In case you hadn’t heard, Tiger Woods won for the first time in more than two years at the Chevron World Challenge on Sunday, besting 17 other players with a birdie-birdie finish that was vintage Tiger. The celebration left many of us wondering if Tiger forgot he was at Sherwood Country Club and not Augusta National, but he reportedly sent several bottles of champagne to the media center after his win, and we can all appreciate that.

Certainly the Chevron was a vital stop on Tiger’s road to redemption—he looked confident on the course, was able to shape shots, putted well and even had the stinger going. So what was the key to Tiger’s W? Maybe it was changing his putter grip. Maybe he finally got enough reps in. Or, maybe it was mashed potatoes.

This isn’t the first time the "Mashed Potato Guy" has struck Tiger. Mashed Potato Guy made himself known at the Australian Open, as well as last year’s PGA Championship. Does Mashed Potato Guy inspire Tiger? Probably not, but we're sure he will take mashed potatoes over hot dogs any day of the week.

Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open trophy detained in China
While Tiger Woods added another piece of hardware to his collection, Rory McIlroy lost his trophy room’s star attraction. According to Bernie McGuire of Reuters, McIlroy intended to showcase his U.S. Open trophy at his final six events of the season. ISM, Rory’s former management company, shipped the trophy to Lake Maclaren Golf Club for the Shanghai Masters, but no one picked it up, McGuire reports. McIlroy’s new representation, Horizon Sports, is now trying to track down the young star’s prized possession.

“ISM shipped the trophy out in its special protective box to Shanghai and the Lake Maclaren Shanghai Masters but there was no one present at the course to receive it so it was taken back to the shipping agents depot,” said Horizon Sports Conor Ridge.

“So I then got in contact with IMG in order we could at least have the trophy on hand for the following week’s HSBC Champions event because they wanted to put the trophy on display at Sheshan as they’ve done in the past.”

In a weird twist, Chinese custom officials now have the U.S. Open trophy in their possession, but they're holding it hostage.

“I was informed that China customs said they were now not releasing the trophy, and they still won’t give it to us.”

“We’ve now got the USGA involved while IMG are working on the case and our guys at Horizon are also working with IMG trying to get the trophy released from customs.”

“We’ve tried to send someone to Shanghai so they can be handed the trophy in person but they’re just not releasing it.”

McIlroy had hinted something was amiss when asked if the U.S. Open trophy was in his possession during his stop at Hainan Island for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

“Well, not exactly!” was all he said.

Tiger Tweets
How big a deal was Tiger's win at the Chevron? Consider this: "Tiger Woods," "he's back," and "fist pump" were all trending on Twitter in the wake of his victory. And it wasn't just golf fans weighing in on the occasion...

The USGA has announced several rule changes for 2012, including the controversial penalty for a ball moving at address on a putting green because of a gust of wind. The new Rules of Golf will also be published by both the USGA and the R&A in one volume for the first time. Here's the complete release:

Far Hills, N.J. (Oct. 24) - The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R&A today announced the publication of the new Rules of Golf for 2012-15.

Changes in the Rules – which for the first time have been designed, published and presented jointly by golf’s governing bodies – include exonerating a player from penalty if it is known their ball was moved by the wind after address.

Following an exhaustive, four-year review of golf’s 34 playing Rules, nine principal Rules have been amended to improve clarity and ensure penalties are proportionate. Significant changes include:

* Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). A new exception is added which exonerates the player from penalty if their ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that they did not cause the ball to move. For example, if it is a gust of wind that moves the ball after it has been addressed, there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.

* Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions (Rule 13-4). Exception 2 to this Rule is amended to permit a player to smooth sand or soil in a hazard at any time, including before playing from that hazard, provided it is for the sole purpose of caring for the course and Rule 13-2 (improving lie, area of intended stance or swing or line of play) is not breached.

* Time of Starting (Rule 6-3a). The rule is amended to provide that the penalty for starting late, but within five minutes of the starting time, is reduced from disqualification to loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play. Previously this penalty reduction could be introduced as a condition of competition.

Commenting on the revisions to the Rules of Golf supported by Rolex, R&A Director of Rules and Equipment Standards David Rickman said: “The key point is that the Rules of Golf will remain fundamentally the same. We have undergone a pretty extensive review although what has come out of that has been relatively modest.

“The Rules of Golf are constantly evolving and our hope is that what we have produced for 2012 is clear, informed by common sense and reflective of the demands of the modern game.”

USGA Senior Director of Rules of Golf Thomas Pagel said: “We have produced a unified code of the Rules of Golf for 60 years and although the context has been the same, we often found the perception that there were different Rules in place depending upon where you were to play the game.

“Now the book will not only have the same content, but it will also be presented in a uniform fashion with similar formatting and covers; this will truly be a single code governing the Rules of the game that reflects the strong collaboration between The R&A and USGA.”

The most significant change (Rule 18-12b) will see an end to situations like the one witnessed during the final round of this year’s Open Championship when Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was penalized when his ball was moved on the seventh green by the wind after he had addressed it.

Padraig Harrington, three-time Major winner and R&A-Working for Golf Ambassador, said: “I am delighted with the changes, in particular the ball moving after address. Every time the wind blows I am worried that my ball is going to move and I am worried about grounding my putter, distracting me from trying to hole my putt.

“This change will speed up play, there won’t be as many suspensions and players won’t be getting penalized or disqualified unfairly. It is definitely giving us players a little bit of a break.”

There has been a unified code of golf since 1952 but until now The R&A and the USGA have published the same rules in separate editions, thereby giving the impression to some that the rules were different. However, this year sees identical publications with only some spellings and respective logos changing depending whether the edition serves the U.S. and Mexico or the rest of the world.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer welcomed the announcement of a jointly published edition of the Rules. He said: “What has happened with The R&A and the USGA is wonderful. In the years I have been associated with the game and got to know The R&A and what their efforts are and having lived with the USGA all my life, one of the things I have always thought we should be closer together.”

 

The USGA and PGA of America's Tee It Forward program begins at courses around the country on July 5. The program encourages players to play from a more forward set of tees so they can shoot lower scores, play faster and have more fun. The Tee It Foward recommendations are that if you drive the ball 275 yards, you should play courses from 6,700 yards to 6,900 yard long. If you drive it 250 yards, then you should play from 6,200 yards to 6,400 yards and if you drive it 200 yards you should play from 5,200-5,400 yards. What do you think of the program?

CHARLIE HANGER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, GOLF.COM: I like it. Any organized initiative that will help speed up play can’t be a bad thing. How many times have you marched to that back tee with your foursome out of sheer macho grandstanding, knowing full well that no one in the group, yourself included, should really be back there? Let’s admit it – most golf courses are already too damn hard for us, and we don’t need to work to make them any harder.

MIKE WALKER, SENIOR EDITOR, GOLF MAGAZINE: I don't like playing tees that put long par 4s out of reach either, but this program rubs me the wrong way. It comes across condescending, like the snooty private club member looking down his nose at the muni guy in cargo shots. People understand that playing from shorter tees would be easier, but they're choosing to challenge themselves. Do they think we're idiots?

HANGER: That’s a valid point, but I think that’s a harsh interpretation. They’re not saying you can never play the back tees, or that you don’t know what you’re doing. All they’re suggesting is that you try it for a couple of weeks. If you have more fun and speed up play at your home course, you might stick with it. If it doesn’t work, no harm done. I do think the idea has some intriguing angles. Making holes shorter has the obvious benefit of leaving players with shorter irons into greens -- an 8-iron is easier to get on the green than a 5-iron or hybrid. But shorter holes would also be liberating because you wouldn’t always have to hit driver. Maybe you love your 5-iron but spray your driver. Now you can get to 5-iron distance with a hybrid or 3-wood.

WALKER: OK, maybe the folks at the USGA and the PGA of America don't mean to be insulting, but look at the distances involved. According to the PGA Tour's ShotLink, the average driving distance for a 5-15 handicapper is 217 yards and Tee It Forward recommends playing a course at about 5,700 yards for that driving distance. C'mon, with today's equipment, that's not golf, it's pitch and putt.

HANGER: Averages can be misleading, and handicap seems beside the point. A 5-handicapper might hit driver 200 yards and play in yesterday’s divots, and a 15-handicapper might drive it 275 and skull every iron shot. These guys probably aren’t playing the same tees now, and they’d probably both benefit from moving up a tee box.

WALKER: We won't agree on the tees so let's get to the larger issue. Is this going to help grow the game? Or to put a finer point on it: are fewer people playing golf because it's too hard?

HANGER: I don’t think it will help grow the game, but this idea, and other creative ways to speed up play, might help keep golfers from quitting. I don’t think anyone’s going to start playing golf because everyone’s moving up a tee, but some frustrated golfers might stick around if pace improves and scores come down.

WALKER: OK, OK. I'll play you from 5,200 yards and pretend I'm Dustin Johnson. I still want 3 stokes a side though.

HANGER: At that distance, it might slow me down -- I'd have to wait for the greens to clear on par 4s before I could hit the driver!

After a season that featured many high-profile and controversial disqualifications for rules violations, the USGA has adjusted its rules so that a player who commits a violation would not be disqualified if the "player is not aware he has breached a Rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered prior to returning his score card."

The complete release is below. At least two of the examples cited in the press release seem directly related to recent disqualifications due to violations caught on video. The third highlighted area below, in which the "competitor moves his ball on the putting green with his finger in the act of removing his ball-marker," is the same situation that got Padraig Harrington disqualified in Abu Dhabi in January. Under the new rules, Harrington would have been penalized but not disqualified.

In the second-to-last situation highlighted below - "As a player's ball is in motion, he moves several loose impediments in the area in which the ball will likely come to rest." - describes the situation that led to the disqualification of Camilo Villegas at Kapalua in January. In that example, the player would still have been disqualified because the violation was due to his ignorance of the rule.

Here is the complete press release:

The R&A and USGA Revise Decision Regarding Disqualification for Incorrect Score Card

Far  Hills, N.J. (April 7) -- The R&A and the USGA have announced a new interpretation of the rules that apply in limited circumstances not previously contemplated by the Rules of Golf where disqualifications have been caused by score card errors identified as the result of recent advances in video technologies.

This revision to Decision 33-7/4.5 addresses the situation where a player is not aware he has breached a Rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered prior to returning his score card. Under this revised decision and at the discretion of the Committee, the player still receives the penalty associated with the breach of the underlying Rule, but is not disqualified.

In revising the decision, The R&A and the USGA confirm that the disqualification penalty still applies for score card breaches that arise from ignorance of the Rules of Golf. As such, this decision reinforces that it is still the responsibility of the player to know the Rules, while recognizing that there may be some rare situations where it is reasonable that a player is unaware of the factual circumstances of a breach.

This revision to Decision 33-7/4.5 is effective immediately.

"For some time we have been concerned that, in certain limited circumstances, disproportionate disqualification penalties have been required by the Rules," said Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R&A.  "This carefully considered decision reflects our desire to ensure that the Rules of Golf remain fair and relevant in the changing environment in which the game is played today."  

"This is a logical and important step in our re-evaluation of the impact of high-definition video on the game," said Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA. "We collectively believe that this revised decision addresses many video-related issues never contemplated by the Rules of Golf."

The complete language of the revised decision follows. 

33-7/4.5 Competitor Unaware of Penalty Returns Wrong Score; Whether Waiving or Modifying Disqualification Penalty Justified

Q. A competitor returns his score card. It later transpires that the score for one hole is lower than actually taken due to his failure to include a penalty stroke(s) which he did not know he had incurred. The error is discovered before the competition has closed.

Would the Committee be justified, under Rule 33-7, in waiving or modifying the penalty of disqualification prescribed in Rule 6-6d?

A. Generally, the disqualification prescribed by Rule 6-6d must not be waived or modified.

However, if the Committee is satisfied that the competitor could not reasonably have known or discovered the facts resulting in his breach of the Rules, it would be justified under Rule 33-7 in waiving the disqualification penalty prescribed by Rule 6-6d.  The penalty stroke(s) associated with the breach would, however, be applied to the hole where the breach occurred.

For example, in the following scenarios, the Committee would be justified in waiving the disqualification penalty:

A player makes a short chip from the greenside rough. At the time, he and his fellow-competitors have no reason to suspect that the player has double-hit his ball in breach of Rule 14-4.  After the competitor has signed and returned his score card, a close-up, super-slow-motion video replay reveals that the competitor struck his ball twice during the course of the stroke.  In these circumstances, it would be appropriate for the Committee to waive the disqualification penalty and apply the one-stroke penalty under Rule 14-4 to the player's score at the hole in question.

After a competitor has signed and returned his score card, it becomes known, through the use of a high-definition video replay, that the player unknowingly touched a few grains of sand with his club at the top of his backswing on a wall of the bunker.  The touching of the sand was so light that, at the time, it was reasonable for the player to have been unaware that he had breached Rule 13-4.  It would be appropriate for the Committee to waive the disqualification penalty and apply the two-stroke penalty to the player's score at the hole in question.

A competitor moves his ball on the putting green with his finger in the act of removing his ball-marker. The competitor sees the ball move slightly forward but is certain that it has returned to the original spot, and he plays the ball as it lies. After the competitor signs and returns his score card, video footage is brought to the attention of the Committee that reveals that the ball did not precisely return to its original spot. When questioned by the Committee, the competitor cites the fact that the position of the logo on the ball appeared to be in exactly the same position as it was when he replaced the ball and this was the reason for him believing that the ball returned to the original spot. As it was reasonable in these circumstances for the player to have no doubt that the ball had returned to the original spot, and because the player could not himself have reasonably discovered otherwise prior to signing and returning his score card, it would be appropriate for the Committee to waive  the disqualification penalty. The two-stroke penalty under Rule 20-3a for playing from a wrong place would, however, be applied to the player's score at the hole in question.  

A Committee would not be justified under Rule 33-7 in waiving or modifying the disqualification penalty prescribed in Rule 6-6d if the player's failure to include the penalty stroke(s) was a result of either ignorance of the Rules or of facts that the player could have reasonably discovered prior to signing and returning his score card.

For example, in the following scenarios, the Committee would not be justified in waiving or modifying the disqualification penalty:

As a player's ball is in motion, he moves several loose impediments in the area in which the ball will likely come to rest.  Unaware that this action is a breach of Rule 23-1, the player fails to include the two-stroke penalty in his score for the hole.  As the player was aware of the facts that resulted in his breaching the Rules, he should be disqualified under Rule 6-6d for failing to include the two-stroke penalty under Rule 23-1.

A player's ball lies in a water hazard.  In making his backswing for the stroke, the player is aware that his club touched a branch in the hazard.  Not realizing at the time that the branch was detached, the player did not include the two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 13-4 in his score for the hole.  As the player could have reasonably determined the status of the branch prior to signing and returning his score card, the player should be disqualified under Rule 6-6d for failing to include the two-stroke penalty under Rule 13-4.  (Revised)  

USGA chief business officer Pete Bevacqua has resigned from his post, according to a Golf Channel report.

Bevacqua's resignation follows the ascension of Mike Davis to USGA executive director last month. Former executive director David Fay announced his own resignation last December.

Bevacqua was 35 when he was named chief business officer for the USGA in July 2007 after serving the organization as in-house corporate counsel and managing director of the U.S. Open Championships. As chief business officer, he oversaw revenue-producing activities for the USGA, including marketing deals with American Express and Lexus.

The USGA is the governing body for golf in the United States and Mexico and holds 13 national tournaments, including the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Senior Open.

In a year when Tiger's lost his marriage, his coach and a whole bunch of endorsement dollars, you'd think he'd be keen to keep one his most successful relationships in tact. However, as Hank Gola of The Daily News reports, Tiger openly hinted in a post-round interview on Sunday that advice from his long-time caddie Steve Williams actually hurt his chances of winning a fourth U.S. Open. 

In regard to his wayward approach shot on the tenth hole, a mere 125-yard approach that missed the green and landed in a nasty patch of cliffside fescue, Woods said:  

"Stevie said take dead aim right at it, and in my heart I said 'no'. There was no chance, I have a sand wedge in my hand, and I can't play at that flag. You land the ball on the green, it will go past the flags."

And then on his mistake on the tough par-3 12th hole:  

"I hit the wrong club on 12," he added. "My instincts were telling me to hit a 5, play it to the right, just draw it in there, and we thought 4 would be better, hold it up against the wind and I made just an awful swing."

The bottom line: Tiger has obviously acquired the same tendency that many great players have had over the years -- blaming anything and anyone but himself. 

Former Open champ MIchael Campbell breaches etiquette while missing cut

Five years after winning the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Michael Campbell's game, and ability to conduct himself like a pro, have evidently deserted him. According to TVNZ, Campbell, who missed the cut by 12 strokes, played his ball up the fairway on the 18th hole while playing partner Paul Goydos went back to hit a second tee shot. Then Campbell, who shot 19 over par for two rounds at Pebble Beach, proceeded to putt out before his playing partners reached the green. Campbell has now missed the cut in four of the five past U.S. Opens. 

Goydos chalked up Campbell's behavior to the "bogey train" he was riding, but still disappointing behavior from a former Open champ. 

McDowell thinks competing in British Open will be "cool" 

Newly minted U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell is fired up and ready to make a run at a second major championship at St. Andrews next month. In a report on Yahoo, McDowell, who tied for 11th at St. Andrews in 2005, said, 

“It’s a golf course I know really well. It’s all about course knowledge and local knowledge. To go there as U.S. Open champion and with an opportunity to win another major is going to be cool. There’s no doubt I’ll take an amazing amount of confidence from this week, to know I have the ability to get one of these across the line … the peace of mind to feel as calm and as confident as I did coming down the stretch.”

The bottom line: McDowell's win at Pebble was well-deserved, but even par won't get it done at St. Andrews.

Tiger Woods took a verbal shot from the gallery on Friday at Pebble Beach, but on Sunday the insult came from above.

Similar to the planes that flew over Augusta National in April with sarcastic messages for Woods, a plane flew over Pebble Beach Golf Links  on Sunday with the banner: "Tiger: Are You My Daddy?" Ryan Ballenenge of the Waggle Room blog saw the plane as Woods played the third hole, where he had hit a terrible drive to the left on the downhill par 4.

As Woods was hitting his recovery out of deep grass with a very audible grunt, a plane passed over the third hole with a message for Tiger. It asked, "Tiger: Are You My Daddy?"

Woods shot 75 on Sunday to finish T4 at the U.S. Open, and he did not acknowledge the plane in his post-round comments. However, Friday's heckler and Sunday's plane were exceptions. The Pebble galleries were very supportive of Woods throughout all four of his rounds.

Ryan Moore calls USGA's course setup "torture"

With his slacker style and skateboard shoes, Ryan Moore looks like he thinks poa annua is a particularly strong strain of marijuana, but he had some cutting comments for the USGA after finishing T33 at the 2010 U.S. Open, according to The Boston Globe's Michael Whitmer. 

“I just like a golf course that’s set up in a way that rewards good golf shots. I don’t understand why you’d have a tournament that doesn’t reward good golf shots,’’ Moore said. “If you can’t even hit a shot that can stay on the green, where’s the skill involved?

“Half the greens are green, the other half are brown, so honestly it’s a matter of which patch you land it on. You can get a 25-foot bounce or your ball might bounce 5 feet and then spin back because it landed in a soft patch. That’s luck as far as I’m concerned, it has nothing to do with skill or landing it in the right spot.’’

Moore wasn't alone in his criticism. Phil Mickelson, who praised the USGA's course setup all week, was more circumspect in his post-round comments Sunday, according to James Raia of The Monterey Country Herald.

Mickelson was at a loss to explain the final round's high scores.

"I'm not really sure," said Mickelson, whose second-round 66 equaled the tournament's low round. "I kind of know, but I would rather not get into it. It just doesn't sound good. I mean, it was just tough. It was a tough day on the golf course."

NBC needed Vincent Price, not Johnny Miller, for Dustin Johnson horror show

USA Today's Michael McCarthy gives credit to NBC for not looking away during Dustin Johnson's painful front-nine breakdown on Sunday. (Personally, I covered my eyes more times than I did during Saw 6.)

NBC's lead analyst Johnny Miller was merciless, but spot-on, as usual. He called it a "colossal collapse" by Johnson, who'd captured the last two PGA Tour events at Pebble Beach. "I don't even think his brain is working at the moment. He's just shell-shocked," said Miller as the long-hitting Johnson sprayed balls into the Pacific Ocean, lost one shot in the woods and nearly whiffed on another.

Stray Shots

Some things we noticed while camped out at Red's Donuts in Monterey waiting for Phil Mickelson to show up.

The Onion wins headline of the tournament (again) with, Phil Mickelson Reluctantly Uses Golf Club Kids Made for Father's Day Present.

The BBC talked to Graeme McDowell's family and friends who watched his win from the clubhouse at Northern Ireland golf club.

Robert R. Hoopes Jr. of The Huffington Post sees the future of journalism at the U.S. Open media center as reporters tweeted, videoed, photographed and blogged their way through all four rounds. Golf writers have been called a lot of things, but that's a new one.

Yes, European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie watched Graeme McDowell's win and he was impressed. (Via SportingLife.com)

Tweet of the Week. The award goes to The Kansas City Star's Jason Whitlock for this 140-character gem: What was worse, Game 7 of NBA Finals or Final Round of US Open? If David Stern were commish of PGA Tour, Tiger would b named MVP of US Open.

Photo Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Vijay Singh accepted a special exemption to the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf links, according to the United States Golf Association.

Singh, a three-time major winner and former No. 1 player in the world, has struggled with back injuries the last two years and has fallen out of the world top 50, which means he would have had to qualify for a spot in the tournament. The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking get automatic spots in the U.S. Open field.

“There were many compelling reasons for us to invite Vijay Singh into the field of this year’s U.S. Open, particularly his three wins in Majors in the last 12 years,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., chairman of the USGA’s championship committee. “He has played through injuries, which caused him to drop, quite quickly this year, in the World Rankings. He’s always been competitive at the U.S. Open and he is healthy and playing well again.”

The special exemption means that Singh can continue his streak of playing in 63 consecutive majors--the longest active run in the game. Singh was hoping for this special exemption and previously told Golfweek that he was not sure if he would play in a U.S. Open qualifier.

“I’m finally back to good health and really looking forward to competing at Pebble Beach,” Singh said in a statement. “It’s a fantastic event at a legendary venue. I appreciate the invitation from the USGA and can’t wait to tee it up.”

Singh has competed in 16 U.S. Open Championships, including the last 15 consecutively. His best finish was a tie for third in 1999, and he has finished in the top 10 on seven occasions. In 2003 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, he tied a pair of U.S. Open scoring records with a second-round 63 that included a 29 on the second nine. In his last start in the U.S. Open in 2009, he tied for 27th. His first start at the U.S. Open came in 1993 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., and that was the only time he failed to make the cut in his U.S. Open appearances. The USGA also offered a special exemption for the 2010 U.S. Open to Tom Watson, who won the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Related: Complete U.S. Open preview

By now everyone who follows golf knows about Brian Davis' self-called penalty in the sudden death playoff at Harbour Town this past Sunday that led to Jim Furyk's 15th career win on the PGA Tour. If you weren't paying attention, Davis landed his approach shot on the beach adjacent to Harbor Town's 18th hole and inadvertently moved a loose impediment while hitting his recovery shot.

He immediately called over a rules official and fessed up, earning himself a two-stroke penalty for the infraction and blowing his chances at a career-first win. Davis's classy call elicited a huge response from golf fans who are understandably raw after many months of Tiger-related drama. Here are some examples of emails and letters sent to Davis since the tourney, forwarded to Golf.com by Srixon:

I am a 38-year-old single father of a 15-year-old son and have just starting playing golf three weeks ago. I wanted to write you and let you know that I was watching my second golf tournament (the Verizon Heritage) today with my son and your performance in sudden death compelled me to write you. I have never seen such honor and sportsmanship from any player in any sport. It was wonderful to be able to have my son see how a true man and sportsman acts during competition when most of what the media shows us is other more well known golfers acting poorly. I have become a very huge fan and will not only be following you and your future endeavors but am going to be supporting your sponsors exclusively.  Thanks again for the motivation you have given me to continue to play golf and also the opportunity to educate my son on how to display honor and sportsmanship.  

Congratulations on your outstanding performance at the Verizon Heritage tournament this weekend. We are dreadfully sorry you did not  win, especially under the circumstances, but want you to know how much we admire and respect you for your honesty. You are a giant, Brian, a great role model and you should stand tall and be very proud of  yourself. Well done! You are truly the champion of the day and we sincerely hope that you know that is how you are seen. In the words of the great Sir Edmund Hillary: "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." Today, Brian, you conquered in spectacular fashion!  Kudos to you!!!

My husband and I were watching golf today like we do on most Sunday afternoons. Before we started our family four years ago, we loved to play golf together. While watching, I'm not much for just sitting there, I'm usually doing chores around the house or playing with our two children. I'll be honest, I hadn't seen much of you before on television, I'm sure only because I wasn't playing close attention. I know that golfers pride themselves on honesty, but what I saw today with you calling that penalty on yourself was probably one of the greatest examples of integrity that I have EVER seen! We will never know but probably nobody would have even noticed that infraction and you could have won that tournament. You are truly a wonderful role model and I will mention you to my children when I am looking for modern day people who have been courageous.

Great stuff.

Monty's dropping dough on Ryder Cup track
According to The Associated Press, European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has spent close to $750,000 getting the Celtic Manor course set up to his specs.

The alterations, unveiled to the European golfing media on Monday, have been implemented despite the fact that the Celtic Manor course was built and opened for play for $8 million just two years ago.

Montgomerie has had many of the course bunkers deepened, had the rough made consistently thicker than its had been for the Wales Open on the European Tour in 2008 and 2009, and has insisted the greens be firmer and less receptive to spin.

Is Monty trying to stack the deck like a baseball team making subtle changes to their home park before the World Series. Not so, says Celtic Manor's director of golf courses Jim McKenzie.

"All along, Colin has insisted that he was not interested in gaining a home advantage," McKenzie said. "If Europe do regain the Ryder Cup he wants it to be because they have played the better golf and not because the course has been tricked up.

Tiger's return equals ratings and $$$
Along with all the salacious details of Tiger's off-course transgressions, there's been plenty of talk regarding his effect on the business of the game. Would his absence cost the Tour, TV networks, and sponsors untold millions, and would his return net a windfall? It seems the USGA believes the latter as it looks to take advantage of Tiger's return to Pebble Beach at the US Open, according to The Improper web site.

The U.S. Golf Association, which runs the tournament, plans to shift more of the match play to later in the day, so it can be televised during prime time, when advertising rates are much higher. The USGA made the move official today (Apr. 19) when it released the TV times for the Open. The all-important third round on NBC is scheduled to end at 11 p.m. Eastern. Coverage of the final round is scheduled to end at 9 p.m. Eastern.

In all, the USGA is planning to air 30 hours of live TV coverage, nearly twice the airtime for the Masters.

So what's prompted this schedule shift? Could be the huge numbers generated by the Tiger and Phil show at Augusta, which was one of the most-watched Masters of all time.

Phil Mickelson's masterful play combined with Woods return sent the final round on CBS to a 12.0 overnight rating and 25 share, up 36 percent from last year's 8.8/2.

That made it the third most watched tournament since 1986, when records were first kept.

The only Masters to rate higher was Woods' 1997 debut in the tournament and ultimate victory. It pulled a 15.8/32 rating.

Woods' second Masters title in 2001, when he became the first player to hold all four professional majors at once, drew a 12.9/27, making it the third highest in the ratings.

If Tiger doesn't come back for the Masters, do you think he comes back at all this year? I'd say that's the litmus test. — Chad M. Hayes, via Twitter

I think the U.S. Open is really the key point in the schedule. If Tiger doesn't play Pebble I won't expect to see him until 2011. The Masters feels way too soon for him to come back, but he has more than two months between Augusta and Pebble to get his game—and life—back in order. If Tiger is up for it, Pebble could kick off a triumphant comeback summer. But given how shaky he looked during his monologue, I wouldn't count on anything at this point.

"Is there any chance Mike Weir will win again?" — Kim G.

No.

"I don't recall Tim Finchem apologizing for much, if anything, during his tenure. That said, we are now not even two months into the new season and he has had to apologize twice for poor communication issues (grooves and Tiger speech). Just wondering if you think he is losing a step, getting bad advice, or just admitting he is normal and makes mistakes like everyone else." — Mike

It has been fascinating to watch the Commish's winter of discontent. To your list of screwups, you can also add the poorly handled Jim Thorpe suspension. I give Finchem credit for taking ownership of these mistakes, but he definitely needs to step up his game, and soon. When Tiger Woods was known only as the most dominant athlete in sports, serving as PGA Tour commissioner was like being the proverbial Maytag repairman, only with a much more bloated salary. But right now the Tour is foundering and Finchem needs not only to lead but also to soothe and inspire. We'll see if he's up to the job.

[Regarding the L.A. Open], why does Roger Maltbie have to pump Steve Stricker with his typical tear-eliciting questions all the time? Is this what people want to see, Stricker crying again? Is this what interviewing has come to?" — Randy

In Maltbie's defense, Stricker bawls after every victory, regardless of who is doing the interviewing. Even though it's predictable, I secretly enjoy seeing the emotion pour out of Stricker because it shows how much he cares.

"Why does the USGA require someone to be a member of a club in order to get an official handicap? It seems antiquated and even a bit discriminatory. If they want to get people more interested in the game, they need to make it more accessible. I, for one, think they should set up an online handicap system for USGA members. They'll get lots of interest, they could supplement it with advertising from manufacturers, and it would be more 'open'. Thoughts?" —Nathan W.

Having handicaps pegged to a club is done to encourage oversight, so people aren't posting scores in a vacuum. But the club doesn't have to be Augusta National. It doesn't even have an actual golf course. I'm a member of the Northern California Golf Association's "eclub," which, allows me to post scores at home, if I so desire. It's around $50 bucks a year for membership and comes with lots of goodies, like discounted greens fees and special members-only outings (but, sadly, no Members Only jackets). Just about every state or regional golf association offers similar services. Check it out.

"Which streak will go longer: Phil not winning or Phil not cutting his hair? I'm not sure which one he needs more." —Emmett

Seriously, look at how much a haircut has helped Camilo Villegas. Phil has been probed on this topic before and his response was basically this: Amy likes my hair long so I don't care what the rest of you think. We all know a happy wife is a happy life, so I guess we'll let Phil slide on this one. But if he starts looking like Charley Hoffman, I might have to go rogue and step in with a pair of scissors.

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