On Our Mind Golf Blog

The moment many scribes were already calling "The Greatest in the History of Golf" never materialized Sunday, as the most sentimental favorite of all-time, at least for this weekend, Tom Watson finally broke down one putt shy of claiming his sixth Claret Jug.

Upon first glance Stewart Cink will appear as the ultimate benefactor of Watson's missed opportunity, which became so sad midway through the 17th hole I could barely watch, but it's Watson's peer and dueling partner at Turnberry in 1997 who stands tall in golf's history books after this weekend. 

As Sunday dawns over the Firth of Clyde Ross Fisher will roll out of bed, if he was able to sleep at all, facing a decision that 99.9 percent of us could never dream of. He begins the final round of the 138th Open Championship one shot of the pace set by 59-year-old Tom Watson with a stated promise that he would hop on a jet to be with his wife Jo, who is expecting the couple's first child, if she were to go into labor.

Your first born child or your first major championship? Holding your wife's hand as she agonizes in the delivery room or holding the Claret Jug on the 18th hole at Turnberry? 

Tiger Woods found himself on the decidedly unfavorable side of the draw at the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, but no such excuse can be made for the early hole he dug himself Thursday at Turnberry.

Wind was nonexistent and scoring conditions were optimal during day one at the Open Championship. Woods wound up with a one-over-par 71 during his morning round, while 59-year-old Tom Watson blistered Turnberry shooting a 5-under-par 65. Woods' 17-year-old playing partner Ryo Ishikawa bested the World No. 1 by three strokes. 

The 2008 United States Amateur champion Danny Lee decided to retain his amateur status in order to compete in this year's Masters tournament. Lee didn't fare very well during his first appearance at Augusta National Golf Club, failing to make the cut by a significant margain finishing two rounds of play at 11-over-par.

Lee did turn professional shortly thereafter, forfitting a spot in the U.S. Open reserved for the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. Lee attempted to play his way into the field at Bethpage Black, but was unsuccessful in his effort. Sacrificing his amateur status and turning professional enabled him to cash in on endorsement deals and prize money, but came with the added risk of missing the national championship for Lee, but he didn't petition the USGA to reinstate his amateur status. He made a decision and had to live with it. 

The 138^th Open Championship begins Thursday at Turnberry, a links layout that has less history of hosting golf's oldest major than any other course in the Open Championship rota. A common thread that has been repeatedly pointed out is that Turnberry has been able to identify the world's best golfer at that given time on each occassion it has hosted the event.

In 1977, the Open Championship's first visit to Turnberry, Tom Watson emerged from a monumental duel with Jack Nicklaus with the Claret Jug in his grasp. Greg Norman won in 1986, and Nick Price was the victor in 1994. 

For the second consecutive year the United States Women's Open Championship was won by a South Korean player. Eun-Hee Ji birdied the 72^nd hole to edge Taiwan's Candie Kung by a single stroke. In-Kyung Kim finished tied for third place along with Cristie Kerr, the top American finisher in the event.

While the week's on-course action was overshadowed by the news of Carolyn Bivens' impending termination as LPGA Tour commissioner, the end result of this year's Open reemphasizes the main problem the Tour is facing right now - far too many foreign names and far too few popular American ones on the leader board. 

Play begins today in the 64^th Women's U.S. Open Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. The field includes an astonishing 26 teens; imagine the shock if you read that 26 teens were competing in the Men's U.S. Open or any men's major championship.

The youngest is Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla., who is only 13. 

It appears as though LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens could be the next leader awakended in the middle of the night, forced out of her home at gunpoint while still wearing pajamas and exiled against her will to Costa Rica.

Figuratively of course. 

Turns out Vijay Singh can afford to pay embattled financial tycoon R. Allen Stanford's bail 50 times over. Singh is one of five golfers listed on Sport Illustrated's Fortunate 50 list, a rundown of the top 50 earners based on both on-court winnings and endorsements in the sports world.

Even after losing his lucrative deal to pedal Buicks, Tiger Woods made a mind-boggling $92 million in endorsements. Combined the other non-golf members of the top 10, which means everyone aside from Phil Mickelson, earned $97.5 in endorsements. Mickelson made a cool $46 million in endorsements. 

A number of talented players are at this moment off and running in Pinehurst, N.C., vying to become the champion of one of golf's most prized amateur tournaments played on one of the game's most storied venues.

Initially created to generate publicity for the five-year-old Pinehurst Resort and massage relations between two geographic regions that had been battling each other to the death just a generation earlier, the North & South Amateur Championship has blossomed into one of the most celebrated tournaments on the summer amateur circut.