struggle to beat Nicklaus' record, what became clear Sunday is that it stands to be a more difficult task than we thought. He will have to fight through a rebuilt knee. He'll have to tackle other health issues, such as his back, in his golfing mid-life. And now, in a first, he might have to deal with self-doubt, which could creep in after shooting an ugly 75 and letting an inferior player leapfrog him and beat him by three strokes. Once, when he was in his indomitable prime and not struggling with facets of his game after reconstructive knee surgery, he'd grab a fourth-round lead and choke it to death.

This time, he just choked.

"I made absolutely nothing,'' said Woods, minutes after watching Yang nail his winning birdie putt on No. 18 and letting a smirk cross his face. "It was a terrible day on the greens, and I had it at the wrong time. I either misread the putt or had bad putts. I had plenty of looks. All the other 14 major championships I've won, I've putted well for the entire week. I didn't today. I mean, I was in control of the tournament. So it was just a bad day at the wrong time. I didn't execute, and he certainly did.''

Indeed, it was surreal to watch Yang make the shots we expect from Woods. He made a big putt on No. 13 and pumped his fist. He executed the killer eagle chip on No. 14, a defining moment for the sport. He kept his one-shot lead on No. 15, flashed a smile and threw his ball into the stands, showing he wasn't feeling pressure. At No. 17, when Yang cracked a wee bit with a bogey, Woods missed a 10-foot par putt and mumbled as he stared at the ground. The only question was whether Yang had a Jean Van de Velde-type meltdown in him on the final hole.

While Woods was all over the map, as usual, Yang answered by hitting an approach within 12 feet, then needing only one putt to clinch when he had the cushion of two.

Next thing you knew, Y.E. Yang, all 5-9 and 185 pounds of him, was power-lifting his golf bag over his head. For a day, he was the champion of the world. "You never know in life. This might be my last win as a golfer,'' he said. "But it was a great day. I tried to master the art of controlling my emotions throughout the small wins I've had in my career. I think it turned out quite well today. It hasn't really sunk in, but I do know the significance of it.''

Nor was it a foreign thought. "I sort of visualized it a few times, playing the best player in the history of golf in the final round of a major championship,'' Yang said. "It's been a dream of mine. I've seen a lot of players have folded in that situation, and when I thought about it back at my club [in Seoul], I usually tried to bring up a mock strategy of how to win if we played together. When the chance came, I thought, 'Hey, I could always play a good round of golf. Tiger's good, but he always could have a bad day.' Today was one of those days.''

To see Woods break down was staggering, like an action hero dying in the final scene of the movie. It left enough of a disturbing impression that some will ask if he's still capable of winning five more majors and passing Nicklaus. Please -- he'll pass him. But the invincibility with a majors lead is gone, adding intrigue to what once was an inevitable exercise. Two days earlier, he had scolded a writer for asking Woods if had ever, in his opinion, choked away a tournament.

No one inquired about the c-word Sunday evening, though someone did mention that Tiger has been finishing second in recent years when winning-or-nothing used to be the sole mission.

"That's certainly one of the reasons why I changed my game with [swing coach] Hank Haney, to be more consistent in the big events. My career has certainly been much more consistent over the last five years. I've finished higher in major championships, if I don't win,'' Woods argued. "And I give myself a lot more chances. That's the only way you're going to win major championships over the long haul is give yourself as many chances as you possibly can. Nobody in the history of the game has done better than Jack, who finished second 19 times. You have to give yourself enough chances to win them and I've done that.

And I'm very proud of the changes I've made to get to this point. But unfortunately today, I just didn't get it done.''

Woods lost a duel once before at Hazeltine, to Rich Beem at the 2002 PGA Championship. But Tiger was far behind that day and birdied the last four holes, almost catching Beem. This time, he gave back shots, something we've rarely seen and might make us break out in hives. His problems began Saturday, when he played too conservatively and didn't attack. "When you've got 640-yard par-5s, I really can't get there,'' he countered. "I don't know how aggressive I can play. The only hole that I really laid up on was today on No. 7. Other than that, I couldn't get there or I just played the hole how you're supposed to play it.''

The shock of it all is that we thought he was bulletproof, assuming a man who was 14-for-14 in majors when holding the 54-hole lead was the surest bet in sports. When Tiger Woods loses the way he did Sunday, it reminds us that nothing is certain in life. The year's major titles were defined not by who won but who lost -- Kenny Perry, Mickelson and Woods at the Masters; a grief-striken Mickelson at the U.S. Open; 59-year-old Tom Watson at the British Open and, now, Woods at the PGA.

He'll spend the offseason working harder on his game and surely stewing about his 2009 failures. As for Yang, don't call him about any made-for-TV rematches against Tiger, even if the CBS ratings were magnificent all weekend.

"A rematch? Never again,'' he said, smiling. "I would like to stay as the guy who won over Tiger at the PGA Championship. That's about it. No re-dos.''

Don't be so sure that Woods wants one, either.

The Yin and the Yang: Woods Choked originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiger's Soft, Boring Play Opens Door

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:26:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

CHASKA, Minn. -- So here we thought Tiger Woods' weekend would be a summer breeze, much like the vision of a high-heeled Prince riding his motorcycle in "Purple Rain,'' which is the lone factoid I can provide about the country roads and middle-of-nowhere milieu surrounding the Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Instead, this was a day when new, peculiar words were introduced to the Woods lexicon. There was "skanky,'' used by CBS commentator Nick Faldo to describe two terrible shots on No. 15, which prompted Tiger to slip into whiny-baby mode and swing his club violently. And there was "choking,'' whispered cryptically Saturday across the PGA Championship landscape as his four-shot lead disappeared. Just the day before, Woods seemed befuddled when a media member actually uttered the c-word at a press conference, inquiring, "In your opinion, has there ever been a single instance in a major where you've done what you consider to be choking?''

Greg Couch: Harrington Turns Mind Off, Game On | Leaderboard

Tiger just stared, did a slow burn and shook his head, as if he'd never entertained the concept, as if he won't allow it to enter his steel-trap psyche.

"We'll take that to be a no?'' the moderator wondered.

"Be creative,'' Woods cracked. "You usually are.''

It wouldn't be fair or accurate to say he choked, not when he survived a mid-round onslaught by several unforeseen challengers to carry a two-stroke advantage into Sunday's final round. But this wasn't the Tiger who once attacked and devoured when owning weekend leads. He played too much defense and not enough offense, opening the door to his new (and only) rival, Padraig Harrington, and others while injecting suspense into what presumably was an inevitable romp to his 15th major title. In truth, he played boring golf, barely moving the meter while Harrington and Y.E. Yang were turning a foregone conclusion into a real, live tournament.

"I tried to be very patient out there. I had a lead, played conservative and didn't give myself a lot of looks. I was lag-putting a lot,'' Woods said. "I just felt with my lead, I erred on the side of caution most of the time. If I did have a good look at it, I took aim right at it. Otherwise, I was just dumping the ball on the green and 2-putting.''

To be selfish, it's good for us when Woods doesn't dominate.

Rather than prepare for a coronation Sunday, as we did when he pummeled fields at Augusta National and Pebble Beach and St. Andrews in his younger years, America might see great theater. That's assuming Harrington continues to summon the form that led to a memorable duel with Woods last weekend and victories in the final two majors last year, when Tiger was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. You have to like Paddy's gumption. Noting that Woods is 14-for-14 in majors when leading after 54 holes, and that he has lost only once in his career when leading by two strokes or more after three rounds, the likable Irishman issued what appeared to be a challenge.

"In fairness to Tiger, that's not going to last forever. Maybe he'll be 60 when it's broken, but it's not going to last forever," he said. "Maybe I'll be the guy who does it. I suppose that's the way to look at it."

Woods vs. Harrington is the best spectacle golf has to offer, as we saw seven days ago at Firestone. "Paddy is an extremely hard worker, very patient, and it's really nice to see someone who works that hard at his game to accomplish his goals,'' Woods said admiringly.

With Phil Mickelson struggling through the breast-cancer ordeals of his wife and mother, Harrington has become the one man seemingly capable of beating down Woods in a major. He failed last weekend, melting down with a triple-bogey at No. 16 -- while Tiger was nailing an incredible 8-iron approach -- after officials put the duo on the clock for slow play. But 14 years ago, for what it's worth, Harrington and a mortician friend, Jody Flanagan, beat Woods and John Harris in the Walker Cup.

"My friend would not be happy being called the mortician,'' Harrington said to media laughter. "Yeah, we won in the foursomes, but that's a long time ago. It's a new game, a new game tomorrow, so I don't think that's going to be playing in his mind.''

So how does he beat Woods? "To get a win, you've got to beat him by three. That's a tall order, but everybody in this situation who is behind is going to think, 'Well, you know, we have nothing to lose.'

"You've got to have that attitude and go for it,'' he said. "I've got to stand there on every shot and think to myself, 'Well, so what if I hit a bad shot?' I've got to have the attitude to just fire it up and for those shots and just be concerned about my good shots. If I'm going to catch three shots, that's the way to do it. You can't be in any shape or form cautious out there.''

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Tiger Woods Photos

Tiger Woods holds up his ball on the 18th hole after finishing his third round of the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. Wood finished at 8 under for two rounds and a two stroke lead over Padraig Harrington.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images

Brazil's Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Paraguay's Hernan Perez during their U-20 South American Championship football match in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on February 8, 2009.(Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images )

Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images

A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

Lucas Jackson, Reuters

Denver Nuggets forward Chris Anderson touches his head during a time out in the first half of their NBA basketball game with the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey February 7, 2009. (Ray Stubblebine, Reuters)

Ray Stubblebine, Reuters

Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

Don Wright, AP

Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

Al Bello, Getty Images

Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

Darryl Graham, AP

Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

Petr Josek, Reuters

Turns out Woods will play with Yang, who finished his round first and thus will play with Tiger though he's tied with Harrington. It's a stupid rule, like many of golf's ancient bylaws, but if morning rain creates havoc with the final-round schedule, there's a chance the trio will play together. Yang, for the record, actually beat Woods in China three years ago, but at 37, the South Korean is entering virgin territory as a contender in a major.

"It will be my first time playing with him, so I'll try not to go over par," he said, smiling. "But I've been looking forward to it. I've thought about playing with Tiger recently. Surprised it came true so fast."

Not that Woods will need motivation as he tries to win his first major in 14 months and narrow the gap between him and Jack Nicklaus, the all-time leader with 18 major titles, to a mere three. But he does remember losing to Yang in Shanghai. "Yeah, Y.W. played great,'' he said. "I believe he won by two, I think.'' As he answered, rain battered the interview tent in the media center. Woods looked upward, cherishing the thought of an easier course.

"Yeah, I think it's gonna get softer,'' he said with a chuckle.

Woods was asked how a rival's mind and focus are impacted when playing with him. He used the question as an opportunity to rip the media, of all things, which tells us veteran Tigerologists that he isn't thrilled to be only two strokes ahead. "I think more than anything, it's the amount of distractions inside the ropes,'' he said. "There's a lot of movement, a lot of cameras, a lot of media, a lot of people moving, and it can get to you at times. It's gotten to me and it's gotten to my playing partners. You know, other groups don't quite have to deal with that amount of distraction inside the ropes. We all have to deal with it outside the ropes, but insde, it gets a little bit interesting at times.''

Of course, the presence of Woods -- and his blood-red Sunday shirt -- contributes to meltdowns. "I just go out and I play my own game,'' he said of his final-day mindset in majors. "You play and see what happens. You have to realize, we're fighting for a major championship.

We are all nervous out there. I'm in the same boat as everyone else, but you're got to go out and execute shots, and that's the fun of it.

That's the rush, the thrill of it. That's why we play.''

Nervous? Tiger Woods? Not buying it.

The massive galleries at Hazeltine are rooting for Woods, aware that history is playing out before their eyes. Harrington realizes he's the bad guy in the equation, but he also senses that fans and media want Tiger to be pushed. He's the latest to try. Good luck, guy. "I get the impression that a lot of people who are cheering me on are wanting me to push him along, but they still want Tiger to win,'' he said. "You know, they want to support the underdog until he catches up and then it's back to supporting Tiger. So be it. That's fine with me. I'll serve my time.''

He makes it sounds like a prison sentence. Most likely, these four hours indeed will feel like solitary confinement. But for one day, Tiger Woods opened his hermetically sealed door and let hope creep in.

"You could really feel that there's a real championship going on around you," said Ernie Els, whose career isn't done just yet as he lurks five strokes behind Woods. ``It's not a runaway deal. It looked like a runaway thing at the end of (Friday), but it looks like the guys are really set to give Tiger a go, and the crowd could sense that."

Is it possible, then, that a choking gene is somewhere in the DNA of Elrdrick Woods? Or was he simply teasing in the third round?

My guess is, being skanky is only a temporary condition.

Tiger's Soft, Boring Play Opens Door originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiger Woods Courts Controversy, but Brilliance Radiates

Jay Mariotti — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

Tiger? Is that you? The man who avoids controversy like Kate avoids Jon, the man who is apolitical and non-confrontational and quite possibly the dullest megastar in the history of sports, is abandoning his equilibrium to criticize the PGA Tour? All because an official decided that Woods and Padraig Harrington were dawdling too long Sunday -- 17 minutes behind, to be exact -- and put a clock on them for the last three holes at Firestone?

Of all times to walk on the wild side and boogie down, this is odd. What I took from Woods' 70th career title is that he was typically unbothered by the edict, issued by European Tour chief referee John Paramor. After he and Harrington were told of the slow-play violation on the tee at No. 16, Woods responded with one of the epic shots of this or any other golf season, a 178-yard rainbow with an 8-iron that crept to within inches of the hole. While he was fashioning a birdie, Harrington was hurrying because of the clock issue and choking away a rare chance to outduel Woods, hitting a shot over the green and then plunking a flop shot into the water.

PGA Championship Preview: Regular Joes | Sleepers

That should be the story, again: Tiger has something cold and calm in his DNA that rivals embarrassingly lack. Instead, Woods chose to defend Harrington and take the unprecedented step of challenging Paramor for rushing his rival. I can't believe that Woods would defend Harrington when it's clear he gagged away an opportunity, as even the loser acknowledged Tuesday about the fatal four-stroke swing. Somehow, perhaps because he's 33 and a husband and a father, he found sympathy for poor Paddy.

"Like I was telling [Harrington] out there, I'm sorry John got in the way of a great battle," Woods said of Paramor. "It was such a great battle for 16 holes, and unfortunately that happened.

"I don't think that Paddy would have hit the pitch shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it. But he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly, and he hit it in the water.''

He obviously likes and respects Harrington, who won the last two majors last year while Woods was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery but has struggled this year after questionable swing changes. "I've seen him miss cuts and he's out there all weekend long practicing and getting ready for the next week. I admire guys like that because that's how you become better," Woods said. "You have to go earn it. And I think Paddy is a great example of a guy who goes out there and earns it each and every day." Still, to defend Harrington's honor, Tiger had to take on the PGA Tour, which wasn't happy about his comments -- to the point an unnamed official was quoted Monday by the Associated Press as saying Woods would be fined for the remarks.

For golf to fine Tiger Woods is akin to the Louvre penalizing the Mona Lisa for being in its halls. You're not going to punish the cash cow, as was confirmed Tuesday by PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw, ignoring a clause in the Tour handbook that urges members "to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players or PGA Tour." In theory, Woods should have been fined and shouldn't be treated differently than anyone else who takes shots at officials. But in reality, they're intimidated by Woods, who surely could quit at any time, start a Tiger Tour and have every TV network and fan in his back pocket.

"I've heard from the Tour and there's no fine," Woods said in suburban Minneapolis, where he'll try to win his 15th major career title this weekend at the PGA Championship. "That was an erroneous report."

Nor did he express any regret in making the comments, which included dropping Paramor's name for golf fans everywhere to hate. "No, because he's the one who did it ... I thought they would have used better judgment than that,'' he said. "We were the ones that were probably going to win the golf tournament in the last pairing. We separated ourselves. And after what Paddy went through, we were still right there behind the group in front of us. So I don't know if the group in front of us was being timed or not. They didn't look like they were rushing. But it certainly influenced us in how we played and influenced the outcome of a tournament.''

No, it influenced how Harrington played. "I reacted poorly to the situation, and that's my own fault,'' the Irishman said. "[Woods] can take the moral high ground and say what he wants. Having lost the tournament, I'm going to take it on the chin and say it was my mistake.'' Which is admirable of him, because the focus should return to Woods' greatness, not his challenge of a rule that is part of golfing tradition and necessary to protect a TV network's programming interests. If he wouldn't have tweaked Paramor, we'd be heading into the season's final major raving about Tiger's renewed predominance. He has won the last two weeks with a panache that suggests he's ready to rule the sport again and get on with his chase of Jack Nicklaus, whose 18 major titles remain four ahead of Woods. The ratio of total victories to major victories -- 70 to 14 -- is starting to bother some people, which is why Tiger might want to clamp down No. 15 at Hazeltine to avoid an offseason of doubting headlines. Just keep in mind that Woods has won 13 of his last 23 starts, including five of 12 since his surgery, and that it would be absurd to question him.

"It's been a great year either way,'' he said. "For me to come back and play as well as I've done and actually win golf events -- when at the very beginning of the year, I was feeling the way I was -- to be honest with you, I don't think any of us would have thought I could have won this many events this year.

"It usually takes a while for an athlete to come back [from ACL surgery], and most guys, or some of the guys who have had it in our sport, have not gone on to have the years I've had this year. I'm very proud of not only winning the golf tournaments but how consistent I've played. The only one bad event I've had was the British Open. Otherwise, I've had a pretty good run of top 10s, stroke-play events, like 18 or 20 in a row, I think that's pretty good. As far as the Masters, I did not putt well. I putted well in streaks and I didn't finish off the rounds the way I should have. At the U.S. Open, I putted very, very poorly. Hit the ball well enough to win, but certainly did not putt well enough to win. And the British Open, I had six bad holes that cost me a chance of contending on the weekend.''

He has putted well of late. If he putts well this weekend, he'll win. The Woods critics say he shouldn't have played the last two weeks heading into the PGA, but how can the strategy be ripped when he won twice and gathered momentum? Stewart Cink won the British Open after Woods missed the cut. Think Cink is cocky this week? "I'd say he's got a better chance than anybody else in the field. How's that for an answer?'' he said. "I mean, he's driving it pretty well. He's got a short game that history has never known. He's got the clutch putting that history has never known. And he's got the ultimate tank of confidence to draw from. So case closed."

Um, so, why even bother playing the tournament? Because Woods has shown signs of vulnerability and hasn't always ended his year as desired. Five times, he has arrived at the PGA Championship without a major title to his name for the calendar year. Only twice has he erased the drought, the first time 10 years ago at Medinah. It was there that he outdueled a young Spaniard named Sergio Garcia, who became the favorite of the suburban Chicago crowd and exuded a heels-kicking joy before Woods nailed a big putt and beat him by a stroke. Who knew that Tiger would go on to win 14 more majors than Garcia, who may never win one. "You would have thought he'd win more. He has been so close," Woods said. "He's been in the final group a few times and he's been right there with a chance. He had a major on his putter on the last hole at Carnoustie, and he hit a good putt -- it just didn't go in. He's been there, it just hasn't -- he hasn't gotten over the hurdle yet, but he's been there. It's just a matter of time. Sergio certainly has the talent to do it."

Meantime, Woods continues to paint the greatest legacy known to golf. He even is thinking about his future, confirming for the first time that he'd like to play in the Olympics if the sport is adopted for the 2016 Summer Games. "If I'm not retired by then, yeah," he said.

"I think that golf is truly a global sport, and I think it should have been in the Olympics a while ago. If it does get in, I think it would be great for golf and especially some of the smaller countries that are now emerging in golf. I think it's a great way for them to compete and play and get the exposure that some of these countries aren't getting."

There he goes again, making social statements. Is that you, Tiger Woods? Glad to hear some opinions, even if it detracts from sporting theater rarely seen on this earth. Not that he's perfect. Recently, ESPN's Rick Reilly scolded him in a column for his potty mouth on the course.

"It is what it is," Woods said. "Unfortunately, I do make mistakes. I hit bad shots and say bad things at times. I don't mean to; it just comes out. It's not something I try to do. It just happens. Have I been trying to get better at it? Yeah, my entire life. But it happens from time to time, and I'm not the only person who does it."

Seems controversy has found him. In a way, it's refreshing. But never, ever forget what he is: an athlete who steals our breath and hijacks our imagination like few others. He'll win No. 15 on Sunday, after which the Countdown to Jack can begin.

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Tiger Woods talks to reporters during a press conference on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, for the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. (Anthony Souffle/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Steve Webster of England hits a tee shot during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Mike Weir of Canada hits a tee shot during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Ian Pouter of England (R) and Pat Perez of the US share a laugh during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Ian Pouter of England reacts to his tee shot during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Adam Scott of Australia hits on the 8th tee during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Adam Scott of Australia hits on the 8th tee during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Adam Scott of Australia hits out of a bunker onto the 7th green during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Adam Scott of Australia hits out of a bunker onto the 7th green during a practice round on August 11, 2009 at the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Geoff Ogilvy, of Australia, chips onto the practice green during a practice round for the 91st PGA Championship at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Ground crews made their way around the Hazeltine Golf Course before sunrise in preparation for practice rounds on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, for the PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota. (Elizabeth Flores/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Tiger Woods Courts Controversy, but Brilliance Radiates originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time for Tiger to Begin Countdown to 19

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

Urging Tiger Woods to win a major championship would seem laughably unnecessary, like telling Albert Pujols to get a big hit or Ari Gold to scorch Lloyd's earlobes on Entourage. Still, I would like to see him pocket one this week for the first time in 13 months. That way, he'll avoid any ticking-clock syndrome that might set in if, oh, he's in his mid-30s and remains five majors short of passing Jack Nicklaus.

He wouldn't want anyone crying "SLUMP!!!" as a certain someone did earlier this decade, when 10 events and 2 1/2 years passed without a major victory. I even began calling him Eldrick, figuring he wasn't Tiger anymore.

There's no reason Woods shouldn't win his fourth Claret Jug at Turnberry, by the Firth of Clyde on Scotland's west side, where arguably the finest links course in creation awaits the greatest golfer of his time at the British Open. His surgically repaired left knee no longer sabotages his game. The field is shy of reliably strong challengers, with Phil Mickelson tending to the horrific double-whammy of his wife and mother simultaneously fighting breast cancer and two-time defending champion Padraig Harrington struggling through his swing alterations (question: why does a man who won the last two majors of 2008 mess with his swing?). Tiger is controlling his own swing, striking the ball well and finding markedly better distance and accuracy off the tee. His putter, a puzzling bugaboo at the U.S. Open, was working for him at the AT&T National, where he held off young bucks Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim by rolling in a late 20-footer.

And he has the added motivation of trying to keep up with his friend and razor-commercial colleague, Roger Federer, who captured his 15th Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon -- one more than Woods' 14 majors. "Great job. Now it's my turn," Tiger texted Federer after the epic win over Andy Roddick. As he related the story after his recent win at Congressional, he heard the laughter of media people and knew what they were thinking.

"Not 15. I meant win today," he said, smiling.

Even his strategic decision not to show up until Sunday at Turnberry, a course he is seeing for the first time, doesn't hold water in any Woods-will-lose arguments. Considering the Alisa Course hasn't hosted the British Open since 1994, few of today's players have much experience there. And don't we all remember what happened when Tiger showed up, sight unseen, at Royal Liverpool three summers ago? He shot 18-under and won in the memory of his late father, Earl. He chose to do his prep work last week in the decidedly un-Scottish like climate of Orlando, where he and swing coach Hank Haney couldn't replicate the wind, rain and rocks but did work on the creativity conducive to strong links play. "The whole idea is to have everything dialed in, feel comfortable with my swing, short putting, everything, then start getting the feel for how to play over there," he said. "Then I have to do more prep work on the greens and make sure I truly understand how to play the golf course and have a game plan come Thursday."

Of course, Woods lives for the links. He used to pray for rain during his college days at Stanford so he could flee his dorm room and play in the slop. "I used to pretend I was playing at the British Open," he said. It's thinking man's golf, maneuvering through the elements atop the coast. Early weather reports suggest a surprisingly mild four days, but you sense Woods still wants it sloppy, though he once shot 81 in a monsoon at Muirfield. "It's just making sure that you can flight your ball and making sure you can maneuver it both ways efficiently, because you don't know what kind of weather you're going to get," he said. "You're going to get years like we had at St. Andrews (in '05) where it's perfect, or you can get a Muirfield ('02) day or what they had last year at Birkdale. You just don't know, and you have to be able to be confident in controlling your golf ball and maneuvering it all around and feel like you can do it efficiently."

Rather incredibly, Woods used his driver only once at Royal Liverpool, in the first round. With two-irons, he preferred to angle and thread rather than blast. "An entirely different game," marveled Harrington. "If the weather is nice, yeah, Tiger could definitely do that (this week). That performance was remarkable. Nobody else could have played the way he played that course. It was phenomenal -- his control, distance control, his ball-striking, to hit it in to those greens from those distances. If Turnberry gets hard, he will be able to do it again."

I speak for the masses -- and TV networks -- in saying I miss Tiger Woods winning majors. It's still the most glorious sight in sports, witnessing history in a blood-red shirt on Sunday, and it would be very cool to see a duel down the stretch. But other than two British golfers, third-ranked Paul Casey and Lee Westwood, I'm not seeing anyone who fits the description. Sergio Garcia would crack under the pressure and is still getting over being dumped by Greg Norman's daughter. The young Irishman, Rory McIlroy, isn't quite ready. And even the two Englishmen would face the crippling burden of dueling Woods in their homeland. Usually in sports, playing at home is a benefit; at the British Open, it's a death sentence. Said Westwood, already sounding wobbly: "It's an intense week. If you could just go in there and not talk to anybody, it would be a massive result. Unfortunately, it's the Open Championship. And I'm British."

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A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

Lucas Jackson, Reuters

Ray Stubblebine, Reuters

Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

Don Wright, AP

Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

Al Bello, Getty Images

Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

Darryl Graham, AP

Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

Petr Josek, Reuters

So why not Tiger? Why not No. 15? Happily married and thrilled with fatherhood, he's at a place in his life, nearing 34, where he can slip into a cocoon and rattle off five majors in the next three or four years. The only thorn in his side at the moment is Jim Brown, who continues to rip Woods and Michael Jordan for not being involved in social activism. "There are one or two individuals in this country that are black that have been put in front of us as an example. But they're basically under a system that says, 'Hey, they're not gonna do a certain thing,'" Brown said on HBO. "Yes, that disappoints me because I know they both know better. Yeah, I know they both know better, OK. And I know they both can do better without hurting themselves. You know what's so interesting about Tiger to me? If it was just a matter of me looking at an individual that's a monster competitor, this cat is a mamajama; he is a killer. He'll run over you, he'll kick your ass. But as an individual for social change, or any of that kind of [stuff]? Terrible. Terrible. Because he can get away with teaching kids to play golf, and that's his contribution. And in the real world, man, I can't teach no kids to play golf and that's my contribution, if I got that kind of power."

Yes, Woods could be more involved with the Obama administration, which is embracing sports and athletes like the White House never has before. But at the moment, Tiger doesn't want to save the world, as his father once suggested he would. He wants to hit the golf ball straight, wear green jackets and hold Claret Jugs.

We haven't thought about it much, but when he reaches No. 19, it will be a powerful day for anyone who cares about sport, life and racial progress. It's time to start moving toward that number.

Time for Tiger to Begin Countdown to 19 originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upstart Wins Trophy, but Phil Wins, Too

Jay Mariotti — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Just once, as his pleading fandom mustered a "Let's Go, Phil!" chant with the vocal force of a late-inning Yankees rally, you wanted him to focus and make the damned putt. All his life, Phil Mickelson has been missing the shorties in the critical moments. Now, as his cancer-stricken wife and concerned kids watched on TV in San Diego, he was standing over a ball that could pave his path to one of the most inspirational victories in the history of, well, sports.

This was on the 17th green at Bethpage Black, where Mickelson was being hand-delivered his first U.S. Open title by a chorus line of stumbling wannabes -- that is, if he could take advantage. He had nailed a 35-foot birdie putt at No. 12, sending familiar roars blasting through the trees and quaint, Buttafuocoan homes of suburban Long Island. On the 13th, he ripped an approach to within a few feet of the cup and converted an eagle. Was the Win One For Amy dream actually going to happen? Was a man who has experienced so much heartache in his career -- and, suddenly, in his family life -- about to trump just about anything we've witnessed in recent golfing memory, including the monumental victories of his far more successful rival, Tiger Woods?

Couch: Close Calls and Almosts | Bacon: Glover Steals US Open Title

We braced. We hoped. We threw away our journalistic non-bias and crossed our fingers, as did everyone else in America except an obscure golfer playing a few holes behind him and armed with exactly one PGA Tour victory. "I guess it's like what they used to say at Augusta -- you could hear a 'Jack roar.' And you can hear a 'Phil roar' here," said one Lucas Glover, surely an interloper in the Mickelson movie classic. "I knew something was going on."

Alas, we should have heeded the warnings back on the 15th green, where the demonic Phil Yips returned. How could he miss a par putt from three feet? He wouldn't fail on 17, though -- right? -- not with thousands of New Yorkers urging him like Billy Joel during a concert encore. Start spreading the news! Mickelson was going to nail the 7-footer, overtake this Lucas Glover character, fend off the improbable uprising of David Duval, pull the painter's cap over Ricky Barnes' eyes and claim the silver trophy that Amy asked him to win for her, so she could place it in her hospital room after breast cancer surgery scheduled for July 1. "She's left me a number of little notes, texts, cards, hints, that she would like to have a silver trophy in her room," Mickelson said when he arrived last week. "So I'm going to try to accommodate that."

He studied the green with his caddy, Bones Mackay. He positioned his feet accordingly and read the putting line. He drew back the putter, struck the ball and watched it ... crawl toward the hole, lacking speed and falling maddeningly short. Again. It was his second bogey in three holes, hardly Hollywood stuff, and the pain on his face was palpable minutes later when he fell shy of his fourth and most meaningful major championship by those two very strokes.

"I put myself in great position to close it out. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it off. Certainly I'm disappointed, but now that it's over, I've got more important things going on," said Mickelson, who will miss the British Open next month to be with his wife and has no idea when he'll return to competitive golf. "Maybe it's more in perspective for me because I feel different this time. I don't know where to go with this, because I wanted to win this tournament badly.

"Oh, well."

In the end, his experience in the biggest championships didn't play a role, not when Glover misplaced his identity for four hours and forgot that he was supposed to gag away his lead. While Mickelson's putter was betraying him and Duval's wild adventure was sabotaged by a late miss on a gimme, a 29-year-old journeyman from South Carolina who chews tobacco and adores Frank Sinatra tried another tack. He avoided the killer mistakes, making par when others were bogeying down and saving his only birdie of the fourth round for the perfect moment -- a 6-foot putt on No. 16 that gave him sole possession of the lead. There was every reason to believe he still might blow it. His only victory as a pro came four years ago, at something called the Funai Classic. He never had fared better than 20th in a major. He had to qualify to make the Bethpage field, via an event in Columbus, Ohio. He'd never made the cut at three previous Opens, meaning he'd eventually wake up and realize why he shouldn't be here. And there wasn't a single person in Nassua County, other than two cousins who bought tickets on eBay and drove all night to see him, who was rooting for Glover.

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: David Duval smiles while holding his two year old son Brayden during the trophy presentation after the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Duval;Brayden Duval

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: David Duval smiles while holding his two year old son Brayden during the trophy presentation while Ricky Barnes looks on after the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Duval;Brayden Duval;Ricky Barnes

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: Nick Taylor of Canada is awarded the low amateur medal during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nick Taylor

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: David Duval plays a shot from the ninth fairway during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Duval

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: David Duval's wife Susie and coach Puggy Blackmon watch the play during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Susie Duval;Puggy Blackmon

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: Lucas Glover celebrates by waving his ball on the tenth hole during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lucas Glover

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: David Duval's wife Susie and coach Puggy Blackmon watch the play during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Susie Duval;Puggy Blackmon

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: Ross Fisher of England reacts to his missed putt on the 12th hole during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ross Fisher

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: (L-R) Ross Fisher of England and David Duval shake hands on the 18th hole during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ross Fisher;David Duval

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 22: Ricky Barnes claps during the trophy presentation during the continuation of the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 22, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Barnes

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So how did he handle his impending doom? By yanking that white cap over his forehead -- and the hair that Southern lads drag down into their eyes -- and ignoring his history of flopping under pressure in less prestigious tournaments. On No. 17, he played conservatively, coolly backed off a short putt when he heard airplane noise above, then made the putt from the same three feet that Mickelson couldn't negotiate. At 18, he drove without harm, hit his approach onto the green and watched as Barnes, left for dead after a predictable crash of epic proportions, nearly made a long putt that would have forced Glover to make his. When Barnes' try lipped out, all the interloper had to do was two-putt from three feet to win. He paused to look around, capturing his fantasy scene forevermore. "I just looked at the scoreboard to make sure this was really happening," Glover said.

Turns out he needed only one of the putts.

Even Tiger Woods cracked down the stretch. Lucas Glover did not.

"I hope I don't downgrade it or anything with my name on there," he said, smiling with the trophy. "It's an honor, and I'm just excited and happy as I can be to be on here."

Earlier in the final round, it appeared he was dead, too, after a rough three-hole sputter. This time, unlike before, he persevered. It helps that his putting has improved dramatically; he's ranked 23rd this year in putts per round after finishing 116th last year. "Two years ago, if that would have happened, no chance I would be sitting here -- no chance," Glover said of his hiccup. "But I've worked on it. My attitude's better. Anything bad happens, just let it go."

It wasn't a popular victory among a disappointed New York crowd that has adopted Mickelson with a fervor that makes little sense. Why do they love a laid-back Californian who has problems closing majors? If he was a relief pitcher for the Mets or a quarterback for the Giants, they'd boo him out of town. But it's thoroughly understandable this time why everyone in the land was rooting for Phil. Just don't let the chagrin interfere with the respect Glover deserves. Mickelson and Woods and the others may have lost the tournament, but Glover also won it.

And besides, the Southern boy has more in common with the New Yorkers than they think. "He's a huge Yankees fan," said his wife and high-school sweetheart, Jennifer, who took Lucas into her arms after the victory. "We have a great time when we come up here for games. The people are wonderful. We love everything about New York." The Glovers even watch "Seinfeld" reruns, OK?

The 109th Open won't be remembered as the most aesthetic. The torrential rains of Thursday and Saturday made this a waterlogged test of survival, and the U.S. Golf Association deserves praise for squeezing 72 holes into five days when the course has been ravaged by rain the last three weeks. Still, the final day of drama made this a classic. We'll remember Glover's poise when more accomplished champions were unraveling. We'll remember the charge and fade of Barnes, who was supposed to be The Next Big Thing earlier this decade and languished in the minor leagues before emerging here. We'll remember Duval and his rather ample gut, assuming he was a long-retired trivia question.

"I stand before you certainly happy with how I played but extremely disappointed in the outcome," said Duval, who tied for second with Mickelson and Barnes. "I had no question in my mind I was going to win the golf tournament today."

We'll remember Woods for another near-miss at a major. For the first time in five years, he doesn't own any of the four major titles. Horrors! "I gave myself so many chances and made nothing," he said in a harsh self-critique, putter especially.

But mostly, we'll remember feeling sad for Mickelson, wanting him to win so his family's spirits could be lifted. Who knows when we'll see him again on a golf course? Not that his career matters at the moment. "Now that we're going to get started here in about 10 days, once we get going, it might be easier," said Mickelson, who has received good news that Amy's cancer may have been caught at an early stage. "The wait has been difficult. I don't really know where we're going with this."

In the past, I'd have asked why he keeps losing so many big ones and bangs tee shots off hospitality tents. Today, I am amazed that he battled through five days of hell and almost won the tournament of his life. So this was the fifth time he finished second at the Open.

Someone should put a silver trophy beside Amy's bed anyway, in spirit. Her husband earned it.

Upstart Wins Trophy, but Phil Wins, Too originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phil Still Poised to Thrill as Tiger Fades

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:05:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Their only common denominator right now, as this convoluted mess of a golf major begins to find closure, is that both have heard wisecracks from the galleries. The humor directed at Phil Mickelson has been in good fun, of course, as he is embraced by the throaty New Yorkers like no one since the Beatles or the Pope and has been particularly adored since news surfaced of his wife's battle with breast cancer.

"I've heard some great, great lines. The people here are really a lot of fun,'' said Mickelson, again enjoying his New York state of mind, though he has precious little in common with the natives. "The best ones I can't repeat, but they keep us laughing. I mean, Steve Stricker and I were laughing at a couple of them down some of the fairways.''

Tiger Woods also has heard lines. Rather pathetically, these were not nice comments in the least. It's a shame Woods would become a villain in the eyes of a few jerks as Phil Love reigns in the rain, but such was the case as he stood under an umbrella Saturday and waited to play at No. 10. I have to wonder if racism plays a role, sadly enough, when the planet's preeminent athlete is heckled by drunken fools.

"We're on Long Island, baby, where men are men!" one of them shouted. "Put that umbrella down!"

"Suck it up, you've got your own video game!" yelled another.

Rather than shoot back a dirty look or fire a club, as he is known to do, Woods wisely placed a finger by his lips and politely asked them to "shhhhh.'' That didn't stop the knuckleheads, nor did other spectators who applauded Woods and were so bothered by the behavior that they left the scene. "Well, they had a little bit to sip, I think,'' Woods said with a smile Sunday. "They had plenty of time in that rain delay. And I think they took full advantage of it.''

Distracting? "They're fine,'' he said, adopting political correctness when a swift verbal swat would have been more fitting. "As long as they can get all excited like that, it's just fine, just as long as they don't yell when we are swinging, which the fans haven't been doing.''

Otherwise, Mickelson and Woods have nothing in common at this U.S. Open. Phil remains in reasonable position to pull off one of the all-time tearjerker sports triumphs, holding firm five strokes behind the inexperienced co-leaders -- wobbly Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover -- as the early stage of the fourth round was suspended by darkness Sunday. Tiger? He's playing like a guy who doesn't deserve his own video game, missing putts and slogging along seven strokes out of the lead with 11 holes to play. What we wanted was Woods vs. Mickelson on Father's Day, with Phil trying to win one for Amy.

Latest U.S. Open Images

David Duval of the U.S. chips to the second green during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Tiger Woods reacts after his chip shot to the fifth green during the final round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Tiger Woods reacts after his tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Ricky Barnes of the U.S. takes his ball from the grass after marking its spot when play was suspended during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Lucas Glover of the U.S. reacts to a missed birdie putt on the first green during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Ross Fisher of England hits from a sand trap on the second green during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Phil Mickelson of the U.S. hits his tee shot on the second hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. holds up his ball after scoring a birdie on the second hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/John Sommers II (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 21: Phil Mickelson watches a shot on the second hole during the final round of the 109th U.S. Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on June 21, 2009 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Phil Mickelson

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Phil Mickelson of the U.S. gives a thumbs up to the cheering gallery on the first green during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 21, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Instead, we'll get Barnes vs. Glover on the morning after, with Mickelson, Mike Weir and the improbable David Duval among those lingering if there's a crash. Sport doesn't always give us tales of mass rooting interest. Cheering for Mickelson on Monday, if he's anywhere near the lead around noon, will be an American passion.

"He's going to be tough to beat. But you just never know what's going to happen in this event,'' Mickelson said of Barnes, a former U.S. Amateur champion who struggled on the minor-league Nationwide Tour for years before shockingly reemerging here at Bethpage Black. "If somebody who's around one, two-under par can get a hot round, shoot four-, five-, six-under, anything can happen in a U.S. Open. The emotion of the event and the momentum can change.

"I'm one good round away. If I can get a little momentum, absolutely I feel like I can make up the difference. Having won a couple of majors, I feel confident and I'm able to stay patient much easier in a challenging event like this.''

Perspective is important at this Open more than most. The rain has been a hardship, sure, but it's merely a nagging nuisance compared to the heavy burden carried by Mickelson and his family. He wore a pink ribbon on his cap, symbolizing the ongoing fight against breast cancer while his wife prepares for a year of treatment starting July 1. Monday night, Phil, Amy and their three children are scheduled to leave for a tropical vacation from San Diego. He wishes he didn't have to stay an extra day, saying Saturday, "I hope this tournament gets done on time as scheduled because we have a fun family trip planned that we'll leave Monday night for. And I don't want to cut it short because it's really our last family trip for the summer and we had to cancel a bunch of other ones.''

But a private jet is waiting on a nearby tarmac. He can finish here in the afternoon and be home in time to pick up the family as scheduled. Can you think of a better vacation than to win the U.S. Open for the first time, hand Amy the silver trophy she wants for her hospital room and enjoy the sun and fun like never before, just the therapy a family needs? The Bethpage crowds certainly are making it clear what they want for the Mickelsons.

"It's awesome, the people here,'' he said. "It's just incredible. It has made the whole week so enjoyable.''

I was surprised to see Tiger in such a pleasant mood. Assuming he can't make up a big deficit in short order, Woods will fall shy of his 15th major championship. That means he will have gone a full year without winning a major, which causes the world to pause in shock and should be driving Woods to drink himself. To be fair, he spent eight months recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, yet it remained shocking to see him give away four strokes at the end of his first round -- his second-worst finishing four holes of his mostly epic professional career -- and then fail to make big putts all weekend. No one is thinking he won't win four majors in the near future and pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. But if he wants to avoid headlines about a ticking clock, Woods may want to win either the British Open next month at Turnberry or the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National.

"I have hit the ball well, but I just haven't made the putts,'' he said after missing several make-able putts and settling for a third-round 68. "Today, I was within 15 feet a lot, but I just didn't have the putts to go in. I've been lipping it out, burning the edges, and I just haven't got it right yet.''

No one feels the least bit sorry for Tiger, who will beat LeBron James to the title of first billionaire athlete. But he was sabotaged by the weather more than any other competitor at Bethpage Splash, where he played the first two rounds mostly in the rain and either had to go long stretches without playing or cram extra holes into a full day. Stop, start. Stop, start. Even a great automaton is distracted by interruption, such as the decision not to resume play until noontime Sunday after an initial early-morning startup plan. "I think it affects me more mentally. It's gearing up, gearing down, gearing up, gearing down,'' Woods said. "You get up in the morning and you kind of think, 'Yeah, I know I've got to get ready to play a little bit and get focused,' and then you call in and say, 'Oh, are we playing or not playing?' So I got up early, got ready and got warmed up, and then had to shut it back down again, get some rest and get it back up again.''

Then, in the early evening, he had to get it back up again for the fourth round. Did he even know what round he was playing? "We can't remember what day it is,'' Woods said. "It just all blurs together.''

And how does he kill time? "Depends. The other day, we were just here chit-chatting, a bunch of guys. Depends on what half of the draw you're on. The other half was at home. We've been out here.''

Three years after the death of his father, Earl, Tiger still feels the weight of his absence on Father's Day. "Even now, when I'm struggling with my game, I can still hear him say, 'Pick a spot and just hit it,' '' Woods said. "When I'm making adjustments during a round, I know some of the television commentators theorize that I'm changing this or moving that, but really what I'm doing is listening to Pop.''

So after all the rain and all logistical pain, we finally have some drama, America. Will Barnes collapse? Does Glover have the game to take advantage? David (Friggin') Duval? It's not beyond the realm of realistic dreaming that Phil Mickelson could survive and win and give us a story for the ages, not to mention a Hollywood movie.

It's almost worth ruining your clothes over, all weekend long.

Phil Still Poised to Thrill as Tiger Fades originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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He's 6 Years Too Late, but Barnes Arrives

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- He was a blond piece of eye candy who posed for photo spreads without a shirt, flashing a flouride-and-floss smile that landed him endorsement deals. He also had enough game at age 21 to beat Hunter Mahan and capture the U.S. Amateur title. So confident was the golf world that Ricky Barnes would be its Next Hot Fuss, an equipment company gave him a seven-figure contract and EA Sports programmed him as a character in the "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf'' video game.

Remember the 2003 Masters, when, as an amateur, he played with Woods the first two rounds and was tied for third after 36 holes? Surely, Barnes was about to emerge as a player who would compete for major championships. It was only a matter of time.

Yeah.

Six years.

Where he went, no one's really sure. They say he was playing on the Nationwide Tour, but for all we know, Barnes disappeared into the tropical rain forest and bonded with chimpanzees. So how fascinating to spot him this weekend at the U.S. Open, in the tropical rain forest that is Bethpage Black, finally arriving in the big time with the sort of brilliance expected all along. Remarkably hitting 31 of his first 36 greens -- while the rest of the field, including Woods, is struggling to hit half the greens in regulation -- Barnes shattered the 36-hole scoring record at this 109-year-old event with an 8-under-par 132. Not that anyone feels sorry for Tiger, who made $110 million the last 12 months despite nursing a surgically repaired knee for eight of them, but he has been tortured by inclement weather while Barnes has lucked out amid better conditions. With the tournament thrown into chaos by the rainstorms and Woods stumbling again at a major because of accuracy and putting problems -- "If I could hit the ball a little better, it'd be GREAT,'' he snorted Saturday -- the door has been swung wide open for a curious interloper like Barnes.

He leads the Open, by one shot over the equally obscure Lucas Glover, heading into an interrrupted third round that will resume early Sunday -- if these dizzy logistics aren't too taxing to comprehend. Barnes finished his second round with three birdies in nine holes Saturday morning for a stunning 65. Wearing his wraparound shades and stylish painter's cap, Barnes was oblivious to the disarray.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "Obviously, you didn't think that score was out there. Obviously, with some tees moved up and the soft greens, that helped me out. And obviously, my ball-striking was the most impressive part. I hit 31 of 36 greens, pretty stress-free. But if you told me I'd be 8-under and only have a one-shot lead, I'd have said you're crazy.''

I'd have said anyone was crazy for thinking Barnes would be anywhere near Long Island in June. After winning College Player of the Year honors at Arizona in 2003, we braced for a huge rivalry with Woods. But like Charles Howell III and so many others thrust prematurely into that role, Barnes was more hype than hit. Blessed with exemptions, he made the cut only twice in his first 13 PGA Tour events, setting off a temper that has led to vicious swings at his golf bag. The big rap on a player once called the Next Arnold Palmer was that he didn't practice hard enough, that he thought his natural ability would carry him to greatness, that he preferred to build his body in the gym. Even now, he admits, "My college coach always told me, 'Spend as much time on the golf course as you do in the gym.' And I think you've just got to find a happy medium. I'm not going to be a guy who sits out there for three or four hours and bangs balls, but if I go out there for an hour or two and work on the right stuff, I think that's the main key. I know what I'm working on. I'm focused for that amount of time and I get out.''

Latest U.S. Open Images

Bubba Watson, left, waits to tee off on the 10th hole with his caddie Ted Scott during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his drive on the 10th tee during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Bubba Watson tees off on the 10th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Dustin Johnson walks past the flag on the fifth green after play was suspended because of inclement weather during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A spectator tries to wait out the rain under an umbrella during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. Play was suspended because of inclement weather. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Anthony Kim laughs while his caddie Eric Larson holds his umbrella on the 10th tee during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

A member of the grounds crew rolls water off the 10th green during third round play in the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 20, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Rocco Mediate grimaces as he drives off the fourth tee during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Sergio Garcia of Spain chips to the first green during play in the third round in the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 20, 2009. REUTERS/John Sommers II (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Michael Sim, of Australia, hits out of a bunker on the second green during the third round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

He languished in the sport's minor leagues, hitting rock bottom in 2006, when he finished 26th on a money list that qualifies the top 25 for PGA Tour cards. "Whoever it was chipped in at 17 and 18 (in the final event) to pretty much bump me out,'' Barnes said. `It was a tough one to swallow. I played well. I thought I handled my business well. I think I shot 7-under in the last round, and I thought I was going to be able to get in. You'd almost rather be two out than one out.''

The next year, he finished 108th on the Nationwide Tour. His career looked dead. But then came a shift in swing coaches, to Dean Reinmuth, and Barnes' career ascended in 2008. Heading into the final weekend, he needed to win $5,000 to squeeze into the top 25 and earn his tour card. He finished 37th, but it won him the necessary money to finish exactly 25th. First, he had to wait out another rival who, you know, might chip in at 17 and 18 again. "I signed my card and got out of the shower and was ready to go to the airport," Barnes said. ``But some of my friends and family said, 'You might want to stick around, it looks like it might get interesting.' The Golf Channel was televising the event, but it was on a half-hour delay in the clubhouse. So I couldn't watch it live. I had to rely on friends and family with their cell phones. You don't want to be that guy who roots against people. So I didn't really know what to do."

And when he finished $3,582 ahead of one David Branshaw? "I couldn't believe it," Barnes said. "I think it took about three or four hours before it finally sunk in. I've been waiting so long for this and it finally happened."

He says the journey made him a better man and helped him appreciate that the good life wasn't merely handed to him. "It got me ready to play on this level, and it humbled me over the last four or five years,'' Barnes said. "I've grown up. I always thought after college I'd be out here right away. I wanted everything so quick, and it was tough to not have success right away at the professional level. Nobody has higher expectations of me than me. I've just had to learn to be patient and realize that it's a long road, but if you stay on it, there is justice."

Not that he wasn't bitter at times. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really (ticked) off the first two or three years, seeing other guys that you played with getting out there and playing well," he said. "The guys you competed against in every tournament when you were younger -- they're out there, and you're just struggling to get conditional status on the Nationwide Tour. And it was nothing that a few extra hours on the range and putting green and just aging, I guess, couldn't rectify."

Yes, he works harder now, although he's quick to draw an interesting comparison to collegians who excel in other sports. "The College Player of the Year in basketball is going to get drafted in the top 10. He's going to get a three-year stint and settle down in the NBA. Probably come off the bench, and he's going to earn his stripes
that way. But he's going to get guided," Barnes said. "Here, you get kind of thrown into the pack of wolves and go to (qualifying) school and you have to earn it.

"But I like it. The only guy I can blame is the guy in the mirror, and that's why I love this sport.''

There is a better chance of Alex Rodriguez being ignored by the New York tabloids than this tournament ending today. Prepare for Monday golf, America, if not Tuesday golf. And while Phil Mickelson remains on the fringe of the leaderboard and still has a shot of winning one for Amy, his cancer-stricken wife, this Open has been just daffy enough to warrant a different kind of champion. Glover? Peter Hanson? Mike Weir, who would be the first lefty to win the Open? The long-forgotten David Duval? Azuma Yano? So, why not Barnes? His brother, 31-year-old Andy, is serving as his caddie here. Their father, Bruce, punted two seasons for the New England Patriots in the early 1970s. They're as amazed as the rest of us at how well he's playing, his poise and efficiency.

I mean, with all the stuffed shirts and fussy egos at major golf events, who can't root for a guy in a painter's cap?

"Something different. I think everybody wears the traditional hat and stuff,'' Barnes said. "Kind of just a cool hat."

Kind of just a cool story, too

He's 6 Years Too Late, but Barnes Arrives originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Muddied by Wildness, Tiger Looks Mortal

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:41:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- So this is what his supposed 15th major title has come to: Tiger Woods is rooting for mudballs to sabotage other golfers at the U.S. Open. He was stuck with several of the dirty critters Friday at Bethpage Splash, contributing to a four-hole finish that was his second-worst in 230 professional starts. The way he sees it from 65th place -- BULLETIN: 10 SHOTS BEHIND AFTER ROUND ONE!!! -- the leaders far ahead of him in this rain-battered logistical nightmare will face the same crusty issues.

"I think the guys are going to get more mudballs," Woods said.

"It's only going to get worse, unless we get more rain. If we get more rain, we won't catch (the mudballs) again, but if it does dry out more, this is going to get interesting, because you're going to have to hit -- you would think you would have to hit low tee shots and run it off, but the problem is, the fairways are so soft, it's not going to go anywhere. If you take the chance of carrying the ball out there, you also have a chance of picking up mud on the ball, too."

If you follow that -- and I'm not sure I do -- there's a significant problem with Tiger's meteorological outlook. Not only is it expected to rain Saturday on Long Island, it's expected to rain a hell of a lot, as it did during Thursday's monsoon/car wash, with thunderstorms forecast from early afternoon into the evening. Think there's any shot whatsoever of squeezing in two rounds today, Al Roker?

"Let me note that the forecast is 80 percent chance of rain, three-quarters to an inch-and-a-quarter of rain possible,'' said Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA's executive committee. Thus, no one will be taking a chance on carrying the ball, which means Woods' great mudball conspiracy isn't going to help him much, even if the USGA doesn't allow players to "lift, clean and place" a muddy ball as they can on the PGA Tour.

Besides, isn't this a peculiar stretch of logic from a man whose biggest problem in shooting 74 involved accuracy? Two weeks ago at the Memorial Tournament, in the victory that got everyone jazzed about his Open chances, Woods hit all 14 fairways on the final day and an astonishing 49 of 56 total, a percentage he hasn't matched since the 1998 Masters. Friday, on a course still waterlogged despite sunny conditions, his numbers were much worse -- driving accuracy: 57.1 percent; greens in regulation: 55.6 percent; scrambling: 37.5 percent; sand saves: 25 percent -- in a round that imploded on the final four holes. After a birdie on No. 14 left him at even par, Woods responded with (a) a double-bogey on No. 15 after a lousy chip and three putts; (b) a missed green on No. 16 and another bogey; and (c) after a par on No. 17, a tee shot that found the bunker, leading to a bogey on No. 18.

This after beginning his first round the day before by pulling his tee shot 50 yards onto a grassy spectators' path, just in front of a merchandise tent.

"Way left," said his caddie, Steve Williams.

Pardon me for doubting the mega-god of golf, sport and modern life, but is it possible Woods will have more difficulty returning from reconstructive knee surgery than we ever imagined? The Open was expected to showcase his breakthrough and return to dominance, a full year after his epic, one-legged triumph at Torrey Pines. New York was ready, too, with a 70-by-40-foot Tiger billboard soaring over the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 34th Street by Madison Square Garden. The Long Island Rail Road added a "Tiger Express" train for his morning tee times Thursday and Friday. It almost seemed a lock that Woods would become the third back-to-back Open winner in the last 70 years, joining Ben Hogan and Curtis Strange. Who wasn't predicting a win that would push him within three of Jack Nicklaus' record 18 major championships? A victory that would make him the only player to win each of the four majors in consecutive seasons?

"I suspect that No. 15 will come for Tiger Woods in about two weeks," Nicklaus predicted after the Memorial.

"I like my chances in any major," said Woods, as if concurring.

But unless a hurricane swoops in -- I'm only half-kidding -- and blows away an eclectic leaderboard that includes Lucas Glover, Ricky Barnes, Mike Weir, a Hanson brother (Peter), a Hansen brother (Soren), Todd Hamilton, Azuma Yaho, amateur Nick Taylor and David (What planet did you come from?) Duval, Woods is about to disappoint in his second straight major since his knee surgery and eight-month layoff from competitive golf. As usual, he tried to put a good face on a bad round. And it should be noted that, despite his huge hole, he has three rounds to make up his deficit. Still, 10 SHOTS BEHIND SOMEONE NAMED LUCAS GLOVER?

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Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

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"I wasn't playing poorly. I was hitting good shots. I was even par with four to go, and I was right there where I needed to be -- and two bad shots and a mudball later, here we go and I'm at 4-over," said Woods, who hasn't shot in the 60s in a U.S. Open first round since his victory in 2002. "Unfortunately, I didn't finish off the round the way I needed to. Hit a bad tee shot on 15 but got a great lie there, went for it. Plugged it in the face, took a drop. Hit a decent pitch, but I didn't think it was going to come all the way back to my feet like that. Blocked the first putt and hit a bad second putt. On 16, I caught a mud ball and didn't make the putt. Didn't get up-and-down on 18, bad tee shot."

Not exactly the soundtrack of a champion. And what he somehow has done, for the first time in a great while, is give hope to The Other Guys in a sport brainwashed for years by his superiority.

"Nobody walks around thinking: 'We can't win this week because Tiger's playing.' I don't believe anybody thinks that way," said 2006 Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, who opened with a 73. "I think everyone appreciates how good he is, knows he's going to be in contention and hopes to get there with him. He's obviously hard to beat. But he's been close in a lot of majors in the last couple of years and not won. So it's a feeling that he's beatable."

It's dangerous, of course, to declare that Woods is beatable or mortal. The minute we do that, he'll win three of the next four majors. It wouldn't shock me in the least if he battled and slogged his way back into contention through the raindrops, as he did at Augusta National in April. But you'll remember, as noted by Ogilvy, that Woods
was in position to win his fifth Masters green jacket and went bogey-bogey on the last two regulation holes. With Tiger still only 33, looking at 10 years left in his prime, no one should be worrying that he won't win the four majors necessary to pass Nicklaus. But the numbers are starting to weigh on him, as he acknowledged this week at Bethpage Black.

Question: "In your opinion, who do you think at this point is the best golfer of all time and why?"

Woods: "Jack."

Question: "How close are you?"

Woods: "He's got 18. I'm at 14."

Going a year without a major championship also would reopen questions about his timing of the surgery. Some think he should have played the British Open last July and tried to win one more major, given the momentum of his thrilling U.S. Open win. For the record, Woods wouldn't change a thing and is happy the surgery was performed last summer. "If you look at the overall picture of it, yes," he said. "Given the circumstances that I had after the U.S. Open, could I have played the British? Yeah, I could have played the British, but I would have had to let my leg heal. It was broken. I would probably rebreak it again during the British. That was going to be the constant theme. My leg was probably going to keep rebreaking. So it was better just to go ahead and fix it. The reason why I had the instability is because I had no ACL. Let's go ahead and make the leg stable, give myself plenty of time to recover and get ready for this season, and then hopefully be back for the Masters, which I was able to do. So everything worked out well in that regard. And I certainly feel a lot more stable in the leg. I wish I could have competed in the majors and the rest of the events. But long term, it was the best thing to do."

For the longest time -- sorry, but Billy Joel, who is splitting with his 27-year-old wife, is from nearby Hicksville -- it appeared Phil Mickelson would steal center stage Friday. Supported like never before by an adoring New York audience touched by his wife's battle with breast cancer, Mickelson crawled up the leaderboard and sent loud roars through this public course for the people. But consecutive bogeys near the end of his first round hurt him, as did a double-bogey early in the second. And while he's in the hunt, questions remain on whether he can pull off the sentimental feat that New York and all of America wants: winning one for Amy, who has urged him to win the silver trophy so she can have it in her hospital room while undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

The cancer plight only intensifies the local love affair with Mickelson. For years, I had difficulty understanding how the frenetic, demanding New Yorkers identified with a southern California guy with a laid-back attitude who had a way of blowing leads and championships. If he was a Giants quarterback or Yankees slugger, they'd boo him because of his general inconsistency and failures in the clutch. But what is that old show-tune lyric so synonymous with New York? "You've got to have heart ... miles and miles and miles of heart!" That sums up Phil, now more than ever. He signs every autograph. He smiles and waves, something Woods doesn't do. So many of the people are dressed in some form of pink. The scene renews even a cynic's view on life.

"He already is so popular in New York," said Butch Harmon, Mickelson's swing coach. "And now with everything going on with Amy, they have even more love for him. He talks to them. He takes time for them."

"It has been overwhelming," Mickelson said. "I can't tell you what the support means to us."

The only development more shocking than Woods' struggles was how a sports organization actually listened to the fans. Before Friday, the USGA's policy was not to issue refunds or rainchecks for a round postponed by rain. This infuriated the 34,000 people who risked pneumonia for three hours and 16 minutes during the Thursday downpour, leading to commentary on FanHouse and elsewhere ripping the USGA for greed in a troubled economic climate. Not 24 hours later, give the organization credit for doing an about-face. If the tournament requires a Monday finish, all but a certainty now considering the weather forecasts, those fans will be allowed through the gates for free. If the Open does conclude Sunday as scheduled, ticket-holders will receive 50 percent refunds. The USGA was pressured by New York state attorney general Andrew Cuomo, among others.

"I commend the USGA for stepping up to the tee and doing right by their fans," Cuomo said.

"We were driven by the fact it didn't seem to be a very popular position," said USGA executive director David Fay. "I heard it last night pumping gas. I must say I'm glad I had a coat on because the comments weren't very positive. And I heard it again this morning at the Dunkin' Donuts."

Why didn't they invite the disgruntled fans back on Friday?

Because there would have been too many people converging on this public course in a small bedroom community. "As much as some people might think it's easy to just bring people in and shoehorn them in, the reality is that when you consider the parking situation, the security situation, the transportation situation and of course, the golf course itself -- factoring in everything -- we're at 55,000 max," Fay said.

"That's what our operations people think that you can get on this golf course without bursting it at the seams."

So, amid a chaotic backdrop, Woods will try to rebound and contend. Just so you know, only one man has overcome a nine-stroke deficit over the final 54 holes to win the U.S. Open, that being Jack Fleck in 1955. It seemed only right to ask Tiger about the proper way to hit a mudball. "Depends on what side of the ball," he said. "It obviously goes in opposite directions. The one I had on 16 was on the left side, so I tried to draw it, which didn't work out. Then the mudball on 13 was the back side of the ball, and I never got it up in the air. It was just tumbling."

Um, good luck with all of that.

Muddied by Wildness, Tiger Looks Mortal originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rain Delays Phil's Quest: Win for Amy

Jay Mariotti — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

Editor's Note: This column has been updated from Wednesday's original version.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- His wife and kids won't be coming this time, the first sign that this will be a different U.S. Open for Phil Mickelson. Before he left his San Diego home on Tuesday, he and his family celebrated his 39th birthday with particular flair. His three children brought him breakfast in bed, and then, a little later, his wife asked him to open his presents.

Suddenly, while recalling this special day in the interview room at Bethpage Black, a scared husband and father became quite talkative about what his wife gave him. Breast cancer has a powerful, haunting way of tapping a man's deepest and most private emotions about the simplest matters, even as millions watch and listen and follow Amy's ordeal with considerable concern.

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"She got me a couple of cool things, and I just love it when she picks me out fashion stuff like sunglasses or such because my fashion sense isn't the best," Mickelson said Wednesday. "So I have to rely on her. And she got me a very cool little mini-camera that has 30 frames-a-second capability, so I can have Bones film my swing or have Butch film it and show me what he's talking about without having to bring out the big video cameras and such."

So the caddy, Bones Mackay, and the swing coach, Butch Harmon, got what they wanted, too. Unlike past birthdays, though, Amy also is asking Phil for an enormous favor in return. She has left the request via text messages, post-it notes, cards and frequent dropped hints.

"She would like to have a silver trophy in her hospital room," he said. "So I'm going to try to accommodate that."

Already America's most popular golfer -- a distinction that always has eluded the dominant automaton that is Tiger Woods -- Mickelson tees off as a nation's sentimental cause. Golf enthusiasts always have shared a certain fondness for Amy, who was there all those years when it appeared her husband never would win a major championship and, of course, was the first to leap into his arms when he finally broke through at Augusta National. Now, as she prepares for a year of cancer treatments that begin July 1, who isn't rooting for Mickelson to pull off what would be a magnificent triumph of the heart and mind? On Father's Day, with the family watching on the hi-def big screen at home, we'd love to see him outduel Woods and win one for Amy.

That is assuming the tournament is completed Sunday. There are automatic car washes that would provide more workable playing conditions than what we experienced Thursday on Long Island, where the vast majority of the first round was postponed until Friday. When I arrived at Bethpage Splash, drenched to my skivvies, I noticed that the No. 2 green was thoroughly immersed in water. Who knew that entire fairways would look like lakes, greens were being squeegeed beyond recognition and the notoriously loud New York galleries would be too waterlogged to yell? If you're too young to remember Woodstock, you should have checked out the scene at No. 15, where several fans had fallen in the mud. Oh, if only John Daly were here. He could have run out of the clubhouse, stripped down and belly-flopped on the practice green.

"Where's my canoe?" the colorful Ian Poulter wrote on Twitter.

Two inches of rain on Day One would require course-pumping through the night -- and the possibility of logistical chaos into the early part of next week. With more heavy rains expected Saturday, what are the odds of squeezing in 72 holes by Sunday evening? Isn't it an inevitability that the Open will spill into Monday?

"No. 1 and 18, that's going to be the issue," said Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA's championship committee. "Eighteen is the real issue."

The good news is that Mickelson didn't have to tee off and, thus, didn't get wet or catch the flu. Is it realistic to think he can win? Maybe not. Best known as an impulsive back-nine gambler who borders on recklessness in big moments, how will his equilibrium hold up while playing with such a heavy heart? You'd like to think he would use the Open as an escape from the pain and fear, but then, he never has won this tournament despite several close calls. The last time he played an Open in the New York metro area, three years ago at Winged Foot, he turned a lead on the 72nd tee into an all-time tactical error that bounced off the hospitality tent and disappeared into dark infamy.

He hasn't won a major since, and, as he nears 40, there are those who think his days of glory are long gone. But all of that can be dismissed as so much psychological gobbledygook when a man is playing for the honor of his sick wife.

Maybe Mickelson focuses on the mission with such resolve that he wins for Amy. Maybe his legendary skill finally won't be intercepted by his risks. This will be his last tournament for a while, with the British Open all but erased as his wife will be in her third week of chemotherapy. And he knows the rowdy New York crowds, who always have loved him, will provide an army of adoring support. if the gallery at Colonial staged a wardrobe "Pink Out" for Amy and the gallery in Memphis followed him with similar strength, imagine what they'll produce on Long Island. "I'm putting everything I have into this week, because I don't anticipate being able to play for a while," said Mickelson, who hasn't missed a major championship since the 1994 Masters and is riding a streak of 61 straight majors. "And the fact that my normal support system, Amy and the kids, aren't going to make the trip this week, I'm kind of hoping to feel the support to kind of help me through the week. That support can carry me emotionally through the golf tournament.

"I love playing in the New York area. The people here have treated me and my family incredibly, and I love coming back here and playing here. Bethpage is one of my favorite golf courses. To be able to play this Open, I'm excited that things worked out. But I'm more excited that the reason I'm able to play is we've had some good news that has not rushed her treatment, has given us the time, an opportunity to see some test results and give us better direction on what we should do to not just cure her but prevent it from coming back in the future."

The early word from doctors is that they caught the breast cancer early, before it progressed to an incurable stage. That isn't to say the family isn't petrified. If you've ever sat in a hospital room of chemotherapy patients, some doing better than others as the medicine shoots through the IVs, you know it's a frightening experience. "I've never been this emotional, where if I'm driving alone or what have you, I'll just start crying," Mickelson admitted last week. "We're scared, yeah. I think a lot of it is the unknown."

But if there can be a rewarding side to this, it's a chance for the Mickelsons to feel a nation's warmth. Phil hasn't always been treated well by the national sports media -- myself included -- as he stumbles and bumbles at times through a career buried in Woods' enormous shadow. Yet we're watching him struggle through a crisis like any other person, which humanizes him like never before and reduces any career inconsistencies to big-picture irrelevance. He easily could have bowed out of the Open, and we would have understood. He decided to play for his wife.

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Spectators make their way through flooded grounds as they leave the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2009. Play was canceled at the U.S. Open Golf Championship because of inclement weather and will resume on Friday. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Water soaks the 14th green at the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2009. Play was canceled at the U.S. Open Golf Championship because of inclement weather and will resume on Friday. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

A combination of three pictures shows a spectator diving into a puddle after play was called for the day during first round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 18, 2009. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Water floods the second green at the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2009. Play was canceled at the U.S. Open Golf Championship because of inclement weather and will resume on Friday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A ball sits on a rain-soaked third green at the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2009. Play was canceled at the U.S. Open Golf Championship because of inclement weather and will resume on Friday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A member of the grounds crew drives a golf cart through a puddle after play was called during the first round of the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 18, 2009. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Spectators leave the course after play was suspended during first round play in the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 18, 2009. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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A spectator leaves the course after play was suspended during first round play in the U.S. Open golf championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, June 18, 2009. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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"She's doing very well. And you'd never know that she was going through this right now," he said. "When we get started [with treatment], it will be different. But she's an amazing person. I don't know how to express how lucky I am, because everybody sees her when she comes out, how she treats people, interacts with people, connects with people, looks people in the eye and genuinely cares about what's going on in their life. And she's like that every day. I get to experience that every day with her. She's just an amazing individual. And I think it's hard for me to see somebody that is such a good person go through something so difficult.

"A couple of weeks ago, when we were diagnosed, there were a number of articles written that were so nice. And we were so appreciative. But in all those articles, there was always a little personal experience that each one of you have had with her. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. And she loves being a mother, and she's an incredible mother; the time she puts in with the kids to uplift them and encourage them in the areas that they enjoy. For me, she's just been the most amazing spouse you can imagine. Supportive and loving, but also an incredible mother, and yet she keeps things interesting.

"She's not afraid to give me a little ribbing. She's just made my life so enjoyable to live. It's just hard for me to see her go through this, but we're going to get through this together. And it's a great opportunity for me to be there for her, and it's brought us closer."

He did finish second here in 2002, when Woods went wire-to-wire to win the Open. Phil was brilliant, you'll recall, on the front nine of this year's Masters, shooting 30 in what was projecting as a Sunday duel with Woods for the green jacket. Both faded late, but it was a reminder that Mickelson still can catch fire and inspire awe. An Open at Bethpage Black requires precise power ball-striking. Though he tied for 59th in Memphis at the St. Jude Classic, he likes how he's playing.

"I've actually been hitting the ball better than I have in a long time. And possibly ever," Mickelson said. "I know it doesn't seem like it after my score at Memphis. Didn't score very well. But I'm really excited about how things have come along ball-striking wise.

"When Amy was going through tests and I'm sitting in a hospital for 10 hours, I was thinking about a lot of things. But I would take a break and think about my golf swing. I would talk to Butch. Even though we didn't hit any balls, I actually got my swing to where we wanted it to be able to hit little cut shots, control my misses, and I'm very optimistic about my ball-striking this week. I think the key for me will be on the greens. I putted these greens very well in '02, and if I have a good putting week, I expect to be in contention on Sunday."

If he is, brace yourself for high drama and huge TV ratings, especially if Woods is involved. Tiger is bidding for his 15th major championship, which would leave him three behind Jack Nicklaus, but he certainly wouldn't be the fan favorite in a Woods vs. Mickelson scenario. I think Tiger will understand, having dealt with the tragedy of losing his father before the 2006 Open and missing the cut.

"Certainly, it's very difficult," Woods said. "When my dad was sick, that's kind of the natural progression anyway. Your parents are supposed to pass away before you. And God forbid how they get sick or how it ends. But to have a spouse, you're supposed to go together.

"And I couldn't imagine dealing with what he has to deal with on a daily basis. And hats off to how he has handled it, because certainly, it's so hard to do. Everywhere you go, people are reminding you of it, and you can't get away from it. And you think that the golf course would be your escape, but it's not. You're surrounded by people wishing you well the entire time and hope everything works out. But then again, they keep reminding you of the same circumstance you're dealing with on a daily basis, and you can't get away from it. I can only speak from my experience with my dad and losing someone close to me. You don't sleep much. It's hard.

"Amy as a person, she's a sweetheart. She's been so nice and so generous to everyone she meets. And all the years that we've played doubles and table tennis, Elin and myself and Phil and Amy, those are priceless times. Myself and everyone out here hopes that she gets well and she's back out here as soon as she can."

A special fan of the Mickelsons is Darren Clarke, whose wife, Heather, died of breast cancer three years ago before the Ryder Cup.

"We had a good conversation about various things," Clarke said. "I understand probably more than most, but he is a good friend. It's very sad news, but it is the early stages, so we hope that everything goes as well as we all wish for. Phil and Amy helped me through that Ryder Cup, walking on and off with me at he opening and closing ceremonies.

"They have been very kind to me."

Tour veteran Stephen Ames didn't play well in 2005 when his wife, Jodi, was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. "But he's a different fish," Ames said of Mickelson. "To be that good, to be where he is in the world (ranked No. 2), you've got to be mentally tough. I feel badly for him. This is not something nice to go through."

Which is why Mickelson is going for broke. Why not declare that he intends to win one for Amy? What the hell does he have to lose when his wife is fighting for her life? "I anticipate it being an emotional experience. My quest is to win my first U.S. Open after four seconds, numerous close calls, me caring about this tournament so much," he said. "Right now, I'm just fortunate that I'm going to be able to play and I hope to play well. I know that after this, I've got something going on that's more important.

"I'm not playing just to play. I think Bethpage is a golf course that suits my game, I love playing in the New York area. Sure, there's a lot of question marks that I'll have. But that's the goal, to win."

You about to doubt him? Me, neither.

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Pat Jefford, left, and Dave McGraw work on a picket fence outside the American Express sponsored PGA learning Center, July 30, 2009, in Chaska, Minnesota. The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacts after teeing off to inaugurate a state level golf championship in Srinagar, India, Monday, Aug.10, 2009.(AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tees off as he inaugurates a state level golf championship in Srinagar, India, Monday, Aug.10, 2009.(AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Nick Franzen, left, and Mark Mersenski apply lettering to the media dining tent, July 30, 2009. The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Victor Amadeo works on steps the players will take to Hazeltine's practice green, seen in the background, July 30, 2009. The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Bob Snavely touches up white paint on fencing at the Payne Stewart corporate village, the largest of four corporate villages, July 30, 2009, in Chaska, Minnesota. The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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Julio Estrella, left, and Victor Amadeo work on steps the players will take to Hazeltine's practice green, July 30, 2009. The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16 on the grounds of the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Pictured here is a PGA staff hat. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

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RENO, NV - AUGUST 09: Jeff Quinney tees off on the 16th hole during the final round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open on August 9, 2009 at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Quinney

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RENO, NV - AUGUST 09: Alex Cejka watches his shot out of the bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open on August 9, 2009 at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Cejka

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Rain Delays Phil's Quest: Win for Amy originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cabrera Prevails on Day That Tests Wills

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:31:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Please resist any temptation to call it anticlimactic, a multi-car pileup won by the least-damaged vehicle, a classic movie with a clumsy ending, a spectacular piece of drama ultimately doused by Rae's Creek and sabotaged by mental blunders. Yes, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods gave us four vintage hours in the Octagon, if the stuffy fathers at Augusta National allow UFC slang. Yes, they were followed by 99.9 percent of the patrons, with only friends and family types watching those actually leading the tournament in a scene both sad and surreal.

And, yes, Mickelson oh-so-predictably wilted after a historic front nine while Woods somehow lost his way when the usual clinch hold was expected.

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But on a day when golf's two most prominent figures tantalized us in a mano-a-mano conflict, only to take machetes to their chances of winning the Masters, wasn't this still about the survivor who maintained his equilibrium a bit longer than the pretenders who faded? Wasn't it about Angel Cabrera, known as "El Pato" (The Duck) in his native Argentina because he walks like one, becoming the first South American to win a green jacket even though he ricocheted a shot off tree bark on the first playoff hole? Wasn't it about Cabrera hitting the right shot on the second extra hole -- gambling on a fade and placing it in the middle of the green -- when poor Kenny Perry was disintegrating just as Chad Campbell had on the first playoff hole and Mickelson and Woods had late in regulation?

Don't be so immersed in Tiger and Phil that you can't honor a champion.

"This is the Masters. It's a course that you can do a lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys," said Cabrera, who now has two major titles on his expanding belt. "A lot of magical things happen here. It's simply the Masters."

In our lifetime, we won't see two or three more compelling days of golf than we did Sunday -- and that includes all the Tiger Sundays, the Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer Sundays. It ended in the fading twilight on the most prescious landscape known to sport, a slice of heaven that looks more beautiful then ever, especially when the rains and lousy weather of recent years finally disappear and let us appreciate Augusta's majesty. Just because Tiger didn't win his 15th major and Mickelson didn't prove his critics wrong doesn't mean it wasn't a memorable afternoon and early evening at the Washington Road pitch-and-putt course.

Golf was the winner Sunday, seizing the American attention span on the Easter holiday and proving why it can be the most emotional of sports, with golfers all alone out there, their flaws and reactions naked to the world.

"It was a very emotional day because it was very up and down, up and down, a lot of highs and lows," Mickelson said. "The crowd made the highs higher, and the moans made the lows even lower."

"I fought my swing all day and just kind of Band-Aided it around," said Woods, who has a way of coining new phrases even amid disappointment. "I almost won the tournament with a Band-Aid swing today. It was just terrible. I don't know what was going on."

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Noriko Asakawa, left, and Heihachiro Nishimiya, right, rest before watching the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Anthony Kim was sporting his initials on his belt buckle during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Kenny Perry reacts to missing his chip for par on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Phil Mickelson hits his approach shot to the 11th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Tiger Woods celebrates a birdie on the 16th hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Shingo Katayama celebrates a birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Angel Cabrera celebrates par on the 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Chad Campbell comes out of the bunker on 18th green during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: The leaderboard on the 18th hole is seen at the end of the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: Kenny Perry reacts to his chip shot on the first sudden death playoff hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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Watching them come undone, when the masses were hoping for a Tiger-Phil duel to the last shot, was fascinating theater. Mickelson tied a course record with 30 on the first nine before -- you know the drill, Phil bashers -- foolishly using a 9-iron on No. 12 and pushing his tee shot into the creek, which was followed by two typical missed gimme putts that ended his chances. Then there was Tiger, who had grinded into contention while Mickelson was rising and falling, pulling his tee shot on No. 17 and finishing his first major tournament since knee surgery with consecutive bogeys. This was Ali and Frazier knocking each other out. This was Godzilla and King Kong both ending up dead. This was a $1.7 million Bugatti Veyron crashing into a $1.1 million Ferrari Enzo. And somehow, when it was all over, Woods and Mickelson managed to shake hands warmly while their respective caddies, Steve Williams and Bones Mackay, exchanged low-fives. Um, wasn't this the same Williams who recently said he despised Mickelson and made fun of his man-boobs (which, by the way, don't seem to be as obvious these days with Phil on a workout kick of some sort)?

"I enjoyed the chance to play with Tiger, but I don't think we were really paying much attention to what the other was doing," Mickelson said. "We were both more concerned with trying to make bogeys and catch the leaders."

When they fell short, you could feel the electrical current unplugged on these venerated grounds, where the crowd surrounding the Woods-Mickelson pairing appeared to rival the size of large American cities. And that was wrong, because a few holes back, Cabrera and Perry were playing for their own causes. Perry, the 48-year-old Kentucky gentleman, was trying to become the oldest player to win a major. He also was playing with a heavy heart. His mother, sick was cancer, was back in the family's hometown of Franklin with his father, Ken, who had called his son Saturday night and repeated what he has said many times.

"You need to win that green jacket," said Dad, a retired insurance salesman who built the town golf course.

Kenny seemed on his way, too, needing only a safe landing as he entered the 17th hole with a two-shot lead. But like everyone else, Perry wobbled, ending regulation with two bogeys and surprising those of us who thought he was too smooth to choke. He had another misstep on the first playoff hole, appearing to save himself with a terrific pitch until it was matched by a clutch Cabrera putt. On the next hole, where Campbell eliminated himself with a missed putt, Perry was sloppy again while Cabrera, who won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, was letting his poise shine through. Perry, who never has won a major, may not have this chance again to expand his place in golf history, enhanced last year when he eschewed the majors -- amid considerable criticism, so he could more easily accrue Ryder Cup points -- and wound up vindicated when he helped the U.S. win in his native state. He wanted this so badly for his father, saying, "I'm still burning inside, wanting to kick everybody's butt. I've got a will inside of me that my dad taught me. He beat on me so bad as a kid and any kind of game -- sport, whatever -- he beat me so bad, I cried all the time because he just beat on me. And then he would laugh in my face as he was doing it. He was a smart man. He taught me a lot."

So when he lost the holy grail, sure, he was devastated. But not so torn up that he couldn't maintain the good-guy demeanor that makes him so popular in the locker room. "I'm not going to hang my head from this," Perry said. "I fought hard out there. I was nervous, but I was proud of the way I hung in. You know, I might never get this opportunity again, but I had a lot of fun being in there. It was a blast for me. I had the tournament to win. I lost the tournament. But Angel hung in there, and I was proud of him."

Proud? Mighty nice of you, Kenny. "Definitely. I don't root against anybody," he said. "I'm going to congratulate him because I know how hard it is, as a professional and a competitor. I know how the momentum swings here and there, and if they execute and beat you, I'm going to shake the man's hand."

In victory, maybe Cabrera soothed a countryman who has had to live in pain for years. In 1968, Roberto De Vicenzo was set for a Masters playoff with Bob Goalby when he signed an incorrect scorecard. He had made a birdie on No. 17, but he signed for a par -- and Goalby was declared the winner. I know, it's one of those silly golf rules that seem sillier when no dishonesty involved. "What a stupid I am," De Vicenzo said. Finally, 41 years later, a South American has won what he could not.

"De Vicenzo had bad luck. He had a bad moment," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "It's not going to change what happened to him. This win, to take back to Argentina, it's going to help a lot with our game.

"When I won the U.S. Open, Roberto gave me a nice picture with a green jacket inside. He said, 'Go for it.' "

El Pato went for it, all right, even when the thwack of ball hitting tree trunk seemed to end his chances. "I only had a spot, like, this big, and only trees, so I've got to put it through there. That's it," he said of his second shot, which luckily bounced into the fairway. "It was as easy as that."

Chuckles bounced off the walls of the interview room. Clearly, nothing at all was easy about this day, one that left us exhilarated, exhausted and wanting more. A lot of golfers lost Sunday.

But we won.

Cabrera Prevails on Day That Tests Wills originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mickelson vs. Woods Not Headline Act

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:51:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He was in the weeds more than he was in the hunt, cussing and fussing and throwing his iron so angrily that he almost beheaded his cute Tiger club cover. "(Bleep)," said Eldrick Woods, more than once. But if Tiger is finished at the 2009 Masters, we can guarantee he'll be back to collect additional green clothing at some point, even if he has won only once at Augusta National since 2002 (slump!).

"Anything you need to work on?" Woods was asked Saturday after another round of misadventures.

"Yeah. I need to eat right now," he said.

More Coverage: Tiger Still Struggling | Perry, Cabrera on Top | Leaderboard

Considering he's coming off reconstructive knee surgery, after painting a profile in mental toughness last June, we'll give him a pass and recommend the chicken-wing joint on Washington Road. But Phil Mickelson? I can make no such assurances about future Butler Cabin visits. Going on 39, and not armed with the killer instinct that will keep him ambitious for major titles in his 40s, he's running out of opportunities to heighten his still-undefined niche in golfing history. This was supposed to be the weekend when Mickelson, who arrived on a roll that he called "some of the best golf I've ever played," dueled the greatest player ever on Easter Sunday for the No. 1 ranking. This was supposed to be Mickelson's chance to avenge the cheap shot of a prominent Camp Woods member, caddie Steve Williams, who made light of Phil's famously wiggly pecs -- OK, man boobs -- and said, "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player, 'cause I hate the (expletive)."

Turns out they'll actually go mano-a-mano Sunday, but it isn't what we had in mind. In a no-brainer straight out of CBS corporate, Woods and Mickelson will be paired together at 1:35 p.m. ET ... as the seventh-to-last group. What we wanted was their first head-to-head duel in the Masters final round since 2001, when Tiger won by two strokes and became the only pro to win four consecutive majors. Instead, we'll apparently settle for the inspirational Kenny Perry vs. Angel Cabrera, with Mickelson and Woods seven strokes shy of the co-leaders. I don't see Perry, trying to fulfill his father's dream and become the oldest majors champion at 48, giving back seven shots on a course set up deliciously for him. Somehow, Mickelson thinks anything is possible.

"I think a lot of things happen on Sunday at Augusta, and I'd never put it past happening again," he said. "I remember when (Jack) Nicklaus won in '86 and he came back with a 65 and it didn't look like it was going to be enough. And not only was it enough, it didn't even get in the playoff; it won outright. At this golf course, funny things can happen, and if you get momentum on your side and you're making some birdies, you can make a lot of them. But when it starts coming apart, it's hard to get it back. And it's easy to tumble.

"I think for me to have a chance, I'll need a 64 or 65. But I think it's out there."

For someone else, maybe.

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Angel Cabrera reacts as he nearly made a birdie from the bunker on the ninth hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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Kenny Perry tosses his ball to his caddie after putting on the 15th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Rory Sabbatini reacts after a bad putt on the 13th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Chad Campbell did not get his first shot out of the bunker on the 16th hole during the third round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (C. Aluka Berry/The State/MCT)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry walks with his caddie Fred Sanders on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Fred Sanders

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Angel Cabrera of Argentina (L), Todd Hamilton (R), caddie Ruben Yorio (3rd L) and caddie Kieran Docherty (2nd L) walk down the 16th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Angel Cabrera;Todd Hamilton;Kieran Docherty;Ruben Yorio

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell walk to the 13th green during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Chad Campbell

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Chad Campbell plays his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Anthony Kim chips from a greenside bunker on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Anthony Kim

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I've increasingly lost faith in Mickelson since a summer day in 2006, when he could have emerged as the sport's alpha dog and chose to be an idiot. That was his word, not mine, though I agreed with the assessment after he used a driver rather than a more conservative club -- and ripped his tee shot off a Winged Foot hospitality tent. He compounded his mess by trying to blast through trees, eschewing a wiser lay-up into the fairway -- and hitting nothing but bark. So much for his third straight major championship, which would have made him the centerpiece of the sports world as he pursued the Phil Slam at the British Open. And so much for finally one-upping Woods, who was reeling emotionally after his father's death.

He hasn't won a major since. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll win one again, which means we also should wonder if his rivalry with Woods -- primarily a disappointing, underdeveloped dud -- is fading away. At least the days are gone when we kept track of Mickelson's 0-for streak in majors, which ended here in 2004 when he finally won his first green jacket. But despite his massive ability, the fact remains he has won only three majors, all in a two-year period. This suggests his career as a majors winner might be over. Someone asked Mickelson how he might help some of the young players emerging on tour. His answer was revealing about his state of mind.

"If you're asking me if I feel old, at times I do," he said.

He looked old, too, when he pushed his tee shot into the trees on No. 18. There was Mickelson, trying to maintain momentum after two par-5 birdies on the back nine, forced to search for his ball while removing his cap and rubbing his hand across his drained, exasperated face. He would recover with an amazing shot, a slice with a 3-iron that allowed him to two-putt and save par. Still, it was the story of his life. When he needed a birdie, he made a mess and settled for less. This is in contrast to Woods, who usually makes the shot and drains the putt when he needs it.

When he's compared to Woods in media settings, Mickelson grows uncomfortable. Someone asked, in effect, if major championships won without Woods in the field -- such as the last two in 2008 -- should have asterisks when recalling the Tiger Era. "I don't feel though any of last year's majors when he didn't compete were detracted. I think they are still every bit as important," he said. "Twenty or 30 years from now, we may look at it differently, I don't know. I haven't sat down and looked at how many tournaments I've won with him in the field as opposed to against. But it certainly is a fun challenge for all of us to try to compete in an era when arguably the best player of all time is playing."

Interesting that he tossed in "arguably." Earlier in the week, Mickelson evaded the idea that he and Woods have a rivalry, but it's clear they aren't friends after various snipes through the years. "I think if it were in tennis, a rivalry would be a bigger factor than it is in golf, where we are not really playing against an individual as much as we are playing to shoot the lowest score and try to beat all the players," he said. "I'm a big San Diego Charger fan. I grew up in San Diego. I don't care who they are playing, whether it's the Raiders, who are historically their rivals, or the Broncos or the Giants or Jets. I am pulling for San Diego to win as much one game as another. When I watch a tennis match, I don't care if Federer is playing Nadal or Nadal is playing Federer. I like watching their skills and seeing what they can do against any competition. I just appreciate their excellence, if you will. It doesn't make a big of a difference to me, but that doesn't mean it makes a lot to you."

In other words, no, he isn't frothing at the mouth to face Woods. "I think that when I had success in a head-to-head match with Tiger at Boston a couple of years ago, it didn't matter to me the fact that we were playing together per se," said Mickelson, referring to his victory over Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship. "I know it was made out into a huge deal, but for me to perform well, I've got to attack the golf course the way I can and not worry about what he does and not let his great shots or poor shots affect the way I play my next shot. It's not a match-play situation. It's a stroke-play event and for me to play my best, I can't get caught up in that or nor can he."

As for Woods, he has needed 92 putts over 54 holes, which ties him for 42nd in putting efficiency. He started miserably, pushing his tee shot into the trees left of the fairway, needing three putts and opening with a dreadful double-bogey. "I just put myself right behind the 8-ball. But man, I fought hard to get it back today. That was a hell of a fight," said Woods, who settled for a 70.

Can he keep fighting enough to overcome seven shots? "It depends. If Kenny and (Cabrera) go off and shoot two, three, four more under par from where they are right now, it almost puts it out of reach for us," he said. "But if they come back a little bit or stay where they're at, we've still got a chance."

Hungry and looking for an escape hatch, Woods shot back at an interviewer who asked about "his thoughts" during an errant tee shot on No. 6. "You don't want to know my thoughts. You don't want to know my thoughts," he said.

It is possible he just wasn't ready for a major tournament, 10 months since his last one at Torrey Pines? "No, it's not that at all," he said. "I just didn't hit the ball as precise as I needed to today and just fought my ass off to get it back, to shoot a number. I'm very proud of that. After making a double on the first hole, I still got myself in (contention), depending on what the leaders do."

Depending on others wasn't the idea, of course. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were supposed to be the leaders, not the followers playing seven groups behind. Someday soon, Tiger will be back. Whither Phil?

Mickelson vs. Woods Not Headline Act originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Tales Push Tiger Into Background

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Golf, Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The winds tend to howl and hurl dust across the prairies of West Texas, where not every golfer is a washed-up pro trying to impress Rene Russo at a driving range. Chad Campbell grew up playing in tricky gusts much like those at Augusta National, in a second round worthy of wind turbines on every hole and intense prayer at Amen Corner. As Tiger Woods predicted, the conditions did change, from laughably accommodating to punitive.

If only Woods was as good a golfer Friday as he was a meteorologist.

More Coverage: Chad Campbell Stays Hot | Leaderboard

I'm not quite giving up on Tiger's post-rehab green jacket fitting Sunday at Butler Cabin, but I'm starting to weigh two other invitations far more seriously. One would be the long-awaited coronation of Campbell as champion of a golfing major, a legitimate pursuit after his second straight impressive day at the Masters. He followed his historic first-round start, when he birdied the first five holes en route to a 65, with a carefully crafted 70, leaving him seven strokes ahead of a scuffling, demoralized Woods. Campbell enters the weekend sharing the lead with another compelling story, that of Kenny Perry, who is 48 and, thus, trying to one-up Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters champion.

This after blowing off the four majors last year so he could focus on smaller tournaments and more easily accrue Ryder Cup points, a decision that some of us originally thought was, well, hokey. Perry did it so he could qualify for the U.S. team at Valhalla, in his native Kentucky, where he wanted to rescript his career after a painful collapse on the same course at the 1996 PGA Championship. When the Americans beat Europe amid a raucous home-state celebration, the criticism stopped. "It was the pinnacle of my career, the ultimate," Perry said. "I felt like Tiger for a week. I felt like a rock star."

Now, he's trying to write more history as Woods, who finished with a bogey for the second straight day, fades away in his first major since the reconstructive knee surgery that interrupted his career.

Is erasing seven strokes do-able?

"Yeah," said Woods, answering questions tersely after shooting 72.

Was the wind difficult?

"Yeah, you might say that."

Funny, but others seemed to handle the conditions better, including 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, who is in the hunt with 2004 British Open champ Todd Hamilton, Tim Clark, hard-charging Anthony Kim and Tiger-irritator Rory Sabbatini, among others. For now, Perry and Campbell have the spotlight. In nine starts at Augusta, Perry never had appeared in the interview room before his second-round 67. No one ever wanted to talk to him except, maybe, his hometown newspaper. And he knew exactly what was coming Friday -- first question, bomb drive down the middle of the fairway, even before he could take his first sip from a water bottle with an Augusta Nationalized logo.

"Kenny," said an interrogator, his sarcasm knife sharpened, "I guess we can assume now that you are focusing on the majors and not the Presidents Cup."

"Good question," said Perry, chuckling. "Definitely, yeah. I told y'all earlier this year that I was going to play all four majors this year. The Presidents Cup is not in Kentucky. We are after the majors this year."

Latest From Augusta

Gary Player (2nd L) of South Africa is hugged by defending champion Trevor Immelman (2nd R) as golfer Louis Oosthuizen (L) of South Africa and William Porter Payne (R), Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club watch as he leaves the green at the end of his final Masters competitive round at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain waves to the gallery following his the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Greg Norman of Australia waves after chipping in for a birdie on the 12th green during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Stephen Ames of Canada tips his cap after finishing his second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Gary Player, right, of South Africa crosses the Nelson Bridge on the 13th fairway with Stephen Ames of Canada and their caddies during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Golf legend Gary Player of South Africa kneels before walking onto the 18th green as he finished his final competitive Masters play in the second round of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 10: during the second round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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So the big story, apparently, will be his duel with Campbell, the hanging Chad in this drama. He was the player named by his peers, in a Sports Illustrated poll, as the most likely "Next Big Thing." Problem was, the survey was taken in 2003. He has won four times since and played on three U.S. Ryder Cup teams, but to be a Next Big Thing, you must win a major. He has teased us twice -- in 2006, he led the Masters after two rounds before stumbling, tying for third and watching Mickelson win; in 2003, he battled Shaun Micheel down the stretch of the PGA Championship and lost by two strokes. Otherwise, he hasn't been the Next Big Thing as much as the Next Hal Sutton, another highly celebrated player who never reached his potential. In his golfing midlife, Campbell may never have a better chance to win a major again.

"I don't pay that much attention to it," he said of unfulfilled expectations. "I obviously have not done as much as I would like to since I've been on tour, but I'm only 34. I have a little ways to go, so hopefully I can win a few more times before I'm done."

Could it be Campbell, a low-key sort with a moon face who looks like a big teddy bear, lacks the ego to be a star? He's a family man who loves the Dallas Cowboys and helped pay his way through UNLV by working in a Vegas coffee shop. His hometown of Andrews is in the middle of oil country, somewhere between Lubbock and Midland, not far from the New Mexico border. Roy (Tin Cup) McAvoy and a lot of armadillos live nearby. "I've never been, like, big and high-profile or supposed to win the majors or anything," he said. "I never saw myself in that aspect, or having to come to the media room before tournaments or anything. I never really saw myself like that. It's all been the same the whole time in my career."

Nerves, too, have been an issue. How much of the weekend challenge will be managing his mental condition? "I think a lot of it," he said. "You've definitely got to be very patient and stay positive. I mean, I'm going to have some bad holes. I'm probably going to make some bogeys -- hopefully not -- but you can't get too down when you do.

"You always get a little nervous when you're leading any tournament -- or I do, anyway. But I take nerves as being a good thing. I'm going to be nervous tomorrow. That's just the way it is. I mean, I was nervous yesterday. First hole, I was nervous today. I actually like being nervous. It means that you are intense and you care with what happens. Sometimes you get out there and you're teeing off and you're not nervous, you sometimes get a little lazy and lackadaisical and just kind of go through the motions."

He'll face a steely competitor in Perry, who has won 10 times in his 40s but still hasn't snagged a major. His best Masters performance was a 12th-place finish in 1995; this is only the fourth time he has made the cut. His peers always have raved about his driving ability, but now, he has located his putting stroke and has won four times the past two seasons. Specifically, the secret is a new putter. Two years ago, Perry was practicing at his club in Vero Beach, Fla., when a fellow member, Paul Hargarten, gave him Ping Craz-e putter. Perry has used it ever since, even with Hargarten's name still on the shaft. "The face is real dead. At my age, I have a little firing mechanism that wants to shoot the ball a little bit. Well, the face is so dead on this putter, the ball won't take off very fast when you hit it. Ever since he gave me that putter, I have putted beautifully. If I do ever get excited or something, I don't really knock it way by the hole like I used to. It's just given me a lot of confidence."

The pressure on Perry to win the Ryder Cup -- or, at least, perform well -- was immense. He knows what was being written and said about him. But dealing with that pressure, and beating it, could serve him well this weekend. "It ought to be very similar. I laid all my cards on the line that week," he said. "I put it all out on the line, being in front of my home -- I mean, I could have been a dog that week and went 0-and-5 or 0-and-4 or whatever and not won a point. I put all of the pressure I could put on myself.

"It was basically a mulligan. People remember my debacle at the PGA, how I screwed that up and all of Kentucky remembered me for that. I was throwing it out there and I was going for broke. I was either going to hit a home run or I was going to get thrown out. And it went my way. Things went my way. I played great. It was probably one of the greatest three days of my life ball-striking-wise. Very similar to the way I'm hitting right here."

Hmmm. Imagine a Ryder Cup, My-Country-'Tis-of-Thee moment last autumn, followed by a green jacket as his first major title?

"You know what? Everything is a bonus now, it really is," Perry said. "I'm just going through each and every day enjoying life a little bit. I think I can win. You know I'm not going out there very casually. I'm still burning inside, wanting to kick everybody's butt. I've got a will inside of me that my dad taught me. He beat on me so bad as a kid and any kind of game -- sport, whatever -- he beat me so bad, I cried all the time because he just beat on me. And then he would laugh in my face as he was doing it.

"He was a smart man. He taught me a lot. At the Ryder Cup, when he came up and gave me that hug, I told him that was the greatest gift I could ever have given him. That was pretty special for us as a father and son. Everything is just going great. I understand what I'm trying to do, what I'm trying accomplish. Can I? I think I can. I really believe I can win this tournament. Will I? I don't know."

Along the way, Perry's father always has told him, "You need to win that green jacket." Kenny never bought into it completely. "Not really. I think the public looks at you and says you need to win a major, but for me, to where I came from, the roots I had and my upbringing, to come from a nine-hole golf course in the middle of nowhere?" he said. "I didn't have swing coaches. I didn't have this entourage. I didn't have the money. I didn't have anything. I was borrowing money, begging, doing whatever I could, scratching and clawing to get out here. It means a lot more to me, I think, because of where I've come from and where I've been able to go and how much success I've been able to have. To me, that's very satisfying and very gratifying.

"Now, everybody looks at winning majors as very important, and I would agree. You know, people look at your stats. They are going to say, you need to win majors if you are going to be the upper echelon of the PGA Tour players out there, of the winners. But I've had a great career. And I'd be very satisfied if it ended today, where I'm at in my life, in my career. The Ryder Cup, I can't express to y'all how much that meant to me. To me, that was the ultimate of anything I have ever been a part of or accomplished, be it any of my 13 wins. None of those meant anything compared to what I experienced that week with my family, my dad.

"But Dad has always said, 'You need to win that green jacket.' He always calls me and tells me."

Um, Tiger who?

Better Tales Push Tiger Into Background originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiger in Position to Strike -- Again

Jay Mariotti — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:32:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Back in black, with a stylish blue stripe on each sleeve, Tiger Woods snarled and seethed like an unleashed animal as he walked to the first tee. His stare was so intense, he didn't notice the "patrons" who were pushing and shoving in an eight-deep scrum to catch a brief glimpse, pressing so zealously against the ropes that a security guard shouted, "Two steps back, please!"

Of course, this is what the world has awaited for 10 anxious months, the comeback from his Battle of Wounded Knee, the return of sport's most breathtaking and history-rattling show to a major stage. He can't repair the economy, cure diseases or stop Lindsay Lohan from fighting with her ex-girlfriend, but it's uncanny how Woods' presence stimulates the American attention span.

"Welcome back, Tiger," a boy yelled above the din. "Win for me."

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Maybe he'll still do that, son. And maybe he won't. Those of us who predicted a triumphant Masters party for Woods continue to like our chances, though Thursday was a wobblier experience than expected in his first major championship since doctors invaded his left knee and rebuilt his ACL. For a while there in the opening round, he wasn't even the best show at Augusta National, reduced to an afterthought and buried down the leaderboard by a lumpy journeyman with four career victories. Chad Campbell was the man flirting with the gods, recording birdies on his first five holes -- unprecedented stuff on these hallowed grounds -- en route to a 65. On a gorgeous day conducive to low scoring and minimal locker-room whining, with zero complaints about easy pin placements, Woods struggled early with his putter and fell nine shots behind at one point. Green jacket? He seemed in desperate need of a straitjacket, glaring at rude noise-makers in the gallery while displaying visible frustration every time a shot didn't obey his orders.

The parking-lot attendant could have broken par. The old Masters roars, lost in recent years because the course has a growl and an extra 500-plus yards in length, bounced off the dogwoods. Seems Tiger wasn't partaking in the fun, and he wasn't happy.

"You saw the way guys were tearing it up out there. Scores were there to be had," Woods said as darkness settled over Georgia. "I got fooled by the wind a few times. I knew I had to just hang in and that the back nine could be had."

His game finally recovered as the sun began to set over the splendid greenery. He strung together three birdies and appeared headed for his first-ever Masters opening round in the 60s. But then, inexplicably, he gave two shots back -- a missed four-foot putt on No. 17 and an overplay into the gallery above the 18th green, which led to an errant chip that rolled downhill and rested 50 feet from the hole. Instead of finishing birdie-par, he went par-bogey. "I was in position to shoot four- or five-under par and didn't get it done," he lamented. "I let a couple of shots slip away at the end there."

Still, what looked to be a deep, inescapable crater is now a simpler, manageable divot, a five-stroke deficit. Tiger can make up five shots at breakfast, and there's no reason to think he can't win for the fifth time here. He shot 70, right? Last three times he shot 70 to open the Masters, guess who won the tournament?

"That's how I won it four times," said Woods.

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Arnold Palmer was the honorary starter to begin the first round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Thursday, April 9, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Arnold Palmer was the honorary starter to begin the first round of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Thursday, April 9, 2009. (Gerry Melendez/The State/MCT)

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Ryo Ishikawa (C) of Japan putts on the 18th green as Anthony Kim (L) of the U.S. and Rory McIlroy (R) of Northern Ireland watch during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Jeev Milkha Singh (L) of India shakes hands with Tiger Woods (R) of the U.S. after their first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Adam Scott (R) of Australia shakes hands with Danny Lee (L) of New Zealand after their round during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Tiger Woods (R) of the U.S. and his caddie Steve Williams walk to the 16th green during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Ryo Ishikawa (L) of Japan shakes hands with Rory McIlroy (C) of Northern Ireland and Anthony Kim (R) of the U.S. at the end of their first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. looks at his ball resting against the shoe of a patron after hitting his approach shot to the 18th green during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain hits from a sand trap on the 18th green during first round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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And how did it feel to be back in his personal playground, where he routed the field and shamed the racists a dozen years ago and forced the Augusta fathers to Tiger-proof a once-tame course?

"I felt the same," he said, "just kind of plodding along. You've just got to be patient and stay with it. It's not like I haven't been in this position before. It's a long week, and the weather is going to start changing. We have a long way to go."

It should surprise no one that he dwelt more on his failures than his successes, knowing the Augusta layout is more difficult than ever and, thus, less forgiving of mistakes. His round was lifted by a brassy, uphill, 25-foot putt on No. 14, yet he still was brooding about the missed gimme at No. 17, where he disgustedly placed his cap over his face and gritted his teeth. He could have reduced Campbell's lead to three strokes at that point, but, you know, I think his game will survive the curl-out.

"The last couple of years, my putting has been streaky here," Woods said. "I get on rolls where I make on everything and I get on rolls where I don't make anything. Consequently, I didn't win the tournament. You have to be very consistent around this golf course. Especially now -- there are not too many birdie opportunities. It's not like how it used to be. So given that, you've just got to be very patient and hit the ball well but make the putts when you have the opportunities, because they are not going to come as frequent as they used to."

As for the approach shot on 18, he still hadn't figured that one out. "It was unbelievable," he said. "I hit just a little 8-iron, and it flew 155 -- uphill. That's a long way to hit it. It is what it is. I hit a good shot and it ended up in a bad spot."

Campbell, too, finished poorly. After another four-birdie run on the back nine, he was in position to make more history and record the lowest single-round score at Augusta. The record is 63, shared by Greg Norman and Nick Price, but Campbell also gave away two shots on the final two holes. "I'm definitely happy with the round I played, but I'm a little upset with the way I finished," he said. The good news: Trevor Immelman led after the first round last year and won a green jacket. The bad news: He was the first opening-round leader or co-leader to do so since 1985.

And how about the weird karma? On the day Norman showed up at Augusta for the first time in seven years, prepared to forget his Masters demons and have some fun, guess who shot 67? Larry Friggin' Mize, the local native who haunts Norman to this day after beating him with a miracle 140-foot chip shot in a 1987 playoff here. Mize hasn't made a Masters cut in eight years, but there he is, tied for fourth, three shots ahead of The Shark. Any compassion for Norman after all these years?

"I really don't give that one much thought," Mize said. "You know, when you're competing, it's nothing personal. You're just playing your best, he's playing his best. So I don't really have those kind of feelings."

It was mentioned to Norman that Mize was high on the leaderboard. "I haven't even noticed the leaderboard, to tell you the truth," he said.

Then he was told that Mize was 5-under.

"Good for Larry. Well, that's great," Norman said. "It's great to see, and I think you're going to see a lot of good scores coming out of this golf course today. I would not be at all surprised if you see a 6- or 7-under or a 5-, 6-, 7-under leading the golf tournament at the end of the day."

He was right. Seven-under par leads the Masters. And Tiger Woods didn't shoot it.

Oh, how's the knee?

"It feels great, thank you," he said.

My guess is, he'll win for the kid.

Tiger in Position to Strike -- Again originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Eerie Masters Redux, Norman All Class

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:54:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- And to think it was supposed to be a post-honeymoon lark, a chance for Greg Norman and his bride, a tennis player of some sort, to have fun and experience a British Open. Little did they know their side trip would take a crazy turn toward a haunted place and time. When he shocked the golf world and played well last summer at Royal Birkdale, flirting with a Claret Jug until the end, Norman had no idea a third-place finish qualified him for ... the Masters?
For most men in his craft, it would be a dream.

For him, it seemed the ultimate booby prize, prank and cruel joke.

"I didn't even know that I qualified for Augusta until I walked into the press room, and I didn't believe it when somebody told me as I walked off the 72nd green,'' said Norman, still sounding incredulous. "I said, 'No way I qualified for Augusta,' and I kept on doing interviews. It wasn't until someone reconfirmed it during the press conference that I said, 'OK.' I'd never even thought about it.''

Why would he? This is where one of the great talents and dynamic personalities of modern golf succumbed to nerves, pressure and all-time cases of the yips. This is where he pushed an iron wide on the 18th hole in 1986, opening history's gates for a charging Jack Nicklaus and his unfathomable green jacket at age 46. This is where he watched Larry Mize, staring at 140 feet of real estate that Norman assumed would require three shots, chip in and rip out Norman's heart in a 1987 playoff. And this is where Norman went splash on two par 3s down the stretch in 1996, leading him to blow a six-shot lead, shoot 78 and lose to Nick Faldo by five strokes in what remains the biggest choke ever in a major championship. The only notion crazier than Norman ever allowing Augusta National into his brainstream was the idea he actually would return to his personal hell, at 54, for another try.

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Reiner Saxton of Netherlands lines up a putt for his daughter Heather during the annual Par 3 tournament played before the start of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Greg Norman of Australia, talks with his wife, former tennis player Chris Evert as she caddies for him during the annual Par 3 tournament before play in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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A patron wears a hat adorned with annual Masters tournament pins during play in the annual Par-3 tournament before play begins in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)

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Lawnmowers cut the grass on the first fairway as the course is prepared for the first round of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Gary Player (2nd R) of South Africa celebrates with Jack Nicklaus (R) after hitting his second tee shot into the cup for a par after his first shot went into a pond during the annual Par 3 tournament held before play begins in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Former Masters champions Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus putt during the annual Par 3 tournament played before the start of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Former Masters champions Gary Player (R) and Arnold Palmer (L) sign autographs for spectators during the annual Par 3 tournament held before play in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. Player has played in 52 Masters tournaments and has announced that this will be his last. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Former Masters champions Jack Nicklaus (L) and Arnold Palmer wait to tee off on the fifth hole during the annual Par 3 tournament before play in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Former Masters champions Jack Nicklaus (L), Arnold Palmer (2nd L) and Gary Player (3rd L) and Player's grandson and caddie William wait to tee off on the fifth hole during the annual Par 3 tournament before play in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Former Masters champions Jack Nicklaus (L), Arnold Palmer (C) and Gary Player (R) wait to tee off on the fifth hole during the annual Par 3 tournament before play in the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

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Yet here he is, admirably enough, arriving not to confront his demons as much as acknowledge them after all these years while proving he didn't let the horrors ruin him. Yes, in many sporting minds, Norman is defined by his Masters failures more than his two British Open titles, 20 PGA Tour titles, 107 wins internationally and Great White Shark spirit. But the fact he showed up anyway, with Chris Evert beside him for her first spin around Amen Corner, speaks volumes about the man and his rich perspective on life.

So too did that hole-in-one he stuck in Wednesday's Par-3 contest, sending a message to everybody that the Shark is back in the Georgia waters.

"I put away all the negative stuff at Augusta, because I love all the positive stuff,'' Norman said. "I know people always revert back to the negative, and I always go back to the positive. They're like, 'Why didn't this course destroy Greg Norman?' I'm back because I love it.

"I think I share the balance of memories, good and bad, and it's important that you do that. Some of the bad stuff was self-inflicted, and some of it wasn't. I know I talk about it with Chrissie a lot because we like to kind of lament a lot over what we've done and haven't done. I probably talk more about the Masters than I do anything else when we have those conversations.''

In those therapeutic chats, Evert talks about her losses to lead rival Martina Navratilova. The difference, of course, is that Evert isn't primarily known for her failures. Sadly, Norman is to some degree. "It's interesting, because she went through 13 times getting beaten by Martina, and I went 22 times without winning the Masters. So I think I'm a little bit ahead of her on that one,'' he said, smiling.

"No matter how great a player you are, in whatever sport or respective field, you always go through negative and positives. It's good to talk about the negatives, because you don't need to keep them inside you.
People know that things did happen, and sometimes you play bad or sometimes you play great and somebody beats you. That's the game of golf. But at the same time, I've come away from here with a lot of good memories, too.''

He knows it's possible the old, wicked demons will resurface starting Thursday, that he could shoot a poor score and miss the cut and reopen wounds. To help prevent that slip-up, he has prepared diligently for several weeks, working much harder than he did before the British Open. His Australian countryman, Geoff Ogilvy, dared to predict his idol will be a factor come Sunday. Norman does not laugh at the suggestion. "Would I like to be there? Yes, of course I'd like to be there Sunday,'' said Norman, whose son, Gregory, will be his caddie.
"But I've got to take my expectations and manage them properly and see how it plays out.''

And the demons? "You've got to be strong-minded. As a professional athlete, you train yourself to let not even the good things fall into your head,'' he said. "You have to deal with what is at the task at hand right there and then. They never really do, to tell you the truth, when you're out there working your game, playing your game -- you never think about what happened in whatever year it was.

You just go ahead and do your thing. If you let the demons take control of you, then you're never going to do your job properly anyway. And every player has got demons. We all know we've made mistakes and hit the wrong shot at the wrong time, even though you have won a lot of golf tournaments. You've still got demons and you've still got to find them. That's the strength in the mind of an athlete, you just put them aside and do what you need to do.''

From Tiger Woods on down, colleagues are wishing him well this week. Such warm comments never were relayed in the 1980s, when the field was scared of his game and what he could accomplish if he ever conquered the choke jobs. He appreciates the sentiment. "I'd be lying if I said those things didn't give me some motivation,'' Norman said.

"It's really a great feeling. I've been a part of this tournament, whether it's good or bad, and people would have liked to see me have won the tournament, and I get that from some of the players to tell you the truth. It's difficult to really explain it, how it feels, because sometimes you come in and you think, okay, when I used to come in here in the '80s and '90s, and you expected to do well, people were pulling for you and other people were not pulling for you, too. Now it seems like everyone is pulling for me, which is nice.

"I was just in the locker room. Even the players are, 'Hey, play well, play well, play well. It really makes you understand the impact that I've had to some degree I have had on the event, and it makes you feel different in some ways. You're just another player in the field. You've earned your way in here, and everyone is trying to will me to do it. I'm just going to go out there and do the opposite of what I used to do; just go out there and have fun. I tried to go20and have fun in the past, but sometimes it didn't work out. But this time, I'm definitely going to go out and have fun.''

It helps to have Evert as his soulmate and shrink. You wonder if Norman would have won more majors than his two British Opens if they'd been together years ago.

"Chris has had a huge impact,'' he said. "When you've both been at the top of the heap -- she has been the No. 1 tennis player -- well, I made a comment to her when we were in Houston (last weekend). I said, 'You know, I wish I had your success rate, winning 91 percent of the time.' So when you have a conversation, she puts a totally different perspective on it from an athlete's perspective. From a balance standpoint, she's an athlete. Everything I like to do, she loves to do. We do everything together. She wants to learn things, and I want to learn things. She's a teacher, and I'm a teacher. She's a giver, and I'm a giver.

"So all of a sudden, one of the greatest things I think you can have with your partner in life is to do anything you want. If you want to go hiking the mountains of Tibet or the Himalayas, or ride a bike or do yoga or Pilates, it's a great thing to go say, 'Hey, let's go do that.' That creates a great sense of balance where you can enjoy doing something you love. She's trying to teach me to play tennis, and she wants to learn to play golf. It's going to be a great time for us, because she's a competitor and she wants to learn how to play, and that's where you go into a good balance. And when you go home, she knows when not to ask questions, especially questions about golf, and she knows when you need down time and when you're quiet. When somebody understands that, phew, that's pretty good.''

It's good to see him at peace when so much of his career has been torture. He has love and context and all the money a man would need. Wouldn't it be cool to see the Shark duel Woods late Sunday afternoon? You know, make the Augusta failures fade away into the dogwood trees?

"I think I learned more about myself by the failures here, and the way you conduct yourself,'' Norman said. "When I came in here (after flopping) in '96, nobody expected me to come in (to the interview room). I did and took it the way I'm supposed to. It wasn't a great experience, but you had to face the music. It taught me a lot, and taught a lot of players that how you conduct yourself after a victory is a lot different than the way you conduct yourself after a defeat -- and how you conduct yourself after a defeat is what makes you inside.

"I don't care what other people think of me, but how I feel inside. I know I felt pretty darned good about myself when I left this press room. That's how you look within yourself to become a better person.''

Contend or choke, I'm glad he's here. The circle is full now.

In Eerie Masters Redux, Norman All Class originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiger Talks Grand Slam -- And Why Not?

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

The birdie putt was said to be 15 feet. In truth, the ball exploded from the 72nd green at Bay Hill and shot through the consciousness of every golfer not named Tiger Woods, torturing the collective psyche of the so-called competition. If there were any doubts that Woods would be less than his indomitable self after knee surgery, his final-hole victory in the Florida darkness zapped the uncertainty like radiation treatment, leaving rivals with a familiar tsunami of dread.

Which might explain why Woods, healthier and happier than at any point in his epic career, dared to venture Tuesday into the same rare territory he did a year ago. He was asked again, in the interview room at Augusta National, if he could win the Grand Slam this year. Without hesitation, he said yes.

"Well, I know I can do it. I've done it. It's hard for me to sit here and tell you it can't be done, because I've done it before," he said, referring to the period when he owned all four major championships simultaneously, though not in a same-year sequence. "It's just a matter of winning the right four at the right time. So hopefully, it will start this week for me."

Should you ever wonder about the global fascination with Tiger, consider this a delicious example. Why ask "Why?" about the Slam when he can ask "Why not?" As he attacks Jack Nicklaus' career record of 18 major championships, standing at 14 as the Masters begins, he'd rather accentuate the big-picture chase with one of the few challenges he hasn't met. His rationale isn't hard to figure out. For years, he won majors on a bum knee that ached and restricted the mechanics of certain shots. So wouldn't the rebuilt Tiger be as good as new -- and better than ever -- when his swing coach, Hank Haney, asks him to plot a more complete strategy at a major? "It's nice to be able to finally get to do the things Hank was trying to get me to do," Woods said. "I wasn't able to do that for a number of years, because I didn't have a leg to do that on. It's finally nice to hit the shots we were trying to hit. I can hit them now.

"Bay Hill was great, to feel that and just see how my body would react again. It's been a while, with a lot of uncertainty during the months upon months of rehab, and it felt great to hit shots. Like the shot I hit on 18, it felt great to be able to take something off that little 7-iron and be able to control the flight like that. That's something that I've been missing."

We would be clinically insane, of course, to say he won't win the Masters, the Slam or anything else he attempts in golf. Winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational provided Woods with his rocket fuel, the confidence that his knee problems are behind him. He admits now that he had doubts, before his late February return at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, about whether he'd return to his current performance level. "If you asked me prior to the Match Play, a lot of it was uncertain. I didn't know how I was going to respond," he said. "I didn't know how I was going to recover from day to day. I felt that the Match Play was a big turning point for me physically, but my game started coming around (two weeks later) at Doral. I started hitting the ball better and better each day and got my feel for the game each day."

So he arrives at Augusta as the favorite to win his fifth green jacket, despite having won only once -- a drought by his standards -- in his last six Masters. I speak for the masses in saying the most desirable drama would involve Woods and Phil Mickelson, who has won twice this year and looks primed to make one final charge in a career in which he has been Wile E. Coyote and Tiger has been the Road Runner. Last time Woods had a serious setback -- his father's death in 2006 --Mickelson was positioned to become the sport's alpha dog when he led the U.S. Open on the 72nd tee at Winged Foot. One tragicomic adventure later, he was unfulPhilled again, and he hasn't been the same until his recent rally. Going on 39, Mickelson doesn't have much time to one-up the greatest golfer ever.

The tension between the two is well-established. It escalated when Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, fired a salvo at Mickelson in December, saying, "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player, 'cause I hate the (expletive)." He also told a story about Mickelson supposedly being heckled at last June's U.S. Open while playing a round with Woods. Seems a fan kept yelling "Phil!" in hopes of gaining Mickelson's attention on the 17th hole. Not until the fan changed his plea to "Mr. Mickelson" did he finally turn and wave. Whereupon the fan yelled, "Nice tits." According to Williams, Mickelson became unglued and put up poor scores after the episode. But in a statement, Mickelson denied the incident ever happened, calling it "an absolute fabrication" and describing Williams' comments as "grossly inaccurate and irresponsible." Indeed, Mickelson's performance on the 17th and 18th holes both days involved no scoring struggles. "After seeing Steve Williams' comments, all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones on my bag and representing me," Mickelson said in a statement, referring to his caddie, Jim (Bones) MacKay. Williams never apologized to Mickelson, but did say he regretted saying it and that "no harm was meant" in the spirit of fun. Sure.

Knowing what was coming Tuesday, Mickelson tried his best to downplay any rivalry between he and Woods. Asked if the public "craves" feuds, he turned the tables onto the media. "I haven't found that to be the case," he said. "I'm a big San Diego Charger fan, and I don't care who they're playing -- whether it's the Raiders, who are historically their rival, or the Broncos, or Giants or Jets; I am pulling for San Diego to win one game as much as another. When I watch a tennis match, I don't care if Federer is playing Nadal. I like watching their skills and seeing what they can do against any competition. I just appreciate their excellence, if you will. It doesn't make a big of a difference to me, but that doesn't mean it makes a lot to you."

But wouldn't he love to be in the final group with Woods on Sunday? "I would love to be in the same group as him and walk down together on Sunday, if we are in the final group. I don't want to be third off," he said to laughter. "Hopefully, we will both play well. For that to happen, we have 54 holes where we have to play great golf. I don't think that's a question for him. I think he's playing some great golf and I think he's going to be there. I think that I've been playing some of the best golf of my career, and I believe I'm going to be there, too. Hopefully, there will be some other key players like Padraig Harrington, who is going for his third major championship in a row, which is an incredible feat. Hopefully, we will have a core of top players on the leaderboard."

Come on, there's no extra incentive to beat Woods?

"I think that when I had success in a head-to-head match with Tiger at Boston a couple of years ago, it didn't matter to me the fact that we were playing together per se," Mickelson said. "I know it was made out into a huge deal, but for me to perform well, I've got to attack the golf course the way I can and not worry about what he does and not let his great shots or poor shots affect the way I play my next shot. It's not a match-play situation. It's a stroke-play event, and for me to play my best, I can't get caught up in that or nor can he."

Nothing confrontational at all? "In golf, we know that we are going to see each other very week, so the relationships are very strong and we try not to let that one week get in the way," he said.

Just when the story line seemed exhausted, someone asked if Mickelson took special satisfaction three years ago when he was fitted with his second green jacket by Woods. "I do have a picture of him sliding that jacket on me. That felt good," he admitted.

Those are rivalry words, I suppose. Not that Woods will stoke the fire. "Well, he and I have certainly competed head-to-head quite a few times, and primarily, it's been in the States," he said. "I would say the person I've gone head-to-head against most has been Ernie (Els), and that has been all over the world because he plays all over the world, and I play here and there. But Phil and I certainly have battled in majors. We have battled in PGA Tour events. We've both been successful on both sides."

DYST V3 test

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A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

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Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

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David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

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Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

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Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

Petr Josek, Reuters

Translated, Woods is above such nonsense. He only competes against himself, as we know. And if he putts and plays his short game as well as he did at Bay Hill and strikes the ball a little better, he'll win his 15th major and draw to within three of Nicklaus. He says he's surprised, at 33, to be so close to the master. "I would never have foreseen myself winning this many championships this soon," he said. "But I'm not going to say it's a bad thing, either."

Does he expect to win this week?

"Always," Woods said.

He's preaching to the choir. Asked if he would be less fearful of Mickelson or Woods, Geoff Ogilvy opened a hornet's nest Tuesday by bringing up Mickelson's choke habits. "It's not fair to Phil, but if you are fearful, you would be less fearful of Phil," Ogilvy said. "Phil can come with 72 holes of the most unbelievable golf anyone in the world can play; when he's on, he's on. He can have periods where he's unbelievable, but he can also have periods where he's completely off the map. I guess with Phil, anything can happen. With Tiger, the intimidation is you know he's going to play well. Phil is human, like most other guys on tour in that anything can happen sometimes. All of us can hit crazy shots the last few holes of a golf tournament, but Tiger doesn't do it quite as frequently."

In a roundabout way, he's saying Tiger doesn't choke.

With young players emerging such as Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas and Rory McIlroy, Woods says he's starting to feel older and a bit more vulnerable. Yep, try telling him that when he's teeing off Thursday, back in a major after a 10-month absence. "If you just look at the landscape of the (sport) in '96 when I came out here versus here in 2009, there are a lot more guys with a chance to win each and every week, and that's going to be the case as time goes on," he said. "The fields are getting deeper. The equipment, technology, guys' margins of mis-hits are not going as far off-line. The game is getting closer and closer together. It just makes it harder to win. But these close events are certainly interesting. They are a rush, there's no doubt. But I certainly prefer '97 and 2000. Those are a little easier on the system."

In 1997, he said hello to the world and goodbye to Augusta racism with a rout at the Masters. In 2000, he was dominating majors. He doesn't win with the same victory margin these days, but in his blood-red shirt, his triumphant Sundays are just as dynamic. How curious that Woods isn't half as confident about Harrington's chances of a Paddy Slam -- he has won the last two majors -- as his own Grand Slam. "Well, it's not going to be easy," he said. "It's hard to peak four straight times. There's a lot of factors that go into it: Having your game come together, playing well at the right time, and on top of that, getting the right breaks. People don't realize, just one gust of wind here or there is a shot. You don't think it could cost you the tournament on Thursday, but sometimes it does."

A 39-year-old amateur from Mississippi is making his Masters debut. His name is Steve Wilson, and he owns gas stations. Woods, a budding billionaire, was asked if he possibly can relate. "When I first played here, I was 19. He's 39. But still, it was a lifelong goal for me to play in the Masters, and I think for every kid who plays golf, you want to play here," he said.

"I just remember teeing off on the first hole. It was just the coolest thing in the world. Whether you're 19 or 39 or whatever, it doesn't matter. It's the greatest thing to experience this for the first time."

If Tiger speaks like a man who owns the place, it's because he does. He can talk about a green jacket. He can talk about a Grand Slam. He can talk about anything he so desires.

Because as he reinvents himself in his golfing midlife, we're all watching, listening and believing anything is possible.

Tiger Talks Grand Slam -- And Why Not? originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiger Marches On as If He Never Left

Jay Mariotti — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:21:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

MARANA, Ariz. -- Surrounded by a hillly amphitheater of boulders, cacti, sunshine, giddy fans and a hovering blimp that recorded his every swing, step and nose-hair twitch, Tiger Woods took a seat on the 15th tee. To you and I, this meant absolutely nothing. Our questions had been answered on the first two holes, when he went birdie-eagle and stirred unrestrained shrieks in the mountain canyons somewhere between Tucson and Phoenix.

But to Woods, this was the first litmus test Wednesday in his personal Battle of Wounded Knee. There was a pileup of players waiting to tee off, much like the daily traffic messes on Interstate 10, and he was forced to wait, take some practice swings, chit-chat with woefully overmatched foe Brendan Jones and hope that his surgically repaired left knee didn't tighten. At one point, Woods wore a slight look of dread as he sat on a bench, a rare occasion when he was helpless on a golf course. Finally, after almost 20 minutes, he ambled to the tee box, accepted a 3-wood from caddie Steve Williams and, without fear, swung ferociously in trying to reach the green from 343 yards.

Of course, he did just that.

And, much more importantly, the most famous knee on the planet survived the ordeal without a tweak.

"I'm very pleased about how it felt all day. I thought it would be more stiff on the 15th tee when I had to hit my shot after that long wait, but I felt fine,'' Woods reported. "It held up. It felt good.''

Any soreness, boss? "Well, yeah, I'm sure that's going to be there a little while,'' he said. "It's to be expected. That's probably one of the reasons why it's a little bit nice to get out here and just go ice it and elevate it just a little bit and get ready for tomorrow.''

He is not a robot. The knee is going to bother him this season, from Augusta National to Bethpage Black, Turnberry to Hazeltine. He will be smart about it too, walking gingerly instead of rushing up fairways, and familiarizing himself with ice packs and whirlpool tubs. But the good news is that Woods survived the fairly rugged terrain of a massive 7,849-yard layout -- longest in PGA Tour history -- without limping, wincing or stalling. In taking a 3 and 2 victory over the stressed-out Aussie, Tiger did so much more than win his first match in the Accenture Match Play Championship. He turned us into a nation of amnesiacs, strutting around the new Ritz-Carlton course at Dove Mountain as if his eight-month layoff never happened.

"I told Stevie, it felt like we hadn't been gone. It felt like nothing changed,'' he said after his return to competitive golf. "Walking down the (first) fairway, it felt like business as usual. I thought I would be more nervous on that first tee, but when it comes right down to it, it was about just playing the game again. And that felt good."

Latest Tiger Woods Photos

Tiger Woods blasts from a bunker on the fifth hole during the opening round of the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, in Marana, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Tiger Woods reacts to missing a putt on the 11th green during his 3 and 2 first-round victory against Brendan Jones at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, in Marana, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Tiger Woods hits his second shot on the par-5 second hole during his 3 and 2 opening round victory against Brendan Jones at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, in Marana, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Tiger Woods reacts just missing putt on the 11th green during his first round match against Brendan Jones at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, in Marana, Ariz. Woods won 3 and 2. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Tiger Woods pumps his fist after his second shot on the par-5 second hole found the green during his opening round victory against Brendan Jones at the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, in Marana, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: Tiger Woods eagles the 13th hole during the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain on February 25, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

US PGA TOUR

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: Tiger Woods hits from the 11th fairway during the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain on February 25, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

US PGA TOUR

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: Tiger Woods hits from the 10th fairway during the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain on February 25, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

US PGA TOUR

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: Tiger Woods hits from the 10th tee box during the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain on February 25, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

US PGA TOUR

If his start was another legend for the ongoing Tiger movie -- an 8-iron to within 5 feet for a birdie on No. 1, a stunning 5-iron from 235 yards that Jones conceded as an eagle on No. 2 -- the rest of his performance was merely OK on a hot, sometimes breezy afternoon in the high desert. The fans, borrowing from the "You da man'' soundtrack, greeted him with "You're back!'' shouts at every opportunity. It was impressive enough that a few thousands folks would brave dusty backroads to reach this mountainside address -- on a weekday afternoon, no less -- and accompany Woods on the first official round of his comeback. It was more impressive to hear their decibels when he drained a 20-foot eagle putt on No. 12, prompting Tiger to lift his putter above his head in one of his signature poses. Between that scene and an early fist pump, the realization was clear: Tiger Woods never went away. As usual, his steel-trap psyche made the transition seem easy, continuing the mind-over-matter mantra that has made him the grandest athlete of the early 21st century.

"Walking on the (first) tee, I was in my own little world -- just trying to make sure I knew what the number was to the bunker, where the wind was coming from, slightly off left, am I going to the hit a flat 3-wood, draw the ball, trying to decide what shot I want to hit,'' said Woods, keeping it simple. "And that's basically how I am in every round going to the first tee. So that didn't change. When it comes down to it, it really is just another shot. Just because I've taken time off from a competitive environment doesn't change the nature of how you execute a golf shot. At home or here, it doesn't matter. It's still a golf shot. There's a lot more pressure here, granted, but still, when you tee it up, you make a swing and go place it down the side of the fairway you want it to be on and go about your business.''

Technically, Woods missed four of 12 fairways and seven of 16 greens, meaning he would have vulnerable if Jones hadn't played so poorly. The 64th-seed was intimidated by the assignment and admitted overhearing a media person comment snidely after Woods' opening birdie, "Another nine holes to go for 10 and 8.'' Said Jones, well aware that the bloke was predicting Woods would win every hole: "That annoyed me to a point ... As I walked off the first hole, there was just mayhem -- media, and everyone was just running.'' But it wasn't the commotion that unnerved him as much as Woods' second shot at No. 2, which shrunk 235 yards into four feet.

"I've never hit a shot like that, so high and soft," Jones said. "He hits some shots that other people can't hit. His ball flight is different than pretty much everybody else's, and it was fun to see different trajectories that he hits the ball at. But yeah, he's Tiger. He does freakish stuff. He made two eagles on me, and he just really didn't waste any shots out there."

Did You See That?

Rich Frankliln with an eye patch over his right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Rich Frankliln with a bruised right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Marion Kreiner of Austria takes 1st place during the FIS Snowboard World Championship Women's Parallel Giant Slalom on January 20, 2009 in Gangwon, Korea.

Agence Zoom, Getty Images

Russia's Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze perform their pairs short program at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, on January 20, 2009, during the European Figure Skating Championships.

Lars Lewen #12 of Sweden leads through a turn in front of Xavier Kuhn #5 of France and Beni Hofer #20 of Switzerland during the Men's Ski Cross heats on day two of the Freestyle World Cup on January 19, 2009 at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York.

Tunisia's Mahmoud Gharbi shoots against Russia during the Men's World Handball Championship Croatia 2009 Group C match in Varazdin city January 19, 2009.

OBERHOF, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway skates during the Men mass start of the E.ON Ruhrgas IBU Biathlon World Cup on January 11, 2009 in Oberhof near Erfurt, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Martin Rose, Getty Images

Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald (11) reaches the ball over the goal line for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers' Chris Harris (43) defends during the second quarter of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.

Chuck Burton, AP

Pilots make an exhibition of Motocross Free Style in Rio Hato, some 120 km north of Panama City, on January 11, 2009. Motocross free style world champion, US Travis Pastrana, also participated in the show.

Elmer Martinez, AFP/Getty Images

San Jose Sharks forward Mike Grier hits the boards after he scored a goal during the second period of their NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, January 6, 2009.

Todd Korol, Reuters

And this was just a decent day, mind you, a day when Woods made three bogeys during a five-hole stretch and let Jones creep to within a hole of the lead. "(Expletive deleted),'' Tiger yelled after landing in a bunker, another reminder that the old cuss never left. What happens when he starts hitting greens and making putts? He'll be the heavy favorite today in the Round of 32 against South Africa's Tim Clark, who said pragmatically, "It's obvious I'm not afraid of the match. I'm just going to come out and give it my best shot, and if I lose, it's no big deal, and if I win, great. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. I live up in Scottsdale, so I'm prepared to get in my car and go home whenever I need to.'' If Woods sends Clark up the highway, it sets up a possible Round of 16 match against 19-year-old Rory McIlroy, the Northern Ireland phenom who idolizes Woods and quickly rattles off his accomplishments when asked. Not to be confused with Roy McAvoy of "Tin Cup'' infamy, McIlroy would be thrilled just to meet Woods, much less battle him in his comeback. From there, Woods could meet Geoff Ogilvy or rising Camilo Villegas, setting up a weekend in which Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and/or Anthony Kim could await. "I really wouldn't be betting against him,'' Jones said of Tiger.

Nor is Woods betting against Woods. "It's the same, you know? I don't go to an event that I don't think I can win,'' he said late in the day. "Why go? It doesn't make any sense to me. So I entered this event with the same intention I do every event since I was a little boy, and that's to win.''

Part of the healing process involved spending quality time with his family. It's one thing to recharge one's physical batteries, quite another to enrich an emotional homelife. Someone made the mistake of asking Woods if returning to golf is comparable to the recent birth of his son, Charlie Axel.

"Not even close. It can't even compare -- what I've done out here doesn't even compare to those things,'' he said. "Seeing Charlie born a few weeks ago and then teaching (his daughter) Sam how to say things and do things, those are things that, no matter what you do out here, no matter how impressive a win may be or wins or whatever, nothing compares to that feeling, that joy or the love you have when you see that and the satisfaction when you see them progressing in life. Nothing even compares to that, and it never will. What I do out here doesn't even come close to what my kids accomplish.''

They do have a pretty good teacher, though. Consider this week the latest immaculate lesson of Eldrick Woods, this one a study in perseverance and self-belief. If he wins his 66th career title Sunday, only a fool will be shocked.

Tiger Marches On as If He Never Left originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Theater in Sports Back With Tiger

Jay Mariotti — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

MARANA, Ariz. -- Nervous? The Federal Reserve Chairman should be nervous. One hundred and three men on baseball's dirty list should be nervous. Anyone working for an American newspaper should be nervous. Anyone associated with Bernie Madoff should be nervous. Madonna's new 22-year-old boyfriend should be nervous -- very, very nervous -- and immediately run for the hills.

Tiger Woods, who might have a firmer grasp on his inner being than any soul alive, should not be the least bit nervous Wednesday. All he's doing is returning to golf with two healthy legs, which suggests the reborn Woods will be better than the previous version, a seeming phantasm who merely won 14 major championships and 65 career tournaments and more often than not produced the greatest golf ever played in this or any other solar system. If Tiger wasn't nervous last June at Torrey Pines, where his ACL was reduced to soggy pasta and his left leg throbbed in unspeakable pain, why would he stroll into the desert sun at a spanking new course behind a Ritz-Carlton hotel and not be as confident as a Gila monster?

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Yet "nervous" is the precise word he voiced Tuesday during his first sitdown news conference in eight months. It confirms Tiger is human, though, until we slice open the body, will any of us be absolutely certain?

"Oh, yeah. The day I'm not nervous is the day I quit," he said. "To me, nerves are great. That means you care. I care about what I do, and I take great pride in what I do. Of course, I'll be nervous. That's the greatest thing about it is just to feel that, to feel that rush.

"I'm looking forward to the rush, I really am -- waking up and getting ready for my round and getting focused and coming out here, warming up and getting fired up for my match. I'm really looking forward to that more than anything else because I haven't had that in a long time."

I speak for the masses in saying we'll also feel the rush. Hell, we're the ones who should be nervous. Just past 2PM ET, when he tees off against obscure Australian Brendan Jones in the opening round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, the best theater in sports returns after a long intermission. For a dozen years, with baseball mired in steroids scandals and too many elite athletes swirling in muck, Tiger consistently has delivered the most stirring and historic sports drama going. He also has been an upstanding citizen, role model and family man, placing him far above many of his star contemporaries. Sure, the NFL still captivates us like no other sport, but when Tom Brady or another major player misses a season, do we even blink? If football and other team sports are bigger than any one athlete, Woods clearly is bigger than his sport -- if not all sport. When he was away, golf's ratings plunged to anemic levels, and only die-hards know that Padraig Harrington won the last two majors, no small feat. Not only is Tiger the world's pre-eminent athlete, he's also among its greatest entertainers and conversation pieces.

And now, he's back. Maybe he can't help the economy, but he can soothe the collective global mood by pumping his fist, wearing a blood-red shirt on Sundays and resuming his assault on Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships. He even flashed a glimpse of his legendary disdain for photographers, admonishing one Tuesday -- "Not in my swing!" he barked -- for clicking too soon in the tee box during his first and only practice round at the Dove Mountain layout. Of course, it was the only fairway he missed on the front nine, prompting instant Tiger-will-win predictions and a plea from his first-round victim. Didn't he walk all 18 without the slightest noticeable limp? When everyone was watching for any slip in his skip?

"The first thing I will probably say to Tiger is, 'Can I have three a side?'" said Jones, a veteran of the Japanese tour who played one PGA Tour season and finished 144th in money earnings. "Maybe one more on the front (nine), in case I don't get to the back."

Common sense advises that Woods will need an adjustment period after his 253-day layoff, mainly to shake off rust, regain his stamina and endurance and work on his revised swing. "Tournament-ready is just having rounds under your belt, but I haven't had that for a while," he said. "I've played one tournament in 10 months. I've had plenty of rounds and I've simulated tournaments the best I possibly can, but it's hard to get the adrenaline up to where it's going to be (this week." Rival Phil Mickelson, who spent part of his winter fending off physique-related insults by Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, doesn't doubt that Tiger will resume winning right away. Mickelson has seen it all in his career, but he was blown away by the hundreds of gallery members and media people following Woods on a Tuesday morning in, well, the middle of cactus nowhere.

"It's pretty evident to see what he has done for the game of golf. You know, I came here on a Tuesday practice round, and as I'm walking to the range, I've never seen so many cameras and photographers and so forth, especially that early in the morning," Mickelson said. "It's amazing to me what he has done for our sport, and for us to have the most recognizable athlete in the world playing our sport is so fortunate for all of us, and we've all been able to benefit from it. To have him back is awesome. We are going to have more of a challenge winning golf tournaments, certainly, but also it will be more rewarding if we're able to win those."

Don't hold your breath, but how nice if Mickelson used his Sunday victory at Riviera to forge what we've never had: a Tiger-Phil rivalry. When Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer wage their epic battles in tennis, it only makes golf galleries long for classic duels. Conceivably, the first could come Saturday if Mickelson and Woods reach the semifinals; in a perfect world, Woods would meet his mouthy critic, Rory Sabbatini, in the Round of 16 on Friday. But predicting a match play event is more perilous than the early rounds of March Madness. For now, focus on Tiger and how he's swinging, walking and reacclimating.

Latest Tiger Woods Photos

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods plays his tee shot during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA and caddie Steve Williams walk the course during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods;Steve Williams

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA warms up during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA putts during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA smiles during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA plays his chip shot during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

MARANA, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Tiger Woods of the USA plays his approach shot during practice prior to the start of the Accenture Match Play Championships at Ritz - Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 24, 2009 in Marana, Arizona. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods

Getty Images

When a typical elite athlete undergoes major reconstructive knee surgery, we usually wonder how much of his game he'll lose. In the case of Woods, an immaculately-tuned athlete who needn't worry about a chop block or grotesque twist like athletes in other sports, we'll examine how much he'll gain. This was his mid-life tuneup, in auto parlance, the fourth surgery on his left knee but also one designed to replace the torn anterior cruciate ligament and set him up for the rest of his career. A few skeptics, such as old-school great Lee Trevino, warned that Woods will blow out his knee again if "he doesn't stop locking his left knee and swinging at the same speed." Ernie Els, who had reconstructive surgery on his left knee four years ago, went so far to say, "Your left knee is very important in the golf swing, and I still felt it a year, a year and a half after the surgery. So it's something major, and it's been a climb since then." But those men are not Tiger Woods.

If anything, the repaired knee will help Woods straighten out a swing that has betrayed him enough to rank 169th, 132nd and 139th in PGA Tour driving accuracy the last three years. He's a bit larger than we've seen him, primarily because he hasn't been able to run every day -- what, you thought steroids? -- and maintain his extraordinary leanness. My assumption is, he'll strike the ball farther and more accurately than ever. "Both legs have been stronger than they ever have been," he said. "Stability is something I haven't had in years, so it's nice to make a swing and not have my bones move. I had a lack of ACL for a number of years and, no matter what I did, it was always moving. So I would try and hit into my left side, but the more I did that, the more it would move. Hence, one of the reasons why you saw me jumping off the ball was to get off that leg. It's nice to be able to hit into it for the first time. As far as my golf swing, I'm doing the same things I've been trying to do -- but now I have a leg I can do it on."

Not that they need another reason to gulp hard in the men's locker room, but consider this: His short game has improved, too. Considering it already was mind-boggling, what now? "I've got more shots than before just because I've spent so much time on it, chipping and playing all the different shots around the greens," Woods said. "Some I had forgotten I had over the years. I kind of remembered how to hit them again, which was nice."

If any of the other 63 players want to go home, the Tucson airport reportedly is staying open 24 hours this week.

Not surprisingly, Woods spent part of his rehab process calling athletes who underwent major surgical procedures. "I'm not going to mention names -- it's not worth it -- but you have to understand that these guys have been through a lot," he said. "A lot of different circumstances, not all of them knees but wrists, neck, back. It was about the process of rehabbing and the mindset you have to have going in and the due diligence. That's what people don't understand. Trying to get back to play at a professional level is different than someone who sits at a computer desk. To be able to go out and the movement and the explosiveness you have to have, it's a little bit different. That's what all those guys said, the same thing -- it is different, you have to understand that and treat it as such."

The big-picture issue is how many majors he'll win this year. Personally, I'm out of the Doubting Tiger business. I might suggest an adjustment period that leads to an 0-for-4 year, and I might be insanely wrong. "It's well documented that we're trying to get to 19 majors, and, hopefully this year, we might be able to capture one of those," Williams said.

For now, immerse yourself in the thrill. The Golf Channel has done just that, running a non-stop promo of Samuel L. Jackson -- in Jules Winnfield mode from "Pulp Fiction" -- going heavy on us with one strategic insertion. "The path of the righteous man," he says, "is beset by the inequities of the lesser man. Blessed is he who shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. And he will strike down upon them with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to defeat him. And you will know that man's name is ...

"Eldrick Tiger Woods!"

Somehow, this week, it doesn't sound too over the top.

Best Theater in Sports Back With Tiger originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rebuilt Tiger Will Be Better Than Ever

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Golf

When you think about it, we've been pretty much with him out of the womb, from the day he showed off his first tee bomb on TV at age 2. "Hello, world," he would announce in 1996, and ever since, we've seen him conquer racism at the Masters, dominate golf like no other human, slump, change his swing, cuss out photographers, re-dominate golf like no other human, fall in love, mourn his father's death, then twice become a father himself.

Now, after an eight-month intermission in what seems the most epic sports story ever told, we'll watch Eldrick Woods resume his career on two completely healthy legs, which is frightening, really. Because while he says "it's been years'' since he felt no pain in his left knee, he limped into reconstructive surgery last summer still having won 10 of his previous 13 tournaments, with two runner-up finishes and a fifth in the other three. If he could survive 90 holes of walking and an inspired Rocco Mediate to win the U.S. Open, if he could win that memorable weekend with a double stress fracture in his leg and swelling so extreme that he couldn't see his kneecap at night, if he could push his career totals to 14 major titles and 65 total victories -- ALL ON ONE LEG! -- well, tell me this, friends:

How in the hell is anyone going to beat Tiger now that they've taken his torn anterior cruciate ligament and put it back together again?

"I'm as curious as you. The feeling of adrenaline, the rush of competing and playing again -- all that I haven't done in a while," Woods said. "I think (the concern) is whether my game is sharp. It's one thing to do it in a practice environment at home against my buddies for a little bit of cash, but it's a totally different deal to do it at a PGA Tour event against the best players in the world. I'm excited to get out there and experience that."

And how is the Battle of Wounded Knee going?

"The first few months for anyone that's ever dealt with an ACL -- it's just brutal," he said in a conference call with the national media. "You lose all your muscle. You lose your flexibility. You lose all your endurance. It's just a terrible feeling. But then building that up, it came back quickly.

"I've been trying to make changes in my golf swing, and one of the great things about coming back was with the ACL, my bones aren't moving anymore. That's a very comforting feeling, hitting a golf ball and not having your bones slide all over the place. One, it didn't feel good and, two, it caused a lot of pain. It's been very exciting to be able to play that way, and I'm looking forward to the season."

If Woods is looking forward to it, the rest of us are close to hyperventilating. Not to over-dramatize what his return means in America, but I haven't seen this much unified anticipation over a sports comeback since Michael Jordan's first un-retirement. And unlike Jordan, the ultimate pitchman and performer in prosperous economic times, Tiger returns with the country in economic tatters and looking for any cool cause to rally around. You'll have your first chance this week, when the world's eyeballs will track Woods at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., at a new course with hilly terrain somewhere north of Tucson. He says he doesn't know what to expect, but his competitors, beaten down through the years by the permanent existence of Woods in their heads, aren't about to do something insane such as doubt him.

"I actually think he'll come back better," said a wise man named Padraig Harrington, who won the two majors played during Woods' absence. "He has proved over the years he's a guy that plays much better with rest, and he's very good at coming into tournaments without the competition. He's very good at playing cold. I kind of also believe that, like any player who is forced to take a break from the game, they come back from that with enthusiasm and love for the game. They've missed it. When something is taken away from you, you want it even more."

Said Kenny Perry: "I think it's awesome. The economy is down. We need something to boost us up. And there's going to be a gazillion reporters there, so it will be fun to be around. That place is going to come to life. I think he'll be ready to rock. When he comes back, he's always raring to go. He must be spittin' nails right now. I think he'll be better than ever. He'll probably kick our butts like crazy. Let's face it: People play differently when they're playing him."

In the back of his mind, of course, Woods is prepping for the Masters. He lurks only four major titles behind Jack Nicklaus' record of 18, and if he happens to win his sixth green jacket, it would create instant momentum that could lead to a quick claiming of the record. But Augusta is six weeks away, and Harrington is spot on in reminding us that the competitive beast in Tiger has been unleashed for the first time in 253 days. Logic would suggest he's rusty, that he'll need a few tournaments to reconnect the greatness dots, that his swing has changed slightly to allow for the healthy left leg. But conventional expectations never have applied to Woods, who has won the 64-player Match Play event three times, including last year, and owns a career record of 31-6 there. He's flying to the desert for one reason.

Latest Tiger Woods Photos

In this photo provided by the Tiger Woods family, Charlie Woods, Elin and Tiger Woods' second child, is seen in a family photo on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (Dom Furore/Woods family via Getty Images/AP Photo) ** MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES **

In this photo provided by the Tiger Woods family,Sam, Elin, Tiger, Charlie Woods, from left, and their dogs Yogi, left, and Taz pose for a family photo Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. Charlie Woods was born on February 8, 2009. (Dom Furore/Woods family via Getty Images/AP Photo) ** MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES **

In this photo provided by Tigers Woods' family, Sam Woods kisses her brother, Charlie, in a family photo Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (Dom Furore/Woods family via Getty Images/AP Photo) ** MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES **

In a photo provided by the Tiger Woods family, Charlie Woods, Elin and Tiger Woods' second child, is seen in a family photo on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (Dom Furore/Woods family via Getty Images/AP Photo) ** MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES **

In this photo provided by the Tiger Woods family, Tiger Woods kisses his son Charlie in a family photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (Dom Furore/Woods family via Getty Images/AP Photo)** MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES **

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 17: In this handout from the Tiger Woods family, (L-R) Sam, Elin, Tiger, Charlie Woods and their dogs Yogi (L) and Taz pose for a family photo on February 17, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Charlie Woods was born on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Dom Furore/Woods Family via Getty Images) The Woods family has requested that media using these images for publication can if possible make a donation to the Tiger Woods Foundation (www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org) *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods;Elin Woods;Samantha Woods;Charlie Woods

Dom Furore/Woods Family via Gett

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 17: In this handout from the Tiger Woods family, (L-R) Sam Woods kisses her brother Charlie in a family photo taken on February 17, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Charlie Woods was born on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Dom Furore/Woods Family via Getty Images) ï¿½The Woods family has requested that media using these images for publication can if possible make a donation to the Tiger Woods Foundation (www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org)ï¿½. *** Local Caption *** Samantha Woods;Charlie Woods

Dom Furore/Woods Family via Gett

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 17: In this handout from the Tiger Woods family, Charlie Woods, Elin and Tiger Woods' second child, in a family photo on February 17, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Charlie Woods was born on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Dom Furore/Woods Family via Getty Images) ï¿½The Woods family has requested that media using these images for publication can if possible make a donation to the Tiger Woods Foundation (www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org)ï¿½. *** Local Caption *** Charlie Woods

Dom Furore/Woods Family via Gett

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 17: In this handout from the Tiger Woods family, (L-R) Tiger Woods kisses his son Charlie in a family photo taken on February 17, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Charlie Woods was born on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Dom Furore/Woods Family via Getty Images) ï¿½The Woods family has requested that media using these images for publication can if possible make a donation to the Tiger Woods Foundation (www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org)ï¿½. *** Local Caption *** Tiger Woods;Charlie Woods

Dom Furore/Woods Family via Gett

"Nothing changes from every tournament I enter -- it's to win," Woods said. "That's my intent, to go in there and win. I missed competing. I had to find competition in different ways. What I did was really focus on my rehab. That was my open personal competition every day to get better. Because I couldn't do it in the golfing arena anymore, I turned my competitive juices to a different area. It was fun; that made my workouts more productive.

"I really miss the environment, being there with the guys and competing. There really is nothing not to miss. It's such a great place to be out there and compete and do the things you love to do each and every day. I do miss that."

His swing coach, Hank Haney, would appreciate perspective in judging Woods out of the chute. But those pleas will fall on deaf ears, with folks expecting him to ramble through Australia's Brendan Jones and possibly the likes of Retief Goosen, Mike Weir and Geoff Ogilvy in the Bobby Jones Division, with Vijay Singh or Phil Mickelson perhaps waiting in the semifinals and either Harrington or Sergio Garcia in the Sunday final. "I know when he left, he was hitting it awfully good. He feels like he's getting close to that," Haney told the Associated Press. "Expectations with him are off the chart. You would think that people would cut him a little slack for a couple of weeks. But I'm sure it will start right in."

Don't include me in the immediate gratification mob. I say he wins twice in Arizona, then loses to Weir. Frankly, that would be the best result for his knee, allowing him to avoid a weekend in which he'd play two 18-round matches Saturday followed by a grueling 36-hole final. I don't care if he's Tiger Woods. He's still human and doesn't need to be playing 126 holes in five days, including 72 on the weekend. Do note that I'm speaking practically. Everyone else is selfish and can't get enough of Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, hoping he pumps five days of winter entertainment into a sports year immersed in too much Alex Rodriguez steroid juice and Michael Phelps bong water. Whether he wins this week or not, know this:

Eventually, Woods will be better than ever. The future of the world may be thoroughly uncertain, but if there's one thing on which we can rely, it's the mastery of a rebuilt Tiger.

Woods said he was so bummed about missing the game, he didn't watch much golf the last eight months. He's not the only one. TV ratings tumbled, a reminder of golf's humble place in the pre-Tiger years. The game also died a small death because of the economy, with major automakers pulling out of sponsorships -- a downward spiral that cost Woods his nine-year arrangement with Buick. Only a surprising victory by the U.S. Ryder Cup team created any sort of golf buzz in America. With Tiger back, golf returns as a conversation piece throughout the world. "I think we owe him a lot as a player," Steve Stricker said. "I've thanked him a number of times, I really have. I don't see how it's a bad thing unless you have such a big ego that he took the limelight away from you or something. I just think it's all positive."

"It is nice to have players say nice things like that," Woods said. "The only thing I can control is my play, and we as a collective whole as the PGA Tour have to do a better job of making sure we appreciate all the fans and sponsors for what they do for us and allow us to compete and play for a living. Reality has certainly checked us."

So he's back, precisely when his presence is needed, ready to reoccupy his hold on the global consciousness. In a sports world of sleazebags, Tiger Woods is an eternal treasure, not wanting to return to golf until his wife and baby were fine after the Feb. 8 birth of Charlie Axel. Charlie, FYI, was slightly influenced by Charlie Sifford, the first African-American on the PGA Tour. Axel, FYI, had nothing to do with Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses fame.

"I was making sure the family was all good and making sure Elin was OK, Charlie was OK, everything was safe and sound on the home front," he said. "Then the focus was on playing."

Hello, world.

Again.

Rebuilt Tiger Will Be Better Than Ever originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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