There’s a sensational leaderboard with a strong international presence at Doral!

Leading at 12-under are two South Africans, veteran Ernie Els and 25-year-old Charl Schwartzel. Ireland’s (not the same country as Britain!) Padraig Harrington follows closely at 11-under. Then at 10-under, there’s Robert Allenby who has been playing splendidly if only he could make a putt. The Australian needed 32 strokes to get around the greens on Saturday.

Martin Kaymer, who still needs surgery to remove plates and screws from his foot after an unfortunate go-karting accident last summer, fired the low-round with a 66. Unlike Allenby, he had his putter going, only calling for 22 putts.

The Big Fijian Vijay Singh is working on returning to his winning ways after recovering from some injuries. But his putting continues to baffle me. All week I’ve seen him drop  long bombs, but then jab a few short ones, which forces me to wonder if he can keep it together mentally coming down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Bill Haas, who won the Bob Hope Classic earlier this year, is leading the American effort at 9-under, good enough for fifth place.

Carrying two drivers in his bag this week, Phil Mickelson still can’t get hot. He’s hanging in there at T16. Following his round, he spent time in the trainer’s tent, where he had his elbow examined after tweaking it on an approach shot on the 18th. He dodged reporters and instead released a statement saying he’s “had similar problems before and expects it to go away in less than 24 hours.”

You know, for all the complaining about the Asians — excuse me, international players — dominating the LPGA, doesn’t it make you wonder a little that the moaning and groaning about the same happening on the PGA is minimal. I understand they’re two completely different situations, there are enough Americans winning on a regular basis, and the winners generally speak some accented version of English (Thank God), etc. Still, I just can’t help but say, hmmm…

Oh, there’s another PGA tournament in Puerto Rico where the B-listers are playing (if it ever stops raining). Someone called Chad Collins is leading, but 99% of the players haven’t even teed off for their second rounds yet. But tune in for the tape-delay — you never know when you might catch something amazing, like Boo Weekley dropping the f-bomb.

Enjoy watching the final round coverage of the tournament. It’s set up for a thrilling finish. I’d like to see Kaymer and Schwartzel battle. I also hope Alvaros Quiros has a strong finish. But so much for my fantasy picks. Your turn to discuss.

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]

And as far as the question concerning the rematch, never again. (Laughter) I would like to stay as the guy who won over Tiger at the PGA Championship, and that’s about it. No redos. (Laughter) —Y.E. Yang, post-win presser, August 16, ‘09

Unfortunately for Yang, Freddie and the former Mr. Evert had a better idea. And a well known golf blogger and I had the same one — on Thursday we decided it would be the best thing in the world if Yang and Tiger played each other in Sunday’s single matches.

I hope we get to see Yang hit another 3-hybrid like this. (Go for broke!) And when he takes down Tiger, he should totally hoist his bag over his head again — even if a chance for an International team victory is futile.

Thank you, captains.

******

The Americans currently lead the Internationals 12.5 to 9.5. Here’s the complete lineup:

International vs. US (matches begin at approximately noon EST in ten-minute intervals)

Camilo Villegas vs. Hunter Mahan — Grade: C-

Adam Scott vs. Stewart Cink — C+

Mike Weir vs. Justin Leonard — B

Robert Allenby vs. Anthony Kim — B

Geoff Ogilvy vs. Steve Stricker — A-

Ernie Els vs. Sean O’Hair — B+

Ryo Ishikawa vs. Kenny Perry — A+

Tim Clark vs. Zach Johnson — D

Y.E. Yang vs. Tiger Woods (!!!) — A+

Vijay Singh vs. Lucas Glover — F-

Retief Goosen vs. Phil Mickelson — B

Angel Cabrera vs. Jim Furyk — C+

[Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images]

The Presidents Cup matches at Harding Park in San Francisco begin tomorrow. Here are the pairings for Thursday’s foursomes:

International vs. US.

Tim Clark and Mike Weir vs. Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson

Adam Scott and Ernie Els vs. Hunter Mahan and Sean O’Hair

Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby vs. Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink

Angel Cabrera and Camilo Villegas vs. Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson

Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa vs. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker

Retief Goosen and Y.E. Yang vs. Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard

My favorite is Ogilvy/Ishikawa vs. Woods/Stricker — the Americans have the advantage with the world’s number one and two playing together. Plus, they’re BFFs! It will definitely be interesting to see how the 18-year-old Ishikawa, who just won his fourth tournament on the Japanese Tour, perform. With the format being alternate shot, Tiger’s and Stricker’s games balance each other. And lucky for Strick, the rough isn’t too thick. So, if Tiger is hitting errant drives, it won’t be a huge travesty. Ogilvy and Ryo better bring their A-game to stand a chance.

I also love Cabrera/Villegas vs. Perry/Johnson. Given that Angel doesn’t speak English, it’s probably smart Norman paired him with Camilo because, you know, communicating with your teammate is important.

And then there’s Scott/Els vs. Mahan/O’Hair. Everyone will be watching how Adam Scott plays. At least he’s paired with Ernie, who has been playing pretty well lately. Good news is that none of the four are good putters. Oh, apparently Ernie requested to play with Scott:

Yeah, I think Scotty wanted to play with me. I really enjoy Scotty. I think he’s one of the great talents of the game. He’s had a very tough year. So mentally, I want to help him, and you know, if he can get over the little stumbling block that he’s had it will be great for his career.

What a generous, helpful friend! No, seriously. Let’s hope Scott can regain his confidence this week.

Now that I’ve shared my super-insightful thoughts, it’s your turn. By the way, Mike Walker will be live-blogging the matches over at Press Tent tomorrow — stop by for his Beavis & Butthead commentary on the action.

[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]

After the first leg, I thought the FEC really sucked and after the second, I said it was getting kinda interesting. Then, on the eve of the Tour Championship, I mentioned it might return to suck. Now the third edition of the FedEx Cup is complete. And the final verdict? The system is still mired in suck — but this weekend’s results saved it this year.

Everyone Wins…Especially Tim Finchem

When the world’s number one and two, Tiger and Phil, are both hoisting trophies at the end of the day, it’s a good day.

Tiger and Phil deserve praise for playing in all four events. Until this year, Tiger had only played in 3 of 4 (and skipped the Tour Championship in ‘06) because, well, he doesn’t care about the FedEx Cup; he cares about winning tournaments. But he stepped up to help the Tour. As a favor.

It’s Still Never Going to Pull the Casual Golf Fan Away From Football

TV ratings revealed an 83% increase in Sunday’s telecast from last year when Tiger wasn’t playing and Vijay Singh had already won the FEC before the Tour Championship began. But did people watch because the winner of the FEC had yet to be determined? No. It was simply because Phil played beautifully and Tiger was in contention. But even if Tiger and Phil were in an 18 hole playoff where the winner gets $10 million dollars and the loser gets tazered on the green and has to sit out the 2010 golf season, it’s still never going to beat the NFL in ratings.

Finchem Likes to Confuse Players and Fans

No doubt this year’s FEC culminated on a successful note. But the bottom line is the points system is very flawed. Though the commentators frequently posted “what if” scenarios and tried to explain the system as much as possible, it’s doubtful the average fan really cared or understood. And if the players don’t get it either, that’s a bigger problem. Even Phil, who usually seems to know it all, said:

I don’t know. I don’t know enough about [the FEC]. I know that if you play well, you win. If you play well, you do well, and I think that’s important. I don’t know, I haven’t really invested the time to look at it.”

Meanwhile, Finchem expects fans to study it:

We just have to keep explaining it, I think, and gradually people will want to spend more time, go on line and study it and evaluate the different point configurations in tournaments, three different sections of the season.

Aside from losers like myself, no one wants homework to prepare for watching a sporting event. And it’s not a system that people can grasp after a 30 minute study sesh.

And imagine if Marc Leishman had won the Tour Championship? Even if Tiger still won the FEC, nobody would have cared.  Don’t get me wrong — I’m not disappointed by the final results. Phil and Tiger in the winner’s circle is a fantastic way to end the season, but that’s a rarity. Sadly, this year’s perfect ending could hinder the FEC from making the necessary changes it desperately needs if it ever wants a devoted, mainstream golf following.

Few really understand how the FedEx Cup points system works, and even fewer find it very compelling. The PGA Tour made a few changes from last year because of the system’s shortcomings. When Vijay Singh won the first two events in ‘08, it was a lock he would be crowned the champ. In turn, the final two tournaments had no meaning.

One of the principal changes was to make sure this didn’t happen again. The points system was revamped. The Tour is trying to create a formula that has the best of two worlds. By keeping a running total of points earned throughout the year, players are rewarded for consistent play. The points double in the playoffs to place more importance on those events and then the slate is wiped clean for the Tour Championship.

Well, you can’t have it both ways.

The Players Have No Idea How It Works (Or Don’t Care)

To be fair, it’s only the third year of the FedEx Cup playoffs. There are going to be problems and figuring out how to implement playoffs in golf isn’t easy. I understand it’s to create more “drama.” But, is that happening? I asked a player I met what he thought. He shrugged and said something like, “They’re tweaking [the system] and it’s going to take a while. The players don’t even get it, so…” Ryan Moore said, “There needs to be a better way to keep the players and the fans interested. There should be more intrigue at the end. Right now it’s anti-climactic.” His Tour buddies agree.

Basically, the guys are playing not because they see much value in the playoffs; rather it’s just another golf tournament and there’s a bigger purse at each. And, if somehow you manage to win the FedEx Cup, then there’s a hefty prize — $10 million. Not to mention do you think Heath Slocum really cares he jumped up in the standings? No, he’s happy he won the tournament and gets to play in the next three.

There should be more on the line to keep the pressure on the players and to make it more interesting for the fans. The guys have to play good enough at each event to make the finals. Do you think Camilo Villegas would have withdrawn had that been the case? He’s still in the field this week because he has enough points.

Heath Slocum Is Not That Good. Sorry.

The results at The Barclays disproved the so-called improvements. With all due respect to Slocum, he was ranked 124th entering the “first round” of the playoffs. Now, he’s 3rd. I mean, he barely made the field! It basically shows that the “regular” season didn’t actually matter. Prior to last week, he only had two top ten finishes. So, I guess the outcome is comparable to the eighth seed knocking out the first in the NBA playoffs, like when the Denver Nuggets upset the Seattle Sonics in ‘94. Fair enough. Sure, Slocum deserved to be there and to make the Tour Championship, but to jump that many spots seems a bit excessive.

The changes this year were supposed to make the results more volatile — to create more parity. But the system is inherently flawed. The FedEx Cup isn’t technically at the end of the season. There is still the fall series. While none of the top players compete in them, they are still official tournaments.

Not-So-Crazy Ideas On How To Fix It

I like this wacky one Moore proposed:

At the end of the season, let’s say the top 30 point leaders receive a “bye” in the first round. Then the remaining 95 players compete for the remaining 70 spots for the second tournament. So, in the next round, the top 100 play and 70 make the third round. The players in that field compete to make the top 30 and move onto the finals — same breakdown as it stands now. But here’s the catch: There are no purses in the first three rounds. Pool the money together and the rewards are greater if the players make it to the Tour Championship. Then, there’s a HUGE payout at the end and it would make everyone care a little more (I sensed a lot of indifference at The Barclays).

Playoffs are about stepping it up when it matters and being clutch — that’s what actually makes it exciting. Sure, Slocum did so last week by draining the final putt to win, but from what I heard, it was only slightly more compelling than a cut-throat shuffleboard match on a Carnival Cruise line.

But I can’t verify that — I left early.

*Editor’s note: I made some changes after initial posting.

It was a rainy, gusty and dreary day at Liberty National for Round 2 of The Barclays. The conditions were especially terrible for the players that teed off in the morning as the scores indicate.

The course played extremely long with some players hitting driver-3-wood into a few par 4s. Only four players shot scores under 70, including leader Webb Simpson, firing 3-under, 8-under for the tournament. He leads by two over first-round leaders Paul Goydos and Steve Marino.

With the conditions and links-style design, it felt more like they were playing in Scotland than Jersey City, NJ. Ryan Moore’s brother, Jeremy, said it reminded him of a round when he caddied for Ryan at Carnoustie in the ‘07 British Open.

Actually, some players have said the attempt to make Liberty National a links course is why it is flawed. It looks like one visually, but it doesn’t play that way — at least how it should. The players mentioned the greens and run-offs aren’t designed so they can play the ball low or work it off slopes. Also, they have to hit long irons and woods into greens and it’s tough to hold shots — well, at the moment, they can because of the soft conditions. Because the designers/owners wanted to create a majestic oasis of sorts from a landfill, the course feels too manufactured and loses some of the natural feel and authenticity. So, that’s part of where the criticism lies.

Notables who missed the cut included ‘09 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera, ‘09 US Open Champion Lucas Glover and ‘08 FedEx Cup Winner Vijay Singh. Camilo Villegas withdrew after shooting 7-over on the front nine, citing a “left wrist injury.” Matthew Goggin also withdrew. He was 11-over through 8 holes. Ouch.

First-round co-leader Senor Dick Mount shot 5-over 76 and fell back to T11. Tiger Woods had a frustrating day and carded 72. I watched him play holes 2 and 3, and he looked like he was ready to break his putter after missing a par putt on number 2 — that was the story of his day. It appears he hasn’t been able to find the right line and isn’t comfortable, which isn’t a good sign on tricky greens at Liberty National.

The rain is supposed to continue on Saturday, but should clear up for Sunday. It looks like we’re in for two more interesting rounds, not to mention more exasperated players.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

Paging the PGA Tour’s class of young rising stars. What’s happened to them this year? I’m talking about guys like Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas and even Sergio Garcia (who isn’t that young anymore but fits in the category). They all have multiple wins on Tour, but ‘09 hasn’t treated them well.

Perhaps they’ve become complacent. They never had to fight hard for their early successes. AK and Camilo won twice last year. Adam won a tournament each year between 2006-2008. Sergio only has two victories on the Tour. Aside from Camilo, who has made 16 of 18 cuts this season, the others haven’t even been in contention on a consistent basis. Sergio had a chance last week, but in standard Serg style, he choked. None of them have won a major.

Sure, AK and Adam have dealt with injuries. Adam is also tweaking his swing. Then there are his girl problems — similar story to Sergio. (Don’t even get me started.) We know break-ups are tough, but they should be able to separate their professional and personal lives. Think about it this way: The majority of people have a “regular” day job and they still show up to work and get it done. Yes, golf is more mental, but that’s not a valid excuse. Man up.

These players have it all — money, lucrative endorsement deals, fame, private jets, girls, whatever their hearts desire. AK has had a mediocre year at best, but he’s won almost $2 million. The effort is fairly minimal yet the rewards are quite high. Perhaps this has made them a bit lazy. No doubt they practice, but how much? I’m not saying they’re not “trying,” but there’s not as much on the line for them.

Or is it their “bomb and gouge it” style? They’re excellent ballstrikers, but other than AK, they struggle with putting (ahem, Adam and Serg).

Of course, the fields have become more competitive over the past few years. Winning isn’t easy — Tiger Woods has skewed our perception, making it look somewhat effortless. Other than Tiger simply being a super-human, he truly thinks he can win every time. If he’s not at the very top of the leaderboard at the end of Sunday, he might as well have finished DFL.

It seems like some players don’t necessarily care about winning because even if they finish in the middle of the pack, they still make a good living. Look at Stewart Cink — before he won his first major, the British Open, he was already 10th on the all-time PGA career money list. While he’s played on Tour for about 15 years, he “only” has 6 victories. He’s a great player, but isn’t necessarily considered a marquee player, so to speak.

Golf needs big stars like AK and Camilo. They’re fun to watch and more important, they’re great personalities. Fans like myself want to see them in contention regularly. In the last decade or so, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh consistently won or were always in contention — they’ll still be competitive on Tour for a while, but their time is limited and they aren’t exactly the most captivating guys. It’s time for the current generation to replace them. They need to rise to the occasion. Tiger drives ratings and the sport’s popularity, but it’d certainly be a boost if we could turn on the TV every Sunday and see those names week in and week out.

Hopefully this year has just been an anomaly. It’d be a shame to waste so much talent.

With all that said, what can give the players more incentive to finish better consistently?

After Round 1 at Hazeltine, your leader is Tiger Woods. And we’re all shocked. He shot a bogey-free 67. While he didn’t putt that well, his ball striking was probably the best it’s been all season. He was hitting fairways — which he didn’t do consistently even when he won the past two weeks. Game over. It’s usually silly to say that with three rounds left. But this is Tiger. He’s won 7 of 11 majors when he’s carded a score in the 60s on Thursday.

As you may have heard, he hasn’t secured a major title this year, which he has to do to complete his comeback. Because winning 5 tournaments in less than a year after having knee surgery doesn’t count for anything.

Playing alongside Tiger was his new BFF, Padraig Harrington, who trails by one shot. He finished last week on a sour note with the triple-bogey on the 16th hole in his now (in)famous battle with Tiger. Well, he’s recovered nicely — as any marquee player should — showing that he has, in fact, found his swing. Don’t let his mild temperament fool you, he’s ready to strike back this week, in a major, no less.

As the two walked off the 18th green last Sunday, Paddy said to Tiger, “We’ll do battle again.” Perhaps it’ll be sooner than we expected. Now that’d be a great story.

In related news, Phil “FIGJAM” Mickelson fired a stellar two-over-par 74 (which included a double-bogey on 10). Nothing was working for the world’s number two ranked golfer — hitting errant drives, missing greens and putts. He was quickly discrediting his famous “Secrets of the Short Game” DVD. His short game looked, well, let’s just say, not up to par. He even hit a relatively easy pitch in the bunker. Ouch.

Vijay Singh played a solid round, carding 3-under-par 69. He’s T3 along with Robert Allenby, Matthew Goggin, Hunter Mahan, Alvaro Quiros and David Toms.

Rich Beem, who won the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in ‘02, shot 71. Sergio “I’ve yet to win my first major but first I need to learn how to putt” Garcia also finished the day with 71.

[Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]