You guys are funny.

I'm in a random thoughts mode today...so I've decided to try to channel Sam Johnson and sort of shoot from the hip.  Here are the Top 10 golf thoughts on my mind right now...feel free to share yours, too!

10.  As I was browsing the PGA tour schedule I realized that they are about half way through their season, and my season has barely started!  We might actually see temperatures in the 70's this week - finally!  Overall, May has been a cold and windy month, so warmer weather will be such a treat...I wonder what it must be like to be able to play golf year round.

9.  What in the heck is going on with Steve Stricker??  I picked him back in January to be my new favorite player, and he got me a few wins early on, but something not good is going on with his game right now and it makes it hard for me to put him on the roster.  I don't even like looking at the leader board because I know he's going to be below the cut line...I really hope he can get back on whatever streak he was on and get some good finishes.  Go Steve!!!!

8.  I thought the Phil Mickelson Crowne Plaza commercials were funny - especially the Phil look-alike one...it made me laugh.  I'm liking that more tour players are doing commercials - the Jim Furyk fortune cookie one is funny, too.  And I like the FootJoy ones.

7.  I'm glad to read that Michelle Wie is going to play a women's tournament in Germany - I hope she does well.  But reading the golf international article was confusing - was it just me or does it seem like there is an old article pasted at the end of it??

6.  I didn't watch any of the Senior PGA tournament last weekend, but it was weird to see all of the scores over par.  I WAS happy to see Greg Norman though!

5.  I was sorry to hear that Tiger won't be playing at the Memorial this weekend - I think fans are antsy to see him play again.   But the field still looks decent and I hope to watch some of it on Saturday.  It will be very interesting to see how Tiger does after 8 weeks off at Torrey Pines.  I bet it will be like riding a bike.

4.  I read a column on another web site about picking golf's most over and under rated players - for some reason it totally bugged me.  Some of them I agreed with, but others, I just shook my head.  The most confusing...Stewart Cink was on the overrated and John Daly was on the underrated - good grief, I would have said just the opposite.

3.  I'm jealous of Erik Tammar.  I don't think I could be doing what he is doing right now, but there are many days when I wonder what it must be like to be able to do nothing but golf everyday - what a dream!!  I realize that making it a career takes more work and dedication than I can imagine, but whenever anyone asks me what my dream job would be my first answer is always - an LPGA tour player.

2.  I've found myself in more and more bunkers lately - and I'm happy to report that the tip I got last year right here on T2G about how to play sand shots has really helped my game.  I've always been afraid of playing out of the sand, but picturing that dollar bill has been a great visual for me.

1.  In less than two hours I will be on the golf course...now THAT makes me happy!

What golf thoughts have been on your mind lately?

I can't argue too much with what you wrote, Chip ... much as I would like to ...

the Phil-look-alike commercial was indeed very funny ...

the article on Michelle definitely had some Jan 07 (that's the last time she played in the Sony, right?) re-cycled stuff in it ...

how can anyone say that Daly is underrated? ... holy cow ... that article must have been written by one of his drinking buddies ...

in my experience, nothing consistently intimidates and deflates an opponent more than getting up and down from the bunker ... they always figure they have you when they see your ball fly or roll into the bunker, so when you make par it's really a shot to the ribs ...

it's 72° and sunny right now, but it's been 10 days since it's been dry enough for me to mow, so I have to do that tonight or I'm going to need a bailer ... I hate being responsible ...

The whole Daly thing baffles me - I would probably vote him as a person who has squandered the most potential - which is a shame, because it's really been all his own choices that have gotten him where he is. 

Two of my other favorites were on the overrated list - Davis Love and Tom Lehman - GRR...  I think the lists were on golf.com

I hope you got your mowing done - I didn't realize you were getting more rain down there.  I'm really glad I golfed yesterday because it sounds like rain today here.  Very excited to be going to a great course in MN this weekend - so far the forecast looks good.  Maybe I'll finally get to put the turtlenecks away.

As I'm scouting through the leaderboard today, I see the last guy to tee off today and I think...Hey, that's a cool name...so  I start to think about what guys have cool names on the tour...and here are my top 10 favorites right now...

10. Vance Veazy - he's in the last group to tee off today in Memphis - he turned pro in 1990 and is playing mostly on the Nationwide Tour...looks like he has had some limited success there.

9. Steve Marino - am I the only person that automatically thinks of the Miami Dolphins when his name is on the tour leaderboards?

8. Brandt Snedecker - love the last name...and well, he's on my fan favorite list so he gets on the list.

7. Brett Wetterich - for some reason I think his name is just fun to say out loud.

6. Johnson Wagner - gotta love the 2 last names!

5. Craig Kanada - okay, being Canada's neighbor by living in MN (and because some people think MN is actually in Canada!) I had to like this guy's name - but I didn't know a thing about him...he was 128th on the money list last year so had to go to the final round of Q school  - he withdrew in the 4th round...so he's playing both Nationwide and PGA events - he's playing this week in Memphis and is going good so far.

4. Ryuji Imada - different, but since you hear it often - he's had a pretty good year so far - it's almost like you know him...it sort of rolls off the tongue, too.

3. Rocco Mediate - ah, Rocco - that name just conjures up an image for me, and Rocco just looks like a Rocco to me!  It's got a cool factor.

2. Briny Baird - the PF Chang hat isn't my favorite, but he's got a great name - and it sounds just like a golfers name.

1. Fredrick Jacobson - why you ask?  Well, his name seems to be pronounced Fredrick "Yah-cab-sen" - but if he were in Minnesota he'd be called Fred "Jay-cob-son" - and we've got a lot of Swedes that live here.

Honorable mentions go to - Fred Funk, Chris Couch, Tag Ridings, and Andrew Buckle.

Pretty funny ...  

How about Boo Weekley? ... would be a great name for a country singer ... or it could be a full sentence if we take out one letter ...

And I will never be able to hear the name Charles Howell III without thinking of Gilligan ... and come to think of it, Charles would look a bit like GIlligan if we put a white floppy hat on him ... same skinny build ... I may have to whip up the photoshop and see what I can come up with ... but you're probably too young to know who Gilligan is, aren't you?

And I could go on and on, but some might bend the boundaries of decency (John Daly?  Why, yes I do, thank you!) ...

You know, I had Boo on my list, and then I sort of forgot about him...it's a good name, and so fitting for him, too.  I do remember Gilligan...and you can definitely see the resemblance with CH III!  I liked the Lexus commercials during the Open...calling him the Thin Man.  I wish he would break through and win a tournament this year. 

What an opportunity we all got to be able to watch an amazing US Open and an awesome 18-hole, no, make that a 19-hole battle, between Rocco and Tiger.  I've had a great time reading all of the articles and commentaries about the past few days - from Tiger's battle and eventual victory, to Phil's 9 and other wayward shots throughout the tournament, the debate whether a playoff should be sudden death or 18-holes, and of course my favorites about Rocco's heart and drive.  And even though I wanted Rocco to win, I can't help but be awed by Tiger once again.  And honestly, seeing him hold his daughter made me like him just a little bit more.  I got a few emails from friends that described the same roller coaster of emotions that I felt as the match looked to be finishing early to the comeback and to the final putts.  It was awesome!  In one article I read, Johnny Miller was quoted as saying that the network should change their schedule and re-air the match in primetime.  I talked to a couple of friends who aren't really even interested in golf who watched the whole playoff on TV yesterday...I loved hearing that!  It was a great day for golf yesterday - and a great day for the thrill of competition, friendships, determination, talent, and the spirit of good will.  With that, here are my 10 favorite things I read while trying to soak up the US Open ... 

10.  "He put so much pressure on me all day today," Woods said of his competitor. "It was a great battle all day, and also a great friendship too." - golf.com

9.  "Throughout all this, 45-year old, Rocco Mediate, with pants that his entire family can jump in with him, quietly worked his way around the course and ended Saturday two shots behind Tiger."  Steve Gribin  (the pants comment made me laugh!)

8.  Mediate has long been one of Woods's most vocal fans. When they bumped into each other following the third round, during which Tiger had made two eagles and chipped in for birdie over the closing six holes, Mediate couldn't contain himself: "Are you completely out of your mind? Jeez-o, man!" - Alan Shipnuck - golf.com

7.  "I think this is probably the best ever.  All things considered, I don't know how I ended up in this position, to be honest with you. It was a long week. A lot of doubt, a lot of questions going into the week. And here we are, 91 holes later."  Tiger - Golf International

6.  "I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink, everything, right at him."  Rocco - Golf International

5.  "But Tiger writes the scripts in this sport. This one was Academy worthy, with a supporting Oscar for Rocco.  Truth is though they don't make movies this good.  Making this one of the greatest Opens ever, with more electric moments...
By the most electric performer in golf history...Limping...Agonizing...
 Rocco didn't simply play good golf for four days to make the playoff, he played to the crowds and built goodwill, a technique other players might want to try." - Rich Lerner

4.  "My heart is all over the golf course. I have nothing left," - Rocco

3.  "18 holes for all the marbles.  18 holes between the best player ever and a guy that is currently number 158 in the world rankings.  Not much of a match...WRONG.  While TW will win, this is what golf is all about.  The love of the game.  Tin Cup coming to real life.  You go Rocco...keep smiling, it will drive Tiger crazy." - Steve Gribin

2.  Mediate struggled to keep his emotions after taking bogey on the first extra hole, but he walked off Torrey Pines with 12,000 new friends who crammed both sides of every fairway for a playoff that was tighter than anyone imagined. - Golf International

1.  "It was an honor being out there.  And I'm sure I scared him. I did good today."  Rocco - Golf International
 

Okay, so PGA tour is in a bit of a funk now that Tiger is out for the season - but I couldn't believe my eyes when I read a suggestion that we should just cancel the season until TW can come back - what?  Do people have so much Tiger tunnel vision that without him they're blind to the talent and entertainment out there?  I get and appreciate Tiger's talent - he's a robot, alien, machine, whatever you want to call him...and he brings fans and money to the tour, but come on people!  Let's open our horizons and see what we've got out there.  Let's prove to the sponsors and tournaments that we're not just Tiger fans, we're GOLF fans - take one for the team and catch a little Cink, Rocco, Perry, Mickelson, Sergio, etc...get a "back up" fan favorite and cheer them on...they'd like it, and so would the Tour.

As Sam Johnson mentioned in one of his columns not long ago, there are almost 1,000 golfers on the world ranking list - that's A LOT of guys to root for!  Now I know they're not Tiger but here are 10 guys that will take on new fans right here, right now...pick 1 or 2 or all 10 - we all like to be liked, right?

10.  Zach Johnson - 2007 Master's Champion, fun Footjoy commercial, and wholesome Midwestern guy.  Current world ranking - 29.  After a 2007 season with 2 wins and a second, 2008 has been a slower start for Zach - he's made 12 of 15 cuts, but has only cracked the top 10 once.  He could use a little encouragement and cheers to get him back into the winner's circle in 2008.

9.  Johnson Wagner - with a 2008 win, and two last names, here's a guy that you can learn to like!  Currently 119 in the world rankings & 37^th on the Fed Ex points list, Wagner has been hovering around the Top 25 mark a few times but just isn't quite there.  The Virginia Tech grad turned pro in 2002 and probably just needs a few more fans to encourage him to a top 10 finish soon.

8.  Jesper Parnevik - it was the Swede's nanny that married Tiger, so if you need that connection to TW, here it is!  And I was surprised to see that he is currently ranked 204 in the world... but seems to be coming around a little bit with 2 top-15 finishes this year.  And he's wearing a new weird hat.   He could use a few fans to help him break inside the top 200.

7.  Charles Howell III - after a win and 8^th place in the Fed Ex Cup last year, CW III is sort of lagging behind this year - he's making cuts - 14 our of 20, but just needs a little encouragement to get a top 3 or better.  Let's get him into the Top 50 in the rankings (currently 68).

6.  Jim Furyk - after being ranked as high as 2^nd in 2005, Furyk is now on the outside looking in at the top 10 players...currently ranked 12^th, Furyk's year hasn't been bad, but he could use a Win.  And as a Ryder Cup mainstay he could use some good momentum.

5. Steve Stricker - okay, this is just a personal plea - he's one of my favorites, and after a decent start to the year, he's just not quite on all cylinders - an okay showing this past week is giving me hope that he's going to hold his place as 8^th in the world.  Go Steve!

4.  Stewart Cink - he finally got the win people were expecting him to have much earlier in the season, and he's worked his way to 5^th on the world raking - good personality, good swing, and a guy worth rooting for!  He also has the Nike - Tiger connection!

3.  Boo Weekley - he's the first person to admit he'd rather be fishing or hunting than golfing, but when he's on the course, he's there to win -  he's made 14 of 17 cuts and won the Verizon (again).  I'm not sure if he cares who's rooting for him, but he's a good guy to have on tour.

2.  Kenny Perry - 17 out of 18 cuts and 2 wins already this season has vaulted him from 92^nd to 20^th in the world - could he be our Ryder Cup anchor!? If you want to root for a winner, here's your guy.

1.  Rocco Mediate - okay - so he already made my 10 favorite names list, but he vaults to number 1 for me, not only because of the US Open, but for how much he likes us, the fans!!  He's easy to like and cheer for, and I think he could use a little encouragement to stay on his game - and I agree with Sam - he'd make an awesome guy on the Ryder Cup!

So there you go- grab one, cheer him on!  It will be fun.  Or else, call your buddies and just do an over under on how many guys will wear red shirts on Sunday each week.

A well-thought-out and nicely articulated list, Chip, and I certainly agree with your overall premise (that the season is far from over just because Tiger is out) ...

Anyway, back to your list ... I'm a big fan of both Rocco and Zach, and I like Kenny and Furyk as well ... Boo probably wouldn't make my top 10, but I would put him in a category with JB and Adam and Anthony (et al.) as players that I think are really good for the game (adding a bit more personality and pizzazz) ...

Conspicuously missing from your list (IMHO) are Phil, Boom-Boom, and Chris DiMarco, but I realize that with only ten spots on the list it's pretty tough to include everyone!

And there are so many other guys that would be easy to root for, even if they wouldn't be on my personal list ... how about Sergio (seems like he's just got too much talent not to break free eventually) ... or how about the two old guys (ouch, I'm a year older than either one) who were in contention this weekend? ... I could go on and on, but I will spare you ...

The bottom line is this: Tiger only played in 15-16 events each of the past two years anyway, so it would seem to me that anyone who isn't going to watch golf any more this year just because Tiger is out isn't really a true golf fan ... on the other hand, the number of people making such statements is a testament to the universal draw that Tiger has, and he is undoubtedly bringing new fans to the game all the time (which is a good thing).  So I look forward to the the day when Tiger returns to competition, but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy the heck out of watching the rest of the guys duke it out this fall while Tiger paces on the sidelines! 

You make some great points, 2putt - and the only reason I didn't add Phil and Freddie (Els, Scott, Sergio, etc) was because I figured everyone already liked them! (except for a few strange people).  And honestly, I had DiMarco on the short list, but opted for some other guys that I haven't really considered for awhile either.  But I think the best point you made is that there are a lot of guys out there to learn a little about and follow on the course.  I really do hope people will take the opportunity to explore some of the players on the tour and see that there is talent everywhere- maybe not Tiger level, but talent nonetheless.  Heck, I'm happy to go out and watch our local hotshots go out and play, so I'm still going to be watching the tour each week. 

Gosh, I've had a lot on my mind lately - It's August 1, and this is the beginning of the downhill slide in my golf season...I start to feel that sense of urgency that I need to get out as much as I can now, who knows when the weather is going to turn, work gets busy, or the sun sets too soon.  I've got golf on the brain!  And it's not just my golf season, so here's the top 10 thoughts on my mind right now...

10.  Okay, this doesn't exactly have anything to do with golf, but it relates because 1 year ago today I came off the golf course, walked into the clubhouse and saw the whole room staring at a TV set - the 35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis during rush hour (6:05pm to be exact).  I remember immediately feeling a pain in my gut as I thought about my brother and his wife who live in the area - I went outside and called - thankfully they were both fine.  But many others weren't - it was quite a tragedy and I spent some time yesterday reading some stories online about the survivors, those who died, and how the progress is going on replacing the bridge.

9.  I really liked Scott Robbins tip for Sandwedge regarding hitting thin shots - I've never been one to take much of a divot - especially not my mid to long irons - part of it is because many of the courses I play on were built on clay and hard ground and it hurts to hit the ground sometimes...but as I read his suggestion I realized that I think I might need to adjust my swing plane, too - it's great when people ask a question - we can all learn something!

8.  I brought my old 4-wood out of retirement the other day - I had purchased 2 new fairway woods (women's callaway's) and I just haven't fallen in love with them - I can hit them okay, but not like I had hoped...so just for fun the warbird came out and I hit it really good!  Now I'm torn - should I take out the 3 wood for the 4, or keep working on using my new clubs?

7.  I just read Steve Gribin's article about Greg Norman and the British Open (I'm not sure how I missed that last week)...it's funny how defensive I felt about him saying that Norman winning would have been terrible for golf - WHAT??!! was the first thing I thought.  I can sort of see his point, but I think it would have been terrific for golf to see Norman win a major, at 53, with other commitments and priorities, balancing it all and still being able to focus enough to win...but I guess it's hard for me to be objective.

6.  Speaking of getting ticked off - I'm not sure what was in my head when I read Sam Johnson's Dancing with the Golf Stars (or something like that) article last week - but he definitely hit a nerve with me - I thought by now we'd be over the whole "I miss Tiger" thing, so when I got to the end of the post and realized that was his point, I think I yelled at my computer screen - get over it already!!  I get that he was trying to be funny (and parts of it were) but golf, to me, is set at a higher standard, and basically cutting everyone else down because they're not Tiger just wasn't cool to me - but here's the thing, after my initial thought of what a dork he was, and a few days of thinking, and then comparing it to other things happening in the golf world, I realize that Tiger being gone is just like your favorite TV show being cancelled - he's entertainment - and it takes time to fill the void - while it might be true that some players are like bad cable TV stations, how about letting the remote stop on a few other players, just for a bit - there might be something worthwhile there - or better yet, get out and play!  So I'm sorry that I was ticked off and had mean thoughts about Sam Johnson - and I'll stop my "boycott Sam" campaign I had planned. 

5.  It's very cool that the David Leadbetter crew is uploading videos here!  Have you seen them?  I've watched them both and while I think they are really helpful with the basic set up, I really wanted to know what club they were using and how far the shot should/would go - should I use a different club for closer or farther away?  If it's a wedge - is it a 60, 56, or 52? Does it matter? 

4.  This could quite possibly be Annika Sorenstam's last major - it looks like she's going to make the cut, but she's going to be at least 10 strokes back - I REALLY wanted her to win this one!  To me she is just a total class act and a pure example of golf at it's finest.  It's been over a month since I was at the women's US open, but I am just SO glad I was able to watch her play, listen to her speak, and see her soak in all the golf love that was going her way that entire week. 

3.  I'm trying to decide how I feel about Michelle Wie - it seems I have mixed emotions - I sort of feel sorry for her, but at the same time I just don't understand some of the choices she's made....I realize there are "handlers", parents, sponsors, etc, but I think she must sort of want what she gets, too - so I'm not sure I can give her all of my sympathy.  I read the transcript of her interview yesterday and I just feel indifferent about her - it's not about the game, the sport, what a difference she could make - she sounds more and more like an opportunist and I'm not sure I can be a fan of that.

2.  When I read the transcript of Greg Norman's interview at Brodmoor, I got the feeling he is going to be at the Master's next April - YIPPEE!!  At first I thought he was almost dismissing it after the British, but reading what he said now makes me think he's going to be there and be prepared.

1.  The other night I was out golfing and I saw some ladies that golf in a league I am in - they are all new golfers and I happened to be passing by while they were on the green on a par-3 - they were cheering, clapping, and high-fiving each other and I realized right then, THAT is what golf is all about - the enjoyment, the challenge, the small successes, being with your friends, reaching a goal - making a putt...finding the positive - being happy.  It was a great reminder to just appreciate the joys of the game.

Yet another good post, Chip ... I won't go down the list point by point, but here are a few thoughts:

Count me firmly in your camp regarding Tiger's absence ... I love to watch him play, but haven't really missed him because there are so many other talented guys to watch and the competition has been excellent all summer ... how about that final round this weekend?  Great fun, even if Phil sort of fizzled at the end and Vijay (of whom I am not a fan) won ...

I can't feel even a little bit sorry for MW any more ... she's going where the cash is at the expense of her golfing career, but she can essentially retire at 18 (which I personally think would be a good idea) so if that was her goal then more power to her ...

And lastly, I agree with your point #1 as well ... my sister and I play in a lot of tournaments together ... we have no chance of staying with the best couples in the larger tournaments (the winning score this past weekend was 135 (63-62) ... ouch) but that doesn't stop us from giving it a shot just to see what we can do, and we have a great time at it ... if it's not fun, then we need to switch to a different hobby that is ...

As I transition to the end of my golf season and the professional tours start to wind down, too, I always start to think, "where did the summer go??!!"  and PLEASE let September be a great weather month!  Besides that, here are the top 10 golf thoughts in my head this week...

10.  After reading that BMX bike racing is in the Olympics, I am more convinced than ever that golf could be a great addition. 

9.  I hope Michelle Wie goes to Q-school - it would definitely get some decent press if she's there.

8.  Some of the rules of golf are hard to understand - I had to look up a ruling on USGA.org over the weekend, and the way they are set up and how they read can be very confusing - isn't there an easier format?

7.  I read Golf.com's Top 100 courses you can play and found that there were 2 MN courses on there - both of which I've played.  The Quarry at Giant's Ridge (#50) is beaufitul - it is carved into reclaimed mining lands and an old sand quarry - but it's tough, too - more links style.  I also liked Deacon's Lodge (#81) in the Brainerd Lakes area - tough as well, but I scored better there than the Quarry.  My favorite MN course didn't make the list - the Classic at Madden's...if you are in MN these are courses you can't miss.

6.  I ran into a guy I know and he told me about the best round he ever had last week - the first thing he said was, I had my best round ever and you were the first person I wanted to tell - that made me smile - he hasn't yet broken 50 for 9 holes, but the excitement and happiness in his voice as he recalled some of his shots made it sound like he just broke par...THAT is what golf is all about for me.

5.  I thought Stuart Smith's tip this week was terrific!  About hitting thin shots...I have had that problem with my irons lately and when he pointed out the spine angle it all made sense to me!  It totally reminded me of a guy I golfed with recently that had the most efficient and beautiful golf swing I've seen in a long time.  I'm putting that tip in my mental checklist now.

4.  I'm excited to hear who Azinger picks for the Ryder Cup - I know there are a lot of people who aren't giving the US much chance of winning, but I'm really looking forward to the competition.

3.  I had to crack up when I read Sam Johnson's latest article and in the title was none other than Tiger - it's almost funny to me now...but what made it funnier was the thought of putting shock collar on him and he gets a jolt every time he thinks, says, or writes Tiger before 2009.  But to be fair - it was a very good article (everyone should read it) - and it does make me wonder why there isn't a stronger challenger(s) for Tiger.  That would make for a good article...what do these guys have to do (or stop doing) to get to the next level?

2.  September is absolutely my favorite month for golf - and it's less than two weeks away!  Golf scrambles every weekend and hopefully I'll be able to sneak a day off and get an all day session in, too - the ground is getting a little harder and I LOVE the extra roll!

1.  I am struck by the distinction of golf as entertainment and golf as a life sport - I've always sort of thrown it all together, but lately I've been seeing the different dynamic golf has on people and situations.  I cannot believe how lucky I am that I have the opportunity to play as much as I do, to have the friends I've made through golf, to be able to blow off steam or just be relaxed on the course, and to be able to talk/write about what's on my mind when it comes to something that is so important to me.  Watching it on TV and following my favorite players is great, but it doesn't hold a candle to having a club in my hand, feeling the breeze on my face and seeing my target down the fairway.  It's time to make every golf day count!