1. David Feherty learns the true meaning of a “stinger”

2. Wildlife at the Players Championship doesn’t mean a night out in Jax Beach with Anthony Kim

3. Charles Barkley fixes his swing

In that second clip, Barkley apparently out-drove Michael Jordan. (According to Hank Haney's wife, Suzanne.)

4. Miguel Angel Jimenez has the most interesting stretching routine in the world

5. Shakira golfs? Shakira golfs!

6. 8-year-old Rory McIlroy chips into washing machine on TV

7. Tiger’s biggest fan cheers recovery shot at PGA Championship

8. Sharks at Australia golf course are the ultimate water hazard

9. Sergio throws a 5-iron farther than you can hit it

10. ‘Mama, take this mic from me.’ John Daly performs Dylan song in Thailand

Could Rory McIlroy's Masters meltdown, not his U.S. Open win, be the defining moment of his career? And did the fallout from Augusta factor into his decision to leave his former agent Chubby Chandler? McIlroy looked back on his rollercoaster year with the Irish Golf Desk.

Reflecting on the series of disasters that cost him the title, he said: “If that hadn’t happened and if I’d coasted and won the Masters, I’d never have learned the things I did learn about myself that day.”

He even concedes that his public humiliation may have played a part in his ditching of manager Chubby Chandler for Dublin based Horizon and a move to make more decisions for himself.

He said: “It might have set the wheels in motion in some way. I was getting advice from left, right and centre after the Masters. From people I was close to and from people that just wanted to offer some sort of help.

“I really had to filter everything through and try and make decisions myself. Sometimes I felt I let people make decisions for me instead of taking my career into my own hands and deciding this is what I want to do, this is where I want to go. That day at the Masters helped me do that.

Looking Back at 2011
With the holiday season in full swing, and no tournaments to speak of, everyone is rolling out their year-end features. Some highlights:

*Steve Elling at cbssports.com on the biggest developments of 2011

*ESPN's writers share their favorite memories of the year

*Golf Digest's Bill Fields says 2011 favored the young guns

Rory's PR Stunt
As someone with a fear of heights, my palms started to sweat just watching this ...

Tweet of the Day

When I woke up this morning... I had no idea I'd be going to Vegas...@PatPerezGolf @MikeyPerez oh boy...

— Jason Gore (@JasonGore59) December 22, 2011

Yani Tseng won two majors and seven total LPGA Tour events (and five additional events) in 2011, but it wasn't enough to break into the top 3 in the Associated Press's Female Athlete of the Year vote. The winner was U.S. women's soccer team striker Abby Wambach. SI.com has the vote breakdown:

Wambach's clutch performance at this summer's World Cup made her the clear choice for the 2011 Female Athlete of the Year, selected by members of The Associated Press. The U.S. forward received 65 of the 214 votes cast, while teammate Hope Solo (38) was a distant second and UConn basketball star Maya Moore (35) was third.

Forbes says Tiger won't make financial comeback –- unless he does
In May, Forbes listed Tiger Woods as the world's richest athlete, with $75 million in earnings in the previous 12 months. A new article on Forbes titled "Aging Tiger Woods Unlikely to Reach Peak Earnings Again" hints that Tiger's salad days might be behind them. However, the actual story is more confident in Tiger's earning potential than the headline suggests.

"People love a personal comeback story," said Paul Pierson, a partner at Carbone Smolan Agency in New York, "so I think he can get close to the [earnings] levels prior to his troubles but I'd be surprised if he surpassed them."

The "aging" Tiger Woods turns 36 on Dec. 30.

Teaching pro at historic Scottish club convicted in drug deal
At Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in Scotland, the pro had something for more than just your slice. Scotsman.com has the details:

Kenneth Glen, 25, who worked as the assistant professional at the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in Prestonpans, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday to charges of supplying cocaine.

The gang were targeted by Operation Tine, a police surveillance operation, which has identified £2m of cash and property to be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Detectives believed up to 20 people were part of the supply network, and several "couriers" have already been jailed after being caught with drugs. 

Tweets of the Day
If you haven't been keeping up with the Kardashians, here's the latest: Brody Jenner, Kim Kardashian's step-brother, wants to beat his father, Olympic hero Bruce Jenner, in golf, so Kim is helping him get a golf lesson from Hank Haney for Christmas. (I think I got that right.)

Listed in roughly chronological order...

1. "It's disgusting what he's just done there. You look at his work ethic, and he's a credit to the game and an inspiration to all of us who are trying to be professional golfers, but some parts of him are arrogant and petulant. Somebody has to come on the green and maybe putt over his spit — it doesn't get much lower than that.” --Sky Sports commentator Ewen Murray after Tiger Woods was shown spitting on the green at the Dubai Desert Classic. Woods was later fined by the European Tour and apologized for the incident.

2. "I'm glad he's out playing golf. I happen to be a golfer. I think presidents deserve down time. And believe me, he is in constant communication with what's going on." --Former Vice President Dan Quayle, on criticism of President Obama for playing golf

3. “Tiger was the dominant player. He won 14 majors. Think about it, 14 majors, in such a short period of time. Who is ever going to do that again? Who knows? That is pretty dominating. So for us, myself, Phil, Vijay, Davis, Fred Couples, guys like that to have played under a guy who was that good, we took a beating, not only from him, but from you guys, too. It's been a tough -- it was a tough 10, 12 years for us.” --Ernie Els at the WGC-Cadillac Championship

4. “As my social status in Japan is getting higher, I believe that is one of the responsibilities, to provide for those people who are in need." --Ryo Ishikawa, on his decision to donate all of his 2011 earnings to earthquake relief in Japan

5. "I’ve gone back and putted that putt a hundred times since. … [and] it’s never broken left again." --Jack Nicklaus at the 2011 Masters on his birdie putt on 17 at the 1986 Masters 

6. “I hate that word. It's just a terrible word. It's not something you want to be associated with -- worst thing you can be called in golf, apart from ‘cheat.’” --Rory McIlroy, on the c-word –- “choke” -- after his final-round meltdown at the 2011 Masters 

7. “I still can’t believe, with just 45 minutes left in that broadcast, how many people could have conceivably won it. It was so exhilarating because that’s what you want—to have the chance to keep people on the edges of their seats. I can’t tell you how many e-mails I got from people saying, ‘I couldn’t even go to the bathroom. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to miss anything.’ ” --Jim Nantz, on Sunday at the 2011 Masters

8. "You could see it a couple of weeks ago at The Masters. Tiger was playing fantastic the first nine on Sunday but there wasn't really somebody who was scared of him any more.” --Martin Kaymer after the 2011 Masters

9. “How are we going to count all the shots? I can’t keep track.” --Kevin Na, on his way to a 16 at the Valero Texas Open

10. "Our hat policy is the same as Augusta’s. Turn your hat around.’” --Quail Hollow member to Rickie Fowler

11. "His swing is definitely better than mine was at the same age. But in '99 my swing came together, and I had a pretty good next two years." --Tiger Woods, on Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open win

12. “I can't f***ing hit it. I'm f***ing useless.” --Darren Clarke, on the putting green the week before winning the British Open

13. "I've caddied for 33 years, won 145 times and this is the most satisfying win of my career." --Caddie Steve Williams after Adam Scott won the Bridgestone invitational

14. “I don’t have any.” --Phil Mickelson’s caddie Bones Mackay after being asked how many wins he has

15. "I would rather eat a golf ball than see this movie again." --Roger Ebert, on the golf movie Seven Days in Utopia

16. "I don't recall ever saying the Tiger era is over." --Luke Donald after The Daily Express published a story with the headline, "Luke Donald: The Tiger Woods Era is 'Over' "

17. "If it were going to be banned, it should have happened 20-plus years ago. But now that it's been legal, I don't think you can make it retroactive." --Phil Mickelson, on belly putters

18. "Almost every guy who finished at the top of the leaderboard was in the top five in greens hit and ball-striking. To me, that's the ultimate.That's pure golf, not a bunch of scrambling crap." --Johnny Miller’s defense of the Cog Hill redesign after criticism from Phil Mickelson and others

19. “I feel like even if I went to HSBC and won, they’d find another event to add.” --Luke Donald, on learning that the PGA Tour decided to include the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai in the Player of the Year vote after Donald won the money title

20. “No. I make sure I remain totally illiterate in that state." --Jack Nicklaus after being asked if he tweets

All photos from the Associated Press, except for Johnny Miller (Getty Images)

Professional sports have always been carried by stars, and golf is no different. All you have to do is check out the TV ratings when Tiger isn't in the field for proof that star power is king. Unfortunately for the LPGA Tour, true stars have been few and far between since Annika Sorenstam left the scene. There have been a few pretenders, like Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer, but a real crossover celebrity just hasn't turned up in women's golf, until maybe now. Lexi Thompson is tall and blonde and drives the ball as long as most men. At age 16, she just became the youngest player ever to win an offical LPGA event. She's now a full member of the LPGA Tour, since the commissioner waived the 18-year-old age requirement and let Thompson become a full member of the Tour in 2012.

But what's she really like? A recent interview with T Magazine provides some insight (and also the news that her dad will likely stay on as her caddie on the LPGA Tour next year).

Q: Some teenage girls would have a hard time taking direction from their dads on the course. Your dad keeps talking about letting someone else carry your bag. Is he going to be your caddie next year?

A: Probably. We’ve gotten along a lot better on the golf course lately. I will say that. We used to fight a good amount. Now it’s just so much more calm.

Q: Your brother Nicholas has played on the P.G.A. Tour and your brother Curtis is on a golf scholarship at L.S.U. How do you explain your family’s golfing success?

A: We live on the golf course, so that helps. I started with golf because I saw my brothers play, I was always watching them. It was my life. Growing up, we always played competitions like chipping, hitting. We still play matches on the course, usually for money now. We play probably 36 holes a day. I love it.

Q: What are your goals in 2012?

A: To continue to improve my overall game, to win more tournaments and contend at the major championships.

Is Tiger Woods the most polarizing figure in sports?

A strange fact of life is that people like watching individuals and teams they hate as much as ones they love. It doesn't matter if it is politics, reality TV, or sports, villains attract as much or more attention as heroes, and we all love it. Along these lines, the Chattanooga Times Free Press recently published their list of the Top 5 Polarizing Individuals in Sports, with none other than Tiger Woods topping the list of the most controversial people in the last 10 years. Beating out the likes of Tim Tebow, LeBron James, Mike Vick and Dale Earnhardt Sr. is no easy task, but El Tigre managed to do it with flying colors. Here's the newspaper's take on the former World No. 1: 

Tiger Woods: Even before it became common knowledge that Tiger was cuddling with half of the Eastern seaboard, Tiger was a love him/hate him guy because he dared to make a run at Jack Nicklaus' major championship record. He was the rare blend of the can't-miss TV because you did not want to miss the magic and the polarizing opinions that were originally divided by age. Whether Woods gets to Jack's 18 majors or not remains to be seen, but Woods is the single biggest lightning rod in sports right now (in fact, more women watch golf than ever before to cheer AGAINST Woods). And if you don't believe Tigers the biggest draw in sports, answer this question: Whether you love him or loathe him, if Tiger was in contention on Sunday at Augusta next spring, what would it take for you NOT to watch?

Interesting side note: Tiger also made the Top 5 Most Polarizing of All Time, along with Jackie Robinson, John McEnroe, Muhammad Ali and Pete Rose. 

Tweet of the Day

**If you haven't yet read about the late Kim Jong-il's golf prowess and love of Caddyshack, it's worth a quick look. Apparently the star of Team America shot a 38-under par 34 for 18 holes and then quit golf, but continued to enjoy an occasional viewing of the Bill Murray classic until the day he died. 

Each week, 15 staffers from SI Golf+, Golf Magazine and GOLF.com vote for their top 10, awarding 10 points to their first choice and proceeding in descending order to the 10th player, who gets one point. The points are then added and the ranking calculated. Tell us your top 10 in the comments field below.

RANK (TOTAL VOTES, FIRST PLACE VOTES, LAST WEEK'S RANK)

1. Luke Donald (148, 13, 1) - Last three finishes: T12, Australian PGA; 3, Dubai World Championship; 7, Nedbank Golf Challenge -Official World Golf Ranking: 1

2. Rory McIlroy (136, 2, 2) - Last three finishes: T11, Dubai World Championship; 1, Hong Kong Open; T4, WGC-HSBC Champions- Official World Golf Ranking: 3

3. Webb Simpson (104, 0, 4) - Last three finishes: T13, Chevron World Challenge; T6, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic; 2, The McGladrey Classic- Official World Golf Ranking: 10

4. Lee Westwood (98, 0, 3) - Last three finishes: 1, Thailand Golf Championship; 29, Dubai World Championship; 1, Nedbank Golf Challenge -Official World Golf Ranking: 2

5. Charl Schwartzel (80, 0, 5) - Last three finishes: 2, Thailand Golf Championship; 5, Dubai World Championship; 6, Nedbank Golf Challenge - Official World Golf Ranking: 9

6. Keegan Bradley (62, 0, 6) - Last three finishes: 17, Chevron World Challenge; T16, WGC-HSBC Champions; 12, Shanghai Masters - Official World Golf Ranking: 31

7. Adam Scott (38, 0, 8) - Last three finishes: T4, Australian Open; T11, WGC-HSBC Champions; T6, Tour Championship - Official World Golf Ranking: 5

8. Nick Watney (34, 0, 9) - Last three finishes: 18, Chevron World Challenge; T4, Australian Open; T33, WGC-HSBC Champions - Official World Golf Rank: 12

9. Martin Kaymer (26, 0, 7) - Last three finishes: T11, Dubai World Championship; 8, Nedbank Golf Challenge; 1, WGC-HSBC Champions; 23, Andalucia Masters- Official World Golf Ranking: 4

10. Tiger Woods (19, 0, 10) - Last three finishes: 1, Chevron World Challenge; 3, Emirates Australian Open; T30, Frys.com Open - Official World Golf Ranking: 23

Others receiving votes:
Steve Stricker (17)
Jason Day (15)
Sergio Garcia (10)
K.J. Choi (9)
Bill Haas (9)
Dustin Johnson (7)
Matt Kuchar (7)
Darren Clarke (3)
Jim Furyk (1)
Hunter Mahan (1)
Y.E. Yang (1)

One last road trip for 2011 ...
Everyone wants to be home for the holidays, but not everyone can be. David Feherty (@Fehertwit) had a great reason to pack his bags this week.

Breakfast of champions
After winning the Australian Masters, Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) sat down to a traditional English breakfast and a little something to read. 

... meanwhile, back in the United States, Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) was doing the work he hopes will lead to a breakfast like Poulter's in 2012.

Batter up
It may not be baseball season here in America, but down in Venezuela, Jhonattan Vegas's (@JhonattanVegas) homeland, baseball is in full bloom. The winner of the 2011 Bob Hope Classic got a chance to show off his arm this week.

Whatever makes you happy
Last week it was a Pink Panther hat that made Paula Creamer (@PCreamer) smile. This week, it's a soda.

Boys and their toys
Robert Garrigus may like tiny putters, but he seems to have a thing for monsterously-big pickup trucks. In this message he says a new truck is on the way -- but his current beast doesn't look like it's been off-road too often.

Fresh off becoming the career money-earner on the European Tour, Lee Westwood revealed to James Corrigan of The Independent that money is not what motivates him to win. In fact, Westwood believes that there is too much money being thrown at the players.

"When you first come out on tour, you play for the money because you need a certain amount to keep your card," he said. "But gradually as you win more, get exemptions and things like that, you get more confidence in your ability and you turn up to tournaments with the mindset of trying to win the trophy ... you know the money's just going to come along with it."

"We play for a staggering amount of money, no doubt about it and I've always stressed we are very very fortunate. I think we are paid too much money –- compared to police and teachers and nurses. But then compare it to footballers. I think the only thing you can probably justify it by is that when golfers have a bad day, we don't get paid anything, but when we have a great day we get paid a lot. It's part of the pressure involved. There isn't a wage as such."

Rather than winning money titles, Westwood is more focused on grabbing his first major. But what drives him even more than winning majors is providing for his family.

"Careers are defined by major championships. I get constantly asked about it so they must. And I'd love to win a major; it's the reason why I keep practicing and driving myself on. But the security of my family, my kids means more to me than that. I wouldn't sacrifice all I had for a major, no.”

While Westwood would love to claim his first major, he doesn’t feel that he deserves some of the flack he receives for the hole in his resume.

"I'm sometimes amazed when I get criticized. I look back at my career and I think I'm an over-achiever. I've always worked fairly hard. I've won 36 tournaments in five continents."

Rory McIlroy says he 'choked' at Masters

Rory McIlroy’s collapse at the Masters has been well documented, but the Irishman is letting on to the emotions he felt after losing out on the green jacket, opening up to Karl MacGinty of the Belfast Telegraph. According to McIlroy, he did choke at Augusta National. 

"I hate using the word 'choke', but that's exactly what happened," he concedes.

While clearly emotional out on the course during the back nine of his final round, McIlroy reveals that he didn’t actually shed any tears until he spoke to his parents the following day.

"It all just came pouring out," he recalls. "I hadn't spoken to my mum and dad until then. It might have been something they said -- you know, 'it'll be okay' or something like that.

"I remember thinking, 'no, it won't be okay'. At the time I felt I'd blown my only chance of winning the Masters; so many thoughts and feelings were going through my head."

Don’t expect McIlroy to be dwelling on his meltdown at the Masters when he returns to Augusta in 2012, though.

"What happened at Augusta won't happen again. There's no demons waiting for me there, just extra motivation to perform well and, maybe even a little redemption."

"It's not worth crying over, it's only a game."

John Daly performs 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' in Thailand (and writes new verse)

While John Daly may be living in his own fantasy world when it comes to his suspension by the Australian PGA, he did take the time to memorize a couple chords and serenade guests at the Thailand Golf Championship, performing Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door," with a special golf verse:

Momma, I can't hit my wedge no more,

It's getting really hard to score,

I haven't made a cut in weeks,

My career looks so bleak.

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door.

Daly’s American flag-blazer has officially crept its way into my Christmas list this year.

Tweet of the Day

Sergio Garcia capped his strong finish to the 2011 season with an almost flawless toss of his 5-iron into a lake after hitting a poor tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole at the Thailand Golf Championship on Thursday.

In 2008, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Charlie King demonstrated the “Proper Way to Throw a Golf Club” in the most popular video in Golf.com history.

Yup, the pros make it look easy.

House Speaker Boehner says Golf Summit almost brought Ohio guv to tears
Outside of professional golf, the most famous golf match of the year had to be the Golf Summit, where President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner beat Vice President Joe Biden and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Recounting the match earlier this week, Boehner said Kasich was nervous before the match and became even more so when he learned Boehner would be playing with Obama, according to The Cincinnati Inquirer. 

“So Kasich gets in town the night before,” Boehner told a roomful of reporters this morning, and he was a nervous wreck. “I spent all night getting Kasich in the right place,” the West Chester Republican recalled.

“Kasich, calm down, calm down,” Boehner recalls telling his friend and political ally. The next morning, as they were getting ready to go out to Andrews Air Force Base, it was the same thing. ‘I said look, ‘they’re going to be far more nervous about this than we are. Just relax… I hear Biden’s been out there hitting balls for an hour’.”

Indeed, when they arrived, Biden was already on the course “pounding balls.” But then Obama switched things up on them. “The president says ‘Hey Boehner, you and I, we’re going to take these two on’,” Boehner said, describing the last-minute team change. “I thought John Kasich was going to cry.”

Tweet of the Day

Tiger Woods will be an honorary team captain for the Stanford football team at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, Woods said on his web site.

“Cardinal head coach David Shaw asked me to be an honorary team captain, and I happily accepted,” Woods said. “For Coach Shaw to think highly enough of me to be involved in the game and be able to talk to his kids is very special.”

Woods attended Stanford for two years, where he was a first-team All-American in 1995 and 1996. In 1996, Woods was the NCAA individual champion and was also named the Jack Nicklaus player of the year. He left school and turned pro later that year but has remained a passionate supporter of the school, especially its sports programs. 

“I'm very close to Stanford,” Woods said. “They've done so much for me in my life. Everyone knows Coach Shaw and I had a class together. We go way back. It's neat to be able to come back and help him any way that I can.