The soundstage: a panoramic view of the 16th.
Buoyed by my complimentary words last week*, Spencer Levin is charging away from the pack during the second round of the Legitimate Businessmen Phoenix Open.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder...
What Will Tiger Do? Good question. Who knows, but that’s the foremost matter on everyone’s minds, including his fellow competitors, at Firestone, where the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational has kicked off.
Tiger Woods pegs it at 1:40pm ET with the Open champion and good pal, Darren Clarke.
Steve Marino knows what it’s like to finish runner-up. For the fourth time in his career and the second this season, Marino came up just short of his first victory on the PGA Tour, suffering a one-shot loss to Martin Laird at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
This one at Bay Hill might hurt a little more. He lost three strokes on plugged lies in bunkers on No. 15 and No. 17. And to win a golf tournament, you need the right breaks at the right time.
When I approached Stewart Cink after his round at the Transitions Championship and asked him about the Twitter incident, he looked genuinely confused. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” said Cink. “What did it say? It could have been hacked because I didn’t send any (tweets) by accident.”
*Update: I spoke with Cink — his account was hacked.
Whoops! Did Stewart Cink have one too many adult beverages at the Kenny Chesney concert in Tampa? He accidentally sent the tweet below — which was quickly deleted — but not fast enough for a dozen or so of his 1.2 million followers to retweet it (like the screen grab above).
JB Holmes: Master plumb-bobber
Five players have withdrawn from the Honda Classic, including Justin Rose, who is suffering from the flu and has lost seven pounds, and Cameron Beckman, who didn’t cite a reason, according to PGA Tour media officials. Stewart Cink, Ben Crane and J.B. Holmes also pulled out without providing explanations. Good news is that without the latter three, perhaps the pace of play will improve at PGA National!
Poulter and Cink called out for playing slow
Hat tip to Geoff Shackelford for the spot — and for informing me last week that Stewart Cink belongs on the list of Slowest (Rudest) Golfers on Tour. Apparently Cink’s been put on the clock multiple times already this season. Add Wednesday’s match against Ian Poulter to that tally. The Twitter Masters took over four hours to play (in a twosome!) with no one in front of them. Their sluggish play resulted in rules official Stephen Cox making a funny, though, according to the AP.
The Twitter Battle
Besides the Tiger Woods vs. Thomas Bjorn match, the biggest upset of the day came in the “Twitter Showdown” between defending champion Ian Poulter and Stewart Cink, who defeated Poulter 1-up in 19 holes. Cink battled back from a two-hole deficit through 14 holes, draining several clutch putts to send Poults packing back to Orlando.
Sergio: It's the ghosts! The ghosts at Carnoustie!
As the year ends, we’re taking a look at the winners and losers of 2010. First, we reviewed the best shots. Then, we cringed through the greatest meltdowns, a category where the options certainly weren’t lacking this year. We also checked out some players who were considered overachievers. Now, let’s take a gander at those who had the most disappointing seasons. But before you dig in, consider some of the guys that distinguished themselves in 2010. If I missed one of your faves, email me. Or just drop it in the comments below. A special thanks to Intern Kevin for his assistance.
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