Another Major, Another Disappointing Result For Professional Golf's Biggest Draw

By - Lauren Dundee

Tiger Woods. The name is synonymous with greatness in golf.

However, since 2008, Tiger has been far from great. At least when majors roll around. His 4-over 40th-place finish at the PGA Championship only reiterated that fact.

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Woods is without question one of the greatest golfers ever. He has 79 career PGA Tour wins, the second-most all-time. Of those, 14 are major wins, second only to Jack Nicklaus. At one point, it was a foregone conclusion that Tiger would eventually catch and surpass the Golden Bear's record of 18 major titles, but now it no longer seems like a lock.

This time 4 years ago, Woods was on top of the world. He was the No. 1 ranked golfer on the planet and had a beautiful supermodel wife to boot. But things began to unravel on November 27th, 2009.

Following a minor car accident, it was revealed that Woods had been cheating on his spouse of 5 years with multiple women. He quickly became a social pariah and the butt of many late-night television jokes. Tiger took a leave from the sport and was dropped by many of his sponsors, including AT&T and Gatorade.

Losing endorsements as well as the admiration of fans wasn't all Woods lost after his infidelity. For a while, he also seemed to lose the ability to play the very game that had made him a household name. He made his return in 2010, but didn't win a championship all season for the first time in his professional career.

Tiger eventually dropped to No. 58 in the world rankings, an all-time low. He finally broke his record 107-week winless streak in December of 2011.

2013 PGA Championship Preview

By - Brad Heerschop

Only three weeks removed from the British Open, the PGA's fourth and final major of the year is set to run from August 8th-11th. It seems like only yesterday we saw Phil Mickelson shoot that amazing final round to win in Scotland, but nonetheless, here we are.

This year's Championship is the 95th installment of the tournament, and the festivities will be taking place at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. This will be the third time the scenic course has been host to the PGA Championship, the first two won by Jack Nicklaus (1980) and Shaun Micheel (2003). The East Course has also served as a venue for the U.S. Open on three occasions.

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Nicklaus and Walter Hagen hold the all-time mark for wins in the tournament with five apiece. Tiger Woods' four wins make him the only active player with more than two titles.

Nicknamed (for obvious reasons) "Glory's Last Shot," the PGA Championship probably brings the least luster of the four major tournaments in professional golf. Perhaps that's because it doesn't particularly have anything on the surface that separates it from the rest of the stops on tour.

The Masters is the only major that's always contested at the same course. The U.S. Open holds the notoriety of being extremely difficult to win, with the winning scores hovering close to par. The Open Championship is the only major played outside of the United States, and is the oldest golf tournament on the tour.

The PGA Championship? Well, its name is important sounding, but beyond that, I just don't think it compares to the other majors as an overall product. It's old, but it's not as old as the Open Championship. It's known for being difficult, but it's not as difficult as the U.S. Open.

To add fuel to my fire, it's way too close to the Open Championship, making the build up rather insignificant. Geoff Ogilvy hit the nail on the head when he once coined it as "the other one." Irishman Graeme McDowell was asked about the PGA Championship, and he succinctly said, "There's not a guy standing on the range that wouldn't put it head-and-shoulders over any tournament in the world -- apart from the other three majors."

What Legacy Will Phil Mickelson Leave Behind?

By - Brad Heerschop

At the British Open this past Sunday, Phil Mickelson finally hoisted the Claret Jug for the first time in his career, at Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland.

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It was anything but easy, as "Lefty" stayed determined en route to his 5th career major. Mickelson shot an amazing 66 in the final round to erase a five stroke deficit for the victory. He closed things out in memorable fashion, with birdies on 4 of the final 6 holes.

So it begs the question, what mark will the 43-year-old American leave on the game of golf?

With one major left in order to complete the career Grand Slam, the PGA's most beloved player has certainly cemented his place in the record books as one of the best of his time.

In an era where Tiger Woods played in his prime, the several times Phil has found himself as the No. 2 golfer in the world speaks volumes about his drive and his character. Spending 700 weeks of his career in the top 10 of the World Golf Official Rankings is not something to shake a stick at.

Mickelson has amassed 42 career PGA victories, good for 9th all-time. If he isn't one of the best golfers overall to have ever played, there is no doubt that Phil is the greatest left-handed player the game has ever seen. Here's food for thought; second place on the all-time left-handed PGA victories list is Mike Weir, with a measly 8. In a sport where left-handers are not all that common, Phil Mickelson is in a class by himself.

However, there is one small matter to attend to before Mickelson can be considered a top 10 all-time golfer, at least in my book. The small matter I am referring to is this little thing called the U.S. Open.

2013 Open Championship Preview

By - Brad Heerschop

Also commonly referred to as "The Open" or the "British Open," Thursday marks the beginning of the 2013 Open Championship. The Open is the year's third of professional golf's four annual major tournaments.

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I could cater to the masses here and go on and on about whether or not this is the tourney that Tiger Woods finally breaks through again, but frankly, I don't care to. I would rather look at the bigger picture.

The only major played outside of the United States, The Open will be contested from July 18th-21st. This year's prize pot is for £5,250,000, with £945,000 of that going to the winner.

The 2013 Open Championship is the 142nd installment of golf's oldest major tournament. For the 16th time since its inception, and the first time since 2002, the event will be played at Muirfield Golf Links, in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland.

Over the last few winters, Muirfield has undergone some renovations, with 15 of the holes having been altered in some facet. The new layout will be played in competition for the first time this Thursday.

The most noticeable difference from prior years will be hole number 9, which the course claims will be a tough par 5, more often than not forcing players to hit directly into Scotland's high winds.

Ernie Els is the defending champion and is among the field again this year. Enthusiasts of this great game will remember that the South African won his first Open in 2002 at this exact course.

2013 U.S. Open Preview

By - Brad Heerschop

The second PGA "Major" of the year will be underway in just over one week's time, with the 113th edition of the United States Open Championship scheduled to tee off on June 14th.

For only the sixth time in U.S. Open history (and the first since 1981), the tournament will be held at the Merion Golf Club East Course, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. As always (weather permitting), it will end on the third Sunday in June (the 17th), to coincide with Father's Day.

Photo by: Drew Hallowell

Early forecasts call for nice weather, with expected temperatures hovering around 70 degrees the entire week.

Established in 1895, the inaugural winner of the tournament was Horace Rawlins. Back then, the prize fund was not nearly as lucrative for players as it is today. For his efforts, Rawlins took home a whopping $150 out of a $335 pot.

While that was certainly good money at the time, it pales in comparison to this year's staggering numbers; an $8 million purse, with roughly $1.5 million of that headed to the winner.

The U.S. Open is typically characterized by close scoring, at or around par. More often than not, it is staged at a wide variety of difficult courses that force players to drive the ball well, or settle for bogeys.

Even with the expectation of fairly mediocre scoring from the field, in 2011, Rory McIlroy broke the aggregate scoring record as well as the score under par mark, finishing at 268 (-16). One year later, things were back to normal when Webb Simpson won it all with a not-so-impressive 281 (+1).

In 1911, at the age of 19, the youngest winner in the history of the tournament, John McDermott, also became the first American champion. Since then, Americans have thoroughly dominated the field, winning 80 of the last 96 events. It goes without saying that expectations are high for another American victor, especially when you take into consideration the fact that the U.S. is home to nearly half (12) of the top 25 ranked players in the world today.

However, it would be daft of me to suggest it will be a cake-walk for an American to take home another title, particularly when players such as the aforementioned McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Adam Scott of Australia both sit in the top 5 of most bookmaker's lists.

Tiger vs. Sergio: Battle of the 3-Year-Olds

By - Keith Smith

When you hear stories of two males glaring at each other, blaming the other for their failures, and calling each other names, you're sure it has to be a couple of 3-year-olds going at it on the playground, right?

Either that, or spoiled multi-millionaire golfers.

Photo by: Ian Walton

The Tiger Woods/Sergio Garcia feud has nothing on a couple of diaper-wearing kids battling in the sandbox. I half expect the next time these two "adults" play a round of golf together for one to pour a handful of sand trap down the other's pants.

For those of you who haven't kept up, here is a synopsis of the history of this childish war:

- 1999 PGA Championship: The first shots are fired. A brash 19-year-old Garcia glares at Tiger after sinking a sizeable birdie putt.

- 2000 Battle at Bighorn: In this made-for-television match (it was an exhibition), Woods gets irritated every time Sergio launches into an exuberant celebration after winning a hole.

- 2006 British Open: Garcia, entering the final round only one stroke behind Tiger, shows up dressed head-to-toe in yellow. After the Spaniard blows up and shoots 73, losing the match, Woods is overheard saying that he "just bludgeoned Tweety Bird."

- 2006 Ryder Cup: Sergio makes fun of Tiger's poor Ryder Cup record, uttering "Fortunately, he doesn't have a great record, so I'm looking forward to meeting him."

- 2013 TPC at Sawgrass: Garcia becomes upset with Woods when he removes a club from his bag as Sergio is preparing to hit (a golfing faux pas), causing fans to stir and disturbing Garcia's swing. Tiger later says he was told by the course marshals that he was clear to hit, but all the marshals on the hole say Woods was never given clearance to proceed.

Truly a Tradition Unlike Any Other

By - Keith Smith

For years, I have heard CBS use their famous tagline for the Masters: "A Tradition Unlike Any Other."

However, I never fully understood it until now. You see, I made my first trip ever to Augusta National this week for the Tuesday practice round.

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Hopefully it won't be my last visit.

I had heard all the stories and talked to people who had previously been. "It's like no other place on Earth," they said. "You'll be amazed."

Yeah, sure, I thought. The accolades poured from their lips like that fine pink lemonade served at Augusta, but I never fully appreciated or comprehended what they meant until I went myself. And no matter how clear a picture I try to paint with my words, I'll never do it justice.

It began for me at around 5 o'clock in the morning. The nearest hotel room we could find was about an hour and forty-five minutes from Augusta, and with the gates opening at 8, with no idea what kind of nightmare traffic and parking would be, we didn't want to take any chances. Those concerns were quickly quieted, though, as was my skepticism toward the words of those who came before me.

The well-oiled machine that is the Masters was underway.

Multiple exits off the interstate all funneled travelers to our ultimate destination. There were no delays or glitches, no fists in the air from road rage or obscene gestures because someone cut us off. Even before we reached the hallowed ground, there was an air of decorum from all those headed to the same bit of nirvana. Inside of 15 minutes from the time we exited, we were being shown a parking spot. A spot, I might add, that didn't cost one red cent. My first, but certainly not my last, monetary surprise of the day.

We parked a mere 300 yards from the entrance. As we approached the gate, a hoard of workers were there to pleasantly greet each and every person who entered with, "Welcome to the Masters. I hope you enjoy your day."

They sounded like they actually meant it, too.

Is it Safe to Say That Tiger Woods is Back?

By - Andy Garcia

The greatest golfer of this era, Tiger Woods, has been in a major slump (pun intended) over the last few years. The last of his 14 major wins came back in 2008, and ever since his ugly break-up with ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, Tiger has not been himself on the golf course.

Photo by: Sam Greenwood

However, it seems that the tides have turned for Woods as of late, as he's won 3 tournaments through 5 starts already this year, including the impressive win he capped off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational today. He seems to have his mind right once again and his confidence is starting to translate into his game.

You can thank world class alpine ski racer, Lindsey Vonn, for bringing back the old Tiger.

It was just made official on March 18th that Woods and Vonn are dating. I'm sure he had not been lonely since divorcing Elin in 2010, but there had not been any public announcement of any relationships until now.

It is very well possible that this is a coincidence, but at the same time I think it is very much likely that Woods just needed a woman by his side to get back to winning on the course.

When Tiger's infidelities were made public in late 2009, his play began to suffer. Since turning pro in 1996, he had never gone more than 9 months between PGA Tour victories. But once the scandal broke, Tiger went two and a half years without winning consistently.

His earnings for 2010 and 2011 were his two lowest totals since 1996, and his world ranking slowly took a toll, finally bottoming out at 52nd in 2011. Prior to that, Tiger had kept his ranking in the top 10 for over 750 weeks.

2013 Masters Preview

By - Brad Heerschop

With the PGA's first Major of the 2013 season steadily approaching, that time of year is upon us. It's the time when golf enthusiasts and fans begin to get antsy to start swinging the sticks themselves. In the next five months, all four of professional golf's Majors will be competed for.

The 2013 Masters will take place from April 11th-14th, and the 77th edition of this great tournament should be nothing short of thrilling. With 19 past champions expected to return to compete for the Green Jacket, this year promises (as always) to boast the PGA's greatest players on one of golf's most prestigious courses.

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Personally, the Masters is my favorite of the four Major tournaments. It has the smallest field of the four, generally allowing less than 100 players to compete. It is also the only Major that is played at the same course every year; Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Georgia.

The Masters has been contested every year since 1934, excluding 1943-1945 due to World War II. Originally called the Augusta National Invitational until 1939, the PGA has handed out a Green Jacket to the winner each year since 1949.

Jack Nicklaus has won the tournament a record six times. The most recent victory for "The Golden Bear" came in 1986. At the age of 46, he became the championship's oldest winner. This was his record 18th and final Major championship victory.

The lowest score ever recorded at Augusta for a single round is 63. That feat has been accomplished twice. In 1986 Nick Price pulled it off, and ten years later "The Great White Shark," Greg Norman matched it. Incredibly, neither golfer went on to win that same year.

In recent memory, there have been some incredible moments in the tournament. In 2012 an incredible shot by left handed golfer Bubba Watson from the pine needles helped him win the tie-breaker over Louis Oosthuizen and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Watson won despite his unorthodox swing and the fact that he has never had a single golf lesson.

The Unfair Golf Life of Tiger Woods

By - Kyle Malinowski

Did you hear? Tiger Woods won at Congressional yesterday.

Photo by: Kevin Dietsch

In case you haven't noticed, he has the most wins on the PGA Tour this year. But wait -- wasn't Tiger supposed to be finished?

Obviously, he has just wowed the golf world for so many years that without a major included in those wins, every other victory is all but irrelevant.

Due to his own success, Tiger is now held to an unfair standard in which no athlete should be held to. Basically, his season is a failure if he can't win one of four tournaments every year.

That just seems totally insane.

But for Tiger Woods, is it really that crazy? After all, in his best years, he was winning 40% of the tournaments he entered.

Yes, 40%.

A few weeks back, Webb Simpson won the U.S. Open, but I doubt he will ever win another major. I think this conundrum is a double-edged sword for golf, because Tiger winning should be great for ratings, but nobody cares if he wins regular tournaments anymore.

It has to be a major.

Former PGA Golfer Busted in Child Sex Sting

By - Brian Harrington

Former Senior PGA member Steve Thomas was arrested in Kissimmee, Florida last week in an underage sex sting. Thomas was charged with traveling to seduce an underage girl and using a computer to entice a legal guardian or parent to commit sex acts on a minor.

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Thomas played one season on the PGA Tour, had one top-10 finish and won $25,781. He last played on the Champions Tour, the PGA's senior circuit, in 2010.

Thomas was among 40 other individuals arrested as part of the sting called "Operation Red Cheeks". Also detained were a Gainsville, Florida swim instructor, an 8th grade teacher, and several college students.

Tiger Fires Longtime Caddie

By - Kris Fletcher

Tiger Woods announced on Wednesday that he will no longer be working with caddie Steve Williams. The split ends their twelve year partnership which saw Tiger win thirteen of his fourteen major championships.

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The official statement from Tiger's website says:

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it's time for a change. Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future."

McIlroy Off to Record-Breaking Start at U.S. Open

By - Kris Fletcher

Rory McIlroy shot a 5-under 66 at the U.S. Open on Friday to finish at 11-under 131, setting the record for the best score after 36 holes in the 111-year history of the tournament.

Image from: businessinsider.com

His 131 was a shot better than Ricky Barnes, who set the record at Bethpage back in 2009.

After birdies at 16 and 17, McIlroy was at 13-under par, breaking a record held by Tiger Woods and Gil Morgan for the lowest score ever at any point in U.S. Open history. However, he missed the fairway on 18 and knocked his second shot into the water. He made double bogey to finish at 11-under.

Despite the bad finish, McIlroy still holds an six-shot lead over Y.E. Yang, and a nine-shot lead over five other players.

Tiger's Tumble

By - Kris Fletcher

Tiger Woods, who last won 18 months ago in Australia, has fallen to #12 in the world rankings which were released yesterday.

The last time Woods was outside the top 10 prior to this week was April 6th, 1997.

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He began the season ranked #2, but has continued to fall down the list as he has dealt with health issues on top of poor play.

Woods was forced to withdraw from last week's Players Championship during the first round due to a leg injury. His game had been showing signs of improvement before this most recent setback, as he finished tied for 4th at this year's Masters. Coincidentally, that was where he tweaked his surgically repaired left knee which led to problems with his Achilles.

Is McIlroy the Next Tiger?

By - Kris Fletcher

Will 21-year-old Rory McIlroy hold off the veterans later today at Augusta National Golf Club and win the Masters?

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That question was being asked fourteen years ago about another 21-year-old by the name of Tiger Woods, who made off with the first of his four green jackets when he won the 1997 Masters Tournament, beating out already established major championship winners such as Tom Kite, Tom Watson and Fred Couples.

Woods grabbed the lead after 36-holes and never looked back, winning by a record 12 shots.

Through three rounds of this years Masters, McIlroy seems to have the very same confidence and swagger that Woods had back in '97. Now all that's left to do is close the deal.