soup

Wife had our 3rd child on 8/18, so I hadn't played since 8/16 - so about 5 weeks. Played Bethpage Red on Saturday and shot 42-41 and Bethpage Blue on Sunday and shot 44-42. Played ok on Saturday with a couple of 7s on the card for an 83. Yesterday only hit 5 fairways. Anyway, played on Saturday with a guy from California. He spent the night in his car, played the Black on Saturday morning and then had a cart with us for a 2pm tee on the Red. We were all singles in a foursome - myself and the two other guys were locals. We chatted him up about his first trip around the Black - "I was in the sand 13 different times, but ws able to get it around in 82" and "It wasn't that difficult of a course, even from the tips" OK - now we're dealing with a douchebag. He walks back to the tips on the Red course, as the 3 of us are standing on the whites, and proceeds to hit a sinking dunk hook off the elevated first tee and into the 18th fairway...LOL. By the 7th hole, as he was on his way to shooting 50 on the front, when asked for his score he responded, "Yeah, I'm working on a couple of things so I'm not going to keep track." Of course, he wanted to take credit for birdie on the par 5 16th....after his first tee shot was sliced into the woods (by this time, he was playing from the whites and not the tips) and had to hit a 2nd tee shot.....when we noted he actually just made 6, he says, "Well if you want to go by the book." Don't tell me you just shot 82 from the tips on the Black and then shoot 50 on the front of the Red.

Jack wasn't exactly the most physically fit guy during his career - he carried an extra 20-25 pounds throughout his career - which had to have helped him hit a bit of a wall as he approached 40.

This has more to do with Nike now having the bit of an upper hand with Tiger - "We're the only sponsor that has stood by you. Time for you to give us a little something here and put this in the bag." That's exactly what happened. Azinger made a comment on Friday or yesterday that, "Nike has been trying to get that putter in Tiger's bag for more than a year." Huh - a year ago, Tiger had no off-course issues. I see he went back to the old one today. Makes no sense for him to make that change. I'd bet my 401k it had more to do with him appeasing Nike.

Really? He has them by the shorthairs? Maybe a year ago he did. They're the only major sponsor to stick with Tiger - I don't think it is a coincidence that he was using that putter this week. Though he was back to the old putter today.

Anyone think Nike has Tiger by the shorthairs with this new Method putter he is using? Nike is his lone source of major off-course income. Averaging 33 putts per round (32, 32, 35). Crazy he makes that change the week of a major - even if he says he liked the way it comes off "hotter" which he said helps with the slower greens in Scotland. 15+ years, nearly $100 million in earings, 14 majors with the Titleist/Scotty.

Me too. I watched it. Some of the girls hit some clutch shots. Better than watching the Fanau (sp?) brothers act like a couple of infants.

Played with the guys from the office and shot a nice, steady 82 on Bethpage Blue. Had two great shots - the first was 2nd on a par 5 with about 205 to the hole, hit a real nice 4-hybrid off a downhill lie to 8 feet (missed the eagle putt). The second was on a short, dogleg par 4. Hit a 5-wood off the tee through the fairway. Ball was in a good lie from 140, but in some spotty rough nearly in the woods. Had a tree about 40 yards in front of me - too high to go over, but enough room under the branches to hit a laser. Played the ball off the back foot with an 8-iron, stayed down on the ball and flew it to the hole to 2 feet.

I'm 230-240 off the tee. Shot 82 on Bethpage Blue yesterday. Probably should have been a 77.

I think what Johnson did is the exact definintion of a choke. Multiple shot lead and you shoot 82, while everyone else is shooting 74 and 75? Now, had Dustin Johnson shot 69, but Graeme went out and shot 65 to beat him by a shot - that's not really a choke. Dustin had to shoot 76 to win. At least Dustin got it over with quickly.

Actually, I think I was reading yesterday that many of the hole locations will be within just a few feet of each other all 4 days because they've dried out the greens too much and there are no other fair locations. USGA at its finest. I just heard one of the USGA flunkies use the term "corrective watering" 6 different times in an answer to a single question. The greens look atrocious and it's only Thursday afternoon.

Who knows if the handicap's of these participants are in the neighborhood of a 10. I played Bethpage Black with a group of out of towners/clients last Friday. They were all guys who do well to shoot 95 on their home courses - one guy was a scratch golfer according to the group. He shot 91 from the whites. I'm a 10-12 and shot a nice, crisp 88.

44-44 on Bethpage Black yesterday from the whites. Pretty decent day. Four 3-putts hurt.

Played Bethpage Black for the first time this season and got my arse kicked. Played about 7 rounds so far this year - 4 on a trip to Florida in April and 3 on a trip to Ocean City two weeks ago. Had a low of 78 on one of the PGA National courses in West Palm on the last day after rounding into form the first 3 days and was in the low-to-mid 80s in Ocean City. 48-46 for a 94 from the whites on The Black. Missing too many fairways and finding the sand a little too often. I did birdie one hole that I had yet to birdie on The Black over about 25 rounds over the years - par 4 5th hole - lateral fairway and then up the hill over bunkers. Hit a decent drive and had 210 left up the hill. Put a nice swing on the approach with a 5-wood and put it to 2 feet. The rest of the round was just trying to survive the day. The round took 6 hours - brutal. The group in front of us had two open holes ahead of them and couldn't care less that they were holding anyone up. Not a ranger to be found all day.

Gipper: "Just give me the opportunity to send him (Andrew) home...and I will....................as long as Tony can be inside the ropes."

Catching up on the last couple of episodes tonight. Can someone get Gipper a lollipop, a sanitary napkin and a Xanax? Jesus what an insecure kid. And his brother is douche. Just disrespected Kevin. The Finaus have no respect for anyone. Kevin's stepped up to the plate a heck of a lot more than Gipper and Tony - he's got half their game, but twice their sack. Andrew is tough to take - he's obnoxious - but if there is a guy out of these clowns I needed in a match, it's him.....and you know what, he respects the other guys.

•••••, once again, is (any) Superman's Kryptonite.

Good post earlier in this thread about Tiger's more than usual ornery behavior this year.

Completely fascinating. And those that think Tiger doesn't have an iron-clad pre-nup that protects all of assets, you've underestimated him. No doubt she'll get a nice payday, but she's not getting half. Golf just got a whole lot more interesting. I wonder if Phil went crazy on Amy when he found out Michael Jordan tagged her.

Called last Sunday night at 6:58pm and got through - couldn't get through on the landline, but go through with the iPhone two different times. Landed a 12:30 foursome for tomorrow. Can't wait - weather in mid-60s, should be a great fall day on Long Island.

Fat Phil wears a lot of the same crap every week. He's worn that beige Barclay's shirt that is 1.5 times too small with the brown pants about 15 times this year. Golf Channel had Tiger's assistant on the Wednesday of the PGA practice rounds and she was showing all of the shirts he was wearing that week - she pulled them out of a FedEx box and they were all still in the wrapper.

Liberty National

Tiger's spending money is what he wins on the golf course. All of the money he earns off the golf course in endorsements, appearance fees, golf course design is dumped into The Tiger Woods Foundation. He'll make $5 or $6 billion before he's dead.

Hoping to get out on 10/11 with my brother and a couple of friends - we'll have 4 homes phones and 4 cell phones dialing at 6:58pm this Sunday. Would love to get a time inside 1pm. Only played The Black once this year, to the tune of a 91. Played a great round last year - out in 41, in in 47. I have yet to play that course without playing the last 4 in anything less than 4-over. I've played it enough to know my limitations and know where I need to hit the ball to make par. It is such a great place to play a round with 3 other people that take it all in shot by shot. A 7 on the fifth is easily erased with a 4 on seven. I don't think I've ever played another course where 4 strangers meet up on the first tee and genuinely root for each other all the way around - happens every time. I've actually played the Blue and the Yellow courses a bunch of times this summer and have had a great time. The Yellow is well laid out and plenty of chances for birdie if you get the ball in the fairway off the tee as many holes leave you with a 7-iron to wedge. The Blue course has more teeth - again, some really great golf holes where positioning means more than length. Also, I'll say it again, you won't find 90 greens in better shape than the ones at Bethpage - you can't tell the difference between a green on the Black or a green on the Yellow.

The fescue is cut down each September and is re-seeded. Played Black about a month ago - really in great shape. Been venturing out and playing the other courses. I've played the Red a lot - great challenge, great shape. Been getting in 9 on the Blue and Yellow a few times in the last month - great tracks, a lot of fun. The maintenance of the greens on all 5 courses is ridiculous. You couldn't tell a difference between a green on the Black from a green on any of the other courses. Courier knows his stuff.

Which is a joke. Harrington played like a 6 handicapper the first 6 months of the season.