Bigtank

don't sweat it, I'll let you in on a secret...+ handicappers shoot 80's every once and while too. Go out and play the game you always do, dont try to hit shots you know you can, just play within your own game. I had to play with my father-in-law (an accomplished +handicapped mid-amatuer) and brother-in-law (a well respected college golfer), and I was nervous just as you are. I got up on the first tee and blasted one about 360yds, problem was 40yds of it were dead snap hook into the gunch, I felt like a chump. So I just played my game and took money of my father in law!!!! Have fun, and play your game and good luck!

Ok Senor... "tiger's short game is THE best ever." That is just rediculous, there are numerous guys through history that have a far better short game than Tiger. Lets begin with Phil, The best around the green, minus the putting. The there is Seve, Lee Travino, Ben Crenshaw.... Tiger has yet to ever hit the "exact shot he wants"! and lastly, I understand Tiger has 14 majors...but take away his mental focus and we are left with the current version, granted he is better than 90% of the world in that state, but not the man he was. be careful call others thoughts "dumb" when you are make ignorant statements yourself.

Brandon, I base my comments that Tiger is not the most gifted on the fact that he is a decent driver of the ball, he is a great iron player and good short game guy. There are othes better in every category, and Phil is head and shoulders a more gifted player...and a resume is not a talent list, because you look at Phil, and people forget his is pretty impressive, and he did something Tiger never came close to doing, and that is winning a PGA event as an amatuer! I am not a Tiger hater, but I also dont drinnk his Kool-aid either. However, when it came to the mental game, there might not be anyone better ever??? He did not make the little mistakes that take out those other golfers. However, that is not a god given talent. Tiger's came from an extremly focused father that taught him the techniques learned from years as a special forces operative. As far a a 48 at age 3, you have to take that in context, course, tees, ex. I am not trying to take anmything away from the guy, I like to watch him operate (I am certainly not capabable of anything close to him). I just dont understand this unquestionable devotion people have to him.

ClubChamp...I am well aware that Tebow is in the NFL. I was making the point that if Tebow, being the media darling he was, could not repeat I found it difficult that anyone will.

Its not that Tiger isn't winning major's, he is not winning anything...and I know I will get some arguement here, but he is not the most gifted talent wise on the tour, and never has been. However, Tiger is probably one of the top 5 athletes (in all sports) in the modern era when it comes to the mental aspects of the game. Where others fault under pressure, he relished it and fed off of it. He did not make the most birdies, but he never made the stupid play or missed the nervy 6 footer for par. He does not have that part of the game , and without it he is in affect human. It would be like taking Phil's short game away, without it he is just a better than average tour pro. I don't thing Tiger gets that mental armor back until all of the craziness is settled with the wife and children, and hopefully that does not take too long because these are the prime years for him that are getting away.

To all the SEC Hater’s out there….Yes, we do not always play the strongest out of conference schedule out there, but I challenge you to find a conference with a stronger “out of conference” post season bowl schedules…and we really good at those. In the last four or five years big wins against FSU, Texas, VaTech….and several against Ohio State, all of which were on the biggest stages with the most pressure possible. So that argument is a regurgitated attempt to minimize great accomplishments by bitter and jealous fans. And I don’t want to hear about we get all the favorable knocks, look at Auburn a few years back, left out of a NC game they deserved, and we watched a average Sooner crew get manhandled by a Cheating USC squad (I know, I know it wasn’t USC’s fault and it goes on at every school) And Boise State…I have heard the Bronco Hype before. I remember we played an undefeated powerhouse with a Heisman candidate QB a few years ago. He threw 5 picks and had nervous breakdown before halftime and ran off the field, never to be seen again that day. So excuse me if I hold judgment. Now, I am a UGA fan and I would love to see something…but I am realistic and would just like to see improvement and defense that could at least hold off the girl scout flag football team (also known as Vanderbilt). Florida is going to be tough (go figure), Bama is good but the stars are stacked against them with teams have bye weeks before them. Texas hinges on there QB. As Garrett goes, so does Texas. Ohio State, will trip up somewhere along the way but they will be there as well…However lets see what comes of the agent party debacle and the NCAA. Heisman, if media darling Tebow does not repeat, I find it hard anyone will. But my top three would be Ingram, Dion Lewis at Pitt and Ryan Mallet at Arkansas. With my dark horse being AJ Green, from Georgia. Thanks ans have a nice Day!!!!

I once played a small 9 hole course outside of Atlanta, and it appeared to have some really nice greens. I hit my Lob wedge in from 80 yards and stuck it 10ft...orrr it hit the green and shot 60ft in the air. This rocket scientist had build artificial greens with a concrete base and astroturf....I turn around, went back inside from the first hole got a refund and tried to explain what a disaster of a moronic idea this was, and he just looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about.

The SC or the Method, or the Anser he used in the amatuer days, they are in affect all the same putter...in shape and alignment. However, weight and materials are far different. I personally think Nike (off the rack) sticks are horrible, minus the stuff their tour guys are getting, and that stuff is protype which for Nike means "copied from another brand". Tiger probably threw out there that he was thinking of making a putter change, and Nike jumped at the chance to add a swoosh to that 14th club. The fact that it was a Nike stick is all about his sponser. If he wanted a putter shaped like a TW with a grip made from the scrotum of the endanged Northern Atlantic Ice Otter, they would have kicked ole' Scotty out of the bed at any hour have him mock it up and sent it over on its own private jet no problems...if it were about the performance of the putter. They just had Nike copy his Scotty and add the "New and Improved" insert into it. Tiger made the mistake of switching out a piece of equipment days before they use it. Most of those guys only switch to a new piece of equipment in the off season, or at least after weeks of testing and we are talking about the most important and "feel" club in the bag. FYI...I walked into my local golf store on Wednesday before the Open looking for a very specific Scotty to replace my old C62 Model 02, and the salesman could not wait to pull from a pile of 20-30 of the new Tiger Woods Nike MEthod putters. This very same sales guy that only weeks ago explained the incredible virtues of the Cameron, now scoffed at me when I asked him about my specific Scotty in mind. Now for the conspiricy theroist out there...How on earth did the box golf store already have so many of this very specific $300 putter, but only had 5-10 of the other models total????

If I am not mistaken Taylor Made also has a much less strict # of clubs rule. I cant remember your exact #'s but some of them require you to play as many as 10 or 11 of the companies clubs to qualify as a staff and recieve the perks (Callaway is the most strict). Just a FYI (I can imperically prove this, but I was told) for years Mizuno was the leader in irons, bucause they would take a set of MP-14s and stamp what ever company you'd like on them. I have a set of "Cobra" stamped MP's.

My Vote goes to Green Hills "Country Club".... This club was an complete joke! We had the two put rule, if you hit the green add a two putt and that was your score. It was a fun layout, and when it opened in the 50's Billy Casper was the inagural tee time, but that might have been the last time they cut some of the greens. It was a pure goat track. And the icing on the cake was they had this crazy GM, that wanted to charge $32 to play it. Heck the Univesity Course that is imaculate is like $40 at the time. I actually watched a fella go out in a pair of cut-offs and cowboys boots (no shirt) take off with a 24 pack of the Buds and head out with his foursome. He didnt even have clubs. Ahh the college memories!!!!

it may be daft, but for the most part your top players would be there

Make everyone other than the last 5 years of Major Champs and the Automatic Amatuers qualify....it would change things

Yes, the top and most popular players are getting invited overseas. But the average tour player's phone is not ringing for those opportunities. It takes more than one year on tour to be set! One year for Phil (30-40 million) yes, for many of those others not so much.

And to boot, the USGA gave a special exemption to Vijay because he did not make the top 50 on the 24th and didnt attempt to qualify. Hopefully Rose, Fowler and Watson will get one of those as well. Fowler draws more viewers than Vijay!

1. Augusta National 2. The Ocean Course 3. Baltusrol (lower) 4. Hazeltine 5. Eastlake 6. Sea Island 7. The Farm - Rocky face (The Hardest) 8. Champion Hills (Hendersonville, NC) 9. University of Georgia Golf Club

First off, 42% yes is worse case, however some of that unoffical money is taxed at luxury tax rates (which is over 42%), and I understand there are some very creative accountants out there. and the 150k a year is the official PGA estimate to play, eat, travel and sleep for one year, and is required in order to play. I understand that it can be done for less and budget motels. Also don't forget you are factoring in everything at least double, because you are factoring in your caddy's expenses too. Then you factor in family travel and such. Caddy's generally make between $1500 and $2500 (for the average guys) a week gauranteed, then they also receive between 7% and 10% of the tournamnet earnings depending on where they finish, and many of the more stable guys make a pinch of the endorsements as well. And yes #148 (M.A. Jimenez) only made 475k on the PGA tour, he did finish in the top 25 on the European Tour with 1.1mil Euros...so that was more of a joke that trying to prove a point. The point that was lost is that these guys are not bank rolling just b/c they are on the tour, it takes alot of work and good bit of luck to get to the top of the game. In my earlier post I said that alot of these guys have done real well for themselves, my college roomate loves every minute of playing the tour and would do nothing else.

# 150 on 2009 money list was Spencer Levin and he made appox $475k, then you throw in as a bottom end player he makes another 250-300k in endorsements. [minus] - Roughly 42% in taxes and thats roughly 425k left. [minus] - 150k in travel expenses thats 275k left. [minus] - We pay our Agent 10% of gross, and that leaves you with 200k. [minus] - Now we come to our caddie, he probably makes a salary, plus percentage and bonuses. Well say another 100k..... I'm left with 100k, while is a great "salary" to play golf for a living, that is a lot of stress and milage and hotel time for a measly 100k I'm not saying take up a collection for these guys, #148 is Miguel A. Jimenez, and that man speeds around in his $5000 Hugo Boss suits and 300K Ferrari!!!

I don't think it has anything to do with America, but the money is here and thus the best players. Inversely, you may score all the goals in MLS you want, but until you go to Europe you are no footballer!

Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory, Rickie Fowler, Rickie Barnes, Hunter Mahan, Micheal Sim, Anthony Kim...Thats who the PGA is betting on, young talented guys that bring in all different demographics.

The PGA estimates that travel and living expenses @ $150,000 a year. You must provide the tour with proof that you indeed have at least that much capitial to "survive". Indeed many times they are sponsored by clubs, hometown businesses, or individuals. Many of the more heralded amatuers are giving endorsement contracts right out of the gate...i.e. Rickie Fowler. My college roomate is current member of the PGA tour, and he worked out an arrangement with some local busniess men to aquire the necessary funding for that first year. He paid nothing for his equipment, clothing, balls, shoes or club work; this was all provided onsite from his club/clothing/ball sponsers. Now that he has gained a small bit of notarity he has a much better rub with the sponsers. I don't ask for numbers, but he makes roughly 3 to 4 times his tour winnings (PGA money list thats was 1.5 mil) in sponsorship dollars, corporate speaking events, etc. As far as travel they have several tour staffers that handle all travel. Much of the living arrangements are actually secured by the actual tournament hosts. Airfare, is fairly "inexpensiive" because they do have special rates, to get that littel tag line you hear on TV "the official airline of the PGA tour". However, many of those guys fly private for the convienience (7k-10k), and they go as a group 4 or five of them. I know when my roomie was getting started, some of the more affluent guys let him tag along on their tride for a deeply discounted rate, because most of them understand what it was like. Then they sometimes hop those corporate rides for free. I think most of those guys fly commerical when going oversees. Let me say this, with the amount of toys / 2nd homes / vacations he takes to only work 20 or so events a year, he is not hurting in ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM!