Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Paula Creamer, Tiger's club throwing and U.S. Open venues

"Now that Wie is getting all the attention again, I am wondering why Paula Creamer gets such short shrift? She is young, gorgeous, a winner, and from all accounts a fun and well-liked person. But Wie wins one tournament and she is viewed as the savior of the game? Is it just because she hits it further? I really do like the LPGA, and hope to see the two of them go head-to-head often. That to me is what will bring in attention, not if Wie repeats of Annika's dominance. Your thoughts?"

I like Paula Creamer as much as the next guy, but I think a couple of things are keeping her from a larger crossover stardom. She hasn't won a tournament in 14 months, so there's that. Not only has she failed to win a major in her otherwise excellent career, but she's also shown a distressing habit of coming apart mentally when she's had a chance. She let the Lorena Ochoa Invitational get away and it was irritating to watch Paula pout about it between the ropes. I think she still needs to grow up a little bit. Wie may be younger but she's been through so much drama I think she's tougher. You definitely diagnosed one factor in the more widespread interest surrounding Wie: Creamer is a short hitter who plays a pretty boring percentage game. Nancy Lopez once told me that for an LPGA player to become a superstar she has to look like a woman but hit the ball like a man. That's Wie, not Creamer. But each of these talented, telegenic players can push the other to greater heights. There hasn't been a really great LPGA rivalry since Annika-Karrie around the turn of the century. Wie-Creamer potentially has a lot more to offer.

"Alan - any comment on the Tiger club-throwing incident? He threw it into a crowd and could have injured someone. If this goes away quietly, it will prove it's still a society for the privileged."

My colleague Michael Walker has a hilarious take on this episode that I wish I had written. Obviously Tiger screwed up, but he didn't mean to tomahawk his club into the gallery, it just slipped out of his hand during a more conventional bit of pique. I think most of us would like to see Woods stop dropping f-bombs and slamming clubs – it's unbecoming and a little tacky. But you can't have it both ways. What makes Tiger the greatest winner in all of sports is how hot he burns on the inside, and it his ferocious competitiveness that produces such riveting theater. He's got his flaws, but Woods is a class act and we're all lucky to have him in our sport. (Imagine if Allen Iverson was the world's top golfer.) So I can live with Tiger's occasional lapses, even at the risk of being mocked by Michael Walker.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Send in your questions

With Michelle Wie's breakthrough, another win for Tiger Woods and the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, there's plenty for Alan Shipnuck to address in his mailbag. Submit a question below and come back Tuesday to see his answers.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Drugs in golf, Tiger, Phil, Stricker and more

"Drug Barron, sorry, Doug Barron hasn't made a cut all year on the Nationwide Tour. What the heck was he taking? Mogadon?" -- Paul Mahoney

That's a funny line, but I know Tim Finchem isn't laughing. I, for one, am glad someone finally got caught, which is proof that the Tour's drug-testing program works. Of course there are pro golfers taking performance-enhancing drugs. They cheat on their wives and their taxes, but they're not going to indulge in a little chemistry that could significantly boost their careers, just because it's a game of honor, etc.? I never bought that argument.

The most interesting aspect of the Barron suspension has been the reaction of other players and various Tour apologists. They have offered Barron's pudgy physique as proof that he couldn't possibly have been using PEDs. This is so silly. A lot of baseball players who were juicing were pitchers. They didn't want to get yoked; they wanted to help their bodies recover. Might a golfer who hits 500 balls a day be looking for the same help? PEDs don't necessarily make you bigger and more muscular, they just provide extra endurance.

If that means more 400-pound bench presses, then yes, you're gonna wind up looking like Barry Bonds. But if all that athlete is doing is hitting a bunch of golf balls, then he can still look like Doug Barron, even while breaking the rules.

"Does Tiger have a set tradition after winning a tourney? Is there champagne on the plane...does he give his wife $100k? What goes on after a win?" — Mitchell Page

Yes, there is a tradition. He goes to sleep, wakes up the next morning at 5 a.m. and begins practicing for the next tournament. The 2007 PGA Championship is instructive. The week before, Tiger won at Firestone, in Akron, Ohio. By the time he finished all the interviews and ceremonies it was after 7 p.m. The next morning at dawn he was on the first tee at Southern Hills in Tulsa, about a thousand miles away. That's the kind of dedication that makes him Tiger Woods.

"I live near Madison and want to know if Steve Stricker is that nice all the time or does he have a side of him that is a jokester or less serious than we see him on TV? I mean, come on, is he that humble all the time?" -- Stuart

Unfortunately, yes, which means there's nothing salacious or controversial to write about the guy. Stricker might be the nicest human being on the planet. The only group of people who are gossipier and cattier than Tour wives are Tour caddies, and I've never heard anyone from either of these tribes say a single bad thing about the guy. I think we're all gonna have to just accept that Stricker is the Mother Theresa of golf.

"Tiger and Lefty seem to be getting along better lately. Is this just my imagination or are they starting to respect each other more?"  -- Roy

You know what Tiger respects? Achievement. When Phil blew him away on Sunday at the Tour Championship, that definitely got Tiger's attention. But no question their bond has been strengthened this year. It began with Amy Mickelson. Don't forget that Woods lost his dad to cancer. After Amy's diagnosis, Tiger sent Phil a number of heartfelt text messages that touched the Mickelsons deeply. Throw in their co-starring roles at the Presidents Cup, and this year has definitely brought Tiger and Phil closer together.

"At one stage Stack and Tilt seemed to be all the rage on Tour. Lately it seems to be fading out, especially after they lost Aaron Baddeley (who happened to be on the cover of their expensive DVD). What's the verdict on Tour? Has it been exposed as just another silver-bullet gimmick or does it still have a devoted following?" -- Marc 

A little of both, actually. As noted by another reader, Mike Weir has also jumped off the bandwagon. He and Baddeley both struggled with the driver during their S 'n T days. It's a swing that promotes a pretty steep swing plane, which can lead to solid contact with irons but inconsistency with the big stick. Beyond that, you have to remember that Tour players are lemmings. As soon as something seems to work they'll all try it, whether it's the Claw or Twitter or saucy tennis players. Then something new comes along and many players move on. When Dean Wilson wins the Masters, S 'n T will surely enjoy a comeback.

"What are the chances that we can get a game together where we have all of these super young guns pitted against each other on live TV for some serious cash? I'm thinking 21 and under here so it would be Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa, Rickie Fowler, Danny Lee and Jamie Lovemark. It would be quite a show featuring the future of the sport. And just think of the potential ramifications—it could start a MUCH needed rivalry that golf needs to make itself more relevant." -- Michael

This is the best idea I've heard in a while. Maybe this batch of youngsters could bring the Skins Game back from the dead. The problem with golf is that the compelling head-to-head matchups we crave happen so rarely. With their varying home bases and exempt status, the above Fab Five will only be in the same field a handful of times next year. The chances of even a couple of them showing up on the same leaderboard is remote. The made-for-TV spectacles have always focused on the same tired big names, but someone—Golf Channel? Golf.com?—should organize a series of Wonderful World of Golf style matches with all these intriguing young talents. Will it happen? I doubt it, but we can dream.

"Same question I ask every week: Why does only Tiger and no other player wear bright red on Sunday? Happy for anyone to tell me. Must not be Alan." --  JC

JC, I was hoping you would take the hint, but apparently not. So once and for all: Tiger wears the red shirt because his mom, Tida, did some kind of Thai-style voodoo and discerned that red is Tiger's "power color" and therefore he should wear it on Sundays. Once he won a few times, a tradition was born. It is funny how he has taken ownership of the color. I remember when Luke Donald wore red on Sunday at the '06 PGA when he was paired with Tiger. Polo had scripted Donald's outfits weeks in advance and he chose not to deviate. A lot of folks took that as him being uppity, which is ridiculous—it's just a shirt! A funny post-script was the Monday playoff at Torrey, when Rocco busted out red, assuming that Tiger would wear his only on Sunday. Wrong. Woods wore red for a second day in a row, and when he saw Rocco at the range before the round he muttered, "Nice shirt." Only in Tiger's universe can you talk trash about a guy's sartorial selection.

Photo: Wireimage.com (Barron); Getty Images (Woods, Mickelson)

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Send in your questions

It may be November, but there's plenty to discuss in the world of golf. The tour's first drug suspension, a new Hall of Fame class, and the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, featuring Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. SI's Alan Shipnuck is standing by to take your questions.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Fall Series, LPGA awards, Fred Couples, Tiger Woods and more

How do you know the golf season is winding down? Because Mailbag production has dropped precipitously. I've been on a little book leave, racing to finish my collaboration with Christina Kim on a compulsively readable diary of the 2009 season. I'll tell you more about it at the appropriate time, but now for the most pressing questions of a sluggish fall.

"Do you think the Fall Series tournaments will eventually fold? It seems like the Tour does not support them in any way. If I was Timberlake [right, with Martin Laird], I'd want a better date or I'd pull my support." - John from Austin

The major flaw in this question is that it assumes the Fall Series tournaments are real PGA Tour events. In fact, they're elaborately staged dress rehearsals. The Tour has done an excellent job Band-Aiding together a schedule for 2010, but 2011 is likely to see a lot more upheaval, with more sponsors dropping out and a handful of empty dates opening up. Voila, the current roster of fall events can slide right into the "regular season" schedule after having had a few years to work out the kinks and establish fan bases. Once that happens the Fall Series will mercifully disappear forever.

"Is the mainstream golf media ever going to focus on the LPGA's Player of the Year/money list/Vare Trophy races? You've got the top Korean [Shin], Japanese [Miyazato], Mexican [Ochoa], American [Kerr], European [Pettersen], and Taiwanese [Tseng] player each with a chance to win it all. Why isn't this covered like a pennant race in baseball?" - Bruce Simon

The LPGA is dark this week, and then it's a sprint to the finish with the final four tournaments played over four weeks in four countries: Korea, Japan, Mexico, Texas. Hopefully golf fans will start paying attention because, as noted, there are a half dozen intriguing players in the mix for all the important season-ending awards and, blessedly, strokes are still the metric, not points. But here's the problem: the events in Korea and Japan have no U.S. television coverage. The players are treated like rock stars in those countries but over here they'll be lucky to get a few mentions on "Golf Central." Luckily next year the new Golf Channel deal kicks in and the network is contractually obligated to televise more of the LPGA's overseas schedule, so hopefully this late-season black hole will not be repeated.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Send in your questions

In the comments area below, leave your questions about the world of golf and SI's Alan Shipnuck will answer the best ones on Tuesday.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Post-FedEx Cup edition

No preamble this week, leading to a new 'Bag motto: All killer, no filler.

"Finchem, FedEx, and NBC couldn't be happier now that their baby has delivered a victory for both Tiger and Phil at once. Does this mean there won't be further tweaks in the format? Or are they concerned about the fact that Tiger could have skipped the first three 'playoff' events and would have been in roughly the same position after the points reset?"

Yeah, Finchem's perma-grin on Sunday said it all. The Tiger-Phil double dip was the very scenario that every overpaid Ponte Vedra Beach vice president was dreaming of when the FedEx Cup was hatched three years ago over a spirited game of beer pong. (Or maybe it was in a sterile conference room. I forget.) As far as tweaks for next year, I'm relatively certain the off-week will be moved up to follow the second of the four playoff events, but given this year's finish I know the Tour pointy-heads are disinclined to mess with the points formula. They know that changing the Cup's parameters every year only undermines its credibility and further confuses everybody. As with everything in golf, the success of the FedEx Cup is all about Tiger. Having him play all four events was a huge boost to the Cup, to the Tour, to golf, to humanity. As you pointed out, he could have blown off the first three legs of the Cup and still won the $10 million. I think Tiger played all four as a way to prop up the Tour in a faltering economy. Will he feel so magnanimous next year? We'll see. If he plays only three events, or even two, then the Tour eggheads will go back to their computer models. For now, all's well that ends well.

"I don't get people's fascination with Phil Mickelson. Maybe you have to be Canadian to notice it, but I think he's a phony - you can see it on his face. He says what the fans want to hear, but when the cameras are off, I'll bet he's smug and obnoxious. I've read before that he's not very well liked by his fellow players - and that in contrast Tiger is extremely well liked with the players while maintaining a relatively icy persona with the fans. Tell me Alan, why do people love this guy so much? Confused in Canada."

Fans like Phil because he acknowledges their existence in simple ways: a grin, a queenly wave, an autograph. I was reminded of this at Cog Hill a few weeks ago. The final round  was delayed by a couple of hours and after signing their scorecards many players were literally sprinting from the clubhouse to get home. Even though he had a lot waiting for him back in San Diego, Phil stuck around to sign autographs for his customary half hour, and it took eight or nine security types to politely manage the frenzied crowd. Tiger always says he doesn't do these kind of signings because he's afraid they'll get out of control, but trust me, this scene couldn't have been any crazier, and Phil was completely unfazed. It's true the players like to make fun of him with sardonic nicknames—'Genius' and 'FIGJAM' are just two of them. (F--- I'm Good, Just Ask Me.) But at the same time he makes a lot of guys laugh with his barbed sense of humor. Phil does always say the right thing for the cameras, but in private he's pretty salty. Two years ago I journeyed to Scottsdale to take measure of the initial Fall Series. Phil was there only because he is intensely loyal and has long-standing ties to the host venue, Grayhawk. I was one of the few writers who showed up for what was, admittedly, not a glamorous assignment. Phil pointed this out when we randomly wound up at neighboring sinks in the locker room. "You must have pissed off somebody to get assigned to this," he said, with a wicked grin. "Did you get caught f---ng your editor's wife?"

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Send in your questions

In the comments area below, leave your questions about the world of golf -- Phil's win, Tiger's big payday, the Presidents Cup -- and SI's Alan Shipnuck will answer the best ones on Tuesday.

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Gary Nicklaus, Tiger's win total, Adam Scott and more

Having no PGA Tour event this past weekend deeply affected my biorhythms, so apologies for the belated ‘Bag. Onward:

"How did Gary Nicklaus get his amateur status reinstated? And now he is turning pro again? Doesn't this make a bit of a mockery of the rules about amateur status?"

There are a lot of reinstated amateurs prowling around, their failed pro careers cleverly disguised by ratty carry-bags and logo-free polos. I covered the 1996 Publinks in Kauai—tough gig, I know—and a reinstated amateur named Tim Hogarth prevailed, thus earning a tee time at the ensuing Masters. In a moment of candor, Hogarth admitted he knew the only way he was going to get to Augusta was as an amateur, not a pro.

The USGA has a fairly rigorous protocol for reinstating amateurs, generally calling for a two-year waiting period after the end of a professional career. What I find amusing is that the USGA explicitly says reinstatement is basically just for scrubs, declaring in its guidelines, "Players of national prominence who have acted contrary to the Rules of Amateur Status for more than five years normally will not be eligible for reinstatement." Luckily for Gary Nicklaus (at right, with Jack), he never achieved national prominence. But now that he’s turning pro again I seriously doubt the USGA will ever grant him amateur status again.

Ship: Tiger is creeping up on Jack's 73 PGA Tour wins with his current 71. We know Tiger's benchmark is the majors, but aren't total wins a better indicator of greatness? The depth of the field at many events, e.g., Fed ex, Bay Hill, Players, Memorial, seem to rival the fields at the Majors. Major winners get more notoriety but that seems to be largely from sentimental tradition." — David from Hazeltine

I agree total victories is an underrated measuring stick. If his career ended today, Phil Mickelson’s 36 career wins—12th all-time—is a better reflection of his talent level than his three majors, which ties him for 26th, with guys like Denny Shute, Julius Boros, Bob Ferguson and Ralph Guldahl. In my mind majors are largely a measure of a player’s mental toughness and course management. Regular tour victories reflect consistency, longevity and an ability to shoot really low numbers. (These skill sets overlap to some degree, obviously.) Tiger doesn’t talk much about his career victory total, but it will get a lot of play when he passes Nicklaus, and even more so when he usurps Sam Snead's 82. Hopefully these epic totals will garner the respect they deserve.

"With the season that Adam Scott has had, what do you think the chances are of him having any success at the Presidents Cup? Putting is key and he hasn't been lighting it up on the greens." —Fred Matsubara

Scott has never been an ace on the greens, but in partner play he has a very solid 6-4-2 record in three Cups. (As for his 0-3 singles record, the less said the better.) He used to hit the ball so straight that he was a coveted alternate-shot partner, and his birdie binges made him pretty tough in foursomes, too. Watching Scott at this year’s Presidents Cup will be a fascinating exercise, as he will be a lab rat in SoftSpikes. He is going to face more scrutiny than any captain’s pick ever has. The pressure may break him, but I think he’s going to be a pleasant surprise. Being in a slump is a lonely experience, but at the Prez Cup he will have very supportive teammates cheering him on and the avuncular counsel of his idol and mentor, Capt. Norman. Also, a lot of Scott’s tournaments this year have featured a good number of birdies but were spoiled by a few blow-up holes, which don’t hurt as much in match play.

"I was at the BMW Championship at Cog Hill. With a little work on the greens and narrowing the fairways, methinks it could be a US Open venue. Your thoughts, o wise one?" —Mike Colucci

If you define an Open venue as boring and hard, then sure, Cog Hill could easily fit the bill. It now has the length and crazy-deep bunkering to help protect par. The severe greens were kept soft for the BMW, which allowed for a lot of birdies, but if they were ever made firm and fast the course would be a monster. I don’t think Dubsdread is overly artful or interesting, but in the sadistic hands of the USGA it could definitely provide a very stern test.

"What has happened to Aaron Baddeley?"

Do you ever see those GolfChannel infomercials for the Stack ‘N Tilt, in which Baddeley had a starring role? Disregard. Dude is now unstacked and no longer tilting. Baddley’s career-long search for a repeatable swing has left him dazed and confused, and even his magical putting stroke can’t save him.

"What brand of pants are the Tour players wearing with the lower case letter 'e' above back right pocket? Example: Mark Wilson at BMW Champ." —Chase Adams

Good god, man, do you really want to admit to staring at the derrieres of various Tour players? I, personally, make it a point to never notice logos above the back right pocket, so I can’t help you here. But if you want to know what brand of skirt Beatriz Recari (right) is wearing these days...

Editors' Note: The brand appears to be élevée.

Photos: David Cannon/Getty Images (Nicklauses); Richard Heathcote/Getty Images (Recari)

Alan Shipnuck's Mailbag: Send in your questions

The mailbag is nearly empty after a slow week, but I'm still open for business. In the comments area below, leave your questions about the world of golf -- the Tour Championship, the Presidents Cup, end-of-the-year awards, etc. -- and I'll answer the best ones on Tuesday.