Ogilvy checks out the 9th green, which is in the roughest condition

Everybody’s talking about the damaged greens at the usually pristine Quail Hollow Club. It’s only Wednesday and the state of the greens is the most popular topic of the tournament. Just walk out to the putting green — quite a few of the players will tell you that it’s the best one on the course. They’re half-joking, but there’s some truth to it. Which is a shame for the well-run tournament that’s a favorite among players, caddies and the media.  (continue reading…)

Besides bunkers and water, there’s another hazard in New Orleans you need to watch out for when you’re playing TPC Louisiana: a three-legged alligator, which graced the field in the first round of the Zurich Classic.

I wonder if Boo Weekley, who fired a seven-under 65 on Thursday afternoon, called at the gator. No, seriously, he can talk to them.

The Course Whisperer

Early in the final round of the Tampa Bay Championship, there was at one point a six-way tie at the top. Best guess was one of those guys would emerge with the trophy. And that’s not counting defending champion and the highest ranked player in the field, world no. 3, Luke Donald, who was lurking just behind the pack, which included Boo Weekley, Justin Leonard, Greg Chalmers, George Coetzee and Kevin Streelman.

As it happened, Streelman — whose previous most notable title heading into the week was something called the Kodak Challenge — emerged from the bunch and separated himself when he hit “probably the best shot of my life in that situation,” knocking a five-iron to six feet on No. 13. He rolled in the putt for birdie and never looked back and clinched it on the penultimate hole.

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Boo in his natural habitat on Tuesday (photo courtesy of his swing instructor Scott Hamilton)

Boo Weekley kicked off the first round of the Honda Classic in the dark — literally — teeing off at 6:45am. He bogeyed the first two holes at the difficult (and soggy) PGA National, but the cloudy morning started to brighten up on No. 6, when he got his putter rolling and rattled off six birdies to shoot a solid four-under 68.

The hard work he’s spent in the last few weeks on his putting stroke — in between his fishing — clearly paid off on Thursday morning.

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I know I should know better and use Word instead of WordPress to write my posts, but old habits die hard. The internet timed out and I just lost the last hour’s worth of work–which is always fun–but it’s my own fault. Anyway! It was a busy yet fun (and kind of weird) day on Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Above, you can watch the #WUPHangout that I did earlier this evening. What did we talk about? (continue reading…)

View of the famed lighthouse at Harbour Town Golf Links on Saturday

Per popular request — meaning, like, two people — I’m tossing up an open thread/dartboard, where you can all vent about your grimaces and praises with The Heritage. My main ones? Well, the beautiful views (which is up for several interpretations! LOLZ!).

Anyway, some points of interest, including several highlights and sightings last night at the harbor and “Quarterdeck.” (continue reading…)

Golf claps all 'round.

While golf fans the world over were focusing their collective attention on the roof of Tiger Woods’s courtesy car or tutting disapprovingly at for the former world No1′s failure to indicate in anticipation of lane changes, the Puerto Rico Open (in Puerto Rico) was quietly going bananas. (continue reading…)

Boo is one of a kind...and gives epic interviews

Boo Weekley was kind enough to take a break from practicing on Tuesday at PGA West, the day before the first round of Q-school finals, and chat with me for 20 minutes. Boo, who is famous for galloping down the first fairway, a la Happy Gilmore, at the ’08 Ryder Cup team, only made $279,531 in the 2011 season, finishing 181st on the money list. Which meant he had to go back and play second stage, which was held on a course he played growing up, to advance to finals. (continue reading…)

Adam Scott parts ways with longtime looper Tony Navarro

Maybe it’s that time of the month or something’s in the water, but there have been an awful lot of player/caddie splits lately. Martin Kaymer won’t be the only pro with a different looper on his bag this week. Add Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Francesco Molinari and Boo Weekley to the conversation, among others. (continue reading…)

Looks like someone's read the new stats

Between Shotlink and the endless rambling of golf announcers, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the game is positively drowning under a deluge of statistical info. But what if I told you that, no, there was room for one more statistical category, one that could steamline the current putting stats and eliminating all those annoying GIR-related inaccuracies that blight the system? A pipe dream, you’d say– the stuff of idealistic fantasy!

But no! This is one dream that’s become a reality. I present to you the “Strokes Gained-Putting” index: (continue reading…)