Today kicks off the Wear In The World Campaign for the company. This globe-spanning adventure will have Knowlton and fellow employee Josh Sullivan (of the US) touring all sorts of climates to test adidas apparel featuring ClimaCool, powered by CoolMax Extreme, ClimaLite and ClimaProof. The pair were chosen after an extensive search process the company did internally.

Over the next five weeks the pair will play golf in Death Valley, United States, Bolivia, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia.

During their visits to each region they will play with a number of golfers including those who are part of the TaylorMade-adidas professional staff. This includes Andres Romero and 2009 RBC Canadian Open winner Nathan Green.

The pair will be videotaped during the trip and will provide updates via a Blog, Tweets, and Facebook Updates.

“Our intent with this program is to prove that adidas Golf apparel powered by COOLMAX Extreme performance fabric stands up against the world’s most extreme golf conditions and allows golfers to perform at their best regardless of what Mother Nature throws at them,” said John Kawaja, Executive Vice-President of adidas Golf. “The Tour players who wear our product have long-said they believe adidas Golf apparel provides a competitive advantage. Our mission here is to demonstrate that advantage in a really compelling way.”

Compelling is right. Media swarmed the company headquarters November 19th for the kick-off ceremony. The pair’s online updates will likely get equally enormous attention from consumers.

Stops for Knowlton and Sullivan will include: Furnace Creek, California / LaPaz Golf Club, Bolivia/Ushauia, Argentina/Walker Bay Golf Resort, South Africa and Alice Springs, Australia.

http://twitter.com/adidasGolfUS
http://www.facebook.com/adidasGolfUS
http://wearintheworld.adidasgolf.com/

The rest of the field had their own pressure on the final day to claim full playing privileges for the upcoming 2010 season.  David Duval missed the cut and lost his full status, as did Robert Garrigus.  Jimmy Walker and Nicholas Thompson were the only players to begin the week outside the top 125 and move inside that number.  Mr. Walker actually made it on the number.  “It’s tough. You can’t do anything,” Walker said. “You just have to sit back and relax. Not relax, you can’t relax. But I did all I could do.”  Sounds like a man whose wrung himself just a little tight, but when it's your livelihood on the line I give him credit for being able to speak as opposed to blubbering in the corner fighting off nervous tics.  Rich Beem shot 68 Sunday for a ten under par total good enough for 122nd place after the dust settled.  “I must say it was about as odd as I’ve ever felt thinking about it. I never expected myself to feel the way that I did,” Beem said. “When somebody tells you that you can’t do your job next year when you know you’re so close, that’s not such a good feeling.”  Uh, Rich, there are a lot of folks right now only too aware of that feeling.  At least you were the one who put yourself in that position with your play.  Controlling your own destiny is, and has been beyond the reach of a lot of folks these days. 

Tiger Woods won for the seventh time this year.  Somehow my reaction to that seems so ho hum.  Seven wins, one year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery.  Is a BIG deal.  And yet, so, um, common.  As with greatness in anything, the expectation of victory dilutes the victory.  Only when it doesn't happen does one take note, then only to wonder how that happened and what's wrong with the Hero.  But that's for another time. He's now won on every continent where golf is played.  “I’ve never won down here, so now I have won on every continent, except for Antarctica,” Woods said. “I haven’t played the Antarctica Four-Ball yet. But to have won on every playable continent, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. And now I’ve done that.”   How interesting would it be to see Tiger Woods play in the Antarctica Four-Ball? 

Mr. Woods received a $3 million appearance fee for playing in Australia, half of which was paid by the government.  So was the investment worth the $1.5 mil? “He over-delivered,” said Ian Baker-Finch, the former British Open champion helping out with local TV analysis.  If the numbers coming out of Victoria are even close those three words are perfect.  The economic return has been estimated at $20 million.  A couple of years with returns like that and my 401k would be back to 2006 levels.  Even Adam Scott played reasonably well, finishing the week tied for sixth place and his second top ten finish in a row. 

For the first time in six years, a span so full of ups and downs even Jerry Springer would be an emotional wreck, Michelle Wie won a golf tournament.  Fitting that it was in Mexico at world number one Lorena Ochoa's Invitational.  The entire tour let out a collective breathe as finally Ms. Wie won, at a time when star power is what the LPGA needs to thrive.  New Commissioner Michael Whan has to like what he saw this past week.  Brought in to pick up the pieces of the disaster created by former commissioner Carolyn Bivens, Mr. Whan can now hope that Ms. Wie begins to play and win more frequently.  A warning is in order, keep those expectations low, the journey to this point has been a series of disasters followed by untold beat downs.  Things are finally looking up for the tour as a whole with this victory and the return of the Shop Rite Classic to the schedule.  It'll take time to clean up the mess Ms. Bivens made of things, but with the rise of Ms. Wie and some better play by the young American players the worst will be over. 

I want to congratulate Ms.Wie for her victory.  I've been hard on her over the years leading to this, well not so much her as she is just a kid, but her parents who where in charge of the entire dog and pony show atmosphere her career took on after she signed with Nike.  Perhaps they didn't kill the spirit of their child completely, only time will tell.  Hopefully more beer showers are in her future. 

Troy Matteson birdied the second playoff hole to win the Frys.com Open a second time (the first was when the event was in Las Vegas before it became Justin Timberlakes event).  When you follow a second round 61 with the same score in the third round, setting a Tour record in the process, it would seem an indicator the golfing gods have decided to smile on you for the week. 

“That’s as good as I can play,” Matteson said. “I really don’t have to worry about playing better than that, because that’s it.”  How could he say anything else?  Just the thought of back to back 61's causes my head to shake in disbelief.  Amazing.

Joining Mr. Matteson in the playoffs were Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark, a pair of players attempting to win enough money to avoid Q School next week.  Mr. Fowler turned pro after the Walker Cup matches and has earned $553,700 in just two events, good enough for 136th place on the money list and exempting himself from the first stage of Q School.  He may perhaps have managed to exempt himself into the finals.  He still has a chance to avoid the school altogether if he can play well next week at the Viking Classic.  Mr. Lovemark has earned $453,872, or not quite enough to gain conditional status.  He could roll the dice and play next week in an effort to avoid Q School altogether, but that is just too big a gamble because if he doesn't begin school next week he can't rejoin at a later date.  So it'll be off to the first stage next week.

This is the time of year when a lot of players are trying to secure status on the Tour for next year.  Not that they won't necessarily have a place to play, but to play with the big boys at least some of the time they need to win some money.  Some say it's a lot of pressure, and I agree there is pressure involved, but not like the old days.  Oh here we go again, another you think times are tough now you should have been around in my day and we had to walk 6 miles one way to school through 23 foot snow drifts, barefoot, uphill both ways kind of story.  Well, I guess it is kinda.  Even the guy at number 150 on the money list has made over $437,000 this year, and he gets to play on the big tour sometimes next year.  The tenth place money leader on the Nationwide tour has made $300,000 this year.  Not exactly chump change.  So you've got a place to play next year pretty much sewn up.  No Monday morning qualifiers, one round to make the field and then play like crazy to make a check and get into the next event knowing the car needs tires and you haven't eaten anything but peanut butter and jelly for 12 weeks and if don't cash a check soon you're gonna run out of jelly.  Just where did you think the phrase "playing hungry" came from,huh? 

Not the same at all.  That kind of talk is really just splitting hairs.  Say you are Brad Adamonis, ranked 162nd at the moment, playing on average one tenth of a stroke per round higher this year compared to last year when you finished 121st on the money list.  You need to make $104,000 to reach the 150th place on the list.  Think it's hard to swallow on Thursday morning knowing you've got one event to reach that goal?  Or that you need to double your yearly winnings to catch the 125th ranked David Duval?  How do you feel if on Friday you're standing on the first tee at +2 and the leaders are at -6?  Fast forward to the 10th tee where we find you're still at +2.  Tough place to be, not the end of the world by any stretch, not even close.  It's why they play the game..  There is nothing quite so satisfying as knowing you need to perform to be rewarded.  I've heard it described as being fully involved in life, from moment to moment.  Living in the now.  That's what all the mental game gurus preach. It's fun to watch these end of the year tournaments, to see who can do, when it matters at this moment.  Of course it also helps when so many Sunday NFL games are lopsided wipeouts, but that's a different story altogether.

It could be argued that there are irons and there are Mizuno irons. No other manufacturer has had quite the success and pedigree that Mizuno has had across the entire range of this type of club. From the MP players range to the game improvement MX range, there has always been something to make a golfer's hands itch with desire.

The shining lights of Mizuno's range has always been the blade market. The MP-14, MP-29, MP-33 and MP-32 are rightly considered classics of their time and while it's too early to comment on the new MP-68, the fact 80% of the Tour staff prefer it to the MP-33 can only be a positive.

Frankly, nobody need any encouragement to buy Mizuno blades, especially when they are available in finishes like the current black nickel but the reality is that only a tiny percentage of all golfers have the skill to play irons like the MP-68. The trouble is that once you've pured one out of a blade's sweetspot you'd sell your granny to feel that sensation again. There is literally nothing in the golfing world to match it. So is it possible to match the feel of a blade with the forgiveness of a cavity back? Mizuno have tried to show that it is with the MP-58. Alongside these irons are the MP T-10 wedges, Mizuno's last wedges that will have the aggressive grooves that we have become used to and the new MP Fli-Hi, a direct long-iron replacement (DLR) club that is designed to make the long irons as easy to use as possible but without looking too different from the MP iron that it would replace.

MP-58 irons

Featuring the same dual muscle technology as the 68's the MP-58's have seen Mizuno bringing multi-material technology into the MP range. Every previous iron in the MP range has been made from a single billet of steel but the MP-58 combines the soft 1025E carbon steel with a titanium insert.

For a company known for their forging, Mizuno might be seen to be taking a healthy risk by doing this but have offset this by the way that they forged the two together. The 11g gram titanium muscle piece is brought together with the pure select mild carbon steel head while they are both red hot from the first forging process and then forged together yet again. The result is that the titanium is bonded to the head far more strongly than it otherwise could be. Because of this the MP-58 is designed to offer shot-makers a club that is more forgiving that the 62 and more workable than the 52 but keeping the thickness behind the ball that contributes so heavily to the sound and feel.

MP-T10 Wedge showing 360 grind across the back section

The MP T-10 wedges follow on from the successful MP-R and MP-T wedges. These versions add new QUAD CUT GROOVE technology to their characteristic grain flow forging. Slightly smaller than the previous generation, they have a face that is distinctly thicker but have a 360 degree grind that adds great versatility to the sole and thins the appearance of the topline.

The MP Fli-Hi brings the Hot Plasma technology seen in the MX-700 driver and fairways and the new MX-1000 super game improvement irons. Despite this extra help, the profile is designed specifically to fit into a bag of MP series irons without looking too dissimilar.

MP Fli-Hi 3 iron replacement

Technical Specs

Appearance

Held in the hand, you can see that Mizuno have not lost their touch. Making stunning looking blades seems to be child's play for them but how were they going to create what is effectively a cavity back without just recreating the previous generations like the MP-60 and MP-57. The answer is that they turned to technology to keep the look as similar to a cavity-blade like the MP-62 but without losing the performance of a full cavity and you can see the result below .

MP-58 7 iron showing the dual muscle and narrow sole

The MP T-10 have to be the best looking wedges that Mizuno have ever made. The head shape and size, the grind across both the sole and the back and the different finish, the designers haven't missed a trick. We've seen a similar grind to the 360 on Chikara wedges and the head seems to be a more compact version of the MP-T but the overall look is stunning, especially in the raw black satin finish.

MP T-10 wedges – top to bottom 64/07, 58/10, 50/06

The premise behind the MP Fli-Hi is simple; even for the better players, the 3 and 4 irons are unforgiving enough to cause them to leak shots. The obvious solution is to replace these irons with irons with clubs from more game improvement but that normally means an iron with a larger head, much thicker topline and a much larger offset. As you can see from the picture below the MP Fli-Hi bridges that gap by bringing the forgiveness and performance of the MX-1000 clubs into a head with a profile much closer to the MP line – smaller from heel to toe, thinner top line and more importantly, and offset not too dissimilar to the MP series irons.

3 iron comparison: left MP-62, middle MP-58, right MP Fli-Hi

Feel

While they don't have the meaty feel of the MP-62 or the buttery soft contact of the MP-68, the 58's are so close it's not funny. Yes, there is always going to be a difference with a cavity versus a blade but this is reduced to a level that even the blade snobs will have to at least consider these. The real difference is how these feel on mishits. Heel, toe and thins are dealt with far far better than the above mentioned clubs and while you're never going to get that 'my-god-what-was-that' on a pure flush you are flattered far more when you hit it less than perfect.

One of the differences with build of this wedge is that the blade is much thicker than normal. This has a direct effect on the feel as it makes the strike much more solid without losing that trademark soft feel. What you find is a impact that is firmer without being clicky. The grind makes for superb turf interaction too.

With the Fli-Hi, you would expect some loss of feel in comparison to the forged irons and that's what you get but it's not bad at all. While it feels muted, the sound you get is like the 'crack' of an old school driver.

Performance

The MP-58 make perfect sense when you play them. They hit the ball slightly higher than their stablemates the 68's and 62's and are noticeably more forgiving without having much more offset or a thicker sole. That tiny amount that you give up in feel you more than make up in performance. The neutral flight means there's no bias for fades or draws and the spin levels are again what you would expect being slightly more than the 62's. The review set had KBS Tours in them which was a great match for these heads as they threw up a high trajectory flight without too much spin but with a far greater level of feel and forgiveness than Project X. KBS Tours have a different feel through the swing too as they somehow feel lighter on the downswing than you expect but they perform brilliantly in these heads and it's easy to see why they have made such gains on the big tours.

The shape of the sole is very similar to the MP-62's which were based on Luke Donald's personal grind. This grind has a a rolling leading edge along with a rolled trailing edge. This makes the club versatile enough to suit both diggers and pickers.

The MP T10 wedges produce great performance on greenside shots but they are also some of the best wedges I've ever come across for fuller shots. Mizuno have especially highlighted their performance on the shorter shots and their increased spin compared to previous generations and combined with the new shaping they have a real effect. While turf interaction is a very personal issue depending on whether you are a digger or a picker, these seemed to cope with either styles of play. This model also sees the first time that Mizuno has introduced a 64 degree wedge and throwing darts with this was great fun but it is obviously a specialist club for those summer days when the greens are running lightening fast. The wedges seem to be relatively kind on the ball too – not the ball chewing monsters that I was expecting despite being able to fly the flag and drag it back.

Close-up of QUAD CUT GROOVE technology

The grooves use Mizuno's new QUAD CUT GROOVE Technology and are Mizuno's most agressive grooves. This means that for professionals playing on the top tours they will be illegal on 1st Jan 2010 but we will be able to use them until 2024. Given the research that has gone into these grooves it's a surprise that there is no face milling but that was a deliberate choice by Mizuno who told us that in all research they did with these grooves, they didn't see sufficient difference to include it. However they said that this might change when the grooves need to be conforming to the new regulations.

These wedges don't quite seem to produce the fizzing-spitting spin that you find on wedges like the Vega RAFW-05 but the spin level is plenty high and the controlability of this high spin level is stupendous. Whether you want a high floating parachute lob or a low thrown hard checker, these are hugely capable wedges and the toe and heel relief make even more shots available to you than normal.

The MP Fli-Hi does exactly what it is supposed to do with its perimeter weighting and low COG and hot face. Compared directly to any of the MP series 3 irons, it gets the ball up into the air faster, is more forgiving and hits the ball further. Trying to hit it thin or fat produces shots that are almost identical to well-struck ones and heel and toe shots produce shots that deviate minimally from the intended path. The only downside compared to standard irons is that there is some loss of precision. Distance control is not as easy and working the ball is almost impossible without resorting to fairly major swing changes but then again, that's the idea.

Conclusion

A tour de force across the 3 ranges, Mizuno have upheld their reputation as one of the finest makers of irons with these clubs. The MP-58 irons show that it's possible to blend technology with traditional forging without losing the elements that make forged irons so special. The MP T10 is easily Mizuno's best wedge yet and the MP Fli-Hi is a rock solid, long iron replacement that will fit in neatly to any MP range. By any reckoning, Mizuno have to be sitting happy with this release.

For more information visit golf.mizunoeurope.com or www.mizunousa.com/golf

The Algarve region of Portugal is one of the world's most highly regarded golfing locations. With glorious weather practically all year round and more world class courses than you can shake a 9 iron at, it is a popular destination for those of us who have gotten tired of the wind and the rain and playing in fleeces and waterproofs.

Oceânico Golf is now one of the major players in this region with 8 championship courses under their management including Vilamoura's famous five – Oceânico Victoria (host to the World Cup of Golf 2005 and the Portugal Masters 2007-2009), Oceânico Old Course, Oceânico Pinhal, Oceânico Laguna, Oceânico Millennium and the newest Oceânico Golf 3 Oceânico Faldo and O´Connor Jnr. Courses at Amendoeira Golf Resort, complemented by a unique flood lit 9 hole Par 3 Academy Course, whilst Severiano Ballesteros has lent his experience to the course at Royal Óbidos on the Silver Coast. On a recent trip to the Algave, Bag Chatter got to play on 3 of the best Oceânico courses.

The Millennium course was, as its name suggests, founded in 2000 and is one of the more accessible courses on the Algarve. Because of this it gets quite busy and waits at the tee boxes are common at busy times. With 9 of its 18 holes originating from the neighboring Laguna course, it mixes short tight holes, especially between the 3rd and the 7th, with longer open ones. It plays a little shorter than its 6793 years but has a lot to offer. Because of the relaxed handicap requirements you might find yourself sharing the course with those who are not quite as familiar with the finer points of golfing etiquette but it obvious that everyone on the course is there to enjoy themselves.

The 15th at Millennium

The experience at the Victoria is 5 star all the way. The club house is stunning and would not look out of place anywhere you choose to mention. The driving range and practice facilities are world class and you could play a game of football on the enormous putting green. The Arnold Palmer designed course is a true test for the modern professional so it's a real examination for club golfers. At 7209 yards playing from the tips you'd better have your driver in full working order if you want to play to your best but the 5 sets of tees prevents it from being too intimidating. Thankfully the course is far more open that you normally find in this region as there are less trees but compensation comes with many more water hazards especially on the back 9. The course does not have any great elevation changes but the fairways are constantly undulating and the contours can sometimes take the ball completely away from where you expect, so you need to pay close attention to the landing areas. The greens are fast and true and when they are dry they are lightning fast.

The 18th at Victoria

There is a real championship finish at the Victoria. The 16th is a 209 yard par 3, demanding in any circumstance. The 17th is a peach of a 593 yard par 5 where you can play safe down the left or if you want to get on the green in 2 you need to take on the 290 yard carry over the water. If you successfully manage that, your ball will shoot forward to a more accessible position where you then have a long iron or more likely a wood in to a green that is only 15 paces deep and protected by water on the front and on the right. The 18th is a 465 yard par 4 with water all the way down the left and penal bunkers right at driving distance on the right hand side. One of the pros explained to me that you hit it towards the left hand edge of the bunkers. If you get lucky and end up on the fairway you can go for the green – if you can unlucky you can still play for your par but either way you keep that big score off your card. With the prevailing winds being into your face on this hole, this is the last thing that any championship leader wants to see at the final hole but everything that the fans (and the clubhouse leader) would be looking for. Given the demands of the course, it was no surprise that it was the huge hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros who birdied the last to lift the trophy in 2008.

The Old Course is hidden away in the hills and nestles among a forest of umbrella pines. Opened in 1969 it ranks alongside the Henry Cotton designed Penina as one of the oldest courses in the region. In complete contrast to Victoria this course is a shot-maker's dream. The 'Grand Dame' of the Algarve is simply an absolute gem of a course.

As soon as you stand on the first and see how the umbrella pines encroach on both sides as the fairway swoops down towards the green you are aware that this is a course that will severely punish bomb and gouge style golf and rewards the ability to move the ball in the air. Some of the tee boxes are positioned in such a way that a straight shot can see less than half the fairway but that a gentle fade or draw suddenly opens up the course. The constant change in elevation means that you need to be precise with your irons as you are sometimes taking 3 clubs more or less than you normally take. An example of this is 6th. A 233 yard par 3 would normally be unplayable for mere mortals but with an elevation drop of about 40 yards it plays almost 45 yards shorter but you need to hit it straight to get it close as the steeply sloped green requires a deft touch.

The 6th at the Old Course

Given the closeness of the course it's not to say that errant shots are an automatic penalty. If the ball takes a dive off the fairway you'll find yourself in a world where the ground is made of pine needles and the sky is nothing but green branches. It's easy enough to get clean contact in this sort of lie but the challenge is how to play the recovery shot. You can take the easy option of knocking the ball out sideways or you can take the shot on and hit a low screamer of a punch straight towards the flag. If you do the latter you need to make sure that you can keep it low enough to stay under that branches and straight enough to dodge the trunks. It's tougher than it looks but incredibly satisfying. One of the glories of the course is that there are so many ways to play it and only those with a complete game will be able to take it on and score well. If you do keep it on the short stuff you will be hitting the ball from fairways of carpet-like perfection and greens that roll as smooth as you could wish for but as you wend your way past the semi-hidden luxury villas you'll find that it's the long irons that are most in use. For the longer hitters the driver will only get you into trouble.

It is such a pity that the remorseless march of technology has rendered this course too short for the modern pros as it would be an absolute treat to see them playing this course. The sloped greens hark back to a time where the stimp speed would be closer to 10 than the 12 commonly found on tour now so it would be almost impossible to speed them up more than they are.

These three courses have very different personalities. The Millennium course is a good honest fun course that can be played be any level of handicap and is an enjoyable day out. The Victoria is a true experience of tour standard conditions with a finish that will leave you wrung out and the Old Course is an absolute gem that will have fans coming back year after year to play on one of the great courses in this region, if not the world.

For more information, visit www.oceanicogolf.com

Players like Ian Poulter and Camilo Villegas have shown golfers that you don’t have to dress like your Grandpa when you’re on the course. The last few years has seen a real change in style, not just the plus fours and shirts and ties of yesteryear but in the replacement of the dreary beige and black. Bright colours and bold patterns are in and I don’t mean eye-bleeding tartan but proper stylish clothes.

The likes of J Lindberg, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger make clothes that you might actually WANT to wear off the course and with these sharp clothes comes the accessories like hats, shoes and belts and buckles.

Quietly making waves on the European Tour is Druh Belts & Buckles with the likes of Robert Karlsson, David Howell and Paul McGinley all having been seen sporting them. In fact the brand claims that they have over 50 Asian golfers, 60 European golfers, two current Ryder Cup players and six major winners wearing the belts. One of those major winners would be John Daly who sports his own Lion’s head buckle. They are the brain child of Simon Hurd (the brand being his surname backwards), a Touring pro who has been on the European and Asian Tours for 14 years and it’s no surprise to find that he roomed with Ian Poulter for 2 years.

Druh Belts & Buckles were launched at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando earlier this year and look offer the discerning golfer a selection of stylish handmade leather and snakeskin belts in sumptuous classic and chic casual styles. Druh belts and buckles are firmly aimed at the top end of the market with the snakeskin retailing at US$150 and leather for $100. The snakeskins used in production are guaranteed not to come from protected species.

The designs vary from classic black and brown to more colorful pinks, turquoises and reds and are made from high-quality leather or snakeskin. The buckles come in brushed nickel, polished silver or gold and are easily interchanged so that you can mix and match to suit your outfit.

While they are obvious funky and stylish when you’ve taken one out of its stylish drawstring bag your first impression is how well made it is. The belts are just beautifully made from quality materials. What is noticeable about it is that, vivid colors aside, how elegant it is. As a regular of Saville Row, the area of London where you can barely move without bumping into world renown tailors like Gieves & Hawkes and Ozwald Boateng, Simon Hurd is obviously a fan of craftsmanship and it shows. With precise stitching and finishing these belts are not just about a name. The textures of the leather make even darker belts stand out. An effect that is even more noticeable with the snakeskin versions but you would have no problems wearing the more conservative colored ones with a suit. The buckles are also well made with the enamel fill looking great and feeling very durable.

So if you’re on the lookout for something new to hold your trousers up and feel like treating yourself, have a look at one of these.

For more information visit www.druhbeltsandbuckles.com/

The Presidents Cup was about as laid back an event as it’s US team captain Fred Couples.  No talk of hatred of one side from the other.  No earbuds stuck in the captains ear.  The only thing over the top involved assistant captain Michael Jordan smoking a cigar on the course leading to the threat of a fine. 

Only in San Francisco would smoking outdoors be considered hazardous to anyone but the smoker, though l will grant that Mr. Jordan’s cigars might be confused for a coal fired plant smokestack.  Ridiculous I say.  I have to confess I did not pay a lot of attention to the Sunday singles, after all the Vikings were playing and priorities are rearranged at this time of year(especially when they can go 5-0 with a win).  But the matches earlier in the week were highly entertaining.  When the top three players in the world, all Americans, combine to go 13-1-1, that’s something that gets my attention. 

Tiger Woods going 5-0, winning four times with new BFF Steve Stricker, was a highlight comparable to Phil Mickleson going 4-0-1 with three different partners.  There must be something about the glow of the "goofy Mickleson grin" that rubs off on young guys.  Some kind of pixie dust thing perhaps.  Mr. Woods is still the worlds best and showed it Saturday, rolling in a 22 foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and following that up with a 229 yard 3 iron to three feet on the 18th hole to preserve the win.  Amazing.

Even Justin Leonard channeled the Joker after missing a tiny putt to give the Internationals a draw and  some hope.  Mr. Leonard stormed into the players room, stalked up to the bar and slammed back five shots and chugged a beer.  Concern spread throughout the team room as this unfolded.  Funny thing was the shot glasses contained water, conviently set out by Fluff Cowan, Jim Furyk’s caddy.  Pretty good from a guy who will never be compared to George Lopez( and not because Mr. Leonard is not Mexican ok all you literalists).

The Internationals reflected the woes of captain Greg Norman in much the same way the US team matched Mr. Couples.  Mr. Norman had shoulder surgery last week, his new marriage appears to have run into difficulty, and his captains pick of Adam Scott proved a dismal failure.  Tough on you sir, hopefully it’ll end soon.  Even the magic of Tim Clark sweeping in putts from everywhere with the broom handled putter was not enough in an event where two others, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas, combined for zero points.  Even the aforementioned Mr. Scott managed one point, a noteworthy acheivement considering he’s been reminding me of David Duval all year.  Ryo Ishikawa was 3-2 for Mr. Norman’s team.  Considering he is only 18 years old, the object of a horde of Japanese photographers and writers made that a very worthy performance.  One thing amazed me, if anyone from the International team wanted to be sure of getting their picture in the papers, they only had to sidle up to Mr. Ishikawa as gigabytes worth of photos were taken of the young star on a daily basis.  Tell me that wouldn’t play with your head.

An entertaining event, if you rooted for the Americans, not so much if you are an International fan.  As the worlds best players pack their game away for the year, going off to do whatever it is they do when not playing tournaments, I salute a season that was quite satisfying.  In a year that brought a lot of challenges to a lot of folks, the PGA and golf in general provided a small respite from those issues.  Now off to the World Series and the NFL season.