Bigger story at British Open: Tiger Woods or Tom Watson?

We can all agree that the first 36 holes at Turnberry were surprising, but there is a debate brewing among (between?) sports fans and golf fans -- What's the biggest story of the day? Some would argue it's Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest golfer of all time, missing the cut at a major championship for only the second time in his career. Others would say it's Tom Watson, arguably the greatest links golfer of all time, leading at age 59 on an artificial hip. Want to join the debate? Leave a comment below.

Tiger's worst shot came after missing the cut

Tiger's worst shot of the day wasn't one of the 74 strokes he took on the course at Turnberry. It was his refusal to do a one-on-one interview with TNT after his round.

Tiger's refusal is indicative of a pouty aspect of his persona that often crops up after his rounds, especially bad ones. Tiger knows he's a rock star who draws nearly as much attention as the president. He knows the world wants to see and hear him describe his rounds in a personal interview.

Yes, Tiger gave a group interview on Friday, but he often refuses one-on-one chats, and it bugs me.

He is on track to becoming the first billionaire athlete with the money earned out of his fans' pockets, and the graceful thing to do would be to give the network, and in turn his fans, a couple of minutes -- no matter what he shoots.

Thoughts on British Open weather, Steve Marino, Geoff Ogilvy and more

More random musings from Turnberry ...

• Hooray, the weather finally got nasty. This is what a British Open is supposed to feel like. On Thursday guys were sweating in short sleeves, and that's just not kosher. Aside from the aesthetic reasons, Turnberry simply needed more bite, and the testy conditions have already begun to separate the men (Goosen, Cabrera, Kaymer, Calc)  from the boys (Curtis, Senden, Mahan, Gay). I hope the weekend brings more wind and rain and punishment. At least outside the press room.

• Steve Marino is not going to win the first British Open he ever shows up for but he's a very legit player. A couple of veterans have told me they think Marino is the best player on Tour who has not yet won a tournament. He has a lot of firepower off the tee and very soft hands and more imagination than most, which has been evident during his two stellar opening rounds. The best shot I've seen so far at this Open was his 5-iron at 17, from 227 yards out. Marino hit a big, high, slinging cut that rode a stiff left-to-right breeze, falling out of the sky 20 feet from the hole for the eagle that keyed his 68. Pretty macho.

• Turnberry is sometimes called the Pebble Beach of Scotland because of the beautiful holes that hug the craggy coast but the similarities don't end there. Both courses are in a remote spot accessible only by a two-lane road. The drive into Turnberry is such a lovely way to start the day. It winds through green hills dotted with sheep and meadows exploding in wildflowers. The majestic ruins of two old castles are an evocative reminder of all of Scotland's ancient history. Just when you're getting antsy to arrive at the Open the road reaches the crest of a steep slope and then plunges downhill, revealing the course and coastline below. It's breath-taking, and sure beats the Long Island Expressway.

• I'm officially off the Geoff Ogilvy bandwagon. Dude made exactly zero birdies Friday en route to a sporty 78. For the week he had more double bogeys (5) than birds (3). Good thing he stole that U.S. Open a few years ago because he's looking increasingly star-crossed in the majors. The only positive for Ogilvy is that he finished one stroke ahead of Ian Poulter, a popular pick to win coming in. (That means you, D. Hack.) After his strong runner-up finish at last year's Open I think Poulter got Andymurrayized, which is too say, overwhelmed by the crushing expectations of being Great Britain's best hope on the home soil.

• One of the pleasures of being at the Open is getting to read the prose of the Euro golf writers. Ian Chadband in the The Telgraph had this to say about Woods's uneven first round: "He drove like a sizzled learner…He has that John McEnroe knack losing his rag -- the cry of 'Godamit!' after a shocking drive at the third had been replaced by something rather shorter and more Anglo-Saxon by the 13th." Can't wait to read what Chadband's brethren have to say on Saturday morning. As jingoistic as the press is over here, the loudest spontaneous eruption of the day was when T. Watson made his ocean-goer on the 16th hole. Just goes to show that more than country, all reporters love a good story.

• After watching a couple hundred fans fail to find Tiger's ball in the weeds on the 10th hole I suddenly don't feel so bad at failing to locate a couple balls in the Royal Troon rough during a glorious twilight round last night. Every fairway over here should be framed in red stakes because once a ball buries in the long grass it's a lottery as to whether it ever gets found.

• Fearless weekend prediction: Retief Goosen plays the best golf but, as has become a habit, lets it get away late on Sunday, handing the Claret Jug to... drumroll ...  Stewey Cink. Tweet, tweet.

Video: Tiger Woods interviews Tiger Woods

Although normally allergic to interviews, Tiger seemed to thoroughly enjoy one question-and-answer session on Sunday. After winning his own tournament, the AT&T National, Tiger walked up to the microphone on the 18th green and proceeded to -- believe it or not -- interview himself. Afterward, Woods summed up the whole experience saying,  “It was great shaking my hand today."

Tiger Woods looks forward to 'many years' of playing against Anthony Kim

It looked like you went up and said something to Anthony [Kim] as you were walking down 18. Can you tell us briefly what it was?
TIGER WOODS: I just said that I enjoyed it, and there will be many more to come. Just keep working hard, and we'll do this for many more years.

I think Tiger had these rivalries in mind...

Michael Jordan vs. Craig Ehlo (Photo: Manny Millan/SI)

Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote

Hammer vs. Nail

Follow Michael Walker Jr. on Twitter

Tiger Woods, Tony Romo stuff USO care packages for the troops

Before teeing off for the AT&T National pro-am on Wednesday, Tiger Woods and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo stopped to stuff care packages for the troops overseas.

Woods, who's father, Earl, was in the military, has made honoring servicemen and women an important part of his tournament, which is hosted near the nation's capital. Lockheed Martin, who sponsored the USO Care Package effort, also is hosting 30,000 military and family members during the event.

"Having the service men and women out there makes for such a special week," Woods said. "We should all say thank you to them personally and shake hands and be very appreciative what they do in putting their lives on their line to all of us."

During the tournament, golfers, volunteers and spectators will also be able to contribute to the cause by stuffing care packages in a tent near the third green. USO care packages typically contain items like shampoo, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, wet wipes, playing cards, non-perishable snacks, drinks and a personal message of support.

“Tiger Woods’ recognition of troops’ service and sacrifice is important, and we are proud to help the AT&T National bring morale-boosting activities to local service members, and more essential support to those stationed overseas," said Sloan Gibson, USO president.

If you are interested in sponsoring a care package ($25), you can do so at uso.org.

(Photo: DVids)

Tiger Woods: Michael Jackson was greatest entertainer ever

Tiger Woods was born in California and lives in Florida, but he decided to hold his PGA Tour tournament — this week’s AT&T National — in Washington, D.C. At the tournament press conference, he was asked about the PGA Tour’s new groove-rule change, the local hubbub over his pro-am partner, Dallas QB Tony Romo, and his missed putts at the U.S. Open at Bethpage. Normal questions for Woods the professional golfer.

But whether you're turning on the radio or walking down the street, you can't escape news of Michael Jackson’s death this week. And so it was Tuesday as Woods talked about Jackson’s death and his impact as an entertainer.

A reporter asked, “Tiger, few people have ever achieved worldwide recognition to the extent of you. Michael Jackson, I probably would put in that category. Were you a Michael Jackson fan and any thoughts on his passing so young?”

Woods responded the same way most 33-year-olds who grew up in the United States would. Because before he was a multimillionaire, a champion and a worldwide celebrity, he was just another kid in suburban Los Angeles who watched MTV.

“I think everyone here was a Michael Jackson fan. One of, probably if not the greatest entertainer that's ever lived,” Woods said. “I think -- I know my entire generation was influenced by his music, and you know, just the entertainer and just the songs, we listened to them -- whatever. It was always happy. You always wanted to listen to his songs.

Jimmy Fallon schools Tiger Woods in Times Square video game showdown

It wasn't exactly the Beatles on top of the Apple building, but Tiger Woods slowed double-decker tourist buses, clogged sidewalks and had giddy New Yorkers stepping out into city traffic to snap cell-phone pictures when he played three holes of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 against Late Show host Jimmy Fallon Thursday morning in Times Square.

The showdown, a promotional stunt to hype the newly released video game, will appear on the Late Show tonight, which will also feature Woods as a guest. Tiger won't be excited to see it all over again. Dressed in his Sunday best (red shirt, black pants, etc.) Woods was literally beaten at his own game by Fallon.

The pair played the 10th, 11th and 14th holes at Bethpage, causing Tiger to remark early on that he didn't have high hopes since he hadn't played the course very well last weekend. Fallon started with bogey, but he had an excuse. A group of shocked tourists on the open upper level of a passing double-decker recognized Woods and began shouting during Fallon's backswing. With Woods looking at a par putt, all seemed bleak for the TV host until Tiger uncharacteristically four-jacked, handing the hole to Fallon.

As Woods was lining up his putt on the next hole, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt, who hosted along with Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman, asked, "The putting's a lot harder this year isn't it?" To which Woods quipped, "On the game or in real life?" As Tiger went on to three-putt, Van Pelt went all Johnny Miller on him, saying, "Dude, you suck." Earlier, Woods had given it to Van Pelt about coining the term "flopadopolis" in a recent Titleist commercial. "That's weak," Tiger pronounced.

Tiger's suffering didn't last long, as Fallon put his first shot on the par-three 14th on the front fringe, then drained an 83-footer for birdie. Tiger conceded the hole, answered a few questions from Van Pelt, thanked the crowd and then disappeared into a nearby building.

Photo: Evan Agostini/AP

Flyover videos of Bethpage Black from Tiger's new video game | Tiger Tracker

Tiger's niece, Cheyenne Woods, ready for LPGA debut

While we'll have to wait a few years for the pro debuts of Sam and Charlie Woods, another Woods will be making her first professional start this week at the Wegmans LPGA. Tiger's 18-year-old niece, Cheyenne, a freshman at Wake Forest, received a sponsor's exemption and will tee it up with a field that includes Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.

In an interview with The Buffalo News, Woods said she doesn't feel any pressure being Tiger's neice.

"There is the expectation of 'Woods,'" the 18-year-old said. "I've grown up with it. I'm used to having the title and seeing the headlines read 'Tiger Woods' niece.' But I also want to make a name for myself."

It explains why her teammates don't hear the soft-spoken freshman even whisper the name of her uncle, even though her facial features, fist pump and golf swing all scream Tiger Woods.

Cheyenne is the daughter of Earl Woods Jr., who is the son of Tiger's father from a previous marriage. She decided on a career in golf after seeing her uncle win the Masters by 12 strokes in 1997. While Cheyenne didn't have as stellar an amateur career as Tiger, she was chosen the 2007 Arizona High School Golfer of the Year by the Arizona Republic, and at Wake Forest she qualified for every tournament as a freshman.

Tiger Woods needs to close big gap Sunday at U.S. Open

FARMINGDALE, N.Y.—It looks like this will not be Tiger Woods’s Open. But at least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

“I've 36 more holes over the next, probably, three days,” Woods said after completing his second round Saturday afternoon. “You never know.”

Woods joked about the unfavorable weather forecast, but one reason he isn’t on the leaderboard is the weather. He caught the unlucky half of the draw this week. The players who had early tee times Thursday have seen the worst of the weather, and as of late Saturday afternoon, only one of those players was among the top 15—Steve Stricker, who shot a second-round 66.

Woods had another not-so-great finish in round 2. After four straight pars, he bogeyed his final hole, the par-4 ninth.  He posted 69 Saturday to get to 143, three over par. He started the third round Saturday evening and parred his first hole, the 10th, before play was suspended. 

“Unfortunately, my score doesn’t reflect how I’ve been playing,” he said. “If I keep plugging along, just like any U.S. Open, with a birdie here and there, we’ll see where I end up.”

The good news is, he made the cut. He still has time to make up ground. The bad news is, he's 11 shots behind leader Ricky Barnes. More good news: He was only five strokes out of seventh place. He’d be in a much better position if not for his blow-up finish in the opening round -- he finished double-bogey, bogey, par, bogey.

“Yesterday was the day that did it,” Woods said. “Especially on my half of the draw. I had to finish at even or one over at the worst because I think one under was the best on my side of the draw. That would have been a really good score. Instead, I ended up at four over par and that was about the mean for the day on my side, which is not what it takes to win a U.S. Open. You have to do better than that.”

Woods feels he is continuing to play fairly well, but he has struggled with the speed of the greens, which have been inconsistent due to the moisture. He played his final nine Saturday in intermittent light rain. 

“The greens are so bumpy and so slow, and they’re getting slower and slower,” Woods said.  “The frustrating thing is, you have to hit the putts so hard. It’s hard to make yourself hit the putts hard enough considering this is a U.S. Open. Generally, the greens are pretty quick. You don’t want to run the ball past the hole, trust me. It’s a little tough coming back. The putts I hit well aren’t going in. The putts I hit poorly aren’t even coming close.”

The stats back him up. Tiger hit 14 greens in the second round and 10 of 14 fairways. That’s not bad. He has only seven birdies in two days, but the real problem is bogeys and  "others." He made three bogeys in each of the first two rounds and two double bogeys in the first round.  

“The only thing you have to worry about out here is spinning the ball back too much,” Woods said, discussing the softness of the rain-dampened greens. “Even the 5-irons and 6-irons are ripping back. That’s different from most U.S. Opens.”