Doug Barron’s Suspension Ends, Reinstated to Tour

From the “dog continues to chase its’ own ass” files….

AFTER serving a 1-yr suspension, the PGA Tour has granted Doug Barron a “therapeutic use” exemption to continue using the drug (testosterone) that they suspended him for in the first place a year ago. My question: Why couldn’t they have shown the same degree of understanding and compassion a few weeks after the positive test last November?

Conclusion: The PGA Tour made their statement to the International Olympic Committee, and Doug Barron is once again free to join the ranks of relative unknown professional golfers.

STORY

My Take: Ryder Cup Friday Fourball Pairings Hit and Misses

In approximately 7 hours, while most Americans are fast asleep in their beds, the 2010 Ryder Cup will officially commence. By the time they leave for work Friday morning, the morning fourball session will have been concluded and the first 4 points of the competition will have been accounted for. Let the second-guessing begin…(all times are BMT, 5 hours ahead of EST)

1st match, 7:45 a.m. – Phil Mickelson/Dustin Johnson vs Lee Westwood/Martin Kaymer: Captain Pavin wasted little time flexing team USA’s muscles by pairing the squad’s longest hitters together and giving them the opportunity to strike first in the event. I can’t argue the pairing or the order of battle, as it’s imperative that team USA strikes hard early. The tandem of DJ and Lefty appears to be a risky move, but it’s a risk that Pavin needed to take. I predict that the match goes 17 holes, with the US putting their first point of the competition on the board.

2nd match, 8:00 a.m. – Stewart Cink/Matt Kuchar vs Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy: I think Team Europe prevails in this match, and surprisingly, I think it will be McDowell leading the charge. I would be surprised to see this one go beyond 16 holes. The Cink/Kuchar pairing does absolutely nothing for me. Hopefully I’m wrong and Corey has guessed right.

3rd match, 8:15 a.m. – Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker vs Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher: You had to know that Pavin was going to pair Stricker and Tiger together. No surprises there, it’s a solid pairing that has a good history, both guys play well together. This could be the most important match in the morning session for team USA, and I think that both Woods and Stricker know this. As a result I think they get it done and put our 2nd point on the board. I would be shocked to see this go all 18 holes, although Poulter always seems to get up for this event. But I think Stricker and Woods come out ahead.

4th match, 8:30 a.m. – Bubba Watson/Jeff Overton vs Luke Donald/Padraig Harrinton: I don’t like this pairing for team USA. Both players are rookies, both players have a tendency to play anxiously, and I don’t expect them to climb out of a deep hole if they get into one early on in the match. I think putting a player like Hunter Mahan with either of these two players would’ve been a more reasonable choice. But unfortunately I see the Europeans squaring the morning session with this final match.

My prediction is that the morning session will be halved, 2 points each. And all things considered, that’s not a bad start for team USA. Hopefully it materializes.

Monty Takes Mulligan: European Players Allowed to Tweet

Ian Poulter can rest easy now. Monty has reversed his decision and is now allowing his players to use Twitter as long as they respect the privacy of the team room and the privacy of the team in general.

Sounds reasonable to me. Not that this should be an issue, mind you. I suspect that Pavin will respond in kind, or else Stewart Cink might defect and give up our most sensitive battle plan intell!

TWEETING ALLOWED

Ryder Cup Preview: Scouting Celtic Manor

The 2010 Ryder Cup will be played at the “Twenty Ten” course at the Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales, UK. This is the first time the country has ever hosted a Ryder Cup event, and it also marks the first time in the history of the event that a course was designed exclusively for Ryder Cup competition, hence the name of the course – Twenty Ten.

Measuring 7,493 yards with a par value of 71, The Twenty Ten course will play distinctively different than that of most typical European Ryder Cup host venues. The outward nine holes have a noticeable links-style flow, while the inward nine will have the look and feel of a more “Americanized” parkland style, with plenty of ponds and lakes in play.

For hole-by-hole descriptions and an animated flyover of each hole of the Twenty Ten course, click HERE.

Captain Monty suggested earlier in the season that the weather for this year’s event would most likely be an issue. It appears that he was correct, as rain and cool temps are to be expected for much of the upcoming week. What impact it might have on the event itself obviously remains to be seen, but the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake last Sunday might prove to be a good primer for what lies ahead at Celtic Manor this week, albeit 20+ degrees cooler.

Monty and Pavin Issue Tweeting Ban During Ryder Cup

The things that former Ryder Cup captains like Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin never had to put up with… back then, phones still had cords on them and a majority of mail still required postage stamps. Of course, compared to today, those were primitive times.

We’ve come a long way since then. Two decades ago, a shopper looking for an iPad would’ve most likely begun their search in the feminine hygiene aisle. And Blackberries were near the bananas in the produce department. But along came a fellow by the name of Bill Gates, and the world as we knew it would change seemingly overnight….

Two of professional golf’s more esteemed tweeting stalwarts, Stewart Cink and Ian Poulter, will certainly be impacted by the rule. Cink recently tweeted on his twitter account, “We’re finally off to Wales!! Won’t be tweeting until we get back. I guess I’ll have to pass the down time actually reading or something.” Poulter hasn’t said anything about the issue on his Twitter account, which leads me to believe that either (a)he’s not acknowledging it, or (b)he’s putting on his game face and will completely comply with the request from Captain Monty. As someone who follows both of these guys on Twitter myself, I can attest that they’re easily the two most active tweeters in pro golf, and it will be unusual to log in and see no comments from either of them over the weekend.

The esteemed 2008 Ryder Cup captain and noted Twitter newbie, Paul Azinger, tweeted Sunday on the decision to ban social networking sites from the players starting Friday as well. “U.S team will be better off without distraction and comments on twitter. If forced, bad idea. If it’s a consensus, good idea. Press will ask.” But, of course, Azinger will fill the tweeting void while they’re offline, as he has made it a point to say that he will be tweeting his perspective of things throughout the event. As someone who follows Zinger as well on Twitter, I can’t wait to get his tweets on things this weekend.

We live in a different time and place, it seems, and I’ve certainly become a party to it….

NO TWEETS ALLOWED

Thank God for Jim Furyk: Tour Championship Roundup

Courtesy of Getty Images, PGATOUR.COM

Poetic Justice… That’s what I call it anyway. How else could you figure that the guy who took his pro-am DQ on the chin a few weeks back would be the same guy who would capture the moment of the season by winning it all Sunday afternoon? Fitting. Only fitting.

Jim Furyk doesn’t have impressive length off the tee, and he’s not hitting 4 irons on 230yd par3’s. He doesn’t have a stylish swing with a fancy club twirl at the end, and his Ichabod Crane physique doesn’t exactly command the respect as that of a Camillo Villegas. But he does have something going for him that a lot of other players on tour do not: He is the consummate grinder, and when the conditions get the toughest, he’s the ultimate mudder.

It was a pleasure watching Furyk manage his game and the conditions Sunday afternoon, in what had to be one of the greatest tournament performances of his career when you consider what was at stake. As the skies opened up and the rains soaked anything and everything, Jim Furyk did what Jim Furyk does best: He grinds. He finds a way to turn a potential double bogey into a bogey, and a bogey into a par. And in closely contested tournaments, in the most tense of tournament conditions, that has a way of covering a multitude of sins. Furyk didn’t play flawless golf this past week, but he played flawless when he needed to. That was essentially the difference.

Jim’s impressive victory this past weekend accomplished two significant things. Number one – it should have locked up the tour’s POTY honors. In a season that was essentially void of the world’s top 2 players for the most part and begging for someone to stand up and represent – no one brought more to the tour this season than Jim Furyk. The other significant thing: He most likely bought the current format of the FedEx Cup system another season or two without undergoing another major tweakage. Had Luke Donald won the $10 million prize without winning the tournament Sunday, and without having won a single tournament on tour the entire season – I think it would’ve forced the tour to reevaluate the “volatility” part of the system that they have obviously overcooked. Furyk’s clutch play, in due part, played a role in that not happening, and might’ve saved a peculiar ending from happening to what has otherwise been a rather exciting playoff season. And one final thought to consider: Does Furyk’s bunker shot on the final hole at East Lake qualify for the most impressive shot of the year? I think the argument could certainly be made. Given the situation and the circumstances, it gets my vote.

The Latest Winner of the Not-So Prestigious WTF Award

Just learned that Sunday’s tee times at the Tour Championship at East Lake have been moved up to avoid bad weather moving in later tomorrow afternoon in Atlanta. So, you ask… what does this mean?

Answer: It means that the hoopla and hype that Finchem and Company have stirred all season long, all of that drama and excitement that goes along with watching the season-ending finale of seeing someone win the $10 million jackpot, will be TAPE DELAYED. That’s right, folks… after the tour does the Chinese calculus at the end to determine who the hell wins the FedEx Cup Points Race, the lucky player who wins the event tomorrow will already have that cardboard check on the plane and heading back home by the time the coverage begins tomorrow afternoon on NBC.

And for that, I present Tim Finchem and Company at the PGA Tour with the not-so coveted WTF award.

Timmy, this one’s for you, pal.

Camilo Villegas to Pose Nude for Magazine

I was going to say something very critical about this, but then I asked myself this question. Would I have a problem with Natalie Gulbis doing something of this nature??? My answer, of course, is absolutely, positively NO. I would not have an issue with her doing that. Matter of fact, the only issue I would have is the issue of the magazine that she would appear in.

To each his own. Or in this case, her own. Or his own, if that’s your preference…..

NY TIMES ARTICLE – CAMILO VILLEGAS TO POSE NUDE

Furyk Takes Lead, Eyes Tour Championship Lottery

The trademark stare of Jim Furyk has one eye closed and the other eye fixated on the ball heading to his intended target. Sunday could reveal two potential targets for Furyk, with the first and foremost being his third win of the season, which could give him the points needed to walk away with the $10 million FedEx Cup prize, and a potential shoe-in for PGA Tour Player of the Year honors.

But it won’t be easy. Furyk needs a little help to win the cup money. And here’s how it pans out for him. For starters, obviously he has to win tomorrow. Then he needs Matt Kuchar to finish in a four-way tie for fourth or worse, which might end up happening. The Georgia Tech grad has struggled this week at the friendly confines of East Lake, and goes into the final round tomorrow 12 shots off the lead, currently tied for 23rd place. After that, he needs Dustin Johnson to finish tied for 4th or worse, of which looks more than likely to happen. DJ is having a dismal showing this week in the Tour Championship finale, unable to break par in each of his first three rounds. He’s +7 for the event, tied for 27th.

But here’s where things start to get a little uncertain, where the ebb and flow of the final round really becomes the pressure cooker. Charley Hoffman’s round of 1-under 69 on Saturday moved him to 3-under for the event, 5 shots back of the lead. He goes into tomorrow’s round in solo 7th place. Furyk needs Hoffman to finish tied for 3rd place or worse. If Hoffman puts together a nice round Sunday, then obviously that makes things that much more iffy for Furyk.

Then Furyk also has to concern himself with Steve Stricker. Strick had his troubles in the opening round, but has battled back with 2-under par rounds on Friday and Saturday to get back to even par for the event. He’s currently 8 shots back of Furyk, but still tied for 12th overall. If Strick can somehow manage a round of 5 or 6 under par on Sunday, Furyk’s shot at $10 million dwindles considerably. If Stricker finishes in a 3-way tie for second or worse, Furyk clears the Stricker hurdle.

At that point there’s only one guy left standing to deal with – the guy who would love to take advantage of Monty’s Ryder Cup snubbage with a cool $10 million to spend over the next couple of weeks while on vacation – Paul Casey. Furyk needs Casey to finish in a tie for 2nd or worse, but Casey’s not entirely out of this himself. He’s 4 shots back of the lead heading into tomorrow’s final round, and it’s not out of the question that Casey comes away with the money, even if he doesn’t put a great Sunday round together and win. Get this – if Furyk wins the tour championship at East Lake, and Paul Casey finishes solo-second, and Charley Hoffman finishes solo third – Paul Casey wins the $10 million. How’s that for a tricked up finish?

Wow, I tell ya… this is confusing. But that’s for another discussion. If you’re really interested in reading all about the different scenarios and how it could all play out tomorrow, click HERE.

Just take my word for it  – while we might not know what exactly needs to happen tomorrow for someone in particular to win the FedEx Cup, trust that a handful of those guys who are still eyeing the prize do. Hoffman, Casey, Stricker, and Furyk will somehow each play a part in who wins. And it’s worth noting that Luke Donald isn’t out of the picture either, not by a long shot… nor is Retief Goosen.

My own observations: Finchem and company might think that their tweaking has created quite the scenario for an exciting finish of the PGA Tour season, and maybe it has. But it sure as hell hasn’t been easy to cover or explain. I might add that for me personally – give me 36 holes of matchplay… two players, the two best players from the field of 70 onward. Matchplay format at the BMW, and again at East Lake. They could do this. They could work this out. We don’t see enough matchplay on tour, and I couldn’t think of a better time for it to play out. Keep all of the confusing formulas and scenarios out of it, just work it to where you have two guys competing for the money. Tomorrow I will be so wrapped up in trying to figure out how in the hell the story is gonna end, that I’m not going to be able to fully enjoy watching the plot unfold.

Someone’s gonna say, “watching Ben Crane play Martin Laird for $10 million just ain’t gonna reel in the ratings.” Well, oh well…. Where’s Tiger this week? He’s not here. How about Mickelson? He’s here, but doesn’t have a chance in hell. He’s not gonna get much coverage on Sunday. The two top players in the world and they’re non-factors. What’s the difference? Give us something we can at least appreciate as fans of the game, not fans of one or two players. Well, that’s my take anyway.

SATURDAY ACTION AT EAST LAKE, PGATOUR.COM RECAP

Jim Furyk, Luke Donald tied at Tour Championship – Tours & News – Golf.com

Jim Furyk, Luke Donald tied at Tour Championship – Tours & News – Golf.com.

Lots of stuff happening through 2 rounds.

The tour execs wanted volatility, and by golly they’ve found it. Of course, they’ll need RainMan on air on Sunday to figure it all out, but there will be some volatility!