Making the Cut: Surprise, Surprise

Each Wednesday during the golf season, FanHouse will list the top five names in golf and why they're important. Did Barack play 18 with Tiger? Did a certain player do something controversial off the course? Or was just playing golf enough to get the pot stirring? Join us for a weekly feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Fred Funk -- It was one of the better final rounds in the history of the Senior U.S. Open, but nobody watched because of a certain someone in the accompanying photo (thanks, Woods). It was his second major championship on the Champions Tour and fifth senior win since turning 50 three years ago. Funk is the type of player that could still make the occasional wave on the PGA Tour (made the cut in both the U.S. Open and Players this year), but it seems his focus is going to be with the Champions Tour, which is probably for the best. Maybe more impressive than his final-round 65 that help vault him to a six-shot lead? The fact that he made four bogeys all week at Crooked Stick.

4. John Daly -- Some things change, and some things stay the same. Daly, the poster child (man?) for unpredictable behavior has had his ups this year. He finished second earlier this season at the European Tour's BMW Italian Open, proving that a little weight loss and some practice can rev even Daly's engine. He seems to be happy, with new sponsors and an attractive girlfriend and a Twitter account. The problem is, that song has been blared before. "Daly is finally back this time." At the Buick Open, Daly's fourth tournament since returning back from a six-month suspension from the PGA Tour, the man once known as Wild Thing carded a front-nine 51 on his way to an 88, his worst score on the PGA Tour since, well, last year, when he shot 89 at the British Open.

See, that is Daly. One second he is telling us how happy he is with life and the next he's hitting a wall, making a 10 on a par-5 when he should be booming a drive down in search of his next eagle. I think any golf fan can agree that Daly deals with demons deep inside his skull the likes of something we could never truly grasp, but the song and dance of Daly being back, only to have him blow up again has become as repetitive as a Tiger victory. He can blame the weight and his eyes and his tough schedule, but the bottom line is, we'll get something like this from Daly once a year. It's just part of Big John's DNA. Don't be surprised if he comes out and nearly wins the next event he tees up at. Crazy stuff like that shouldn't surprise you anymore.

3. Phil Mickelson -- He's back this week, and looking to break the struggles he's had in years past when he took a long layoff from the PGA Tour. Wife Amy seems to be in better health (no word yet on mother Mary), and Phil will be using Firestone as a nice warmup for Hazeltine. Like anyone dominant in sports, it'll just be nice having Mickelson back in the field, no matter if you love him or hate him.

2. Tiger Woods -- Did you hear? Tiger Woods won the Buick Open this past Sunday after shooting three straight rounds in the 60s including a 63 on Friday. Oh, you didn't? Is that because it was tough to comprehend what was going on with all the flatulence in the air? Tiger made history not just for his 69th PGA Tour victory, but because he might be the first athlete ever to make farting a water cooler subject again. It appears the culprit wasn't Woods, but for two days, every bean company in the world was thinking of cool ways to attract Woods as a potential salesman. The guy can straight push some inventory.

1. David Feherty -- Ahh, the truth is out, and it smells delicious. Feherty admitted on the Dan Patrick Show that it might have been him, and Stephanie Wei at Wei Under Par got some inside information that it was in fact Feherty who was the feller. If at any time you didn't think David dealt it, you can sleep soundly tonight knowing that, yes, men do pass gas, and yes, it can create quite a stir on the Internet. Now, can we please go back to one of the early rules of golf you learn on your first lesson? Be quiet. Be very, very quiet.