I think this picture speaks for itself -- it's a whole new world...

First of all, if you missed my post last night on the third-round highlights, check it out.

If you’re a regular reader, then you’ve heard me say this many times: Don’t underestimate the underdog. Of course I’m referring to Tiger Woods. Well, kind of. He’s obviously won four times at the Memorial Tournament, but that was before The Scandal. Woods is paired with Rickie Fowler, who snagged his first win at Quail Hollow last month, and ever since, he’s been on cruise control. Heading into the final round, of the two, Fowler was the favorite (this was before he started birdie-bogey-double-bogey-bogey. Weird, huh? (continue reading…)

Classic Spence.

Spencer Levin doesn’t need to hear any lectures on the health risks when it comes to smoking cigarettes — Marlboro Reds, to be precise — and he’s well aware it strays from the squeaky-clean image of the PGA Tour brand. He’s not just a one or two smoke a round kind of guy, either. A pack would be more a closer estimate.

Judge him if you’d like (and I hate to break it to you, but a fair share of players use chewing tobacco — probably roughly 1/4 to 1/3), but as he reminded the media after shooting a three-under 69, matching Rickie Fowler and Vijay Singh for low round on Saturday: It’s legal and there are worse things he could be doing.

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Tiger happy hanging with Freddie

There was an especially excited feeling in the air at the Memorial Tournament early Friday evening — the kind that only one player can stir up. Tiger Woods, of course. He birdied three of his first six holes to jump atop the ‘board with the leaders in the clubhouse, Spencer Levin and Scott Stallings. He looked in fine form and found the consistency he was struggling with in his last few starts. (continue reading…)

The waiting game...

Slow play has been an epidemic on the PGA Tour since as long as anyone can remember. Every year it’s the same ol’ story — fans/media/players complain and it’s always brought up at least once in the annual Players Meeting, but the pace of play on Tour hasn’t improved. It’s become one of those things that’s almost become part of the game. At least on Tour, but Kevin Na’s waggles and whiffs put a massive spotlight on the slow play issue, which was already a point of contention heading into the week.

Interesting enough, this week’s event marks the 20th anniversary of the last time a player — Dilliard Pruitt, who is now, coincidentally, a Tour rules official — was stroked a one-shot penalty for slow play at the ’92 Byron Nelson Classic.  *Update: Last player stroked was acutally Glen Day at the ’95 Honda Classic.

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Levin tied for 4th at last year's Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The award for the day’s most unintentionally amusing headline probably goes the way of the Sacramento Bee, whose interview with this week’s PGA Tour hard-luck story is titled “Levin hopes he learns from Phoenix collapse”.

You can’t beat that note of uncertainty. (continue reading…)

Stanley and Waldman, a bromance!

Wow — for the second week in a row, that was the first word I uttered, but this Sunday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I was shaking my head in awe and respect instead of shock and disbelief.

I think few doubted that Kyle Stanley, who quite possibly works harder than anyone else in the pro ranks (I mean, the kid makes Vijay Singh look lazy!), would break through with his first PGA Tour victory sooner rather than later (but sometimes these things can go either way — need I list examples?). After all, talent doesn’t just vanish. Neither does resilience, especially when you’re 24 years old. (continue reading…)

Not Spence's day...

There’s probably never a better time to not have email or a cell phone — Spencer Levin owns neither. When you lose a six-shot lead with just 18 to play, the last thing you need is sympathetic messages and/or calls (or Twitter).

Levin was dominating the field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but wayward shots on the back nine cost him the lead and eventually the tournament. He shot four-over 75 and ended up third. (continue reading…)

That one's for you, fans!

Spencer Levin is usually seen smoking darts like it’s his job, but this week at TPC Scottsdale, he’s also hitting darts. The fiery Levin teed off in the final round of the Phoenix Open with a six-shot lead through 54 holes.

Spence has got this in the bag, right? Well, if we learned anything last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, NO lead is safe. Not even a seven-shot advantage with 11 holes to play. The tournament is 72 holes, not 71, etc. (continue reading…)

Love grinds it out to qualify

Go low or go home — that’s what it boils down to in one-day qualifiers. Brian Davis of England fired a six-under 64 on Monday to best the field and secure one of eight spots at hand for the British Open at America’s International Final Qualifying event. Davis Love III was one of six Americans to qualify, posting a four-under 66 at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas.

Thunderstorms caused a five-hour delay, resulting in the decision by officials to shorten the event from 36 to 18 in order to finish on Monday. (continue reading…)

Spencer Levin signed autographs for fans by the scoring trailer while he waited for Martin Laird to finish up with interviews and other formalities on the 18th green. After they signed their scorecard, Levin stuck around and patiently spoke to reporters after posting a disappointing four-over 76 on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. All things considered, Levin was in good spirits. He got off to an awful start, bogeying four of the first five holes. The problem? He was gunning for pins on a day where the pins were tucked and the greens were as hard as rocks.

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