From the Fringe

2013 Crystal Golf Ball!

Cathy Erickson — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:11:00 GMT

It's a Tuesday and we still don't know the winner of the first PGA Tour event of the year. The wind and rain in Hawaii has delayed golf since Friday, but this shortened 54-hole event should conclude today. As of right now Dustin Johnson holds a 3-shot lead over Steve Stricker going into the last 18-holes. Hmmm, Sam Johnson's favorite player and my favorite player going head to head...this could get interesting! I just read that Stricker is in a lot of pain in his left leg, so this hilly course isn't exactly what the Dr. ordered, but hopefully he can hang in there (GO STEVE!!).

Many of the big names opt to skip Hawaii, and even some of the Hyundai field will pass on the Sony Open starting Thursday, but fans should be delighted to see DJ, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Kyle Stanley, and Keegan Bradley on the list of tee times starting in 2 days. Browsing the field, I was also happy to see Erik Compton, Brendon deJonge, and 2013 rookie and Minnesotan Donald Constable.

But before I get too far off topic (and maybe this is just my attempt at avoidance), I must get to what I said I'd do, make my 2013 predictions. My 2012 results were marginal at best and I went 0 for everything on the big events (again). But when has that ever stopped me?

As is my tradition, I will address the Majors first. My love affair with the Masters is still as strong as ever, but it is with great sadness that I have decided to set aside my dream that Steve Stricker will win a green jacket. I was all set to lock him in until I read about his decision to severely limit is play in 2013 (only 10 events) and the very recent discovery that he is having some pain issues with his left side. And then there's that little part of me that thinks that if I DON'T pick him he'll win! So if it can't be my favorite player, then I'm putting in Sam Johnson's favorite player Dustin Johnson as the winner of the Masters.

The US Open is all about patience and dealing with bad that you know will come at some point. I'm going out of my usual list of favorites and picking Justin Rose. He's got a great game and can fly under the radar...sort of like what Webb Simpson did last year.

The Open Championship will be a Muirfield this year. Ernie Els will be defending where he won in 2002, and we don't have much history for current players at this track. If we see again what we saw at the end of 2012, I think the winner will be Rory McIlory.

I'm a sucker for the PGA Championship, and Rory's win there was nothing short of spectacular. In 2013, Oak Hill will be hosting the event and I've got this feeling that Jason Dufner might just get what eluded him in 2011.

The Players Championship was a joy for me last year. Seeing Matt Kuchar beat arguably the best field in golf made me grin from ear to ear, just like him. But in 2013 I think we're going to see Luke Donald dig deep and take this win.

What? No Tiger you say? I know, I know. But I do think Tiger will have a successful 2013 season. He will contend in 3 of the 4 majors and be in the top 5 in 2. Woods will also win 2 times and be one of the 5 guys controlling his own destiny at the FedEx Cup finals.

Phil Mickelson will have a similar season to 2012, I think he will win early (Phoenix Open?!), contend in a few majors, and will then win again, possibly at a WGC event.

I don't have Matt Kuchar winning a Major this year, but he will win in 2013 and again be in the top 10 in FedEx Cup points at the end of the season.

Bubba Watson hasn't disappointed me in 2 years, so let's make the 3^rd time a charm! Watson will have 2 wins this season, at least 7 top 10's and will be another one that will have a chance to win the FedEx Cup.

2012 FedEx Cup winner Brandt Snedeker will play some consistent golf and will have a putting hot streak to get him 1 win this season.

Brendon deJonge WILL get a Tour win in 2013!!

Hunter Mahan, who seemed on and off last year, will have a solid season and will post 8 Top 10's and 1 win. Adam Scott will win somewhere in the southeast and also post 8 top 10's. Newly "Nike'd" up Nick Watney will prove he's worth the investment with a win and a Top 10 finish in the FedEx Cup. Will Webb Simpson go winless? I think he will, but he'll have at least 3 top 3 finishes and be in contention all season long. Bo Van Pelt will be in the winner's circle at least once and will post double digit Top 25's again this year.

Erik Compton found himself back at Q-school again this fall and after earning his way back to the Tour for 2013, I think he's ready to dig in and play some good golf. I predict he will improve his missed cuts stats from '12 and only miss 5, an improvement of 4 from last season. He will also improve his Top 25 stat to 5.

If you follow my Q-school updates, you know I'm really excited that Minnesotan Donald Constable (a lefty!!) was able to successfully navigate the 2012 Q-school maze and make it to the Tour. I'm not sure how many events he'll get in, but he's at the Sony this week and I'm going out on a limb to say he'll make the cut here! I think he'll be a surprise at the PGA and he will retain his card for 2014.

Ah, Rory McIlory...it's hard for me not to like him, and if Stricker fades into less play, he's got potential to be my favorite player. He's earned every bit of his accolades and I don't see his #1 player status going away any time soon. Besides the Major I already predicted, I think McIlory will win 3 more times around the world (including the PGA Tour events) and will be your FedEx Cup champion.

But I will end with my favorite heart pick of all time, Steve Stricker. While broken hearted at his limited schedule announcement, I think he's going to make the most of his 10 events in 2013. He will make every cut and make a run at the Shell Houston Open...there will be 3 top 10's in his future, and always a place in my heart.

There you have it!! I went a little out of my "favorites zone" and hopefully I'll have a little better luck in the Majors. I'm excited for a new PGA Tour golf season and hopefully another fun Kerplookee Fantasy golf season! No news yet on when that will start up, but it really is a great multiple format site with some great folks playing and managing it. I'll update here when I know things are going to start up.

Happy Golf Season!!

What goals really need...

Cathy Erickson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:27:00 GMT

Happy New Year friends…and happy 2013 golf season! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a new year full of great golf! I faintly remember writing a “resolution” post about this time last year so I looked it up and read it.

A year ago I appeared to be motivated, but as I look back at 2012, I hit more than my share of stumbling blocks…I am one of the 85% who generally failed. But not completely! And that’s what gives me hope once again as we start the 2013 journey. What I wrote a year ago makes sense, and the experts that know about goal making and being successful at it give us wise guidance. Small attainable goals, write your goals down, don’t give up, and find support – all good stuff!

But something was missing…something that I believe can be the difference between success and starting over…passion. Now I realize that much of what we need to do to get through life won’t include passion…life can be challenging, frustrating, and at times painful. But if I had to go back and rethink my 2012, I think I forgot to let passion into the conversation…without it, everything seems, well, harder.

One of the first things I read about the 2013 PGA Tour season was that Steve Stricker was that he was dramatically limiting his play for 2013 (only 10 events!), meaning he won’t be a full fledged Tour member. He has qualified for all of the Majors and the WGC events and will play a few more events as well.

As I’m sure you can imagine, my immediate response was being heartbroken. My favorite PGA Tour player is only going to be in only around 10 fields? Did he not think about calling me first?!! This was NOT the news I wanted to read as I started 2013. But as I read a little more about the reasons and motivations behind his limited schedule, it was hard to stay mad. Stricker, 45, in an interview with Alex Miceli at Golfweek, said that he wanted to spend more time with his family, spend more time working on a new foundation, and spend less time traveling.

It’s hard to argue wanting to spend more time with people you love, and I applaud Steve using his talents and connections to make more opportunities for young people in golf. If I had to guess, he’s getting the chance to follow his passion. Stricker was quick to note that he’s not “quitting” just adjusting to do some things he’d like to do. He’ll be in Hawaii this week to defend at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, but then will take a hiatus until February. So while I’m sad that I won’t be rooting for Steve all season long on the golf course, I really appreciated being reminded about passion. And if I can embed my passion into whatever goals rise to the surface for me I know I’m already ahead of the game.

And since I have a passion for my predictions (despite my record!), here’s my first…Steve Stricker – repeat champion this week!!

I hope you all not only know your passion but let it lead you.

(Watch for my 2013 predictions next week!)

Predictions 2012 - How did I do?

Cathy Erickson — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 04:17:00 GMT

Happy Holidays! While I'm waiting for the first winter storm of the season to hit Minnesota tonight, I started thinking about how much I miss golf. Even though I hit golf balls on Thanksgiving day when it was 57 degrees, golf isn't the same after the pins are pulled and the greens covered for the winter.

I'm also mourning the loss of Q-school as the last dreamers competed for a chance to play on the PGA Tour this past week. From this year on, dreamers will only be playing for a chance to get a card on the Web.com Tour. I'm excited for Minnesotan Donald Constable who did get is card and will be in the big show next season.

But before we get to 2013 (which I am excited for!), I need to check back in on my predictions for 2012 that I wrote back in January. As you know, this can be a very humbling review...sometimes my heart can't stop me from dreaming about some magical finishes! Let's see how I did...

The Majors: It wouldn't be my predictions list if I didn't start out with the Masters. I thought long and hard about the next green jacket winner, and well, my heart won again. I'm sticking with Steve Stricker again this year! I know, I know, there are several players that have games better suited for Augusta, but I just can't let this dream die!

Well, letting my heart take this one wasn't my best move, Stricker finished T47 (but at least he made the cut!). A 2^nd round 77 put him back in the pack, but when the weather was challenging he moved within 5 strokes of the lead on Saturday....but as often happens with Stricker at Augusta, he rode the birdie bogey roller coaster and just couldn't make a move. But it was a great tournament and Bubba Watson donned a green jacket that Sunday.

The US Open will be played at the Olympic Club in 2012 and it seems like the right stage for Phil Mickelson to get this Major.

Hmmm, another bad call on my part...Mickelson made the cut, but finished T65. This was a tournament that almost felt like... who doesn't want to win...Webb Simpson came in under the radar, and the leaders just couldn't finish. Webb's 68 (-2) was enough to win by 1 stroke.

The British will be at St. Anne's and I'm thinking this is where Lee Westwood gets his first Major win.

If you read PGA news, you probably know Lee Westwood is still Major-less, so I'm 0-3 on predictions so far. Westwood made the cut, but finished T45. But another emotional Major for fans to watch...I know my heart ached for Adam Scott but at the same time was so happy for Ernie Els, who never gave up even though he seemed to be playing for 2^nd place. Great golf again.

The PGA Championship might be where we see Tiger Woods add another Major to his win list...this gives him plenty of time to get his game back into top notch shape.

It's official - I'm 0-4 in Majors, but at least Tiger had a T11 that made it somewhat respectable. (Stricker had a T7!) This was lesson in golf from the world #1 player Rory McIlory. Winning by 8 strokes (with a 2^nd round 75) might have seemed boring for the golf fan, but I loved watching every hole on that Sunday. I'm a huge fan (and I'm sorry I didn't pick him to win a major!)

Luke Donald will win the Players Championship along with 2 other tournaments.

In this case, I couldn't be happier that I was wrong about this prediction when Matt Kuchar took the Players Championship trophy in May. Donald did finish in solo 6^th, with a nice 66 in the final round. Donald didn't quite perform like I thought he would in 2012 - he did have 1 win and 8 top 10's in 18 events, but I guess I was just expecting more.

Rory McIlroy will win 2 times, will be in the top 10 in all Majors but will not win one.

Sorry, Rory, for my doubt about the Majors! Although, besides the PGA win, his major record in the other 3 events was miserable - T40, CUT, T60. But something clicked in August and he reminded us why he should be the #1 player in the world with 3 more wins after the PGA.

Webb Simpson will have another fantastic year and will win 2 tournaments and will have the most top 10s in the season.

Besides the terrific win at the US Open, Simpson's year would probably be described as Ho-hum...he did have 7 top Ten's but that didn't match McIlry and Bo Van Pelt who both had 10.

Bubba Watson will win again in 2012 and will earn more than $4 million in official winnings.

FINALLY! Our 2012 Masters Champion did only have 1 win, but with 2 second place finishes as well, he was able to earn over $4.6 million - THANK YOU AGAIN Bubba for giving me at least 1 correct prediction (so far!)

Matt Kuchar will win in 2012 and will be in the Top 10 on the money list.

Matt's win at the Players brought tears to my eyes. Such a great win for one of my favorite players. Mr. Consistency had a solid year, winning over $3.9 million, but DANG IT, he finished 11^th on the Money List. Here's hoping 2013 might bring a Major!

Stricker and Mickelson will also have 2 win seasons. Besides a Major, Tiger will also win at least 1 other time.

Stricker and Mickelson were only able to pull out 1 win in 2012, but Tiger takes 3 wins in 2012 so he helps my average just a bit!

Erik Compton, who made his way to the PGA Tour via the Nationwide Tour, will have a consistent year on Tour, posting at least 5 top 10 finishes and will earn more than $1.2 million.

Compton struggled in 2012, making 16 of 26 cuts and only 1 top 25 finish. He had to head back to Q-school at the beginning of the month, and I'm excited to report we'll be seeing him again on Tour in 2013! Here's hoping for a great year.

Sam's favorite, Dustin Johnson, will have a solid year, with a win and at least 3 top 5 finishes.

YES!! Thank you DJ! Johnson got his one win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and had 3 other top 5 finishes this year.

Bill Haas will have a good year, with a win and another run at the FedEx Cup money list. But with his commitment to the Tour in '12, Lee Westwood will win the FedEx Cup.

I'll take the credit for the 1 win prediction, but other than that, Haas just had a marginal year. My Westwood prediction for the FedEx Cup, was just, well, awful...51^st.

Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan will win, and Keegan Bradley will only find runner up status in 2012.

YES! Fowler and Mahan both had wins (Mahan had 2), but Keegan did pull out a win at the WGC Bridgeston.

I'd love to see Stricker win right out of the gate at the Hyundai, but if not Stricker we might see KJ Choi win it.

SAY WHAT??!! OH YES - who wins the Hyundai? STEVE STRICKER! That made this whole generally painful review totally worth it. THANK YOU STEVE!

I'll be back in a few weeks with my thoughts and dreams for 2013.

PS...if you don't play Fantasy Golf...you should!! I had another super fun year over at Kerplookee and will probably play Yahoo again in '13. Join in on the fun!

Welcome to the 2013 PGA Tour!!

Cathy Erickson — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Well, it's the day after the FINAL Q-school process as we know it, and while I failed to keep up to date here (sorry about that!), I did try to follow along when I had a chance (darn work has kept me busy!). Is it okay if I just get to the giddy parts right now?

As you know, I'm a fan follower of all Minnesota Q-school participants - there have been some moderate successes, but since I've been following Q-school, no Minnesota golfer has made it into the Top 25 to earn their card...that's not to say no Minnesota golfer has ever made it (think Tom Lehman!), but we've had dry spell for awhile. Last year, Clayton Rask was looking poised to make a move after successfully passing through the first 2 stages, but the best he could do was get some status on the Nationwide (not Web.com) tour. But in what feels like a little golf gift to me, a Minnesotan has broken through and will have a PGA Tour card in 2013.

Let me introduce you to Donald Constable - a former Golden Gopher (and Texas Longhorn) golfer, Constable was the Minnesota Boys State Champion in both 2005 and 2006 according to his bio on the Texas Longhorns site.

Constable had to start at the Pre-qualifying stage and then through stages 1 & 2 (where many golfers get to start, being exempted through the other stages). At Pre-Qualifying, Constable finished at T-11, with the top 37 and ties advancing to the first stage, despite a final round 77. The Class Club course in Palm Desert, California, was where Constable ended up for Stage 1 qualifying. With only the top 19 and ties advancing, Constable shot 4 rounds under par (70-67-68-70), with only 5 bogeys and 1 double in 72 holes, to take end place and move on to Stage 2.

November 14-17, 2012, at Southern Hills Plantation, was where Constable competed in Stage 2. At this point in the journey, many current PGA Tour players along with other successful golfers have been exempted to this stage of the completion, and getting into the top 19 and ties is just that much more difficult. A few of the notable players in the field included Robert Karlsson, Arjun Atwal, Patrick Sheehan, and former major winner Lee Janzen.

Struggling out of the gate with a +1 (73) compared to the field, Constable found himself in the bottom half of the leader board. His 2^nd round 70 (-2) moved him up the standings when the course dealt out several over par rounds. His low round of the weekend came on Saturday with a 4-under par 68 that put him tied for 25^th, but only one shot out of where 24 players were at T19 or better.

As he had done in his previous 3 rounds, Constable played the front nine under par with a -3 (33). But the back nine had been more challenging with two +2 38's in his first 2 rounds and an even par 36 in the third. After pars on the first 4 holes on the back side, Constable carded a bogey on the 507 yard par-4 14^th to drop back to -2 for the day. But he followed up the bogey with 2 birdies on 15 and 16, with the 16^th hole being the 2^nd toughest hole on the course. A par came on the par-3 17^th and he headed to the 18^th, which he had birdied, parred, and bogeyed in each of the first 3 rounds, at -4 for the day. A bogey on the par-4 18^th gave him a 3-under 69 for the final round and a total score of 280 (-8) for the week.

As only the 4^th group out starting on the front for the day, a group that included 2007 Q-school medalist Frank Lickliter III, Constable would have to wait for the final 8 groups on each side of the course to finish to find out if his -8 was good enough to earn a PGA Tour Card. Six players that had been within top 19 and ties after 3 rounds moved outside of the mark, and 3 players, including Constable, Daniel Chopra, and Niklas Lemke from Sweden, were able to move up into the coveted 19^th place or better, with Constable finishing right on the cut line with a T19 finish.

With a great finish, and the help of a few players not finishing as strong, Constable found himself heading to LaQuinta, California, home of the PGA West courses that would be hosting the 6-round final stage of Q-school, with the first round starting on Wednesday, November 28.

Some have called the final stage of Q-school the toughest test in golf. I might argue that just getting to the final stage for some might be the bigger test. Constable has endured 3 rounds at Prequalifying and 4 rounds each at the 1^st and 2^nd stages, advancing to the final stage on the cut number, and now is about to face the challenge of trying to get into the top 25 in a field of over 160 players. (Note: I don't have access to the hole by hole scores of Donald via http://www.pgatour.com/ - his profile page does not exist, darn it!, so I can only go by round by round final scores from here)

With an opening round of -5 (67), Constable found himself inside the top 10 after the first round. You can't win Q-school after one round, but going low early can help in case of struggles in the next 5 days of golf. A solid -2 (70) in day two was respectable, but with so many players shooting in the 60's in the 2^nd round, a 70 moved him back in the pack a bit. Round 3 was another fine 67, and according to press releases by http://www.mngolf.org/, Constable found himself tied for 14^th after the 3 days.

The 4^th round was another round under par at -1 (71), but put him at T93 for scores for the day. Thanks to his great play for the first 3 rounds, the 71 only moved him down 6 spots for a tie for 20^th after 4 rounds and inside the qualifying line for PGA Tour Cards.

Constable carded another 71 (-1) in the 5^th round, and for the first time in the tournament he found himself 1 shot out of the top 25 and ties. At T30, Constable was grouped with 8 other players one shot back and there were 7 more players just 2 shots back. Another 15 players were within 4 shots of the score that was the current top 25 and ties.

Monday's final round would result in 6 players falling out of the top 25 and ties and 5 players who were on the outside looking in after the 5^th round now holding 2013 PGA Tour Cards. Losing their opportunity to get cards were Edward Loar who was T3 after 5 rounds and dropped to T32 after a 78 that included a double and a bogey in the last 2 holes. Nicholas Thompson also dropped to T32 after starting the final round in a tie for 15^th. Vaughn Taylor and Tom Pernice Jr. who both looked solid all week started the final round T17, but Taylor finished T43, and Pernice ended up at T87 with a final round 79 which included 3 doubles, 2 bogeys and only a single birdie. In Pernice's first 5 rounds he only had 6 bogeys and 1 double compared to 19 birdies. Finally, Heath Slocum, started the final round on the qualifying number but ended up at T32, 2 shots from qualifying.

Those that made their move into the Top 25 and ties included Si Woo Kim, a 17 year old from South Korea who will not be able to use his Tour card until he turns 18. He will have to rely on sponsor exemptions or Monday qualifiers to compete on Tour until June 28. Bobby Gates, Henrik Norlander, and Patrick Reed all shot a final round 67 (-5) to land in the Top 25 and ties on the number. Gates was a current Tour player who had a rough fall, missing 6 cuts, and Norlander and Reed are both Augusta State golfers who won a National Championship.

And FINALLY, once again qualifying right on the number (as he did in the 2^nd stage) was Donald Constable. He also finished his final round here with a -3 (69) just as he did in the final round of the 2^nd stage.

Here is what was from AP writer Doug Ferguson's report on the final round:

The list also includes Donald Constable of Minnesota, who had to go through a pre-qualifier and then three more stages of Q-school to reach the PGA Tour. Constable sweated it out to the very end. Needing a par on the 18th hole of the Stadium Course, he hit his tee shot into an area of thin sand in a bunker, found the far end of the green and lagged a 45-foot to within 5 feet of the cup. Facing the most meaningful putt of his life, he poured it right in the middle.

How would he have felt next year if that putt only meant a spot on the Web.com Tour?

"It's hard to say," Constable said. "Obviously, this is something you're working toward your whole life. It makes it tougher, knowing it's right there and you're so close and one shot can make a difference. It would probably be easier if you were only playing for the Web.com Tour."

Constable is a throwback in other ways. He finished his college eligibility at Minnesota a year ago, but stayed an amateur an additional year so he could complete his degree. He graduated in the spring with a degree in sociology.

Similar to one of my favorite players, Matt Kuchar, Constable decided to finish his degree before moving into the professional golf world, and they also share the title of being the champion of the Terra Cotta Invitational.

I can't wait to follow his journey on the PGA Tour next year and I am going to be rooting for him every week he tees it up.

I know this got a little long (I do then when I'm excited about a story!), but I can't leave Q-school without also giving a shout out to Erik Compton, who shot 6 sub par rounds of 67-70-68-71-67-67 to finish in a tie for 7^th. While not having the most standout year with his first year on Tour in 2012, I'm hopeful that we'll see some continued great play from Compton in 2013.

This was a fraction of the journeys and stories that could have been told about the journey through Q-school...over 1,000 guys found themselves on at least a part of the Q-school journey this year...whether it was climbing out of the trenches at the pre-qualifying stage, or being forced to play for their livelihood in the final stage after not making the Top 125 on the PGA Tour this fall. All of the stories will include sacrifice, stress, the highs of success, and anything from a bump in the road to a ball in the water on the final hole to rip the card right out of their hands.

Today, Donald Constable was the story I wanted to tell, because we Minnesotans root for each other! But it won't take too much digging to find more great stories from Q-school.

I don't care what anyone says, changing Q-school was a mistake. Q-school is the story of dreamers...the stories I love. Congratulations to all of the 2013 PGA Tour Card winners...see you on TV!

The Last Q-School for PGA Tour Dreamers

Cathy Erickson — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:12:00 GMT

It's Q-School Time!! I know, I know, this isn't usually a hot topic in the golf world, but I can't help it, I'm a fan! But this year brings with it some sadness. Q-School, as we currently know it, will end after the final stage in California in December. The PGA Tour voted to change the route to the PGA Tour, eliminating the Q-school process starting in 2013.

There'll still be a Q-school, but instead of joining the big Tour, guys will find themselves members of the Web.com tour (formally the Nationwide Tour). It should also be noted, the whole PGA Tour schedule will change starting in 2013 - the Fall Series that follows the Tour Championship will now be the beginning of the 2013-14 PGA Tour year and those events will be a part of the FedEx Cup points totals. There will be a three tournament event on the Web.com Tour that will determine which 50 players will get PGA Tour cards for the next year.

The push for this change was based on the argument that players on the Web.com tour are more prepared for life on the PGA Tour and should have more success than those that might complete the Q-school journey, some playing satellite tours or coming directly from running golf courses. The new format basically requires guys to get to the Web.com Tour first before becoming a member of the PGA Tour. I guess that makes sense, but somehow it just doesn't seem fair. I love that there are countless stories out there of dreamers who sacrifice and battle to endure the Q-School process for their chance to play with the best in the world. I'll miss that.

But this year has just begun so rather than wallowing in the future changes, let's celebrate all those that have once again committed to the Q-school journey. As has been my tradition, I will share the stories of the guys from Minnesota on this quest. And I hope you go out and find players from your neck of the woods and root them on, too.

As of the time I am writing this, six of the 14 first stage sites have been completed and 8 more are in progress. Approximately 20 guys will advance from each site to stage two, which will have six sites starting on November 13. Please check out this post to get the low down on how the stages work and who qualifies where.

I found 4 Minnesota guys on the listings from the 6 completed sites. Jon Sauer withdrew and Travis Ross wasn't able to advance with a T38 finish at his location. But Minnesotan Clayton Rask, who has been playing on the web.com tour and the Canadian Tour had a very nice 2^nd place finish at the Dayton, NV site. He posted rounds of 71-71-67-68 (-11). Out in Palm Desert, CA, Donald Constable from Excelsior, MN also had a 2^nd place finish and will advance to one of the November sites posting rounds of 70-67-68-70, with a bogey free last round.

Constable was a new name for me so it was off to Google! The Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) had some great info on this 2011 Minnesota State Amateur Champ and 2011 MGA player of the year. He was a University of Minnesota Gopher golfer and his eligibility ended in 2011. He has played an amateur this past spring and summer and according to an article in April, Constable plans to turn Pro this fall. Constable won the Terra Cotta Invitational back in April, a tournament also won by one of my favorites, Matt Kuchar. There was also a Q-school warm up tournament through the National Golf Association (NGA) Q-school Prep series that Constable finished 3^rd in September. He looks like a guy to watch in Stage 2.

Corey Blenkush from Maple Grove, MN, has completed 1 round in his stage 1 event in Texas and will need to dig deep to get out of last place. Tyler Ekenberg, calling Apple Valley, MN, home is currently at T42 after one round in Pensacola, FL, and is only 3 strokes back of the current top 19 and ties. Two more Minnesota players getting ready to start today are Justin Smith, playing in South Carolina, and Jeff Sorensen competing in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Well, that's all I have to report for now...don't worry, I'll update Q-school progress and keep you posted on what you need to know. We'll also be seeing some new names as we get into the 2^nd and Final stages since some players qualified to skip the beginning stages. Over 1,000 dreamers started in stage 1 in the hopes that they can be one of the top 25 at the end of the final stage. I can't wait to see the stories.

GO MINNESOTA!!

Sam Johnson, if you're reading this, there are two 2^nd Stage sites in Texas this year - McKinney and Humble...with this being the last year of Q-school as we know it, you need to go!!

Thank You Dream Team!!

Cathy Erickson — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 01:17:00 GMT

We all find ourselves out on the golf course for different reasons and with different people depending on the day. Today, I had the great fortune to play golf with four awesome women at an event to honor our friend Steve Anderson who passed away a few months ago. It all came about at the last minute for me. A few days ago one of my favorite golf pals, Deb, sent me a note saying they were short one person for the event and wondered if I could play. My work life has been a little nutty lately and I just wasn't sure if I could commit to taking part of the day off, but I told her I'd see how my day went, and if I got a lot accomplished I would make it work. By the end of Wednesday I thought I could swing it so I said yes...I knew it was just what I needed after several weeks of feeling overwhelmed.

When I walked out of my office building I found perfect golf conditions - blue skies, just a hint of breeze and probably 75 degrees. As I walked to my car I looked up to the sky and thanked God and Steve for making such a wonderful day. I arrived at the Nemadji Golf Course to a packed parking lot and people everywhere. I wasn't sure where my team was, but I figured if I walked towards the mass of people I'd find a friendly face or two. It didn't take long to hear my name and see the friendly waves of my teammates. Deb, Judy and I have played in some scrambles before but this was the first time I've gotten to play with Pat and Carol. It had been several years since I had played this course, but luckily the other gals new the layout and where the best angles were to to at the greens. And since Deb is a master at reading greens I knew we would be just fine.

The event had a scramble division and a Pro-Am best ball and we were in the scramble. I knew we had a good chance of making some birdies, but you know scrambles, it all about dropping putts and sometimes getting lucky, and sometimes that can be like finding a needle in a haystack. We started out on the par-5 15th hole and we found ourselves with our first birdie opportunity. Deb eyed it up and for some reason I just went up and decided to putt first...just outside left edge was the call and my Titleist listened! Birdie! After a good drive on the next hole we didn't make the most of it and left ourselves a lengthy birdie that we just couldn't quite navigate and we settled for par.

Everyone had a great drive on the 17th but Carol left us in the best position to go at the pin...we had more than one close shot and that gave us our 2nd birdie of the day. The 18th hole was a short par-4 slight dog-leg left...not great for my fade so when I tried to hug the left side I turned it over and went in the woods left. Both Judy and Carol had good shots on the right side of the fairway, but Deb launched one over the left corner and we found ourslves in the green side bunker. To my surprise Deb wanted to take the sand shot instead of a 90 yard approach from the fairway, and what surprised me even more was that we all agreed! After several lackluster attempts by the rest of us, it was Deb's turn and she was able to get us within 4 feet (man, was she lucky - she would have had to endure us all day for picking that shot if we would have parred!). Chalk up another birdie.

I should note that up until this point we had kind of cruised on each hole, with all the golfers out there it seemed crazy but we were liking it! As we made our way over the the 1st hole we caught up to people, but we didn't mind. We were having fun!

I was happy to find myself hitting some good drives, but I've got to tell you, we all battled for long ball honors all day! After another great drive we found ourselves well inside the 100 yard marker for our approach into this par-4...after Carol put one on the green, Judy pulled out a wedge and took about a three-quarter swing. It landed short, like Pat advised, and then it bounced on and released...and rolled right in for an eagle 2!! You know girls, we cheered, we yelled, we high-fived and watched Judy's awesome reaction. We were pumped!

The next par-5 was a little longer and we weren't able to reach in 2... we struggled just a bit but still had a makeable birdie putt that we drained card another birdie. The 3rd hole (our 7th of the day) was short, but Pat told us that we want to come in at it from the left side because the green slopes away to the left and it's harder to get close to the pin from the right. We had another great grouping of drives and Pat gave us another short approach. Judy knocked one just past the hole and we were able to sink another birdie putt. We hit a log jam on the next hole because this short par-4 was reachable for guys who wanted to hit over some trees. It wasn't hard to enjoy the day even if we did have to wait a bit. Once again, this dogleg left didn't exactly fit my shot shape but I hit a line drive down the left rough and was able to clear the trees and have an open shot at the green inside 100 yards (let me just say here that it's just so fun to have 4 or 5 drives as options on just about every hole!). We actually picked mine and the best we could do was have about a 15 footer up the hill for birdie. The read was fairly straight, maybe breaking off slightly right, and after Carol and Judy barely missed, I was able to knock my Titleist 1 in to keep our streak alive (high five!).

The par-3 5th hole was not a favorite for the gals that knew the course and it was playing about 135 yards up a hill and into the wind. We all upped our club selection but after 4 shots we didn't have a ball on the green. Pat was hitting in our anchor spot and man did she come through for the team!! Her iron shot landed just left of the pin in the middle of the green and the ball rolled just a few feet past the cup. Four cheers for Pat!! We of course made her make the putt for the natural birdie (the natty) and it also gave her the closest to the pin proxy. It's funny how momentum and attitudes can change with just a swing of a club and a great shot.

We finally found a dog-leg right and once again everyone hit great drives and we ended up well inside the 100. The running commentary was that we were expecting Judy to hole another eagle, but she gave us a nice birdie chance by hitting one withing 4 feet...one putt later and we're off to the next hole with another birdie in our pocket. The 7th hole was similar to our first hole but it was a par-4. I finally beat out the gals for long drive and we found ourselves with another makeable birdie putt...and we made it! The 8th hole was a par-5 that could be reachable in 2 if we could get a good drive out there...we were fortunate that we all had good drives but I remember distinctly Deb saying we had 167 out after Pat bombed a drive.down the left side of the fairway. We had a group discussion about the 2nd shot...Pat said the with the pin up front you had to hit short of the green or balls would roll off the back. Carol led off and while I think she thought she was short, we thought maybe it was on the front fringe. I hit my nike CPR 22 degree hybrid about as good as I could right at the flag and when I saw it bounce short I had visions of a great shot..but unfortunately, my ball picked up speed and rolled into the back fringe. We figured we had options, but when we got closer, Carol's ball was only about 12 feet from the hole! I loved her reaction when she saw her great shot.

Carol, Judy and I all had putts that just missed and Deb stepped up like she knew she was going to make it...and she did! What?! Another eagle? Oh yeah baby! At this point we're a combination of giddy and slightly surprised and our streak. The 9th hole is a par-3 that was playing about 105 yards. The green sloped up from the front and if you didn't get to the middle of the green with the back pin, the ball could roll all the way back to the fringe. It felt slightly into the wind and I found myself between clubs. I wanted to hit my Callaway Big Bertha 10 iron (my favorite club in my bag), but after watching a couple balls come up short, I decided to club up to a 9-iron. I hit it crisp and had it just right of the flag, but it actually released up the slope and I was about 15 feet past the cup which left us with what looked a speedy downhill putt. The first 3 of us to putt were fooled by the beginning slope and flat last 6 feet and we all left it short. Once again, Deb stepped up and knocked it in...there was never a doubt after it started rolling.

In case you weren't doing the math, we were now at -14 through 13 holes.

The 10th hole was another par-3, but we were back at 150 yards because there was a chance to win a Ford Truck with a hole in one. With a back pin we felt it was playing about 160. Judy got us on the front part of the green, and I was unsure of what club to hit. I don't know why I didn't hit my 22 degree hybid, but instead I pulled out my 7-wood and promptly hit if over the back of the green. A couple more wayward shots and we were looking at Judy's 40 footer as our only option.

In scrambles, it often comes down to Par-3's...if you can't get it close, you're forced to take par and that could be the differnce between having a chance and being in the middle of the pack. I think in the back of our minds we would be content with a par, knowing we still had 2 more par-3's to come...but it didn't hurt to take at whack a the the birdie. Carol had the line but was short, so Judy got up and said she was going to let her ball "go for a ride"...and yes, you guessed, it, she drained it!! Cheers and high-fives ensued again and we were on our way to another par-5. We would need 2 great shots to have a chance to get on in 2, and Pat got us to the 200 yard marker after blasting a drive down the right center. With firm fairways and a flat approach to the green it looked possible that we could have a chance to try for eagle again. Carol hit a great shot just short and Judy also got one just short of the green. I pulled out my Callaway X 3-wood and then talked to it a bit (I have a running joke that my 3-wood and I are in couples counseling - sometimes we have a great relationship, other times, not so much). I almost always hit it low, so I figured a low runner might just do it so I told my 3-wood to hit a stinger and told my Titleist to run, release, and get on the green...and it did! Normally, 200 yards is not in my wheel house, but today I guess it was.

I once again looked up to the sky to thank Steve for possibly giving my ball an extra kick and then we went to look at that eagle putt. The putt looked straight on the read, but after watching Carol's putt move, we all wondered if we needed to play it outside the hole - the mental games got the best of us and we had to settle for a tap in birdie (and that's how we felt - like we had made a bogey or something!)

The par-3 12th hole was another fairly straight forward hole...the yardage said 115, but the rangefinder said 121. Feeling in between clubs, I wasn't sure if I should club up or down. Carol got us on the front of the green and I decided to hit an 8-iron...solid contact but I pushed it right. Deb's hit was looked like a shot right at the flag but it ended up sticking on the front right by Carol. After measuring to make sure Carol had closest to the pin (and she did!), we once again were looking at about a 20 footer for birdie. I don't know about where you play, but in Minnesota, everything goes towards water...the Nemadji River was to our right, so we decided that left edge was the call. As 3rd putter I watched Carol and Judy's putts and agreed that just outside left was the call - I hit what I thought was a great putt and just when I thought it was going to drop in the side door it just slipped past. Dang! Deb just missed and now it was Pat putting in the anchor position. With this being her home course, she looked confident over the putt. We all watched it roll and Judy even screamed as it hit the front of the cup, certain it was going to drop..but it didn't. A nasty horseshoe lip out left us with a par and it felt like a momentum killer. But as I walked over to the next tee box, looking up to the sky to share my thankfulness for the day, great friends, and some amazing golf, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, Steve was giving us a sign that it's okay to have a par, too.

We were now -16 after 16 holes with a par-4 and a par-3 left. The 13th hole looked like a long hole at first, but Deb said it was deceptively short. I bombed one down the left center and we were about 105 yards out with a slight breeze in our face. I initially pulled out my 10-iron, but after Deb hit her 8-iron just long (she crushed it!), I opted for my 9-iron instead. I felt a good swing coming and my ball landed about pin high and ended up about 12 feet away (geez, I wish I could "stick" the ball sometimes!). The putt wasn't overly tricky, but it did have break from left to right, and if the ball just skimmed an old hole about half way to the cup it should go in. Carol, Judy and I all missed (I pushed my putt, dang it) and Deb stepped up and played it right where she told us to - and bingo! It dropped!

Our 18th hole was the par-3 14th. Strangely, the women's tees are on the left side of the hole and the guys tees are on the right - it put us at an angle to go over a mound and put a greenside bunker in play, but with a front pin it was playing about 115. When I stepped up to the tee box I felt pretty confident with the 8-iron I had in my hand. Hit just short, bounce up and have maybe another 15 footer...I could see it in my head and my practice swing felt good, too. My last thought as I was in my backswing was, "hit the back of the ball" and I came down and it felt good. It was heading just left at the mound and I thought my vision was coming true - but I must have hit just on the down slope of the mound and before I knew it my ball had rolled all the way to the back of the green. Had that ball been 2 yards shorter or 2 yards longer I would have probably hit perfect, but instead I on the fringe. We couldn't captialize on another shot, so it was my 50 footer that was our last chance at birdie and to get to -18.

There was definitely some break in the putt, but it was really hard to know since it was going to take a whack to get to the hole. Carol and Judy both were short, and then Deb stepped up...I had been putting 3rd all day but I wondered if maybe Deb saw the line and and wanted to go with it. It wasn't surprising to see her putt go past the hole after watching 2 putts come up short, and now I was staring at this putt that I honestly didn't know really how to play. What I did know was that I was going to have to hit it hard, and with that came my usual push to the right...I ended up about 5 feet right of the cup and a little short, so I'm not sure if I would have had the line that I would have had a chance, but I certainly gave up any chance for a 2 with my last stroke of the day. We left it up to Pat, our anchor putter, but her effort came up short, too.

Deb drained our 6 footer for par and we ended the round with a -17 (54). It was a funny mixed bag of emotions - we had an AWESOME round of golf...I mean AWE-SOME! But with -18 so close within our reach that last par felt a little like a let down. As we made our way back to the clubhouse I think we all lost the let down feeling and were pretty darn excited by our score and just grateful to have had such a fun round of golf with great people.

With 2 events going on (Scramble & Pro-Am Best Ball) and scores all over on the scoring table it was hard to know which sheets were for which events. I saw a 53 posted and for just a moment thought..."if we could have just made one more putt!" But that 54 was amazing, even if it wasn't the winning score.

With any good scramble there is usually a skins game, and now we were waiting to see if our eagles would make us some money. Eagles on par-5's can often get canceled, but Judy's awesome chip in on the 1st hole could very well be a skin...and not only was it, it was the ONLY skin in the scramble event! WOO HOO!

It was a little hard to hear everything with so many people eating and talking, but then we heard the emcee say Team Davern (that's us!) We weren't sure what place we had finished...did they say 3rd? When I heard the prize, I was pretty dang excited and it turns out we WON the scramble event! The 53 I saw earlier was in a different event on the other course.

At that moment, standing there realzing that the 5 of us had put our best out there today, and more importantly had so much fun, made the past few weeks of stress and worry just disappear. I was flooded with such a sense of appreciation and feeling completely blessed to have had life's circumstances allow me the opportunity to play today that I think I felt my heart swell up just a bit. I took a second to take mental snapshot of Carol, Judy, Pat and Deb and then took another moment to share my thanks to God, and to Steve Anderson, for creating such a perfect day. Sure, winning was pretty darn terrific, but this 18-hole adventure will be something I won't soon forget.

THANK YOU to the dream team...Carol, Pat, Judy and Deb (thanks for asking me, Deb!!) - it was THE BEST!!

And speaking of best days...I must share that one of my other golf pals from my home course had his first ever hole-in-one today at this event! Way to go Darrin!!!

And for Sam...see, sometimes, golf is like life...a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end it all comes down to gratefulness.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone, I hope it includes golf - I know mine will!!

The PGA Championship and what's to come next...

Cathy Erickson — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:03:00 GMT

Despite my best efforts (cheering, praying, rally caps, eating cheese) Steve Stricker did not get his first Major championship last Sunday. After Thursday's round, I almost felt like things had already slipped away when he carded a 2-over par 74, and the leader was at -6. But on Friday the weather came into play and a +1 (73) was almost 5 shots better than the scoring average of just over 78. 45 players shot 80 or worse that day (including Matt Kuchar- ouch!). At +3 he was still 7 shots back, but he made the cut and would be playing the weekend.

While I was golfing on Saturday, Stricker posted a -5 (67) to get to -2 for the tournament before more bad weather halted play in the afternoon. The leaders, Rory McIlory and Vijay Singh, were at -6 with 9 holes to play in their 3^rd round. Hey, 4 shots back and the leaders have to play 27 holes on Sunday...things are looking up!

Unfortunately, Stricker had kind of a rollercoaster final round - 5 birdies were matched up again 4 bogeys and a -1 (71) wasn't enough to get in contention, although it did give him a very respectable T7 finish for the tournament.

What I didn't know until Monday morning was that a little bit better finish by Steve would have put him in the Top 8 in Ryder Cup points, which ended at the PGA. Phil Mickelson ended up 8^th and now Stricker is going to need to be one of four Captain's picks in order to play. You'd think that's a lock, seeing that he's currently 10^th in points, behind Hunter Mahan and in front of Jim Furyk, Rickie Fowler, Brandt Snedeker and Bo VanPelt. But Captain Davis Love III might also be looking at Dustin Johnson and Bill Haas who are not that far behind either.

But Captain Love needs to know that I'm going to need a Stricker-Kuchar pairing this fall or someone is going to have some serious explaining to do!!

Whoops, I got a little sidetracked! Back to the 2012 PGA for a few paragraphs...

I'm really happy for Rory McIlory - it's hard to believe he's only 23 and a 2 time Major Champion, and I only say that because he has seemed to matured a lot in the past few years. His -13 final score consisted of 20 birdies and 7 bogeys...with 2 rounds being bogey free and 5 of the 7 bogeys coming on crazy weather Friday. He avoided mistakes, handled his flukey ball in the tree beautifully, and made clutch putt after clutch putt. While I know the TV announcers tried to make the best of Rory running away with the lead, but I actually enjoyed watching him in the final stretch hoping he would finish has strong as he could. And he did.

Speaking of TV coverage...once again I found myself disappointed in the coverage. Is it just me? I was fine seeing Tiger while he was in the hunt, but geez, he's 8 shots back and we're still seeing him and maybe 3 other guys. I saw Stricker once, and that was when they replayed him missing a par putt. Boo. Do they really not realize that people would like to see at least a shot or two from anyone in the Top 10 coming into the last 9? You can't tell me they don't have camera guys ready on every hole. And I don't need to see 30 seconds of Tiger lining up a putt - give me a shot I can watch! Okay, sorry, venting done.

Watching the PGA reminded me how absolutely lucky we've been to have had this even in Minnesota 2 times in the last 10 years...2002 and 2009 at Hazeltine National (which will be the Ryder Cup host in 2016, YAY!!) I may still be paying off my merchandise purchases from 2009! There's something special about getting to see the players live and to feel the excitement and respect in the crowd.

While I'm going to have to wait until 2013 to see Steve Stricker's Major, now is probably a good time to applaud the 4 great champions we had this year...

Bubba Watson, Masters Champion (what a fun tournament that was to watch!!)

Webb Simpson, US Open Champion (handled the pressure well watched as others fell)

Ernie Els, British Open Champion (proves that you should never give up because you just don't know what the rest of the guys are going to do).

Rory McIlory, PGA Champion (he had a good feeling going into the week and he was right on!)

And since I'm here, don't forget that this is the last week that PGA Tour players can work their way into the Top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list and advance to the playoffs. Players that don't make it will have to wait until the Fall Series starts the first week of October to play on the PGA Tour again (and remember this is the last year of that, too, next year the PGA Tour season will START in October!)

So while many of the A-listers might not be heading to Greensboro, NC for the Wyndham Championship this week, there will be plenty of drama and pressure for many of these guys hoping to the Barclay's next week. And if you're wondering who you might want to root for, well, on the outside looking in at the Top 125 are: 126-Brendan Steele, 127-Retief Goosen, 128-Heath Slocum, 129-YE Yang, 130-Gary Woodland and a special shot out to 134-Erik Compton. The guys fighting to hold their spots include 120-Jerry Kelly, 121-Boo Weekly, 122-Trevor Immelman (how moved inside the 125 with his showing at the PGA), 123-Jason Bohn, 124-Jhonattan Vegas, and 125-Rod Pampling.

Only 80 points separate 115^th place from 135^th place, so a win or good finish this week could move a player well within the points cutoff. So enjoy some golf this weekend and root for Erik Compton!

Fred Couples...Overrated??

Cathy Erickson — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:47:00 GMT

Last Sunday, Fred Couples on the Senior British Open by 2 strokes, going birdie-birdie on 17 and 18. I'll be honest, I didn't even know it was the Senior British Open weekend, and I didn't know that Couples had won until I read it on my Facebook feed. I immediately shared that news with all of my friends because I was happy for Freddie! I have been on the Fred Couples fan bus since I was in high school. Okay, granted, maybe there's a little part of me that likes him because he's cute, but come on, that swing is like butter!!

So I was a bit surprised to read one of the responses to my Freddie congratulations on my Facebook page: "One of the most overrated golfers ever, but he seems like a nice guy so I was happy for him. I would have been happier to see Gary Halberg win however... "

Uh, What? Overrated? No, wait, he said "most overrated golfer EVER"?! Clearly my reaction indicates that I've taken this way too personally, but it did motivate me to look into Freddie's past...his tournament history, his world ranking, and the money list to see if maybe, possibly, the hype was more than the performance.

Before I get to Freddie's golf history, I think it's important to look back at the times when Couples was in his prime. This was before cable news, blogs, Facebook and Twitter made every personal thing about people public and we actually relied on getting our golf magazines in the mail and waited for weekend coverage of golf tournaments on the major networks to get our golf fixes and information. So I'm wondering, has time created this potentially unjustified label of "overrated" or was Couples just an average player back then? We'll let's look back at his accomplishments...

First, let me say, when walking down golf statistic lane, you learn so much!! I would encourage everybody to scroll back through their favorite player's stats or just check out the money lists from back in the 80's and 90's - it's so interesting and startling to see how far things have come (and if you're old enough to have watched golf back then the names will bring flashback, I promise!). But back to Freddie and my quest to make myself feel justified in being a fan and feeling obligated to defend his career.

My first stop was http://www.pgatour.com/. You want stats? You've come to the right place! Click on a player and hit the drop down for a year and there you go. Just for a quick background, Couples turned pro in 1980 after attending college at the University of Houston (bonus points if you can name is roommates!).

Couples first win on Tour came in 1983 at the Kemper Open. The winner's check was $72,000. Fourteen more PGA Tour wins followed with his last being a win at the Shell Houston Open in 2003. But of course the win that is most associated with Couples is his 1992 win at the Masters (yes, take a moment to visualize his ball hanging on the edge of the water on #12).

That year Couples was first on the money list, had 3 wins, 2 second place and 3 third place finishes in 20 events. Actually, he had 19 top 25 finishes out of those 20 events. In 1993, Couples was 10^th on the money list and had 1 tour win along with 15 top 25's in 17 cuts made out of 19. The next year, 1994, Fred made 100% of his cuts in 15 events and had 5 top 10's, including 1 win.

Dropping down to #63 on the money list in 1995, Couples still had 4 top 10 finishes in 15 events. In 1996, Couples won the Players Championship, climbed up to #6 on the money list, and had 9 top 10's in 16 events. After a marginal season in 1997 (#55 on the money list), Couples vaulted back up to 9^th on the money list along with 2 wins at the Memorial and the Bob Hope. After 1998, and 18 years on Tour, Couples tapered off a bit but did rebound in 2003 with his win in Houston and 9 top 25's that year.

Couples was eligible for the Champions Tour in 2010 and in 17 events he had 4 wins, 4 2^nd place finishes, and 16 top 25's. He was 2^nd in money earnings to Bernhard Langer, who played 6 more events. In 2011, Fred played in 10 Champions Tour events and had 2 wins with 6 top 10 finishes. And so far this year Couples has had 6 top 10's in 9 starts with 2 of those being wins.

But I wasn't done!

My next stop was the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). You know the place, a math nerd's dream for calculating who is the best golfer in the world based on over 2 years worth of data and last 40 finishes ranked on strength of field and all that stuff. I was surprised to find out that the OWGR has only been around since 2003. Prior to this, I guess the Money List was the benchmark to see who the best players were (and for me, I still think it is!). It's hard to truly use this tool as a measure since Freddie's prime was probably 10 years earlier, but from April of 2003 to October 2006, Couples was inside the Top 50 players in the world, peaking at 17^th for 3 weeks in 2004 and at 16^th in August 2005. During most of those 3 ½ years, Couples hovered around 30^th and at times in the low 20's. Not bad for a guy didn't win on Tour after 2003.

And don't forget, in 2012, Couples finished tied for 12^th at the Masters, beating some guy named Tiger (T40), and at times #1 players in the world Luke Donald (T32) and Rory McIlory (T40)...at 52 years old.

I don't know about you, but after reading all that Fred Couples has accomplished in is over 30 year professional career in golf, unless someone said he was a better player than Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods (which I've never heard before), I would say the guy deserves any and all accolades he's been given over his career. He has been the best player on the PGA Tour, he's won a Major and a Players Championship, along with 13 other Tour events and with a very successful Champions Tour (so far).

Sure, some people might think the only thing Fred ever did was win a green jacket 20 years ago, but there is a lot more to his golf career than that. And yes, some will argue his lack of Major wins could be considered an underachievement, but his ability to continue to play great golf even after 30 years should count for something.

Most overrated ever? Sorry, Craig, I just don't buy it. (but thanks for motivating me learn more!)

Congratulations Fred!!!

New Names, New Schedules, and New Dreams for the Dreamers

Cathy Erickson — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:39:00 GMT

We knew it was coming. The PGA Tour has made no bones about the fact that Q-School, as we knew it, would cease to exist in the near future. Back in March, the PGA Tour announced the basic framework of how the new "path to the PGA Tour" would be designed, but they were still working out the details on how exactly the 50 Tour Cards would be distributed.

Here's what I got out of the articles I read on http://www.pgatour.com/:

About the only way a dreamer will make it to the PGA Tour starting in 2013 is either through the Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Tour - I'll get to that in a bit), or to qualify through the three event "Finals" series at the end of the Web.com season. The only people that get into the "Finals" are the top 75 players on the Web.com Tour, the PGA Tour Players ranked 126-200 on the FedEx Cup standings just prior to the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and any other non-Tour player who earned enough points that would have ranked them between 126-200 if they had been members of the Tour.

The "Finals" series starts from scratch and there is no seeding or ranking that gives any player any advantage (think FedEx Cup points reshuffle). So the current PGA Tour guys and the Nationwide guys trying to get to the big show will all be at the same starting line.

Of the 50 cards available, 25 will be given out to the top 25 money winners on the Web.com Tour. The top player on the money list will be fully exempted into the 2013 season. In addition, the winner of the "Finals" series will also be fully exempt.

It's important to note that players who get their PGA Tour cards have different levels of exemption status, so players that might qualify by being in the Top 25 on the Web.com Tour may still play in the "Finals" in order to improve their exemption status. And with the purses for those 3 tournaments expected to be $1 million, players will be competing for paychecks, too.

So...there is no longer a "Fall Series" on the PGA Tour where there has historically been a race to get into the Top 125 on the money list. PGA Tour players will know their fate after the last week of the FedEx Cup regular season since now all PGA Tour players will be ranked by their FedEx Cup points instead of money earnings. Once the playoffs start for the FedEx Cup, those players ranked 126-200 in FedEx Cup points move over to the "Finals" series along with the Web.com guys and fight it out for 25 Tour Cards.

Speaking of Web.com...I don't know about you, but I was a little confused when I heard about some Web.com standings. I thought maybe there was another new tour. But just a few weeks ago the PGA Tour secured Web.com as the "umbrella sponsor" of what was formally known as the Nationwide Tour...the transfer started immediately so the new name is up and running and they will be partnering through 2021. And just in case you were wondering, Nationwide is moving its sponsorship money over to the Memorial Tournament since the company is located in Ohio instead of sponsoring the "developmental tour".

So, what happens to Q-school and all of the dreamers who take the journey each fall? Well, there is going to be a Q-school, but the dream changes a bit - players will now be qualifying for the Web.com Tour instead of leaping all the way to the PGA Tour.

So we've got a Q-school, but it won't get you to the PGA Tour. We don't have a fall series on the PGA Tour after 2012, but there will be a "Finals" series in the Fall of 2013 to find 25 players worthy of playing on the PGA Tour. What stays the same is that the top 25 of the newly named Web.com Tour will also get PGA Tour cards at the end of their season.

And seasons change...the PGA Tour season will begin in October now instead of January. And those fall tournaments, which used to just field mostly those that were trying to break into the top 125 on the money list will now be full FedEx Cup points events for the coming season, so we may just see some big names liking the idea of some fall golf!

And I guess we're saying good-bye to the Money List statistic as well, since PGA Tour players will now qualify with FedEx Cup points instead. I haven't read why that change is important, but I wonder if it might have anything to do with directing people away from the fact that golfers make A LOT of money. Over at http://www.kerplookee.com/ we play a salary cap format that reminds me each week of how much players make (we use their last year's earnings as their salary price for the year). Or maybe FedEx just wants us to say their name more often.

Supposedly all of this was done to assure that only the best players will be competing on the PGA Tour. And maybe that will be the case. But there's still a part of me that feels sad for the dreamers who wait for their chance to compete at Q-school each fall for the chance to step on the biggest golf stage in the world. The road to get to Q-school is grueling and for those that outlast pre-qualifying, the first and second stages, just to get to the final 6 round last stage AND make the top 25 have not only made a dream come true but have proven that it takes more than 3 tournaments to make them capable of playing great golf. I'm sorry to see that dream end for so many.

But I guess the upside is that we may see more competition on the Web.com tour and we'll get to know those players competing to get to take that leap to the PGA Tour. So let's hope that means players will be able to afford to play that Tour in order to follow their dreams.

I still love you, Q-school!!

Summer Golf Adventures...

Cathy Erickson — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:14:00 GMT

Wow…it’s been a busy few weeks in my world and one thing I’ve really missed is doing my weekly golf writing therapy. There’s a lot on my mind so I’d better get to it!

First of all...congratulations to Webb Simpson on his US Open win!! Honestly, I didn't see that one coming. He had been under the radar for most of the year but he played steady, solid golf with the fewest mistakes. Great guy, great champion.

Rumor has it that Sam Johnson went on vacation and didn’t take his golf clubs. This girl, on the other hand, has clocked quite a few miles on the Callaway travel bag, most recently on a trip to Nashville, TN, just 2 weeks ago. Back in 2010, I wrote about my first time to Nashville and the courses I played there. I was excited to be back, but not super excited to arrive to average temperatures of 95+ degrees – this Minnesota girl is not used to that kind of heat!

I arrived a few days before meeting up with a great group of friends so I could get in some golf. My first round was a late afternoon 18 at Nashboro Golf Club just south of the Nashville Airport. For only $25 on www.golfnow.com, I didn’t have really high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by this golf course. Nashboro is a privately owned public course that was recently purchased after the City threatened to make the golf course a park instead. The new owner has spent the last year doing improvements and according to some of the guys that work there, things are looking up! The course was nestled inside of all kinds of townhomes and residential developments. It had a character to it and I’m guessing it’s been around for awhile because it wasn’t particularly long. The greens were pretty good, although they did spray them green…the best part was, I even made a few putts! On the last hole I met up with a member who had been playing there for over 20 years and he seemed happy to still have a course to call home. I was pretty happy with my 40-40=80 with 2 lost balls. If I had had more time, I would have gone back to play it again - great value for $25!

The next morning I went back to The Hermitage, a course I played back in 2010. This course is northeast of Nashville and has 2 18-hole tracks. One is an older, tighter layout, and the newer one is longer and more links like. I opted for the older General’s Retreat because it was cheaper ($49.50 vs. $63), and then I could replay the other course for only $20. They put me out as a single, but it didn’t take long for me to run into other groups. I guess some people just don’t like to pair up. It was a lovely course in great condition, but man, it was HOT! I loved that they had fans around the greens and I took every opportunity to take a minute to cool down. I played okay, but did lose one Pro-V, dang it! I also skipped out on the 2^nd round because it was just too darn hot. Overall, love this course and would play every time I'm in Nashville.

Friday morning was an absolute golf highlight for me…my fabulous friend, Debbie, arranged for us to play the Golf Club of Nashville, which is located between Nashville and Franklin, to the west. As we drove in through the gate I knew I was in for something special. We were meeting a friend of Debbie's who was a member, and as we were walking on the range to meet him the very first thing I noticed was that all the practice balls were Pro-V’s. Yep, I was totally out of my league! We had carts, but we also had a caddie for the group. This was a whole new experience for me!

Jeff gave us advice on the tee shots, and then he would run (literally) out somewhere down the fairway to watch our shots and let us know how we did. I loved getting the “safe!” signal (like an umpire does). He’d zap our yardage and let us know how the green laid out. And then he would read every putt…man, I could get used to this!! He was a great guy and I really enjoyed it – and I know I made a few putts thanks to Jeff, too. I had a pretty good round going and then the wheels fell off a bit – after a triple and double, I still finished with an 81, so I can’t complain. The course itself was beautiful. It reminded me a little of the Quarry in Minnesota. The greens were fabulous and the fairways were like carpet…I was almost afraid to take a divot! I have no idea what it cost to play there, but for me, the day was priceless. Great golf and great company – what more could I ask for! THANK YOU DEBBIE!

After heading back to MN from Nashville I stayed overnight in the Twin Cities to get some family time and also to meet up with an awesome fantasy golf pal to get a round of golf in. We ended up playing at the Dwan Golf Course which is owned by the City of Bloomington. It was a great little golf course (Par 68) and it was busy ($42 for 18/cart)! We got paired up with 2 nice gals for the front 9 but they decided to call it a day at the turn. The greens were great and everything was green. The only thing that was a downer was that there were Japanese Beetles all over the place. Apparently they are found in the Twin Cities area. They eat leaves and the larvae nests in the grass. I did my best to eradicate as many as I could see, but they were creepy! Overall, though I really liked that course and getting to play with my friend Drew was fantastic.

Getting home, I was faced with the reality of the rare flooding situation that happened while I was out of town. Lots of damage to roads, bridges and homes…and some golf courses, too. Our course fared well…although you can see the evidence of where the water had been - some places over 10 feet higher than the creek! A few cart paths need some filling in, but other than that, things are okay. I am constantly amazed at the power of water.

This Friday is the golf scramble I organize and I can’t wait for a great day on the course. I’m praying the predicted thunder storms will go south of us and that we’ll have a fun day with great friends. It’s one of my favorite days of the whole year!! Right now the forecast is looking slightly better, so if you could, say a quick prayer for sunshine in Minnesota on Friday!

I did see that Tiger won again on Sunday. Are we seeing glimpses of old? When I got an email from www.golf.com with the subject line “Is Tiger Woods Player of the Year?” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes…Really??? It’s JULY!! I’m not sure I can take it if we’re going to have to be exposed to this for the rest of the year. Matt Kuchar better get out there and win a couple more tournaments to he can lock up POY instead.

July 1 is prime time golf season for us now – I’m looking forward to a great summer of playing with great friends and enjoying some fun events. I hope you get to do the same, too!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!

The US Open...now these guys know how I feel...

Cathy Erickson — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 01:14:00 GMT

It's just so strange to be watching our favorite PGA Tour players struggling at the Olympic Club on the first round of the US Open. I'm actually watching right now and with all the players either on the course or already done there are currently only 5 players under par out of over 150 guys. FIVE players. We know the US Open course is going to be tough, long roughs, fast greens, and tight fairways. But this is a whole new level of hard when best players in the world can't break par.

Even the announcing team has to change their usual chatter...they are celebrating bogey saves and continually reporting in on some unforunate bounce or extremely difficult lie in the rough. Chip shots or approach shots over 20 feet away are applauded. It's rough out there...literally.

Drop off about 1,800 yards from the 7,100 yards their playing, and you've got my home course in Minnesota (from the "forward tees" of course). As I watched today, It seemed like they were feeling what I often feel when I'm battling out on the golf course. I know what it feels like to not be able to get it out of the rough. I've watched my ball hit the green, look great for a few seconds, and then roll off the back. Most every round I play feels like a US Open.

I know how Luke Donald felt today...I think I missed three 3-foot putts in 4 holes. The stroke felt good, the ball was rolling, but it was just not dropping. I knpw how it feels to keep spraying the ball right, although thankfully the course I play doesn't have those trees! I know the feeling of looking down a fairway and all of a sudden the short grass looks tight and the rough and bunkers seem like ball magnets. I know what it's like to feel like I have to 'make' something happen on the course and any logic about what the 'smart shot' is goes out the window. The good news is there was some smart golf shots out in San Francisco today.

When I talked to my Mom earlier, she commented on how she thought Tiger played some smart golf today. Seeing an iron in his hand on the tee made me realize that he's already looking to being in the mix on Sunday. Like they say, you can't win it on the first day, but you can sure put yourself out of reach if you're not smart.

A course set up like a US Open is not only a test of a golfers ability but also of his mental stamina. Can a player avoid the meltdown and not take the lip outs and bad breaks personally? Can a player keep telling himself that there's a chance to get one back on the next hole and believe it? Or will the negative thoughts elbow in and be another obstacle?

We saw gilmmers of hope for all golfers in this first round...the double eagle by Nick Watney, and the 8 other Eagles and 273 birdies let all the field know there are low scores out there. In looking at the first round stats on www.usopen.com, it looks like players need to grind it out on the front and then take advantage of birdie opportunities on the back. Pars are good...heck, they are great this week!

It's all about how you get them...a scramble par is a great feeling...a par because you missed a 5 footer for birdie, not so fun. But I think that a player in US Open conditions needs to be thankful for any and every par no matter how their gotten.

When we put things in perspective, a US Open just seems to make PGA Tour players more, well, human. We get it. Now heaven only knows what Matt Kuchar or Steve Stricker would shoot if they got to play my course from my tees, but for the next few days I'm going to see their rounds through my golf eyes and understand the challenges a little bit more.

Enjoy the US OPEN!!

The road to the US Open...don't forget the Dreamers!!

Cathy Erickson — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:27:00 GMT

In just a few weeks, The Olympic Club in San Francisco will play host to the 112^th US Open Championship. The second Major of the PGA Tour Season, the US Open is a test of patience, confidence, and decision making for the 156-player field. But this field is a little different than most of the PGA events we watch. When the final pairings are posted you'll see sprinkled in the list of the best players in the world the names of a few dreamers.

The US "Open" allows any golfer with a handicap no greater than 1.4 the chance to qualify their way into a Major Championship field. There were 109 local qualifiers with over 8,500 players competing to advance to the Sectional Qualifying to be held in 11 locations across the US on Monday, June 4. Just over 9,000 applications were accepted this year (including exempted players and those advancing right to sectionals), and only 550 players will compete in sectionals.

There were already 2 qualifiers in May, one in Japan and one in England. Six players advanced to Championship from Japan (including Aussie Brendan Jones who was medalist), and 8 will be heading to San Francisco by advancing from England (including Italian sensation Mateo Manassero who was in the playoff for 4 spots).

Since the field works its way backwards from 156, the more players that gain exemptions through 15 options, including making it to the Tour Championship, ranking on the OWGR, and having won a major in the last 5 to 10 years, the less opening available to qualifiers. Usually over the half the field is exempted in, so of the 9,000 players hoping to fulfill their dream of playing in a US Open, less 80 players will be able to play their way in. What is that, less than 1%?

With all the fun and excitement going on during this PGA Tour season, I almost forgot about US Open qualifying! In my neck of the woods (Minnesota!), Rush Creek Golf Club hosted a qualifier on May 8. A couple names looked familiar from following past Q-school journeys...advancing to sectionals include Clayton Rask and Justin Smith, along with 2^nd alternate Jonathan Sauer. Minnesota amateurs Chris Conklin and Jesse Polk advanced to the next stage out of a qualifier in Wisconsin.

Literally hundreds of stories are in the works as they wait for their June 4 chance to make travel plans to Bay Area. Unlike the Masters, a PGA Tour win is not enough to make the field for a US Open. Besides the top 60 on the OWGR, being a Major winner is about the only other way to avoid qualifying, so 2 of the 11 qualifiers coming up will be geared towards PGA Tour players needing to qualify, one in OH for those who need to hang around after the Memorial, and the same day in TN for those heading to the St. Jude Classic that week.

The closest sectional to me is Illinois, so I won't be watching in person, but I sure hope fans of golf might take the chance to watch all kinds of dreamers compete if they are in the neighborhood (to find sites, go here: http://www.usopen.com/en_US/news/qualifying/sectional.html).

Sectional qualifying is a one day 36-hole event (marathon?) with the number of qualifiers dependent on the number of players and the strength of field. For those lucky enough to get to sectionals, chances are there will be less than a 20% chance to qualify for the Open.

I know I'll be rooting for the Minnesota guys! Be sure to find some dreamers to root for, too.

And we can't forget about the Women! This year's Women's US Open is being held not too far from me at Black Wolf Run in Koehler, WI, July 5-8. Over 1,300 women applied to compete, and at this time 85 golfers are already exempt in the 156 player field. Qualifiers started May 14 and run through June 3. Tuesday, May 29, there will be a qualifier in Wayzata, MN with 78 competitors.

Last year, I went and watched the Qualifier in the Twin Cities and really enjoyed it. It looks like they will probably have a wet golf course like they did last year. We'll see if any Minnesota women can play their way to Wisconsin! According to the USGA web site, the youngest applicant was 9 years old and the oldest was 61...I guess there's hope for a lot of us!

All kinds of great information about the USGA Championships can be found at http://www.usga.org/ , including the results of all of the qualifiers. I can't wait for some good stories.

Go Dreamers!!

Some Highs and Lows in My Golf World

Cathy Erickson — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:05:00 GMT

Last week was a little like riding a golf roller coaster for me. On Friday, one of my favorite golf friends and role models, Steve Anderson, passed away after having a massive stroke on Tuesday morning. I met Steve and his family when they came to manage our local golf course several years ago. Steve made you feel like you've been friends for years even if you had just met.

His love for the game and his passion for the business of golf allowed him to make a positive impact wherever he went. I was so grateful that I was able to stay in touch with Steve after he moved on to another golf course, and in this past year he really helped us as our curling group took over golf operations at our course last season.

Steve was always ready with a smile and a hug, wise words of advice, or a helpful suggestion, and right now I'm visualizing him in a stylish mock turtleneck. I enjoyed going to the women's tournament at his course because he always made everyone feel welcome, and it was also a great chance to catch up on life.

Last year, just a few weeks before one of the tournaments I host, I lost one of my sponsors. It threw me, and I wasn't sure what do to. I asked a friend if he thought Steve would be able to maybe donate a couple of rounds for a prize, and the next day I got a certificate for 4 rounds of golf and golf balls...along with this message..."For Cathy, anything." Steve was not only a man of great generosity, but also of great character. He is everything that is good about golf. My deepest prayers for his wife, Nancy, and the rest of his family.

Another snafu for the week was I lost track of days and realized Thursday morning that I had forgotten to post all of my fantasy golf teams for the Players Championship. As disappointed as I was, looking back, I'm pretty sure half of my players would have missed the cut!

I didn't watch any of the Players Championship until late on Sunday. I did know that Matt Kuchar was 1 back starting the final round, and my heart was leaping with excitement as I searched out a TV to catch the last few holes on the back 9. I saw Kuchar on top of the leader board, but I realized that he had some serious competitors trying to catch him. I think my favorite moment might have been when Kuch answered Fowler's birdie on 17 with one of his own on 16. Fowler's missed birdie putt on 18 made things a little less stressful for Matt coming to the final hole with a 2 stroke lead.

It's no secret that Matt Kuchar is one of my favorite golfers, and I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that he got a standing ovation from me after capturing the 2012 Players Championship title. I don't know how you don't smile right back when you see that grin on his face. A fantastic moment and I think a preview of what's to come in 2012. And to quote my 3-year old niece Ce Ce, "I'm very exciting that Matt won". (my nieces love Matt, too!)

What I found out about after the fact were the trials of Kevin Na at the Players. A combination of slower play and a challenge to commit to his shots made Na the focus of hecklers on the course. While I understand the frustration and the need to address these issues, in my opinion, there is no justifiable reason for any golf fan to heckle or taunt a professional golfer during competition. I can't even fathom it. It appears that Na acknowledged his shortcomings and did his best to improve on Sunday, but in the end he just wasn't able to bring it back together. I still can't understand what golf fan would think kicking a guy while he was down would be appropriate. Now, trash talking with opponents in your foursome, that's a whole other story.

It also appears that Na brought back the discussion of slow play and assessing penalties. The favorite thing I read concerning that was someone noting that penalties should be assessed because even the sport of curling has time clocks! I haven't followed Kevin Na's career all that closely, but you can bet he'll be the topic of conversation for a few more weeks anyway.

Back in March, on my first golf outing of the year, I did something funky to my back and have been trying to recover ever since. After some visits to a chiropractor and all kinds of stretching and ice on my "to do" list, I finally started to have some "feel good days". I think I might have even uttered the words, "I'm cured!". Admittedly, I hadn't golfed much, but last Saturday I couldn't resist, and after hearing the news about my friend Steve and feeling a little blue, it just felt right to pull on a mock turtleneck and hit the course.

It was a beautiful Minnesota day in May and a group of us went out for some friendly competition. Things felt good for the first nine, but after making the turn, pain creeped in and my back started to stiffen up. I wasn't about to quit, but unfortunately, I petered out and had some less than stellar shots on the last few holes. I realize now I probably overestimated my healing time, so now I'm back on the ice, tennis ball, and stretching protocol.

The common thread that weaves through all of my thoughts is Time. I'm not sure why it was Steve's time to go. And at the same time, I'm excited that this was Matt's time to shine. Kevin Na had challenges managing his time, and I have to accept that my back is going to heal on its own time, not mine.

And I'm smiling right now because if there was a player that I thought represents Steve Anderson's spirit, it might just be Matt Kuchar. So for me, Matt winning on Sunday is a fitting tribute to one of my golf heroes, Steve Anderson...I guess I'd call that perfect timing.

PS...for any local golf friends reading this...there is a lovely article about Steve Anderson here.

"In the presence of Steve, your smile became wider, your laugh became livelier, and your outlook on life became brighter."

I just miss him.

Who is Number One?

Cathy Erickson — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:20:00 GMT

Or maybe the bigger question is...do we really need to care? I've pondered and studied the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) a few times of the past few years. It is a Numbers Nerd's dream of points, averages, and weightings that determines who should be considered the best golfer in the world...for the week. But the thing is, it's really not about the best player "that week" because the rankings take into consideration months worth of a player's statistical finishes, weighted by the strength of field and their final position in the tournament.

I don't mean to demean the title of being the number one player on the OWGR, but as I've said before, Tiger Woods was considered the #1 player in the world during a period when he didn't play in an official tournament for months.

A part of me thinks that the best player in the world for the week should probably be the guy that wins that week...but then I realize that there are several tournaments going on throughout the world, so I guess it's just not as easy as that. And now that I think about it, I guess it should matter a little bit what a player has done over the last few weeks, too...should a guy that had 5 top five finishes in the last 5 tournaments be considered a better player over a guy that won the tournament, but missed the cut in the 4 previous events?

This could start a whole other discussion on whether winning is more important than just being good. I think it could be argued that fans and the media prefer winners over "almost winners". I think back to the 2011 season...Matt Kuchar came off of a fantastic year in 2010 (winner of the Money Title!!), but even though he made over $4 million and had 2 second place finishes and 9 top 10's, he was barely a topic of conversation in 2011 (until he won the Mission Hills World Cup with Gary Woodland).

And this could spring into a whole other conversation about the impact of the media influencing what or who we think should be important in the golf world. Usually around the time of a Major, and it happened again about a month ago, we read about "the best player without a Major". Just a few weeks ago Sam gave us a little history on the Majors and it gave me pause to think about how time and influence have created a mystique and respect for a few tournaments. I could write a whole side bar on the discrimination discussion regarding the PGA Tour choosing tournament sites and Augusta basically getting a "pass", but I'll save that for another day. I think my point is, time and history make a difference, but should they when it comes to deciding who the best is right now?

Man, I'm starting to confuse myself!

The point I wanted to make is that now that the dominance of Tiger Woods has faded, and his place on top of the world ranking has been up for grabs (can you believe it, October 31, 2010!!!), I'm not sure we've cared as much...and frankly, I think it's a good thing. I think it's fantastic that we're sort of "in the moment" when it comes to golf again. One thing I've noticed in conversations with some of my fantasy golf pals it that it's gotten harder to pick players because there are so many that could be hoisting the trophy come Sunday. I think it's helped golf fans open their eyes to the depth of talent out there now, and I think it's also providing some incentive to some of our "older" favorites to step up and announce that they aren't going anywhere just yet.

Whoops, back to my point (gee, what was it again?)...oh yes, what I wanted to say was that while I'm not sure being the number one player in the world is as relevant as it was to the fans and media as it was when TW was firmly planted there for his countless number of weeks, I think the revolving door at the top has created a renewed incentive to all of the best players around the world to try to sit on the throne, even if it's just for a brief time.

I'm not saying we should get rid of the OWGR, but I do like that the PGA Tour and Avis have rolled out a "Player of the Month" recognition determined by the fans for 2012. While still a little bitter that Steve Stricker wasn't chosen for January (Mr. Moustache Johnson Wagner got the honor), it was pretty cool to see Phil Mickelson get the nod after his great win at the AT&T in February. It's also no surprise that Bubba Watson was the fans' choice in April for winning the Green Jacket at Augusta. Now, maybe fan voting isn't exactly scientific, but I think this honor is a pretty good indicator of who is hot in golf right now...and maybe even who is the best in the world. But for the record, Rory McIlory is the number one player in the world coming into The Players Championship this week after a T2 finish last week, but with that clutch wedge shot that Rickie Fowler stuffed close on the first playoff hole at the Wells Fargo, it's hard not to say he was the best player that day.

The best part of all of this is that we're getting some great golf, some great competition, and some great winners on Tour so far in 2012. I wonder if some day we'll ponder the question, "who is the best player not to be #1 on the OWGR?" now that it seems a little more accessible.

I hate to be rude, but....

Cathy Erickson — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:33:00 GMT

Some wise folks once told me that whenever you add a "but" to a sentence, you're negating what you've just said. "I don't mean to be nosy, but...." (then you ask a personal question), "I don't mean to be mean, but..." (and you go on to insult someone's taste or appearance), or "I'm not trying to micro-manage, but..." (and you take over what clearly is someone else's responsibility). Ah, that favorite word, "but".

As I read an article this morning about Bubba Watson by Jeff Rude (his column is called "Hate to Be Rude") I could feel the word "but" coming. He didn't actually use it (he used "yet", which to me meant the same thing), but the point seemed the same.

Rude starts out by describing Watson with phrases like, "a playful character". "Fun to watch.", "...a happily new adoptive parent". And..."In other words, there is a lot to like."

I don't know about you, but right there I could feel a huge "but" coming. And here's what came next. "Yet there was something a bit concerning about his news conference in The Big Easy. Watson went out of his way a few times, sometimes playfully, to poke “the media.” One sensed an undercurrent of distrust or dislike." (sidebar: I believe the "One sensed" would actualy be "Rude sensed") Rude summarizes it all by saying, "The headline could have read, 'Freshly minted media darling bites the hand that helps feed.'”.

From there he goes on to quote six instances where Watson takes a "jab" at "the media" for reportedly inaccurate information or negative reporting. (Sidebar: This came from Watson's press conference on Tuesday...you can read the whole transcript here: http://www.pgatour.com/2012/tournaments/r018/04/24/watson-interview/index.html - and I suggest you do so that you can get the full context of Bubba, not just the skewed perspective of Mr. Rude).

From there Rude goes on to give Watson some advice... "But he would be well served to cease “the media” rhetoric immediately. It serves no positive purpose, particularly for him." (Whoa, we went from some playful poking and an undercurrent of distrust to "cease...immediately"? Things just got serious!) He follows that up with some quotes from Al McGuire and Arnold Palmer about how it's important to create a positive relationship with "the media".

The intersting thing is that both McGuire and Palmer have had decades of interaction with reporters and I bet if you asked them they could also probably tell some stories about how journalistic reporting has changed over the years.

What else is interesting about Rude's commentary is his perspective on "the media". He sidebars from Watson for this paragraph: "Though I’ve been in the business nearly 40 years, I’m not sure what the broad brush stroke of “the media” means anymore – though it doesn’t sound positive coming off the tongues of many, such as Watson’s on Tuesday. What with the social outlets of Facebook and Twitter and the like, not to mention the basement bloggers and pajama typists, everyone seems to be “the media” these days. That includes serial tweeter Bubba Watson himself."

Gee, are "basement bloggers" and "pajama typists" a little jab there by Mr. Rude? Is he talking about someone like me? (for the record, I hardly ever type this blog in my pajamas, unless I'm home sick). And I hardly think Watson considers himself "the media" just because he's found a great way to connect with his fans via Twitter. Although, many "journalists" and "golf writers" have Twitter accounts now, I suspect because they still have the desire to be the one to 'scoop' something, and is there anything more instant than Twitter?

I can understand professional journalists' frustration behind the exploding world of blogs, fan sites, message boards, and Twitter. It's easy to assume that "pajama typists" like me don't know anything about sources, research, and proper grammar in order to share "news". But you know what, there are a ton of great "bloggers" who do their homework, fact check their information, and share their perspective on what it is they're passionate about. And, they often steer their readers to the writings of "the media" by linking them in their articles (like I am doing). Maybe not every blogger knows the importance of giving sources credit when due, but I do.

In my opinion, a trend that is happening in "journalism" or "the media" is that "news reporters" are turning into bloggers how opine instead of report...I see more and more writer's opinions permeating inside of what you think might be a "news" article. It may start out feeling like you're reading a news report, but then there comes the "my take" or the "one-sidedness" of the story that prompts the reader to wonder if everything they've just read is factual or just a commentary.

Heck, Mr. Rude's article is a commentary - HIS opinion on Bubba Watson, not to mention his "advice". He didn't just report on his press conference, he picked out specific points to make his argument stick and went with it. Then he stuck in some (somewhat) relevant comments from 2 other people that really had nothing to do with Bubba Watson. What would have been some great commentary would be to have gone to Arnold Palmer, have him listen to Bubba's interview (or read the transcript) and then ask him how he thought Bubba did.

I'm asking you to do that right now - read Bubba's press transcript and see what you take away from it (see the link above). I know it won't be fair since you already know what Mr. Rude cherry-picked from it, but try your best to absorb it all and see what sticks out to you.

Here's what still sticks in my head - I really respected Watson for coming to defend in Zurich Classic in spite of his circumstances, being exhausted from the Masters aftermath and having such a strong desire to spend time withi his new son and wife at home, But he believes, "I'm here because I just felt like it was the right thing to do." He also was asked several questions about the adoption process and what it's like to be a new dad, which is a pretty amazing thing.

If Mr. Rude really cared about Bubba Watson and really believed his comments at his press conference were negative to the point that he was "biting the hand that helps feed him", then the right thing to do would have been to take that concern to Bubba, as a professional journalist, to find out Bubba's point of view and maybe to help him better communicate during talks with "the media".

But what did he do? He wrote a commentary on how Bubba Watson, if he knows what's good for him, better shape up when it comes to talking about "the media".

Is it just me, or did Mr. Rude just give Watson another reason not to want to talk to "the media"? (he's giving ALL of us a bad name!) You'd almost guess this is really just about trying to sell magazines or get web site hits. Sigh.

My advice to Mr. Rude is this... "He would be well served to cease “the Bubba Watson” rhetoric immediately. It serves no positive purpose in your weekly column."