My Shot: The tangible benefits Of Olympic golf

As I see it, my country, the Czech Republic, is best known for three things, or should be: great beer, beautiful women and beautiful golf courses. The game has been growing quickly since the fall of communism in 1989 and our rebirth as a democratic country. People have more money and free time. We see the game on TV — the big three are the British Open, the Masters and the Czech Open — and want to try it.

I'm the executive director of the Czech Golf Federation, and we are anticipating another event that will promote golf's growth: the game's addition to the Olympics starting in 2016. To use an expression I learned as a student (and golfer) at the University of Hartford in the late 1990s, it's not a "done deal" — an official announcement from the IOC is expected on Oct. 9 — but we believe that Olympic golf would draw young Czech athletes to the game as never before. That would mean more driving ranges, more courses, more visitors and more hotels to accommodate them. As you Americans say, It's all good.

Czechs love sports and Olympic sports in particular. The whole country follows how we do in soccer (football to us), hockey and skiing. With golf as an Olympic sport, our golf federation will try to persuade our national athletic federation to provide funding for golf, something we have never even asked for before.

Under the International Golf Federation proposal for Olympic golf, there could easily be 40 or 50 countries sending golfers to the Olympics. In many of those countries golf will be relatively new. This is a fresh start for a lot of us. Our view is that we have as good a chance to develop golf talent as any other country, or maybe better. Look at all the good golfers in Canada, another hockey-loving country. The hockey swing and the golf swing have similarities, and we think Czech kids will take to golf if they're exposed to it.

Golf in the Olympics will be for professionals. Today, our best golfers are amateurs. Alex Cejka was born in Czechoslovakia but now has deeper ties to Germany. Another native, Ivan Lendl, the Hall of Fame tennis player, has two teenage daughters, both of whom are promising golfers, but they are American. Our Tiger Woods is Klara Spilkova, a 15-year-old who played in the last junior Solheim Cup. It will be fascinating to see where she is in seven years.

The Czech Republic has a population of 10 million but only 48,000 avid golfers. By 2016 we hope that number will triple, at least. Some of them may represent our beautiful country in the greatest sport in the world on the biggest global stage. If this happens, we'll be thrilled.

Kimura lifts Rapids past visiting FCDFore! Golf 1 step closer to being Olympic sport

SI's End-of-2009 Awards

On Sunday evening, after Phil Mickelson had finished what seemed like an endless series of TV and radio interviews, he made it back to the scorer's tent behind the 18th green at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club, where his caddie, Jim (Bones) MacKay, waited. MacKay and his boss wore big, satisfied grins as they shared a hearty handshake. "Best idea you've ever had, Bones," Mickelson said before heading out to the green for the trophy presentation.

Mickelson had just won the Tour Championship, the fourth and final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Won it? More like dominated it. Despite an embarrassing quadruple-bogey 8 on Thursday, Mickelson shot brilliant rounds of 66 and 65 on the weekend for a nine-under 271 to finish three strokes ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods, who didn't leave empty-handed either. Woods ended up atop the standings in the controversial-yet-ultimately-exciting playoffs to take his second FedEx Cup title, which came with a $10 million prize. In other words, Mickelson won the battle but Tiger won the war.

That battle, however, may have long-term implications, thanks to MacKay's brainstorm. Mickelson recently confided to MacKay that he was struggling with his putting stroke, something that had been obvious for months. MacKay suggested that he call Dave Stockton, a two-time PGA Championship winner and the 1991 Ryder Cup captain, who ranks among the best putters in the game's history.

Stockton happened to be in San Diego, where Mickelson lives, last month to work with Michelle Wie at an LPGA tournament. Stockton and Mickelson got together, and in only a couple of sessions they rediscovered the deadly stroke that Mickelson brought to the Tour 17 years ago.

Mickelson used to have a forward press at address — that is, he moved his hands well ahead of the ball to begin his stroke. That's how Stockton putted, too, and he had Mickelson go back to his old setup. "Dave said, 'Nobody will putt as well as you and I because we're leading with the back of our hands,' " Mickelson said. "This is the best way to putt. Once he said that, I went, 'Yeah, that's right.' It's been a night-and-day difference."

The stat of the week at East Lake was Mickelson's 36 one-putt greens during the 37th win of his remarkable career. NBC analyst Johnny Miller was so taken with Mickelson's performance that he picked him as the Tour's player of the year — for 2010.

But before we go there, here are SI's picks for the end-of-2009 awards.

Most Improved
The FedEx Cup. Yes, the seasonlong points system is complicated, but during the playoffs the golf was mostly terrific, everyone in the field at East Lake had at least a mathematical shot, and interest was unquestionably high.

Planet Obvious Player of the Year
Is there a more predictable award in golf? Why not simply rename the POY award the Tiger Woods Trophy after the nine-time winner and get it over with? Woods may not have won a major in '09, but his six victories were three more than the next biggest winners, Mickelson and Steve Stricker, had this year.
• Track Tiger's major progress

Say Cheese Player of the Year
At 42, Stricker enjoyed a career year. In addition to his three wins, he was a runner-up twice and became the first Wisconsin native to reach No. 2 in the World Ranking.

Comeback Player of the Year
Woods again, in a race as suspenseful as a Burmese election. As we all know, Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and missed the second half of the '08 season, yet he bounced back with one of his more consistent years.

Shot of the Year
On the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, Y.E. Yang hit a brilliant 210-yard approach with a 21-degree hybrid over a tree and to within 10 feet of the hole, leading to a birdie that catapulted him to a three-shot win over Woods.
• Complete PGA Championship coverage

Groundhog Day Putt of the Year
Stopme if you've heard this before: Woods,this time for his 15-footer for birdie onthe 72nd hole to win the Arnold PalmerInvitational (for the sixth time) by a shot.

Tour Championship nearly doubles TV ratingCrew visit Obama at White House

Tour Championship nearly doubles TV rating

ATLANTA(AP) NBC Sports says the Tour Championship earned a 3.3 overnight rating, an 83 percent increase from a year ago when Tiger Woods wasn't playing and the FedEx Cup had already been decided.

Phil Mickelson rallied to win the Tour Championship with a 65 on Sunday in Atlanta, beating Woods by three shots. Woods, however, captured the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize.

The Tour Championship had a 1.8 overnight rating for the final round last year, when Camilo Villegas beat Sergio Garcia in a playoff. Vijay Singh had mathematically clinched the FedEx Cup before the tournament started.

The Saturday overnight rating earned a 2.4, up from 1.3 last year.

Crew visit Obama at White HousePhil Mickelson wins Tour Championship; Tiger Woods wins FedEx Cup

Mickelson wins Tour Championship and Woods gets FedEx Cup

ATLANTA (AP) — No matter how much they tinker with the FedEx Cup, there's never going to be a system that pleases everyone.

That said, it's hard to argue with this photo op from the PGA Tour's season-ending moneyfest: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson standing side-by-side on the 18th green at East Lake Golf Club, each of them posing with a trophy of his own.

Woods won the FedEx Cup - and, oh yeah, another $10 million for his overflowing bank account. Mickelson won the Tour Championship to close an emotional roller-coaster of a year with a flourish.

Golf's two biggest stars, each of them a winner Sunday. [Read what our experts had to say about Tiger and Phil in this week's PGA Tour Confidential.]

Just what PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem had in mind when he came up with a playoff system to spice things up after all the majors were done.

``Had I put myself in a position to where we had the entire FedEx Cup on the line coming down the stretch, that would have been even more exciting,'' Mickelson said. ``But I felt like the day turned out well.''

Woods didn't win a major in a year for the first time since 2004, but it's hard to complain about a season with six wins and three runner-up finishes - all after recovering from major knee surgery.

``To be as consistent as I have been all year is something that I'm very proud of,'' Woods said. ``I certainly wouldn't have expected that.''

Mickelson closed with a 5-under 65 to go from four shots behind to a three-stroke victory, his first since his wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring.

``It means a lot to finish the year off on such a good note,'' he said. ``We've been through a lot, and I'm very proud of my wife and my mom on the fight that they've been through. We're in good shape. Although day-to-day is tough, and it's not easy for them, we're fortunate that our long-term outlook is good.''

While Mickelson was pulling away in the tournament, the chase was much tighter for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus. Three other players beyond the Big Two had a legitimate shot at the big prize.

- Kenny Perry started with a two-shot lead and doubled it after two holes, only to implode with poor tee shots, bad chips and missed putts that led to a 74.

- As it became clear Mickelson was headed toward victory, Steve Stricker only needed to finish ahead of Woods. He was in position until he found mud on his ball in the 16th fairway, sailed the green and made consecutive bogeys to shoot a 69.

- Sean O'Hair stayed within range of Mickelson until a bogey on the 17th hole and wound up with a 69, alone in third.

``There was so much riding on the line,'' Stricker said. ``There might be some tweaking again. Who knows? But I thought it provided a lot of excitement for the fans and the players. All the players coming in here this week had a legitimate chance at winning the FedEx Cup.''

Indeed, this third incarnation of the season-ending playoff was certainly more compelling than the first two. Woods won easily in 2007, even while skipping one of the playoff events. Last year, Vijay Singh merely had to show up for four rounds at East Lake to ensure his title.

This time, there was more emphasis on who played well late in the season, and the points system was altered to give all 30 finalists at least a semblance of a chance going into the Tour Championship.

``What is right? Every year you're going to have a scenario that's going to jump out and you're going to say, 'That just doesn't seem right,''' Stricker said. ``You've got to put something together like they did this year that creates a lot of excitement like this did. With five guys having a chance to win, it did do that.''

Mickelson finished at 9-under 271 and earned $1.35 million. He also collected $3 million for being second in the FedEx Cup. It was his third victory of the year, the 37th of his career and it pushed him back to No. 2 in the world ranking.

Woods, playing in the final group with Perry, struggled most of the day with his putter, but two late birdies helped him lock up the cup.

As he stood on the 18th green with his biggest rival, perturbed by his inability to make putts inside 20 feet, Woods found it hard to consider himself a winner.

``I'm sure I would probably be more happy tomorrow than I am right now, because you're in the moment trying to win this event,'' he said. ``I'm trying to beat Phil, he's trying to beat me.''

Mickelson seized control with a 31 on the front nine. His lone birdie on the back came from a chip-in out of a nasty lie behind the 16th green that essentially secured his victory.

Lefty's only hope for the FedEx Cup was for Woods to finish eighth or worse, a slight possibility until Woods made his first birdie of the final round with two putts at the par-5 15th. He followed with a 35-foot birdie on the 16th - his first one-putt birdie in 24 holes, which brought out his first fist pump of the day.

``I just needed to push, needed a run or two or three birdies to get me right back in the ball game,'' Woods said. ``Unfortunately, that run didn't happen until 15. And that's a little late.''

Still, Woods got the title - and the prize - that mattered most to another of his rivals.

``I'd prefer the 10 million bucks in my pocket,'' O'Hair said. ``I think Tiger wins today.''

The PGA Tour was a winner, too.

Just check out that picture from the 18th green.

Phil Mickelson wins Tour Championship; Tiger Woods wins FedEx CupLuck, calls even up for Columbus

Phil Mickelson wins Tour Championship; Tiger Woods wins FedEx Cup

In a fitting end to a strange season on Tour, the two most famous men in the game — Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson — both won something Sunday at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta. Mickelson, who took much of the season off to support his wife's and his mother's battles with breast cancer, found his rhythm again, shooting a final-round 65 to win the Tour Championship, besting runner-up Woods at six-under.

However, Woods didn't go home empty-handed, not hardly. His second place finish was good enough to win the FedEx Cup, golf's season-ending playoff which comes with a $10 million payout.

"It feels great to have won," Mickelson said. "It's been frustrating as far as the last few months, but I look at it as a fortunate year because [wife] Amy and my mom are going to be great."

Mickelson's otherworldly round was only enough to vault him into second place in the FedEx Cup standings, as Woods had a win and a runner-up finish in two of the previous three playoff events. The playoff format ensured that the Top 5 entering the playoffs would win the FedEx Cup with a win at East Lake — Mickelson started the tournament in 14th place, which meant that Woods's 69 was enough to seal the FedEx Cup the year he came back from major reconstructive knee surgery.

"The whole idea [of the FedEx Cup] is to be consistent, and this year I've played well and been very consistent," said Woods, who won six times on Tour in 2009. "Wish I could have won a major, but hopefully next year I will put it together at the right time."

The other closest contenders for the FedEx Cup — Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk — finished 3-under and 2-under, respectively. Stricker said the FedEx Cup and its accompanying millions added intensity to the Tour Championship.

"You know, it was on my mind, but it was in a good way. I was very excited. I was very aggressive with my swing," Stricker said. "There was so much riding on the line."

Stricker also made light of the complicated FedEx Cup point system, which many players — including Woods — said they didn't understand.

"I knew I needed to finish solo second when I got out the calculator this morning and tried to figure it out," Stricker said.

Kenny Perry, who started the day leading the tournament by two strokes, finished tied for fourth after a disappointing 74 on Sunday.

Woods and Mickelson will next play again — on the same team — at the Presidents Cup international tournament in San Francisco on Oct. 9.

Tiger Woods enters opening playoff event at The BarclaysFC Dallas can’t steal point on road

Maruyama wins Asia Pacific Open

KYOTO, Japan (AP) — Daisuke Maruyama of Japan has ended a four-year title drought by winning the Asia-Pacific Open.

The former PGA Tour player held the overnight lead and only managed a 3-over 74 in tough conditions in the final round on Sunday. That was good enough to stay four strokes clear of China's Liang Wen-chong, South Korea's Kim Kyung-tae and Japan's Yuta Ikeda.

Maruyama's 8-under 276 total earned him $320,444 and a two-year's exemption on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

He earned his first victory since the 2005 Fuji Sankei Classic.

Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa birdied his closing two holes for a 72 and finished tied for 16th at 286.

Kim, Shin tied for Samsung lead at Torrey PinesFC Dallas can’t steal point on road

Ochoa, Gustafson share LPGA lead

DANVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Lorena Ochoa insists she wasn't bothered when critics questioned her game earlier this year. If anything, the world's top-ranked player agreed with them.

``I respect the opinion of the media and the players, and the results show I wasn't playing my best golf, so it's OK for people to talk,'' Ochoa said. ``I also say that I've been working hard and I feel much better. I feel that I'm getting in a better rhythm and that's why I'm here today.''

Ochoa birdied five of her last seven holes for a 7-under 65 on Saturday and a share of the third-round lead with Sophie Gustafson in the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge.

Winless in 10 starts since taking the Corona Championship in her native Mexico in late April, Ochoa has only two victories in 16 events this year after winning 21 times in the previous three years.

She was four strokes back after 10 holes, then used the strong finish - including a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole - to match Gustafson at 16-under 200.

Gustafson, winless since 2003, had a 66. She spent 30 minutes on the putting green working on her stroke following Friday's second round.

``My putting was much better,'' Gustafson said. ``My caddie figured out what I was doing wrong and worked on that. My backstroke was too short and I was seriously moving my head.''

Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo were six strokes back at 10 under after 69s, and Paula Creamer (69), Morgan Pressel (67) Leta Lindley (66) and Maria Hjorth (72) followed at 9 under on the Blackhawk Country Club course.

Ochoa, playing in the same group as Gustafson, couldn't match the Swede's power off the tee, but made up for it around the greens. The Mexican star had a bogey-free round, overcoming swirling winds that seemed to change direction on every tee box.

She had only two birdies on the front nine then warmed up on the back after falling four strokes back when Gustafson birdied No. 10 to reach 15 under.

``I left some birdie opportunities out there on the front nine, definitely,'' Ochoa said. ``I told myself, 'Just keep doing the same thing and be patient.' I dropped a few good putts and that was really the difference today.''

Ochoa made consecutive birdies, while Gustafson three-putted the par-3 12th for a bogey. Ochoa birdied No. 15 to move into a tie.

Gustafson then birdied No. 17 to reach 16 under.

Ochoa's approach shot on the 18th rolled past the hole, but she sank the 16-foot putt for birdie, raising her first as the crowd cheered. Gustafson made a par.

Unlike the first two days when her putting gave her problems, Gustafson was fairly steady around the greens with five putts of 20 feet or longer and came within one stroke of matching her opening-round 65. She sank a 20-footer for birdie on No. 10, survived her three- putt on the 12th, then made short birdie putts on Nos. 16 and 17.

Gustafson has had seven runner-up finishes since winning the 2003 Samsung World Championship. To end that streak of near-misses, she needs to hold off the No. 1-ranked player Sunday.

``I'm not really that worried,'' Gustafson said. ``It's a full-time job taking care of myself so I don't really pay that much attention to what other people are doing.''

British team extends lead to 9-5 in Vivendi Trophy

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France (AP) — Britain and Ireland struck another blow to Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy on Saturday, extending its lead to 9-5 in the European Tour matchplay event.

Captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley, Britain and Ireland won three of the four greensomes - where both players drive and hit alternate shots with the preferred tee shot.

Robert Rock and Nick Dougherty gave Britain and Ireland its first point of the day with a 5 and 4 win over Robert Karlsson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. Karlsson has just recovered from an eye problem that has sidelined him since May.

Northern Ireland pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy rallied from 2 down after eight holes to beat Henrik Stenson and Peter Hanson 2 and 1.

Ross Fisher and Chris Wood gave McGinley's team a five-point lead by staying a shot up over Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari.

Europe's Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros birdied the last hole to give the first loss on Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson.

Four foursomes are slated on Saturday afternoon before Sunday's 10 singles matches at the Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club on the outskirts of Paris.

The Vivendi Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy after Seve Ballesteros, was created in 2000. Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won it four consecutive times.

Britain-Ireland builds lead on Continental Europe

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France(AP) Britain and Ireland increased its lead over Continental Europe to 6-4 on Friday after the second round of fourball matches at the Vivendi Trophy, a match play event on the European Tour.

Britain and Ireland had a 3-2 lead overnight and kept up the pressure under clear skies at the Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club on the outskirts of Paris.

``We are underdogs and we know that we have to play incredibly well to win the trophy,'' Britain and Ireland captain Paul McGinley said. ``Today we knew that we had to play the same quality of golf that we did the first day and fortunately that's what we did.''

Britain and Europe had a three-point lead before the last match, but a 1-up victory by Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Robert Karlsson kept Continental Europe in the tournament. The pair wasted a two-shot lead against Robert Rock and Steve Webster on the back nine, but won when Rock bogeyed the last hole.

``It was a bit like yesterday, the match that we needed came through in the end,'' Continental Europe captain Thomas Bjorn said. ``But unlike yesterday, I feel encouraged by the signs I saw out there today. We obviously are not happy by trailing, but we don't feel like we are out of it, that's for sure.''

Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson gave Britain and Ireland its first point of the day by securing their second win in the tournament, beating Alvaro Quiros and Henrik Stenson 2 and 1.

``We played great today, we knew it was going to be a tough match,'' Wilson said. ``Dys got off to a great start and managed to keep the momentum and keep on top.''

Having recovered from food poisoning, Dyson opened with a birdie on the first hole. The pair went 2-up when Dyson birdied again on the fourth, but Quiros had an eagle on the sixth and a birdie on the ninth.

The English pair prevailed over the last nine holes with Wilson making a birdie on the 11th before Dyson had a birdie on the 15th.

Britain and Ireland then went up 5-2 after Nick Dougherty and Ross Fisher downed Peter Hanson and Soren Hansen 3 and 2. The duo was handed its second consecutive loss, while Fisher - whose eagle on the 16th closed out the match - and Dougherty bounced back following their opening-day defeat.

Continental Europe narrowed the gap when Italian Francesco Molinari and Dane Anders Hansen defeated Northern Ireland pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy 3 and 1. Impressive against Soren Kjeldsen and Quiros on the opening day, the Irishmen trailed by two shots after seven holes.

Anthony Wall and Chris Wood stayed one shot up against Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen until the 13th, but Wall then had two birdies for a 3-and-2 victory and a three-point lead going into the last match.

The Vivendi Trophy was created in 2000 and was formerly known as the Seve Trophy after Seve Ballesteros. Continental Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won it four consecutive times.

Four greensomes, in which both players drive and hit alternate shots with the preferred tee shot, are set for Saturday morning. Then there are four foursomes on Saturday afternoon and 10 singles matches on Sunday.

Rumford shoots 62 to lead European MastersEast Notes: Difficult journey for CCL teams

Tee times moved up due to weather

All times local

8:00 am Yang, Y.E. Ogilvy, Geoff

8:10 am Mahan, Hunter Leishman, Marc

8:20 am Gay, Brian Weir, Mike

8:30 am Na, Kevin Johnson, Dustin

8:40 am Stricker, Steve Johnson, Zach

8:50 am Donald, Luke Goosen, Retief

9:00 am Slocum, Heath Verplank, Scott

9:10 am Senden, John Marino, Steve

9:20 am Mickelson, Phil Furyk, Jim

9:30 am Cink, Stewart Toms, David

9:40 am Watney, Nick Glover, Lucas

9:50 am Cabrera, Angel Dufner, Jason

10:00 am Perry, Kenny Kelly, Jerry

10:10 am O'Hair, Sean Els, Ernie

10:20 am Woods, Tiger Harrington, Padraig

To fix the FedEx Cup, replace playoff points with simple scoresLast-minute goal haunts Quakes in draw

Walking with Woods: Observations from Tiger's first round at East Lake

I walked with Tiger for his entire opening round at East Lake, and there were two things I was hoping to see: 1) a Tiger Moment, where Woods pulls off a shot that no one else on earth can hit, and 2) some Tiger/Steve Williams banter, where the player-caddie team breaks down a shot and then Woods executes it.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm always fascinated in the rare instances when TV microphones pick up these conversations. Which reminds me: why can't we mike up golfers like they do with quarterbacks on Monday Night Football? On to my observations from the round:

• It was obvious from their opening moments on the first tee that Tiger and his playing partner, Steve Stricker, are good friends. I couldn't hear the entire conversation, but Tiger definitely called him "Stricks." When Tiger gives you a nickname, you know you're in the club.

• A lot of folks like to discuss Tiger's intimidation factor. To be honest, I didn't see it on Thursday — he clearly had fun yakking it up with Stricks. But one reason it's tough to play with Tiger is the chaos around his group. It's always dead silent when Tiger putts, but once he's in the hole, it's common for people to start moving. Gallery, photographers, reporters, everyone. Also, when the group was on the third tee, a public bus pulled up at the curb just outside the grounds as Stricker was about to swing, causing him to back off his shot. Does Tiger's intimidation factor extend to public transit?

• Tiger buried a four-footer on No. 3 for his first birdie and was in an utter trance as he strolled by me to the fourth tee. A little old lady next to me yelled out, "You're gonna WIN, Tiger," as he passed. Woods didn't even blink.

• It took all of five holes before my "Tiger Moment" arrived. After taking the orange tiger headcover off the driver for the first time, Tiger yanked his tee shot on the 520-yard par-4 about 20 yards left of the fairway. His ball was sitting down in the rough, with a massive pine about 30 yards in front of him blocking his path to the green. He had a clear shot to the fairway. Time to pitch out, right? No. After practically no chit-chat with Stevie, Tiger pulled a long iron out of his bag (he had about 225 to the front), took a few practice swings and blasted a boomerang hook through the clearing and around the pine. The ball rode the jetstream for about 150 yards before taking a couple of big hops and running up the remaining fairway to the green. He had about 60 feet left.

• Same hole, now on the green. I got a great spot behind Tiger as he lined up his long birdie try. Stricker was outside him on a completely different line and missed. Tiger said to Williams, "Good preview." Stevie agreed. I thought to myself, "Good preview? You're on a totally different line." Tiger's lag effort was weak, stopping about 12 feet short and right of the hole — right on the line that Stricker's putt passed. You know what happened next: Drain-o, par, a tip of the cap and on to the next. As they say here in Atlanta: that's why he's Tiger Woods, y'all.

• On No. 8, Woods pushed his drive right into the gallery. The ball caromed off a spectator, a man who looked to be about 40, and settled behind another tree. The man mentioned his fresh shoulder bruise to Woods when he arrived at the scene. "Sorry about that, man," Woods said. "I'd give you the ball, but I have to play it." The gallery cracked up. Williams then passed Tiger a fresh glove, which he quickly signed and handed to the spectator. Applause. His shot from behind the tree settled just off the back of the green. Bogey. He was out of his trance. In fact, Tiger was ticked off.

• Naturally he birdied the next hole, the par-5 ninth, after a heat-seeking missile off the tee and a pure 3-wood that settled in the rough just left of the green. A chip, a 10-footer, and Tiger was even through nine.

• After birdies on 12 and 13, Tiger pulled his drive on 14. He avoided any profanities but let loose an "Ohhhhh WOODY." That's right. He referred to himself by a third-person nickname. I guess if you're Tiger, you can get away with that, but I don't think any of us should start calling him Woody.

• After absolutely nuking his drive on the 525-yard par-5 15th, Tiger was standing near the ropes when a particularly brave 20-something leaned over to say, "Great drive, Tiger," before stretching out his fist for a knuckle-five. Tiger stunned me by acknowledging the kid, saying, "Thanks, man," and giving the kid the bump. So much for my theory that he doesn't hear the gallery.

• I was hoping to pick up more conversations between Woods and Williams, but for their entire back nine, a loud, a low-flying plane circled East Lake while towing a banner ad for Cheetah's gentlemen's club. (Stay classy, Atlanta.) Woods and Williams never really raised their voices, so eavesdropping was impossible.

• On the par-3 18th, Stricker blasted from a greenside bunker to about two feet. Someone in the gallery hollered, "What do you expect from a two-time comeback player of the year?" This killed Woods and Williams. Once again, evidence that Tiger hears the galleries.

• Tiger completed his back nine with three birdies and no bogeys for a round of 67, one behind the leader, Sean O'Hair. Tiger's post-round interview was typically vanilla. "I felt if I shot under par today I'd be fine," he said. "Luckily I birdied 9 and then kind of got it going on the back nine. I accomplished my goal of shooting under par for the day."

Just another day in the life for Tiger Woods.

Stricker, Goosen, O’Hair nudge ahead in BostonRed Bulls’ Richards regaining confidence

Schwab Cup leader looks to snap out of Funk

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Fred Funk wants to put a frustrating week of golf behind him with a strong showing at the SAS Championship.

``I would love to play well here and carry some momentum into Baltimore next week,'' Funk said Thursday. ``I really want the Schwab Cup.''

Funk leads Loren Roberts by 57 points with Bernhard Langer third, 375 points back in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

The SAS Championship begins Friday at Prestonwood Country Club. After that, the Champions Tour heads to Maryland for the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, where points for the Cup are doubled.

With both Roberts and Langer out of last week's Greater Hickory Classic field, Funk missed an opportunity to pad his points lead by finishing out of the top 10.

``It was a bizarre week with that two-shot penalty,'' the 53-year-old Funk said. ``It ate at me all week, but those things happen.''

Funk was issued a two-stroke penalty after accidentally using another player's club last week at Rock Barn when his caddie handed him a club from Mike Goodes' bag. Funk called it an understandable mistake because the two bags look alike, and the players use the same brand of clubs.

``I just have to put that behind me,'' said Funk, who finished tied for 12th and one stroke out of the top 10.

Funk likely will need a strong performance this week considering the Hall of Fame field at this year's SAS Championship, with 27 of the top 30 money-winners from last year and 17 PGA major champions.

In addition facing players such as Tom Kite, Nick Price, Lee Trevino and Curtis Strange, Roberts also is playing this weekend after a two-week hiatus.

The 54-year-old has finished in the top five in his last five tournaments, dating back to his playoff win at the Senior British Open.

He last played in early September at the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where he tied for fifth.

``I wanted to be rested for'' the SAS, Roberts said. ``It's a good purse, with a quality field.

``I wanted two weeks off for the stretch run. The next two weeks, it's important to play well.''

Defending champion Eduardo Romero said he's ready to bounce back from some poor showings this year after a stellar 2008 season in which he won three times.

``When I see the field, there are more than 15 majors champions,'' the 55-year-old Romero said. ``It's fantastic. I love it when there's a strong field. Last year was the best year of my career, but this year, it's different. I'm ready though. I came here to win.''

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Slocum donates $40,000 to tournament charities

ATLANTA (AP) — Heath Slocum was in danger of losing his PGA Tour card a month ago. Now he has a chance to win $10 million from the FedEx Cup if he were to win the Tour Championship.

His fortunes have changed. But not his priorities.

Slocum donated $40,000 on Wednesday to three charities associated with the Tour Championship. The East Lake Foundation will receive $20,000, while the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the Chron's and Colitis Foundation each get $10,000.

``We're in a good position to help out,'' Slocum said. ``This is something that we've been talking about for a while, and I'm glad that we could do that this week. There are so many great organizations that help so many people. Like I said, I'm just glad that we could even be a small part of it.''

Part of the charity is personal. Slocum has suffered from ulcerative colitis for the last 10 years. Since moving to the Atlanta area from the Florida Panhandle, he has been working with the Georgia chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation to find a cure.

The tour has been promoting its players individual charity work since launching a campaign in May called, ``Together, Anything's Possible.'' Commissioner Tim Finchem said Slocum's donation was another example.

``Here we have a player who found incredible success this year on tour and is using that success as a platform to positively impact the community in which he lives,'' Finchem said.

Slocum had earned $639,815 going into the playoffs, which left him about $200,000 short of the keeping his card for next year. Then he won The Barclays and picked up $1.35 million, making him the No. 5 seed at the Tour Championship.

HINDSIGHT: Tiger Woods was jolted at the start of the playoffs to learn he could win all three playoff events, finish second at the Tour Championship and still not win the FedEx Cup.

Wednesday brought another scenario that only made him smile.

Given his five victories before the playoffs began, and a system of cumulative points until the Tour Championship, Woods could have skipped all three playoff events and still been the No. 3 seed at East Lake.

Then, all he would have had to do is win the Tour Championship.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was asked if he was aware that Woods could have stayed home the last month.

``No, and I'm glad he didn't,'' Finchem said. ``Tiger is pretty adept at this. Tiger's view was his best chance of winning was to play them all, and make sure he was the No. 1 seed. I think the No. 1 seed has an advantage this week. Tiger usually plays to have an advantage.''

Woods is not likely to ever miss the Deutsche Bank Championship, which benefits his foundation. He has a long history with the Western Golf Association, which runs the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, where Woods has won five times.

Even so, the idea that having a big regular season allows him to miss a playoff event raises questions about whether he'll be at The Barclays next year.

THE GAMBLER: Jim Furyk could find himself standing over a putt worth $11 million Sunday at East Lake. That will be nothing new, except for the amount of money.

Furyk said he rarely plays any golf without something on the line - whether it's a major championship, a winner's check, even a soda.

``I gambled a lot as a kid, and even on the Nationwide Tour,'' Furyk said. ``When I was a kid, I always played for something, whether it was a dollar or a Coke. Not that I would teach kids to gamble, but I think it's in our blood as professional golfers. You have to put something on the line when you practice. There has to be a consequence at the end.''

The typical game when he was young was a $2, and if he fell behind and pressed, the bet became $4. For a teenager, every dollar counts, and Furyk didn't want to lose a dime.

``I stood over putts thinking this putt is either to halve or lose $2 or $4,'' he said. ``And it's a lot different, obviously, than $11 million.''

EAST LAKE UPDATE: Despite a wretched forecast, East Lake featured mostly sunny skies and hot weather on Wednesday, and the course was starting to dry.

Woods said the fairways were still soft, with plenty of mud on the ball. What surprised him were the firmness of the greens, courtesy of the sub-air pump system that was whirring away during the practice round.

The combination of spongy fairways and firm greens could make it hard to score.

``Like today, we picked up quite a bit of mud on every tee shot, so you can't be as specific on where you land the golf ball coming into the greens, so you have to be a little bit more conservative,'' he said. ``We'll see how the guys play and how the guys attack it.''

Much depends on whether the tour allows players to lift, clean and place their balls in the fairways. That decision is not expected until before the first round Thursday.

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Harrington still wants his hand on the claret jug

ATLANTA (AP) — British Open champion Stewart Cink decided to thank East Lake for giving him an honorary membership 13 years ago when he was just starting out on the PGA Tour by bringing the claret jug to display in the clubhouse during the Tour Championship.

The former owner of the jug decided to play a prank.

Cink had the claret jug in its silver suitcase outside his locker Tuesday. To most people, the nondescript suitcase looks like it might hold audio equipment, perhaps even a musical instrument.

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Padraig Harrington, who won the British Open the previous two years, knows better. He saw the familiar case and stashed it in his locker. Cink realized it was missing when he returned upstairs after registering, looked in his locker, then figured the PGA Tour Productions crew had taken it downstairs for their interview.

"I assumed they had gotten it and put it on their set," Cink said. "I said, 'So you guys already have the claret jug?' And they said, 'No."'

Was he worried? Not for long.

The locker room attendant came over and told Cink, "I think Mr. Harrington played a joke on you."

"I think Harrington walked in and saw the case - not the jug, but the case," Cink said. "A lot of people don't know what's in there. He knew. ... Before I could think that it was gone, they told me where it was. I wish it was more dramatic."

Cink said the jug has been in his kitchen, but that he would keep it at East Lake for a few weeks. Bobby Jones grew up at East Lake and won the British Open three times.

"This clubhouse is like a Bobby Jones golf history museum," Cink said. "With the claret jug in there, the actual one, I think it's fitting."

As for Harrington?

"He only had it for two years, so he wanted to have it just a little bit longer," Cink said. "I've only had it for two months."

LPGA SEARCH: The LPGA Tour is moving closer to finding a new commissioner to replace Carolyn Bivens, with USGA chief business officer Pete Bevacqua and WNBA president Donna Orender atop the short list.

Bevacqua, managing director of the U.S. Open before taking over as USGA's business officer already has gone through part of the interview process. Orender, a former broadcast executive with the PGA Tour whose WNBA contract expires this year, was at the Samsung World Championship last week in San Diego.

Golfweek Magazine reported that Jon Podany, senior vice president of business development at the PGA Tour, and Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker, also are being considered.

All indications are that the LPGA is trying to have a new commissioner in place for its season-ending LPGA Tour Championship the week of Oct. 16 in Houston. Marty Evans, who took over when Bivens was ousted, has said she doesn't want the job.

STEWART AWARD: Kenny Perry was honored Tuesday evening with the Payne Stewart Award, named after the three-time major champion who perished 10 years ago in a private plane crash.

The award is given to a player's commitment to charity, presentation of himself through dress and conduct, and for sharing Stewart's respect for golf's traditions.

Perry is best known for donating 5 percent of his PGA Tour earnings to a scholarship fund for students from his home county in Kentucky who attend Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. The support stems from a church elder, Ronnie Ferguson, agreeing to give Perry money for his third try at Q-school. No repayment was required if Perry failed to qualify, but he asked that Perry give 5 percent to Lipscomb if he made it on tour. Since then, Perry has earned more than $30 million.

He also built a public golf course that he designed on his own as an affordable option for recreational players.

"Payne personified all the virtues the game of golf can teach us, so being recognized as a person who is worthy of an award created in his memory is incredibly humbling," Perry said. "This award is and will always be one of my greatest accomplishments."

HALL OF FAME INTRODUCTIONS: Seve Ballesteros will be part of the World Golf Hall of Fame induction in November through a video message. Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal has asked Ballesteros to introduce him at the Nov. 2 ceremony.

Ballesteros, who is recovering from a brain tumor, cannot make the trip to St. Augustine, Fla.

"He is one of my best friends, and I have had the honor of sharing with him many different moments in our lives," Ballesteros said in a statement. "He has been by my side in the good times and in the not so very good times, and I will always be there for him."

Arnold Palmer will introduce the late Dwight D. Eisenhower, while CBS Sports anchor Jim Nantz will introduce Lanny Wadkins, and Christy O'Connor Jr., will introduce his father, Christy O'Connor.

SLOW PLAY POLICY: The PGA Tour's fine structure for slow play might eventually get the attention of even those who can afford it.

The tour's new pace-of-play policy began in 2003, and one of the components was a $20,000 fine for the 10th time during the season that a player was put on the clock.

In a policy change for this year that was not announced, the tour now is going after repeat offenders.

According to the player handbook, anyone put on the clock 10 times for a $20,000 fine will face double the amount - $40,000 - if he gets put on the clock 10 times the following year. And after that, the amount continues to double. If a player is timed on 10 occasions a third straight year, the fine goes to $80,000.

Whether any player has been docked double - or faces such a fine - is not known. The tour keeps that list private.

DIVOTS: Henry Hughes is retiring next year after 25 years at the PGA Tour. Hughes was executive director of The Players Championship during its greatest growth, and spent 10 years as the tour's chief of operations, in which he was in charge of competition. ... Suzann Pettersen will join Natalie Gulbis and Cristie Kerr as the LPGA team in the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, to be played Nov. 10 at Rio Secco in Las Vegas. ... In a statistical oddity, Tiger Woods' victory at the BMW Championship was his first this year when he began the tournament with a morning tee time Thursday.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Tiger Woods has been a runner-up at the Tour Championship three times, the most of any PGA Tour event.

FINAL WORD: "Under all those layers of apparently lack of caring, he does not want to lose." - Stewart Cink, on Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples.

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LPGA's contract with Kingsmill will not be renewed

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — The LPGA Tour has lost one of its marquee events.

Anheuser-Busch announced Monday that it is not renewing its sponsorship of the popular Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill after seven years.

Anheuser-Busch vice president Dan McHugh said that the company has decided to spread its sponsorships over a wider range of professional golf events. He says it will continue working with the LPGA.

``We're looking to give sort of a little bit more national scope,'' McHugh said. He said after a lengthy analysis after the May event here, the company wants to ``create a footprint in more tournaments.''

The LPGA has lost at least seven tournaments since 2007.

McHugh said Monday's announcement will mean a Michelob presence at more events, and a continuing support of the LPGA Tour. McHugh added that the support would be with hospitality opportunities rather than a major sponsorship.

Anheuser-Busch owns the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, where the PGA Tour made a stop for 22 years before the LPGA took over seven years ago. McHugh said the decision-making process included considering the higher costs of being the owner and operator of a tournament.

Michelob Ultra also hopes to continue as the official beer of the tour, he said.

The news is expected to be taken especially hard by the players on the tour, who voted the event their favorite in 2007. Fans voted it their favorite event in 2008, said Eric Albrecht, vice president of marketing for the tour. He attended the press conference.

The players were notified of the news early Monday, Albrecht said.

``I think it's a little bit the realities of the sports sponsorship landscape,'' he said, adding that the tour has ``close to'' 20 events confirmed for 2010. He said the tour is in discussions with nine other events and working with several potentially new event partners.

``As we move closer and closer to the 2010 schedule, we're feeling better and better about that schedule,'' Albrecht said. ``We feel good where was are in September. We're optimistic but we're also realistic knowing that our 2010 schedule may not be what it was a couple of years ago.''

In 2007, the LPGA had 34 events on its schedule. It had just 27 this year, lost all three of its events in Hawaii, longtime sponsor Corning after 31 years and several others.

It has been a particularly difficult year for the women's tour. A group of prominent players wrote a letter in July asking for the resignation of tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens after four years, saying the tour's woes could not all be blamed on a weakened economy.

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Cabrera Bello shoots 60 to win Austrian Open

OBERWALTERSDORF, Austria(AP) Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain shot a course-record 11-under 60 on Sunday to win his first European Tour title by one stroke over Benn Barham at the Austrian Open.

Cabrera-Bello was in seventh place overnight, trailing leader Barham by eight strokes. He overtook the Englishman with 11 birdies to finish at 20-under 264.

Cabrera-Bello missed an eagle putt on No. 18 that would have given him a European Tour record 59 that would have matched the best score ever on the PGA Tour.

``It's just amazing. I played the best golf of my life and I can't believe it,'' said Cabrera-Bello, who had never been under 64 on the European Tour. ``I was so far back I wasn't thinking about winning. I just tried to play one shot at a time.''

Barham bogeyed the par-4 third in a 2-under 69. Soren Hansen of Denmark was two strokes back, placing third for the second straight week.

The 25-year-old Cabrera-Bello lost his place on the European Tour in 2007, but returned from the Challenge Tour this season.

It was his fifth top-10 finish this year and he will rise from 74th to 46th in The Race to Dubai standings.

Cabrera-Bello drew even with Barham after the Englishman failed to make a birdie on the first 10 holes.

Barham, who had led the competition from the opening day, dropped two behind before sinking a 12-footer on the 16th. But a drive into the rough at the 18th was the decisive stroke.

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American club pros win PGA Cup

LUSS, Scotland (AP) — Scott Hebert won all five of his matches, and the U.S. club pros dominated Great Britain & Ireland in singles for a 17 1/2-8 1/2 victory in the PGA Cup on Sunday.

``In the end we had 10 strong players, 10 deep,'' captain Brian Whitcomb said. ``I've been around this game since I was five or six years old and to watch club professionals perform at the level they did, it means the world to me.''

The Americans won 8 1/2 points from the 10 singles matches, beating by one point their largest margin of victory on foreign soil set in 1983 at Muirfield. The United States has twice won by 12 points playing at home.

Hebert, a former club pro champion from Traverse City, Mich., had a 2-up victory over Jon Bevan to become the only player on The Carrick course at Loch Lomond to win all five of his matches.

``I had ... sloppy tee shots but was able to get the game back to square,'' Hebert said. ``He is a great player, was the guy I wanted to play. As the luck of the draw, I was able to face him. ``

Sonny Skinner won the first of 10 singles matches over Barry Taylor to go 4-0 for the week, while Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah, also had a 1-up victory for a 4-0 record.

``I like my team and it's a team atmosphere most of us have never had since college,'' said Skinner, of River Pointe Golf Club in Albany, Ga., ``It really does something for you to play for a team and not for yourself.''

The PGA Cup, which dates to 1973 and is patterned after the Ryder Cup, features club professionals. The Americans have a 16-5-3 lead in the series and have won 11 of the last 12 competitions.

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Euro Tour says Dubai prize money cut by 25 percent

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Prize money for the Dubai World Championship and the bonus pool will be reduced 25 percent because of the global economic downturn.

The winner's check for the Nov. 19-22 tournament in Dubai will be $1.25 million, and first prize for the season-long bonus pool, known as the Race To Dubai, has been reduced to $1.5 million. The total for each has been cut to $7.5 million from $10 million.

``The European Tour has offered to reduce the prize money to reflect the current worldwide economic position,'' European Tour chief executive George O'Grady said. ``We will jointly examine prize money levels in future years in the light of this developing global situation.''

When the tournament was launched two years ago it was hailed as the richest in golf, but the cuts mean it can no longer say that. This week's Tour Championship at Atlanta also has a purse of $7.5 million, with a winner's check of $1.35 million.

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Barham takes 3-stroke lead at Austian Open

OBERWALTERSDORF, Austria (AP) — Benn Barham shot 4-under 67 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Soren Hansen after three rounds of the Austrian Open.

The 33-year-old Englishman had six birdies. He had a double-bogey on the par-3 seventh hole to finish at 17-under 196.

``I was pretty solid today. I hit the shots I wanted to hit,'' said Barham, who added the wind made play difficult.

Hansen had six birdies for a 65. Richard Green, who won the event in 2007, shot a 69. He bogeyed the second and 14th holes to drop to third, trailing Barham by four strokes.

Scott Drummond (72) had four bogeys and dropped eight shots behind the leader.

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Haas wins second Greater Hickory Classic

CONOVER, N.C. (AP) — Jay Haas has won plenty of times on the Champions Tour.

This one may leave quite an impression.

Haas overcame a slow start to shoot a 7-under 65 on Sunday, setting a tournament record while winning his second Greater Hickory Classic by two shots over Russ Cochran and Andy Bean.

Haas, who also won the event in 2005, finished at 18-under 198 at Rock Barn Golf and Spa's Robert Trent Jones course. His three-day total broke the tournament mark by one shot, set by R.W. Eaks in 2007.

It also made the 13-time winner on the 50-and-over tour the second repeat winner in the tournament's seven-year history. Eaks won back-to-back titles in 2007 and '08.

``I didn't see this coming, certainly not a couple weeks ago,'' said Haas, who had been receiving treatment for tendinitis in his right elbow, which kept him off the tour for a month.

``A couple weeks ago, I just didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know if my shot was going to work,'' he said. ``But today, it felt great - no pain at all.''

Cochran and Bean also shot 65 on Sunday, with Hal Sutton (65) and second-round co-leader Nick Price (68) tied for fourth at 15 under.

Haas and Price, who were tied for the lead at 11-under after Saturday's round, both got off to slow starts Sunday. Haas didn't get his first birdie until the fifth hole and tacked on a second on No. 7, while Price bogeyed his first two holes to fall two strokes behind.

That opened the door for Cochran, who had earned provisional qualifying status on the Champions Tour at the start of the season, and earned exempt status after a third-place finish at the U.S. Senior Open.

Making just his 11th start, Cochran made four birdies on the front nine, the last two tying him for the lead. He then birdied No. 12 to pull ahead, and tacked on another birdie on No. 13 to go up by two strokes.

``I hit a lot of real good shots,'' Cochran said. ``I was real happy with the way I played. Unfortunately, I caught a great champion on a good day.''

Haas, who shot a 10-under 62 on Friday, assumed command of the tournament with birdies on five of the last six holes, including four straight between Nos. 13-16.

``The first 12 holes, I played awfully well ... but I didn't have a lot of close shots,'' he said. ``I really didn't know what Russ was doing up ahead of me ... but I figured that 13 (under) wasn't going to be good enough. So I was trying to birdie every hole.''

Haas ended a 26-tournament winless streak dating back to last year.

Bean, who began the day among three players tied for third at 9 under, made a late run after two birdies on the front nine. He played a five-hole stretch of the back nine in 3 over, then eagled the par-3 18th to pull even with Cochran.

Jeff Sluman, Mark McNulty and Bob Tway finished tied for sixth, five shots back, after all shot 65 in Sunday's final round. Fred Funk (70), who led Loren Roberts by 57 points in the Charles Schwab Cup standings entering this week's tournament, was among eight players tied for 12th at 10 under.

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Choi shoots 9-under 63 to lead Samsung by 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — All phases of Na Yeon Choi's game were clicking on Saturday and it showed in her third round at the Samsung World Championship.

The South Korean shot a career-best 9-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead over compatriot and second-round leader Jiyai Shin, who had a 68.

``I had a great round today,'' Choi said. ``I feel almost perfect with everything. My driver was good, iron shot good, and wedge and putter good. I think perfect today.''

Choi finished at 15-under 201 to tie the tournament's three-round record that Annika Sorenstam set when she won here in 2002 and 2005. Choi was a stroke from tying the tournament's single-round low set by Grace Park in 2004.

Choi has never won on the LPGA Tour, but has eight top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for ninth at the U.S. Women's Open.

After yielding 14 rounds in the 60s the first two days, the course was toughened up with faster greens and tighter pin placements on Saturday. Only Ai Miyazato of Japan (68), Shin and Choi shot in 60s. Shin and Miyazato, who played together, were amazed by Choi's score.

``That's a really solid round,'' Miyazato said. ``Nine under, that feels like 12-under on a normal golf course. This is not a very easy golf course.''

Miyazato was three strokes back in third after her third straight 68.

No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico shot a 72 and was tied for fourth place with Paula Creamer, seven strokes back.

After making the turn at 30, Choi had birdies on Nos. 11-12 to get to 8 under and have a chance at a 59, the LPGA Tour record Sorenstam set in 2001 at the Standard Register PING.

``I didn't think about that,'' Choi said. ``Actually I didn't know that after 12th hole I had made a birdie putt. I just try and reach the hole.''

She stalled after that, making two pars and a bogey on the 419-yard, par-4 15th. Her approach was about 45 feet from the hole and she left her first putt 9 feet short then failed to convert the par attempt.

Choi rebounded with birdies on two of her final three holes.

``I think actually I was nervous today, but I'm just trying to talk more with the caddy and just keep trusting myself,'' she said. ``More aggression and more confidence. Actually, I feel like I have no lows, so I'm just trying everything.''

Though Shin and Choi entered the LPGA Tour about the same time, Shin has won three times while Choi is going for her first victory.

``I think that's a big thing,'' Shin said. ``I think because I play a lot of time with Na Yeon Choi in Korea and also LPGA Tour. Because she never win at the LPGA Tour maybe she get big pressure and nervous.''

Shin kept the lead until she stumbled on the back nine, bogeying two of the first three holes.

``I am nervous and feel pressure too,'' Shin said, ``but I really like the adrenaline feel.''

That will come in handy on Sunday.

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Cabrera Bello shoots 60 to win Austian Open

OBERWALTERSDORF, Austria (AP) Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain has shot an 11-under 60 to win his first European Tour title by one stroke over Benn Barham at the Austrian Open.

Cabrera-Bello was in seventh place overnight, trailing leader Barham by eight strokes. He overtook the Englishman with 11 birdies on Sunday to finish at 20-under 264.

Barham bogeyed the par-4 third in a 2-under 69. Ryder Cup player Soren Hansen of Denmark took third, another two strokes behind.

The 24-year-old Cabrera-Bello returned from the Challenger Tour this season. He lost his place on the European Tour in 2007.

It was his fifth top-10 finish this year.

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Opening 62 gives Haas lead at Greater Hickory

CONOVER, N.C. (AP) — Jay Haas shot a 10-under 62 during the first round of the rain-delayed Greater Hickory Classic on Friday, taking a three-shot lead into the weekend.

Haas is the 2005 tournament champion and tied for second two years ago. He played a bogey-free round at Rock Barn Golf and Spa's Robert Trent Jones course.

``It was one of those days,'' said the 55-year-old Haas, who is winless on the Champions Tour this season. ``I got off to a good start ... and it felt comfortable. I drove the ball well, and I made a few extra putts I hadn't been making. I was in the zone, as they say.''

Haas' was one shot shy of tying the tournament record, set last year by two-time and defending champion R.W. Eaks. It also matched the Champions Tour's low round of the season, set by Brad Bryant in the first round of the Jen-Weld Tradition on Aug. 17 in Sunriver, Ore.

Gil Morgan was second after his 65, with Tom Jenkins, Jerry Pate and three-time major champion Nick Price another stroke back. Nine other players, among them former PGA Championship winners Jeff Sluman and Hal Sutton, were tied for fourth after rounds of 67.

Eaks and Fred Funk - who leads Loren Roberts by 57 points in the Charles Schwab Cup standings - were among those who shot 69.

Haas, last year's Charles Schwab Cup winner, had missed the last two events because of tendinitis in his left elbow. A cortisone shot he received two weeks ago left him feeling able to play a competitive round at Rock Barn.

He didn't disappoint, with birdies on four straight holes to open his round. He tacked on two more on the front nine, then made four more birdies on the back nine to beat his previous career best round in Champions Tour events by one stroke.

``I was anxious to play, for sure,'' Haas said. ``I was kind of chomping at the bit. I had been swinging well and feeling like I was doing the right things, then I came up with the tendinitis. ... But I'm in no pain right now. Hopefully that will continue.''

The 62-year-old Morgan said called his round ``pretty routine.''

``I hit it close a couple times, and I made a couple of 10- to 12-foot putts,'' Morgan said. ``It was pretty unspectacular. On most of the shots, I wasn't in any real danger out there today ... but I had a few opportunities out there that I missed.''

Persistent showers Friday morning delayed the start of the opening round by nearly three hours. In order to complete the round before nightfall, tournament officials sent the pairings off from the first and 10th tees.

Nearly half an inch of rain had fallen in the days before the 50-and-over tour event, and nearly half an inch fell late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Tournament officials said that more rain is forecast for the area through Monday.

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Kim, Shin tied for Samsung lead at Torrey Pines

SAN DIEGO(AP) They'd all watched on TV as Tiger Woods claimed his epic win in the U.S. Open last year. Starting Thursday, 20 elite LPGA golfers got their turn to try to tame Torrey Pines.

Not only did they recognize the place, but they had an easier go of it in the opening round of the Samsung World Championship. There were favorable pin placements, the wind stayed down on the blufftop municipal course overlooking the Pacific Ocean and, of course, there was less yardage to play on the normally tough South Course.

Song-Hee Kim and Jiyai Shin of South Korea each shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead.

Kim was the runner-up in this tournament last year, losing by one stroke to Paula Creamer at Half Moon Bay in Northern California. Kim started strong, with five birdies in her first eight holes on the South Course. Shin, coming off her tour-leading third victory of the year at the NW Arkansas Championship, had four birdies on the back nine.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Sophie Gustafson of Sweden were one stroke behind the leaders on a perfect, calm day.

Shin even had a Tiger moment on the par-5, 480-yard 18th. She said she couldn't reach the green in two shots during two practice rounds, but the pin was moved forward 18 yards on Thursday and she reached in two, then two-putted for birdie.

``So last year Tiger won, I watched on the TV, and then he made a great birdie,'' she said, recalling the hole where Woods made a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, then made a 4-foot birdie in the playoff the next day to force sudden death.

Kim said she had an ``easy birdie. So I was really surprised. It's an easy 18 holes.''

Gustafson had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys.

``Well, I certainly recognize most of the holes, for example the seventh,'' she said. ``That's where they finished the U.S. Open, and they must have been, you know, way back.''

Eleven players were under par and three were even. The main reasons were the lack of wind and pin placements, Ochoa said.

``It's set up for a low day. I'm just glad I took advantage of that and I am right there where I should be,'' Ochoa said. ``You never know, tomorrow the wind gets a little more and the combination with tough pin placements, maybe even par is a great round.''

Yardage was listed at 6,721, but some holes were shortened, particularly some of the par-5s.

By comparison, the U.S. Open scorecard read 7,643 yards, but the course actually played between 7,400 and 7,500 yards because the tee boxes were switched up every day.

``I think we all watched the U.S. Open, and we hear so many good things about this course,'' Ochoa said. ``For all of us it was a new place. So I guess that's fair and even for everybody.''

This is the LPGA Tour's first stop in San Diego since 1993 and the first at Torrey Pines since the 1983 Inamori Classic.

Ai Miyazato of Japan and Juli Inkster were tied for fifth at 68. Inkster, a three-time winner, received an exemption.

Creamer was seventh with a 3-under 69. She's still looking for her first win of the season after battling a mystery illness. She said she got sick after going to Mexico in November for the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, and that doctors weren't able to figure out what was wrong.

Ochoa, playing with Creamer, bogeyed the par-4 No. 1 after driving into a bunker, then picked up the pace with birdies on four of the last five holes on the front nine.

Ochoa finished her round with a two-putt birdie on the 480-yard 18th.

East notes: Revs’ playoff push well underwayMcNulty, Roberts tied at 11 under at Boeing

To fix the FedEx Cup, replace playoff points with simple scores

The problem with the FedEx Cup points race, as I've repeatedly written, is the complicated scoring system.

As a case in point, take the finish at last week's BMW Championship at Cog Hill. Brandt Snedeker needed only a bogey on the final hole to advance to the Tour Championship because John Senden had butchered the 18th hole moments earlier. Due to the complicated points system, however, Snedeker had to ask a reporter where he stood. (Maybe he shouldn't have asked. He four-putted and handed his spot to Senden.)

Last year, Vijay Singh finished early at the BMW and left the course without comment. By the time the rest of the field completed the final round, it was official: he would clinch the FedEx Cup as long as he completed four rounds at the Tour Championship. That's right, he wrapped it up on the way to the airport.

In all tournaments, a player tied for fourth and waiting to hit on a par-3 can drop to sixth if the two players in front of him make birdie. That's complicated enough. In the FedEx Cup, the guy who drops to sixth also has a new point total. To find out where he stands in the playoff, we have to 1) determine the point value of his new position and 2) determine the point value of everyone else's new position and 3) recalculate everyone's total playoff point values. By the time we get all that done, something else has likely happened on the course to mix up the positions again. It's simply too hard for players, fans and the media to follow along.

NBC must have had a posse of computer geeks trying to calculate the permutations last week at the BMW, and it still had difficulty keeping up.

This year's rejiggered points format created much more volatility. The Tour reset the players' point totals on Monday. That's like letting the field spread out at a NASCAR race and then, with five laps to go, putting everyone on the same lap for a sprint to the finish. Why follow the first seven months if the point totals are just going to be reset at the 11th hour anyway? Good question.

Maybe that's good TV. It means Woods, who has the point lead after the reset, still needs a strong showing in Atlanta to win the $10 million bonus. Theoretically, No. 30 Senden could still win the $10 million. He'd have to win the tournament outright and Woods and the other top six players would have to falter. That's a stretch, but it's possible.

Resetting the points also devalues playoff victories. If Woods had won all three FedEx Cup playoff legs, he'd be in the exact same situation he's in now with one win. (He has 2,500 points, a 250-point lead over Steve Stricker; 2,500 points will go to the Tour Championship winner.)

If a player sweeps the first three FedEx Cup events, should he have it wrapped up? Or does the Tour Championship require that reset excitement?

I have argued in the past to replace the points system with something golfers can relate to — cumulative scores. For example, Woods shot 8 under par at the Barclay's, 12 under at the Deutsche Bank and 19 under at the BMW. His total going to Atlanta would be 39 under par. Using this type of system would make it easy to know where every player stood in the playoffs.

There should be a reward for winning, though, so I'd give each winner of a playoff event a five-stroke bonus. That would boost Tiger's score to 44 under par.

A real playoff system would probably involve match play, but that isn't realistic because it would defeat the event's primary mission — to get the best golfers playing more often. As we've seen in the World Match Play event in Tucson, the top players often get bounced, sometimes in the early rounds.

One other thing about using my cumulative score system: A player would be rewarded if he wins by a big margin. Tiger's eight-stroke victory at Cog Hill would give him a big edge. Under the current points system, he gets the same amount of points whether he wins by 1 or by 15. A dominant performance is the same as a lucky playoff win.

One potential problem with my system: There is no guarantee of drama at East Lake, just like last year when Singh clinched early. Good play wins out, and that's all there is to it. But stroke play does leave wiggle room. Woods outdistanced Steve Stricker, who started the BMW with the points lead, by 25 shots last week. Big leads are not insurmountable.

One other notable part of my plan: players who miss a cut in either of the first two FedEx Cup events would be out of the running for the big prize. Heath Slocum won at Liberty National the first week but then missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank. Unable to post 16 rounds, he would be eliminated. Under this rule, four of the top 15 players headed to Atlanta would be out. Besides Slocum, No. 7 Sean O'Hair, No. 10 Jason Dufner and No. 13 Geoff Ogilvy all missed cuts.

Here's how the scoreboard would shape up if my cumulative scoring system were in use this year. As you can see, Woods would have a substantial lead with only three pursuers within 20 strokes. Is that more exciting than the current system? Probably not this year. Is it easier to understand and follow? No contest.

FedEx Cup total score (to par)
(Winners get five-stroke bonus)

-44 Tiger Woods
-29 Padraig Harrington
-27 Jim Furyk
-24 Steve Stricker
-18 Scott Verplank
-18 Kevin Na
-18 Zach Johnson
-16 Dustin Johnson
-12 Steve Marino
-9 Mike Weir
-9 Nick Watney
-7 John Senden
-5 Luke Donald
-5 Retief Goosen
-4 David Toms
-4 Hunter Mahan
-3 Jerry Kelly
-1 Phil Mickelson
+1 Brian Gay
+4 Kenny Perry
+12 Y.E. Yang

Tour Championship competitors who missed a cut and would've been eliminated (with current FedEx Cup rank in parentheses):

Heath Slocum (5)
Sean O'Hair (7)
Jason Dufner (10)
Geoff Ogilvy (13)
Marc Leishman (16)
Lucas Glover (20)
Ernie Els (22)
Angel Cabrera (24)
Stewart Cink (26)

Toronto FC’s playoff hopes float in thin airTiger Woods enters opening playoff event at The Barclays

Eaks aims for 3rd title at Greater Hickory Classic

CONOVER, N.C. (AP) — R.W. Eaks admits he's had a terrible year on the PGA Champions Tour.

The good news is he's the two-time defending champion heading into the Greater Hickory Classic, which begins Friday on the Rock Barn Golf and Spa course.

``I've absolutely played awful this year, there's no bones about it,'' Eaks said. ``My confidence is probably at a low, but you never know. The juices may flow this week and good things will happen.''

Eaks has battled knee, back and muscle problems this year after winning four times and posting more than $2.4 million in earnings the last two seasons on the tour.

His only top-10 finish this year came in March in the Dominican Republic, and he's had to withdraw from three tournaments.

Eaks said since using an herbal remedy for several months, his stamina and play has improved.

He was under par for three consecutive rounds and finish tied for 20th on Aug. 30 in Snoqualmie, Wash. He added two more under-par rounds before closing with a 75 last week in Pebble Beach, Calif.

``I'm on some exotic root from Peru,'' the 57-year-old Eaks said. ``I don't know how to explain it, but it's eating away the bone spurs in my knees.''

Eaks said he had to change his swing because of the bone spurs.

``Now that my knees are better, I'm trying to go back to what I used to do,'' he said. ``Everything's in transition right now.''

But Eaks has enjoyed success on the Robert Trent Jones course. He finished second to Andy Bean in 2006, set the tournament record with a 17-under 199 in 2007 and came within a stroke of tying the mark last year. Eaks closed with a 1-under 71 in windy conditions for a four-stroke victory over Tom Jenkins and Tom Kite.

The Greater Hickory Classic also gives Fred Funk an opening to increase his lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Funk enters the tournament with a 57-point lead over Loren Roberts, who is skipping the event. Four-time winner and money leader Bernhard Langer - a distant third in the standings - is defending his title in a European senior event.

``I got off to a slow start because of a staph infection in my right knee,'' said Funk, who last month won his first title of the year. ``I didn't even know if I would be playing this year at all, much less play at a high level.

``But this year has been very satisfying. This is a big opportunity for me, because Loren isn't here. He's been playing phenomenally well, so with him taking a week off, it'd be great if I can take advantage of it.''

However, the players will have to deal with an old nemesis at Rock Barn - the weather. Nearly a half inch of rain has fallen this week, and tournament officials say the forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of showers over the next three days.

MLS Fantasy Tips: Week 19Funk leads by three shots at Senior British Open

American romp at Merion inspired visions of a U.S. Open to come

Ardmore, Pa., June 17, 2013 — In what golf commentators are calling an instant classic, Tour sensation Rickie Fowler, 24, won the U.S. Open over 37-year-old Tiger Woods in an 18-hole playoff here at historic Merion Golf Club. The win, at the club where Fowler dominated the Walker Cup matches four years ago, was Fowler's first victory in a major. Woods remains stuck at 18 professional majors while suffering from what Golf Channel analyst Johnny Miller described as "Jack Nicklausitis."

The two golfers, playing the shortest U.S. Open course in 32 years, were tied through 17 holes in the Monday playoff at four over par. Woods, struggling with the driver, hit a pop-up three-wood on the last that landed on a plaque commemorating Ben Hogan's historic shot in the 1950 Open. The ball took a hideous bounce into the rough on the edge of the clubhouse parking lot. Fowler's drive at 18 flew 100 yards past Tiger's ball, and left him with a 108-yard second shot. He closed with a birdie to Woods's bogey.

"Yeah, I heard all about Hogan from Buddy back in '09," Fowler said, referring to his Walker Cup captain, George (Buddy) Marucci Jr., a Merion member. "And all the way around, Tiger's like, Hogan this and Hogan that and Hogan's one-iron into 18. And I'm like, 'What's a one-iron?'" Fowler hit a sand wedge into 18.

USGA executive director Mike Davis said, "We knew from the Walker Cup that guys would hit some short clubs here, but flip wedge into 18? That's just sick." Still, Davis said that the even-par score of 280 through 72 proved that time-honored courses such as Merion, with its uneven lies and treacherous greens and nasty rough, remain "the best kind of test of a golfer's skill." For the Open, Merion measured just longer than 7,000 yards. In April, Augusta National checked in at 8,253 yards.

For at least a year now, Fowler and Sergio Garcia have been vying for the title of Best Golfer Never to Have Won a Major. In the week after the '09 Walker Cup — at which he won four out of four points — Fowler turned pro and won his first start, the Albertsons Boise Open on the Nationwide tour. He earned his Tour card in that year's Fall Series, and in less than four years on Tour he has won 16 times.

"Tiger said his six straight USGA titles — three junior titles and three U.S. Ams — set up his career," Fowler said. "I'm like, 'Man, that's six years. I got all that done in two good days.'"

Upon hearing that, Woods, a former Walker Cupper himself, shook his head and said, "Kids." He then signed autographs for a half hour in the shade of the Merion clubhouse veranda.

United host Seattle in Open Cup final rematchLos Angeles CC to host 2017 Walker Cup

What was Greg Norman thinking picking Adam Scott for Presidents Cup?

I'm still scratching my head over International captain Greg Norman's Presidents Cup picks. One is a junior golfer and the other is sinking faster than the Titanic . O.K., I'll give Norman a pass on Ryo Ishikawa. I'd like to see someone with more mileage, but the 17-year-old from Japan has three wins this season on his nation's tour, the last of which came only two weeks ago. His stock is rising, and Norman's team is otherwise loaded with experience.

As for the second pick, Adam Scott (below), all I can say is: Wow! His World Ranking has sunk from No. 3 to 53; he's missed the cut in 10 of his 18 starts on Tour this year; and his health (knee) is a concern. Scott is a tremendous guy to be around and possesses a scary amount of talent, but the Presidents Cup has two alternate-shot sessions, and he must play in at least one of them. How do you put a guy who's 159th in driving accuracy, 165th in greens in regulation and 189th in putting in that situation? Scott is grinding on his game in Europe for two weeks, and will play in the Oct. 1-4 Turning Stone Resort Championship in preparation for the following week's Cup matches at San Francisco's Harding Park.

But why didn't Norman take a serious look at his countryman Michael Sim, another kid whose stock is skyrocketing? This season Sim, 24, has three wins on the Nationwide tour and amazing stats: second in driving accuracy, eighth in GIR and first in putting. That's ideal for team golf. I hope the cup will be a vote of confidence for Scott, and that he'll regain his spot among the game's best, but my gut tells me it may not work out.

Alonso, Scott back in fold for SeattleGreg Norman withdraws from Jeld-Wen Tradition

Shin wins 3-way playoff on LPGA Tour

ROGERS, Ark.(AP) Jiyai Shin arrived at the course around 5:30 a.m., then began her final round a couple hours later in one of the first groups to tee off.

A championship was the furthest thing from her mind.

``I wanted to just make under par,'' Shin said.

Shin accomplished that modest goal and a whole lot more Sunday, rallying from a seven-stroke deficit to win the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship. Shin shot a 7-under 64 and outlasted Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo in a sudden-death playoff at Pinnacle Country Club.

Shin, an LPGA Tour rookie from South Korea, now has three wins on tour this year, the most of any player.

``I'm lucky this year,'' she said. ``I'm just focused on the rookie of the year, but now I still have a chance for the player of the year.''

Nancy Lopez was the last player to win both in 1978.

Shin is called the ``Final-Round Queen'' in South Korea. In March, she trailed by four strokes with nine holes to play before winning the HSBC Women's Champions.

On No. 15, the second hole of Sunday's playoff, she made a 12-foot birdie putt to win after Stanford had missed a longer putt along a similar line.

``Angela's ball broke left to the right,'' Shin said. ``I trusted Angela's putt.''

Shin posted her final-round score around 12:30 p.m. and had to wait about two hours for everyone else to finish. She finished at 9-under 204 for the 54-hole event on the 6,244-yard course.

About an hour after Shin finished her round, Shi Hyun Ahn reached the green in two shots on the par-5 18th. Ahn (66) three-putted to finish at 8 under.

Meanwhile, Stanford and second-round leader Song-Hee Kim were plodding along. For the third straight year, rain was a factor at this event, although it was fairly light Sunday and play wasn't delayed.

``I thought for sure somebody would make it to 10 (under),'' Stanford said.

Instead, Stanford (69) needed a couple dramatic shots just to reach the playoff. She began the round two strokes behind Kim, and after a bogey on No. 1, she holed out a 138-yard 9-iron for an eagle on the second.

She entered the final hole knowing she needed an eagle to make it to a playoff with Shin and Yoo. After reaching the green on the 515-yard par 5 in two shots, she made a 25-foot putt.

``That was pretty cool,'' Stanford said. ``I told my caddie, walking 18, 'They're going to erupt if we eagle 18.'''

They did, and Kim (72) could have made it a four-way playoff, but she missed a birdie putt.

Shin, Stanford and Yoo (68) played No. 18 again to start the playoff, and they all made birdie putts from close to the hole. None of the three were able to reach the green in two. Yoo had to play a tricky shot from a bunker behind the green but was able to get up and down.

On the next hole, Yoo's tee shot ended up on the fringe, and she was unable to chip in for birdie. Stanford and Shin were both on the same part of the green.

Stanford's putt went a few feet past the hole. Shin then made hers for the win.

Although Shin is a rookie this year, she won the Women's British Open in 2008.

Stanford's mother, who is battling breast cancer, was on hand for the exciting finish. Although Stanford had to settle for her third consecutive top 10 finish, that eagle on No. 18 was quite a moment.

``I was nervous, and all day I had missed a lot of putts that I should have made,'' Stanford said. ``I thought, 'You know, my mom's here, forget being nervous. Be a player and get it in the hole.''

Earlier in the week, Shin had an English lesson at the media center, where she saw the tournament trophy. She said then she'd see it again Sunday, and she was right. She also moved to the top of this year's money list.

``Just lucky,'' she said.

The tournament was presented by John Q. Hammons.

Pettersen takes 5-shot lead at Canadian OpenEast notes: Revs’ playoff push well underway

PGA Tour Confidential: BMW Championship

Every week of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors.

Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: Greetings, all, from the Golf.com bureau at an undisclosed location somewhere west of the Hudson.

Tiger Woods won the BMW (Bravo Mr. Woods) by a touchdown and a two-point conversion, thanks largely to a spectacular 62 on Saturday. Can we assume he's figured something out, or was it just a case of everything working for him on one special day?

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Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Tiger figures out courses better than anybody since Jack Nicklaus. I'm guessing Cog Hill is his second-favorite course in Chicago now, after Medinah. He'll win there more than he loses, just like St. Andrews, Pebble and Augusta National, before the proofing.

Jim Herre, editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: Tiger was scary-good on Saturday, but I loved the way he played the par-5 9th hole on Sunday — way left off the tee, a low bullet that left him behind a tree, then a wonderful punch that he drew around the tree to about 10 feet. Of course he made the birdie putt. Tough to compete against such brilliance.

Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Cog Hill is an easy course, and it showed in Tiger's 19-under score. Tiger could hit the ball all over the place and still make birdies. All to say, this tournament is no indication of how well he will fair in next year's majors.

Morfit: I'm pretty confused about the state of his game. He seems more like most other golfers now in that he's streaky-brilliant as opposed to just plain brilliant. It's just that Tiger's brilliance, when it comes, surpasses anything the rest of the guys can summon.

David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com: Between all these wins at Cog Hill and a pair of PGA Championships at Medinah, the guy should feel more at home in the Windy City than Mayor Daly.

Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: Tiger was great this week, and deserved to win, but why was his 62 treated like the arrival of Haley's Comet? So far this year on Tour there have been one round of 60, six rounds of 61, and 25 rounds of 62. All those rounds did not generate the level of fawning and predictions of invincibility that Tiger's did. In fact, it's kind of shocking that Woods has only three 61s and three 62s in his career. Again, a great day and a great win, but I'm not sure it totally erases what's happened in the last few weeks.

Rick Lipsey, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Tiger showed this week what Rudy Duran, his childhood coach, says Tiger has had since he was about 4 years old. He plays one shot at a time, with no thought to the past or future, and he cherishes every shot as an opportunity to do something really fun and really amazing. Nobody else "brings it" like that to literally every shot he or she plays.

Gorant: Maybe Bubba Watson, but it doesn't always work out as well for him.

Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I think we talk so much about swing planes and positions at the top that we sometimes forget that golf is still competition. Tiger is still hungrier, mentally tougher and miles ahead of his peers. I still don't think it's even close.

Evans: Damon, we care about swing planes and such because that's all that Tiger cares about. And in the end, his obsession with perfection is going to cost him some majors over the next several years.

Hack: Sure, but there is also something to be said for intangibles and imagination and want-to, and Tiger cares about those things also, even as he tries to own his swing.

Dusek: Tiger doesn't care about swing planes as much as he cares about winning.

Morfit: What do people make of the fact that order has been restored in the universe? Does having Tiger back in the top spot make the FedEx Cup more compelling or less so? And how do we assess the odds of a guy in the top five, like Zach Johnson, winning at East Lake and taking it all?

Dick Friedman, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: I didn't need Tiger in the top spot to find it compelling. I think the whole thing's a hoot! Granted, it's still gimmicky. But you do get all the top players in big markets for four tournaments in a row. Luckily, we've had three different winners so far, and that's also helped the buzz. I'm even loving the grousing about "fatigue." Boo-effin'-hoo! Hey, tell that to an NHL player who's trying to keep his feet moving through the slush on Memorial Day!

Yes, the elimination system has its share of unfairness, in the sense that it progressively discounts regular-season performance — but that's what playoffs are all about. There are many, many examples from other sports of dominant regular-season teams being unceremoniously ousted in the postseason, and it might happen to Tiger at Atlanta. So if he gets bumped from the lead, he'll have to settle for ... $3 million. If someone like Zach can get hot and win — essentially, gaming the system — more power to him. It would be like a wild-card baseball team winning the Series.

Morfit: Yeah, I liked that the pros were saying they were fatigued. I'm sure they'll get a lot of sympathy. Maybe, though, we shouldn't be surprised if Woods goes W-W at the FedEx finish. Even with a bad knee, he's still in better shape than 99% of the guys out there.

Hack: Having shifted over to the NFL beat, I'm amazed at how many of these tough guys love Tiger. I'm writing an article on Adrian Peterson for Sports Illustrated, and he told me about meeting Tiger for the first time this summer. They spent most of the time talking about how much they bench press.

Dusek: Sorry, but I still don't feel any buzz surrounding the inappropriately named "playoffs." I know it's been written before, but this is a points race, not a playoff. Paul Casey didn't compete in the first two events and still could have competed at the BMW! In the NFL and baseball, the best teams are given a bye through ONE round as reward for their regular season performance. Then, like everyone else, they face elimination if they lose. That's a playoff.

Gorant: I disagree. I think this has been the most successful iteration of the playoffs. Lots of top guys jockeying for position. Lots of comeback stories (Garcia, Harrington), some long-shot dark horses (Leishman, Slocum) and guys grinding to keep their season alive and/or to get into the top five. Definitely thought it added something, and Casey's case only proves that the regular season does mean something. It's not perfect, and no, it's not history, but the playoffs definitely added to the golf season this year.

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Week in Review: Playoff races tightenPGA Tour Confidential: The Deutsche Bank Championship