Singh admitted he used deer antler spray and it’s the Tour’s fault? 

As expected, TPC Sawgrass was buzzing with the news of Vijay Singh, who filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday, the day before its flagship event, The Players Championship. It was a surprising turn of events since the Tour had cleared Singh of any wrongdoing last week, and the timing couldn’t have been any better — by better, I mean, worse.

Singh’s complaint purports the Tour’s action resulted in the Hall of Fame golfer to be “humiliated, ashamed, ridiculed, scorned and emotionally distraught.” (You can read the full complaint here.) He also claims the Tour acted unlawfully in the handling of the testing of the deer antler spray that Singh used.  (continue reading…)

Just about everyone is watching basketball, so it shouldn’t really matter, but I did a rambly wrap-up of the third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. As you know, Tiger Woods leads by two over Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and John Huh.

Woods is going for his eighth victory at Bay Hill. Should he win, he will dethrone Rory McIlroy from the world No. 1 ranking.  (continue reading…)

Team Foley: Tiger Woods and Justin Rose share the same swing coach, Orlando-based Sean Foley

Tiger Woods didn’t have an ideal finish on Friday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, bogeying the last three at Bay Hill. He posted a two-under 70, a respectable score — which included two missed putts from inside three feet — for a 36-hole total of five-under, but he played better than he scored.

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Europe’s comeback to win the Ryder Cup: one for the ages

As the year ends (only a few hours left!–and Happy New Year, Australia), we’re wracking our brains for some of the most memorable and (un)forgettable moments of 2012. We’re going to do things a little different than 2011, and I might supplement this post with others in the first days of 2013 (people didn’t seem to mind the delay last time).

At the start of the season, I decided to go nuts and try to cover (in person) as many tournaments as possible–which, as I discovered, was crazy and I overdid it. The final tally was 33 or 34 events, if you count qualifiers. It was definitely a year to remember and I feel very lucky that I had a front-row seat to many incredible wins, not to mention just as many heartbreaking upsets. There are the obvious “best shots” or “hug-me-now” moments, but we’re also going to share some from behind-the-scenes and perhaps less mainstream, which deserve recognition.

Let’s start this by reviewing eight of the most memorable shots.  (continue reading…)

Take that, guys!

For those who still had lingering questions–particularly during his “mini-slump” in May/June–whether or not Rory McIlroy was the real deal, his performance in the second-half of 2012 has surely quieted any skeptics. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland finished the year in style, closing with five straight birdies to win the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Championship.

(Oh, by the way, sorry this post is a few days late–I’ve been battling migraines (the worst!), so unfortunately I missed the coverage of Rory’s epic performance in Dubai.) (continue reading…)

Nice Effing Pants celebrates the wackiest, ugliest and coolest pants — or skorts and now shorts — in golf — from the pros to the weekend hacker.

Charl Shorts-zel

What’s that smell in the air? Money grabs! Yep, it’s silly season, which might be the best part of the year for some players — it’s laid-back, unofficial and lots of money for just showing up. (I wish the same rule applied for the press, even though I’m not in Turkey this week!)

Eight of the best players in the world — Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose and Charl Schwartzel — have gathered in Antalya, Turkey, for the Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals, $5.2-million exhibition.

Besides collecting a guaranteed check, with last place receiving $300,000, there are other perks, such as wearing shorts. (Yes, shorts!) The pros, who must wear pants at nearly every other event (except the U.S. Open qualifier), were given the option of showing off their dangerously-pasty legs this week. (continue reading…)

Timeless

Wow, it doesn’t get much — actually, any better than the singles matches at the Ryder Cup and Team Europe’s unbelievable comeback. Well done. Kudos to the Europeans.

I’m sure you’re all itching to chime in on the epic loss and win. First, I’ll share the way Sunday unfolded from my viewpoint, and then I’ve posted the full transcripts of both teams press conferences. You may have heard about the legendary drunkenness of the European team. (Can anyone say best presser ever?!) (continue reading…)

Thinking of you: European team bags bearing an unmistakable silhouette.

In deference to the formidable competitive spirit of his close friend and Ryder Cup comrade, Seve Ballesteros, who passed away in May of last year, European team captain José Maria Olazabal has made space for at least two low-key tributes to the five-time major champion during this week’s festivities. (continue reading…)

Snedeker, who stayed even-keel all day, finally celebrates after sinking the last putt

Brandt Snedeker entered the final round of the Tour Championship with a share of the 54-hole lead with Justin Rose. In Snedeker’s previous three PGA Tour victories, he overcame deficits of five strokes or more on Sunday to win. There’s always less pressure if you’re teeing off an hour before the leaders and posting a low score early than playing in the final group, where it’s yours to lose.

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PLAYOFF FEVER

It’s nearly 8pm here on a Saturday night, so I’m not quite sure what I’m still doing in the media center. Oh, Ryder Cup preview stuff! You guys are all probably watching college football, anyway. To be honest, I haven’t paid much attention to the tournament (FedExCup) within a tournament (Tour Championship), but I certainly will tomorrow when they’re coming down the stretch. Hopefully it’s an exciting finish — which would be a fitting way to kick off the much-anticipated Ryder Cup. (continue reading…)