Tiger restores PGA magic in Palmer win

There isn't really any way to describe what happened Sunday night. It would be rhetorical at this point. Like Joe Posnanski once wrote, I knew he would make that putt.

Back Monday with a coverage blowout from Woods' win.

Tiger practices — how to say this? — a lot

I took this picture with my phone but thought it would be worth noting that this was shown during today's final round coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

In case you wondered how Tiger Woods rehabbed from his knee injury, he worked out — a lot.

I have no idea how many balls a professional would hit during three driving range trips. Maybe a thousand or so?

That's a lot of swings. His work is showing today, as he only trails Sean O'Hair by one stroke after making his third birdie of the front nine. O'Hair looks timid but still needs to focus on maintaining at worst, a share of the lead.

Tune in this afternoon if you want to hear Johnny Miller obsess over Tiger for the next two hours. I have to admit, the coverage has been favored — painfully, at times — to Woods. But what do you expect? He is the one playing well. He is the story today.

Might wanna keep the women and children away from the TV, however. Woods has displayed some of his, as Miller called it, military language. You didn't have to be a lip-reader to see Woods "You've got to be f*cking kidding me" reaction to a lip-out par putt earlier this afternoon.

Screen Capture/NBC Sports

Can Tiger find his first win?

Tiger Woods. Sean O'Hair. Final round pairing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Sound familiar?

Sure does. Woods and O'Hair played in last season's final group, beginning as a part of a five-way tie for the top spot at Bay Hill. Woods won that battle in dramatic fashion, draining a lengthy putt and famously burying his Nike lid in the turf. (Video below)

Today? O'Hair starts with a five-shot lead, one that appears almost insurmountable for a field that has just a handful of players above the even-par line. There should be plenty of drama for fans locally, as Cedar Rapids native Zach Johnson is -1 for the tournament and will get plenty of face time on Sunday afternoon.

Whether he, or Woods, for that matter, have an actual chance to win is a different story.

I love today's action for three reasons:

1. I met Sean O'Hair in Hawaii earlier this year and he is a great guy. Could not have been more pleasant in the few minutes we chatted the week of the Mercedes Championship.

2. The final round is a clear example of professional golf's marketing wars. Sean O'Hair is wearing adidas, playing TaylorMade's new r9 driver and will be plastered with the TMaG logos. Tiger, playing Nike's newest and best equipment and touting its apparel, will have to split face time all afternoon. If O'Hair wins — yes, even with a five-shot cushion — Woods loses and for another day on Tour, TaylorMade and adidas beat Nike in a four-hour time slot of continuous advertising on national television. There will be enough slow-motion replays of O'Hair smashing the shiny, new r9 driver and Tiger blasting his Nike blades to make CEOs drool.

3. I love golf. I love watching golf on TV. I love when Tiger is the "underdog" in a Sunday situation but the announcers talk like he is winning for 18 holes. Most of all, I hope to see a moment like this:

The PGA Tour — where "Tigering out" happens.

More Garcia-related giveaway goodness

As if Sergio Garcia's PLAYERS Championship' promotion weren't enough, Golfsmith announced this week that the company will give away free TaylorMade Golf drivers if the Spaniard wins the Masters, according to Advertising Age.

Garcia, long regarded as the World's best player never to win a major, will play a role in the promotion that will refund the cost of thousands of consumer-purchased TaylorMade drivers including the r7, Burner, and r9 drivers. There are plenty of pessimists regarding the promotional move — Golfsmith did, however, take out an insurance policy — including a columnist at Golfweek. Per the story:

"It's a bit of a safe bet for the company. Of the four majors, Garcia has been least effective in The Masters," said Jim McCabe, columnist for GolfWeek magazine. "It would be nice if Golfsmith/TaylorMade would be a bit bolder and offer the free deal if Sergio wins any major in 2009. But I give them credit for a campaign that has some positives to it."

McCabe's lack of optimism is the golf world's consumer delight, giving a breed of casual fans reason to cheer for Garcia at Augusta National in a few weeks.

Tiger practices at Bay Hill

Tiger Woods was out early for a practice round at Bay Hill, where he is a five-time champion. Check out this cool photo slideshow featured on Golf.com.

Just look at the determination in that man's eyes. And for only a practice round!

Dress Sergio at the PLAYERS

Listen up, PGA Tour fans.

You can help decide what defending PLAYERS Championship winner Sergio Garcia wears during the second round of this season's event.

Thankfully, for the sake of those with HD televisions, you can't vote for round two of Garcia's infamous banana look (above) — yellow pants, yellow shirt, yellow hat — at the British Open a few years back.

Seemingly excited for this promotion, Garcia trusts you will not make the same choice he did. Per the Spaniard:

"I trust my fans to pick out a great outfit that will provide good luck for me during the second round. I can't wait to see which outfit wins."

Voting closes on May 6, and according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, fans have the chance to register for a number of sweepstakes prizes from TaylorMade-adidas, including a $3,000 grand prize or a new R9 driver. You can register and vote here.

Below is a screen capture from the PGA Tour's special website, and I must admit I am partial to the red shirt-black pants combination. What do you think?

Goosen back in winner's circle at Copperhead

I have a special place in my golfing background for the Copperhead at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, as my family had long taken Spring Break trips to the resort for golf and warm weather.

I have been fortunate to play the course probably 30 times, and I always love watching the tournament on television to examine where the Professionals are playing in comparison to the shots an amateur like myself would play.

That's why it was especially exciting to watch Retief Goosen win the Transitions Championship on Sunday outside of Tampa, and as Bob Harig writes on ESPN.com, regain confidence with his putter.

The course, as it was described throughout the weekend, is much like a major championship layout with more than 7,000 yards to cover and some of the firmest, brownest, and fastest greens on Tour. With a new sponsor in place in 2009, the course again held its own, with Goosen claiming the winning total of eight under-par.

With narrow fairways and tight, sloping greens, the best ball strikers are usually the winners during the week in Palm Harbor, and that was very much the case on Sunday. With Tiger poised to return and defend his title at the Bay Hill Invitational, it's the more challengers, the merrier for the top players on Tour.

The Players Championship and Augusta are just over the horizon and Major Championship season will have some terrific intrigue with Goosen, Phil Mickelson, and other guys with good track records in the four majors playing so well. I am looking forward to following the Tour coverage this week.

Photo Credit/David Walberg/SI

Blog Challenge — Crazy Videos

YouTube is an absolute sanctuary when it comes to recapturing the magic of athleticism. Here's some of my favorite highlights/crazy videos in the world of sports.

Leave your comments below and be sure to include video links of those you think are worthy enough to join this list.

1. Rick Ankiel's ridiculous cannon against the Rockies (Couldn't find embedded video)

2. Cody Ransom's 60-inch Vertical

3. Kevin Love's full-court shot

4. Tiger Woods' chip at 2006 Masters

5. Mickelson's backflip pitch over a bunker

6. Jordan's original free-throw line dunk

7. Roberto Carlos' insane free kick against France

8. Andy Roddick 155-mph serve

9. Sheldon Brown's hit on Reggie Bush


10. David Tyree's Helmet Catch


11. Kordell Stewart's 75-yard Hail Mary


12. Travis Pastrana Double Backflip at the X Games

(Update) Yang Wins Honda Classic

Y.E. Yang used three birdies on the front nine to help capture his first PGA Tour victory at the Honda Classic on Sunday in Palm Beach Gardens.

Congrats to Yang and back Monday.

Yang, Klauk, Overton in Hunt at Honda Classic

In one of the more unknown final-round leaderboards you will ever see on the PGA Tour, Y.E. Yang tees off in about 15 minutes with a one-shot lead at the Honda Classic on Sunday.

Yang, paired with Jeff Klauk, leads his playing partner and Jeff Overton by one stroke after rounds of 68, 65, and 70 at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens.

I cannot say I am particularly intrigued with this week's final round, as the only real marquee name within shouting distance of the leaders is Rory Mcllroy, who is -2 today and -3 for the tournament, still four shots back after five holes.

With Tiger back at the CA Championship next weekend at Doral, I am, however, beaming with anticipation for the next Tour event which promises to be an awesome field and an exciting event.

Also, with the first major championship approaching rapidly — The Masters — there has never been a time like 2009 to get down to Augusta. Tickets are cheaper with the current state of the economy and even a practice round is worth attending, in my opinion.

Back tomorrow with thoughts from Sunday's final round and the upcoming week at the Blue Monster.

Photo Courtesy/Getty Images

Good read on Rory Mcllroy

There is a pretty solid read on Golf.com today about 19-year-old Irish phenom Rory Mcllroy, who played his first event on the PGA Tour at last weekend's WGC Accenture Match Play Championships.

As arguably the finest young professional in the world, Mcllroy has captivated not only fans in his home country, but older European professionals like Sergio Garcia. Once a young, strapping, occasionally unique young player — i.e. Dave Schwartz's story about Garcia at the 1999 PGA Championship, as well as his ever-annoying re-gripping habits — Garcia sees a lot of charisma and even a little of himself in Mcllroy. Per the AP Story:

"He's what I was ten years ago," Garcia said.

Perhaps the best anecdote in the story is that Mcllroy kept Tiger Woods' 1997 scorecard from the Masters on his bedroom wall growing up as an amateur. Its been well-publicized that Woods kept the legendary Jack Nicklaus' records on his wall as a child and in that way, Mcllroy has been emulating the game's current greatest for years.

Mcllroy will likely never approach 14 or even Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships, for that matter, but he is clearly establishing himself as a tremendous young talent.

It will be fun to watch him emerge as a worldwide contender and climb the rankings over the course of this season and years to come.

Also, if you are looking for more good storywriting, check out Bob Harig's latest edition of birdies and bogeys in which he discusses Ernie Els' and his son's ongoing battle with autism.

Titleist, Callaway fight legal battles

This is somewhat irrelevant to the PGA Tour's weekly goings-on at the Honda Classic, but SI is reporting today that corporate giants Acushnet (The maker of Titleist) and Callaway Golf have filed separate lawsuits over golf ball patents.

Via Golf.com:

Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, announced on Tuesday that it is suing Callaway Golf for infringing on nine patents related to multi-piece, solid-core golf ball technologies. Callaway also announced a new patent-infringement lawsuit against Acushnet, claiming the new 2009 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x use patented Callaway technology.

If either were convicted of improper use of the competitor's ball patents, the winner could expect an extremely large quantity of cash awarded and deliver a key research and development blow in a difficult economy for the sport of golf.

Ogilvy stamps title as World's best in Match Play

Geoff Ogilvy won his second Accenture WGC Match Play Championship in four years Sunday, defeating Englishman Paul Casey 4&3 to earn the title as the World's best in golf's most unique format.

In a week where Tiger Woods made headlines by returning to the PGA Tour, Ogilvy proved not the main attraction, but instead the main man in the Arizona desert by clinching the 33-hole victory.

Summing his consistently dominant performance, Ogilvy led the final 62 holes he played in the event and didn't card a bogey in the final 57 he played. That, my friends, is winning golf.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I had the chance to meet Ogilvy earlier this year during the week of the Mercedes Championships, which he went on to win days later. He was leaving a restaurant in Maui as myself, my father, a family friend, and Adam Scott's caddie, Tony Navarro, were entering for dinner.

Recognizing Navarro, he stopped, introduced himself to us, and shared a brief hello with our group. Even with family, he made time to ask where we were from and just seemed like an extremely personable, genuine guy.

I told him I was from Iowa and he asked what college I went to. I told him the University of Iowa, and without hesitation, he asked me about the Drake-Iowa basketball game in which the Hawkeyes were clobbered in Des Moines this season.

Said he had a friend in Iowa (Hawk fan) who was completely wrecked after the game and I was basically baffled in a "such a small world"-type moment that obviously haven't forgotten.

A UI student in Maui talking to Geoff Ogilvy before the first PGA Tournament of the year and all he wants to talk about is Iowa-Drake basketball. For every self-absorbed Reggie Jackson in professional sports, there is an Ogilvy and I was happy when he got another win today.

Some guys (Tiger) are machine-like during tournament week, down to the numbered balls they play and what they eat for breakfast before the round. Truth is, they were all just regular people at one time or another and it was refreshing to just meet and shake hands with him.

Back with more later this week from an expectedly Tiger-free Tour at the Honda Classic.

Photo Courtesy/Robert Vulch/SI