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. This ranking aims to be an of-the-moment measure of who’s playing the best right now. Tell us your top 10 in the comments field below.

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

1. Rory McIlroy (140, 8, 1) - Last three finishes: T5, Omega Dubai Desert Classic; 2, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship; T11, Dubai World Championship - Official World Golf Ranking: 3

2. Phil Mickelson (103, 4, NR) - Last three finishes: 1, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am; T26, Waste Management Phoenix Open; MC, Farmers Insurace Open - Official World Golf Ranking: 11

3. Luke Donald (95, 2, 2) - Last three finishes: T48, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship; T12, JBWere Masters; 3, Dubai World Championship 
- Official World Golf Ranking: 1

4. Kyle Stanley (85, 0, T3) - Last three finishes: 1, Waste Management Phoenix Open; 2, Farmers Insurance Open; MC, Humana Challenge
- Official World Golf Ranking: 52

5. Lee Westwood (80, 1, 5) - Last three finishes: T2, Omega Dubai Desert Classic; T12, Qatar Masters; T17, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
- Official World Golf Ranking: 2

6. Webb Simpson (65, 0, T3) - Last three finishes: T8, Waste Management Phoenix Open; T38, Sony Open; T3, Hyundai Tournament of Champions
- Official World Golf Ranking: 6

7. Johnson Wagner (45, 0, N8) - Last three finishes: T55, Waste Management Phoenix Open; T2, Humana Challenge; 1, Sony Open
- Official World Golf Ranking: 75 

8. Steve Stricker (42, 0, 6) - Last three finishes: T38, Sony Open; 1, Hyundai Tournament of Champions; 16, Chevron World Challenge 
- Official World Golf Ranking: 5

9. Branden Grace (36, 0, 7) - Last three finishes: T51, Omega Dubai Desert Classic; T47, Qatar Masters; MC, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
- Official World Golf Ranking: 94

10. Brandt Snedeker (26, 0, 10) - Last three finishes: T50, Waste Management Phoenix Open; 1, Farmers Insurance Open; T8, Humana Challenge
- Official World Golf Rank: 16

Others receiving votes:

Tiger Woods (17)
Robert Rock (14)
Charl Schwartzel (14)
Sergio Garcia (13)
Paul Lawrie (10)
Keegan Bradley (9)
Martin Kaymer (9)
Jason Day (5)
Spencer Levin (5)
Thomas Bjorn (4)
Nick Watney (3)
Mark Wilson (3)
Dustin Johnson (2)

CBS reported having the highest ratings in 15 years during the final-round coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, according to Geoff Schackelford.

CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM on Sunday, Feb. 12 (3:15-6:30 PM, ET), which saw Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods paired together with Mickelson firing a 64 to win his fourth Pebble Beach title, delivered the highest rating for the final round at Pebble Beach in 15 years (5.8/13; Feb. 2, 1997) with an average overnight household rating/share of 5.1/10, up 96% from last year’s 2.6/6 in the metered markets.

Unfortunately, what golf fans thought was going to be final-round coverage from Pebble was actually college basketball. CBS broadcasted the end of the Illinois and Michigan game before finally switching over to Pebble Beach. How did upset fans voice their anger for the delay? According to Golf Digest, Twitter was the medium. 

Onlooker speaks up

At this weekend's Women's Australian Open in Melbourne, a spectator from the crowd spoke up and saved Karrie Webb from making a big mistake. According to The Age, on the 13th green fellow opponent Yani Tseng asked Webb to move her marker one putter-head length to the side to clear her line. After Tseng putted, Webb went to move her marker back but in the wrong direction. She was about to pull the trigger when a man yelled: "Excuse me!"

''I just blanked it. I don't even remember moving it the other way, but I guess I moved it the other way. About 15 people standing on the other side of the hole (said). I was just about to pull the trigger and he spoke up. Which really caught me off-guard. In the end it saved a two-shot penalty. It was quite courageous of him, to speak up, and I'm thankful for it.''

Webb waltzed over to the man, a local club golfer, and handed him her golf ball after putting out. ''It saved me a couple of shots,'' she said later.

Tweet of the Day

Phil Mickelson is now undefeated vs. Tiger in their last 5 final head-to-head rounds. He's Tom Coughlin and Tiger is Bill Belichick.

— Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) February 13, 2012

When Phil Mickelson started the final round at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he seemed like a long shot to win the event. By the time he finished the front nine, he seemed like a lock. 

Mickelson was nine under, six shots behind leader Charlie Wi, after 54 holes, but he charged out of the gate with birdies on three of the first five holes and an eagle on the par-5 sixth. As Mickelson climbed the leaderboard with a 31 on the front to get to 14 under, his competitors fell all around him.

Wi four-putted the first hole for a double bogey and was 12 under after going out in 39. Tiger Woods, paired with Mickelson in the second-to-last group, bogeyed the last three holes on the front nine to fall to nine under. Duke also fell back with a front-nine 37.

Mickelson never let up, shooting a bogey-free 64 to finish 17 under, two shots clear of Wi. It was Mickelson's 40th PGA Tour victory and his fourth win at this event.

Woods, whose game has showed improvement in recent months, was again unable to finish a tournament with a victory. His three-over 75 left him at eight under, tied for 15th.

When asked about playing with Woods, Mickelson said it helped.

"I am inpsired playing with him, and I think most people are," Mickelson said. "He seems to bring out the best in me."

When asked about Woods's game, he was complimentary.

"He was hitting it so solid, you could tell his game was really close," Mickelson said.

More on Mickelson's win | Round 4 photos

(Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Waste Management got some bang for its sponsorship buck Thursday when mad bomber Gary Woodland tried to drive the green at the par-4 10th on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale. Woodland’s ball never made it to its intended destination, instead vanishing into a row of Waste Management recycling bins short and right of the green. Gary McCord handled the trash talk…

Woodland two-putted for his par. He was one-under through 15 holes when the first round was suspended due to darkness.

For FedEx Cup points leader, competitiveness is all in the %$#&! family
If you’re impressed not only by Johnson Wagner’s ’stache but also by his steel, give some credit to his fiery mother and smack-talking brother, reports Karen Crouse of The New York Times:

Johnson’s stiff upper lip in competition can be traced to the family golf games he played growing up, contentious rounds that featured thrown clubs and hurled invectives — mostly by Wagner’s mother, Betty. Her sons describe her as the fiercest competitor in the family, with Johnson Wagner running a close second. 

And then there’s his supportive bro, T.J.:

Johnson Wagner sometimes hated his outings with his brother, who played golf at Washington and Lee from 1996 to 2000.

“My brother used to like to get under my skin,” said Wagner, who starred at Virginia Tech. “He knew how to push my buttons. I remember one time I hit a bad drive and he made fun of me, and I tomahawked my putter and it hit the windshield of the cart and shattered it.”

And the sweet, loving vibe at family game night:

...the combativeness that Wagner learned to bottle up on the golf course is uncorked when the family gathers to play board games like Cranium.

“Both my brother’s wife and mine have been brought to tears,” Wagner said. 

Mickelson’s lawyer “very close” to identifying Lefty basher
The attorney who is representing Phil Mickelson in Lefty’s quest to “out” a menacing message-board poster says they are nearing their goal. Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic checked in with the lawyer, Glenn Cohen, after Mickelson’s opening-round three-under 68 at the Waste Management Open Thursday.

Cohen was happy to hear his client played well while he focused on the dirty work. And it's dirty all right. As Cohen recounted some of the things posted about Mickelson and his wife, he grew madder and madder.

"Enough is enough," he said. "It has to change. We're very close to finding out who this is."

Tweet of the day

RT @DazDavy @Graeme_McDowell if not a golfer... What would u have been??>>broke

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) February 3, 2012

Phil Mickelson wants to unmask an Internet user who has made what Mickelson calls anonymous and defamatory attacks against him, according to Court House New Service.

Phil Mickelson sued an Internet service provider, seeking the identity of a person who posted what the golfer calls "vicious" statements about him and his wife.

Mickelson sued Videotron S.E.N.C. in Quebec Superior Court, seeking the identity of the author of "several highly defamatory statements posted by one or more individual on the Internet, in particular on a Yahoo! website, under the pseudonyms of 'Fogroller' and 'Longitude'.

"The postings suggest that plaintiff has an illegitimate child, that his wife has affairs and other similar vexatious statements that are absolutely untrue and, simply put, vicious," the complaint states.

According to Courthouse News, Mickelson said that he got the user's Internet service provider information from Yahoo!.

In his complaint, Mickelson says the San Diego Superior Court authorized him to subpoena Yahoo! for information about "Fogroller" and "Longitude," and Yahoo! responded with Fogroller's Internet protocol address, which is registered to a Videotron subscriber.

Videotron's attorney said Mickelson needs a court order for the company to provide him with the information he seeks. Mickelson seeks the court order.

D.A. Points explains worst-ever chest bump with Bill Murray

D.A. Points’s partnership with Bill Murray at the 2011 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am resulted in Points winning the tournament, he and Murray winning the pro-am, and the worst chest-bump in sports history (see video above). Even Tiger Woods and Steve Williams probably thought the celebration was a little awkward.

Kevin Merfeld of The Monterey Herald talks to Points about what went wrong after his hole-out on 14. The fault, Points says, lies entirely with Murray.

"Hey, I was all-in. A chest bump is a two-person game, and if the other person pulls up short, there's nothing I can do about it. I was all-in. There was definitely air between my spikes and the ground. I did my part."

Tweet of the Day

Mickelson puts Southern California home on the market for $7 million

With his missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in the past, Mickelson is now focusing on the future. According to Market Watch, he and his wife, Amy, have recently put their luxurious Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., estate [right] on the market for $7.095 million.

"Simply put, this is one of the finest and most private estates you'll find -- anywhere," said Susan Bartow, listing agent for the Mickelsons. "The materials used and craftsman who built this incredible estate are second to none."

The 9,500 square foot, five-bedroom, Tuscan-style home sits on 4.88 acres and comes with two guest villas. The estate includes lavish landscaping, a swimming pool, and its very own putting green. 

Graeme McDowell's luck of the Irish

In Sunday's final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Graeme McDowell hit two memorable shots. His first was a beautiful hole-in-one on the 12th hole par 3. But his next shot on 18 wasn't as glamorous. Jonathan Wall at Yahoo! Sports has the story:

After knocking his second into a bunker short of the 18th green, McDowell caught his approach shot thin and half expected it to end up in the grandstands behind the green. But instead of ending up with an incredibly difficult fourth shot, McDowell's ball ricocheted off the grandstand and rolled back to within a couple feet of the cup.

McDowell made the birdie and finished the tournament with a tie for third. 

Finally, a great lie for the Donald

According to The [Newark] Star-Ledger, Donald Trump plans to seek New Jersey state approval in order to build a burial ground next to Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. 

The 1.5-acre site would become the exclusive final resting place for wealthy club members who pay as much as $300,000 in membership fees. And a section of the lush plot would be carved out for Trump and his next of kin, said Ed Russo, a Trump consultant.

"It’s a very personal decision, but he’s considering it," Russo said. "This is really about members, but we do plan to set something aside for Mr. Trump and his family."

Tweet of the Day

[Photo of Mickelson house from Prudential Realty]

Following his tie for 49th place at the Humana Challenge, Phil Mickelson announced that he would be skipping next month’s WGC-Accenture Match Play. Alex Miceli has the story:

Mickelson, playing in the Humana Challenge for the first time in five years, has a conflict with his children’s spring break and, as in the past, will take the week off to vacation with his three children and wife, Amy, during the Feb. 22-26 Match Play.

“I'm going to end up missing the Match Play this year as we're going to go on a family trip,” Mickelson, No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, said Sunday after completing his third round here. “So as I miss that tournament, it was easier to add this one, too.”

Those wanting more of Lefty won’t have to look hard to find him. Mickelson will be making his rounds on the West Coast over the next few weeks, playing the Farmers Insurance Open, Waste Management Phoenix Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and Northern Trust Open before taking a week off with the family for a little R&R.

Coming to America

Chubby Chandler may have lost his brightest star in Rory McIlroy, but that hasn’t deterred ISM’s head honcho from seeking out new talent. Expect many of those new clients to bleed red, white and blue. While speaking with Golf Talk Central, Chandler stated that he would sign more American players this year than Europeans. 

Chandler recently set up shop in South Florida, ISM’s new American base, and has signed Peter Uihlein and Ben An in the last two months alone. 

Rex Hoggard of Golf Talk Central is also reporting that Steve Zika will take the lead on ISM’s descent into the American talent pool: 

GTC has confirmed through various sources that Steve Zika, a longtime tour representative for Ping, will be ISM’s American front-man. 

Zika was with Ping for a dozen years and worked with the company’s PGA Tour team since 2001. It was during this time that Zika fostered a relationship with Lee Westwood, No. 2 in the World Golf Ranking and a longtime member of Chandler’s stable.

Bubba gets a new ride

Contrary to what Christina Kim thinks, Bubba Watson apparently can have it all. This past weekend, Watson became the proud new owner of the original General Lee car from the “Dukes of Hazzard.” While at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., Bubba tweeted a photo of the legendary vehicle:  

My fav at Barrett Jackson!! #dreamcar lockerz.com/s/176557904

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) January 21, 2012

Roughly five hours later, Watson sent out a follow-up tweet, exclaiming, “Just got my dream car!!!” 

Never one to shy away from the send button, Bubba has since continued to tweet about his new prized possession, including this picture of him gassing up the General: 

Last night I bought some gas!! #gamechanger #Lee1 lockerz.com/s/176822084

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) January 22, 2012

Watson has also contacted Notorious Whips with plans of customizing the classic Dodge Charger, including a complete restore of the inside. 

And before you even ask, yes, the horn still works. 

All in all, the General Lee set Bubba back a mere $110,000. Not too shabby considering he owns a watch worth more than four times that. Hey Bubba, just make sure you keep an eye out for Roscoe. 

Tweet of the Day 

Not a good day to b a punt returner for San Fran. #notanybodiesfavplayertoday

— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) January 23, 2012

Reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel doesn’t want to just host this year’s Champions Dinner -- he wants to prepare it. The 27-year-old has visions of grilling up a braai [right] -- a sampling of traditional South African meats -- under the iconic oak tree outside the clubhouse. Call it Pit Masters: Augusta National Edition. Global Golf Post has the details:

“We’ve put in the request and are still waiting to hear from them,” Schwartzel said. “But I’d love to be able to braai there. I want to braai everything myself, but we just have to see if that will be possible with the number of people there. I could end up with a very sore hand at the end of an evening turning all that meat.”

Schwartzel has already started planning his Masters braai. “I’ll keep it very simple. Ideally I would like to have a few lamb chops, some fillets and of course some boerewors (a traditional South African sausage).”

According to Scott Michaux of the Augusta Chronicle, Schwartzel would be the first champ to trade his green jacket for a green apron:

In general, the club balks at outsiders cooking in their kitchens. Other than Vijay Singh famously bringing in a prominent Atlanta restaurateur to prepare his Thai menu in 2001, Augusta National has used its own chefs to prepare whatever the host champion desires (with the possible exception of Sandy Lyle’s haggis).

New year, same old Phil

Phil Mickelson picked up his 2012 season pretty much right where he left off his 2011 season. An eagle here, a three-putt there, tee shots everywhere. It all resulted in a two-over 74 at the Humana Challenge on Thursday, a discouraging opening round at La Quinta Country Club that included a pair of out-of-bounds tee shots. Mickleson looked at the bright side: 

"The round wasn't indicative of how I know I was playing. I've been playing really well heading in. I played well the front nine, made some good birdies."

"And then the back nine those couple out of bounds, one was a matter of two feet and a couple of inches on the other and those could have been a big difference."

Mickleson, who dabbled with a long putter toward the end of last season, has returned to an Odyssey blade, which is “very similar to the putter I grew up with as a kid just going back to that type of freer motion.”

“I feel really good with the putter. And that was the one area that I was concerned with. I spent the whole off-season working on that, deciding on the direction I was going to go, with what putter and what have you.

“I'm trying to make, I feel like I can make everything on the greens. I had a couple 3-putts ... my speed was off on a couple, but really excited with the way it was transpiring and given the way I've been hitting it the last couple years I know I'll get that fixed and I can start shooting some numbers.”

Lefty's last win came the week before the Masters, at the Shell Houston Open.

Tiger says he’s executing “all the shots”

Hank who? After 17 months under the tutelage of swing coach Sean Foley, Tiger Woods says the Tao of Foley is finally clicking in an interview with ESPN's Bob Harig.

"Last year at this time I didn't truly understand what Sean was trying to teach me," Woods said. "I was very one-dimensional in my ball striking."

One-dimensional? Where does that leave the rest of us?

“I had this baby draw, didn't have a fade, and when I got to Dubai, my second tournament, the wind was howling and I couldn't hold the ball up against the wind with a fade.”

"One of the things we had to work on through the year was hitting all the shots. It didn't really start happening until the fall. I started picking up some good, positive momentum with the exhibitions I did in Asia, Australia and then winning [the Chevron World Challenge]."

Woods also revealed the genesis of his much-ballyhooed pairing with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in next month's Pebble Beach pro-am.

"He called me when I was in Australia [in November] and asked me if I was playing Pebble," Woods said. "And I said yes.” He said, 'I'd like to throw my name in the hat as a possible pairing.'

“I thought about it…"

What’s to think about? Who’s a better option? Darius Rucker? Kenny G?

"…and then I called him a day later and said, 'All right, you're in if you want to be in.'"

Gee, Tiger, way to make a guy feel good about himself. Romo later admitted that he hadn’t been that nervous since he asked Betty Finkelstein to his seventh-grade dance.

Tweet of the Day

[Photo credit: Gallo / Getty Images]

So this is what former President Bill Clinton brings to a golf tournament.

Phil Mickelson announced Friday that he would play in the Humana Challenge in Palm Springs, Calif., which begins Jan. 19. Mickelson, who won the event when it was called the Bob Hope Classic in 2002 and 2004, hasn't played there since 2007.

“I’m honored to join President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the Humana Challenge,” Mickelson said in a statement on the Clinton Foundation's website. “I admire President Clinton and the charitable work of his Foundation, which helps millions of people around the world, and I applaud him for joining Humana in using the tournament to help promote health and wellness. Some of my best seasons have come after starting at this event and I’m really excited about coming back again.”

Clinton has partnered with the event through his foundation to promote health awareness. While the Palm Springs event was once one of the PGA Tour's more glamorous stops, the event has struggled to attract top stars like Mickelson in recent years, and Clinton's involvement was seen as a possible boost for the tournament.

Looks like it's working. 

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)