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Bramlett Ran The 252-hole Gantlet Of PGA Qualifying School

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

It was Joseph Bramlett’s 9th birthday when Tiger Woods annihilated Augusta National Golf Club, winning the 1997 Masters by a staggering 12 shots.

That watershed moment was supposed to open the floodgates. But 13 years later, Woods was still the only player of African-American descent on the PGA Tour. Next year, there will be two.

“That’s a whole lot better than it just being Tiger,” said Bramlett, the Saratoga native.

Three years after Bramlett won a national championship with the Stanford men’s golf team, he ran the 252-hole gantlet of PGA Qualifying School, surviving all three stages to earn his tour card by two shots on Monday.

“It’s definitely a pretty big deal that we’ve gotten another African American out there,” said Bramlett, 22. “I think that’s definitely a big step and something that should be acknowledged.”

Maybe just as startling a figure, Bramlett is the first African American to advance through Q-School since Adrian Stills did it 25 years ago. And that wasn’t lost on Bramlett, who spotted a GolfWeek story honoring the anniversary in the pro shop at Orlando’s Orange County National just before the grueling six-round final stage began.

“There’s definitely some inspiration in that,” Bramlett said.

Making it through all three stages of Q-School at the age of 22 is remarkable in its own right, especially considering the mad dash Bramlett made to squeeze inside the top 25 cutline Monday.

“You have to play very well for three separate tournaments, and you know you have to play well,” said former Stanford teammate Rob Grube, who has been bounced twice from Q-School.Bramlett began his final round outside the bubble, tied for 33rd place, before bogeying two of his first three holes to drift further away from his dream.

“I just basically told myself walking to the fourth tee that I have 15 holes to qualify for the PGA Tour, and that’s an opportunity I’ve never had,” Bramlett said.

Bramlett found his sea legs with a birdie on the fourth hole, before righting the ship with five straight birdies from holes 8-12. He played even par the rest of the way, shooting a final-round 4-under 68 to scale 17 spots up the leader board and safely earn his card by two strokes at 11-under overall.

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“It’s pretty cool that I get to call myself a member of the PGA Tour,” Bramlett said.

Woods congratulated his fellow Stanford Cardinal via Twitter as soon as Bramlett’s round was posted.

“It was like instantaneous,” Bramlett said. “That was pretty cool. That meant a lot to me. It’s nice to see that he was watching and knew what was going on.”

Woods also broadcast to his 300,000-plus followers that it was a “pretty amazing feat considering he sat out a whole year with (a) wrist injury.”

Bramlett, who won a tournament as a Stanford freshman and was a key cog in the team’s 2007 national championship run, was limited for the rest of his college career by two separate injuries to his right wrist.

“I’m 100 percent now,” Bramlett said. “No restraints anymore.”

Just a day after graduating in June, Bramlett was playing a U.S. Open practice round with Woods at Pebble Beach.

“He’s been more than willing to share all kinds of information about golf,” Bramlett said. “He’s been a great mentor.”

Both have African-American fathers and multiracial parents. Both had clubs in their cribs when they were 2. Both tore up the junior ranks, with Bramlett’s talent so evident he was offered a college scholarship when he was 10. Bramlett also became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur at just 14.

Both went to Stanford, and both look as if they could play other sports. Bramlett is a sleek 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. And both are sponsored by Nike.

“It’s going to be an extra challenge that a white golfer that got through Q-School isn’t going to have to face, but I think Joe’s fully capable of handling it,” Grube said.

Bramlett certainly won’t shy from his own high expectations.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play on the PGA Tour and win major championships,” Bramlett said. “I got the first half down. Hopefully I can keep it going and keep progressing.”

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The History Of African-American Golf Has Some Notable Milestones

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

The history of African-American golf has some notable milestones. In 1961, the fall of the PGA’s caucasian-only clause gave men like Charlie Sifford and Pete Brown a chance to play on the PGA Tour. In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African-American to play in the Masters. (Four years later, he was the first person of color to compete in a Ryder Cup.)

These milestones might only be known to hardcore golf fans, but everybody remembers Tiger Woods embracing his dad after winning the 1997 Masters. What Jim Nantz called “a win for the ages” had a unique significance for African-Americans like the World War II veteran who told me that Tiger’s win felt as good as when Joe Louis beat Max Schmeling in their 1938 rematch at Yankee Stadium. After Woods’s first victory at Augusta National, many African-American parents saw golf as a sport their children could play, just as Barack Obama’s election made the presidency seem possible.

This week we saw another milestone as 22-year-old Joseph Bramlett — multi-racial, Californian and Stanford-educated like Tiger — earned his PGA Tour card after six grueling rounds on two cold and windswept courses at the Orange County National Golf Center, outside Orlando. It had been 25 years since the last African American, Adrian Stills, had made it to the PGA Tour through Q-school.

Since Tiger’s emergence, we’ve heard a lot of discussion in the golf world about who would be the next great African-American player. For a long time, it appeared the “one” might be Tim O’Neal, who would have earned his Tour card in 2000 if not for a bogey/triple-bogey finish at Q-school. Since then, however, O’Neal has floundered, playing the Nationwide Tour sporadically and smaller mini-tours in the southeast.

It’s too soon to say how well Bramlett will do on the PGA Tour in 2011. He’ll be playing unfamiliar golf courses, and he’ll be on the road for 30-35 weeks. Without question, he’ll have some missteps, and he’ll miss some cuts. But he won’t be alone. The African-American golf world, which is barely visible to the mainstream golf world, will be with Bramlett every step of the way: in the galleries, following his rounds online and watching him on TV. The next time you’re following Tiger on the golf course, take notice of all the African-Americans behind the ropes with you.

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When I met Bramlett earlier this year at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, he sounded like Tiger in 1997, when Woods reminded the world of the Charlie Siffords and Lee Elders who had paved the way for him. Asked over and over again about his achievement at Q-school this year, Bramlett replied, “It’s been too long.”

When Bramlett was in high school, he played for several years in the Bill Dickey Invitational, a junior tournament for the top minority golfers in the country. Through his foundation, Dickey has awarded more than $2.9 million in college scholarships to more than 1,000 minority golfers. (I am a 1993 scholarship recipient.)

I visited with Dickey, who is in his early 80s, in Phoenix a few weeks before Q-school, and he told me to watch out for Bramlett. Dickey was as excited about Bramlett as he had been when Sifford, Elder, Calvin Peete and Jim Thorpe all became successful on the PGA Tour. He knew them all.

Now Dickey has Bramlett to root for, and the rest of the golf world should do the same. Professional golf should reflect the diversity of America. Let’s hope that Bramlett’s ascent this fall will mark the start of an influx of African Americans to the PGA Tour.

As Q-school came to a close and Bramlett made that last eight-footer to finish at 11-under and earn his card, I got a call from Dickey, who asked, “Did he make it? Did he make it?”

When I told him that Bramlett had made it with a shot to spare, Dickey was overjoyed. For a moment we said nothing and just took in the totality of the moment.

After that I traded texts with Bramlett’s father, Marlo, who was so worried that he couldn’t sleep the night before his son’s final round. Marlo said he hadn’t made the trip to Florida because he didn’t want to make his son nervous. When I gave him the good news, Marlo said simply, “You know what I’m feeling.”

I did know. For Marlo, as a dad and an African-American, his son’s achievement was more than just a success on the golf course. It was another important milestone in the long, hard road toward a better and more diverse pro game.

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Tiger Woods Has The Talent To Play Better Than Any Other PGA Tour Player

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

As you surely know, Tiger Woods has had his problems recently. He is getting back in contention.

He still has the talent to play better than any other PGA Tour player. Once he is passed his recent challenges, I don’t see a reason why he shouldn’t win again.

He started last week 65-66, and led by four shots. Let’s see how strong he is mentally. What he has been through is enough to tear anyone up. He is recovering from a family incident, not just a personal one.

Tiger has had a psychologist with him since he was nine years old. He has the answers. He just has to believe all the personal problems are behind him. He will renew his better ball-striking.

I am surprised he hasn’t gone back to one of his former coaches, Butch Harmon or Hank Haney. His new coach is Canadian, I believe.

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One big advantage for Tiger playing at Sherwood Oaks, although the length of the course is shorter than many of the PGA golf courses, 7027 yards, is there are five par 5s. Tiger can reach all of them in two shots. In fact, he has birdied all of these holes in the first two rounds.

The new PGA season starts in January. Expect Tiger to play in a couple of tournaments before he puts it all together so he will be ready for The Masters. His goal is winning majors. It is going to be an interesting year. He may have it all together in 2011, but I expect him to be back in full form by the year 2012.

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Woods Carded A Six-under Par 66 Without A Bogey On Friday

Saturday, December 4th, 2010

Tiger Woods hasn’t spent much time atop the leaderboard in 2010, but the 14-time major champion was feeling right at home there at the World Challenge tournament.

Woods carded a six-under par 66 without a bogey on Friday to stretch his lead to four strokes over US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

The former world number one’s total of 13-under 131 is six shots better than his best 36-hole total on the US PGA Tour this season – 137 at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Woods hasn’t won a tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters and this unofficial 18-player event, which Woods hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation, is the US superstar’s last chance to snag a victory in 2010, a year that started amid scandal and saw his struggles on the course mirror his personal travails.

Until this week, Woods’ only appearance atop a leaderboard this year was a share of first place after the first round of The Barclays.

“It feels good,” Woods said of leading for two straight days. “I’ve been here before, so it’s not a strange feeling.

“It’s just one of those things where tomorrow is the same game plan, just go out there and plot my way along and take care of the par-fives.”

Woods kickstarted his round with an eagle at the 531-yard, par-five second hole, where he stuck his approach from the edge of the fairway within 10 feet.

In two days, Woods has played the 10 par-fives at Sherwood Country Club in 10-under.

“I didn’t hit the ball quite as sharp as I did yesterday, but I felt better with the putter,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of pure putts, made a bunch of five- and six-footers all day today.”

McDowell carded a 69 for 135, while Rory McIlroy, like McDowell from Northern Ireland, took double-bogey at the final hole and settled for a 70 that put him on 136, alongside England’s Luke Donald (66).

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McDowell, who is playing for the sixth straight week in a year-end continent-hopping schedule – said he was pleased to squeeze as much as he did out of his round, his eight birdies countering three bogeys and a double-bogey six at the ninth.

“Not my best ball-striking round today,” McDowell said. “Played great yesterday, had it on a string, and today I wasn’t quite sure where it was going to go. But hung tough … to shoot three-under and not play my best, I’m pretty happy with that.”

Woods, who started the day with a one-stroke lead over McIlroy and McDowell, followed up his early eagle with birdies at par-four fourth, the par-five fifth, the par-five 11th and the par-five 16th.

“Because there’s five, and on top of that they’re all really reachable, I just felt that’s so important to play those holes well,” Woods said of the par-fives.

At the par-three third, Woods was unhappy with his drive, which found a mown swale left of the green. He elected to putt up to the green, then saved par with a three-footer.

As on Thursday, he was pleased with his ability to recover from any poor shots, something he struggled to do earlier this season as he worked to solidify swing changes he was making with Canadian coach Sean Foley.

“I was able to piece it together and figure out how to hit better shots when I was struggling a little bit,” he said. “That was nice.”

McIlroy played with Woods and stayed close for much of the day. His hopes of applying real pressure faded, however, with a bogey at the par-five 16th, where his tee shot flew over the pin and landed behind the green.

His chip left him 20 feet away. He came close on his birdie attempt, then his putt to save par from inside three feet circled the cup but failed to drop.

McIlroy got back to 10-under with a birdie at 17, but at 18 his approach was over the green and he ended up two-putting from 35 feet.

Donald joined McIlroy on 136 with a round that featured eight birdies – including five straight from the 10th – and a double-bogey at 17.

England’s Paul Casey recorded a hole-in-one at the 188-yard 12th, where he was able to see his seven-iron find the cup.

American Bubba Watson, playing in the opening group after a first-round 76, holed his second shot at the par-five 16th for a rare double-eagle.

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Woods Didn’t Make A Bogey Until 18 At Sherwood Country Club

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Mark Stevens, the PGA Tour official, unintentionally summed it up. “Welcome back, Tiger,” was Stevens’ greeting as Woods sat down in the interview room.

Yes, welcome back to golf without agony, to a place atop a leaderboard, to a feeling that the pain and doubt of the last year had been overcome. At last.

On a Thursday in the Southern California sunshine, Tiger Woods was the golfer we once knew and very likely will know again, hitting them pure and long, taking control of a tournament, even if only his little charity event, the $5 million Chevron World Challenge with its 18-player field.

Woods didn’t make a bogey until 18 at Sherwood Country Club, shooting an opening-round 7-under 65 that gave him the sole lead for the first time anywhere since he won the Australian Masters in November 2009.

“He looked ominously good,” said Graeme McDowell.

To those involved in the marketing and selling of golf, especially the television networks, you could make that wonderfully good.

Tennis without Nadal and Federer? Pro basketball without LeBron and Kobe? That was golf without Tiger Woods, who, after his car crash Thanksgiving weekend of ‘09 and subsequent revelations of a scandalous private life, fell from grace and from the pinnacle of his sport.

McDowell – he fits so well into this tale – and fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy were tied for second at 66, while Dustin Johnson and Stewart Cink shared fourth at 69.

At the finish of his worst year since turning pro in 1996, a year without a victory, a year of self-created personal torment, a year of switching teaching pros when his self-belief ebbed, Woods perhaps was showing how he might start the next year.

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“If you play well,” said Woods, “it does give you a shot of confidence. I’ve played well in this event. I’ve won it (four) times and I’ve gone on to get off to quick starts the following year. … It gives you a shot of confidence going into your practice sessions over the offseason because you know what you were doing was working.”

What McDowell did in December 2009 at Sherwood, on the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains some 40 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, was take advantage of an opportunity.

Woods, back in Florida, banged up physically, banged up mentally, withdrew from the Chevron. McDowell, en route to his part-time home in Florida from tournaments in Asia, landed at L.A. International and was invited to step in for Woods.

The points McDowell earned from his second-place finish pushed him into the top 50 of the world rankings and got him into the Masters. With a different outlook, McDowell won the Wales Open in late May and then two weeks later took the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

“There’s no doubt, getting the invite from the Tiger Woods Foundation kind of shaped the start of my season,” said McDowell. “I played quite consistently. I finished sixth in Doral, which I probably wouldn’t have been in if I hadn’t played as well in the Chevron, got to the Masters. In the end, when I got to Pebble Beach, I was 48th in the world, so if I don’t finish second here, perhaps I miss the U.S. Open, and I’m not here right now after having a dream season.”

For Woods, who will turn 35 on Dec. 30, the season has been a nightmare. Yet now there is reason to dream. He birdied all five of the par-5s at Sherwood.

“I made only one putt, at 9,” Tiger pointed out. “It was a good ball-striking day.”

Except the tee ball on the ninth, which he drove behind a tree, drawing a reminder from Tiger’s instructor since July, Sean Foley. “Yeah,” conceded Woods of his goof, “the old residual patterns.”

Golf is difficult to learn, more difficult to unlearn. A new swing feels uncomfortable until, well, it feels comfortable. Until a golfer trusts it. Tiger seemingly is doing just that after a struggle.

“It’s a process,” said Woods. “I was putting together streaks of holes earlier, two, three, four, five holes like this, and then I’d lose it for a little bit. I needed to get a full round and then eventually a full tournament. And today was a full round, so that’s a good start.”

Woods hasn’t changed. He still walks the fairways with his head down in concentration. Woods has changed. He signed autographs for quite a while after the round as a gallery remarkably large for what is a fancy exhibition screamed his name over and over.

Mark Stevens, the PGA official, wasn’t offering editorial commentary on Tiger’s arrival. By “Welcome back,” Stevens specifically meant a return to the media center, where Woods, had appeared Tuesday.

But the broader inference was no less acceptable. Welcome back to golf, Tiger. You’ve been gone too long.

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Tiger Woods’ Annual News Conference At Sherwood Country Club

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

There were lots of flashbulbs and smiles and public relations folks and reporters and questions and answers, but there was no news at Tiger Woods’ annual news conference Tuesday at his Chevron World Challenge tournament at Sherwood Country Club.

Woods might as well have read from a prepared script like he did in his first apology in person last February after months of scandalous revelations and infidelities that led to divorce. He took no questions then. He didn’t really answer questions in a thought-provoking way Tuesday.

Tiger Woods still doesn’t want to reveal much about himself nor about the past year.

What a shame.

After each season, Woods always evaluates his golf game. In the past, his bottom line came in asking this question: Have I improved?

After an awful year on the course – in which he didn’t win an event – and off the course – scandal that led to the demise of his marriage – he had a different evaluation process.

“As a golfer, I learned so much more this year than any other year, and as a person infinitely more,” Woods said. “So, it’s been a very successful year even though it was a very painful year as well.”

Next.

He’s not ready to let us in, and if it hasn’t happened after the year he’s had, it’s never going to happen. Woods has been guarded his whole career.

A little insight would be nice, but Woods is playing it close to the vest.

The most

embarrassing and horrifying details about his life, hundreds of them, already have been revealed. It couldn’t get worse. Or could it?Why go into shutdown mode after experiencing the worst things imaginable?

Doesn’t becoming a better person include being more thoughtful and insightful? If he told his story, really told his story, and it helped just one person, wouldn’t it be worth it?

We just know it was a difficult year, and he’s learned from it. We don’t know the whys or hows, and that’s the way Woods is crafting his message.

Everything is at arm’s length. He’s learned to continue to keep the wall resurrected.

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Focusing on golf wasn’t easy.

“Harder than anyone could ever imagine, unless you’ve actually gone through it before yourself,” Woods said.

And that was it. End of answer. He was seemingly just getting started.

Next question.

He says he’s a better person for taking a look at himself and that he’s changed.

“It’s been difficult, but also it’s been very rewarding at the same time,” Woods said. “It forced me to look deeper into myself and look where – how I grew up and how those things didn’t match with the person who I am and getting back to that, getting back to how my parents raised me, basically.”

Woods said he never seriously considered retiring from golf and pursuing a new career, or just hibernating, but he could just as easily wear a suit and be a public relations expert just as he does swing a golf club.

It’s clear that Woods doesn’t believe his story is good therapy.

Look at Josh Hamilton. He revealed his deepest demons with drugs and alcohol and women. He wasn’t proud of what he had done. And when he fell off the wagon, he talked about that, too.

You know how many people that must have resonated with? Recovering alcoholics might have figured everything was perfect for Hamilton, the Texas Rangers’ center fielder who won the Most Valuable Player award in the American League this season. His revelations showed his struggles are like that of anyone else.

Woods doesn’t have to reveal one iota about his life. We’re entitled to nothing. The problem is that we already know hundreds of details.

There’s really nothing left to hide that TMZ hasn’t uncovered.

What a departure from a year ago when Woods skipped the event to deal with injuries following the car accident heard around the world.

Each day of the tournament a new mistress seemingly surfaced.

How about a new Tiger surfacing this year?

He may be new and better, but he won’t say how or why.

Some folks like to tell their story, but Woods’ recovery isn’t about baring his soul, not even a little bit, with the public.

Here’s his theory on what golf fans want to see this year.

“I’d like to see me win more tournaments,” Woods said. “As a golf fan, yes.”

Oh wait, Tiger. We were talking about golf viewers, not the players.

“I am a viewer,” he said.

Sponsors are considering adding Woods back on their cereal boxes and promoting their products.

Asked why he should be a pitchman again, Woods said this: “I think I’ve helped out brands in the past as well as currently.”

No CEO in the world would take him back, based on that flimsy response.

As for adding more tournaments, Woods was equally evasive.

“Well, we’ll see what the schedule holds,” Woods said. “There are a lot of things that we’re trying to adapt to, our new living conditions. That’s most important. I still want to play golf at a high level and win golf tournaments. But it’s about getting a balance and trying to find what the right balance is going forward. That’s the key.”

Finding the key to unlock Tiger Woods and his innermost thoughts would be nice, too.

It’s not happening.

Tiger Woods might have changed his life, but he’s still as guarded as ever.

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Tiger Woods Lost More Than Consciousness After Hitting That Fire Hydrant And Tree

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Tiger Woods lost more than consciousness after hitting that fire hydrant and tree in his neighbor’s yard a year ago.

The scandal the accident exposed, the tales of marital infidelity it shook loose, led to one staggering loss after another. The accident led to losses of treasures both tangible and intangible.

It will be remembered as the year the greatest winner of this generation was humbled by all he lost.

Woods lost his No. 1 world ranking and a 14-year streak of winning at least one PGA Tour title.

He lost his swing and his clutch putting stroke.

He lost millions of dollars in endorsements.

He lost the favor of much of sports fandom. His Sports Q Score as measured by the research firm Marketing Evaluations showed his fall from the top of its list of most “likable” athletes for the first time in a decade. Woods plummeted to 25th in the rankings.

Woods also lost his wife and his marriage in a divorce.

“I feel for him, I really do,” three-time PGA Tour winner Chris DiMarco said. “What he did, I’m disappointed. From a moral aspect, I feel disappointed. But for him to have to go through it like he’s going through it in the public eye, it’s tough. I don’t think anyone deserves that. He’s a great asset to the PGA Tour. He kept this train rolling for years and years. He’s made a lot of us a lot of money. There’s no doubt that when he’s at his best, he drives everything, ticket sales, TV network ratings, everything.”

Woods’ losses didn’t just change his life, they changed golf.

At his best, Woods left little room for the opposition to thrive.

His giant shadow darkened the careers of so many of his foes, stunting growth and choking possibilities.

Woods didn’t just beat his would-be rivals. He beat them down. He won majors by 15, 12 and eight shots. Where might Sergio Garcia be today if Woods wasn’t there blocking so many pathways to major championships? How many more majors might Ernie Els have won?

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Nobody since Jack Nicklaus possessed a game as intimidating as Woods.

That’s changed, dramatically.

While Woods appears to have lost the confidence that made him so formidable, his competition’s gaining it.

We’ve heard it in the boldest terms the last few months.

“I would love to face Tiger,” Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy said in the weeks leading up to the Ryder Cup. “Unless his game rapidly improves, I think anyone in the European team would fancy his chances against him.”

While expecting Woods will come back and win more majors, PGA Tour veteran Scott Verplank followed up last week on the bravado he’s sensing from fellow tour pros.

“All I know is that the world’s a lot different than it used to be,” Verplank said. “As talented as Tiger is, I would suspect he’s going to find his golf game. But I think his shield of invincibility has been dissolved. I think it’s been dissolved some on the golf course, too. I don’t think guys are really all that worried about him.”

DiMarco, Els and others say they fully expect Woods will regain his winning form, but he’ll have to beat an emboldened opposition to do so.

When Woods veered into his neighbor’s yard a year ago, he was No. 1 in the world with a ranking of 15.937 average points. Phil Mickelson was a distant second, almost seven points behind. The point differential between Woods and Mickelson back then was the same as between Mickelson and the 70th ranked player in the world.

What Woods lost, others are lining up to gain. The territory Woods once occupied is now open to the challenge of new dominions.

England’s Lee Westwood took over at No. 1 in the world rankings last month with Woods’ latest streak at the top ending after a record 281 consecutive weeks.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open), South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (British Open) and Germany’s Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship) won the last three majors of the year.

Without Woods carrying the banner for the PGA Tour, the European Tour is thriving on the verge of what could be its new golden era.

Westwood, McDowell, Oosthuizen and Kaymer all helped the European Tour raise its stature.

At the start of the 2008 season, just two Europeans ranked among the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and England’s Justin Rose. Today, six of the top 10 hail from Europe.

A new youth movement in Europe, Asia and the United States is poised to make its mark without Woods there to squash it.

Kaymer just won his major at 25, Oosthuizen at 27. American Dustin Johnson looks like he could join them before turning 26 next year. The popularity of 21-year-olds McIlroy and American Rickie Fowler is growing swiftly. Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa (19) and Italy’s Matteo Manassero (17) may find more room to be major factors with Woods failing to challenge.

Matt Kuchar enjoyed a career year and is a candidate to win PGA Tour Player of the Year despite winning just once this season.

Jim Furyk won three times this year and claimed the FedEx Cup and will be the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year if Kuchar isn’t.

There was so much more to be won this last year without Woods appearing to win everything, but it’s a year that will be remembered for what was lost. More than anything, it’s a year defined by what Woods lost.

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The Crash Came In The Wake Of A National Enquirer Story About Tiger Cheating On Elin

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

In the early morning hours after last Thanksgiving, a barefoot Tiger Woods left his home, quickly pulled his Cadillac Escalade out of his Windermere, Fla., driveway and made an awkward, unnatural 210-degree turn into a tree and a fire hydrant.

By the time the cops came, his wife, Elin, had smashed his back windows out with a golf club and mentioned Tiger may be on Ambien. Then his world exploded.

The crash came in the wake of a National Enquirer story about Tiger cheating on Elin. It caused a tidal wave of mistresses to step forward in a nearly unprecedented tabloid fury. There were wild tales from VIP hostesses and porn stars. There were cringe-inducing admissions about a college-aged neighbor and the waitress at the local Perkins where Tiger and Elin used to go and read the newspaper.

Just like that, the carefully crafted, clean-cut image of Tiger Woods – world’s best golfer and million-dollar pitchman – came apart.

And it turns out that wasn’t even the worst of it.

It’s a year later and, quite incredibly, the Woods saga continues – the latest misstep was a series of widely panned media appearances that many considered scripted and lacking sincerity. Tiger hasn’t won a golf tournament since the wreck and continues to employ a management team that has proven incapable of rehabbing his image.

One Thanksgiving later and he’s still treading water – albeit now a divorced father of two and, quite possibly, actually a happier, healthier and better-adjusted person. Yet that isn’t what everyone will be joking about this weekend.

The image of Elin supposedly chasing him with a golf club remains.

Let’s start with this caveat: it shouldn’t matter what Tiger Woods does with his private life. Other than the car wreck – for which he received a fine – it’s not a public matter. OK, no problem. Leave him alone. We all agree.

Only this is 2010 America and Woods made hundreds of millions selling the public on his perfect persona. Maybe people shouldn’t care but they instinctively do and there is an entire machine that will crank on to feed that appetite. A completely innocent 4-year-old Suri Cruise shouldn’t stare back at us from the 7-Eleven magazine rack either, but there she is.

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You can wish reality away or deal with it. Tiger clearly wants to win this battle. It’s just the plan of attack he and his team have taken to show they are naïve to think this was still 2008 and everyone would love Tiger because he’s Tiger. That works during actual tournament play, but only because golf galleries cheer everyone. It’s the nature of the fans.

Even then, for every roar of approval I heard when following Tiger this year, there were just as many snide remarks and dirty jokes that followed. He’s still more punch line than sporting hero.

There are two proven ways for Woods to get his public life back on track:

1. Appear honest, open and willing to discuss his shortcomings, admit his mistakes and be at the mercy of what are normally forgiving people. In short, look human. Give fans something. Sincerity works. The reaction from his repeated attempts says that hasn’t come through.

2. Win. Remind the public why they liked him in the first place.

Considering the amount of money he can (and does) spend on image consultants it’s unbelievable he’s failed at the first task. Considering that a year ago he was thought of as, if not the greatest golfer of all time, then at least in the top three, it’s just as unbelievable he can’t do the second either.

Tiger needs a new management team. And a new (or old) swing.

As crazed as the Woods scandal was, celebrities routinely overcome similar or even bigger indiscretions. San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker is in the middle of a tabloid scandal for cheating on his wife, actress Eva Longoria. Monday he scored 24 points and dished 10 assists as the Spurs won their 11th consecutive game. The crowd passionately cheered for him. Scandal? What scandal?

Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault, never missed a game and returned to iconic NBA status. Ray Lewis was accused of being involved in a street fight that led to the death of two people. He’s back to beloved NFL star and corporate pitchman. Michael Vick was imprisoned for his part in a brutal, interstate dog-fighting operation. He’s now the talk of football.

In Hollywood, Charlie Sheen is a weekly news-making mess. The ratings for “Two and a Half Men” remain strong (a mystery in itself, but that’s a different column). Hugh Grant once cheated on Elizabeth Hurley by picking up a Los Angeles street prostitute. He offered a mea culpa on the “Tonight Show” and went back to starring in romantic comedies.

Then there’s the roller coaster that is Bill Clinton.

Yet Tiger flounders on.

Woods has come across as insincere to much (not all, but enough) of the public. They routinely reject even the suggestion that he’s handled his marital failures in a manner more honest and direct and profound than so many others.

Let’s recap here: Tiger voluntarily left the PGA Tour. He twice entered intense rehab facilities which, judging on the testimonies of past patients, feature powerful and painful treatment. He appeared, at least to me, to desperately want to restore his family. He never just shrugged it off. He beats himself up in public – albeit in an uncomfortable monotone.

Yet even the suggestion that Tiger is trying to be a better person over the past year leads to a flood of emails claiming I’m naïve and it was all done only in an effort to save his endorsement potential.

This is the hole Tiger Woods hasn’t been able to dig himself out from. By not addressing the situation in a way and at a level the public wants, he’s been unable to move on. It appears the burden of that has, in turn, hindered his once indomitable golf game.

One year ago we discovered a new side of Tiger Woods. We’re still waiting to see the new, new side. Then much of the public can get back to dealing with him in the old way.

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Sean Foley Is Ready To Step Into The Spotlight

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

Sean Foley is ready to step into the spotlight.

The man overseeing the latest set of changes to Tiger Woods’s golf swing remains something of an unknown outside of the golf industry — even in Canada, where he was born, raised and first started teaching the game.

But that has slowly started to change since striking up a working relationship with Woods in August.

“There’s recognition in airports and restaurants, and that never happened before,” Foley said in a recent interview. “People say ‘that’s got to be so annoying.’ But I created it, I said yes (when asked to work with Woods) and I could have said no. You have to embrace it and take it on.

“This is when your principals and character (are important). Who you tell people you are and what you believe about yourself, this is when it’s tested.”

In fact, Foley is hoping to take his profile to another level. The 36-year-old from Burlington, Ont., has signed on with sports agency The Wasserman Group — looking for agent Chris Armstrong to “drum up business” — and released his first instructional DVD, entitled “The Next Generation.”

Foley has previously relied solely on the quality of his work to speak for itself.

“I’ve never really built my brand,” he said. “I still don’t have a website.”

The desire to start brand building comes at an interesting time for Foley — and not just because he’s now working with Woods. Some have recently criticized his teaching methods, accusing him of borrowing heavily from the “Stack and Tilt” swing developed by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.

Foley has been around the PGA Tour since getting hired by Calgary’s Stephen Ames four years ago. He also works with Sean O’Hair, Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose, among others, but only recently started hearing negative things about his style.

“It never happened until I started working with Tiger,” he said.

Foley is the first to acknowledge that he’s studied up on what others are teaching, both about golf and life. He’s well-versed on a variety of subjects — referencing everyone from Gandhi to Bob Marley to Deepak Chopra to Phil Jackson during a 30-minute interview — and aims to pass on whatever he can to his pupils.

He readily acknowledges that the foundation for his knowledge on the golf swing comes from others.

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“My job is to help people so why would I not tap into every educational source?” said Foley. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m going to figure it all out on my own. Looking at (David) Leadbetter’s stuff and Butch (Harmon’s) stuff and Chuck Cook, Mac O’Grady, Mark Evershed and Stack and Tilt and all that. It’s my job to know that.

“If you’ve done this for 16 years and you’re smart and you’re passionate about helping people, you will all find the same points.”

Foley still manages to stand out. He’s supremely confident in his ability and has no qualms about doing things his own way.

It’s something Armstrong plans to use to his advantage as he seeks out ways to start growing Foley’s brand.

“We strongly believe that with Sean’s contemporary and innovative approach to golf instruction, his candid and dynamic personality, and commitment to using his success as a platform to affect change in the lives of those who are less fortunate, his brand has great appeal to both the corporate and non-profit sectors,” Armstrong wrote in an email. “I have no doubt that he will have opportunities both inside and outside of the sport of golf — endorsements, corporate outings, public speaking engagements, and literary works to suggest a few.”

The release of his DVD on Monday was the first step. Produced by brother Kevin Foley and Toronto-based Project 10 Productions, “The Next Generation” offers 90 minutes of insight and tips to improve the golf swing.

The advice isn’t much different than what he gives to his top clients on a regular basis.

“I was teaching a 15 handicap the other day and I was working on the same thing that I’m trying to get Sean O’Hair to do,” said Foley. “Now, when they both do it well, it looks completely different. But it helps them equally.”

The arc of Foley’s career has been pretty dramatic. Prior to starting his work with Ames in 2006, he served as the director of player development for the ClubLink Academy out of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont.

Now just four years later, he’s got one of the highest-profile jobs in the sport.

While Foley always envisioned himself in his current position, he acknowledges that some fortunate timing also played a role in his success. Reflecting on that helps keep him grounded.

“There’s many people who have done the same thing and just didn’t get the opportunity,” he said. “That kind of takes the arrogance out of it, where you feel like you’re just amazing, because you realize that if Stephen Ames doesn’t come down (and hire him), who knows?

“I might be back at Glen Abbey right now.”

Ultimately, he doesn’t think he’s changed very much since his days as a junior instructor in Canada. The only thing that’s different is the way others view him — and that’s never much mattered to Foley.

“If someone tells me how great I am and how amazing I am, it doesn’t make me feel any better than I do already,” he said. “If someone tells me that I’m a marketing machine and I’ve stolen all my information from other people, then that doesn’t bother me either.

“Because I’m not amazing and I’m not great and I’m not shit — I’m in the middle somewhere.”

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Tiger Woods Blamed His Success At Golf For His String Of Affairs Yesterday

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

Lover cheat Tiger Woods yesterday blamed his success at golf for his string of affairs.
The 34-year-old sporting superstar said his dominance on the fairways made him feel “invincible”.

And he became so “self-centred” that he forgot about the effect of his behaviour on those he loved most.

Dad-of-two Woods – divorced by wife Elin Nordegren in a million settlement – revealed he took a good look at himself after he was exposed as a serial adulterer.

He admitted: “At first, I didn’t want to look inward. Frankly, I was scared of what I would find, what I had become.

“But I’m grateful I did examine my life because it has made me more grounded than I’ve ever been. I hope with reflection will come wisdom.”

The golfer, whose form has slumped since his philandering was disclosed, opened his heart by penning an article in America’s Newsweek magazine.

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He wrote: “Golf is a self-centred game, in ways good and bad. So much depends on one’s own abilities.

“But for me, that self-reliance made me think I could tackle the world by myself. It made me think that if I was successful in golf, then I was invincible.”

Woods apologised to his family for the pain caused by his affairs.

They came to light when nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel came forward to tell all.

A string of other mistresses then stepped forward from the shadows, including porn stars and blonde cocktail waitress Jamie Jungers.

Woods talked about the “complex and unsettling” pain in his soul.

And he wrote: “I can never truly repair the damage I’ve done, especially to my family. But I can keep trying.

“I’m not the same man I was a year ago. And that’s a good thing.”

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Tiger Woods Took His Twitter Account For A Spin

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Tiger Woods took his Twitter account for a spin on Wednesday, trying out the social networking site and deciding “I think I like this twitter thing”.

Woods, who is coming up on the one-year anniversary of the mysterious car crash that led to sensational revelations of marital infidelity and a spectacular fall from grace, apparently has decided to take another step to get closer to his fans.

“What’s up everyone. Finally decided to try out twitter!” tweeted Woods, who has had the account since 2009.

Woods then confirmed he was tweeting himself.

“Yep, it’s me. I think I like this twitter thing. You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the love.”

Twitter wasn’t the only place on the Internet where Woods could be found on Wednesday.

Newsweek magazine posted a piece authored by the golfer titled “How I’ve Redefined Victory.”

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Woods writes that prior to last November “I had been conducting my personal life in an artificial way — as if detached from the values my upbringing had taught, and that I should have embraced.”

Woods, whose marriage to Elin Nordegren ended over the scandal, said that at first he was “scared” to look inward.

“But I’m grateful that I did examine my life because it has made me more grounded than I’ve ever been,” he added.

Woods writes of the pleasure of looking after his children, daughter Sam and son Charlie.

And he says he has been “amazed by the considerate, encouraging words I hear” from fans, not only on the golf course but when he’s out and about shopping or in a restaurant.

“I’m not the same man I was a year ago,” Woods concludes. “And that’s a good thing.”

Woods, who hasn’t won a title this year, lost his world number one ranking this month to Englishman Lee Westwood.

He failed to defend his Australian Masters title last week. He plays one more tournament this year, the Chevron World Challenge unofficial event that he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation.

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Tiger Woods Has Teed Off In The First Round Of The Australian Masters

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Tiger Woods has teed off in the first round of the Australian Masters at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne.

A small crowd gathered to watch the world number two in an early tee off with Australians Robert Allenby and Brett Rumford, but it was nothing like the rapturous welcome he received in Melbourne  last year.

Woods has not won a tournament since the sex scandal which broke out after he won last year’s Australian Masters.

He began the day behind the pace, a few shots off par, as Aussie Alistair Presnell took an early lead.

Tiger ‘lured by Brumby’

For Woods, the Masters has greater significance than the $1.5 million in prizemoney or the $US3 million appearance fee he gets partly funded by the Victorian government win, lose or draw.

Premier John Brumby has been criticised for spending the state’s funds to attract the golfer, as Victorians go to the polls.

Apart from being the last tournament Woods won, it was after his appearance in Melbourne a year ago that his life began to unravel with allegations he’d been joined by a woman with whom he had been conducting one of several extra-marital affairs.

But after surveying the Masters’ course in the pro-am at Victoria Golf Club on Wednesday, Woods dismissed any negative memories of his last visit as he picked up some lost ground on the personal front.

Personal questions brushed off

Woods fielded questions on his personal life with a polite swerve and disarming smile, saying he had returned without any mixed emotions.

“Actually, I wanted to come back,” Woods said.

“I love it down here, I always have.

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“I’m just here to defend the title, I’m here to play a great golf course …. that’s how I’m looking at it.”

Not surprisingly, Woods was more comfortable chatting about what had happened to his game.

The player who until a year ago was a contender in virtually every tournament he played said he had embarked on the fourth swing revamp of his career for simple reasons.

“I needed to get better,” he said.

“I look at it in the sense of ‘would I like to be number one in the world again?’

“Yes, obviously.

“How did I get there? I won golf tournaments.

“How did I remain there? I won golf tournaments.”

Despite that, Woods said he had agonised over going to a new coach and submitting himself to a new regime.

As a result he had interrogated new coach Sean Foley before enlisting his help.

“I had to believe what I was doing was the right thing, that’s why I talked to Sean for hours and picked his brain,” he said.

“Every night I was trying to figure out should I actually do this or not because I know what an undertaking it is.

“I know how much effort it takes, how many swings you have to make in the mirror, how many things you have to think about.”

In Woods’ favour at the Australian Masters is the glimpse off form he showed playing in China last week – and the faith that comes from winning 14 major championships.

“I know I can still play this game,” Woods said.

“The passion is always there.”

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Tiger Woods Will Defends His Title At The Australian Masters This Week

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Tiger Woods will have no special protection from heckling fans when he defends his title at the Australian Masters in Melbourne this week.

Australian media reported that anybody who heckled the former world number one over his well publicised extra-marital affairs would be ejected from the Victoria Golf Club after one warning.

“There is absolutely no specific policy directed towards Tiger Woods,” tournament director Marcus Gale told Reuters by telephone from the course on Tuesday.

“We expect all spectators to be courteous as they have always been here, a fact that Tiger commented upon last year.

“He won’t be treated any differently from any other player in this regard. We have the same policy for the 120th ranked player as for the top ranked player in this field.”

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It was just after winning the Australian Masters last year that the first stories about Woods’s personal life broke, quickly developing into a storm that wrecked his marriage, tarnished his clean-cut image and caused him to take a break from golf.

Gale said there were no hard and fast rules over how to deal with hecklers at the Australian Masters.

“It would be silly to adopt a one warning and you’re out policy and not look at every issue on a case-by-case basis,” he added.

Organisers were not in any case anticipating problems from the 70,000-100,000 fans expected to flock to the course for the event, Gale said.

Woods arrived in Australia on Tuesday for the $1.5 million tournament, which starts on Thursday, after finishing sixth at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai last weekend.

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The Landscape Of Golf Has Changed At The HSBC Champions

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

The players and the props showed just how much the landscape of golf has changed at the HSBC Champions.

A year ago, Tiger Woods (FSY) and Phil Mickelson (FSY) sat across from each other in a mock game of Chinese checkers to kick off the festivities in this final World Golf Championship. They stood out as the top two players in the world. There was little argument about that.

Now it’s a lot more crowded.

This time, tournament organizers brought Woods, Mickelson, Lee Westwood (FSY) and PGA champion Martin Kaymer (FSY) to Shanghai’s riverfront in the famous Bund district. They were equipped with swords, and they struck a pose to celebrate the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi.

It was a bit dramatic, but the point had been made.

Golf finally has a real battle for No. 1 in the world, and it figures to play out at Sheshan International over the next four days.

“It’s an interesting time for golf,” said Westwood, who ended Woods’ record reign at No. 1 in the world. “It’s a lot more interesting when it’s more volatile with who can become world No. 1. Martin has obviously played very consistently just recently. Tiger and Phil have been at the top of the world rankings for a while, as I have myself. I think for the neutral (fan) who doesn’t normally watch golf, it’s captured their imagination.”

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This used to be the time of year when players chase appearance money in exotic locations, wanting to win for pride but without the kind of pressure found during the summer.

That might not be the case when the HSBC Champions starts Thursday.

“It’s exciting, I’m sure, for the public,” Woods said. “But as far as the players are concerned, I think everyone still has the same focus, and that’s to win tournaments. That’s how we got into the position we’re at, how we got our ranking as high as the top four players in the world. We were able to win golf tournaments. That’s why we’re here doing that.”

Woods is no longer No. 1, nor has he looked like it for most of the year. He has gone 51 weeks and 12 tournaments without a victory, the longest drought of his career. At stake this week is trying to avoid getting shut out on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career. This also is the only World Golf Championship he has not won.

“I’ve come close,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, I just haven’t done it yet.”

He wasn’t particularly close last year, despite playing in the final group with Mickelson. Woods’ game blew up on the front nine to fall from contention, and Mickelson held on for a one-shot win over Ernie Els (FSY).

Westwood hasn’t been playing much at all.

He put himself in position to be No. 1 by finishing second in the British Open at St. Andrews despite a calf injury that was affecting his ankle. Since then, Westwood has played only six rounds in stroke play and four matches in the Ryder Cup.

If he doesn’t finish ahead of Woods or Kaymer — and possibly Mickelson — he most likely won’t be No. 1 by the end of the week. That wouldn’t be such a disgrace. The first time Woods reached No. 1, he lasted only one week.

Kaymer had a chance last week if he had finished among the top two in Spain, but he tied for 21st. What makes the German stand out are his victories this year. He not only won the PGA Championship in a playoff at Whistling Straits but had three other titles on the European Tour, making him the most prolific winner this year.

He also leads the European Tour’s money list and has a chance to become the first German to win the Order of Merit since Bernhard Langer (FSY) in 1984, a few months before Kaymer was born.

“I think Tiger, the last 10 years or last 12 years, he’s the No. 1 in the world,” Kaymer said. “I think in everybody’s head, he’s still the best player in the world. Of course, he’s playing not so good at the moment. When people say I’m playing like the No. 1 in the world at the moment, it’s nice to hear. But officially, Lee Westwood is the No. 1.”

It can be tough to keep track, although it ultimately comes down to great golf.

The rough is thick again at Sheshan International, and the greens are relatively firm from a recent cold spell in Shanghai. And while there is so much emphasis on the current version of the “Big Four,” the field is strong as ever, typical of a world championship.

It features 15 of the top 20 in the world, with most of the absentees being Americans who choose not to play or travel this time of the year —Steve Stricker (FSY), Jim Furyk (FSY), Dustin Johnson (FSY) and Zach Johnson (FSY). The other is British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (FSY), still recovering from an ankle injury.

Mickelson has won the HSBC Champions twice in the last three years. He finally is fully healthy for the first time since he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. And despite failing to get to No. 1 over the last six months, he is still in the mix.

“I would love to accomplish that, but the only way to do that is play good golf,” Mickelson said. “And the only way to do that is to not worry about it and try to make some birdies. This is a tournament that has a lot of world ranking points, one of the strongest fields in golf, on a course that I’ve played well on in the past. I feel like I can put together a good week here and compete for the title.”

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The 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions Golf Tournament At Shanghai

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Shanghai is hosting Asia’s Major this weekend, Nov. 4-7

Shanghai cocktail waitresses better beware, one of the most efficient, prolific predators on Earth, Panthera tigris golfus, is on the prowl, and groundbreaking new research late last year revealed you to be his preferred prey. That’s right, king of the swingers Tiger Woods is heading the field at the 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament, taking place at the Sheshan Golf Club from November 4-7. Plenty of players who haven’t slept with half the skanks of Yankdom will be there too – here’s the lowdown…

The tournament
The WGC-HSBC Champions is the fourth of four World Golf Championships events held each year. They represent the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world after the four majors, leading to Shanghai, as the top tournament on the continent, being dubbed ‘Asia’s Major.’

How it works

Four rounds of golf over four days, the person who drives, pitches and putts in the least number of shots after that is crowned champ. A field of 78 players start out on Thursday, but roughly half of those are cut after the second round on Friday, meaning it’s the creme de la creme come the weekend.

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Who will be there?
The finest golfers in the world, that’s who. As well as world number one Woods, the majority of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team are in, including world number two Englishman Lee Westwood, and his compatriots Paul Casey and Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer of Germany and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland. Chuck big Phil Mickelson into the mix, as well as fellow Americans Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, and then top that off with South African Ernie Els, and we do believe we’ve just named the top 10 ranked players in the world, thank you very much. Well, there is the little matter of a US$7 million prize pot after all.

The Venue
Lush greenery, trickling streams and fast greens – the Sheshan International Golf Club is sexy. Holes 16 and 17 are particularly attractive, as players must circumnavigate a flooded quarry – on the final round you can expect players to drive over the top for the green on the par-four 16th hole. The final par-five 18th has also seen many would-be-winners fall foul of the water on the right of the green – where the tournament is won and lost. The “in the hole” crying masses will follow Tiger Woods around, but if you skip a few holes ahead of the leaders you can pretty much secure a prime position while watching the players in front tee off, and then hang around for the big boys to follow.

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