Fighting words at BMW Championship

I don't know how it played on TV, but the final round of the BMW was a blast to cover. While Tiger was doing his thing, I was running around Cog Hill tracking the tournament-within-a-tournament, as various players were throwing up on themselves trying to play their way into the Tour Championship.

Stewart Cink made sizeable par putts on three of his final four holes and then punched his ticket to Atlanta with a 15-footer for birdie on the ninth, his last hole of the day. Asked how it compared to the back-nine pressure at Turnberry, he said, somewhat amazingly, "Actually, I felt a little bit more nervous coming in here than I did there because there I felt like I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and here I felt like I had everything to lose."

Luke Donald played his final 14 holes in four over par and was a precarious 30th in the projected points standings as he stepped off the golf course. Fearing he might get bumped, his wife Diane said, "I'm going to go home and hide all the sharp objects!" In the end Donald squeaked in.

So, too, did Steve Marino (right), the talented third-year pro who might be the best player on Tour without a victory. He came into the week 26th in points and appeared to have shot himself out of the Tour Championship with a second-round 77 at the BMW. But he rallied with a solid 68-71 on the weekend to finish 25th in the points race.

"I just tried to hang in there and overcome the demons," Marino said in his endearingly candid way. This will be Marino's first Tour Championship, and he's overdue for a little exposure. Last fall he was chatting up Ernie Els at a bar when Easy asked, completely seriously, what Marino did for a living.

"I said I play the PGA Tour just like you do, Ernie," Marino said on Sunday, recounting the tale. With a laugh, he crowed, "And now I'm about to pass your ass on the money list!" In fact, Marino is $8,118 in arrears of Els, who now has one more reason to play hard at East Lake.

Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Stewart Cink reads Top 10 List on David Letterman

Stewart Cink made a stop in New York City with the claret jug Tuesday night to read the Top 10 List on David Letterman. Cink tweeted that his favorite was No. 3, but I'm partial to No. 6. What do you think?

On Twitter, PGA Tour and LPGA golfers react to death of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's death brought down Twitter yesterday, so we did a little digging to see if any of the golf world's avid Tweeters had anything to say about his passing. Almost as soon as the news broke, several players posted their thoughts and reactions. A sampling is below.

Stewart Cink: My favorite Michael Jackson moment came when @lisacink and her five best friends did the whole Thriller dance at our benefit party in March.

Suzann Pettersen: It is hard to pick one favorite song from the king of pop. just so many good ones... love em all. This is surreal!

Trevor Immelman: Man, real sad news about MJ. He was a true legend. Thriller album still stands as one of the best ever.

Annika Sorenstam: SAD day. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Hope the two global icons rest in peace. Thoughts with their families.

Yani Tseng: Michael Jackson died?! Awwww,that is saaaaad and im shocked !!!

Michelle Wie: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett passed away today?!?!??!?!?! what a sadddd sadd day. may you both rest in peace.

Morgan Pressel: I guess everyone else just found out too...Michael Jackson died?? Not quite sure why I'm so shocked but I am...

Ian Poulter: tragic news about Michael Jackson, what a pop legend. such a shame to see him pass so early. may you rest in peace Michael.

Christina Kim: R.I.P. Michael Jackson. You were a musical icon, a genius in your own right. You inspired millions and changed the world. Youl be missed.

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This Week in Tour Twitter: John Daly, Morgan Pressel and Christina Kim

It was a landmark week for golfers on Twitter, with roughly 15 LPGA players I've never heard of joining. (To their credit, I just became 15 percent more likely to watch the Michelob Ultra Open this week.)  Here's your weekly dose of the best you missed by denying the tweeting craze.

- Love3D is actually Davis Love III, and not a fake. I know this because he likes to take glamor shots while pulled over at gas stations.

- The LPGA's Christina Kim is on Twitter!! And she's a vodka drinker!! I prefer Ciroc personally, with Goose as a runner-up. Belvedere and Chopin is a bit biting for my gentle female palate! Lol!!! She also has a penchant for classical music (...and exclamation points): Now I've moved on to Mozart. My heart races and my hand trembles with excitement as the symphony reaches its crescendo!!!

- Morgan Pressel loves the Red Wings. And Auntie Anne's cinnamon sticks. And even though she's sponsored by Ralph Lauren, she still pays for some of their clothes, just like the rest of us: Just did some damage at the ralph Lauren factory store...shocker

- Stewart Cink, who has 158,716 followers (No. 150,000 won a free driver), was thinking about more than this week's tournament during his practice round at TPC Sawgrass: Fun practice round with Zach, FreddyC, Rollins, and DL3. Kissed butt to Freddy (Prez Cup cptn) but quit after 12. He keeps us in stitches.

- Natalie Gulbis supports the Special Olympics.

- Connecticut's finest, J.J. Henry, checked in from the Players Championship on Wednesday: Caddie closest to pin contest on the famous 17th hole...If you think we get nervous you should see the caddies try and take it back!! 

- Jane Park shows admirable humility: haha i dont think anyone really cares what im doing? lol. The Press Tent cares, Jane.

And the Top Tour Twit This Week: John Daly. I attempted to count the most tweets Daly had sent in an hour, but I ran out of fingers and toes; the man is obsessed. This week he tweeted about his crazy clothing choices at the Spanish Open and his decision to have lap-band surgery (ya, just tried alot of diets and found out it was in my genes), and how it's affected his game (just workin on adjustment because i was so used to goin around my stomach for so long) Then there was this gem: Kermit's last words: That pig told me she was clean. LMAO funny stuff

UPDATE: Stewart Cink might have stolen the show with a tweet late Thursday afternoon: Reliable source says Jason Dufner left important part of wardrobe behind today and is going commando. Remarkable considering 90deg heat.

Aussie pro's secret to success: Don’t be a 'wuss'

Listen up, squirt! If you’re fixing to be the next Tiger Woods or Greg Norman, Aussie pro Peter Lonard has a word of advice: Don’t be a wuss. Lonard dished the tough-love tip yesterday at the Australian PGA, saying the game’s elite players have become too reliant on the likes of psychologists, yoga instructors and mystical gurus.

"With all those people helping, you don't want to make players wussy. They've got to be tough and do it themselves," Lonard said.

"Obviously, it's a fine line. Some guys improve with help. Others get worse because of too much input and too much rubbish to worry about which doesn't have a whole lot to do with playing golf."

Lonard has never had a particularly sunny disposition. (After finding himself a couple shots off the lead after the second round of the 2007 Players Championship, he told reporters, “Well, if I had a psychologist I would say my glass is half full, but if I was a pessimistic individual like I am, I'd say the other way.”) But he’s right about the preponderance of pep teams in the pro game. Stroll the range at any Tour event and, for better or for worse, you’ll find players encircled by packs of supporters  — coaches, trainers, even the odd masseuse.

Clearly not all Tour pros share Lonard's skepticism. Stewart Cink regularly speaks with psychologist Preston Waddington. Cink hired Waddington seven years ago because he could barely face the pressure of teeing it up on Tour. “I’m a nervous wreck before I play,” he told Waddington, according to a 2007 interview in our magazine.

Robert Allenby, long plagued by a fiery temper, now works with “lifestyle coach” Peter Crone, whose web site warns: “LISTENING TO PETER MAY SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR EGO AND INSPIRE UNUSUAL SENSATIONS OF FUN, VITALITY AND HAPPINESS.” And birdies, it seems. Since teaming with Crone, Allenby has resuscitated his game and climbed (quite happily) to 27th in the world.   
 
Then there’s Phil Mickelson, perhaps the game’s most psychologically intriguing player. Mickelson doesn’t work regularly with a shrink — at least not that we know of — but he’s clearly a believer in the practice. He majored in psychology at Arizona State.