Question: What do Ronald Thatcher, Scott Herbert, Bob Heintz, Craig Barlow and Omar Uresti all have in common?

Answer: They can each tell their grandchildren that they played better than Tiger Woods on Thursday at the Buick Open, along with 89 other players in the field.

Woods’ one-under-par round of 71 would have been a solid showing two weeks ago at Turberry and one that he would have undoubtedly traded in his club slamming, cursing and pouting for in a second. 

But, this is the Buick Open we’re talking about here.  The same tournament that Kenny Perry won at 19-under-par last year and Woods himself won at 24-under-par back in 2006.  

But, similar to what a Boiler Room-esque investment banker might tell you in a desperate attempt to convince you to hand him over your life savings, PGA Tour events are not a sprint, they’re a marathon.

Only at tournaments like the Buick Open where winning scores are typically around 20-under-par or better, it’s not a marathon at all, it’s a four day sprint which begins at 7am on Thursday morning when the first oversized titanium driver strikes a golf ball.  

The best thing that Tiger Woods can do right now, is to get himself two separate golf bags, and not simply because a second bag would open up some additional multi-million dollar advertising space; sorry Mark Steinberg, but this is one you must have overlooked.

Woods should contemplate using two separate golf bags in order to separate his driver from his putter, because the two of them are clearly not getting along this year.

At the Accenture Match Play Championship, Woods drove the ball well but couldn’t make a put.

At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods was all over the place with his driver throughout the first three rounds, but still managed to win the tournament by relying heavily on his short-game, putter, and Sean O’Hair’s clogged throat.

At the Masters, Woods alternated between poor putting and poor driving, depending upon which day it was.

At the US Open, Woods drove the ball exceptionally well but wouldn’t have been able to roll a putt into a basketball hoop.

At both the Memorial and AT&T National, Woods’ driver and putter seemed to have buried the hatchet, or at least came to some kind of agreement. Perhaps Stevie Williams had a ‘chat’ with them and frightened them into submission.

Then we have the British Open where the driver and putter had either turned their year-long battle into an all out war, or were perhaps closer than ever, because there were reports of the two of them sitting together at the Turnberry Hotel bar until all hours of the night, which could explain why Woods had to cut his pilot’s European Vacation short by two days.

This afternoon at the Buick Open, it was Woods’ putter that decided to let the team down.

Woods hit 64 percent of fairways off of the tee and 74 percent of green in regulation.

But, he needed 32 putts which ranked 130th in a field of 155 players.

Woods three-putted the second hole from inside of 20 feet.  He missed par putts of less than 9 feet at both the 5th and 15th and squandered an opportunity to send the rowdy crowd surrounding the par-three 17th into a frenzy when he missed his five foot birdie putt.

“Probably one of the worst putting days I’ve ever had” Woods said after his round.  “I putted good yesterday, putted good today starting out, when I was warming up. Got on the greens today, and it was just terrible.”

There is still a lot of golf left to play at the Buick Open, and a strong round tomorrow could get Woods right back into the tournament.

But, it’s about time that Woods sits down and has a serious chat with his putter and driver, because he’s not going to have much success until he can get these two clubs working well together.

He fell off a horse and nearly broke his jaw in China.

He injured his toe while attempting to surf in Hawaii.

He injured his shoulder while practicing the week before the Bob Hope Classic.

And most recently, he has been suffering from a mysterious thumb injury which has been forcing him to re-grip the golf club during has back-swing.

Before you ask—no, this is not a recap of Cosmo Kramer’s antics during season five of Seinfeld.

All of these borderline comical, yet very serious injuries have been plaguing Anthony Kim for the better part of the 2009 season.

No one who has seen Anthony Kim swing a golf club has ever questioned his natural talent for the game.  After all, the guy did card a record-setting 11 birdies in one round at Augusta National earlier in the year.

What has been questioned, however, is his level of commitment to the game.

Perhaps Anthony Kim had a look at John Daly a few months back and saw exactly what wasted talent looks like, as if he were viewing the ghost of Christmas future.

Or perhaps he just got sick and tired of playing through more injuries than most 60-year-old members of the Champions Tour.

Whatever the reason may be, Kim seems to have finally gotten ‘it.’

Kim has hired personal trainer, Darby Rich, to live with him, travel with him, and more or less, follow his every move.

Personal trainer, nutritionist, life coach, babysitter, or whatever else Darby may serve as, it’s clear that Kim felt as if he needed someone around to ensure that he remains focused on golf.

The fact that Kim has taken this step to get his career back on track at such a young age demonstrates a marked improvement in his level of maturity—and Kim’s newfound commitment appears to be paying off.

After tying for second at the PGA Tour’s season opener, The Mercedes-Benz Championship, Kim managed just one top-20 finish over the next five months.

But, things began to turn around for Kim last month while out in the swamp, better known as Bethpage.

Kim tied for 16th at the US Open, tied for 11th the following week at the Travelers Championship, and then tied for third at the AT&T National on the back of a course record-tying 62 in his opening round at Congressional Country Club.

Kim did miss the cut at the British Open, although he was—surprise, surprise—suffering from another injury.  This time a tweaked muscle in his neck forced him to alter a golf swing he wasn’t all that confident in to begin with.

Following the British Open, Kim put together another solid week at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, where he tied for third at the RBC Canadian Open.

Although Kim was in contention for most of the week in Canada, similar to last year’s Canadian Open, he was just unable to get anything going during his final round. 

Kim’s one-over-par 73 in the final round left him four strokes behind Nathan Green and Retief Goosen, who tied for the lead and went to a sudden-death playoff where Green eventually defeated Goosen.

Kim now has four top-20 finishes in his last five events, and with the PGA Championship and FedEx Cup just around the corner, he could be primed for a strong finish to a year that has been painful—both physically and mentally—for the young 24-year old.

Anthony Kim entered the 2009 season with some massive expectations upon his back.  Perhaps the expectations we all placed on Kim were a bit much for a 24-year old who had simply had one good year on the PGA Tour.

But now, with a realignment of his priorities, Kim is at least moving in the right direction.

He may not win 10 majors or step up and challenge Tiger Woods on a regular basis, as so many seemed to be confidently predicting after the 2009 Ryder Cup. 

But then again, is it realistic to place those kinds of expectations on anyone?

Only upon turning on your television, something seemed a little out off.

Maybe you shook your head a few times or went into the bathroom and threw some cold water on your face in an attempt to jump-start your mind at that early morning hour.  Your next step was probably to hit the ‘info’ button on your remote control to ensure that you were indeed tuned into the correct channel; yet something was still not quite right.

Perhaps the Open was in the midst of a weather delay and TNT was showing old highlights of the 1977 Open Championship?

But as the caffeine from your coffee began to kick in, you realized that this was no highlight reel of the 1977 ‘Dual in the Sun’, and Tom Watson was indeed winning the 2009 Open Championship at five-under-par after 18 holes.

Exactly one year ago, Greg Norman was making his miraculous run at a third Claret Jug at the age of 54.

Norman came up just short in the end, but provided the golf world with the feel-good story of the 2008 season.

Now, amazingly enough, Norman’s improbable run at the 2008 Open Championship has been overshadowed by 59-year-old Tom Watson.

Having won five Open Championships during his career, Watson is certainly no stranger to success on links golf courses.  Watson is also no stranger to success at Turnberry.  After all, he defeated the greatest player of all time on the exact same golf course a mere 32 years ago.

Watson’s playing partners this morning were Sergio Garcia and the 16-year-old Italian amateur, Matteo Manassero.

Just to put Watson’s age into perspective—Watson defeated Nicklaus in the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry three years before Garcia was even born.  Furthermore, at nearly 60-years-old, Watson is nearly old enough to be Manassero’s grandfather.

Watson was the clubhouse leader this morning after firing an opening round 65, which included five birdies and not a single bogey on his card.

At around 5:30pm local time, Ben Curtis also turned in a scorecard with a 65 on it and joined Watson atop the leaderboard.

Then, at around 6:40pm local time, Miguel Angel Jimenez sunk a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th to complete a six-under-par round of 64 and take the outright lead.

Although Jimenez is not nearly as old as Watson, he is no young pup either.  Jimenez is 45-years-old and is still in search of his first major championship victory.

Aside from 45-year-old Jimenez leading with 59-year-old Watson lurking just stroke behind, there was more to “Turn back the clock day’” at the Open Championship.

Mark Calcavecchia (1989 Open Champion) and Mark O’Meara (1998 Open champion) each shot 67 and sit just three strokes off the lead.

Tom Lehman (1996 Open champion) carded a two-under-par 68, as did John Daly (1995 Open champion).

Tiger Woods is only 33 years old, so perhaps he was not invited to participate in Turnberry’s “Turn back the clock day” in the opening round.

Not only did Woods come in with a score of 71, which was six-strokes worse than the oldest member in the entire field, but he was also flat outplayed by 17-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa.

Woods spent much of his day in the high fescue while Ishikawa calmly hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation, which is precisely why Ishikawa carded a 68 while Woods limped home with a 71.

Woods finished off his opening round this morning in a way that was eerily reminiscent of his Opening round at the US Open less than a month ago.

When Woods came out on Friday morning to finish his opening round of the US Open (due to the weather delay), he had brought himself back into contention before playing the final four holes in three-over-par.

Woods was also in contention as he came to the 15th hole this morning.  But, similar to Bethpage, Woods played the final four holes in two-over-par while also missing out on an easy birdie opportunity at the par-5 17th.

Woods now finds himself in almost the exact same position he was in less than a month ago at Bethpage. 

If Woods does not go out and shoot at least 3 under par tomorrow afternoon, he may create a deficit too large for even the world’s number one to overcome.

There’s still a lot of golf left to play, but those players who did not take advantage of the perfect weather conditions today will be facing a challenge over the next three days as difficult as swimming the 12 miles from Turnberry to Ailsa Craig in the freezing cold Irish Sea.

Sure, the Masters has the prestige, is played on arguably the most pristine golf course in the world, and not only does the winner receive a $1.3 million check, but they also get to take home one of those stylish green jackets.  

The US Open is our national championship, is considered by many to be the toughest test in all of golf and the deafening roars created by the seemingly unlimited number of spectators the USGA lets onto the premises just contributes to the overall excitement of the event.

And then we have the PGA Championship, which is, well, the fourth major of the year.

Similar to the US Open and the Masters, The British Open can be a brutally tough test of golf, is extremely prestigious and contains large galleries full of knowledgeable golf fans.  But, the British Open is also the oldest major championship and is held at courses that contain a rugged beauty that’s unique and unmatched anywhere in the world. 

As you sit back and watch the world’s top players compete at courses such as St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon and Turnberry there is a feeling that inevitably overtakes you; a feeling that you are witnessing the game of golf played in the way it was meant to be played.  

Yes, the coverage is on very early in the morning, the courses look different to anything we have here in America and we typically don’t like seeing the world’s best players competing for major championships in wind and driving rain.  

But, folks, that’s golf.  That’s how golf was originally played long before a golf club even made its way over to America.

There were no tractors moving the earth or high priced golf course designers dropping in on their Gulf Stream jets to design the British Open venues back in the 1800’s.  The ocean more or less created these golf courses from scratch and the ‘designers’ of the 1800’s literally just dug out a few bunkers and cut some of the grass a little shorter to create putting surfaces. 

Scotland is the birthplace of golf.

What could possibly be better than watching the best players in the world compete for golf’s oldest major championship in the country where the game was invented?

Here is a preview of what you may see this week at Turnberry.

The Golf Course

Like most British Open courses, Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is not particularly long in terms of sheer yardage.

The Ailsa course plays just 7,204 yards which is about the average length for a PGA Tour event these days.

But, the British Open is not like the US Open, where the USGA seems to add an additional 100 yards of length to the host courses each year – It’s only a matter of time before the USGA produces an 8,000 yard course to host the Open.

A British Open course’s sole defense is the weather.

More often than not, the weather in the Scotland, England and Wales is rainy, windy and cold, particularly along the coasts where most of the golf courses are located.

If the Ailsa course at Turnberry played 7,600 yards, it would be virtually unplayable in the wind and rain that so often sweeps across the west coast of Scotland.

In comparison, Royal Birkdale, which was the site of last year’s British Open, played 7,173 yards.  The Old Course at St. Andrews plays 6,933 yards and Royal Troon plays 7,150 yards.

Many believe the Ailsa Course at Turnberry to be one of the easier venues on the British Open rota. 

Jack Nicklaus shot 65 and 66 in his final two rounds at Turnberry in the 1977 Open and lost to Tom Watson.

Norman carded a 63 in the second round of the 1986 British Open at Turnberry.

In 1994, Nick Price recorded four consecutive rounds in the 60’s on his way to capturing the Claret Jug at Turnberry.  Jesper Parnevik, who finished second to Price that year, also shot in the 60’s every day and finished one-stroke behind Price.

If you simply look at the scoring records at Turnberry, it would appear that the golf course is far too easy to host a British Open.

But, what you don’t see is that Mother Nature happened to be on vacation for two of the three previous Opens held at Turnberry.

Nicklaus and Watson’s epic battle in 1977 is referred to as the ‘Dual in the Sun’.

Norman’s 63 came on the one day that the weather was at ease during the 1986 Open.  Although the wind was still whipping across the Ailsa Course, at least it wasn’t cold and raining as it was during the other three rounds of the 1986 Open.  Norman finished at even par for the tournament and won by a margin of five strokes.

The 1995 Open was also played in fairly decent weather by British Open standards.

In two out of the three previous British Opens held at Turnberry, the course was not really played in the conditions it was meant to be played in.

St. Andrews on a beautiful day is not an overly difficult golf course.

In 2006 at Royal Liverpool, the sun came out and there was no wind to speak of all week.

What happened?

Tiger Woods won the tournament with a score of 18-under-par and 41 other players in the field finished under-par for the week.

This is basically a long way of saying that any British Open golf course is not overly difficult in perfect weather conditions.

But when the wind and rain decides to show up, it’s a much different story and you better be prepared to use every club in your bag, every shot shape you have in your arsenal and swallow your pride while breaking out a fairway wood to reach what the yardage book will tell you is a short par-three.

The weather forecast for this week at Turnberry?

Light to moderate rain every day except Saturday combined with wind and temperatures in the low-mid 60s.

For just the second time in four tries, the world’s best players may experience Turnberry and all it’s might under the proper conditions.

Key Holes:

Some say that in any major championship there are actually two tournaments – the first three and a half rounds and then the back-nine on Sunday.

If that’s true, the 15th and 17th holes could very well determine the winner of the 2009 British Open.

15th

The 15th is a 206 yard par-three. 

If you go short or left of the green, your ball could come to rest in one of three very deep pot-bunkers. 

If you go long, your ball will roll down into a ravine and almost certainly result in a bogey at best.

If you go right, you’re also in big trouble as your ball will catch a hill and roll down towards some very deep fescue.

In perfect conditions, this is a very difficult hole; add some wind and rain into the equation, and you are looking at a brutally difficult golf hole.

If the wind picks up, don’t be surprised to see players attempting to hit the green with hybrids and fairway woods.

Also don’t be surprised if on Sunday afternoon, many player’s hopes and dreams of holding up the Claret Jug implode somewhere on the 15th hole.

17th

The 17th is a 559 yard par-five.

As is so often the case in major championships, there is an excellent chance that the winner could be decided on the final par-five of the tournament.

Those in pursuit may have an opportunity to catch or overtake the leader with an eagle on the 17th, while the leader may have an opportunity of his own to deliver a knockout punch before heading to the 72nd hole.

On a nice day, virtually every player in the field should be able to get home in two on the 17th.

On a windy day, however, you may see players spending a significant amount of time deciding exactly what it is they want to do with their second shots.

The obvious choice is to layup on a windy, rainy day.  The only problem is that the layup area is very narrow, contains several deep bunkers to the right and some long, thick grass to the left.

Hitting this target in 20 mile per hour wind will be about as difficult as landing a ball on a kitchen table from 180 yards away.

Just as it did during the 1977 Open, now popularly known as the ‘Duel in the Sun’, there’s a very good chance that the 17th hole will determine the winner of the 2009 British Open.

Contenders:

Tiger Woods

He has won 14 major championships, including three British Opens.

Woods has already won three times since returning to the PGA Tour in February and has finished within the top-10 at the year’s first two majors.

In fact, the last time Woods finished outside of the top-10 was at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie.

He has a better than 27 percent winning percentage in major championships, which means that he’s statistically likely to win either this week at Turnberry or at the PGA Championship which will be played in August at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

The Turnberry resort offers guests all sort of activities such as horseback riding, archery, mountain biking, riffle shooting and ATV rides.

But, I think it’s safe to say that there will be only one man at Turnberry on a bear hunting expedition this week, and that’s Tiger Woods in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major championships.

Needless to say, there is no one in the field with a better chance of winning than the world’s number one player.  

Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter came within a hair of winning last year’s British Open after carding a final round 69 in tough, windy conditions.

Being from England, Poulter is very experienced in playing links-style golf.

Poulter has finished within the top-25 in eight of the 11 PGA Tour events he’s attended this year, including top-20 finishes at each of the year’s first two majors.

Poulter has never won a PGA Tour event or a major championship, but he has won seven times on the European Tour.

Look for Poulter to be a factor this week, particularly if the wind and rain really begin to pick up. 

Nick Watney

After getting off to a red-hot start to the 2009 season, Nick Watney has slowed down over the past couple of months.

Watney is competing in just his second British Open (he finished tied for 35th at Carnoustie in 2007).

Watney will be someone to watch this week for two reasons. 

First, he tied for 6th at last week’s Barclays Scottish Open which could be a sign that he is once again on the verge of playing some great golf. 

Second, Watney is an excellent driver of the ball and plays a fairly low ball flight, which are two attributes any player must possess if they hope to contend at Turnberry in tough weather conditions.

Watney may not yet be ready to win a major championship, but he could contend this week. 

Ross Fisher

If Ross Fisher even finishes the British Open this week, his mind will understandably be elsewhere.

Fisher and his wife are expecting their first child any day now.

A helicopter and private jet will remain on standby for Fisher throughout the entire week and the second he gets the word from his wife, he’s out of there.

But, if Fisher happens to make it through the week without the arrival of any babies, he is certainly playing well enough to contend.

Fisher tied for 30th at his first Masters this past April, finished 5th at the US Open and tied for 8th at last week’s Scottish Open.

Fisher is still new to the major championship scene.  But, if his recent results are anything to go by, he could contend this week, particularly in light of the fact that he is from and still lives in England which would make him as comfortable as anyone playing links-style golf.

Zach Johnson

Similar to Nick Watney, Zach Johnson is an excellent driver of the ball even though he is not one of the longer hitters on tour.

Johnson also has a very low ball flight and can play a low draw that pierces through the wind, just as he did en-route to winning the 2007 Masters in extremely windy conditions.

Johnson has two wins and six top-10 finishes so far this season.  He is also coming off a second place finish at last week’s John Deere Classic.

Johnson’s game typically peaks around April and May.  But, we are now in July and Johnson has shown no sign that he is beginning to slow down.

Johnson tied for 20th at the 2007 British Open but finished 51st last year.  He has also missed the cut at both the Masters and US Open this year.

Johnson’s ball flight and ability to find the fairway off the tee could put him in contention on the weekend, and if he can make a few putts, he could be a real factor this week.

Lee Westwood

For a guy that seems to handle Ryder Cup pressure with ease, it’s quite surprising that Lee Westwood has not experienced much success at the majors.

At 36-years-old and having won 18 times on the European Tour, Westwood has to be getting anxious about winning a major championship before his best years have passed him by.

Westwood did finish 3rd at the 2008 US Open, but other than that, you have to go back to the 2004 British Open to find Westwood’s last top-10 finish in a major.

Having said that, he does seem to be entering this week’s British Open on a hot streak.

Westwood tied for 23rd at the 2009 US Open at Bethpage, finished second at the French Open two weeks ago and tied for 8th at last week’s Scottish Open.

Major championships are all about playing well at the right time, and Westwood has certainly been playing some good golf over the past month.

Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker has already won twice this year on the PGA Tour, including last week at the John Deere Classic.

Stricker has finished inside of the top-25 in 12 out of 15 events this year and is currently ranked second on tour in scoring average.

Stricker does not have all that much experience playing in the British Open.  But, he has attended the last two British Opens and finished within the top-10 at each of them.

You think the weather will be tough this week at Turnberry?

Try hitting golf balls outside all winter in Madison, Wisconsin, which is exactly what Stricker has been doing during the past few off-seasons.

Needless to say, the weather will not be a factor for Stricker this week.

Paul Casey

Aside from Tiger Woods, Paul Casey is the highest ranked player participating in this week’s British Open.

Now it’s time for Casey to prove that he really is worthy of being ranked as the number three player in the world.

Casey has three wins so far this season (two on the European Tour and one on the PGA Tour).

Casey tied for 20th at the Masters but missed the cut last month at the US Open.

Although he has made his home on Arizona for the past decade, Casey grew up playing links-style golf in England before crossing the pond.

Casey is one player in the field that has a lot to prove this week, and like any competitive athlete, Casey will surely be looking to silence his critics.

Possible Contenders – if the Weather is Decent:

The forecast is calling for typical Scottish weather this week.  But, if the weather report is somehow wrong (which is a common occurrence along the west coast of Scotland where the weather can change at the drop of a hat), here are a few players to watch.

Geoff Ogilvy

Geoff Ogilvy should be considered a contender at any major championship, except when there is a lot of wind and rain involved.

Ogilvy plays a very high ball flight.  In normal weather conditions, this is part of what allows him to attack virtually every pin location on any golf course.

But, in the wind and rain, Ogilvy’s high ball flight is a hindrance.

Ogilvy has missed the cut in his last two British Opens, and he could struggle once again this week at Turnberry if the forecast is correct.

If the sun does happen to come out though, Ogilvy cannot be overlooked as a possible contender.

Brian Gay

In high winds and driving rain, Brian Gay does not hit the ball anywhere near long enough to contend at Turnberry.

In decent weather, however, Gay’s game certainly contains the right formula for success at Turnberry.

Gay hit’s a lot of fairways, a lot of greens and is an excellent putter.

In perfect conditions, the only way players can get into real trouble at Turnberry is by missing the fairway with their tee shots, which is not something that happens to Brian Gay very often.

Furthermore, Gay has shown an ability to close out a golf tournament, which is a quality that so few players seem to possess these days.

If the weather is decent and Gay is in contention, don’t expect him to back down to anyone, even if a Tiger happens to be stalking him around the links.

Hunter Mahan

Every time this guy steps foot on the golf course, there is a very real chance that he may fire a 62.

Possibly more than anyone else on tour, Hunter Mahan has the ability to catch fire and keep it going for an entire round.

If the weather happens to be nice this week, there could be a 62 out there on the Ailsa course, and Hunter Mahan could very well be the guy to go out there and grab it.

Mahan also has two top-10 finishes at the majors this year and might have actually won the US Open had his perfectly struck approach shot on the 16th hole of the final round not happened to strike the flag stick and roll off the front of the green.

Mahan is a hit or miss player.  If he’s hot, he’s as good as anyone on tour.  If he’s not, you won’t see his name anywhere near the leaderboard.

Sean O’Hair

Sean O’Hair won the Quail Hollow Championship earlier this year, which was played at a golf course that looked more like a US Open venue than a host course for a standard PGA Tour event.

O’Hair also tied for 10th at the Masters and finished in a tie for 23rd at the US Open.

At the young age of 27, O’Hair has already won three times on the PGA Tour and has three top-25 finishes in major championships.

The big question with O’Hair is whether or not he has what it takes to hold it together on the back-nine of a major championship.

Earlier this year, O’Hair squandered a five-stroke lead to Tiger Woods in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  He also limped home at the Quail Hollow Championship with bogeys at the 17th and 18th, only this time none of his pursuers were able to make a run at him.

With knee-high rough just yards off the fairways and greens, Turnberry is a ball striker’s course, and there are few players who have been striking the ball as well as Sean O’Hair lately.

Anthony Kim

Anthony Kim’s first and only British Open appearance came last year at Royal Birkdale where he managed to finish tied for 7th in some brutally difficult weather.

After a breakout year in 2008, Kim got off to a fairly slow start in 2009 as he fought through several injuries.

Kim finally appears to be healthy and has been playing significantly better over the past month.

Kim tied for 16th at the US Open, tied for 11th at the Travelers Championship and finished in third place just two weeks ago at the AT&T National.

If the forecast for rain and wind this week is correct, it might be too much for Kim to overcome as he continues to work out some kinks in his swing.

If the weather is decent, however, Kim is the type of player who can catch fire and never look back.

Remember, this is the same guy who recorded 11 birdies in one round earlier this year at Augusta National.

Jim Furyk

Similar to Brian Gay, Furyk may not have the length to contend at Turnberry in difficult weather.

But, if the sun decides to come out, there are few players on tour better than Furyk at meticulously working their way around a golf course while hitting virtually every fairway and green.

Furyk is also very good with his long irons, which he will be forced to use often at Turnberry.

Furyk is a former major champion (2003 US Open) and has finished in the top-five at two out of the last three British Opens.

If the weather is not too rough, Furyk could contend at another British Open this week.

Scoring

If the rain and wind comes and goes periodically, which is often the case along the West Coast of Scotland, look for the winning score to be between 5-10 under par for the week.

If Mother Nature decides to unleash the full weight of her fury on Turnberry this week, the winning score could be around even par or higher.

If for some strange reason, the sun decides to show up at Turnberry and stick around for the entire week, look for the scoring to be very low – maybe not quite as low as the scoring at Royal Liverpool back in 2006, but the winner could finish somewhere between 10-14 under par in absolute perfect weather conditions, which based on the current forecast, seems unlikely.

Well, that’s about it.  Now give us some of that wind, rain, fescue, pot bunkers and brown fairways that are so synonymous with just one golf tournament each year – the British Open.

Ricky Barnes is leading the tournament at eight-under par and has set a new 36-hole US Open scoring record.

The fact that anyone in the field is at eight-under par on this brutally difficult golf course is shocking enough, but Ricky Barnes?

Sure, Barnes won the 2002 US Amateur over Hunter Mahan, but he has only competed in two major championships in his career and has never won a professional event.

What about Lucas Glover, who is currently sitting just one stroke behind Barnes?

Glover has missed the cut in six-of-11 major championships he’s played in, and he is now just 36-holes away from adding the US Open trophy in his trophy case alongside the other hardware he’s won from the 2001 Oklahoma Open and the 2005 FUNAI Classic. 

The Oklahoma Open and FUNAI Classic really are professional golf tournaments, just in case you were wondering.

Then we have David Duval, who is three-under par and just five strokes off the lead.   Duval’s last win came at the 2001 British Open. 

Lucas Glover shot a 64 in his second round, and he wasn’t the only one to have flirted with Johnny Miller’s major championship record of 63. Mike Weir also shot a 64 in his opening round, and take away one bad tee shot that led to a double bogey, Weir could have easily shot 62.

Mike Weir is currently sitting just two strokes off the lead. 

Who was the one that said Bethpage Black was a bomber’s course?

7,400-plus yards in swamp-like conditions?

How could we have ever have overlooked Mike Weir as a potential 2009 US Open champion?

Nick Taylor is at two-under par and currently tied for 7th place. No point in wasting your time looking up Taylor in your PGA Tour media guide because he’s just an amateur who still plays at the University of Washington.

The rain comes down every time Tiger Woods steps onto the golf course.

Have the golf Gods turned on him?

When has it ever rained on anything Tiger Woods has done in his entire career?

Now, for the second time in three days, play has been suspended due to the weather. 

The average rainfall in New York for the month of June is one day; it has now rained 16 out of 20 days in June. By the time Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover finally tee off for their third round, they may need to swap their caddies for a rowboat.

If Nick Taylor was in his hotel room tonight and heard voices telling him that he’d win the 2009 US Open over a charging Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, would it surprise anyone if at actually happened?

The way this US Open has been unfolding, Nick Taylor walking out of Bethpage with the US Open trophy would probably be a fitting conclusion to this major championship.

John Feinstein recently wrote a book titled “Are You Kidding Me?” about Rocco Mediate and the 2008 US Open……perhaps his next book will be about the 2009 Open and be titled ”Now You Must Really Be Kidding Me?”.

The US Open was a complete washout today, and there is a lot more rain on the way.

Play was suspended at 10:15 am and officially cancelled for the day at around 1:00 pm. 

“The volume of rain falling was outpacing our ability to squeegee the greens, that was the bottom line. The greens just became unplayable and we needed to suspend.” said USGA Chairman, Jim Hyler.

Play is currently scheduled to resume at 7:15 am tomorrow morning.  But, there’s only one problem with that—it has not stopped raining all day, and more rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

At this rate, it may be Wednesday before a US Open champion is finally crowned.

Bethpage Black is long and difficult enough as it is.  If the rain continues, the fairways and greens will turn into a swamp and eliminate any roll that players normally receive on their drives.  In short, players will literally be playing all 7,400-plus yards of this brutally difficult golf course, and will likely be attempting to do so in more rain and wind.

Mother Nature may have just swooped in and taken away any hope the shorter hitters in the field had of plotting their way around Bethpage Black and contending this week.

If the weather was decent, the winning score for the week could have been five-under-par or more considering the receptive greens, widened fairways, and graduated rough.

With the weather that’s forecasted over the next three days, it will be a truly heroic performance if someone shoots around even par for the tournament.  

There is a 50 percent chance of rain tomorrow morning, with some clearing during the early afternoon and a chance of more rain later in the day.

Saturday is typically known as moving day, but with a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, the only moving that is likely to be done on Saturday will be in the form of players lifting their arm to change the channels in their hotels rooms.

And it doesn’t look much better for Sunday.

There is a 60 percent chance of rain on Sunday morning with a 40 percent chance of showers later in the day.

Could the USGA just reschedule the Open?

Although the shorter hitters in the field might be praying for that, the US Open will not be rescheduled; it will finish at Bethpage eventually, whether it’s this week or early next week.

Tiger Woods, who took his raincoat off and put it back on at least 10 times today, better have Nike overnight him some comfortable rain gear, because he’ll need it all weekend.

Prepare for high scores and ugly conditions over the next few days. 

This is not San Diego or Torrey Pines.  This is New York in the late spring and it’s already rained 15 out of 18 days this month.

The Course

Bethpage Black is listed at 7,455 yards, but with several holes going almost directly uphill, it’s playing even longer than that.  

Bethpage has a reputation as a bomber’s paradise, which in a way, it is.

But, the longer hitters won’t have as large of an advantage as many may believe.

The course has only two par fives – number four and number 13.

The fourth hole is 517 yards and the likes of Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard were all getting home in two during the practice rounds.

The 13th is a beast of a hole.  It’s 605 yards into a green surrounded by all sorts of trouble.  No one, including Tiger Woods, was attempting to make it home in two on the 13th. 

So, in terms of the par fives, they will be played virtually the same whether you are Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Angel Cabrera or Jim Furyk.

Where it will be advantageous to be a bomber is on several of the long par fours.  There are three par fours on the course that are playing over 500 yards.

The likes of Woods, Mickelson, Cabrera and the other bombers will have five and six irons into these holes whereas players such as Furyk, Toms and Johnson will be forced to hit approach shots with longer irons and hybrids.

It is obviously a lot easier to go flag hunting with a six iron in hand than a three iron or hybrid, so the shorter hitters will have their work cut out for them on several of the par fours. 

The fairways are thin, as would be expected at any major championship, but, they have been widened by an average of two yards since the 2002 US Open at Bethpage.  More important than the widening of the fairways by a measly two yards is the graduated rough that has been implemented.  Players will need to miss the fairways by 8-10 yards before they start getting into the really thick stuff.

Will the graduated rough make Bethpage play easier?

Absolutely.

With all the rain coming down in New York over the past two weeks, the greens are VERY receptive.  Players who find the fairway will have no trouble flag hunting and players that miss the green by a few yards will still have no trouble flag hunting due to the graduated rough.

Back in 2002, when the US Open was last held at Bethpage, Tiger Woods was the only one in the field to shoot under par for the tournament. 

Depending upon what the weather has in store for the next four days, there could be a decent handful of players under par this year.

If the tournament is not drowned out by heavy rain and high winds (which the forecast calls for) the winning score could be around five-under-par, possibly even lower, and many of the contenders could also finish the week under par.

The Weather

Rain, rain and more rain.

If you are flipping through the channels this weekend and happen to come across the US Open coverage, you might very well think you are watching a British Open taking place in Scotland.

There’s a 100 percent chance of rain on Thursday.  There’s a good chance of rain and thunderstorms on Friday and a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday.

What’s the forecast for Sunday?

Yup, more rain!

Obviously the weather forecast can change in a New York minute, and when was the last time you saw a whether report that was perfectly accurate?

If the rain is off and on or very light, the greens will become even softer, which just means more flag hunting and probably a lot more birdies.

That being said, the fairways will also become softer with rain and eliminate any roll that players normally receive on their drives.  This would mean that the bombers will have long irons into some of the pars fours while the shorter hitters will be forced to break out three and five woods for their approach shots.

The weather could certainly put a damper on what has to be one of the most anticipated US Opens in a very long time.

The Field

Tiger Woods is the hands down favorite this week following his near flawless display of ball striking at The Memorial.

The bad news for the rest of the field is that it doesn’t look like Tiger has skipped a beat since his win two weeks ago at The Memorial.

During his practice rounds, Woods has been every bit as accurate as he was at The Memorial.  He is hitting fairways and greens and has had a sense of calm about him as if he knows with absolute certainty that he’ll once again be loading the US Open trophy onto his Gulf Stream jet on Sunday night.

But, practice rounds are, well, just practice rounds.

If Woods continues to find fairways he could pick apart Bethpage Black this week.  If he has some trouble off the tee, the second major of the season could be up for grabs.

Phil Mickelson will have a following that will make ‘Arnie’s Army’ look like a small gathering of Arnold Palmer’s closest friends.

If Phil gets off to a hot start on Thursday and Friday, the New York crowd could give him an extra boost on the weekend.

Although most people are picking the longer hitters as the favorites this week, don’t count out the little guys.

Augusta National plays every bit as long as Bethpage Black and Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman certainly taught us that you don’t need to bomb the ball to win major championships.  Jim Furyk was also able to plot his way around Olympia Fields to win the 2003 US Open.

The two par fives on the course don’t really offer an advantage to anyone.  Virtually every player gets home in two on number four and no one gets home in two on number 13.

But, if the weather does indeed drown out the course this week the shorter hitters better hope they are striking their long irons, hybrids and fairway woods perfectly to have any chance on the three 500-plus yard par fours. 

If Woods is precise as he was tee-to-green at the Memorial, he wins.

If not, keep an eye on the following players:

Angel Cabrera

Cabrera has now won two majors and his US Open win back in 2007 came at Oakmont, which is a course that’s very similar to Bethpage Black.

Geoff Ogilvy

Ogilvy won the US Open last time it was played in New York (in 2006 at Winged Foot).

Ogilvy hits the ball long and high, and if the greens remain soft, Ogilvy has the length and precision to go flag hunting all week.

Phil Mickelson

During his press conference this morning, Mickelson said that his wife, Amy, would like the US Open Trophy in her room as she goes through her treatment and recovers from breast cancer.

That, combined with love and support of 10,000 of his loud and unwaveringly loyal New York fans might be all that’s needed to push him to his first US Open victory.

As if the New York crowd didn’t adore Mickelson enough already, they might like him a little more after he spent more than a half hour signing hundreds of autographs today immediately following his practice round.

Zach Johnson

Johnson has already won twice this year and used accuracy and solid wedge play to win at Augusta two years  ago, which is a course that’s just as long as Bethpage.

Jim Furyk

Sure, Furyk doesn’t hit the ball very long, but he’s a genius with the short irons and he has won a US Open before.

Furyk is a gritty competitor and has been striking the ball beautifully all week. If the course doesn’t get too soft, look for Furyk to contend on the weekend. 

The Plot

There has not been a major championship in recent memory that has contained as many intriguing storylines as the 2009 US Open.

Can Phil win the US Open and bring the trophy home to Amy?

Can Tiger Woods get back to his dominant form at the majors and inch yet another step closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career majors?

There might be no single athlete in New York this week adored more than Phil Mickelson.  The massive grandstands around the course will look like Giants Stadium during an NFC Championship game as Mickelson makes his way around the course.

What will happen with the golf course? Will the rain make the greens just soft enough for everyone to attack the pins, or, will the course become so soft that the shorter hitters will really be taken out of the equation?

The stage is set for what could very well turn out to be one of the most exciting and emotional major championships in recent memory.

Phil Mickelson’s wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The doctors believe they have caught the cancer early, which is by far the most important step in successfully fighting off the disease and is a very encouraging sign for the Mickelson family.

But, they won’t know for sure until more testing is completed and Amy undergoes surgery on July 1st.

Moved by the immeasurable level of support they have receivedfrom of everyone involved with the PGA Tour, Phil, Amy and their three young children seem to be doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

“Amy and I thought that a couple weeks ago at the Colonial is one of the nicest things that we’ve ever seen. It came at an incredible time for us. We’re very lucky to be a part of this group of Tour players,” Mickelson said on Wednesday at his press conference in Memphis.

“I think the PGA Tour is comprised of some of the classiest individuals in all of sports. I think their wives are incredible ladies. Over the years, we’re very lucky to have developed some great friendships out here on Tour. The show of support they gave us at Colonial, all the people at Colonial, Fort Worth, it was incredibly meaningful. I don’t know how to express the emotions that we felt because of that. It was just a very special thing for us. We feel very fortunate to be a part of this Tour.”

On Wednesday, Mickelson also spoke about how he and his family where trying to create a sense of normalcy despite the difficult situation they are facing.  And normal for Phil Mickelson means playing golf.

“We don’t have anything going on for three weeks. We have a family vacation coming up in a couple weeks right after the Open. These are tough—these next three weeks are kind of tough for us to pass because there’s nothing do until we get started. So we’re trying to just do everything the same as we would, whether it’s playing tournaments, getting the kids in camp, having play-dates with other kids. We’re trying to do all the normal stuff.”

Although Mickelson and his family seem to be handling this incredibly tough situation well, perhaps some anger and rage had quietly built up deep inside of Phil Mickelson over the past few weeks, because Mickelson unleashed one mammoth drive after another yesterday at TPC Southwind.

It was as if that tiny little white ball sitting motionless on the tee was the cause of all of Mickelson’s troubles, and he unleashed the full weight of his fury on it.

Mickelson averaged 335 yards off the tee on Thursday, which ranked first in the field by a large margin.

As far as scoring, Mickelson’s had a bit of a roller coaster round.

Starting on the tenth tee, Mickelson birdied his first two holes before recording a bogey at the 14th, a birdie at the 16th and a double bogey at the par-four 18thwhen he found the water with his drive.

“It was the only really bad swing I made,” Mickelson said of his drive on the 18th.

Mickelson settled down on the back nine, where he recorded just one bogey and three birdies, including back-to-back birdies at the 7th and 8th holes which could give him some momentum heading into the second round.

“It was a good way to get started. It had a chance to be a low round because I made a couple early birdies, but I finished with some birdies late to get it back to 2-under. I’m pleased with the start. It’s certainly not going to be on top of the leaderboard, but it didn’t hurt me any,” Mickelson said following his opening round of 68 which left him four strokes behind the leader, Brian Gay.

Mickelson will have to play a little better this afternoon if he wants to be in contention heading into the weekend.

But, no matter what happens this week in Memphis or next week at Bethpage, Phil Mickelson will continue to be the sentimental favorite and he and his family will continue to have the full support of everyone who is in any way involved with the PGA Tour.

Sometimes there are a lot more important things in life than hitting a little white ball at 18 flag sticks protruding from the ground.

But, as Phil said himself, he wouldn’t be playing this week or next if he didn’t believe he could win.

But, then the front gates are opened at the crowd comes pouring in, and this calm, tranquil place almost immediately turns in to a three-ring circus.

They’re loud, they’re rowdy, they’re boisterous and they’re not afraid to openly criticize anyone.

They are…..the New York golf fans.

The last time the US Open was held at Bethpage back in 2002, they laughed at Corey Pavin when he was unable to reach the fairway one of the course’s brutally long par fours; they called Colin Montgomerie ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’; they tormented Sergio Garcia for taking too long to hit the ball, to the point where Garcia appeared as if he was literally on the verge of walking off the course.

Players will be walking the fairways in front of the same crowd that booed Mickey Mantle, booed Lou Gehrig before finding out that he had a debilitating disease, tore Patrick Ewing apart for not winning them an NBA Championship, and were chasing down Eli Manning with their pitchforks while calling for Tom Coughlin’s head just a couple of a months before the New York Giants won the 2007 Super Bowl.

It is what it is, and they are what they are; and unless you at least attempt embrace them, they will turn on you in a New York minute.

There is, however, a flip side to the New York sports crowd – if you perform well or at least go down fighting, they will love and worship you as if you were a Greek God of the links.

Back in 2002, there was no player at Bethpage embraced by the crowd more than Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson will enter the 2009 US Open as the clear sentimental favorite following his wife, Amy’s, recent diagnosis of breast cancer and you can be assured that the New York crowd’s support for Mickelson will make ‘Arnie’s Army’ look as if they were a tiny pocket of rag-tag militia. 

Most players on the PGA Tour come from either the south or southwest regions of the United States, or are coming from overseas.  So, for those who have never played in New York before, it could come as quite a shock when the crowd adores them after a birdie on the first hole and then starts heckling them after a double-bogey on the second.

But, the best way to handle the New York crowd is to simply know that if you go ahead and make another birdie at the third, they will once again love and embrace you as if you were a hometown hero.

If you let them break you, they will.  If you stare them down and keep on playing your game despite all of their heckling and needling, they’ll respect you.  And if you go on to perform well and contend for the US Open title, they’ll love you.

The crowd will certainly be a distraction, and they will certainly break some players just as they did Garcia and Monty back in 2002 and again at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot.

But, love ‘em of hate ‘em, they create an atmosphere and energy that makes Bethpage one of the most exciting stops on the US Open circuit.

Of course you have.  We all have.   

Maybe it was your wife calling your name, your dog licking your face or your kids running around the living room like Olympic sprinters that snapped you out of your brief daydream.

But, no matter what, like clockwork that same fantasy somehow creeps its way back into your mind every single weekend.

Most golf fans can’t sit and watch the PGA TOUR for more than 10 minutes without thinking about what it would be like to walk the fairways with a tour professional.

Well, now you can; and you can do so while also helping out an excellent cause.

Caddy For A Cure is a non-profit organization that has been working with the PGA TOUR since 2004.

The organization contributes to hundreds of charities around the world, but the core beneficiaries behind the program concept are The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund and The Wounded Warrior Project.

Caddy For A Cure was founded by former PGA TOUR caddie, Russ Holden, after a very close friend of his had a son who was born with Fanconi Anemia.

Fanconi Anemia is a genetic disorder that leads to bone marrow failure.  Children with the disorder are very undersized and are often born without several fingers, toes and even limbs.  A bone marrow transplant is essential for the survival of any child born with Fanconi Anemia.

Although Fanconi Anemia is primarily a blood disease, it can be extremely debilitating at a very early age and has a heavy impact on both the children and the families affected by the disorder.  

Caddy For A Cure’s other core beneficiary, The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), was first conceived when several war veterans and their families were watching the news one evening and  were moved upon seeing all the severely injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

They realized that something needed to be done for these brave individuals beyond the brass bands and ticker tape parades.

WWP understands that the healing process for our wounded service men and women doesn’t miraculously end the day they check out of the hospital.  In fact, when these soldiers check out of the hospital is when they need more help and support than ever.

WWP Alumni provide an avenue for communication, networking, sharing and camaraderie beyond the borders of the hospital room. Programs such as Peer Mentoring, Internships and Warriors to Work are all designed to help serve the long-term needs of our dedicated service men and women. From educational opportunities to employment assistance programs, wounded warriors are offered access to these valuable services.

Due to injuries sustained while bravely fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy each and every day, some returning veterans are unable to enjoy the game of golf in the same way they used to.  

But, through Caddy For A Cure, these brave young men and women are able to live out one of their dreams by following a PGA TOUR professional from inside the ropes. 

The way Caddy For A Cure works is that individuals who have always dreamt of walking the fairways with a tour professional can do so by placing a bid to caddie during an actual practice or pro-am round at a PGA TOUR event.

The highest bidder will be awarded the opportunity to caddie for the tour professional while several wounded soldiers also follow along from inside the ropes.

Caddy For A Cure is an organization that offers a win-win situation for everyone involved and 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to charity.

The players participating in this terrific program are no small time, struggling tour professionals either.

Phil Mickelson, Boo Weekly, J.B Holmes, Fred Couples, Justin Leonard, Stuart Cink and Zach Johnson have all participated in the past as have Padraig Harrington, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry who are also amongst those scheduled to participate in the coming weeks and months.

“It is utterly amazing to me and what a statement it is about the world of golf and specifically the PGA TOUR and their players, how willing the players are to be a part of Caddy For A Cure. With the recent addition of The Wounded Warrior Project, who can say no to something this worthy?” said Caddy For A Cure Founder & CEO, Russ Holden. 

Want to spend four hours with Kenny Perry and ask him about his experience at the 2008 Ryder Cup, and maybe even ask him about the 2009 Masters if you are feeling brave enough?

Well, you can do so while caddying for him during The Barclays on August 26th in New Jersey.

Want to experience Bethpage Black from inside the ropes?

You can do so while caddying for 2004 British Open Champion, Todd Hamilton, on June 15th at the US Open.

Caddy For A Cure is just one of the many charities and not-for-profit organizations that the PGA TOUR and its players help to support and raise money for every single day.

There is no single sporting league in America right now that raises more money for local, national and international charities than the PGA TOUR.

If you are an avid golf fan and have the means and desire to contribute to a very noble cause, there are few organizations out there that can offer you the experience that Caddy For A Cure can.

Caddy For A Cure has already raised over $400,000 for charity and hopes to surpass the $500,000 mark this year.

Bids for upcoming events are currently being accepted at www.caddyforacure.com