On the Tours

The U.S. Open, like any major in professional golf, is about personal accomplishment and, many times, potential fulfilled or established greatness enhanced. Players don’t necessarily play for national pride or to settle a score.

Yet as the 2011 Open heads to Congressional Golf Club in the shadow of the nation’s Capital, it would be at the very least understandable, at the highest level even expected that America’s finest professional golfers have some level urgency to end the recent international dominance on golf’s biggest stages.

The self-proclaimed “Golf Fifth Major,” THE PLAYERS Championship takes center stage this weekend as the finest golfers in the world descend upon the famed TPC Sawgrass layout in Ponte Vedra, Fl. Joining the field are former champions Tiger Woods (who is not likely to be around for the weekend after a bad Thursday start), Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Davis Love III and defending champion Tim Clark.

The tournament, which segways to the build up for the U.S. Open at Congressional Golf Club in June, is by far the biggest non-major on the PGA Tour and always features a top field taking on the all-to-difficult Pete Dye-designed Sawgrass Stadium course. Highlighted by the par-3 17th island green, the course is among the most challenging tour players face all week and makes for an exciting four days of golf.

The Masters, golf’s first major of the year every year, is typically termed a “Tradition Unlike Any Other.” This year’s edition of golf greatest event this side of the Atlantic would be better termed as the “Major With More Questions Than Any Other.”

Can Phil Mickelson win a Masters title the week following a PGA Tour victory for the second time in his career? Is Tiger Woods anywhere near capable of breaking a more than two-year drought without a major victory? Are the game’s “young guns” ready to pull the weapon from the holster and win a major (this side of Martin Kaymer, of course)? Who is the next player no one sees coming in a pursuit for a Green Jacket?

Heritage, Legends of Golf Share Same Stage

What a week fans of professional golf in the South Carolina/Georgia Lowcountry have to look forward to come April 2011. Separated by less than 45 miles, sharing the same seven days and featuring some of the finest golfers in the world this side and the other side of 50, the PGA Tour’s Heritage Classic and the Champions Tour’s Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf will be played concurrently for the first time ever.  

Somewhere out in the lonely deserts of Arizona lies a rather unspectacular golf hole. It maxes out at 162 yards, and ranks as the second shortest and second easiest hole on the golf course.

Guarding a medium-sized green there are four small bunkers, which help funnel shots toward the middle of the putting surface. For amateurs it’s potential birdie hole, yet when the PGA Tour comes to town every year this hole transforms—literally overnight—into one of the most demanding and intimidating arenas in golf.

One year after finishing outside the top 125 for the first time since his rookie season in 1996, Australia’s Stuart Appleby was honored as the 2010 PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year.

Appleby earned the award via a vote by his fellow competitors following a season that included a historic final round 59 en route to victory at The Greenbrier Classic.

Yani Tseng was the front runner for Rolex Player of the Year honors entering the LPGA Tour Championship, but she had to watch nervously as Cristie Kerr and Na Yeon Choi both made efforts to steal the award for themselves.

Teeing off early in the day, Tseng managed a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday, but was relegated to spectator status as Kerr and Choi came down the stretch with opportunities to win the LPGA Tour Championship and claim Player of the Year honors.

In 2011, The World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship will determine a champion via an 18-hole championship match for the first time in the event’s history. 

The quarterfinals shift from Saturday morning to the afternoon and the semifinals move from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning. The 18-hole championship and consolation matches will be held Sunday afternoon.

The PGA Tour has announced a multi-year agreement whereby Cadillac becomes title sponsor of the World Golf Championships - Cadillac Championship and an umbrella sponsor of the World Golf Championships.

In 2011, the tournament will be played at TPC Blue Monster, Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, FL.

Like all professional sports, golf has its "big market" franchises. Matt Kuchar and retro Hulkamaniac Charley Hoffman they are not.

Ranked No. 1 and No. 3 respectively in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the Tour Championship this weekend at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club, Kuchar and Hoffman present Tim Finchem and company with the grusome scenario of having to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals play in golf's misguided attempt at the World Series.