What’s going on in the golf world? Glad you asked! Here’s the latest:

• Tiger’s Fitness Regimen (Geoff Shackelford). Intense? Yeah, a little bit.
• U.S. Open & Golf courses for women (The Golf Chick). Golf For Women magazine lists its top 50 courses, and the Golf Chick is there to read and critique.
• U.S. Women’s Open: Is Annika Sorenstam a Factor? (Armchair Golf Blog). A quick reminder not to forget about Sorenstam. As if anyone could…
• New Woods on path (St. Petersburg Times). Tiger’s niece, 16-year-old Cheyenne Woods, is starting to get attention for her golf game.
• John Garrity’s Top 50 (Golf.com). Speaking of top courses, here’s a “scientific and authoritative” list of the best ones in the world.

Enjoy!

What’s going on at the Buick Open? The Golf Blogger is there and offers a behind-the-scenes look. Beyond how to pronounce Grand Blanc, we learn a little about the practice routine of Jim Furyk and other pros, as well as the level of skill with which they play:

It was amazing just how far and accurately they hit the ball. I saw only a couple of shots go awry, and those was only a couple of yards off. If the players performed in competition like they did in practice, the winning score would be thirty under. The fact that the scores don’t reach such absurd lows, I think, speaks to two things: the way swings fail under the pressure of competition and the critical element of putting.

Fascinating read, with some fine photos as well. Be sure to check it out when you have a moment.

According to a recent AP article, testing for performance-enhancing drugs could happen depending on what the PGA decides to do. Quoth Champions Tour President Rick George:

We’ll adopt whatever policies the PGA Tour does. I certainly don’t (think it’s a problem). But I think if the tour adopts a policy, it’s important that the Champions Tour adopt the same policy.

Although this probably is a prudent move on the part of the tour, it’s also a bit odd to think that steroids would even be an issue at that level. Then again, as spokesman Michael McPhillips notes, “We do use a lot of Advil out here.”

And everyone knows that once you start on the Advil, it’s only a matter of time before you hit the steroids…

When Frank Nobilo did his piece on the Golf Channel after the U.S. Open on Sunday, it got me thinking about ways the broadcast giants could improve golf telecasts. The first thing that came to mind was a cap-cam that a player would wear. First off, it’s understandable that most players would never wear something like this during a competitive round, but I think asking a player to wear one during a practice round or pro-am would be extremely beneficial.

Secondly, I’d give players the option of having their audio muted in between shots, so that discussions between player and caddie would remain private. Another idea would be to an in-the-round view of a couple of greens. Broadcast networks already place mics on and around greens, but my idea would be to add small cameras placed very low to the ground, around the circumference of the green to give viewers the illusion of how undulating greens are. In fact, the BBC already places cameras in some of the bunkers at British Open sites, and it gives a very interesting view of a player hitting out of the bunker.

Professional football, basketball, and NASCAR have all come up with innovative ideas for improving their telecasts, and golf needs to do the same.

The Golf Channel’s “Live From” crew did an excellent job at this year’s U.S. Open. After the final round completed, Frank Nobilo went out and demonstrated the two shots Furyk and Woods had, and how difficult they really were. Most impressive was how deep the bunker was for Tiger’s shot, and the fact that he got it out, though it rolled across the green, is a testament to his real talent.

I normally like Kraig Kann as the host/moderator of this show, but lately he seems to be treading too lightly, and working very hard not to say or ask anything too controversial. Most of the questions he asks his panel members are softballs for the most part, which is too bad because with Nobilo and Dottie Pepper there, he could get some great input.

On the other hand, the roving reporters for NBC just weren’t honest enough about what players were really doing. For example, Furyk literally half-bladed his approach shot on 10, but none of the analysts called it what it was.

Congrats to Tiger and Elin Woods on the birth of thier first child. Sam Alexis Woods was born early Monday morning, hours after he completed the final round of the U.S. Open. I wonder what would have happned if Tiger and Cabrera had finished tied, because the USGA requires a Monday playoff for the U.S. Open. And if Tiger’s child was born sometime Monday, would he have left the playoff? Smart money says yes. He’d have been gone in a heartbeat.

Michelle Wie’s camp announced she has withdrawn from next months’s John Deere Classic. Citing that she needs to get strength back, she feels the course is too long for her, given her “wrist injury”. Is this a sign that someone, or something is having a common sense approach to her schedule? I certainly hope so. She obviously has financial obligations she must meet because of the contracts she’s signed, but she needs to take as much time to heal, not only from the wrist injury, but the blow to her confidence over the last 9 months.

Players from America fared very well in this year’s U.S. Open and that’s a pleasant suprise for a change, as they claimed 10 of the top 20 finishing spots on the leaderboard. Bubba Watson was the only real “young gun” on the list, but he needs to feel very proud of how he finished. He took a lot of heat from the broadcast team, but overall he did very well.

The other real American surprise was Lee Janzen. He’s been struggling for years trying to get his game back, and has been using sponsor’s exemptions more often than not. He won the U.S. Open, twice, in 1993, and 1998, although most believe he caught lightning-in-a-bottle, twice, and his struggles since then tend to confirm that belief. Regardless, it was good to see him play well, and maybe this will help get his confidence back.

I didn’t given Angel Cabrera enough props yesterday, and he fully deserved more than he got. I’ve been watching a replay of the final round and Cabrera played some fantastic golf, under intense pressure. Does this win make him a top-tier player? Hardly, but it may give him the confidence to win more often on the PGA Tour (when he plays). I had no idea how far the man can hit a golf ball. Simply amazing. And when he striped his tee shot on 18, that sent a serious message to Woods.

And Tiger’s press conference after the final round was very reminiscent of the kind of conference Jack would give after he didn’t win a major: very classy, and full of honesty. Woods made no excuses about his play, and in fact said he just didn’t get the job done. I’m still convinced he needs more motivation than what he’s getting from the top-5. Okay, Furyk was in the hunt, but I’m not sure Furyk is in the same class as Mickelson and Singh. My hope is that Woods and Mickelson are on form at the PGA Championship.

Well, Tiger is 0-fer when he enters the final round of a major, trailing the leader. For all the great shots he hit yesterday, the opposite happened today, and he looked dazed and confused. Even more frustrating for Woods I’m sure is that this tournament was there for the taking; all he had to do was shoot even par.

I have a theory: Tiger seems to be motivated not only by the challenge of winning majors, but by the attention and adulation the top-5 (whomever they happen to be) gets when they are winning majors. Last year, Mickelson was the media darling heading into the U.S. Open because he had won the Masters, and everyone was pulling for him to pull off the “Mickel-Slam”. Tiger didn’t even make the cut at last year’s U.S. Open because his Father had died a few weeks earlier, and I have to believe that he might have felt Phil was ready to make a serious run at Tiger’s throne.

So what happened next? Tiger won the following two majors: the British Open, and the PGA Championship. This week, Mickelson didn’t make the cut and the rest of the top-5 were nowhere in sight, and Tiger couldn’t close the deal when it mattered.

Now there is no real favorite heading into the final two majors and Woods may go 0-fer when it comes to majors this year if he doesn’t come up with something to motivate him.

Oh yeah, kudos to Angel Cabrera for playing an excellent round of golf today and winning the U.S. Open.

This is the U.S. Open,not the B.C.Open (with all due respect). The USGA, in my opinion, dumbed down the greens for Saturday’s third round, and let a whole bunch of guys in the tournament that really shouldn’t be there. There’s no doubt they buckled under the pressure to not duplicate the Shinnecock debacle.

The cream is supposed to rise to the top at major championships, especially the U.S. Open, but a quick look at the leaderboard, and it could be the leaderboard at the B.C. Open. Aaron Baddeley is a decent golfer, but he’s hardly a top-tier player, but when greens are soft, even the journeyman professionals can throw darts at the pins.

Justin Rose is on the 2nd-rung of players that are ready for a breakout year, so it’s not surprising to see him in the mix. But Bubba Watson? Stephen Ames? Yes, Ames won the Players Championship a couple of years ago, but his Sunday round then was a career best and hasn’t been duplicated since. I like Angel Cabrera, but he’s also not a top-tier golfer.

If they water the greens again tonight, then the tournament is literally wide open, and anyone within 7 or 8 can win, simply because a 62 or 63 will be possible. The tougher the layout, the more likely the top players will be on the leaderboard on Sunday.