Yani Tseng’s trip home to Taiwan resulted in her 10th worldwide victory of the year at the LPGA Taiwan Championship. But Yani’s work was far from over. After raking in $300,000 in prize money, the LPGA’s top golfer donated a third of her winnings to Taiwan’s junior golf program. Ryan Ballengee has the story:

Tseng gave $100,000 to Golf Association Republic of China, which helps to train and develop new golfers in the country.

“It is a long road to develop and groom a golfer,” said Tseng. “Young golfers need as much support as possible to help them compete with the best from the rest of the world, in addition to their own commitment and hard work. I hope I can set an example so more people will follow suit to help chip in and contribute to this cause in an attempt to bring out more young talents.”

Golf carts on parade

While Luke Donald laid claim to the 2011 PGA Tour money title at Disney this Sunday, the residents of El Paseo, Calif., were enjoying the 47th Annual Golf Cart Parade.

A record crowd turned to the streets to witness this year's carnival-themed event. Resident Olga Banks said that the parade has become an annual tradition for her and her family.

“We come straight from church every year.”

Local businessman Nate Otto believes that the Golf Cart Parade is not only a great way to advertise, but to interact with the community as well. 

"The kids are out here. The people are out here. The vibe is out here. It's just a fun way to spend a day. It doesn't feel like work."

Chief organizer Mike Hardin estimated that between 10,000 and 13,000 people lined the streets this year. Organizers also stated that a record number of musicians signed up for the parade and that there were more golf carts than last year.

Emmy-award winning comic Bob Einstein, known by most as Super Dave Osborne of “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” was the parade's Grand Marshal. Einstein likened the parade to El Paseo’s very own Rose Parade.

Stableford scoring at Reno

Next year's Reno-Tahoe Open will utilize a modified Stableford scoring system in an effort to encourage aggressive play. Dan Hinxman of the Reno-Gazette Journal has the full story:

The 14th annual PGA Tour event, Aug. 2-5 at Montreux Golf and Country Club, will be the only tournament on tour to use the system, which awards points for birdies and eagles and deducts points for bogeys and worse.

"The PGA Tour believes there is merit to this format for Reno," Andy Pazder, the tour's vice president and chief of operations, said in a release. "The modified Stableford system not only promotes aggressive play, which the tournament is already known for, but Montreux lends itself well to this exciting format with its series of challenging finishing holes."

Eight points will be awarded for a double eagle, five for an eagle, two for a birdie, zero for a par, minus-one for a bogey, and minus-three for a double-bogey or worse.

"This is an absolutely a momentous occasion in the history of this tournament," RTO executive director Jana Smoley said. "This is a change that truly sets us apart from other tournaments and is just one more reason why people will come out to see us next year at Montreux. We're very excited to see how this new scoring format plays out in 2012."

Tweet of the Day

Most people probably don't remember, but Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said back in 2006 that Tiger Woods should get ready for a run for president himself in 2016: 

"Tiger will be 40 years old in 2016," Cain wrote. "The Republican Party should begin grooming him now for a run at the White House. His personal attributes and accomplishments on the golf course point to a candidate who will be a problem solver, not a politician."

Sounds like Cain might have jumped the gun a bit, and now he's trying to play it off as a joke in an interview with Alex Pappas of The Daily Caller. He responded to questions about his Tiger advice by saying, "That was a joke. That was a joke, okay? Americans got to learn how to have a sense of humor, okay?"

Okay, Cain, but back in '06 you not only thought Tiger would be a good candidate but compared him to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Ronald Reagan, and also said something like, "The 2016 candidate shouldn't come from inside the beltway, but from inside the fairway." 

Good stuff, and good luck in the next election, okay? 

Mickelson and McDowell headed to Singapore
There's been quite a bit of talk lately about more big golf events being played in Asia, and if the Barclays Singapore Open is any indication, it seems players will be a lot more likely to make the lengthy trip in search of not just appearance fees but actual winnings. The event, which will be co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours, respectively, will offer a purse of $6 million and will sport a large field headlined by Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Y.E. Yang, Padraig Harrington, Anthony Kim, and Camilo Villegas.  

TWEET OF THE DAY

Special Delivery
Before the start of the Solheim Cup last week, Suzann Pettersen (@suzannpettersen) and Michelle Wie (@themichellewie) showed how they were putting their faces on the event.

Azinger still believes in Tiger
In an interview with Golf Magazine, Greg Norman said he thinks Tiger Woods will not win another major championship. Paul Azinger (@PaulAzinger) clearly disagrees.

Woods and Westy banter on footwear
Since he was not playing in the Tour Championship last week at East Lake, Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) had a chance to be filmed wearing his prototype Nike footwear. Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) couldn't resist needling the former top-ranked player ... who surprisingly answered Westwood's wit with some of his own!

Basking in the glow
Ian Poulter (@ianjamespoulter), another player who didn't qualify for the Tour Championship, took his family on a vacation to the Bahamas last weekend. It didn't appear he was too heartbroken about not being in Atlanta.

Let him rephrase that
Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) loves his barbecue and last week helped the Women's Club of Sugarloaf prepare for a charity cookoff. Apparently there was an awkward moment during a meeting.

Faldo's instant course
Nick Faldo (@TheSirNickFaldo) spent most of last week in Vietnam and shared many of the sights with his followers on Twitter, including these before-and-after photos that show the work his golf course design company had done.

Reactions to Haas's amazing shot
It seems like golfer writers aren't the only ones who watch tournaments and tweet. After Bill Haas pitched his ball from the lake on the 17th hole to within three feet in his playoff against Hunter Mahan, golf tweeters started typing.

The Jupiter, Fla., business community is sending the welcome wagon to greet new resident and business owner Tiger Woods. Woods has recently moved into his new mansion in Jupiter on Florida’s Atlantic coast, and he’s also moved his business offices there from Orlando. The local business community is excited about the move, which adds to a golf-business cluster in Palm Beach County, where Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman also operate their businesses, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Although Woods' endorsement deals and winnings have waned since his scandal, Palm Beach County business boosters are happy to claim him as the county's newest corporate citizen.

Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, plans to drop his name in pitches to other employers looking to move here.

"I'm going to be able to tout the fact that his corporate headquarters are here," Smallridge said. "We plan on using it."

It's unclear how many jobs Woods will bring here from Orlando - Smallridge guesses 20 to 30. Woods will move his business without seeking tax incentives to do so.

ESPN raps Paul Azinger for tweet critical of Obama
ESPN golf analyst and 1993 PGA Champion Paul Azinger isn’t shy about expressing his political views on Twitter -- or anywhere else. However, Azinger got a reprimand from ESPN for a tweet about President Obama, according to Emily Kay of the Waggle Room web site.

ESPN has reprimanded golf analyst Paul Azinger for using his Twitter account as a platform to rail against President Obama and his policies.

"Paul’s tweet was not consistent with our social media policy, and he has been reminded that political commentary is best left to those in that field," ESPN spokesperson Andy Hall told us in an e-mail Saturday.

North was referring to recent tweets from Azinger, a 12-time PGA tour winner before he enlisted with ESPN as a color commentator.

Here is the Azinger tweet that ran afoul of ESPN’s social-media policy:

Bjorn focused on playing next Ryder Cup, not future captaincy
The resurgent Thomas Bjorn, who won the Euro Tour’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday, is a potential Ryder Cup captain someday, but the 40-year-old Bjorn says he’s more interested in making the team for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Q. Asked you on Friday if winning here would add to being Ryder Cup Captain here. What's your answer to that now?

THOMAS BJÖRN: Well, if you can play like I've done this week, you can be a player on the team. So let's focus on playing golf at the moment. I've said to you all the time, I think if any player has played in Ryder Cup or involved in The Ryder Cup was asked to be captain, they would never turn it down. But that's three years down the line, and you know, my good golf is good enough to make a team. I've just got to be more consistent. If I can get that right, I could make another team and that's certainly my first focus at the moment. But you know, what's going to happen in a few years' time; let's get Medinah out of the way and see what happens.

Stray Shots: Things we saw while wondering if Dustin Johnson is the best rain golfer of all time...

A guy dressed as a clown allegedly stole a golf cart from a course in Upstate New York. And he might have been drinking. (Via The Buffalo News)

New Haven Open tennis tournament officials tweeted a picture of Rory McIlroy and tournament winner Caroline Wozniacki kissing in front of the Yale football team. We don't get it either. (Via the New Haven Open)

Tweet of the Day:

From PGA Champion and Red Sox fan Keegan Bradley...

Paul Azinger says he still thinks Tiger Woods will break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors, but he might need "professional help" to do it. That’s not a dig at Woods’s swing coach Sean Foley; Azinger is talking about mental help. Reuters transcribed Azinger’s comments on the Golf Channel.

Woods' problems date back to the breakdown of his marriage following a series of reported affairs and Azinger says that piecing together his life is something he may need help with.

"His world self-destructed. I think he needs help, whether it is professional help or really a good friend that he can communicate with. I know he is angry, he is angry at himself and he is angry at the world that tore him down, he is angry at a lot of people. He has got a lot of stuff going on in his head -- he has physical issues and he is trying to make a swing change.

"Tiger needs to be able to have a shoulder to cry on to get over some of the things that have gone on in his life." 

PGA Tour considers testing for HGH

Hank Gola of The New York Daily News reports that PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said the PGA Tour might include testing for human growth hormone (or HGH) as part of its drug-testing program. The PGA Tour started testing players for performance-enhancing drugs in 2008, but does not currently test for HGH.

"Possibly," [Finchem] said at a press conference. "I think that the big question about HGH is reliable testing. That's the challenge with all sports. That's the first question. And then the second question is if there is reliable testing available and it's only blood, do we want to go to blood, which is another step. And as part of that review, you would want to think about whether HGH makes a difference in this game. We're testing for a lot of stuff right now that candidly doesn't make a difference but we do it so that our program has credibility in the anti-doping world, and that's just part of being part of the anti-doping, which we feel we are very much part of the anti-doping movement today. So I don't know."

Finchem admitted that, with golf in the 2016 Olympics, HGH testing could be forced upon the PGA Tour.

"It may be something that comes to our doorstep as part of golf entering the Olympics in '16 because in that year there will be a pool of players who are eligible for the Olympics and they'll be subject to whatever the standards are for the Olympic Games, which might be somewhat different than ours," he said.

Man U manager helped McIlroy get over Masters

Rory McIlroy probably made more fans for his graceful handling of his final-round collapse at the Masters last month than he would have made if he won the tournament. He also received messages of support from some high-profile names, including Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, McIlory’s favorite football team, according to The Belfast Telegraph.

McIlroy said Ferguson, who guided United to a record-breaking 19th title on Saturday, sent him a text advising him to share his torment with those close to him.

“Obviously you are going to be disappointed and hurting,” texted Ferguson, “but go and speak to the people you trust, family and friends, the people closest to you. Those are the people who will tell you the truth.”

The Telegraph also notes that McIlroy isn’t trying to forget what happened at Augusta, he’s using it to inspire him.

McIlroy said he is banishing the demon of the Masters by confronting it head-on. Augusta's notorious 10th hole, which brought the beginning of his back-nine torment, is currently the screensaver on his laptop.

But ‘Wee-Mac' has talked about the infamous c-word (choker) — without actually using it.

“I hate that word,” he admitted. “It's just a terrible word. It's not something you want to be associated with — the worst thing you can be called in golf, apart from ‘cheat’.”  

From Arnie’s Army to Choi’s Bois

If you can judge a professional golfer by the fans he attracts, then K.J. Choi must be one of the nicest. Why else would a group of guys from Tennessee travel down to TPC Sawgrass with “Choi’s Bois” T-shirts to cheer him on? Stephanie Wei of WeiUnderPar.com has the story (and a photo):

It’s not every week six guys wearing matching T-shirts emblazoned with “Choi’s Bois” travel 600 miles to root for K.J. Choi. In fact, it only happens during The Players Championship. Since 2005 Brad Page (age 27), Bo Page (30), Bobby Page (53), David Clayton (30), Alex Kirkland (30), and Curtis Gribble (27) fly from Nashville, TN, to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, just to watch Choi play.

How in the world do six guys with no previous ties to the South Korean-born golfer turn into diehard fans? Good question.

“We came out here in ’05 and watched,” said Clayton. “Of all the guys, we found K.J. Choi the most fan friendly and we liked the way he played.”

Added Brad, “No matter if he birdied or double-bogeyed, he still paid the same amount of attention to the fans. Every time.”

Note to players: Simple gestures mean more than you think to spectators.

Tweet of the Day

If you’re not following Hank Haney on Twitter, you really should be. 

Augusta, Ga. -- Just sat next to Paul Azinger in the back of the interview room when Phil Mickelson came in. It's a rare sight to see TV folks doing their homework and mixing with us print scum. Azinger had a folder and tablet on which he took notes -- a whole page of them. Kudos to Golf Channel's Frank Nobilo, standing in the back, and Rich Lerner and Jennifer Mills, sitting mid-room. They're serious about this stuff.

Azinger is here to work as an analyst for ESPN's 3D channel. He'll be working all four days, plus the par-3 contest on Wednesday. He's paired with Terry Gannon the first two rounds and veteran Mike Tirico the last two -- "Because Mike doesn't have enough to do," Azinger said with a laugh.

The first thing he's going to do, Azinger joked, was throw a fist toward the camera to emphasize the 3D effect. Seriously, you've got to have 3D glasses just to watch this telecast.

"It's probably going to be a small audience," Azinger said. "I don't know, but I would think that's true because 3D is so new. But I don't care how big the audience is, I'm looking forward to working the last two hours on Saturday and Sunday. That's going to be exciting."

Mickelson, by the way, talked about visiting Augusta a few times for practice rounds in the past month. I asked him if he'd been coerced into trying his famous second shot from the pine needles at the 13th hole again.

"I didn't see any need," Mickelson said with a smile. "I've already done that."

He got a big laugh from the room. I whispered to Azinger, "Five bucks says he did hit it again."

Azinger turned his head and whispered back, "I guarantee it."

I gave him one last tip for 3D. When you first appear on camera for the opening shot, leave the 3D glasses on for effect. It'll be cool. He said he'd think about it.

Ever wonder what would happen if Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo sat in the same TV studio? Would one man dominate the conversation? Would they bloviate over each other the entire time? Would they argue? Throw punches? On Friday we will have our answer. This week's Match Play will be NBC's first event since forming a partnership with Golf Channel, a venture that will continue throughout each of NBC's 10 tournaments this year. In addition to new graphics, promotions and branding, Golf Channel and NBC will do a little mixing of on-air talent. Mike Reynolds of Multichannel.com breaks it down:

Perhaps the biggest showcase for the nets' expanded field will come via a Golf Central special at 8:30 p.m. on Friday Feb. 25. State of the Game Live will showcase NBC's Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller and Roger Maltbie discussing the sport with Golf's Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo and Nick Faldo. The group will dissect the WGC action, the status of one Eldrick Woods, and the emergence of European stars and their impact on the PGA Tour, among other topics.

"This is a unique golf-television event that for the first time brings together the two premiere voices in the game...Johnny Miller, who I have had a special relationship with for many years, and Nick Faldo," said Ebersol. "Beyond all of their credentials on the course, their voices always resonate with fans on the significant issues that affect the game. Our goal is to utilize our combined assets for more events such as this in the future."

Take Your Pick
This week 64 of the top 65 players in the world will play the Accenture Match Play Championship. British sports book Ladbrokes has installed Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey as the favorites, at 14/1. Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy are next at 16/1. Here are a few other notable odds:

Dustin Johnson: 25/1
Graeme McDowell: 25/1
Rickie Fowler: 33/1
Ian Poulter: 33/1
Padraig Harrington: 50/1
Bubba Watson: 66/1
Ryo Ishikawa: 80/1
Zach Johnson: 100/1

The longshot of the week is Brendan Jones, who drew Phil Mickelson in Round 1, at 500/1. Who's your pick? Let us hear it in the comments section below.

Tweets of the Day

Paul Azinger took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with tournaments like the Match Play that use World Rankings to determine who gets into the field. The rant caught the attention of the No. 1 player in the World, and a little back-and-forth ensued.

@PaulAzinger: Using Wrld Rank to exmpt players into biggest events is a joke. Plyrs shld know what they're choking for.Use money lists, high finishes ect.

WestwoodLee: @PaulAzinger captain azinger have you lost the plot?

PaulAzinger: @WestwoodLee using world rank for match play event is ok, but previous years money list or high finishes in specific events has more meaning

WestwoodLee: @PaulAzinger wouldn't that be slightly biased towards a tour that played for the most money?

PaulAzinger: @WestwoodLee No. Each tour takes X no. of players off money list from previous yr. Japan gets X, S Africa gets X Australian gets X, ect...

WestwoodLee: @PaulAzinger sounds more complicated than the world rankings system? I have a feeling it's fairly accurate as it is.

PaulAzinger: I think players choke for 2 things, cash & prestige. Winning most prestiges event is more pressure.Can't win?Choking for cash not WR points

Westwood never responded with his thoughts on choking, but it seems that Azinger has a point about the impact a flawed world ranking system has on pro golf.

STRAY SHOTS: Things we read while debating whether to shell out the cash for two tickets to the Knicks' next home game.

* Nice feature from the Sydney Morning Herald on Match Play longshot Brendan Jones, who faces Mickelson on Wednesday. The Aussie hasn't played a competitive round in three months, making a first-round upset even more unlikely.

* India's Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia won the Avantha Masters last weekend, and apparently he's so big in his homeland that he's simply known as "SSP."

Hank Haney might not be on Team Tiger anymore, but Tiger Woods isn't replacing his ex-coach's ideas.

After his round of 72 and T19 finish at the Memorial on Sunday, Woods said he was pleased with his ability to shape the ball, but that he still needed to work on his tee shots and he would continue to follow Haney's swing ideas. Last month, Haney resigned as Woods's swing coach after six years working with the World No. 1.

Q. But what are you going back to? What's the model?

TIGER WOODS: Just working with what I was doing with Hank, for sure.

Q. Same stuff you did with Hank?

TIGER WOODS: Absolutely.

Woods said he needs to be able to hit the ball both ways, a right-to-left draw and a left-to-right fade, to have a chance to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which begins in less than two weeks. Woods will not play in this week's Tour stop, the St. Jude's Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

"[Pebble Beach] a shot-making golf course," Woods said. "You have to hit the ball well there because the greens are so small. I mean, they rival Hilton Head in size, and then also they have so much more pitch."

How close is Woods to regaining his form? Woods said he's more than halfway back, but not by much.

Q. Where would you put yourself in the progression you're on right now? Are you over 50 percent of the way to being back?

TIGER WOODS: Definitely, absolutely. Absolutely.

Q. 60? 70? 80?

TIGER WOODS: More the first part.

In other Tiger news, ESPN's injury expert Stephania Bell files a helpful report on Woods' neck injury, which she said didn't appear to cause him discomfort at the Memorial.

How to Win the Ryder Cup and Influence People

USA Today's Steve DiMeglio talks with 2008 Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger about Cracking the Code, The Winning Ryder Cup Strategy: Make It Work for You, Zinger's book about his successful Ryder Cup captaincy and the lessons it holds for executives.

It's an entertaining read, but I wish we got to hear more about this exchange:

Has 2010 USA captain Corey Pavin reached out to you?

No, not yet. He did text me and wanted a copy of the book. I know he's talked to tons of people but he hasn't asked me anything yet. That's fine. He doesn't need me to be a successful captain. He doesn't need me at all. He'll be fine. There have been some captains who have micro-managed everything and lost. There have been captains who were drunk every night and won. There is no blueprint on winning.

We've had Ryder Cup captains who were drunk every night?!?! Could I get a follow-up question, please?

Stay observations

Some items we noticed while wondering if a Celtics-Lakes Game 7, the World Cup and the opening round of the 2010 U.S. Open would be the greatest TV sports day ever.

Stewart Cink's charity tournament is kinkier than you might imagine. (Via Ryan Ballangee's Waggle Room)

Legendary golf writer Dan Jenkins says Woods's comeback is a joke compared to Ben Hogan's career after his car accident. "Hogan won six majors after his accident," Jenkins said. "If Tiger Woods tops that, the good news is, I'll be dead and won't see it." (Via GeoffShackelford.com)

If Golden Tee makes a game for the iPhone, we might finally break down and buy one. (Via The Chicago Sun-Times)

Last September at Valhalla Golf Club, captain Paul Azinger and the U.S. Ryder Cup team answered one of the biggest questions in the world of golf: What would it take for the U.S. to win back the Ryder Cup after three straight losses?

Turns out the answer was, at least in part, Azinger's new and innovative strategies. He paired players with complementary personalities; he gave himself four captain's picks instead of two; he overhauled the points system so that the hottest players had a better chance of qualifying; he brought in an infusion of young talent. All those moves turned out to be brilliant, and it didn't hurt that the U.S. finally started making putts.

Now the biggest question facing Corey Pavin, who was introduced Thursday morning as the next U.S. captain, is this: Will he follow Azinger's winning strategies at Celtic Manor in 2010?

"I think Paul and I are similar in the fact that we love The Ryder Cup," Pavin said Thursday. "There's going to be a lot of things I'll be thinking about, and a lot of strategies and a lot of plans I'll be working on, over the next two years. I have a few ideas already."

Pavin added that no matter the details, "it will be my system," and said that he'll have to make some changes because the U.S. team will be the visitor in 2010. "Obviously, having played over at The Belfry in '93, it's a different challenge, as I said, and there's going to be some different things that need to be done."

Pavin's approach makes sense. He will consider the strategies of Azinger, and several former captains, but it will be a new year and a new team, so he needs to find his own path to victory. Here are some of the new challenges Pavin will have to factor in:

Winning with Tiger: There is little doubt the team dynamic is different when Woods is around. Granted, it's much easier to have fun when you're winning, but this year's American team -- especially Boo Weekley and Anthony Kim -- seemed looser and more inspired than nearly any other in the Tiger era. Pavin will face the difficult task of finding a partner for Woods -- Anthony Kim and Jim Furyk will be likely choices -- and coping with the hoopla that surrounds one of the most famous people on earth. It will be interesting to see how Pavin integrates the world's greatest individual star into the team.

The good news for Pavin is that he and Woods became close at the 2006 Ryder Cup, when Pavin's duty as assistant captain to Tom Lehman was simply to "be with Tiger."

No Home Crowd: Azinger had the advantage of the raucous Louisville fans, who were thrilled to cheer for a U.S. team that included Kentuckians Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes. Pavin's team won't have that advantage. The U.S. has only won twice in Europe since 1981, and Pavin was on the last team to do it in 1993. Unless Davis Love III makes the team, Pavin won't have a single player on his squad that has won in Europe.

Course Setup: The yet-to-be-named European captain will be able to work with the superintendent at Celtic Manor to set up the course to his team's advantage. At Valhalla, Azinger chose wide fairways, penal-but-playable rough and slower greens. Pavin will have very little, if any, input on course conditions.

Despite those three challenges, Pavin will have one major advantage over his predecessor. The defending team starts with a half-point advantage.

"It's nice to have a little cushion there," Pavin said.

In 1949, Ben Hogan captained his second consecutive United States Ryder Cup team. No one else has had a second straight term since, and it's clear that Paul Azinger is not going to follow in The Hawk's footsteps. That's unfortunate.

While some people felt that Azinger stirred the pot a little too aggressively at Valhalla, it's tough to deny that he did a lot of things right too.

Before heading to Kentucky, Azinger overhauled the qualifying process to give himself a better chance of fielding a team of hot players. He also got the number of captain's picks changed from two to four, giving himself more versatility in filling out his lineup.

Once he was in Kentucky, Azinger's management of the event, his team and the local crowd would have made Jack Welch proud. He moved the foursomes matches to the morning sessions and the fourball matches to the afternoon. On practice days, he split his 12-man team into three four-man pods to help the golfers bond and  learn more about each other's game. He encouraged his players to toss commemorative pins into the crowd as they prepared early in the week, choreographed the pep rally held on Thursday night, and implored the whole Bluegrass State to become the 13th Man.

The players bought in, the fans bought in, and on Sunday evening the champagne flowed as the United States celebrated its first Ryder Cup win since 1999.

Having done all that—and with the American players lobbying for his return—Azinger should have had the 2010 job if he wanted it. And according to the AP, Azinger was considering it, but Corey Pavin will almost certainly be named the next Ryder Cup captain when the PGA of America makes its official announcement Thursday.

Fair or not, Pavin, another feisty player who excelled under Ryder Cup pressure, is going to be compared to Azinger. It will be a tough act to follow. Any lingering resentment European golf fans feel toward Azinger will be directed squarely at Pavin, who won't have control of the course setup as the visiting captain in Wales. The U.S. shouldn't count on any help from Mother Nature, either—unlike Louisville, Wales in early October is cold and wet.

If Pavin and the United States team come through with a W against another stacked European team, everything will be grand. But if he and his team lose, the second-guessing over not giving Azinger another captaincy will be as loud as the chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole!"

(Photo by Robert Beck/SI)