The story is in this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated. My favorite line?

“Ryan is never going to be upset that the media is covering someone because of the shiny belt they’re wearing.”

That came from Jason, Ryan’s younger brother, with a little smirk.

Surprisingly, 1,500 words — which initially seemed daunting — fills up the screen pretty quickly. Here are some more interesting bits about Moore:

• He calls the PGA Tour a “very, very lonely place” at times, which is why his brother or friend caddie for him and family/friends always travel with him. His good friend and former UNLV teammate Andres Gonzales, who plays on the mini tours, says he’s never seen Ryan alone.
• He’s misunderstood. In junior golf people thought he was arrogant because “he was confident and he loved to tell people about certain golf shots he hit,” says best friend and swing coach Troy Denton. During his college days his competitors felt threatened by him and wanted to beat him to prove something to themselves. Now, because he’s quiet and doesn’t go out of his way to make new friends, many just think he’s aloof.
• His mother describes him as “intensely quiet,” meaning he’s mentally strong and observant, but keeps his thoughts to himself most of the time.
• In college when Jason used to always ask him, “What’s your backup plan?,” he would reply, “I’m going to be on the PGA Tour.” It bothered Jason that Ryan didn’t have one, but Ryan says, “I can’t explain it, once I believe something, it’s going to happen. My theory on backup plans is if you have one, you’re going to use it. Call me crazy, cocky or conceited.”
• Example of Moore’s mental toughness (and not caring what anyone thinks): At the ‘06 PGA Championship his wrist was really hurting him and he couldn’t swing without pain — except when he tried an old drill, where his wrists were already cocked and the club head is actually a few feet in the air above its normal position, and then he would simply turn his shoulders and swing away. He played the entire tournament like that and placed T9.
• At the Bob Hope Classic he played with Arnold Palmer’s grandson, who told Ryan and Jason that his grandfather always says, “Watch what Ryan Moore does and copy it. If there’s anybody out there to follow, it’s him. He does his own thing and he doesn’t listen to the media, the swing coaches and try to be transformed into something different. He plays his own game and he plays to his own strengths. Don’t listen to what everybody else says.”
• Moore’s girlfriend, Serena, isn’t the “average Tour wife,” meaning she has (gasp!) a job — she’s a journalist in NYC.
• His family and friends wish people knew about his generosity. He’s constantly giving to people close to him and charities, but he does it quietly — or as his dad says, “He doesn’t put an ad in the newspaper saying, ‘Hey, you need help? Call me.’”
• He enjoys watching romantic comedies and TV shows like Arrested Development and Scrubs.
• He also likes cats, which his girlfriend gives him a hard time about.
• He figured out he doesn’t like staying in hotel rooms, so this season he started renting houses on the road.

So there you have it — feeling comfortable is very important to Ryan Moore, and usually that means doing things differently from the norm.

Standing on the tee at the infamous 16th hole, you really feel like you’re at a stadium, and it is nothing like I’d ever experienced.

All things considered, Wednesday was a pretty productive day at the course. I walked four holes with Ryan Moore, who was playing with comedian George Lopez, actor Andy Garcia, former baseball superstar Mark Grace and some powerful business dude (according to Google, CEO of Viacom Outdoor) Wally Kelly.

The plan from the start was to find Ryan and I saw on the pairing sheet who he was paired with, but it took a while to register. I had begun walking out, but then I kept going back and forth between finding the few friends he has on Tour. An hour later, suddenly it dawned on me. You moron! Did you not see who Ryan was playing with? /punching-self-in-face

I caught him on the 15th hole — just in time for the 16th. Phew. Right away, Lopez caught my attention as he was serenading fans and signing autographs. I’m told on the first tee that he gave a few speeches, including one that mocked Tiger’s apology. He never used any names, but he made it pretty clear. Boy, wish I would have caught that. Seriously, I don’t know how Lopez is so obliging to fans. He stands on every hole and signs autographs, jokes with the fans — he’s an entertainer, but hell, I’d be exhausted after two holes. After he hit the green on the 16th, he instructed his caddy, Mike, to break out the Mexican wrestling masks (see pic above — he’s obsessed with Mexican WWE and had those made). Lopez did his par-save dance, then he tackled Mike on the green.

Lots of funny tidbits in just four holes, but I can’t share them all — because, well, I don’t have time. Here now, Lopez is pitching a golf ball to Mark who belted it to short of left-center green.

Gracie sure has a ton of fans in Arizona for obvious reasons (he was the first baseman when the Diamondbacks won the World Series in ‘01 and is now a broadcaster for the team). On the 18th, a lady fan was following him down the side of the fairway, yelling, “Mark, Mark!” Finally in a bout of desperation, she screeched, “Don’t make me stalk you, Mark! Because I will.” Long story short: She got his autograph.

Now, I’ll say, the most annoying question to ask players is about what their opinion on other players, especially if they don’t know them very well. It’s one thing if they’re BFF, but it’s totally different when they aren’t and you want them to say something, you know, interesting and quotable. J.B. seems like one of the nicest guys out there. I could tell he did his best to say something thoughtful and give me what I needed. I will never make fun of him taking eight minutes to hit a shot. Okay, I can’t promise that, but he’s a good dude. As for Charley, he doesn’t sound like what you’d imagine — which, to me, was a surfer dude (I don’t know, something about the long, wavy blond hair).

Meanwhile, the five other dudes I stopped in the practice area weren’t as helpful. They tried, I guess.

During my stalking session, I saw Anthony Kim hitting range balls and chipping with one arm as he talked on the phone for the past half hour. New practice drill! It sounded like he was arguing with someone, like a girlfriend, but I might be making that up in my head.

Now for the favorite part of my day. I hate to report I have to refrain from calling Phil Mickelson any names for at least the next two days. During his press conference, I asked him about Moore. I prefaced it with something like, “Sorry, I know this is really annoying, but…” I really do have to credit how good he is with the media. I knew he’d give me some sort of usable answer, even if he was BS-ing. Thanks, Phil! (See, Shane, now I’ve written something nice about him.)

Oh, I also have a new nickname. Mr. Geoff Shackelford came up with this one. It feels like, he’s, oh I don’t know, maybe hazing me? (Surprise!) Apparently, my question was a “rally killer” — something he warned me to steer clear from before the presser. Whoops!

Sorry, guys, rookie mistake.

First things first: Apologies for the small font in the images of the brackets below, but I run a resource-starved operation. That said, I welcome donations.

As you may have heard, the Accenture Match Play starts today and neither the world’s number one, Tiger Woods, nor number three, Phil Mickelson, is in the field. Naturally, Tiger is hunkered down in some hiding hole, otherwise known as the gated community of Isleworth, and Phil, the quintessential family man, is taking a family vacation. This event stirred up huge hype last year, as Tiger staged his comeback after an eight-month break to recover from knee surgery.

It’s a little different this year, but hey, we got Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk and Martin Kaymer to take the top four seeds. Personally, I’m pumped because I love matchplay. I wish more PGA Tour events were played in this format, like the silly the FedEx Cup — or at least the final event. It’s exciting to watch two players battle it out in a one-on-one duel. Well, unless you get, like, Chad Campbell and Ben Crane in the finals. Snore. So, let’s hope that anomaly doesn’t happen this week.

Without further ado, presenting my random bracket picks, where I basically went down the list and went, eeny-meeny-miny-moe. But as you can see, I didn’t go too crazy. I guess I was feeling boring.

JONES BRACKET

I love this bracket. Too many great players. As I learned with my Fantasy Golf picks for the Northern Trust Open, Steve Stricker is always a safe bet. And I’d just really like to see him cry again. I’m sure David Feherty could rouse more tears from Stricks than Roger Maltbie could. But I’d love to see the young dudes, Anthony Kim and Ryo Ishikawa, go far. With the way both have played this season, I’m not sure. Then again, like the annoying cliche goes, anything can happen.

PLAYER BRACKET

Geoff Ogilvy is defending and he’s already repeated once this year with his win at the season-opener, the SBS Championship. He also has a mind-blowing 89.4% winning percentage. But he might be a little distracted and sleep-deprived, since his wife just gave birth to their third child last week. Putting aside my personal bias, I’d keep an eye out on Ryan Moore. He doesn’t hold one of the most decorated amateur careers for no reason. His last summer before turning pro, he won the US Amatuer, the Western Amateur and US Amateur Public Links — all in matchplay. He’s done crazy things, like win the last four holes, carding birdies on three, to win the US Amateur two-up. Expect him to feel comfortable in this atmosphere.

HOGAN BRACKET

It’d be great to see The Irish Kid Who Will Save The PGA Tour, you know, win or something, but apparently he’s been having some back problems. Perhaps worrisome, but he’s only 20. Last year he made a splash by making it to the quarterfinals, where he was ousted by eventual champ Ogilvy. If Allenby and McIlroy meet like I predicted, let’s hope Allenby doesn’t blame it on something silly, like how he should have gone out partying with him until 4AM. I’d like to see the 25-year-old Martin Kaymer, who won his fifth European Tour event in Abu Dhabi recently, matched up with McIlroy in the quarterfinals. Because, well, the entertainment value. Duh.

SNEAD BRACKET

Other than the Molinaris, who are the first brothers to play the event in the same year, and the preposterously long-hitting Alvaros Quiros, this bracket is pretty vanilla. But you got your usual suspects. Now I can’t remember why I chose Furyk. The word “safe” comes to mind, which doesn’t make that much sense now because in recent years he’s faltered when he reached the Sweet 16.

So in the Final Four, I have Stricker, McIlroy, Moore and Furyk. As always, my sincere regrets if they’re hit with the awful Wei jinx. Who are your favorites for the week? You know what to do — drop them below. Please.

I caught up with PGA Tour rookie Alex Prugh on Thursday night. We know each other from playing in many of the same tournaments growing up because we’re both from Washington State. I asked our mutual friend, Andres Gonzales, who is a pro on the mini tours, to put us in touch. (Thanks, Dres!) I hadn’t spoken to Alex in, oh, like, a decade, but he was easy to chat with and I appreciated his candid, entertaining answers (he hasn’t been 2.0’d yet).

Alex has played very well, right out of the gate. He competed on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 and 2009. After finishing 16th on the money list last year, he earned his 2010 PGA Tour card. In four starts this year, he’s placed top-10 in three consecutive tournaments. This week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he is 8-under through two rounds, good enough for T8. He’s definitely one to watch for the weekend.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

SW: What do you attribute your success to right out the gate?

AP: It’s been weird. At the Bob Hope, I was striking the ball really well, just hitting tons of greens and, you know, giving myself tons of birdie opps. It’s funny, looking back, I’ve been hitting the ball shi..[sic]. Sorry not [sic]…worse and worse throughout the weeks, but my short game has gotten better and better. I’ve been making up-and-downs and putting pretty well, fortunately. When it comes down to it, I’ve been making most the putts that I’ve needed to.

SW: Are you generally a better ballstriker or short game player?

AP: Ha, generally ballstriker. At least throughout my career, it seems I hit fourteen or fifteen greens in all my good rounds. I definitely know looking back at my college career, I’ve had tons of two-putt birdies, just on par-5s and drivable par-4s. I mean, even today, I shot four-under and had one two-putt birdie. And a couple of my other birdies were literally kick-ins, so I mean, you can attribute those to ballstriking.

SW: You played Spyglass yesterday. Had you ever played there before?

AP: I played there yesterday. So, if you count that or Tiger Woods PGA Tour on Xbox. The only problem with Tiger Woods is you hit your drives 320 yards with pinpoint accuracy in the game. Honestly, the ball goes about 270 yards out here it seems like.

SW: You obviously played well at the Bob Hope, and now you’re playing at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the other tournament where celebs run rampant. How do you feel about these events?

AP: It’s been fun. Just in the fact that it’s more relaxed. I tried to be relaxed on the golf course and generally I guess I do play better, it definitely takes the edge off. It’s kind of hard to get down and mad at yourself when you’re trying to show these amateurs a good time and entertain them, so I think that helps mentally a little bit. It makes me a little more…sane.

SW: Have you played with anyone really interesting?

AP: Probably the most interesting — I didn’t play a practice round at Monterey Peninsula because I didn’t play that many rounds in a row. So I walked around the course and on the last nine holes, I ran into a Steve Wheatcroft who was playing with Jeffrey Donovan. I don’t know if you know him or not…

SW: Is that the Burn Notice guy?

AP: Yeah, the Burn Notice guy. So we walked around nine holes with him, which was fun. He’s a real nice guy. I think he pretty much quote for quote recited every line from Anchorman. I asked him about his show and found out it was all filmed in Miami.

SW: What’s the transition been like from the Nationwide to the PGA?

AP: For me, it’s been really easy. The Nationwide definitely prepares you very well for the PGA. The only difference to me is that you have more media, spectators, grandstand and that sort, but when it comes down to it, you still have to put the ball in the hole somehow and some way. Fortunately, most the guys out here are very nice and welcoming and as long as you play well, life is all good.

SW: In your PGA Tour media profile, you listed Andres [Gonzales] as your hero. Explain.

AP: Honestly, last year we were at the final stage of Q-school and staying together that week. We were both sitting there, filling out this media form. And we looked at each other and said, “Who the heck are we going to put for our hero?” I just said, “I’m going to put you, Andres. You are my hero. I mean, look at you with your mustache and those handlebars. How great is that?”

SW: Have you seen Ryan Moore, the other guy from Washington [State] who has made it to the bigs, at all?

AP: I’ve ran into him a couple of times. It was funny last week at Riviera. Before the tournament started I saw him and he was like, “Oh, hey Alex. I just want to remind you, you are on the PGA Tour, you know.” He meant I was playing really good golf and he was kind of more shocked [how well I was playing]. He was like, “You are playing on the biggest level here.”

SW: What’s your favorite part about playing on the PGA Tour?

AP: Playing at this level of competition. You look down the range and there’s Phil Mickelson or Vijay [Singh] hitting balls. It’s pretty nice knowing I grew up watching those guys for the last 10 to 15 years and now I’m playing with them.

SW: So I saw what you said about Rickie in your presser.

[Ed note: This was the question and answer: Q: You’ve flown under the radar a bit as far as the big rookie coming into the year, this week we have Ishikawa; do you like kind of being a little under the radar unnoticed?
AP: I’m not going to lie, I’m not a flashy guy. I’ve played with Ricky before. Just to show how flashy he is, he has six pairs of shoes and color-coordinates them with his outfit, which to each his own. Ricky has gotten a lot of publicity and attention. That’s fine with me. I would rather let my golf talk for me. In the long run, that’s what I’m out here for. I’m out here to compete, and hopefully make a bunch of birdies, and show the crowds a good time. But a lot of them do tend toward Ricky.]

AP: I think that was taken out of context a bit, but it does blow my mind how many pairs of shoes he has. They asked me something like, “Do you mind not being in the spotlight like Rickie Fowler and Ryo Ishikawa?” I said I didn’t mind and I’m not a flashy guy. Then I gave the example of Rickie traveling with six pairs of shoes. Then they somehow spun that to sound like I was almost making fun of him, but that wasn’t the case.

[Ed. note: I believe he was referring to this article at PGATour.com]

SW: Are you friends with Rickie?

AP: Oh yeah, we played together at Riviera last week and had a great time. I asked him because for every outfit he has, it seems like he has a matching pair of shoes for it. So I was just playing around with him and asked, “How many pairs of shoes do you have?” He was like, I have this, this, this, and so on, but only travels with six pairs.

SW: So, how do you feel about the spotlight? Do you mind it?

AP: No, I don’t mind it. I think if I keep playing as well as I do, eventually I’ll get that spotlight. You know, obviously coming out, there are certain names people know and they’re going to sell more tickets. But hopefully the tides are turning a little bit, and I’ll get some of that action.

SW: Why do you think people should watch you and follow you? Why are you interesting?

AP: I wouldn’t say I’m interesting. I mean, I’m just a kid from Washington [State] that likes to play golf. I’m pretty laid back. I don’t let a whole lot of things bother me. I’ve had a ton of people hype up the PGA Tour, like, “Oh My God, you’re on the PGA Tour!” You know, I’m just playing golf. I’m trying to have fun out there. I take things seriously, but I don’t necessarily ever get down on myself — I just feel lucky that I’m playing golf as a living and try to appease to the crowds.

SW: Who’s been your favorite to play with?

AP: Honestly I had a really good time playing with Rickie last week. Also playing with Bubba Watson and Bill Haas in the final round at the Bob Hope was fun. They’re two younger guys and obviously they were in my shoes not too long ago. It was relaxed, but also had that atmosphere of being in the final group. We were cracking jokes all day.

SW: Have you been told who to avoid? Do people talk about that?

AP: Not really. Most the talk of the town has been about Tiger. There were some pretty funny moments in San Diego. They had planes flying over with those banners. The first day, there was one that said, “We miss you, Tiger,” from Deja Vu Showgirls. The next day, it was, “We miss you, too, Tiger,” from the Hustler Club or something like that. I got a pretty good laugh out of that. Every day it seemed like they had a jab at him. I feel awful for the guy, but at the same time, he dug his own grave, unfortunately.

SW: When do you think Tiger will be back?

AP: I’m guessing he’s playing The Masters.

SW: What do you think of the grooves controversy?

AP: I play Ping myself. When it comes down to it, I look at it, if someone wants to use the old Ping Eye 2 wedges, then go for it. But if you really think that’s going to help you, that’s your own choice. Thing is, any of those clubs you’re buying, they’re on eBay right now and you can’t get new ones. More than likely they’re going to be used ones, anyway, so they’re going to be worn down a little bit. I mean, I guess I also just really like the wedges I have, which are the new conforming ones. We’ve been playing in so much wet weather lately, I’ve almost been getting too much spin. There were a couple of times in San Diego where I actually laid up in the rough to control the spin.

SW: So is there any advantage to using them?

There might be a little one when we get some deeper rough and firmer greens. But for me, I know I’m not going to find any.

SW: You play with a Ping Craz-E Belly Putter. When did you switch to the broomstick and why?

AP: Yeah, sometimes I feel like a little old man doing that. I switched the summer before my senior year, so that would be summer of ‘06. I had a really bad putting round at the last round of the Sahalee Players Championship and I was like, I’ll just mess around with one, and I never switched back

SW: What’s your favorite event been so far?

AP: I really liked playing Riviera last week. It’s one of those courses I’ve played on Tiger Woods Xbox. That course is just pure. The way they treat you there is great. The only reason I got in was because I placed in the top-10 the week before.

SW: Have you purchased anything big with the half million you’ve earned yet? If not, what will be your first buy?

AP: I have a house in Vegas now, but I’ll probably get one in Spokane [where I grew up], too.

[Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images]

Last Friday when I found out I wouldn’t have internet access for a few days, I sent out a Twitter blast asking for people to contribute posts. Reader David Kelly was kind enough to pass along his thoughts on John Daly.

To recap, after Daly missed the cut last Friday, he told the Golf Channel, “I’m done. I’m done.” Done with what? “Golf. I can’t compete. I can’t play like I used to. I can’t keep taking spots from guys out here playing this bad. It’s not worth it,” Daly clarified. This left many to wonder whether it was just John Daly being John Daly or if he was actually serious. As it turned out, it was what most assumed — the former.

Later that evening, Daly explained himself via his Twitter feed, saying, “I’m not retired & never said that I was retiring” and “The interview yesterday caught me after a tough 2 days & much frustration.” He also revealed he was having money problems and didn’t “like to continue to embarrass myself.”

Without further ado, read on for David’s take.

The long strange trip that is John Daly’s career showed us once again at Torrey Pines that he is human.

His skeptics were quick to jump to conclusions that he had “retired” or that it was all will say a publicity stunt for his new show on Golf Channel. They said he should listen to his own words and leave the tour for good. After all, these are the same people who don’t think JD belongs on the tour in the first place. These are the same folks that think he brings down the game.

These are also the same people who should be thanking John Daly that they have a job where they can complain and snipe in the first place.

John Daly carried this sport out of what was a long journey down into oblivion. If Crooked Stick had never happened - from Nick Price going down to being able to reach down to the 9th alternate – no one would care what Tiger Woods was doing afterhours. It would have a following comparable to tennis – nice and consistent but that is about it.

The tour in 1991 was floundering. The GGO was one of the highest winner’s purses on tour. Corey Pavin won the money title and didn’t break the the $1 million mark in 25 events. The total tour purses were right around $47 million, slightly up from the $46 million in 1990. Compare that with the ‘92 and ‘93 purses ($49 million and $53 million), and you can see where the tour started to take its first steps into the mainstream.

The tour needs more personalities like John Daly, especially in a non-Tiger sighting era. And we have some non-conventional golf personalities emerging - Boo Weekley, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Ryan Moore. They don’t come off as guys who grew up with junior memberships to the local country club. (In full disclosure, I plead guilty).  But they don’t also seem to bring the star power, good or bad, that JD does.

Whether he wins or not on the PGA Tour is not important. Hopefully, he will find a place where he is happy with his game and keeps teeing it up again. It should be noted that the last time we wrote him off, he won at Torrey Pines. Before that, he won at St. Andrews.  As he has shown by keeping his commitment to play at Pebble, there is no quit in John Daly.

I have been an unapologetic Daly fan since that day in 1991. I feel like I have seen a friend go exercise his demons in public and come out on the other side. Golf needs John Daly. He has been better for golf than the golf establishment has been to him.

While I don’t agree with David that Daly shaped the modern Tour and paved the way for Tiger’s fame (or notoriety these days), I do believe Daly is good for the game. But without golf, where would Daly be? Golf made Daly a celebrity and provided him with a great living. He arguably threw away some of his talent with the poor decisions he made. Now everyone encounters troubles and deserves second chances — hell, even third, fourth or sixth chances sometimes. But it seems Daly still has some demons to deal with and needs to stop blaming outside forces for his setbacks. That said, I hope he can overcome them and would like nothing more than to see him succeed — especially win again.

Your thoughts? Agree or disagree with David? Please chime in. Thanks again to David for contributing!

For the first time in ages, Phil Mickelson headlines the major golf story of the week in the Farmers Insurance Open held at Torrey Pines. With Tiger Woods on his indefinite leave, the media swarmed to the next best thing at Phil’s press conference, where we finally got to hear his thoughts (or lack thereof) on the revelations surrounding his frenemy, Tiger.

Phil kicked off the presser by reading a prepared statement. Talking points included  Tiger, the groove change, his game, and of course, his family. In other words, he took control of the situation, or simply, a media manipulation tactic:

Before we talk about that and the tournament, there’s a few other areas I’d like to discuss before we go into that. The first is obviously Tiger. That’s a common topic. The game of golf needs him to come back. I mean, it’s important for him to come back and be a part of the sport. But right now he’s got a lot more important things going on in his life. Amy and I are good friends with both Tiger and Elin, and we care deeply about how this turns out. But I’m going to choose not to talk about it publicly anymore, and I appreciate your understanding on that.

But this didn’t stop reporters from pressing him on the topic. Asked if he had tried to contact Tiger, “either through calling or text,” he stood by his no comment policy, politely replying, “You know, we’ve had limited communication with the Woodses, and again, I just feel like discussing any of that is just not appropriate.” But has he had contact with him? “With the family, not necessarily saying with who in the family.” So, no, he likely hasn’t directly spoken to Tiger.

When questioned on the prolific coverage of the scandal, he shrewdly cast it back at the press:

As far as the media exposure or coverage, reaction, I think it’s more a question for you. That’s your industry. That’s what you guys do for a living. How do you feel it was covered? I don’t know, that’s more of a question for you guys.

Phil also confirmed the report he would be playing with an old Ping Eye-2 lob wedge, which has been a contentious matter since it doesn’t technically conform to the new groove rule, but was grandfathered in following a lawsuit. Unlike some players who have voiced their disapproval of the loophole, deeming it as a form of cheating, Phil disagrees:

After talking about the TOUR and the USGA, the only thing that matters is are they approved for play. So I don’t feel that there’s any problem if I were to play those clubs or if anybody else were. All that matters is that it is OK under the rules of golf.

He freely voiced his disdain for the groove change:

You know, this affects my career. This is a big change. I think it’s a ridiculous change. I think that it costs each manufacturer millions of dollars. I think it’s confusing, and I don’t agree with it one bit.

His viewpoint caught me a bit off-guard, considering he’s celebrated for his deftness around the greens. But perhaps his disapproval stems from his bomb-and-gauge style of play, and the new grooves will make things tougher on those guys, according to Ryan Moore. Phil is also known for his sometimes questionable decision-making on the course and players will have to make smarter decisions and have more trouble recovering from missed shots.

Phil went on to discuss his optimistic feelings about his game and prognosticates this year will be one of the best of his career — with or without Tiger. He believes he has the opportunity to “challenge” Tiger’s throne and move to the number-one spot, which he says is something he’s aspired to his whole career, but he just “hasn’t had much success.” Even if Phil surpasses Tiger in the rankings, there will still be an asterisk that goes along with the title (it doesn’t count unless he does it with Tiger actually competing). I guess he’ll take it, though.

Going into Torrey Pines this week, Phil is the overwhelming favorite given his past success at the tournament, including three wins. Not surprisingly, the world’s number two is now the most beloved player — the one who is the quintessential family man, gracious to the media, friendly with fans and always smiling (or secretly smirking these days).

After living in Tiger’s shadow for over a decade, Phil now has the limelight to himself. Get ready for FIGJAM-squared. Just hope he doesn’t run over a fire hydrant in 2010.

I chatted with PGA Tour player Ryan Moore earlier this week. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity (yes, I know it’s still long, but I think it’s all interesting).

You signed an equipment deal with Scratch Golf at the end of last year. How did it come about?

They sent me some clubs in the beginning of the year, but I didn’t have an opportunity early on to put them in play. Every time I went home, I thought, oh those look so great, but I didn’t have enough time off to figure out distances and stuff like that. Once the end of the year came around, they sent me another set of clubs because I’d taken a look to see what I’d liked — those ended up being the clubs I played in the Fall Series and in China and I just loved them. I started playing great with them in Las Vegas [at the JT Shriners Open] and Phoenix [at the Frys.com Open]. Then I took them to China for the HSBC Champions, had a great tournament, where I was hitting my irons better or as good as I’d hit them all year.

So it was really a easy decision, but initially, I didn’t want to make a commitment. We weren’t talking any business at first because I wanted to know I liked them. Then we we able to land on something more interesting, which to me, was equity ownership in the company rather than getting money upfront to represent them, like in a traditional sponsorship deal. So, I have part ownership interest in the company. It’s a five-year deal, where I use their clubs and wear the logo on my hat and bag.

When we started talking with them, I think we told them we were interested in doing something more creative, which they were excited about because they’re a smaller company and can’t just be handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars in endorsements. So for them to work something out with a Tour player, they were really excited and I think I fit the mold of someone they were looking for to represent them. To be honest, they weren’t actively looking to get a player on Tour, it just kind of fell into both of our laps somehow.

What makes signing a nontraditional contract most appealing to you?

I was happy to do it because I really like the company, I like the guys, I like how they did things, and the quality of equipment that they make is far superior to anything I’d hit in a really long time — and in the end it could be far more than what I would have received in a traditional deal. So, that’s what made it interesting for me. It’s a long-term view of things instead of what can I get now; it’s sort of looking down the road and seeing that this company has potential to grow a lot, being a corner of the marketplace that’s been untapped.

What’s in your bag now?

Adams driver, Adams 3 wood, Adams 5 wood, and Scratch Golf irons, hybrid, wedges and a putter they made for me, too, which is awesome.

How do you feel about the change to the new grooves?

I’m really happy with the change. I like it better. For me, I switched clubs and I actually spin these more because they’re forged so they’re way softer and hitting the ground better because I got them really custom made to fit me. So I’m spinning them more than anything I’ve played in the last five years and it’s hardly been an adjustment. I actually prefer it because I think it’s a little more consistent when you’re hitting out of the rough. Now you know it’s not going to spin and you can just play for it. You know, because with the old grooves, sometimes it’d spin like crazy and other times it wouldn’t.

So is this better for the game and the Tour?

Yeah, I think so. It makes it more of a position game and you have to play a lot smarter now. You can’t miss on the wrong side or else you can’t recover because of the groove. So that’s really the difference.

Do you think it’s going to hurt some players?

I think you’ll see that there are certain players that it will hurt and they’ll eventually stand out. It’s more of a style of play — it’s the bomb-and-gauge guys who just try to hit a bunch of drivers as close as they could get to the green. They won’t be able to get away with just ripping it up there as far as they can. With the old grooves, they know they could spin it out of the rough with a lob wedge. Well, that’s not going to work anymore because if you get tucked into a tight pin, there’s going to be no way to stop the ball. So I think it’s going to change the style in which people play a little bit more than anything — you’ll see guys hitting a lot more 3 woods and irons from the tee just to make sure they’re in the fairway. But the premium ballstrikers — who have had the advantage taken away from them because of the grooves — are going to start winning a lot more tournaments.

What do you think about the loophole with the PING Eye2 V-groove wedges?

Yeah, I heard about that back at the US Open — you can play with the old Eye2’s, if you want. They were grandfathered in because of a lawsuit. I remember it was actually the CEO of PING, John Solheim, who told me about it because I was playing with an old Eye2 sand wedge for a while. He said, “You know, you won’t have to change that one when they change the grooves next year.” I thought, “Huh! That’s good to know.” But I don’t know…I think…it’s a bit ridiculous if people are really going to do that. I mean, that’s fine — it’s a loophole and if they want to do that, then I have no problem with it.

Talk about your great start this season at the SBS Championship.

I’d never played the event before, so it was just a great way to start off the year. Having [my girlfriend] Serena there was great, too, and my whole family came. And I really didn’t take much time off this year. I stayed in Phoenix all winter to practice. I was just so excited about how I was playing at the end of the year that I wanted to keep it going. For me, I felt like I hadn’t even broken stride. So, it wasn’t like a first-tournament-of-year jitters. But yeah, I played great — I finished with the highest percentage of greens in regulation in my career. So that was pretty huge for my first week with these new set of irons and the new grooves. I hit over 90% of greens for the week. I was ranked first in greens and second in fairway accuracy for the week. So that just means I have to make a few more putts. Obviously I didn’t make enough of those.

I noticed you cut your hair and shaved at the SBS Championship. What was that about?

I just decided to clean myself up — at least for one tournament. It might not last that long, but we’ll see. I can’t take it too much.

I understand you started working with a swing coach for the first time. What factored into your decision?

I started working with Troy Denton, my best friend, during the week before Turning Stone last fall. He’s caddied for me in the past, but I’d never had him work on my golf swing before. I decided I needed someone to help me with my swing. It was just a logical choice. I really trust his opinion and I played with him just about every day my last three years in college. I thought what better person to help get me back to where I’ve been and someone who’s seen it when it was at its best. It’s simple stuff — we didn’t go changing my swing; rather making it more efficient.

Jack Nicklaus turned 70 this week. Do you have any poignant memories of him?

I got to play in a practice round at The Masters in 2005. Not many people, especially my age, can say they’ve played with Jack Nicklaus, let alone at Augusta. It was just incredible. He was really friendly. It was one of my most enjoyable golfing moments. He just impresses me. After being a professional for five years, I realize how impressive he is — just him as a person and the the way he’s carried himself his whole life and the way he’s handled his career. To do everything he did as far as golf is concerned, he still seems to be a great family man and down-to-earth guy. Playing with him just confirmed those things.

You watch a lot of movies. Is it like a hobby for you?

On the road I just get tired of being in hotel rooms, to be honest, and I pretty much avoid them as much as I can. I think that’s where it came from. During tournaments — especially when you’re in hot weather — there’s nothing better after a round of golf than to go and sit in a dark, cold, air-conditioned room, have a little candy and go off into another world for a couple hours. Golf is so mentally straining that it’s so great to sit and unwind that way and let your mind go a bit. And if I don’t do something like that, then my mind is racing about what I need to work on and troubling over my game. That’s the one thing I can do that completely takes my mind away from golf for a while. I think that’s what keeps me sane a little bit.

So you need to go to movie-watching rehab.

Yeah, exactly.

What’s the best movie you’ve seen lately?

I think Sherlock. I really enjoyed it. It was clever, well written, kind of a fun pace, and I like Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, who were both great in it.

You know, I noticed Rachel McAdams looks kind of like your girlfriend.

You’re right, she does, especially in that movie.

Maybe that’s why you liked the movie so much.

Maybe that’s why I like Serena so much. Oh wait, shoot, this is getting recorded.

This week’s defending champion, Geoff Ogilvy, is sporting new sponsors at the PGA Tour’s season-opener. After his contract wasn’t renewed by Cobra at the end last year (which a Titleist rep abruptly informed him at the British Open last summer), he struck a deal with Titleist, Cobra’s sister company — both are divisions of Acushnet. He’s now playing with Titleist clubs, carrying a Titleist bag and wearing a Titleist hat.

Ogilvy told Golf.com’s David Dusek:

Titleist just made me a set of irons to the exact specification of the Cobras I had been playing [Pro MB]. And, because of the close relationship between Cobra and Titleist, they can get similar, if not the same, people to build my clubs. They came out exactly right.

His apparel and footwear sponsor, PUMA, also dropped him after his contract expired. According to Golf.com, Curtis Begg, the director of marketing for PUMA Golf North America, said they decided to focus its brand around Rickie Fowler. Apparently the well-spoken 32-year-old Ogilvy wasn’t “edgy” enough.

Ogilvy signed a multiyear deal with FootJoy, also part of the Acushnet family, which requires him to wear its shoes and glove. As for his clothes, it looks like he’s not wearing a specific brand for now. The cut of the shirt resembles J. Lindeberg, though — which might be a good fit if he chooses to sign with a company. Or perhaps he’ll take the Ryan Moore path.

After the first round of the SBS Championship, Ogilvy is T11 at four-under.

[Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images]

Ryan Moore, the only guy who has won a tournament playing sponsor-free since, like, the 1970s, found an equipment company that fits his game. He signed with Scratch Golf and is their first PGA Tour staff professional.

He’s sporting a bag with their logo and playing with their clubs at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China, this week.

More details from Ryan later.

[Photo via Scratch Golf]

It’s a nerve-racking time for a number of players trying to keep their spot on the PGA Tour. Otherwise, it’s back to the spirit-crushing rigors of Q-school. Even some of the best players, ones that have won in past years, might have to return to Q-school. And this year there are a few on the cusp of top 125 on the money list, who are in danger of losing their cards — like ‘02 PGA Champion Rich Beem, David Duval (Mr. I-almost-made-the greatest-comeback-ever-at-the-US-Open), ‘03 British Open Champion Ben Curtis, and veterans Stuart Appleby and Rocco Mediate.

With all the competition and talent out there, not to mention the pressure, it’s not easy. Take Danny Lee: Touted as one of tomorrow’s stars, the 19-year-old former U.S. Amateur champion was cruelly ousted in the first stage already. (Some can gain exempt status through the first one or two stages, but most face three grueling stages against formidable fields.)

An elite few have dodged Q-school. Playing on sponsors’ exemptions, it only took Tiger five starts to win his first tournament as a professional at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. Somewhat surprisingly, there’s only one player since Tiger to earn his Tour card by making enough money to put him in the top-125, and that is Ryan Moore in 2005.

He turned pro after graduating from UNLV in June. After missing two cuts in four starts, he took some time away to work on his swing. When he returned from a two-month hiatus in September, he placed T2 at the Bell Canadian Open. Then, with his T13 finish at the FUNAI Classic at the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort, he moved to 113th on the final money list.

Interestingly enough, Moore has received some flak for his nontraditional path to the Tour:

It’s funny because everyone says, ‘you had it easy and took the easy out.’ Obviously Q-school is hard, but I definitely didn’t have the easy out because every week I played, it was like Q-school for me. And if I didn’t make [the top 125 on the money list], then I would have gone to [Q-school] right after. Every week, every shot I hit could have made the difference whether I got my card. That’s why not as many people do it that way. The people I was playing against were already on the PGA Tour. In Q-school, they aren’t — not to say they’re not good players — they all are, especially in the final stages. But I earned my card against people that proved they belong there already.

Moore recently played with 20-year-old standout Rickie Fowler at the tournament in Las Vegas. There’s been a ton of chatter about whether Fowler will be the next player to go this route. But if he doesn’t, Moore seems to imply Rickie won’t have a problem getting his Tour card either way:

Rickie has serious game and a great attitude. He was really positive, not slamming clubs or cursing. He was happy the whole way around even when things weren’t going perfectly, and that in my mind gives him a very good chance to get through Q-school.

After only two starts, Fowler is T-135 on the money list and a solid showing at this week’s Viking Classic could easily move him within the cut line. And, yes, it would be just as back-breaking and impressive, if not more.

[Photos by (from L to R) Harry How, Streeter Lecka & Robert Labarge/Getty Images]