Golf FanHouse

The Green Jacket: Luckiest Break of '09

Shane Bacon — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters, Golf Odds and Ends

Over the next two weeks, FanHouse will be delivering any and all awards for the 2009 PGA and LPGA Tour season. It will be a collection of anything that needs to be awarded, from Player of the Year, to Best Shot of '09 to Breakthrough Twitterer. It is, simply named, The Green Jacket awards.

The saying goes, "I'd rather be lucky than good," and anyone that has been paired with a random twosome on a beautiful summer day has probably heard it after a bounce goes their way or a high lip decides to let the ball in the side-door.

On the PGA Tour, that saying holds true just like for any hacker -- a guy hits a poor tee shot only to have it kick off the lip of the bunker, roll through the second cut and find itself perched up in the fairway, awaiting a short iron to set up another birdie. The biggest breaks usually come in the biggest tournaments, and 2009 was no different. So what was the luckiest break of the year?

That award goes to El Pato, or Angel Cabrera. Heading into the final round of the Masters, Cabrera was tied with Kenny Perry atop the leaderboard, and after a clutch birdie on the 16th hole, and a bogey-bogey finish by Perry, the 2007 U.S. Open champion found himself in a playoff with Perry and Chad Campbell. An errant tee shot on the par-4 18th, the first playoff hole for the threesome, looked to doom Cabrera, but then came the golf gods, here to help out the Argentenian.

Standing in the thick pines guarding the right side of the 18th fairway at Augusta National, Cabrera was trying to punch his way back into play, hoping to muster up a par and pray the other two wouldn't make a three. His punch out was miss-hit, but caught a tree as solid as Cabrera usually catches his tee shots, shooting straight left into the middle of the 18th fairway. His third shot settled six feet from the hole and he calmly rolled in the par putt, matching Perry's four.

The next playoff hole, the long par-4 10th, saw Cabrera make a simple four, and claim his second major championship. Without the lucky bounce off the tree, Angel would have never had a chance for a par and would have been watching as the then 48-year-old Perry tried on his first green jacket.

The Green Jacket: Luckiest Break of '09 originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ranking the Major Championships

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA, US Open, Masters, PGA Championship

Tiger Woods won five times in 2009, but for the fourth time in his 13-year career, he was shutout in the majors. That may not be cause for concern for Woods, but it gives fans and the media something to talk about. It also makes the "How would you rank the major championships?" question a lot more interesting.

With only one tournament left on the PGA Tour calender, now seems like as good a time as any to make my case. Obviously, this will be a scientifically rigorous endeavor, and I hope that you would treat the results accordingly. Or don't. Whatever, let's get to it.

In reverse order, the most exciting majors of 2009:

4. U.S. Open, Bethpage Black

Woods won this event in 2002, the last time it was at Bethpage, and there were any number of attractive story lines for the week: Tiger because, well, he's Tiger; New York golf fans' love affair with Phil Mickelson; and the endless heckling by those same fans of a gripping and re-gripping Sergio Garcia.

Seven years later and Tiger was still the most important player in the field, Phil was still looking for his first U.S. Open victory (more than that, he was playing with the knowledge that his wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer the month before),and Sergio had lost the interminable pre-shot routine but had gained the title of Best Player to Never Win a Major.

Yet despite the potential for intriguing subplots to play themselves out, the weather became the story. The first round was postponed and the tournament didn't finish until Monday afternoon. Oh, and Lucas Glover won the thing. That's not to say he didn't deserve it -- he did because he was able to hold it together down the stretch while Phil, Ricky Barnes and David Duval faltered. It's just that the constant downpours interrupted any rhythm a typical tournament develops as it builds to a (climatic, hopefully) Sunday finish.

So I'm blaming this one on Mother Nature.

3. PGA Championship, Hazeltine

I'll be honest: I would have ranked this event lower than fourth had Woods held on to win Sunday. It's not that his March to 19 isn't the biggest story in golf four times a year, it's just that Tiger has so mastered this game that it's hard to get too worked up by his latest "no way that just happened" moment.

And unlike the 2000 U.S. Open where he blew the doors off the rest of the field, or the 2000 PGA where he outlasted little-known Bob May in a playoff, or even last year's U.S. Open when Woods peg-legged his away around Torrey Pines for 91 holes, the '09 PGA was, well, boring.

Woods was atop the leaderboard for the first three days, and after a Thursday 67, he did just enough to maintain the lead for the next 36 holes in the most unexciting manner possible. It didn't affect ratings -- people will tune in just to make sure they didn't miss something previously thought impossible -- but that didn't make it any more watchable after the fact.

And then Sunday happened, Y.E. Yang merrily made his way around the course oblivious to what he was in the midst of. To prove that point, on the 72nd hole, he smoked his hybrid approach shot from more than 200 yards to 10 feet before draining a birdie putt for good measure.

You might argue that Yang's outta-nowhere performance should elevate the PGA to a first- or second-place ranking here. I'd agree except for this: Tiger didn't even put up a fight. He finished bogey-bogey and spent much of the final 54 holes trying to stay out of his own way. Now if he had mixed in a few snowmen on his way to the clubhouse and played himself off the first page of the leaderboard in spectacular fashion, I'd reconsider.

2. The Masters, Augusta National

This was Kenny Perry's tourney to win. He led by two strokes with two holes to play, but finished bogey-bogey. Instead of Trevor Immelman helping him slip into a green jacket, Perry found himself in a playoff with Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera. And two years after holding off Tiger and Jim Furyk at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, El Pato, against a different cast of characters, did it again at Augusta National.

The only thing more startling than Perry's late-Sunday collapse was how Cabrera's final round began. He spun his wheels early, going out in 1-over par. He then bogeyed No. 10 before carding three birdies on his final six holes.

If Cabrera's win was of the slow-motion, come-from-behind variety, Perry's loss was the opposite. It happened in an instant, and everybody -- including Perry -- knew it was over when he flubbed a chip on the 71st hole and couldn't get up and down on the 72nd. Sure, he still had the playoff, but as he stood on the tee box you sensed that he already knew his fate.

It made for slightly more captivating television than, say, Tiger pouting his way around Hazeltine while Yang methodically dismantled him.

1. British Open, Turnberry

I have no idea what the bylaws stipulate in terms of who qualifies for the PGA Tour Player of the Year, but if 59-year-old Tom Watson had won the British Open they should have given him the award on the spot. I'm not one for "instant history." In general, I like to take the long view when comparing amazing feats across eras. But I feel safe in writing that if Watson had somehow found a way -- just once -- to make an eight-footer when it mattered, I'd be the conductor on the "This is the most remarkable story of in recent memory" train.

And that includes Tiger's U.S. Open performance last summer. (Before you get all huffy, Watson didn't win so I don't have to argue that point. Which means that neither do you.)

But Watson missed the putt and headed to a four-hole playoff against Stewart Cink who, judging by the crowd, had exactly three fans on the property, all family members. (I should back up and mention that Watson has won five Open Championships in his career, including 1977, at Turnberry. Scotland has adopted him as one of their own.)

Still, Cink prevailed. Decisively. In fact, the old-timer charged with engraving the Claret Jug after the winner is determined got to work shortly after the two players teed off. On the first playoff hole, Watson hacked his way to a bogey while Cink made par, and the next three holes were an extended victory march. (Or farewell tour, depending on your perspective.)

The notion that a guy nearing his sixth decade on this planet almost pulled off the impossible against players half his age led to the predictable "golf isn't a real sport" vapidity. Call it what you want, but for me it's what makes golf great. I mean, prior to last week, I'm pretty sure nobody had Y.E. Yang staring down Tiger. It's the unpredictability that makes it compelling, that's the point.

Ranking the Major Championships originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Major Championship Disappointments

Shane Bacon — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, US Open, Masters, PGA Championship

With the 2009 British Open in our rear view, a lot of talk is about what could have been. A 59-year-old man had a chance to win a major championship against the best golfers in the world, and was one swing away from doing so. So, where does this tournament rank in major championship disappointments? Take a look and see ...

Ken Venturi's 80 at the 1956 Masters -- Before Kenneth Venturi made a name for himself as golf broadcaster, he was a pretty good stick. Good enough that, in 1956, as an amateur, Venturi found himself leading the Masters by four shots heading into the final round. Venturi would eventually shot 80 on Sunday, missing out on a chance to become the only amateur ever to win the Masters. Jack Burke Jr. claimed the green jacket that year, coming back from eight shots on the final day.

Arnold Palmer's 1966 U.S. Open Collapse -- The year was 1966, and the King was going through his longest drought without a major since his first win, at the '58 Masters. After a tie for fourth at the '66 Masters, Palmer went to the Olympic Club in hopes of claiming his second U.S. Open title. Seven shots up with nine holes to go at the majestic San Francisco course, Palmer faltered, leading to an 18-hole playoff that was eventually won by Billy Casper. Palmer never won another major championship.

Tom Watson's Miss at Career Grand Slam -- Watson has won eight major championships, but never a PGA Championship. That could have been erased in 1978, when he took a four-shot lead into the final round at Oakmont, only to shoot a 2-over 73 and find himself in a three-man playoff. John Mahaffey ended up with the Wanamaker Trophy, and still holds the record for biggest comeback in PGA Championship history.

Greg Norman's 1996 Masters -- Sometimes, a picture can say everything you need to know about that fateful Sunday at Augusta, and here it is. Up six shots with 18 holes to go at the Masters, Norman looked like he'd finally break through at a tournament he'd finished in the top seven times prior. The Shark ended up shooting a final round 78 to lose to Nick Faldo by five shots. Not only was this my first golf memory as a kid, but watching him collapse was one of the tougher things any golf fan has ever watched.

Jean Van de Velde -- Not a lot of sports moments can make you think directly to that time by just the person's name -- Billy Buckner. Steve Bartman. David Tyree. Jean Van de Velde is the golf version. The 1999 British Open had everything you'd ever want in an epic collapse, including a playoff you knew wouldn't be won by the victim. Up three shots on the field after basically dominating the toughest golf course in the world, the unknown Frenchman stood on the 18th tee at Carnoustie with a golfer's dream -- a double-bogey to win the Claret Jug.

You know what happened next. Van de Velde decided to pull driver off the tee, pushing it 30 yards right of the fairway. Instead of chipping out into the fairway, Van de Velde, who appeared to have killed his caddie, decided to go for the green. I've played Carnoustie. The only hole tougher than 18 in Scotland is the 17th. Nobody in their right mind would ever do any of this. His second shot hit the grandstands, bounced off some bricks around the Barry Burn, and ended up in the rough. On his third shot, Van de Velde tried to hit it out the rough, only to find the burn.

The lasting image came next, as Van de Velde rolled up his pants, took off his shoes and looked like he might try to hit the half-submerged golf ball. He eventually took a drop, hitting his fifth shot into a bunker. Needed to get up and down just to make the playoff, Van de Velde hit out of the bunker to eight feet and somehow, heroically, made the putt. That was all for naught, as he lost in the playoff to Paul Lawrie.

Just typing all that out makes me feel bad for the guy, who famously said after, "Maybe next time I'll hit the wedge," he said. "And maybe you will all forgive me."

Phil Mickelson at Winged Foot -- It looked like we were well on our way to the Lefty Slam back in 2006, when Mickelson arrived at Winged Foot. Fresh off his second Masters victory and second consecutive major championship, Lefty had his game together. Rounds of 70-73-69 were good enough for a share of the lead heading into the final round, where Mickelson would be paired with Kenneth Ferrie.

Lefty made three birdies on Sunday, and was standing on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead, needing a par to tie and a bogey to win his first U.S. Open. Phil inexplicably hit a tee shot so far left off 18 that it caromed off a merchandise tent. If that wasn't bad enough, Mr. Gamble himself tried to hit a punch-cut long iron, only to catch a branch. Four shots later Phil was tapping in for double-bogey, famously saying after, "I am such an idiot."

Sergio Garcia, Carnoustie in 2007 -- From the start of the week at Carnoustie, Sergio Garcia looked like he'd be claiming that first major championship we had all expected for years. The Spaniard burst on our golf radar in 1999 at the PGA Championship, where he famously dueled with Tiger Woods only to eventually lose to his Swooshness.

Garcia had since struggled with the spotlight, but an opening round 65 at Carnoustie in '07 was music to golf fan's ears. Sergio continued to dominate the course some call Car-Nasty, making just three bogeys in his first 54 holes. Heading into the final round with a three-stroke lead, the tournament looked to be his.

On the front nine on Sunday, Sergio was downright nervous, make three bogeys in four holes before making up with consecutive birdies on 13 and 14. With Padraig Harrington making a move, Garcia needed to keep making pars, but a bogey on 15 looked like the end to Garcia's run. That was, until Padraig made a double-bogey on the 18th, leaving the door open for a Sergio par and the victory. Blaming just about everything but the Goodyear blimp, Garcia couldn't cash a 10-footer for par, losing in a playoff to Padraig. Also, Garcia took "being gracious in defeat" to an inexplicably low level.

Tom Watson at the '09 British -- It was the story that you're now probably sick of hearing. A 59-year-old past Open champion making a run at a course he made famous in 1977. A storybook moment for sure, Watson needed just a par on his final hole to take home his sixth Claret Jug.

Deciding between clubs, Watson picked the 8-iron, and as fate has it, was victim of the type of golf that he has always dominated. The shot landed on the green, but would never bite, bouncing over the green and leading to a three-putt bogey. Watson would eventually lose to Stewart Cink a playoff, having us all wonder, "What could have been?"

Major Championship Disappointments originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

When Tiger Speaks, We Listen

Shane Bacon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Tiger Woods made a quick trip to Washington D.C. this week to host a press conference, chat with the president, and get people excited for his upcoming tournament, the AT&T National Championship, July 2-5. Woods spoke on just about everything (he knows how to say "take out the trash" in Swedish!), but the main focus was on the Masters and how Tiger was just a hair off with his game.

"I'm obviously disappointed I didn't win," Woods said. "I was on the periphery of being in contention and being right there in the mix. I was just a fraction off. I didn't putt well till Sunday, and being a fraction off in that, and I do mean a fraction. Stevie and I were talking about it: 'Like how many times would you hit a shot that was one yard off?' And one yard is 30 or 40 feet at Augusta. Just takes the wrong side of the slope. And it just seemed to be happening all week."

If you can remember back to the Masters two weeks ago that Angel Cabrera ended up winning, you know that the early buzz around Augusta National on Sunday was the battle between Tiger and Phil Mickelson, who tied the front-nine record with a 6-under 30. Tiger's front-nine wasn't too shabby either, as he made the turn at 3-under, but just couldn't get anything to fall on his way in.

People, including myself, have brought up the fact that Tiger hasn't seemed as comfortable around Augusta the last few years, a notion he rejected at the press conference.

"As far as my comfort level, I know how to play it," Woods said. "That's one of the reasons why you see a lot of the same guys near the top of the board; we understand how to play it. Only difference is a lot of our angles have been changed going into greens. ... So some of the things have changed over the years, but I still feel very comfortable over there. I really enjoy playing there and have an understanding of how to play it; even though I haven't won in recent years, but I've been there, and close, and that's because I understand how to play it."

I would agree with his point about the same players being near the leaderboard, but that seems to be the same at any golf tournament with a course a certain player might enjoy. Woods did remark that he felt bad for Kenny Perry, who lost to Cabrera on the second playoff hole in his bid to be the oldest major championship winner in the history of the game.

You know, Kenny Perry's situation is very similar to what Raymond Floyd dealt with at the Masters; 50 or 51 at the time and lost in a playoff to [Nick] Faldo, and didn't know how many more chances he's going to get to get back there again; and played against Freddie [Couples] and loses again. Your time is running out, and I think that's one of the reasons why Raymond took it hard and one of the reason why is Kenny takes it hard. Realistically, you are not taking as many chances at 48 as you are at 28, and that's one of the reasons why it hit home so hard to him. And he had a chance to win.

If you don't think Tiger is a golf historian, you just don't know much. Also, that burning question everyone is asking -- how are the kiddos?

"(Charlie) is good," Tiger said. "Growing like a weed."

When Tiger Speaks, We Listen originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Range Balls: Masters Hangover

Shane Bacon — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

In an effort to keep our golf visitors well informed on what is going on around the Internet, Range Balls will be our new weekly link dump. Every Tuesday during golf season, we will toss out some of the most interesting things we came across. If you have a tip, e-mail us at fanhousegolf@gmail.com. Enjoy the links.

--Condoleezza Rice followed Tiger Woods this week at the Masters and gave her full report on the experience. The best line -- "We set out for the course and I soon learned that you don't "follow Tiger."" [The Daily Beast]

--Angel Cabrera did something no other golfer has ever done at Augusta -- he won the Masters using Ping Golf clubs. [The Shop]

--I'll give The Golf Channel this -- when thinking about "The Big Break," the producers have realized that sex does sell. Here is the first of three interviews with Kim Kouwabunpat, from the upcoming show. [Bushwood Country Club]

--The Masters golf ratings are out, and this might surprise you -- it wasn't the highest during the Phil Mickelson -- Tiger duel. The ratings hit 9.4/23 when those two were on the course and 10.0/21 during the playoff. [Golfweek]

--Jill McGill gives us a little insight into the life of a LPGA golfer. [Armchair Golf Blog]

Range Balls: Masters Hangover originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sergio Garcia Continues to Stay Popular

Shane Bacon — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:20:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

The year 1999 was a long time ago. Justin Timberlake was a guy in a band called 'N Sync. People were buying bottled water and canned goods in fear of something called Y2K. Oh, and it was probably the last time Sergio Garcia was popular, when he battled Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, falling just short but touching golf fans everywhere.

Now, Garcia just continues to rub people the wrong way. He waggled his way around Bethpage Black at the U.S. Open in 2002. He spit in a cup after a missed putt in the 2007 Doral Open. He blamed anyone and everyone for his loss in the 2007 British Open. Now? Sergio let Augusta National, golf's sanctuary, have it, lashing out about the course conditions, saying, "I don't like it, to tell you the truth. I don't think it's fair, and, you know, it's just too tricky."

Follow me after the jump for full video of Garcia's ridiculous rant.

Sergio, ranked No. 3 in the world before the Masters, said before the tournament that it would be nice to win a major but he wasn't expecting much this week. That came just before the Masters started, when Garcia decided to switch putters, something that seemed odd considering Augusta National probably has the hardest greens to navigate in the world.

On top of all that, Garcia actually looked good his first two rounds, shooting 73-67 before falling on the weekend with rounds of 75-74 to finish tied for 38.

It seems that Sergio has had a lot of growing up to do for a while, but he isn't a kid anymore, even if he tends to act like one. Garcia will be 30 when he gets another shot at Augusta National. It would be nice if he acted like it.

Sergio Garcia Continues to Stay Popular originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Masterful Choke for Tiger-Lefty Rivalry

Greg Couch — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:39:00 EST

Filed under: Masters

Quick, who won the Masters Sunday? Come on, first name, too.

This might be a first, when the winner of the Masters goes down as the answer to the trivia question. But this is going to be remembered as the Masters that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson didn't win, assuming long term memories don't twist one of them into the green jacket someday. Also, some older guy (Kenny Perry) didn't win, either.

The winner? Well, Augusta National is always the answer to that. The Masters always has that touchy feeling from all that history, the drama and personal tales, and, of course, from Jim Nantz's goo.

Somehow, his mush works wonderfully there.

So I hate to sound sacrilegious, but once the thrill was past on Angel Cabrera's tree-smacking, back-door victory, the word "choke" kept coming to mind.

Tiger, Phil, Kenny. Phil again. Even Cabrera matched those three, hitting that tree on 18, but it bounced out beautifully, luckily. And he's the champ by default.

But is that fair? There is no meaner word in sports than choke, and maybe we should look again at what that word really means, and what that finish Sunday meant, particularly to Woods and Mickelson.

Ten years ago, Jean Van de Velde created what is considered the template for choking at the British Open, taking a three-stroke lead to the final hole before finding rough, water and sand. I argued at the time that he hadn't choked at all, that he hadn't belonged there in the first place.

If Joe Blow woke up and found himself in the lead in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final, he might not close the deal, either.

So maybe that's knocking Perry more than he deserves. He's not Joe Blow. But he has that little hitch in his swing, where he seems to stop at the top and change directions. And he's a solid player who played solidly until that Charles Barkley swing, the old Barkley swing, wouldn't let him finish the deal.

Latest Golf Images

Angel Cabrera of Argentina reacts to a par putt on the 18th green during final round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)

Reuters

Angel Cabrera (R) of Argentina is presented his green jacket by Trevor Immelman (L) of South Africa after winning the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)

Reuters

Kenny Perry of the U.S. reacts to a chip shot to the 18th green during the first playoff hole at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)

Reuters

Angel Cabrera (C) of Argentina shakes hands with Chad Campbell (R) of the U.S. after Campbell was eliminated from a sudden-death playoff as Kenny Perry of the U.S. stands at left during the final of the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. Cabrera defeated Perry on the second playoff hole to win the tournament. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

Angel Cabrera (R) of Argentina walks off the 10th green with caddie Ruben Yorio after winning the 2009 Masters golf tournament on the second hole of a playoff at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

Angel Cabrera of Argentina gives a thumbs-up as he wears his green jacket after winning the Masters following final round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

The big choke of the day, the biggest loser of the tournament, was Phil Mickelson, even though he played those first nine holes better, maybe, than anyone ever had. Mickelson had what might well be his last chance at a legacy of greatness.

Tiger Woods? He'll be fine. But he did choke, too, with bogeys on each of the final two holes.

The thing is, Woods did not seem to be bothered by Mickelson's run on the front nine so much as by his struggles with his own swing.

"I hit so bad today warming up,'' he said. "I was hitting quick hooks, blocks, you name it. I hit it all on the range, and then on the very first hole, I almost hit it into (the eighth) fairway. It's one of the worst tee shots I've ever hit starting out.''

But when it got to the end, Mickelson crumbled, and we've seen that before. With him, it always seems that Woods has something to do with it.

See, Mickelson is fighting Woods, while Woods is fighting history.

Choking is about letting your brain ruin the performance that your body was about to produce. The pressure is on, and some people use it and some people fold under it.

Perry, even with those bogeys on the last two holes, didn't finish any lower than his skill was going to allow. Mickelson, though, was there in 2006 at Winged Foot, when he had a shot at winning his third straight major. Instead, he went for too much in what is now known as his, "I am such an idiot"' moment.

But now at 38, he had another chance.

Three major titles have already guaranteed him a decent legacy, but at this point, he's still just the Woods patsy. When a great player can't beat the greatest of all time, that should probably be expected. But Mickelson was supposed to be the guy.

Think about the setting Sunday: Mickelson and Woods together in the same pairing. Final round. Augusta National. Woods in the red. Both started seven strokes back. And for nine holes, Mickelson gave another example of the greatness inside.

But that 12th hole. It's the one place every golfer in the world knows that you don't get too aggressive. Mickelson hit a 9-iron when he should have hit 8, and went into Rae's Creek for a double-bogey.

From there, his putting fell apart, too. He missed a four-foot putt on 15 that would have put him in a tie for the lead.

"I didn't trust my read,'' he said. "I didn't commit.''

When he was done, having shot a 67 to Woods' 68, someone talked to him about going head-to-head with his rival. Woods and Mickelson are bosom enemies, and that's not meant as a shot at Mickelson's physique.

"It was fun,'' Mickelson told reporters. "We've had some good matches in the past, but I'm usually on the wrong end of it.''

This took me back several years when Mickelson bombed out in the final round of the Masters and I talked to him under the big tree past the 18th green. He was all smiles.

It was clear right then that something was missing.

"It was terrible.'' That's how Woods described the day Sunday.

And that's a very Woods-like thing to say.

He just seemed rusty, playing his first major since having knee surgery. But he did seem a little nervous, too.

"I fought my swing all day and just kind of Band-Aided around and almost won the tournament with a Band-Aid swing today.''

Mickelson said you play for the chance to win on the back nine. And Woods, who had that chance, felt he had been cheated out of something.

In some ways, nothing changed, other than for the guy who won.

Masterful Choke for Tiger-Lefty Rivalry originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Winners and Losers From Masters Week

Shane Bacon — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:49:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

If you're like me, Sunday at the Masters is the pinnacle of the golfing year. Starting Monday, we face the longest stretch of time before we get to hear the wonderful sounds of Augusta again, see the bursting colors of the azaleas and cheer on guys to make eagles on 13 or 15 coming down the stretch Sunday. At this year's Masters, one of the better ones you will ever see, there were both winners and losers. Check out who we thought was the best choice for both.

Winners

Angel Cabrera -- The final scene of Rounders is one of the better competitive exchanges in movie history. Matt Damon's character, Mikey McDermott, is trying to take down John Malkovich's character, Teddy KGB, in a simple game of Texas Hold 'Em. As you may know, Mikey takes the cash from Teddy and, before Teddy delivers the always awesome "Pay the man his money" line, goes on a rant about how Mikey was just "hanging around, hanging around."

Basically, Angel Cabrera is the Mikey McDermott of major championships. An afterthought for most of the day, Cabrera made a sneaky birdie on 16 and pars the rest of the way to win his second major and first Masters. Now Angel is the only active player besides Tiger Woods to own both a Masters and U.S. Open title. Oh, and he quit smoking. Double bonus.

Kenny Perry -- Yeah, it might be strange for Perry to find his way on the Winners list, but hear me out. The guy played 70 holes of incredible golf this week and will only be remembered for his last two in regulation and the second playoff hole. He is one of the nicer professional athletes alive and was gracious in defeat, even admitting that he was proud of himself for sticking in there and competing. At 48, this was probably his last legitimate shot at winning a major, but the run was awesome, and his 8-iron was one more good swing away from sneaking out of there with a new piece of clothing. You can remember people for what they did or didn't do. I'll choose to remember Perry for everything except 17 and 18.

Rory McIlroy -- The kid is 19, and has more expectations on him than anyone since Tiger. What did he do in his first Masters? Not much, besides finishing t-20 and making it 5-for-5 for top-20 finishes on the PGA Tour. Do you know who didn't pull off such a feat when he turned pro? Yep, you guessed it, Tiger himself.

Phil Mickelson's Front Nine -- Talk about some shot-making! While his driver had abandoned him for most of Sunday, Mickelson made it up with precise iron shots from just about anywhere. Birdies on six of his first eight holes had Phil tie the best front-nine record in Masters history, and got patrons from all over the course scurrying to watch Lefty battle Tiger. The only other time I can think of Mickelson playing any better was at the Grand Slam of Golf, when he missed an eagle putt on the last hole for 58.

Losers

Chad Campbell -- It looked, for most of the week, like Campbell might avenge that tough loss to Shaun Micheel in the 2003 PGA Championship, but the fellow Texan couldn't close his rounds. On Thursday, Campbell had two holes left, needing just one more birdie to break the course record at Augusta National. A bogey-bogey finish turned an historic round into just another great day at the Masters. On Friday, Campbell was 4-under for the day after 10 holes, but made three bogeys on the way in, failing to birdie both the 13th and 15th. Saturday's round ended double bogey-birdie-bogey, and on Sunday he played himself into contention, only to miss a short, uphill par putt in the first playoff hole to advance. All in all it was a week of shattered nerves and missed opportunities for Campbell.

Tiger Woods -- Tiger has always said his favorite golf course is St. Andrews. I can guarantee that after this week, Augusta might be falling lower and lower on his list of faves. Woods looked confused by the winds and the greens all week, really only finding his putting stroke for a brief time on Sunday just to lose it again with missed putts on 12, 15, 17 and 18. Tiger was once the guy at Augusta who would make the putt he had to make. Now, he tends to struggle to get the ball in the hole when the moment calls for it. With Bethpage Black just two months away, I'm sure Tiger will work on his short irons and putting touch to get ready for the U.S. Open, but the first major championship has really done an interesting number on Woods the last four years.

Nick Faldo -- Faldo has won three Masters, and I can't take that away from him. The problem is that his last win was in '96, before Tiger Woods had ever played the course as a professional and before the course added roughs. Faldo's commentary on how the holes should be played and how the greens would break was dated and annoying, and it didn't help that Jim Nantz continued to pitch him softball questions about how everything worked a decade ago.

Faldo has never been my favorite announcer, but having him on a course that he once dominated was nearly unlistenable. The Masters is my favorite sporting event of the year, but Faldo took a little bit away from it with his commentary. I can only hope CBS decides not to bring him back next year. My ears would be happy.

Phil Mickelson's Back Nine -- If the front nine was Frank Sinatra on Sunday, the back nine for Phil was William Hung. The number of bad decisions Phil made on the back, including his half-swing on 12 and his driver choice on 18, led to one of my buddies admitting to me, "Maybe Mickelson just isn't very smart." No matter the pressure, if you're a big-time player, that back nine needs to be 1-under at worst. Phil left shots on the course from 15-18 and might remember the '09 Masters as Winged Foot 2.0.

Winners and Losers From Masters Week originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Real Winner? Augusta

Shane Bacon — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:42:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

In 1996, Greg Norman had one of the most epic collapses in the history of golf. Carrying a six-shot lead into the final round of that year's Masters, Norman was set to finally grab that green jacket that had eluded him for so long.

You all know the story. Norman wound up losing the tournament to Nick Faldo and in accordance with the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words," has this lasting image that summed up his experience at Augusta. After a final round 78, Norman had two choices: he could duck out of Augusta or he could face the music. Norman responded courageously by heading into the press room and answering all questions asked of him for 45 minutes. He earned the respect of darn near any golfer that has played the game.

This Sunday, Kenny Perry did his best Norman impression. A near perfect tee shot on the par-3 16 on Sunday led to a birdie and a two-shot lead for the 48-year-old Perry. But then bogeys on his final two holes and a bogey on the second playoff hole doomed Perry.

Yet afterwards, did Perry sulk about his play or complain about Angel Cabrera's good fortune on the first playoff hole when Angel's second shot caromed off a tree and back into the fairway? Nope. After his day was done, Kenny answered the questions that were asked of him and admitted that he was proud of himself for sticking it out.

Basically, Kenny Perry was introduced to Augusta National.

In the end, this '09 Masters might go down as one of the most thrilling we've ever seen, especially the final round. From the initial Sunday tee shots of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who both snap-hooked their balls to opposite ends of the golf course only to save pars and combine to shoot 9-under on the front nine on Sunday, to Cabrera's gutsy second shot on the second playoff hole (No. 10), Augusta was alive and juiced.

Everyone got in on the action.

Dustin Johnson made back-to-back eagles on 13 and 14. John Merrick, in his first Masters, closed with a 66 to finish t-6. Shingo Katayama was one of the few to birdie the 18th on Sunday.

A buddy of mine called me on Saturday to ask what made the Masters so special. I tried to explain the answer, but all I should have done was tell him to watch the telecast on Sunday. From Pat Summerall's voice introducing us to the CBS coverage, to the pin placement on 12, to the fact that No. 13 is a 510-yard par-5 that can produce a double-bogey just as quick as an eagle, Augusta National and the Masters are what makes golf so wonderful.

Cabrera showed us on Sunday that there are two ways to win a Masters. You can do it the Tiger way of '97 and just blitz the field, giving nobody a chance as you zoom past them with birdie after dominating birdie. And then the other way is the Faldo way of winning. You just hang around long enough to see everyone else falter, which is exactly what Cabrera did.

Angel made three bogeys and just one birdie through his first 10 holes on Sunday. He shanked his second shot on the first hole of his back nine. It looked bleak for the Argentinian. That was, until he poured in a couple of birdie putts and didn't add anymore blemishes to his score and eventually slipped on the green jacket when Perry and Chad Campbell couldn't step up.

This Sunday was exactly what makes Augusta the best venue in sports. Sometimes even the most beautiful setting in the world can make even the greatest golfers shake their heads in disappointment.

Final Round Handshakes ...

-- TaylorMade and Golfsmith can breath a sigh of relief and now claim all those drivers they sold in the Sergio Garcia sweepstakes. After Sergio's second round 67, the Spaniard put together weekend rounds of 75-74 to finish t-38.

-- Anthony Kim tied for 20th in his first Masters this week, but left Augusta with some records of his own. In the second round, Kim broke the record for most birdies in a round at the Masters with 11, and then tied Tiger's record of most birdies in two rounds with 16. All in all, Kim's week was a fun roller-coaster ride. The 23-year-old finished the week with 31 pars, 22 birdies, 16 bogeys and two double-bogeys.

-- There have been three back-to-back champions of the Masters, so asking Trevor Immelman to be the fourth was a tough task. Looking past the fact that Immelman is 29 and still has highlights in his hair, the '08 champion had a respectable week defending his title with a t-20 finish.

The Real Winner? Augusta originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Angel Cabrera Wins the 2009 Masters

Will Brinson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:40:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

The final day of the 2009 Masters certainly unfolded in a bizarre fashion, but after Kenny Perry pulled his second shot on the 10th hole left of the green and failed to get up and down, Angel Cabrera had two putts to win the tournament on the second sudden-death playoff hole and became the last golfer standing in a Sunday slugfest at Augusta.

Perry seemed locked to win the tournament, holding a two-stroke lead with just two holes to play, but he finished bogey-bogey down the stretch, allowing playing partner Cabrera and Chad Campbell to join him in a sudden-death playoff.

More Coverage: FanHouse Masters 2009 Podcast

The most bizarre circumstance surrounding Cabrera's win -- outside his Sunday yellow becoming the "new red" -- might be his early Sunday play: he shot an inexplicable one-over on the front-nine Sunday, bogeyed 10 and appeared poised to free fall from the leaderboard before rattling off three birdies on the final six holes.

His first playoff hole was no less odd, as Cabrera managed to hit his second shot off a tree before scrambling back for a par that extended his hopes of winning the green jacket to the 10th hole.

The win was Cabrera's second major in the past three years -- in 2007 he was the first Argentinian to win the U.S. Open -- as he became the first Argentinian to don a green jacket in Augusta's rich history.

And as surprising as watching Cabrera storm back to win was, it seems like a pretty fitting ending considering the insanity that consumed Augusta on Sunday.

Latest From Augusta

Angel Cabrera of Argentina celebrates winning the Masters in a playoff during final round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

Angel Cabrera of Argentina celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament in a sudden death playoff at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Sunday, April 12, 2009. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Angel Cabrera of Argentina celebrates winning the Masters in a playoff at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF IMAGE OF THE DAY TOP PICTURE)

Reuters

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: Kenny Perry hits his chip shot on the first sudden death playoff hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

Getty Images

Angel Cabrera of Argentina celebrates winning the US Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Don EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 12: Kenny Perry reacts to his chip shot on the first sudden death playoff hole during the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

Getty Images

Angel Cabrera Wins the 2009 Masters originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Masters Playoff, Sudden Death Style Features Perry, Campbell and Cabrera

Will Brinson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Kenny Perry had the Masters wrapped, staring down a two-stroke lead with just two holes to go. But he missed just left on 18 to close out bogey-bogey, and after an impressive Angel Cabrera up-and-down for par on 18, there's going to be some free golf at Augusta.

That's right: playoff time. Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera head to a sudden-death Masters playoff on holes 18, 10 and 11.

Update, Hole One: Campbell lost his putt low and is eliminated from the playoff -- Perry and Cabrera head to 10.

It's the first playoff since 2005 (and the first three-way playoff since Greg Norman, Larry Mize and Seve Ballesteros battled it out in 1987) and the 14th sudden death playoff in Masters history. Perry obviously comes in as a sort of underdog in this affair, given that he has shown an awkward propensity to not perform well in the clutch at Augusta, presuming you just factor in the last two holes.

However, things might appear differently given their collective performance on these holes in the tournament. Chad Campbell appears to be at a strong disadvantage, posting one-under on 10, two-over on 11, and one-over on 18 for the tournament, respectively.

Cabrera is even-par on 10, one-over on 11 and one-under on 18 in the 2009 Masters, while Perry is two-under on 10, one-under on 11 and even-par on 18 throughout the week.

Bear in mind, too, that if one of the players bogeys on 18 and the other two players par, then only the two players who parred the hole continue on in the playoff.

Masters Playoff, Sudden Death Style Features Perry, Campbell and Cabrera originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phil, Tiger Make Move, Now Have to Wait

Ryan Wilson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were paired together in the final round of the 2009 Masters, and even though they started the day seven shots off the lead, CBS got exactly what they wanted: the world's two best players -- six green jackets and some hard feelings between them -- setting the pace for Sunday's coverage.

The compelling story lines emerged early: Phil was brilliant on the front, needing just 30 strokes; Woods' fought his swing, but in typical Woods-ian fashion, still managed a 33. At the turn, Mickelson was 10-under, one shot off the lead, and looked every bit the favorite to pull off the most impressive come-from-behind victory in Masters history. All while upstaging his golfing nemesis in the process.

Behind them, leaders Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry finally seemed to realize the enormity of Augusta on Sunday, hovering near par for most of the afternoon. Everything was falling into place for Phil's "The Masters doesn't begin till the back on nine Sunday" clinic.

After pars on Nos. 10 and 11, Mickelson's grand plan was briefly derailed when his tee shot on the 12th found Rae's Creek fronting the green. Three sloppy strokes later, he carded a double-bogey, and lumbered to the last leg of Amen Corner wondering if he had shot himself out of the tournament.

A birdie on the par-5 13th got him back to 9-under, and Lefty could've tied Perry atop the leaderboard if he didn't push a four-foot eagle putt on 15. It was the straightest putt he'd see all week, but as Shane Bacon pointed out, "The announcers called it a 'gimmie'; do they even know Phil?"

Meanwhile, the planet's No. 1 golfer played in Mickelson's shadow for most of the day, roles reversed for maybe the first time ever. And then, on the par-3 16th, Tiger willed his tee shot to a few feet, rolled his birdie putt into the center of the cup, and the previous four hours of uninspired golf were quickly forgotten.

But Mickelson, as he's done all week, bounced back. On 17, he striped his drive and stiffed his second shot, but missed another makeable putt. It's habit-forming, apparently. Tiger fared worse, needing five shots to navigate the penultimate hole.

And then the wheels came off. Phil bogeyed the 18th, and after a red-hot 30 on the front, he limped in with a 37. Suddenly, it's all very familiar-seeming. Tiger also needed five strokes on the final hole, and he headed to the clubhouse at 8-under, one behind Lefty. On the upside, he fired his first sub-70 round of the tournament.

Woods and Mickelson will no doubt look back on Sunday's final nine holes and recount all the missed opportunities long after Trevor Immelman fits the '09 Masters winner with a shiny new green jacket.

For now, though, all that's left to do is hope and wait. But mostly hope.

Phil, Tiger Make Move, Now Have to Wait originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods Making Masters Runs on Front 9

Will Brinson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are paired together on Sunday at the 2009 Masters. If I were to tell you that one of them was making a ridiculously meteoric rise up the leaderboard, purposely hooking shots out of pine straw to within five feet of the pin and slinging fist-pumps, you would tell me Tiger was on absolute fire.

You would be wrong. It's Mickelson that's making a run at the green jacket, posting an insane 30 on the front nine at Augusta to climb within one stroke of the leaders as he made the turn.

And make no mistake -- as I told Bacon, this is the most unexpected thing in the history of everything. Mickelson stated yesterday that a "64 or 65" might get him in it. I laughed, everyone laughed and it was one of those things that Phil "needed to say" with 18 holes remaining.

But then even with Phil a silly four-under through six holes, he managed to shawshank his tee shot on seven into the pinestraw. A decision to go for it via the hook looked ludicrous, yet he managed to stick it within five feet for birdie, sending the crowd -- whose collective back was to Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera -- into a riotous roar.

Another birdie at eight (which followed an incredible eagle putt from Woods) gave Mick a shot at the front nine Augusta record. But an awkwardly errant tee shot at nine required some scrambling for Phil to "only" finish with a 30, tying the front nine record.

And remember, in case it wasn't too obvious already, Phil is doing all of this while paired with Tiger. Which is a situation that no one wants to deal with, and one that has traditionally rattled Mickelson beyond repair.

Mickelson right now almost seems like the favorite to pull out a green jacket, even with Cabrera and Perry having a few more holes to play. But Tiger's somehow not done either, sitting just four back of the leaders with nine to play. And maybe neither will win. Whatever, anyone who's watching right now is enjoying one of the most memorable Masters' Sundays we have seen in a long time.

Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods Making Masters Runs on Front 9 originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Masters Live Blog, Final Round

Shane Bacon — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

It's Sunday at the Masters, the best golf day of the year. Can Kenny Perry become the oldest major champion ever? Will Angel Cabrera pick up his second major in three years? Will Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson come from behind? Join FanHouse as we document events as they unfold in real time. That's right, it's a little something we like to call a "live blog," old-school style. Fun starts after the jump.

More Coverage: Not Enough for Tiger and Phil | Leaderboard

1:27 PM ET: Hello friends! It's Masters Sunday, which basically means I've been smiling since the little birdies woke me up outside my window. The weather in Augusta is perfect, which means players coming from behind will have to fire something very low to have a chance to win the green jacket. A few players already on the course are 2-under, which means the scores are there to be had.

Do I think Tiger or Phil could win this thing? Personally, no. It seems when Woods is this far behind he pushes too hard on the course. I'd love to eat my words though. The dynamic duo tees off at 1:35 PM ET, with the leaders going off an hour later at 2:35 PM. Happy Easters, all, and get settled for a great day of golf.

1:30 PM: I won't lie, I've been waiting for the Tiger-Phil pairing ever since Steve Williams made these comments about Mickelson this past December. Tiger, up first in his Sunday red, snapped his driver again left, just like yesterday when he made double-bogey on the first hole. Not to be outdone, Lefty snapped his driver wide right. They couldn't be further from each other on No. 1. Yikes.

1:35 PM: What is better than a tap-in birdie on the second hole in the final round of the Masters? Holing out the wedge shot for an eagle, of course. Steve Flesch just knocked one in from the fairway on No. 2 for an eagle and some crystal goblets for his trophy case. He's now 5-under for the tournament, just six shots back of the leaders.

1:40 PM: Somehow Mickelson, who was wide-right of the first fairway, hits his second shot to about 15 feet for birdie. The guy could get up and down out of a trash can. Tiger is so far left that he's on the fairway of No. 8! Nick Faldo, who should be politely tossed out of the announcer booth, commented that in all his years at Augusta, he's never seen someone this far left of the first hole. Tiger's second shot was pushed short and right of the green. He'll have a delicate pitch to get it close to save par.

1:43 PM: Well, a left-hander is charging from the middle of the pack, but it isn't Phil. Steve Flesch, following up his eagle on the second hole, has made birdie on No. 3 and is now 7-under for the tournament.

Phil, who had a good look at birdie on No. 1, missed it by, ohhh, four feet left. He cleaned it up for par and Tiger did the same. As millions of people have annoyingly said in the past, "The scorecard doesn't ask how."

1:47 PM: Golf expert and handsome devil Ryan Wilson just messaged me this -- "Tiger needs to go out in 4-under and come in in 3-under to even have a chance. By the look of his first hole, it ain't happening."

I agree with Ryan. 65 is the absolute highest score either Tiger or Phil can shoot to have a chance, unless the leaders go '96 Greg Norman on us.

1:53 PM: I've decided the while the online coverage from Masters.org is good, it isn't great. I'm fairly certain they should change the name of "Masters Extra" to "Masters Foreplay." It is such a tease. The coverage has been late each day and goes off 15 minutes before it says it will. Awesome.

1:58 PM: While Flesch is the guy making a move right now, a couple of other names to watch are some of the Regular Joes I picked earlier this week -- Nick Watney and Hunter Mahan. Both are 1-under today, 5-under for the tournament.

2:00 PM: Phil and Tiger both make birdies on No. 2. That looked easy. Hey, maybe it was just first hole jitters for the both of them.

Also, something pretty interesting -- Angel Cabrera is wearing a yellow shirt today, the same color shirt he wore in the final round when he won the 2007 U.S. Open.

2:07 PM: Well, Tiger and Phil aren't holding anything back. Both smoked driver on No. 3, the short par-4 and both are in the left rough, not a bad spot.

Mickelson, just three yards behind Tiger's ball, hits a great pitch to about six feet for birdie. Tiger, who is playing the exact same shot from 55 yards, hits a pretty poor shot to about 20 feet for birdie. People can talk all they want about Tiger's inability to make a huge putt this week, but his wedge play has been horrible by Tiger's standards. I really can't think of a time Tiger has struggled this much from such great position in the fairway.

2:12 PM: Tiger strolls his birdie putt up to about two feet and taps in for par. Phil, who hit a great second shot, cashes his putt for birdie and is now 2-under through three holes. I wonder what a great round by Mickelson would do for his confidence? Maybe this could be the anti-Winged Foot experience for Phil.

2:15 PM: Just a reminder -- if you're near Augusta, don't forget to stop by and buy some stuff from John Daly!

2:19 PM: My buddy Mark just messaged me, "Mickelson is in the zone." Yes, yes he is. Phil hits his tee shot on No. 4 to about 18 feet for birdie, pawning Tiger once again (he's about 30 feet). If Phil makes this one, the putting green conversations might change a tough.

2:21 PM: Oh my goodness, Rory Sabbatini's shirt. Nick Faldo said, "He looks like an Easter egg." Well played, Nick. The second there is a photo of what he's wearing, I will post it.

Wilson's take -- "Hey, Rory, Shane called: he wants his outfit back."

2:25 PM: After Tiger smashed his putt through the break, leaving him a good 5 feet for par, Mickelson did the exact same thing. Woods cleaned up his par putt as he usually does. Phil did the same. Really, those are pretty impressive par saving putts for both.

Steve Stricker and Mr. Easter Egg both can't convert their birdie putts on the first hole. To be fair to Stricker, it's hard to make any putts when your playing partner is dressed like a Swedish stripper.

2:32 PM: The leaders are on the first tee, and I'm going out on a limb and saying they play it a touch better than Mickelwoods. Also, I'm not loving Chad Campbell's chances today. The guy has yet to make a bogey on the front nine this week, but has struggled on the back when the pressure hits. Now, the pressure will be multipled by 40.

2:34 PM: If you were wondering if Mickelson would stop zoning, you were wrong. Lefty sticks a shot on No. 5 and has a great look at birdie.

On a seperate note, I found it pretty hilarious that in ESPN's Streak for Cash, you could pick Tiger or Phil to have a lower score today. 93.7 percent of the people that picked it took Tiger. The 6.3 percent that took Mickelson? I'm assuming it was probably his 48 kids.

2:35 PM: Mickelson birdie!!! The man is now 3-under through five holes. Look out for Lefty! Move over for Mickelson! Umm, Phil is on Phire?

Also, could someone make sure Tiger is awake? The guy has hit two really bad lag putts in a row and is now facing a tough putt for par on No. 5, which he of course makes. Phil is now just four back of the leaders, who both found the fairway on the first.

2:40 PM: This belt buckle thing has become ridiculous. Hunter Mahan, who just birdied No. 7 to move to 6-under for the tournament, is wearing a "H" belt buckle. Cabrera? He is rocking an "AC" belt buckle. Anthony Kim needs to start charging these people copyright fees.

2:43 PM: Umm, does "WOW" encompass what is going on right now with Phil Mickelson? The guy just stuck an 8-iron on No. 6 for a near kick-in birdie. Ryan Wilson said that they needed to turn at 3-under, but Phil is most likely going to be 4-under after six holes. If he turns at four or five under, with the par-5s on the back nine, this could get very, very interesting.

2:46 PM: Does the "V" on Tiger's hat stand for "Very poor putting exhibition?" Zinger! Tiger misses his birdie putt on No. 6. i'd say he is currently pissed to very, very pissed.

2:49 PM: Phil, who took about 90 minutes to putt his birdie on No. 6, knocks it in for a birdie and Phil is now just three shots back of the leaders. He said in his interview yesterday that he needed to fire a 64 or 65. I guess he wasn't joking.

2:54 PM: If you haven't had a chance to watch Jim Furyk putt this week, boy you're missing something fantastic. Here is the best way to describe it -- open your browser window to an article of your choice, and start reading it. But, after about every six or seven words, just close the window. Open back up, read some words and close it again. That is Furyk's putting stroke. Needeless to say, he missed his birdie putt on No. 2 after backing off 11 times. I still like his chances, though.

2:56 PM: Another poor short-iron shot by Tiger, lead to this comment -- "How about that gust? How about that gust? You've got to be kidding me!" I said it on Twitter and I'll say it now -- Tiger Woods hates Augusta right now.

Oh, and Phil Mickelson just hit probably the best shot I've ever seen in my entire life. In the rough, Mickelson hooked his shot around the trees and stuck it about a foot away. That will be another birdie, folks. Phil is now going to be 5-under through seven holes, with a par-5 coming up next that he birdied on Saturday.

3:01 PM: Perry and Cabrera went through the first par-5 without birdies. That has to be disappointing for the leaders with Mickelson charging like a semi. Speaking of Lefty, his tapped in his birdie on No. 7 and is just two shots back of the leaders. This is great stuff.

Mickelson lover Will Brinson adds this -- "Seriously -- he's pulling a Tiger right now while playing with Tiger, which is the single most unexpected thing in the history of everything." I'd say that about sums it up.

3:06 PM: Tiger just hits his tee shot on No. 8, with a couple of fans yelling "Get in the Hole." Yeah, it's a par-5. Nice job, guys. Ryan Wilson and I talked about this yesterday with him mentioning, "People that yell that should be shot on the spot."

Also, Chad Campbell knocks in a birdie on the third hole to move just a shot back of the leaders.

3:12 PM: Remember when Phil said Tiger "hates that I can fly it by him?" Yeah, he flew it by him off the tee on No. 8 but Tiger's second shot might be the best swing of the week for Tiger. He has about 25 feet for eagle, which would basically bring the Augusta patrons to their knees. Mickelson's second shot nearly trickled on the green, but he's in position to make another birdie. It would be his sixth birdie in his last seven holes.

Also, Cabrera is the first leader to cash in on the conditions. He birdies No. 3 to take the outright lead.

3:18 PM: TIGER FOR EAGLE! Wow. Wow Wow Wow Wow. This is incredible stuff. I just tried to high five someone but nobody is at my apartment with me. Tiger, dead center, for eagle and is now 7-under for the tournament. That is the stuff we are used to from Woods.

Not to be outdone, Phil make birdie and is now 10-under for the tournament. A birdie on No. 9 for Mickelson would be the lowest nine hole score ever shot at Augusta National.

3:23 PM: What, you thought Mickelson would just keep hitting fairways all day long? Come on, you're smarter than that! On No. 9, Tiger hit his shot in an awkward position between the rough and the pine straw, while Phil hit his drive, ummm, somewhere far, far away from the fairway.

A check-in on the leaders. Cabrera looks like he will bogey No. 4 to drop back in a tie with Perry, who lipped out a birdie try on the par-3. Both are at 11-under now, with Phil and Chad Campbell just a shot back. Tiger is only four back, which isn't crazy to make up with the back nine at Augusta.

3:30 PM: Quick update on some FanHouse crew members thoughts on the winner. Ryan Wilson and Will Brinson think Phil is going to win it. Michael David Smith likes Chad Campbell and I'm going with Kenny Perry. See, we are geniuses!

3:33 PM: I guess I picked the wrong week to make fun of Mickelson's new "Secrets of the Short Game" DVD. The guy's short game is ridiculous right now, trumping anything Tiger is doing from around the greens. Phil dumbed his sand shot from the left side of the green on No. 9 to about three feet. If he makes par, he shoots 30 on the front nine at Augusta National on a Sunday.

Tiger, who Nick Faldo said "could make this chip," hit his chip about six feet by but made the tricky par putt to stay at 7-under for the tournament. The guy is 3-under today and getting absolutely dominated by his playing partner.

A par for Phil. That is a tie for the front nine record with a six-under 30. Absolutely incredible. Expect to watch that nine holes for a long, long time if Mickelson can come back and snag the green jacket.

3:41 PM: Tiger and Phil both in the fairway on the 10th hole.

What about The Duck? Well, Cabrera looks frustrated and has a short putt for his second straight bogey on No. 5.

Something to think about. Tiger and Phil are about four holes in front of the leaders, so, for fun lets say Mickelson fires a 34 on the back nine for a 64. He would be 12-under, and the leaders would be on about 15. That would give them their last good birdie chance before 16, 17 and 18. That is a pretty good spot for Mickelson. Oh, and Tiger would only have to shoot 31 on the back to tie Phil. It could happen.

3:42 PM: CBS knows what the viewers want -- a Nick Faldo monologue. Is it too early to start drinking? Sigh.

3:48 PM: Some good news for Tiger -- Rory McIlroy, who is only 19, shot a 31 on the back nine today, so it is out there. Also something interesting -- if Phil birdies both par-5s and snags one more birdie, he would tie the course record at Augusta. I guess that would be what you call, "rising to the occasion," no?

Also, check in on the leaders. Chad Campbell has gone all "Retief Goosen in '01" on us, making lengthy putts for pars like it is nothing. Perry cleaned up his par on No. 6, giving the 48-year-old six straight pars to open his round. Cabrera couldn't cash in on a birdie at 6, so he remains a shot back of Perry at 10-under. Whew. I need some water.

3:53 PM: Quick story update from Brinson -- he wrote about Phil and Tiger's front nine. Check it out.

4:00 PM: "Fore right" seems to be the choice word for Mickelson's bad shots. He snapped another tee shot on No. 11 and is in the trees while Tiger, who has been right on this hole all week, found the middle of the fairway.

The pin on No. 11 is probably in the easiest position possible on the green, so if they want to make a birdie here, this is the pin to do it at.

Both players find the green, but neither is relatively close to the hole. It appears it should be two pars for Mickelwoods. While the boys are playing 11, Perry missed a very short birdie putt on 7, his best look at a birdie today. First mistake for Kenny. That could prove to be a huge missed putt in about an hour and a half.

4:03 PM: Ryan Wilson makes a good point -- "Dear CBS: you don't have to talk between EVERY shot. Thanks." I couldn't agree more. I really hope Faldo is not in the tower in the coming years. Maybe he could take this week to work on his Ryder Cup captain-ing? Ouch.

4:05 PM: Mickelson two putts for a great par on 11. Now comes 12, where Nick Watney just dumped it in the water. It is the traditional pin placement of front right on the par-3, but first comes Tiger's birdie try.

Also, from the "Things I don't want to know" department: Brinson's buddy Carr suggests Stevie Williams is definitely naked under his jumpsuit. Tiger and his nude caddie make par on 11. He is still four back.

4:10 PM: Chad Campbell, welcome to the party! His birdie on No. 8 ties him to the lead with Perry at 11-under.

4:12 PM: OH NO! After Tiger sticks his shot on No. 12 to about 18-feet, Mickelson dumps his in the water! Now he has a tricky up and down to save bogey. This will be at least one shot dropped for Phil. A costly mistake.

4:14 PM: Angel Cabrera is a really nice guy. See, all the bad-shot attention was on Phil, so Angel felt bad for him. That is why he just shanked his shot on No. 8. Yep, a cold shank. It was one of the uglier shots you'll ever see in the final round of a major championship. T.C. Chen disagrees.

4:15 PM: Some fireworks are going on in the back nine at Augusta. Dustin Johnson, best known for his inability to call a cab, just went eagle-eagle on 13 and 14. This guy has made four eagles this week. That is a ton of crystal goblets.

Also, John Merrick, who made a hole-in-one in the Par-3 Tournament, just birdied 16 to move to 8-under. If he could somehow birdie 17 and 18 and post 10-under, he'd have a good reason to hang around the Augusta clubhouse for a couple of hours.

Also, you know when those fireworks are duds and don't blow up like you expected? Yeah, that was Phil's 12th hole. He carded a double-bogey. Ryan Wilson, on Mickelson -- "Thanks for comin', Phil." Sadly, I think I agree.

4:21 PM: Dustin Johnson just birdied the 15th, going 5-under on his last thre holes. So far today he has four bogeys, a triple-bogey, two birdies and two eagles. This scorecard has more colors than Rory Sabbatini's outfit, which we now have a picture of. Make sure to turn your resolution down before you look to the right.

4:25 PM: Cabrera's shank was bad, but so was Jim Furyk's pitch on No. 9. He needed to carry the bunker, but dumped it directly in the sand that was about six feet in front of him. Granted, it is tough to play good golf with both hands wrapped firmly around your neck.

Tiger and Phil both hit it in the middle of the green on 13. Neither has a very realistic shot at eagle on the par-5.

4:31 PM: Wow! Both Tiger and Phil hit great eagle putts, but neither went in. Both made birdies, and now Phil sits at 9-under and Tiger is 8-under. Perry still leads at 11-under, having made eight straight pars to start his final round.

4:34 PM: Just a question for the masses -- Has Nick Faldo ever played at Augusta? I'd love to find that out before the day ends.

4:37 PM: Gutsy, gutsy par save by Perry. The guy makes the turn at 11-under, carding nine straight pars.

On 14, Tiger continues to struggle with whatever is going on with his short irons. He was in perfect position and spun it back off the green. Phil isn't struggling. On the hole that Mickelson nearly holed it out for a two on his way to his first Masters win in '04, Phil plops his second shot to about 10-feet. He'll have a great look at birdie here on 14.

Also, if you were wondering why CBS hasn't shown much of the Easter Egg, it isn't just because of that outfit. Sabbatini is 5-over today and has yet to card a birdie. I'd say I'm disappointed, but I'm trying not to lie anymore.

4:42 PM: LIPS! Woozers. Mickelson was already in "low fist pump" mode when that putt hit the lip and spun out. A disappointing par for Phil.

Like the last few years for Tiger, he is quickly running out of holes to make up ground. Tiger would have to make eagle on 15 and two more birdies on the way in to have a chance.

You think if someone offered Kenny Perry nine more pars right now, he'd take it? I think he would.

4:44 PM: Well, you'd have to sum up John Merrick's week as incredible, right? A final round 66 for the Masters rookie is the clubhouse leader at 8-under. It probably won't be enough to win, but it is a great finish for the UCLA alum. A hole-in-one in the Par-3 Tournament and a top-10 in the big tournament. Pretty impressive stuff by Merrick, who finished t-6 in the U.S. Open last year.

Also, Tiger and Phil both hit the fairway on 15, which is extra important. Mickelson might be 25 yards further down the fairway than Tiger. I wonder which driver Tiger will switch to next week?

4:52 PM: Is this not the best sporting event ever? Tiger, who knocked his second shot well within eagle range, is outdone by Mickelson, who may have five feet for a three on the par-5. If they both make these putts, we will have Phil as a co-leader and Tiger a shot back of the leaders. Wow.

4:54 PM: Cabrera drops another shot, and what a lot of people are forgetting is the leaders still have to play 11 and 12. Tiger hasn't been able to convert these putts in the past three years. A must make for Tiger.

4:55 PM: OHHHHHHH! I thought he had it! Tiger hit a good putt, it just didn't break back. That might be the most disappointing birdie in the history of golf. Also, CBS just showed their favorite dumb stat ever -- Tiger is now 100-under par in his career on the par-5s at Augusta.

4:57 PM: Check that, Phil just made the most disappointing birdie ever. Wow. That didn't even come close to going in. Also, nice job announcers. They said you basically had to give that putt to Mickelson, forgetting that he is, in fact, Phil Mickelson. Birdie for Phil. That will have him shaking his head. Lefty is now a shot back of Kenny Perry, tied with Chad Campbell.

5:00 PM: Did you hear that? It was Tiger telling everyone to shut up. Woods just knocked down the stick on 16 with a 7-iron, leaving himself about five feet for birdie. If Tiger makes this, he will be a shot back of Perry.

Phil, on the same hole, left it about 18-feet for birdie on 16. It's still a very good look at birdie, but I would have said the same thing about his eagle putt on the last hole. I guarantee you this -- if he doesn't win this thing, that putt will be on his mind as much, if not more, than his tee shot at Winged Foot.

5:03 PM: I'm going to go out and say it -- Kenny Perry wins this thing. He has made ten straight pars, and if he can go 4-3 on 11 and 12, I think he wins this thing by a couple of shots. Sorry for spoiling your afternoon.

5:05 PM: HOW DOES THAT NOT GO IN? Are you kidding me? You don't see Perry emotional very often, but the putter slam on 11 was well worth it. Perry hit a brilliant putt there but it just hung out on the high side, sitting on the lip. That is a par on 11 for Perry.

At the same time, MIckelson couldn't recreate what happened in '04 at 16. The birdie there made everyone believe Phil could really win that Masters, but not this time. Phil made par. Tiger, in typical Tiger fashion, made a birdie. Wow. Woods is a shot back. I think my goosebumps just got goosebumps.

5:09 PM: I would like to know the percentage of the fans at Augusta that are watching Tiger and Phil. It has to be 80 percent of all the patrons.

With that said, you can't forget about Campbell. He just made a birdie on 12 to move to 10-under, a shot back of Perry, who placed his ball just on the back of the green on 12. Safe shot for Perry. The guy has ice water in his veins, and the only reason I had to use that cliche is because I too amped to think of anything more creative.

This is awesome.

5:11 PM: I'm going to go ahead and say it -- the only way for this Masters to end right is with a playoff. Perry, Mickelson and Tiger? I might have to stop watching golf after this if that occurs. I'm giddy just thinking about it. Lets move on.

5:12 PM: Also, if Tiger wins, I will be giving out Ryan Wilson's e-mail address after he wrote this column.

5:13 PM: KENN PERRY MAKES A BIRDIE! Wow. Perry bombs one in on 12 to move to 12-under, two shots clear of Mickelwoods. At the same time, Phil sticks one on 17 and has a great look at birdie.

During "Tin Cup," the announcers start laughing and say, "This is the stuff of legends." I'm thinking the exact same thing while watching this Masters.

5:17 PM: I just got this text from my uncle -- "Is he running out of holes?" The "he" is Tiger, and the answer is yes. Tiger's pitch on 17 runs past the cup a good 10 feet and now he will be putting for par outside of Mickelson's birdie attempt.

The eagle putt on 15 for Tiger was the tournament, but this par putt on 17 is a must. Wait, it isn't just a must, it is the must. He misses, he loses. He makes it, he can still birdie 18 for a chance.

5:19 PM: Well, you can't say he didn't give it his best shot, but Tiger's first bogey of the day came on 17 and that will basically do it for Tiger. Barring some sort of miracle eagle on 18, Tiger's best possible finish will be 10-under and that just won't be enough for Woods.

Not a lot of time could you say a round of 6-under is disappointing, but Phil Mickelson might never get over this. On 15 he missed a straight-in eagle putt and now he just missed a very short birdie putt on 17. Mickelson has to make a birdie on 18, and that still might not be enough. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

5:23 PM: Ryan Wilson and I were laughing earlier this week about how Todd Hamilton was picked for steroid testing this week. Someone they might consider testing? Philly. The guy is bombing it off the tee this week and he just flew it in the bunker on 18. Tiger's drive is in the pine straw. Tournament hopes are over.

5:27 PM: My buddy Mark just made a very good point. "It's almost like there are two separate golf tournaments going on." So true. Also, my sister texted me this that I also agree on -- "Just not as exciting with Tiger out of it. Just isn't." I know. I'm sad this is the last hole.

5:28 PM: Do you think Tiger Woods is a fan of the 18th hole? Three great tee shots the first three days turned into two bogeys and a tough par and now Tiger just went to the lumber store. He tried to hit a punch shot around a tree but smoked the middle of the pine and now has a third shot from well over 100 yards.

Mickelson, who was in the fairway bunker, hit a short iron and ran out of the bunker like he liked the shot, only to have it come up a good 20 yards short of the green.

Also, I'd like to point this out -- Nick Faldo is ruining this experience. Nick, we know you've won the Masters. We get it. You were a great golfer. Stop talking about when you won it. The last time you won this tournament, Tiger was still an amateur and there was no rough on the golf course. If I had three wishes right now, they would go like this.

1.) A bug flies in Faldo's throat.
2.) Phil got to re-putt those on 15 and 17.
3.) Tiger was in the clubhouse at 11-under.

That is all. Sorry for the rant.

5:35 PM: While I was ranting, the following things happened -- Mickelson forgot his secrets of the short game (see what I did there), closing with a bogey and a 67. That will not be enough to win his third green jacket.

Tiger hit an incredible third shot to about eight feet but missed the par putt for a 68.

Oh, and our leader, Kenny Perry, three-putted 13 for a disappointing par.

Oh, and Shingo Katayama is wearing a cowboy hat.

5:37 PM: Well, I have to tell you, it was fun to watch Tiger and Phil. It is a lot to expect of those guys to keep up the type of play we saw on the front nine. The problem is, the leaders are falling back a little and if Tiger or Phil had just done something at the end of their rounds, they would have seriously had a chance.

5:39 PM: Tiger -- "one of the worst warm-up sessions I've ever had and one of the worst opening tee shots I've ever hit."

Also, nice question about Tiger's knee. When will those questions stop coming? 2014? Maybe Tiger should tattoo "My Knee is Fine" right over the surgical scar? Think that would help?

5:45 PM: A fun update about Mr. Easter Egg ... Sabbatini is 5-over, and has yet to make a par on the back nine. I think he would have played better if he had decided to wear purple pants today. Oh wait ...

5:49 PM: Ryan Wilson's post on Tiger and Phil. Highlight from the story -- "Phil bogeyed the 18th, and after a red-hot 30 on the front, he limped in with a 37. Suddenly, it's all very familiar-seeming."

Oh, and Easter Eggs nearly just made an ace on 16. I'm actually not sure how it didn't go in.

5:56 PM: Kenny Perry's second shot on 15 finds the green, which means unless he pulls a "Kenny Perry on 13" and three-putts, Perry will take the lead outright over Campbell. Also, in the jinx of all jinxes, Will Brinson has a post in pending titled, "Kenny Perry Wins the 2009 Masters."

Blame him if anything bad happens.

5:57 PM: Hey Will, might want to hold off on that post. Campbell, after making a birdie on 15, just nearly aced the 16th. Lundquist just said he will have a smiliar putt to Tiger's birdie on 16 a little bit earlier.

5:59 PM: Just going to toss this out there ... it looks like No. 17 is the "make or break" hole in this year's Masters. Tiger made bogey, Phil missed an easy birdie putt and now Shingo Katayama's Cowboy Hat might drop a shot there after he got to 9-under with that birdie on 16.

6:03 PM: That's a birdie for Kenny Perry, who is now a shot up on Campbell. Chad couldn't convert on 16 and now Perry has a full shot advantage with three holes to play.

Phil, I think you can go ahead and make your way down Magnolia Lane, because 13-under is just too much. Perry could bogey in and still be a shot up on Phil.

6:08 PM: Shingo saves par on 17, which brings up the obvious question, what is the most awkward thing you could wear while playing in a major championship? I think a cowboy is still behind a snorkel and flippers, but not by much.

6:11 PM: Ladies and gentleman, get ready for some deer and pork chops next year at the Champions Dinner, because Kenny Perry will be serving something in that department. The club of the tournament is Perry's 8-iron, and it produced the best shot of the day on 16 to nearly six inches. Perry will kick that in for a birdie and be two shots up with two to play.

Also, you have to make the comparison on '86 with Jack, since Perry will surpass him as oldest Masters champion. Jack nearly made an ace then, Perry almost did now.

6:12 PM: Hey, CBS must read my blog, because they just showed the Nicklaus shot a minute after I posted about it.

6:13 PM: Birdie-birdie for both Cabrera and Perry on the 16th. As bad as it appears Angel played on the front nine, he's made three birdies in his last four holes.

Also, was just thinking about this ... Campbell has been done in by two near hole outs in his major championship runs. Shaun Micheel hit that second shot on the 18th at Oak Hill to beat Campbell and now Perry's near-ace basically did in Campbell here at Augusta.

6:16 PM: Alright, Chad Campbell looks like he will save par on 17. With Perry in the trees, Campbell could birdie 18 and possibly get in a playoff with Perry if he goes 5-4.

6:17 PM: I'm going to go ahead and say this -- Shingo Katayama is one of the best Japanese Cowboys I've ever seen play golf. I really believe that.

Do you think Shingo and Todd Hamilton have a lot in common? I'm sure they were just chatting it up like best buds all day long.

6:19 PM: My buddy Mark is on fire today -- "He would look hilarious with the green jacket and that hat. At least the rope would match the trim on the Augusta logo." The rope is my favorite part of the outfit.

6:23 PM: My mom just texted me and said, "I feel left out since you've mentioned both (my uncle) and my sister." So, here goes. Hey Mom!

6:24 PM: Want to know a good way to make the 18th hole a lot tougher? Chip your third shot on 17 over the green. Yikes, Kenny Perry basically has one arm in that new green jacket but isn't making it that easy. Also, how does CBS not have a camera on Mickelson or Tiger right now? Could you imagine the words coming out of Woods' mouth as he watches Perry make bogey here? Ouch.

6:26 PM: Nick Faldo -- "You need to start breathing from your stomach."

Weird, I usually breath from my feet. Maybe that's why I'm not in the field.

6:27 PM: Well, Mr. Perry has made this rather interesting with that bogey on 17. Chad Campbell, out of position off the tee on the last, hit a great second shot and has a rather quick putt for birdie, but a chance nonetheless. If Campbell cashes this, Perry would have to par the last to win this thing. Also, the 18th is the only hole at Augusta that requires the golfer to work the ball left-to-right. Perry hits a draw. Just saying ...

6:29 PM: Via Mr. Brinson -- "First bogey in 23 holes for Kenny."

6:30 PM: Well, this is it. The last hole for Kenny. His good buddy is up on the green trying to make a birdie to tie Perry, while Kenny is trying to find the fairway on this tricky last hole.

He's staring at it. It's in the fairway bunker.

6:31 PM: Wow. Campbell couldn't convert. His wife, who appears to be the back-up singer for the Dixie Chicks, applauds his effort.

6:33 PM: When I do my winners/losers list tomorrow, Jim Furyk will be placed near the top of the "Losers" portion.

Also, props to Mr. Brinson. Last night he made the point that a 65 for Mickelson might not be enough. He was right. A 65 would have left Phil at 11-under and a shot back of Campbell, who just posted.

6:34 PM: Percentage chance Faldo compares this bunker shot to his bunker shot in '96? 400 percent? 1 billion percent?

6:35 PM: Cabrera blocks that iron shot short and right. Similar position to Chris DiMarco when he had the chip to beat Tiger in '05 that he almost holed.

6:36 PM: Who wants more golf?!!? Perry hits his second shot left of the green, which Faldo and Nantz are saying "Is dreadful." I hope he gets it up and down, just so Faldo will not be right.

Could you imagine if Campbell had made that putt on 18?

6:38 PM: CBS, quit stealing my information!!!

6:39 PM: Message from my buddy who runs Bushwood Country Club blog -- "i smell a playoff!"

Yes, and it smells fantastic!

6:40 PM: More information for CBS to steal in about 15 seconds. This putt is pretty similar to the one he had at the FBR Open earlier this year that he made.

6:41 PM: Well, here it goes. Perry with a putt to win the green jacket. My goosebumps are hurting.

6:42 PM: More golf, more golf, more golf, more golf!!! Perry misses, bogeying his last two holes. Campbell, Perry and possibly the Duck if he can make this putt.

6:44 PM: Cabrera with a fist pump! He made it. Three way playoff at Augusta.

As Wilson put it, "I wonder if Phil knows he can't win?"

6:46 PM: Alrighty. If I was a gambling man, I'd put my money on Angel. He's been there before, he is playing the best coming in right now and he didn't finish bogey-bogey. Perry needs to go regroup before they head out to 18.

6:48 PM: The day started all about Tiger and Phil but it's going to end with names like Kenny, Chad and Angel. I wonder if they'll use Shingo's cowboy hat to draw the tee order. I sure hope so.

6:51 PM: Should I say it? Okay, I'll say it. Kenny's daughter is pretty hot. I'm sure she is like 15 though and I'll get in trouble by my editors for saying it. Whatever. You know you were thinking it too.

6:53 PM: Campbell up first. That looked very good. Yep, right side of the fairway and perfect. Advantage, Campbell.

Angel Cabrera hits that tee shot somewhere around the Atlanta Airport. Yikes. Maybe he should text Tiger on how to play it from there.

Kenny Perry in the fairway as well. Alrighty Nice tee shot.

6:57 PM: I bet Perry really hopes he can use his 8-iron here. I mean, the guy hasn't missed a shot with that club since Nick Faldo was relevant.

Brinson's post on the playoff -- click it.

6:59 PM: Hey, it could have been worse for Cabrera. He hit the tree but it kicked back in the fairway and now he has just a pitch and a putt to save par. It could have been a lot worse.

Ha! Perry is hitting the 8-iron!

OUCH! Yikes. Wowzers! Onions! Perry -- block city! That was short and right and hot daughter shakes her head.

Campbell has this thing in his grasp if he can just find the green.

7:00 PM: These guys need to stop watching Tiger Woods highlights. Campbell and Perry were both in great position off the tee and both came out of the shot. Campbell just found the bunker and will have a quick bunker shot coming down the hill.

Cabrera STICKS his third shot to about seven feet to save par. At this point, you almost have to give him the advantage.

7:03 PM: Larry Mize, anyone? Kenny Perry nearly holes his third shot from off the green and taps in for par. Now, Campbell can knock this in from the bunker for the win, and if he doesn't, Perry will be, at worse, heading to the 10th tee.

7:06 PM: What. A. Par. Wow. Incredible putt by Cabrera after being in jail off the tee and hitting the tree with his second.

Ouch. Chad Campbell is done.

He looks pissed.

7:08 PM: Ryan Wilson: "YOU CAN'T KILL ANGEL!"

Alright, we're on the 10th tee. Cabrera with the 3-wood and he's leaning ... that isn't horrible, but it will leave a very long second shot in.

Just a little info -- Cabrera has played the 10th even par this week, with a birdie on Saturday and a bogey on Sunday. Perry has played it 2-under, with birdies on Thursday and Saturday.

7:11 PM: "And Chad, what time did you eat breakfast last Wednesday? Have you ever used Isotoners? What is your favorite "Eagles" song?"

Sigh. Leave the poor guy alone.

I'm not sure which is more impressive ... these two guys playing this well for so long or the fact that I'm approaching 7,000 words in the live blog.

7:14 PM: Well, if you look back, the putt for Angel was probably on 16, when he cashed that birdie. It kept him alive and allowed Perry to choke his way back to the field.

Perry's pull there and Cabrera's shot to nearly 15 feet basically means Kenny has to get it up and down or he is history.

7:16 PM: Alrighty. Here goes. This is Kenny's tournament. Yikes. Kenny will be putting first for par, outside of Cabrera's birdie try. I'd say Angel has about a 500 percent chance of winning this tournament at this point.

7:18 PM: Well, this was Kenny Perry's tournament to lose, and unless he can run this one in, he lost it. Bogey-bogey finish in regulation and possibly a bogey on the second playoff hole.

7:20 PM: Nope. Low side. Two putts for Cabrera and I will owe a certain someone dinner. Shoot!

Alright, a short putt here to win the 2009 Masters.

Angel Cabrera is your 2009 Masters champion. That will do it all from this side of things. Check in a little later for Brinson's take on the victory for Angel. Cabrera played his last 10 holes 3-under to win his second major championship in three years.

I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until Bethpage, this is FanHouse golf, signing off.

Masters Live Blog, Final Round originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Perry, Cabrera to Duke it Out

Shane Bacon — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:13:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

If you expected the two major championship-leaders to come out a bit timid in the third round of the Masters, you probably weren't alone. Many times in big golf tournaments, names sneak up on the leaderboard that slowly fade as the weekend progresses.

Kenny Perry is 48 and skipped major championships last year to focus on his goal of making the Ryder Cup. Angel Cabrera hasn't been heard of since that '07 U.S. Open victory. Chad Campbell hasn't won on tour since 2007.

More Coverage: Tiger Continues to Struggle | Leaderboard

Neither of them suffered anything traumatic and all have a good shot at making the green jacket their own in '09.

Cabrera's round of 3-under 69 was good enough to put him in the final group with Perry, who is looking for his first major championship. Campbell, who was tied atop the leaderboard for most of the afternoon, stumbled on his way in, making a nasty double-bogey on 16, following it up with a birdie on 17 but dropping another shot to par on 18.

If Perry dons the green jacket tomorrow he will surpass the 1986 Jack Nicklaus as oldest Masters champion ever. It will be his 14th PGA Tour victory and might just be enough for Perry to be in consideration for the Hall of Fame in the years to come.

If Cabrera wins it, he will have two major championships in three years and be known as a big tournament player. He can hit the ball a mile but that isn't what is keeping him in this tournament. That is his short game, which has produced 16 birdies this week.

Latest From Augusta

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry walks with his caddie Fred Sanders on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Fred Sanders

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Angel Cabrera of Argentina (L), Todd Hamilton (R), caddie Ruben Yorio (3rd L) and caddie Kieran Docherty (2nd L) walk down the 16th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Angel Cabrera;Todd Hamilton;Kieran Docherty;Ruben Yorio

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell walk to the 13th green during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Chad Campbell

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Chad Campbell plays his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Anthony Kim chips from a greenside bunker on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Anthony Kim

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Chad Campbell hits his second shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chad Campbell

Getty Images

Anthony Kim of the U.S. slaps hands with spectators after hitting out of a sand trap on the 18th green during third round play at the 2009 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 11, 2009. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell wait on a tee during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Chad Campbell

Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 11: Kenny Perry (L) shakes hands with Chad Campbell on the 18th hole during the third round of the 2009 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2009 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenny Perry;Chad Campbell

Getty Images

If Campbell can pull it out, it would only be a surprise to someone that isn't a big fan of golf. Campbell was basically the Tiger Woods of the Hooters Tour back in 2000, winning eight times that year before dominating the Nationwide in '01. Three wins and a battlefield promotion later, the 34-year-old would pick up his fifth PGA Tour win and make up for his second place finish in the 2003 PGA Championship.

This Masters was supposed to be about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (ironically, the two will be paired together Sunday). It was reserved for three young guns playing together the first two days. It was Sergio Garcia's opportunity to come through on a TaylorMade bet. All those storylines are gone at this point, and two men deserving of a green jacket are standing 18 holes away from wearing the best piece of clothing in the world.

Jim Furyk is lurking three shots back, and has a major championship under his belt. Steve Stricker is four shots back and has the touch around the greens to go low on Sunday.

It might not have been the fireworks you were hoping for between the top ranked players in the game, but it should be fun between guys that deserve a green jacket as much as any of the others. If Perry can keep his patience like he did on Saturday, he's my pick to take the title. It should be fun to watch.

Perry, Cabrera to Duke it Out originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Too Little, Too Late for Tiger

Shane Bacon — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Tiger Woods has done something to himself that most professional golfers would love to struggle with -- he's created a Catch 22 with winning. See, before Tiger, we had a long stretch where guys would win a couple of times a year and be great. Tiger came along and made winning look so easy, everyone expects the guy to win every single tournament.

Saturday at the Masters, Tiger again struggled with his game, making a sloppy double-bogey on the first hole that had him playing from behind all day. He misses a putt and you catch yourself wondering what went wrong, forgetting that this is a game that isn't supposed to be mastered. It's golf. The game has made a lot of people break their putters over the years.

Woods made five birdies coupled with his double and a bogey on the 11th, making crucial birdie putts on 15 and 17 that had you thinking he might be roaring back. His gutsy par save on the last kept Woods in the top-10 with a third-round 70, but he is seven shots back of the leaders with only 18 short holes to go.

Fans of the game have two ways to go about Tiger's week. They can complain about Woods not having the best of weeks or they can appreciate how hard the guy works even when he doesn't bring his best.

This week at Augusta National, Tiger's game was, by his standards, a B-minus at best. He missed greens with wedges. He couldn't find the bottom of the cup from 10-feet. He bogeyed his last hole on both Thursday and Friday from the fairway. While others were taking advantage of mild conditions, Woods was yelling his name as shots missed that he normally sticks.

What did Tiger do? He kept trying. He kept fighting. He still has a very outside chance to make a run at this title. Just appreciate what we get to see. Winning a major championship is really, really tough. Maybe when thinking of Tiger, we should remember that.

Too Little, Too Late for Tiger originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Masters Live Blog, Round 3

Ryan Wilson — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

It's moving day at the Masters. Join FanHouse as we document events as they unfold in real time. That's right, it's a little something we like to call a "live blog," old-school style. Fun starts after the jump.

More Coverage: Tiger Hits Range After Round 2 | Leaderboard

3:00 PM ET: Welcome, friends. Or something. It's Day 3 at Augusta National, the first best major of the year. Before Saturday's round, I was thinking Tiger would need to fire a 66 or 67 to get back in contention, and so far, well, things are looking grim. He carded a double-bogey on No. 1, birdied No. 3, and has been plodding along ever since. He's currently on the 9th hole, and eight shots back of leaders Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry who teed off at 2:45 PM ET.

Phil Mickelson is lurking after holing two long par-saving putts to stay at 4-under.

3:05 PM ET: Sean O'Hair moves to 4-under today after playing the first 36 holes in even-par. Sergio's also at 4-under, which is impressive when you consider his pre-tournament concerns, and those god-awful sunglasses he was sporting on Friday.

Meanwhile, Woods bombed his tee shot to the bottom of the hill on No. 9. In desperate need of a birdie, his second shot was about 15 feet short of the pin and spun back some 40 feet before finally settling. While we wait for Woods to putt, Vijay Singh holes his birdie put at No. 7. Just a thought: when Vijay out-putts you, you're probably done for the week.

Oh Lord. Woods rolled in the 40-footer. And even cracked a smile. He's now at 2-under and Jim Nantz is already announcing "he's back." Yeah, let's settle down. He's back to even par for the day, that's it. Still a lot of work to do.

Also, Todd Hamilton, 2004 British Open champ, is playing out of his mind. So much so, in fact, that he was drug-tested after his opening round 68 (purely coincidental, of course ... but funny nonetheless).

3: 15 PM ET Neither Perry nor Campbell seem all that nervous given their positions on the leaderboard. Both birdied the par-5 2nd hole to go to 10-under, two shots clear of Cabrera, alone in second place.

3: 30 PM ET: Tiger went on to par the 10th, and parred the first leg of Amen Corner, too. Worth keeping in mind: there are 20 players between Eldrick and the lead, including the '87 champ, 50-year-old Larry Mize.

3:35 PM ET: Uh, check that: Tiger missed his par putt on No. 11. He's now 1-under, and 27 players are between him and the lead. Lord have mercy.

3:40 PM ET: Fun fact to impress your friend: no birdies today on No. 11. Back on No. 10, Philbert settles for bogey, dropping him to 4-under, seven off the lead. Worth watching: Rory Sabbatini is at 5-under through six holes, and he's my early candidate for "Guy I Would Least Like to See Win."

3:45 PM ET: Graeme McDowell, playing with Tiger today, just airmailed his tee shot on No. 12 about 20 yards deep into the azaleas only to hit a tree and bound into the front bunker. Weird. Andres Romero was up their earlier and somehow managed to save bogey. Woods hit his wedge to 15 feet on perhaps his best shot of the day. Fun stat for the week: Tiger is even on the par 3s, 3-over on the par 4s, and 4-under on the par 5s. And he's parred No. 2 three times.

3:50 PM ET: Anthony Kim set the course record with 11 birdies yesterday and suddenly became everyone's dark horse to win the whole thing (which doesn't make him much of a dark horse, I suppose). Well, after a middling start to his round today, he just double-bogeyed No. 5 to fall to 2-under for the week.

And Tiger just missed his birdie putt on 12. That's been the story all week. Oh, and he dropped a "godd*mmit" for good measure. I'm sure we'll be hearing about that, too. You know, because nobody else in the history of the sport has ever cursed.

3:55 PM ET: And we have our first Tiger referring to himself in the third-person citing. He pushed his tee shot on No. 13 just into the right rough.

Meanwhile, Phil looks shaky. After the bogey on 10, he missed wide right on No. 11. Of course, he has an amazing knack for righting a potentially poor round in the span of a few holes (see yesterday, for example). Of course, as I type this, he blows his third shot eight feet past the hole. This could be the make-or-break shot of his round.

4:00 PM ET: Tiger just took a 3-wood and bombed his second shot onto the green at 13. He's still looking at a long putt for eagle, but anything in red numbers is a good thing.

Kim just birdied No. 7 to get back to 3-under.

Perry, who also birdied No. 4 to take the outright lead at 11-under, pars No. 6. And Philbert misses his par putt on the 11th, falling to 3-under. That's two 5s in a row.

4:05 PM ET: Via Dr. Bacon: Sean O'Hair and Ian Poulter are in the clubhouse at 4-under, both firing 68s today. Steve Flesch also shot 68, and is currently at the 19th hole 3-under for the week. So the low scores are out there.

Back on the course, Tiger taps in for birdie on the 13th, and now he's only nine shots back of Perry. Back on No. 12, Mickelson hits his 9-iron long on the world's toughest par 3.

4:10 PM ET: The 11th continues to ruin rounds today. Vijay just tapped in for double-bogey to fall to 2-under.

And Tiger pulls his second shot long into 14, which brings a 3-putt bogey into play.

Perry pars No. 7 to stay at 11-under after an average second shot. As for the rest of the leaderboard, Cabrera remains at 8-under through 7, and Steve Stricker heads to Amen Corner at 6-under.

4:15 PM ET (Shane sends along the following IM): "The first text message I received today was from a friend gawking about Padraig Harrington's 9 on the second hole, a quadruple-bogey.

Harrington has turned it around though, making five birdies through 15 holes and is only 1-over for the day. A pretty impressive turnaround, even if the 9 meant we weren't going to see a Paddy Slam this year."

4:20 PM ET: Phil hit a faboulous second shot to the 13th, but had to settle for birdie. He's back to 4-under, but Perry continues to putter along, seemingly unaffected by the enormity of the situation.

Cabrera, meanwhile, birdies No. 8 and moves to 9-under, two back of Perry, and just one behind Campbell.

4:25 PM ET: Campbell rolls in an eight-footer for birdie on 8th, moving him to 11-under and in a tie for the lead. Up on the 15th, Tiger hits his third shot from 125 yards to about seven feet, setting up a nearly-impossible-to-read birdie putt.

Oh, and Tim Clark just rolled in a 50-footer to save par on No. 9 and stay at 7-under.

4:35 PM ET: Stricker pars the 11th, which is as good as a birdie today. Three holes ahead, Phil taps in for par to stay at 4-under.

Also, CBS just showed a close-up of Shingo Katayama's shoes and I'm quite certain that he could leap tall buildings in those bad boys. In case you're wondering: he's 5-under.

4:37 PM ET (via Bacon): "I'm going with this -- in the ugliest sunglasses award, Rory Sabbatini gets first, Justin Rose is second and Sergio comes in third."

I can't argue with any of that.

Also, while talking Masters fashion, Tiger birdied the 15th to get to 3-under, T-15th. Here he comes! (Not really ... maybe.)

4:45 PM ET: Woods parred the 16th, and Campbell and Perry did the same on No. 9. They make the turn still tied for the lead, both carding front nine 34s. Not too shabby given the circumstances.

Over on 12, Furyk (6-under), stiffs his tee shot setting up a great birdie chance.

4:46 PM ET: Via FanHouse statistician Shane Bacon: "Just a small note -- in the last 28 holes, Anthony Kim has only made eight pars."

4:52 PM ET: The duct tape seems to be holding: Tiger hits a splendid drive and an even better second shot on 17. Birdie. Four-under. Tiger roars alert the rest of the field.

Two holes back, Mickelson rolls in an improbable birdie putt on 15 to get to 5-under.

It's contagious, apparently: Cabrera rolls one in on No. 10 -- with the leaders looking on from the fairway -- and is now 10-under.

4:56 PM ET: Yeah, Perry and Campbell aren't worried about what everybody else is doing. They both hit solid second shots into 10, and are playing with all the urgency of practice round. Probably doesn't hurt that they're BFFs.Strength in numbers and whatnot.

5:05 PM ET: Perry follows Cabrera's birdie on 10 with one of his own. If he can keep this going for another eight holes, it'll be the most impressive round of the week, Kim's 11-birdie barrage included.

Up ahead, Tiger smokes his tee shot on the 18th, and Bacon reminds me that Woods needs to finish the final three holes in nine shots. Unfortunately, Eldrick airmails the green, his third poor shot to the final hole this week.

On the 16th, Phil gives back the birdie he carded the hole before. Bogey 4 takes him back to 4-under.

5:08 PM ET -- Breaking news, via Bacon: "Just a fair warning ... if Tiger and Phil finish with the same score, they will be paired together tomorrow if everything stays the same. Awesome!

5:11 PM ET: Mind-blowing Stat of the Day: Tiger plays very un-Tiger-like, fires another 70, and moves from T-26th to T-8th. And that includes a nifty par-saver on the last. He heads to the range 4-under for the tournament, but still eight back of Perry. For now, anyway.

5:20 PM ET: Cabrera gets a sandy on 12 to stay at 10-under. Campbell taps in for par on the 11th, but Perry registers his first bogey of the day to fall back into a tie for the lead at 11-under.

5:25 PM ET: Look, I'm Tiger's biggest apologist, but I think we can all agree that his 2009 Masters chances are over. Well, except these very angry commenters. But the rest of us are willing to admit it, right?

5:30 PM ET: Hmm. Perry bogeys 11 and does the same on 12. In the span of five minutes he's gone from cruising around Augusta National to stumbling through Amen Corner. Playing partner Chad Campbell pushes a makable birdie putt, but still leads the Masters with 24 holes to go. Writing down a 2 would've been nice, but I'm guessing he'll take the one-shot lead.

5:35 PM ET: Philbert rams in his par putt on the last hole to join the long list of players at 4-under. There's a chance he'll be paired with Tiger on Sunday, although I wouldn't mind a Woods-Poulter grouping for the sheer comedy value. And by "comedy value" I mean "Poulter implosion factor." Obviously.

Bacon Stats Update: "Just an addition to the Anthony Kim stat -- he has now played 31 holes and made 9 pars."

5:40 PM ET: Perry and Campbell both find the fairway on 13; Kenny's second shot is some 35 feet from the pin, Chad lays up and his third shot virtually guarantees a par.

Jimbo Nantz is talking to Phil, who says, "I'm looking forward to tomorrow's round ... unless I get paired with Tiger." I made that last bit up there, just in case it wasn't obvious.

Mickelson adds: "I think I'll need a 64 or 65 to have a chance tomorrow, but I think it's out there." Um, no it's not, but I applaud the enthusiasm.

More from Bacon, who just can't get enough of AK: "In the last two rounds, Kim has 16 birdies, nine pars, five bogeys and two double-bogeys."

5:45 PM ET: Perry's card on the back nine through four holes: birde-bogey-bogey-birdie. He's now tied atop the leaderboard with Campbell, who has yet to make anything but pars and birdies today.

Via Bacon: "If you want a player to bet on that isn't one of the top two, you'd be stupid not to pick Jim Furyk. The guy is 5-under today with no bogeys and has been there before in terms of a major championship. Oh, and he went to an awesome school." (Ed. note: Bacon went to University of Arizona. So did I, but I don't brag about it. That's the difference between us.)

5:50 PM ET: Echoing Bacon: While we've been talking about Tiger and Phil, and the two leaders, Furyk -- as he always does -- sneaks up the leaderboard. He's 5-under for the day, T-2, two shots behind Campbell and Perry.

6:05 PM ET: Stricker buries a four-footer on 18 to shoot 68. He's now 7-under for the week. Back on 17, Furyk's poor drive sets up a long par-saving putt ... which he just misses. First bogey of the day drops him to 8-under, but still in good shape heading to Sunday.

6:11 PM ET: Both Perry and Campbell could've reached the 15th in two, but opt to lay up. Makes sense given the situation, but when players get tight, it's a lot easier to hit full shots instead of feel, short-iron shots. We'll see what happens.

And more AK love, via Bacon (of course): Kim is tied for the record for most birdies in consecutive rounds with 16, tying Tiger. Shingo tied record for most cowboy hates wore on Augusta National.

6:15 PM ET: Kenny and Chad hit mediocre third shots to 15, likely pars for both. Not bad, but on the last par 5 of the round, you'd prefer a birdie.

6:22 PM ET: Like virtually every player before him, Perry misses left on 16, leaving himself a 40-foot uphill putt. No need to take a chance this late in the day.

Of course, Campbell does just that, missing long and right in the bunker. Possibly the worst place to keave your tee shot because, as Verne Lundquist reminds us, "believe it or not, the water comes into play."

6:27 PM ET: Guh. Campbell leaves his second shot in the bunker. Short of putting it in the drink, this is the worst possible scenario. He hits a lovely third shot to five feet, though, and has a chance to save bogey.

Bacon, teaching instructor, adds: "Right there, you can't be too cute, and Campbell is doing just that. You hear 'taking your medicine' a lot more during the U.S. Open, but even Augusta can force you to do things you're not supposed to do."

6:31 PM ET: Of course, Campbell pushes his putt and cards a double-bogey 5. That doesn't help. Perry, meanwhile, drains a four-footer to stay at 11-under. Cabrera promptly drains a birdie putt on 17 to tie for the lead, while Campbell falls to 9-under.

Up ahead, Furyk signs for 68, and is 8-under for the tournament.

6:37 PM ET: Rory's sunglasses just made par on 18 to stay at 6-under. To see Sabbatini's reaction, you woulda thought he got an eagle. Calm down, dude.

6:43 PM ET: Back on 17, both Perry and Campbell stiff their second shots and have great looks at birdie. Chad's putt falls into the cup on the last revolution -- back to 10-under; Kenny misses on the high side and heads to the final hole stuck at 11-under.

Up ahead, Cabrera has some work to do; his tee shot finds the trees on the right side, and his second shot to the green will likely be obscured.

6:50 PM ET: Tim Clark (5-under) and Kim (4-under) finish their work for the day (Bacon notes: "Pretty funny that after all the no-par talk, he ended with four pars...") and make way for Cabrera's approach shot to the 18th. Right on cue, he slices a perfect punch shot from the rough to the middle of the green.

7:05 PM ET: Cabrera heads to the clubhouse at 11-under after a Saturday 69, and will be in the final group tomorrow.

Campbell has the honor on 18 and pushes his tee shot into the pine straw up the right side. Perry follows with a perfect drive. On their second shots, Kenny hits a beautiful mid-iron to about 15 feet; Chad punches out to set up a manageable up and down. Unfortunately, he pulled his approach and limps in with a bogey (9-under, third place).

Perry's birdie try comes up a foot short, he taps in for par, cards a 70, and will join Cabrera in the last group.

That's a wrap. Rest up folks, because we're doing it again in 18 hours or so.

Masters Live Blog, Round 3 originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Unhappy Tiger Spent Evening on Range

Ryan Wilson — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

Tiger's been here before at Augusta. Seven times, in fact, he's failed to break 70 in the first two rounds of the Masters, and seven times he's watched someone else slip on a green jacket Sunday evening.

Through 36 holes, Woods has struggled with all parts of his game, and the 18th on Friday was a microcosm of that. After a booming drive, Tiger hit possibly the worst 9-iron of his career, finding the bunker right of the pin, some 20 yards off target. Three shots later, he carded a final-hole bogey -- just like the previous day -- and promptly made his way to the range for the night.

Tiger is known as much for his bubbling-just-under-the-surface temper as he is for his amazing knack for the dramatic. A decade ago, Arnold Palmer chastised the then-23-year-old for his sometimes-surly on-course disposition, telling SI.com, "I think that frown all the time, and that slamming the club down doesn't do anything for his game and the game. ... He's got the world in his hands. All he has to do is enjoy it and laugh, and enjoy the ability that he has to fullest extent. He's not convincing anybody of anything when he slams a club down. They know he's good. He's proven that."

We seldom see Woods throw clubs these days, but with the multitude of microphones that document his every move, the occasional f-bomb will make its way onto our televisions. (For the record, I fully endorse Woods' decision to curse; anyone who's played golf understands. Or at least they should. And here's a thought: if people are offended by such language, maybe the networks should take that into consideration.)

Although Tiger appeared generally displeased with performance through two days, he saved the emotional outbursts for after Friday's round. At least to hear GolfDigest.com's Sam Weinman tell it.

After meeting with the media, Woods headed directly to the driving range, where he walked off to the side for a moment to give the loblolly pines his uncensored assessment of the day.

At that point Woods was the only player on the driving range, and proceeded to use the time to pound away on his driver. His coach Hank Haney was there with him, and on a few occasions, the two could be seen having what might best be described a heated exchange.

I suspect most professional golfers could tell similar stories; Ian Poulter looked as if he was going to fire his caddie on the 12th tee box after he dumped his 9-iron in Rae's Creek. And Sergio Garcia, following a nifty up-and-down to save par on 15 pulled his ball out of the cup and gave his caddie a "What? You're still here?" look.

After watching every episode of the Haney Project (Golf Channel's most compelling programming ever -- and that includes Adam Barr's Golf Central business reports) -- Hank Haney comes across as a pretty intense dude, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Woods routinely have "heated exchanges." They're both competitive, and very good at what they do. It happens.

Whether they were able to fix what got Tiger in this predicament in the first place is another issue. But to paraphrase Golf Channel's Rich Lerner: If I'm in the field, I'd rather face a perfectly healthy Tiger with a balky putter, than a Tiger with just one good leg who makes everything he looks at.

Unhappy Tiger Spent Evening on Range originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tiger Shoots 72, Masters Hopes Over

Ryan Wilson — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

If Tiger Woods uses Thursday to get acclimated to Augusta National, Friday is when he makes his move up the leaderboard. In his previous 12 appearances, Woods averaged an opening round 72.5, but followed with a 70 in Round 2. In his four Masters victories, the numbers are even more staggering: 71, on average, on Thursday; 66.8 on Friday.

Well, Tiger's 36 holes into the 2009 Masters, and after a predictable first-day 70, he could only manage an even-par 72 on Friday. His relatively slow start, coupled with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry treating Alastair McKenzie's masterpiece like the local muni, almost guarantees Tiger will have to wait till next spring to win his fifth green jacket.

Woods has carded Thursday-Friday rounds in the 70s on seven occasions at Augusta, and has finished no better than second. Good news: despite some uninspiring golf through two days, Tiger's tied for 13th. Bad news: he's seven shots back of leaders Campbell and Perry. And Anthony Kim, who just set the tournament record for birdies in a round with 11, heads to the weekend tied for sixth and playing out of his mind.

Tiger's never overcome a final-round deficit of more than five strokes, which means he has a lot of work to do on moving day. After Thursday's showing, Woods sounded about like you might expect: unhappy but determined and, ultimately, boring: "A lot of wasted opportunities today. Didn't get a whole lot out of my round again." And when asked about his chances, added, "Obviously, I need to play a little better than I have, make a few more putts and hopefully get it going."

Yeah, that's what CBS is hoping for, too. History, however, suggests otherwise.

Tiger Shoots 72, Masters Hopes Over originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Masters Live Chat: Round 2

Shane Bacon — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: PGA, Masters

The wind has picked up at Augusta National and birdies are a little harder to come by than on Thursday. But don't tell Chad Campbell that. The guy made four birdies in his first 10 holes and continues to lead the Masters, as others like Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, and yes, Tiger Woods, are making a charge.

Join us NOW for the Masters LIVE CHAT. We will have free pimento sandwiches. They'll be tasty.

More Coverage: Live Second-Round Leaderboard

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=a07bc98595&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Masters Round 2 Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Masters Live Chat: Round 2 originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments