Can’t you two just get along?

That plaintive plea for peace comes from country crooner and tender-souled two-time major champion, John Daly, who weighed in this week on the undying Sergio Garcia-Tiger Woods kerfuffle.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Daly dispatched this imploring message:

Tiger and Sergio I respect both of you and your golf so much plz end this y'all are so good for golf #justgetalongmyfriends

— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) May 23, 2013

Daly’s Kumbaya request came around the same time as another feel-good message, this one from former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who referenced his own spat with Padraig Harrington as a model for what Sergio and Tiger might do. Olazabal and Harrington had a testy exchange 10 years ago over the repair of pitch marks on a green during the Seve Trophy match between Continental Europe and Britain/Ireland. Olazabal said the two men had put that matter in the past.

“I had my incident with Harrington at the Seve Trophy in Valencia,” Olazabal said. “We had some issues. Certain things hurt you but in time you tend to forget and you eventually put things in perspective. Nowadays there is no issue between Padraig and me and that’s the way it should be.”

It has now been nearly two weeks since things went sideways between Woods and Garcia during the third round at The Players Championship, and Woods, at least, appears to have moved on.

For Garcia, meanwhile, the matter has evolved into a kind of public therapy session, one that took an unfortunately twist this past week with his “fried chicken” comments at a European Tour function.

On his own Twitter feed, Woods called Garcia’s remark “hurtful” but said that it was “long past time to move on.”

Easier said than done. How can two men put a spat behind them when people keep reminding them that they don’t get along?

(Photo: David Walberg/Sports Illustrated)

Lee Westwood just wants to talk about his beard [in embryonic state at right].

In his Wednesday press conference before the BMW PGA Championship, Westwood was peppered with questions regarding Sergio Garcia's comments about Tiger Woods made at a European Tour gala awards evening earlier this week.

Westwood initially said Tiger wouldn't be bothered by Sergio's comments. He followed by saying he didn't even know what Sergio said. The next logical question should have been: "How can you know Tiger won't be bothered then?" But it wasn't. It only led to a reporter trying to explain Sergio's comments while simultaneously interrupted by Westwood.

The former world's No. 1 player summed up his thoughts on the matter with: "It's just an awkward situation where they just obviously don't get on. You know, you guys all stoke it up as much you can and sometimes you don't need to. Not really any of my business. I fortunately get on well with both of them. But I have no interest in getting in the middle of that relationship, if there is one."

He was pressed to comment. "You didn't hear what I said then," Westwood said. "Said I had no interest in getting in the middle of that relationship. There is no follow‑up to that answer.  Can we move on to the beard?"

But no one wants to talk about the beard. We just need to know Westwood's thoughts on Sergio's fried chicken "joke."

"McGregor (Westwood's fitness coach) has not let me eat fried chicken for three or four years because it goes straight on my hips," Westwood said. "Now I'm 40, I have to now seriously think about what I'm eating."

Such a graceful side-step.

"I just said two answers ago -– quite sure I said I'm not getting in the middle of that relationship. It's got absolutely nothing to do with me because I get on well with both of them. Any golf questions?"

Better yet, any beard questions?

(Photo: Getty)

Foot-in-mouth disease appears to be contagious on the European Tour.

A day after Sergio Garcia caused a major row by making a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, European Tour chief executive George O'Grady used the dated and racially insensitive term "colored" while saying that the European Tour accepts Garcia's apology for saying that he'd serve Woods "fried chicken" for dinner at the U.S. Open.

The Daily Mail UK has the details:

O'Grady has sparked fresh anger with his comments on Sky Sports 1: "It's very unfortunate and we are in the middle of it, but we made a statement that both together with commissioner Tim Finchem from the PGA Tour we spoke to Sergio and after what was really a very full and frank discussion on the whole issue that we'd accept his really heartfelt apology and we were convinced that he was trying to be funny -- that it was a lighthearted remark."

"We know the connotation in the United States. We accept all races on the European Tour, we take it very strongly. Most of Sergio's friends are colored athletes in the United States and he is absolutely abject in his apology and we accepted it."

UPDATE: O'Grady has apologized for his remarks, according to the BBC: "I deeply regret using an inappropriate word in a live interview for Sky Sports for which I unreservedly apologize."  

Photo: Getty Images

Tour pros were vocal when the anchored putting ban was proposed in December. When the ban became official Tuesday morning, players didn't have quite as much to say, but some golfers still voiced their support, displeasure and confusion over the ruling.

Tiger Woods made his feelings on the proposed anchoring ban known in a press conference previewing the AT&T National on Monday. 

Well, I hope they go with the ban.  That's something that I've said, that anchoring should not be a part of the game.  It should be mandatory to have to swing all 14 clubs.  There are different ways of making the butt end of the club move.  You've seen it with Bernhard Langer when he won the Masters putting against his forearm, what Kuch does putting against his forearm, as well.  But it's not a fixed point; the butt end does travel.  So I think that's where guys are going to try and ‑‑ will figure it out if that's the ban and that's where they go, I think it's great.

And as far as the PGA TOUR, I hope they do it as soon as possible to be honest with you.  I've always said that.  I've always felt that golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13.

Immediately following the ruling, the Golf Channel said that Adam Scott, Webb Simpson and Carl Pettersson, all high-profile anchorers, politely declined to comment.

Brenden Steele, who has anchored his putter since 2006, did comment, saying, "I’m going to putt however I can best get the ball into the hole this week and then deal with it moving forward. I’m using the [Matt] Kuchar-style because I feel like it’s the best chance for me to hole putts this week."

Corey Pavin said he didn't know if anchoring was a pressing matter for the USGA, but was glad the ban won't take place until 2016.

“I'm glad it wasn't made across the board where they just banned them,” said Pavin, who is competing this week in the Crowne Plaza Invitational for the 30th time. “They have been around too long, well, forever, I guess – the last 30 years or 20 years. It's a long time to have something legal and then make it illegal. So I think keeping the putter in play is a good thing. I'm not so sure that stopping anchoring is really that big of a deal as far as a change of a rule. I'm not sure if it was necessary. But that's the way they went and that's what the rules are now. Well, they are in 2016," Pavin said.

Other pros took to Twitter to give their opinion.

John Daly offered: "It's time that the Club Pros & PGAPros stop being pushed around by amateur companies when it only matters to 2 tourn British/USOpen why should we change our rules--again that's IMO. NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL....all professional organizations create their rules, PGA should also create rules as professionals in our organization."

If only 2-4% of worldwide golfers use anchored putters, why do they feel this is "bad" for the game?

— Rich Beem (@beemerpga) May 21, 2013

I could not disagree more with the USGA's decision today. #respectfullytheygotitwrong

— Meg Mallon (@MegMallonUSA) May 21, 2013

USGA/R&A have methodically thought through this issue. Consensus and adherence will be key. Two years offers time for litigation to play out

— Olin Browne (@OlinBrowne) May 21, 2013

Can only imagine where all the Media at Colonial will be today....putting Green anyone?#anchorban

— Ricky Barnes (@RealRickyBarnes) May 21, 2013

The USGA just cut down a mole hill. Can they now get to the mountain? Which mountain? Driver, ball, slow play,access. You choose.

— Arron Oberholser (@ArronOberholser) May 21, 2013

I'm in support of the ban on anchoring for tournament golf. It should have been done a long time ago though @usga.

— Parker McLachlin (@ParkerMcLachlin) May 21, 2013

Forget Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open by 15 strokes. The Marist War Eagles saw Tiger's winning margin and raised it by three.

In the state championship of the Georgia Class AAAA boys' state golf tournament, Marist, a private school located in the suburbs of Atlanta, won its second-consecutive state title by 18 strokes with a team nine-under 279. Only a mere 21 strokes better than last year's total, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

How good was Marist's day? The War Eagles claimed the first (Will Chandler–66), second (Jack Larkin–71), third (Joe Quirk–71), fourth (Sean Murphy–71) and fifth (Will Duma–71) lowest rounds of the tournament on a rain-soaked Dalton Golf and Country Club in north Georgia. A round of 73 by Mitchell Yates completed the War Eagles' day.

And they couldn't even officially count one of those 71s.

In high school tournaments, teams send out their six best golfers seeded from one to six with the same seeds from opposing teams grouped together, and the highest score gets tossed out of the team total. Marist had five golfers under-par on a day where not one of their opponents did, including Chandler, who claimed medalist honors with his six-under 66. That's correct, the team's dropped score would have been every other team's low round.

“It was just one of those crazy days where everything came together more perfectly than you could have planned it,” said Marist coach Jeff Decker. “Four of them had their career bests today, and all six came together like a perfect storm.”

Tiger Woods didn't mince words when asked if he considered calling Sergio Garcia after "The Pulled 5-Wood Heard Around The World" at The Players Championship to finally make up, put their rivalry to bed and just "chill."

"No," Woods replied with a slight smile after a short pause (watch the video below).

The incident in question has been dissected since the Players ended with Woods claiming his fourth win this season. Sergio said the crowd noise after Tiger pulled a club from his bag caused Garcia's mishit on the par-5 2nd hole at TPC Sawgrass. Woods said a marshal told him Sergio had already hit. Two marshals said that never happened. Two different marshals spoke otherwise.

Whatever the truth is, Woods has his story. And he is sticking to it.

"Obviously, the matter has been put behind me. The truth came out. As I was saying the entire time, I told people what I had heard and what had happened," Woods told the USA Today's Steve DiMeglio after a press conference promoting the AT&T National on Monday.

You can watch video of Tiger's press conference below. We're eagerly awaiting Sergio's response.

(Photo: AP)

Tiger Woods with Tiger Jam headliner Kid Rock in Las Vegas (Getty Images).

Tiger Woods' 15th annual Tiger Jam concert and fundraiser in Las Vegas over the weekend had everything -- Kid Rock, Chris Paul, a poker tournament with Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth -- except a photo opportunity with Woods and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun has the details:

Try as I could, there were no photos of the duo arm-in-arm and cheek-to-cheek. I asked Tiger politely. He ignored me — looked straight through me like I was a ghost. Not one word from him. I asked his PR people, and they did try but were rebuffed.

Tiger made certain Lindsey was whisked into a stage-side dressing room in a phalanx of security bodyguards and kept away from the small contingent of photographers, including our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue. Lindsey was a guest at last year’s Tiger Jam before they began dating.

Leach said that Woods looked happy during the weekend event, which raises money for the Tiger Woods Foundation:

Tiger was in great spirits over the weekend despite his poker loss. It’s obvious to all that he’s happy and in love again with Lindsey, but why he keeps her hidden from photographers to capture a happy photo of the duo remains a mystery.

If it’s OK to smile with Kid Rock — and in past years Jon Bon Jovi, John Mayer and Keith Urban — I just can’t fathom why not Lindsey. Hopefully, though, with or without the engagement rumors , it will happen in due course. 

Woods posted pictures from the event on his Facebook page.

Maybe Sergio was right. Maybe Tiger Woods really “isn’t one of the nicest guys on Tour.”?

The latest evidence comes from well-established Tour nice-guy Rocco Mediate, who, during a recent appearance on Golf Channel’s “Feherty,” recalled a Tiger memory from the 2009 Players Championship. At the time, Mediate was roughly a year removed from his playoff loss to Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, so he thought he’d ask Tiger for a memento.

According to Mediate, he left in Woods’ locker a photo of the two of them from the playoff, along with a pin sheet from their fifth-round match. He also left a note, requesting an autograph and an inscription.

“Look, sign these for me, write something on there, and personalize it and then sign the pin sheet,” Mediate told David Feherty, summing up his note to Tiger. “Because I’m going to put them on my wall somewhere.”

Well, Mediate got the autograph, but that was it. As Rocco tells it, Woods returned the materials later that day, having signed the photo but without writing an inscription. The pin sheet came back to Rocco untouched.

Mediate says he threw everything in the trash.

“That tells the story,” Mediate said. “Why wouldn’t he ... just mess with me, and the sign my pin sheet, so I could put the damn thing on my wall and say, ‘I almost got the guy that day.’”

Mediate emphasized that he’s still a Tiger fan.

“I’ve been a big fan of Tiger since I met him,” he said. “I love the way he does his job. I don’t care what anybody thinks or anybody says; we ain’t gonna see this kid come about again.”

You get the feeling that Sergio Garcia -- among many others -- would be just fine with that.

Tiger Woods is the No. 1-ranked player in golf again, but he hasn’t been able to reclaim his spot at the top of Sports Illustrated’s annual “Fortunate 50” ranking of the highest earners in sports because he lost more than $20,000,000 in endorsements last year.

Woods had been No. 1 on the list since its inception in 2004 until last year, when he finished third behind boxer Floyd Mayweather and Woods’ old rival Phil Mickelson. In 2013, the resurgent Woods has overtaken Mickelson but is now fifth on the list, with an estimated $40,839,027 in income. Mayweather remains No. 1, followed by LeBron James, Drew Brees and Kobe Bryant. SI determines income solely through salary, winnings, bonuses and endorsements based on players’ associations, tour records, online databases and media reports. (Golf earnings are from July 1, 2012 through April 21, 2013.)

Here’s the SI breakdown of Woods’ income:

No. 5: Tiger Woods

Salary/Winnings: $7,839,027

Endorsements: $33,000,000

Total: $40,839,027

Tiger is back -- he earned more than anyone on Tour over the past 12 months -- but sponsors have been slower to return. Woods’s current deals are with Nike, EA, Rolex, Kowa (a heat rub), Fuse Science, Upper Deck and NetJets. In the past two years various lists have put Tiger’s portfolio in the $50 million range; don’t believe them. Marketing experts say that even $33 million is generous, but no one really knows how much his deal with Nike is worth. (The best estimates put it at $20 million per year.) And now that Nike is using him in TV ads again (with the ascendant Rory McIlroy), you can bet the Swoosh sees fresh value in its biggest golf star. Phil Mickelson makes more in endorsements, but the 37-year-old Woods made double on the links.

Despite playing much better, Woods lost more than $20 million in endorsement than the previous year. (In 2012, Woods earned $54.5 million in endorsement income, according to SI.) Mickelson, whose play has been uneven, still made more money off the course than Woods.

Here’s SI’s breakdown of Mickelson’s income:

No. 6: Phil Mickelson

Salary/Winnings: $3,528,000

Endorsements: $36,000,000

Total: $39,528,000

In golf (and tennis), more than in other sports, endorsement contracts are heavily rankings-based and full of performance bonuses. At 42, Mickelson isn’t winning as much, but he’s still a sponsor’s dream because of his likability. In an ad for arthritis medicine Enbrel (for which he likely earns $7 million a year), he’s decked out in sponsorships: KPMG on his visor, Barclays on the chest of his polo, Callaway on the sleeve.

Rory McIlroy, the third pillar of golf’s latest Big Three, was listed in the International 20, not the Fortunate 50, but his earnings would have easily placed him in the top 10.

No. 7: Rory McIlroy

Total: $33,336,796

The widely reported Nike deal is bringing McIlroy at least $20 million a year, but it’s also likely a rankings-based contract, full of many bonuses that Rory hasn’t earned so far. Nike took a huge, long-term gamble on him that doesn’t yet look so wise, but he’s got quite a while to prove himself worthy. And to be third in the world among active golfers for endorsement earnings, at age 23, that’s pretty impressive. Other brands that all came calling in the very recent months include Bose and Omega watches.

Woods, Mickelson and McIlroy were the only professional golfers to crack the Fortunate 50 (or the International 20); however, Brandt Snedeker, winner of the $10 million FedEx Cup in 2012, was listed as a "Future Fortunate."

Photo: Tiger Woods celebrates winning the 2013 Players Championship, a victory worth $1,710,000 (Getty Images).

Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods during the third round of the 2013 Players Championship.

Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia had a misunderstanding on the par-5 second hole at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday that reignited the two golfers' longtime feud. However, the marshal who was following the group said Woods's explanation for his actions on the hole was not true, according to Sports Illustrated's Michael Bamberger. [See update below.]

In the third round, on the 2nd hole, Woods hit a poor tee shot into the left trees. García hit a better tee shot, on the right side of the fairway. If the players had been communicating properly, García and Woods, or their caddies, would have established an order of play. But there was nothing like that. García, playing out of turn but not able to see Woods, was disrupted as he started his swing by a modest cheer from the woods, where a large group of spectators had surrounded Tiger, forming a human V around his ball. The cheers were a response to Woods’s pulling a five-wood out of his bag, meaning that he was going to attempt an absurdly difficult recovery shot. García, after fatting his shot, turned his round chin in Woods’s direction and glared.

“It’s very simple,” García said during an NBC interview. “You have to pay attention to what’s going on because the other guy is hitting. You do something when you’re in the crowd, and the crowd is going to respond.”

Returning serve, Woods said, “The marshals, they told me he already hit, so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot, and then I hear his comments afterward and it’s not real surprising that he’s complaining about something.”

Well, when they heard that remark from Woods, the marshals were surprised. One of them, Gary Anderson, said on Sunday, “He didn’t ask us nothing, and we didn’t say nothing. We’re told not to talk to the players.”

Anderson’s boss, John North, was the chief marshal for the first three holes. He stood over Woods’s ball to protect it from the throng and was five feet away when Woods played his shot. North has worked the tournament as a volunteer marshal for 30 years, he’s a graduate of the Naval Academy, he served in Vietnam, he’s a FedEx pilot and he donates his round on the Stadium course for being a volunteer to the Wounded Warriors project.

“Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him,” North said. “I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We’re there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character.”

Hours later, his workweek done, North watched the tournament on TV in a military appreciation tent. “I hate to say it, but I was rooting for him,” North said of Woods. “It tears me apart. But when he’s winning..."

UPDATE: According to The Florida Times-Union, a different marshal at the second hole said that he told Woods that Garcia had hit after Garcia hit his shot. Brian Nedrich, a marshal at the second hole, said Woods was wrong about the time sequence -- Woods had already grabbed his club before the marshal told him Garcia had hit -- but that Woods did communicate with volunteers. “It is not true and definitely unfair to Tiger,” Nedrich said of claims that no marshal said anything to Woods about Garcia. “That’s because I was the one Tiger heard say that Sergio had hit.”

In a follow-up interview Wednesday morning, North said that, with an earpiece in one ear, it was possible that other officials had an exchange with Woods that he did not hear. He said he was beside Woods's ball as he prepared to play his shot but was as much as 20 feet away when Woods actually swung. He said his statement about "character" was based on his understanding that no marshal had said anything to Woods.