Category: HUFF’S STUFF Blog

Nice move by Mike McQuaid and the Thunderbirds, giving the first of five sponsor’s exemptions into the Waste Management Phoenix Open to local pro Tom Lehman, the 2000 champ. Too bad everything can’t go so “green’’ for McQuaid, the tournament chairman for the WMPO, which tees off Feb. 3-6 at the TPC Scottsdale. Actually, the T-birds never can grumble because Waste Management has literally dumped $25 million into their bank account, a recycled load of the green stuff that won’t run out until 2014. That, and the Birds know that they’ve got the largest crowds in golf as well as the game’s best “special events,’’ like the Fenway Park-like 16th hole and the infamous Birds’ Nest, the No. 1 meat market in Scottsdale, hands down.

But outside of Phil Mickelson, the former Arizona State star who sits No. 4 in the world, and Rickie Fowler, the mop-top kid who was last season’s top rookie – who both have already committed – the 132-man field isn’t going get much better from a world rankings standpoint. Yeah, defending champ Hunter Mahan will be there, but outside of Mahan, who is No. 19, who else from the official top 20?

Not Lee Westwood or Tiger Woods or Martin Kaymer, the Nos. 1-3, respectively, although Kaymer does live in Paradise Valley. Kaymer did play here last year but that was before the big German won the PGA Championship and began playing a schedule that is predominantly world-wide.

Not Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker or Paul Casey, the Nos. 5-8 even if Casey lives about 20 minutes from the TPC. Of that group, Casey is the biggest “why not?’’ although most of the Brits will tell you the reason is because the former Arizona State star is a “baby.’’ That’s their word not mine, according to his former Ryder Cup teammates. And true to form, Casey doesn’t like the raucous nature of the WMPO.

Then you go from No. 9 through No. 12 – Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Ernie Els – and those players aren’t going to happen. Same with No. 13 Matt Kuchar, Retief Goosen, Dustin Johnson, Francesco Molinari, Robert Karlsson, Eduardo Molinari and Robert Allenby (Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20). Most of those guys are in Qatar or Dubai this time of year along with Westwood and Woods.

So out of the top 20 in the world, the Waste Management probably is going to have to settle for Mickelson and Mahan, and Fowler at No. 28. I don’t remember such an unstar-studded field since the tournament moved to Scottsdale. (Can you say happy 25th birthday?) By comparison, last year’s tournament had six players in the top 20 – Mickelson, Kaymer, Vijay Singh, Camillo Villegas, Ian Poulter and Geoff Ogilvy. Of course, that Phoenix Open preceded (for one year only) the prestigious WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, so call that a “jaded’’ high point.

Blame some of this year’s lack of a big marquee on the foreign factor, as 13 of the top 20 players in the world are from other countries besides the USofA. But blame more of it on the fact there are a lot of mega-purses out there on golf’s big-money stage, as 17 tournaments now have purses that are $6.5 million or greater – 14 over $7 million. Such numbers make the WMPO’s look paltry at $6.1 million, especially when compared to Tucson’s $8.5 million.

Granted, the Phoenix Open is more than just the field, as great weather in Scottsdale on Super Bowl weekend is hard to beat, so people will be somewhat satisfied with that. And the tournament has raised more than $4 million for charity the past two years in a difficult economic climate, and that’s certainly a good thing, too.

Still, when will the Phoenix Open return to the glory days, when the best players always showed up in Scottsdale and before that at Phoenix Country Club? Seriously, it’s been more than a little while since the Phoenix Open field glittered like diamonds, or to be precise, way back to 2001 when Woods waved good-bye.

It seems like the only real solution(s) to raise the Phoenix Open is to jack the purse by at least a million bucks or get Waste Management to ink Tiger to a long-term deal. If I’m making that decision, the Woods option – tarnished image or no tarnished image — seems like a “gimme.’’

With the downfall of Tiger Woods and “off years’’ by name players like Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Lucas Glover and Angel Cabrera, to name a few, opportunity has come knocking at this week’s TOUR Championship for Scottsdale’s “Magnificent Seven’’ – Paul Casey, Martin Laird, Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson, Tim Clark, Ryan Moore and Kevin Streelman.

Seriously, I don’t remember a TOUR Championship where seven of the 30 elite entries at elegant East Lake Golf Club near Atlanta hailed from Arizona. That’s more than 20 percent of the field from the Grand Canyon State, and it is a sign of more big things to come in 2011. And four of those guys – Casey, Laird, Moore and Streelman – are playing in the $7.5 million event for the first time ever.

Leading the way is Casey, the former Arizona State star who for some reason or other is about as unpopular in Europe as he is at the Phoenix Open, a tournament he turns down every year in lieu of the bizarre landscape of Dubai.

According to an in-depth story in The Scotsman of Scotland, the chief reason Casey was recently snubbed by Euro’s egomaniac Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie, is because his compatriots don’t like Casey. In fact, one of his former European Ryder Cup teammates was quoted as saying in The Scotsman story: “Paul’s toys were forever being thrown from his (crib). He was such a baby.’’

There even is speculation that if the ailing Lee Westwood can’t play in the Ryder Cup due to a calf injury that hasn’t gotten much better, that Monty will look past Casey and pick Justin Rose to fill Westwood’s shoes. At least that was the view of The Scotsman.

Despite being Europe’s ugly “part-time’’ American, Casey has had a wonderful season even if he hasn’t won while falling from No. 3 in the world to No. 7. With six top-10s this year, including a runner-up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play and a T3 in the British Open, PC will surpass his best season this week by a whopping $1 million (or more). And don’t be surprised if he hits the $10 million jackpot that will go to the winner of the FedEx Cup on Sunday, as his No. 5 position in the season-ending standings gives him a real shot at winning golf’s greatest annual annuity.

Also having a breakthrough type season is Martin Laird, the “Scotsman from Scottsdale.’’ Laird, who at 27 seems to be coming into his own, has a chance to jump almost 50 spots on the money list from a year ago. Now that he’s found his groove, expect Laird, who ranks No. 9 in the FedEx Cup standings, to be around for the next 10 to 15 years, he’s that good.

Sitting in the No. 12 position is Geoff Ogilvy, who has had a pretty average to below average season, at least by his standards. The Aussie looked like this might be his career year when he won the season-opening SBS Championship in Hawaii. But mediocrity followed, which is why Ogilvy will have his worst season, money-wise, in five years. Hey, it happens to the best of them, just ask Phil Mickelson, who ranks no better than No. 10 this week despite winning the Masters earlier this year.

Watson, who broke through for his first PGA Tour triumph in 2010, is No. 18 on the FedEx list and even more important to him, playing in his first Ryder Cup in two weeks at Celtic Manor in Wales. Now No. 25 in the world, these are new heights for the big-booming Bubba, who already has accumulated over $3 million – or half as much money as he won in his previous five seasons.

Tim Clark, the little South African who is No. 21 going into the FedEx Cup, also won for the very first time in 2010. Clark has been a picture of consistency, while rising into the top 20 in the world only to fall back to No. 30. This also will be Clark’s best season money-wise, as he has racked up $3.2 million. He’s already won the $7.5 million Players Championship, so why not the other big-money payout?

Sitting in the No. 26 spot but with plenty left in the tank after finishing T3 two weeks ago at the BMW Championship in Chicago is Moore, “The Natural’’ that finally seems to be living up to his nickname at age 27. Moore is $100,000 – a pittance when it comes to the TOUR Championship – from eclipsing his breakthrough season of a year ago when he won for the first time. After overcoming a long list of injuries, Moore could become an impact player at any moment.

If more people knew what a good guy he really is, Streelman would be a superstar, he’s got that type of personality. The winner of last year’s $1 million jackpot in the Kodak Challenge – his biggest claim to fame so far – the experts are in agreement that the 31-year-old Streelman’s best days are ahead of him. He’s just so quiet, however, as evidenced by the fact he’s won at least $1 million or more in all three of his seasons in the big leagues and who would have known?

There are others from Arizona who have had fantastic years, most notably Ricky Barnes, who looks like the Scottsdale pro is finally here to stay after earning nearly $1.8 million, which ranks him No. 41 on the money list. Scottsdale’s Bryce Molder ($1.4 million, No. 54), another Scottsdale pro, Matt Jones ($1.2 million, No. 66), and Gilbert’s Robert Garrigus ($717,465, No. 112) also will be around to further their careers on the PGA Tour in 2011.

But what’s really special for Scottsdale’s “Magnificent Seven’’ is that by finishing in the top 30 and competing this week in the TOUR Championship, all are exempt into next year’s four major championships. That will be a first for Laird, Watson, Moore and Streelman, which stamps them into the game’s marquee group that already included Casey, Ogilvy and Clark.

I’m not sure exactly how the dictionary defines tradition, but to me it’s usually something that has to do with an annual event involving the same place and people who have same modus operandi. In other words, it’s time-honored like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

That’s why I had to laugh just a little when it was announced this week that The Tradition, the Champions Tour major that began in 1989 at Desert Mountain Golf Club, was moving again for a fourth time. After spending 12 years in Scottsdale, one year in Gold Canyon and nine years in Portland, golf’s version of “The Changeling’’ is on its way to Birmingham, Ala., and infamous Shoal Creek Golf Club.

Yes, so much for tradition as The Tradition becomes The Regions Tradition – for the record the tournament’s fifth new name. Perfect, considering The Tradition has been known as the Champions’ “fifth major’’ ever since it left the Valley.

What a shame, really. When Tradition founder Lyle Anderson gave birth to the event in 1989 he patterned it after the Masters and he backed it up with a quality venue and digs and first-class amenities never seen before on the Champions Tour. It really did have all the elements of the real deal held annually at Augusta National. And if you needed more in the line of tradition(s), Jack Nicklaus won it a record four times.

But when The Tradition was moved from Desert Mountain to Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club, it lost some of that major championship luster. It wasn’t because Superstition Mountain CC wasn’t a big-time venue, it was. The problem: It moved from Desert Mountain, where there had been, uh-hum, a tradition.

After one year and out in Gold Canyon due to Countrywide Home Loans pulling out as title sponsor, the tournament hit rock bottom in Portland, where people are more interested in kayaking than golf. I remember seeing a photo in Golf World showing the tournament’s grandstand and nobody – not one person – was in the seats.

That the third version of The Tradition went up against the city’s LPGA’s Safeway Classic this year (not to be confused with the Safeway International that also unceremoniously left Superstition Mountain) also was not good. But mostly it was just a bad move to a city that loves to play golf but won’t watch it.

So now the PGA Tour is crowing about the move to Birmingham and Shoal Creek, where it replaces another Champions event – the Regions Charity Classic – and comes to rest at a course that lost the 1990 PGA Championship due to its membership policy involving racial discrimination. Or have you forgotten about Hall Thompson and his fiery declaration over the club’s exclusion of blacks?

Yes, The Tradition has come a long way – from Arizona to Oregon to Alabama — but some might say it’s not exactly what Anderson originally envisioned. In fact, from this point of view, I think it’s time for a name change. How about something like, say, The Transition?

TIGER’S BIG “D’’

Don’t ever expect to learn the exact amount of money that Tiger Woods paid Elin Nordegren to end their tarnished marriage. Even though Greg Norman and Nick Faldo set the bar with their divorces costing them about $100 million each, guessing how much Woods paid out is just that – a giant guess.

Supposedly, there was a prenuptial agreement but that certainly went by the wayside once we learned that Woods had multiple affairs and that prescription drugs were involved. Oh, the stories the former Mrs. Woods probably could have told had there been no settlement, and so there was a peaceful but pricey end to it all.

Personally, I’m glad it’s over and that Woods can move on and hopefully recover his golf game. TV ratings have plunged 16 percent this year from an all-time low last year, and like him or not, Planet Golf needs Tiger Woods if it’s to stay on its axis.

More important than who got what, the divorce allows Woods and Nordegren to move on but still share parenting of their children. Hopefully, they’ll become the new role models for parents who get divorced because there certainly is a need in that ever-growing demographic.

Now the question becomes: Can Tiger get his groove back?  I’m betting he can even if his “real’’ name isn’t Eldrick Tiger Woods. That’s right, according to the divorce, the “T’’ after Eldrick stands for “Tont’’ not Tiger. Oh, man, who would have guessed?

CHIP SHOTS

Dina Ammaccapane is taking major heat over her treatment of a local caddie at last week’s Safeway Classic. According to the Portland Oregonian, Ammaccapane was offered caddie Cameron Kiyokawa but rejected him because he was too small.

“Do you have anyone bigger?’’ she was quoted as saying while the 5-foot-3, 115-pound Kiyokawa stood dumbfounded.

John Canzano, columnist for the newspaper, took Ammaccapane to task: “Thing is, he wouldn’t have been the smallest person on the course,’’ Canzano wrote. “That would have been Ammaccapane.’’

Yes, Dina, the little sister of Danielle Ammaccapane, can be pretty blunt at times, especially when she’s gone two seasons without making any money ($7,489 for 2009 and 2010). At the same time, I’ve always liked her and she had point, even if it was a small one. . . .

Speaking of the LPGA, the TV rules guy got Juli Inkster last week for using a training device – a weighted swing donut – during the third round of the Safeway Classic. Yes, viewers like to call in and get players DQed when they think they see a rules infraction. Personally, calling the shots from your couch ought to be a two-stroke penalty.

At the same time, wouldn’t you think the Hall of Famer would know better? . . .

And, finally, Golfweek reported that Matt Every has been suspended by the PGA Tour for three months for being in possession of marijuana. Apparently Every got caught with pot along with a couple of other guys as they exited a casino during a weekend binge that occurred during the  John Deere Classic.

The penalty means that Every  most likely will lose his card for next year, as he’s 144^th on the money list and won’t be eligible for another event until the final tournament of the season. Seems like a harsh penalty for using a drug that’s in no way performance-enhancing.

Ask Every, who finished T-56 at the Deere.

In a world where a lot of people don’t follow the rules, Dustin Johnson’s two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in what looked like a very scraggly, marginal bunker at Whistling Straits seemed a little over the top during Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship.

Especially when that ruling cost Johnson a chance to join Germany’s Martin Kaymer, a part-time Scottsdale resident, and Bubba Watson, a full-time Scottsdale resident, in a three-hole playoff for the Wannamaker Trophy.

Fans actually booed the decision, and more than one screamed, “You were robbed’’ as Johnson exited the course following a 20-minute scrum with PGA rules officials to determine if Johnson had indeed grounded his club.

But in a game where a lot of people do follow the rules, Johnson was ultimately found guilty, and could only watch as Kaymer rallied to beat Watson with a bogey on the third extra hole. It marked the second heartbreak of the season for Johnson, who blew a three-shot lead during the final round of the U.S. Open.

What never was in question was a rules sheet that was given to each and every player participating in the PGA that specifically said that all sandy areas should be treated as if they were one of Whistling Straits’ 1,200-plus bunkers. Even though many thought Johnson was in a “waste bunker’’ because people had been walking in it, he actually was in a bonified hazard – or as he called it a “sand trap.’’

“I guess I should have looked at the rules sheet a little harder,’’ Johnson said in a quote that ranks right up there with Roberto de Vincenzo’s “What a stupid I am,’’ and Phil Mickelson’s, “I am so stupid.’’

But give Johnson credit, too. He owned up to grounding the club — twice! — and didn’t even ask for a TV replay. Mark Wilson, the co-chair for the PGA of America’s rules committee, said of Johnson’s reaction to the ruling, “He was a gentleman.’’

There had been precedent for the ruling, as Stuart Appleby incurred similar penalties during Saturday’s third round, taking both a two-shot penalty for grounding a club as well as a two-shot penalty for removing a loose impediment from the very same bunker.

“It never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap,’’ said Johnson, whose score on the final hole was changed from a bogey to a triple bogey as he finished tied for fifth at 9-under, or two shots shy of the 11-under 277 posted by Kaymer and Watson.

How could Johnson make such a colossal mistake? According to his playing partner, Nick Watney, who took a three-shot lead into Sunday’s final round and imploded with an 81, such oversights happen all the time in professional golf.

“I don’t think anyone reads the rules sheet,’’ Watney said in the aftermath. “We get hundreds of rules sheets, and nobody reads them.’’

But according to Pete Dye, the architect of Whistling Straits, the PGA made the correct ruling.

“It was a bunker, one of 1,200,’’ Dye said with a chuckle when asked by The Golf Channel if the sandy spot on the knoll was intended to be such a hazard. “I think the PGA did a good job of making the kids aware of that.’’

Asked if he felt the bunkers should be kept as they are or cut back due to the smallness/indescriptness of many of them when the PGA Championship returns to Whistling Straits in 2015, Dye just laughed.

“Maybe we’ll add a few more,’’ said the diabolical Dye.

In the mean time, most people will always remember the bizarre ruling that cost Dustin Johnson the opportunity to win his first major championship. Granted, “DJ’’ is only 26, but two major setbacks in one season is a lot to deal with even if you’re young and carefree.

Whether or not they remember Kaymer’s impressive performance in winning his first major, which included saving par on the last two holes to force the playoff, remains to be seen. But at 25, the equally big/strong Kaymer has made a huge leap that some might argue came at Johnson’s expense.