For the second week in a row Mom Nature rolled into the same town as the PGA Tour kicking the boys to the curb in the process.

As has been the case this winter ol’ Mom is as ornery and mean as an ex wife when the child support is late. So we’ll wait for Sunday morning to discover our leader, and then hopefully have a definitive winner later in day (although I’ve seen the weather report and my dollar is on another Monday finish.)

As it stands now Woody Austin, Nicolas Thompson, Peter Lonard and Briny Baird are pushing and shoving atop the leaderboard. Lurking a stroke back are John Senden , John Merrick, Steve Elkington, Andres Romero, and Tim Petrovic. A nice beginners compendium of players that result in a loud and large "who?" . Perhaps I should take that back, if you’ve read my fellow chatters and watched any Golf Channel you know Mr. Elkington as the recipient of Bubba Watson’s wrath. As has been pointed out on other pages, one would expect more of this what with the wall to wall coverage provided by the "Home of the PGA". Don’t hold your breath on that or you’ll just turn purple and tip over.

Oh sure we’ll see something at some point in the future, but I expect to see more gargantuan curses ala Tiger Woods, or On Course Putter Bending 101 using my head by Woody Austin than exchanges between players. It’s an individual game, played at the highest level by folks who know the responsible party for a faulty shot is the one holding the club, even though even they blame the club sometimes.

All these guys can’t like each other like brothers (well maybe they can, some of the best wars occur between family members so perhaps that’s not the best analogy.) Heck even men of the clothe can hate the country they live in even when it provides them the opportunity to say just that and own a home worth over a million bucks, so there are bound to be certain pairings that work as well as Ben Gay in a jock strap. When it happens you put up, shut up, and play or there ain’t gonna be no money come the end of the week. We all know this game is hard enough without letting other group members give you a wedgie before every shot. Being only a spectator to this particular kerfluffle I can only say I was impressed with Mr. Watson after his round as he apologized for his behavior, That showed me admirable character, (again not to be confused with Admiral Character, the guy who drives Tiger Woods’ boat) in a time when too few people are willing to take responsibility for their actions. I am now, in public, a Bubba Watson fan.

I really hope that when the final round is concluded, either Sunday or Monday, that Briny Baird will be holding the trophy smooching it with all the passion of a politician kissing a baby. The guy has gotten here before only to fold much the same way I fold laundry, quickly, rumply, in a hurry. A guy who wears a straw hat is a man worth cheering.

So here’s to rumblings, tumblings, grumblings, and cameras everywhere, may the best man win.