Golf Pga

Tiger Woods struggled with his putting at Bethpage Black two weeks ago, and he cited that as the primary reason he only managed a T6 at the U.S. Open. After two rounds at the AT&T National, the tournament Tiger is hosting at Congressional Country Club, he's 10-under par, one shot clear of Rod Pampling.

Following a Thursday 64 that included a four-birdie, no-bogey front nine, Woods fired 66 on Friday. No idea what 36 nearly flawless holes from the World No. 1 means for media-driven theory that Tiger isn't the player he once was, but he's in great position to win for the third time in nine starts this season. (And the six other events were all top-10 finishes. Yes, clearly Woods is done.)

Phil Mickelson finished second in the U.S. Open two weeks ago, but with wife Amy beginning her breast cancer treatments soon, his playing schedule is up in the air. In the meantime, you can see Phil on his new "Secrets of the Short Game" DVD (in stores now!). And if the rest of the vid is anything like this -- demonstrating how to hit the backwards flop shot four feet from the pin -- it will remain a secret to most of us.

Anthony Kim, the defending champion at the AT&T National, was off early this morning. And by the time tournament host Tiger Woods was starting his round, Kim had signed for an 8-under 62, a Congressional Country Club course record.

But Woods, who, according to the media, is either winning or in a slump, looked primed to do the former after a near-flawless round. Woods went out in 31, carding four birdies. He added three more on the back. And if not for a bogey on the par-4 11th, he would be alone in second place, one shot behind Kim.

And the slog up to mediocrity continues for John Daly. Despite an offseason of introspection, fueled, in part, by the threat of bankruptcy, the struggles persist for two-time major champion. After a respectable showing at the St. Jude Classic -- he was never in contention but he made the cut (hey, it's a start) -- Daly was back in Europe hoping to build on his first first PGA Tour event after serving a six-month suspension.

Except that, lap-band surgery and clown get-ups aside, J.D.'s 2009 results on the European Tour look a lot like his 2008 results. Given all he went through last year, it's hard to say he's made progress.

Tiger Woods is 33, has been on tour since 1996, and has 14 major victories. Save those junior tournaments where he was the youngest player in the field, I don't think he's ever been called underrated.

That changed yesterday when PGA Tour player Paul Goydos told the Boston Globe exactly that:

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

5. Tony Romo -- On Wednesday, Romo got the unique pleasure of teeing it up with Mr. Woods during the pro-am of the AT&T National. Not only is the Cowboys quarterback getting flak from college coaches and sports bloggers alike, but he is having to try and keep his game together with the best in the world. Sure, Tiger played a little with Peyton Manning earlier this year, but Romo's game is at a different level. Maybe next year, Woods will invite Ben Roethlisberger for some true competition?

At 6:30 this morning, Tony Romo, inexplicably at Tiger Woods' invitation, joined the world's best player in the AT&T National pro-am at Congressional Country Club, some 20 miles west of FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins.

On Tuesday, Tiger said that, "...It's just going to be a fun round," before adding, "...but also an interesting one. Granted, he's used to getting booed, and it is what it is. It comes with being, I guess team sport, away from home."

And University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams did his part to make sure that's exactly what happened.

Last week, Jim Brown, as he seems to do every year or so, called out a high-profile minority athlete for not speaking out on social issues.

Even Tiger Woods, the man that tends to stay away from the hot button topics, spoke up this week at the AT&T National, the tournament Woods hosts, about Michael Jackson.

As you now know, Jackson died on Thursday at the age of 50, leaving most Americans mourning the passing of a music legend. Tiger, who grew up listening to Jackson's music, said that he was one of the best entertainers of all time.

Last week, after five rain-soaked golf-crazed days at Bethpage Black, Lucas Glover emerged as the 109th U.S. Open champion. This is noteworthy for a number of reasons: Glover had missed his three previous Open cuts, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson -- for different reasons, the two most popular guys on tour -- didn't add to their major totals, and, finally, the fans.

It wasn't your typical outside-the-ropes golf experience, even by U.S. Open standards. But that's what made it different, special (for the most part, anyway). And after the tournament, it prompted Mickelson to suggest that Bethpage would be a perfect venue for a future Ryder Cup.

"The people here are incredible ... the course is terrific, because 16, 17 and 18 are so close together. And the way the fans are, I think we would have a big advantage."