Backspin - COPIED

• By Mercer Baggs
• Jan 25, 2009 12:00 PM ET

 
???: Bob Hope winner
 
Bob Hope winner
 


 
???: Low scores - stricker or perez.
 
???.
 


 
???: Anthony Kim withdrew from the 50th Bob Hope due to a sore left shoulder. Kim said in a statement: "We don’t consider my shoulder to be anything too serious, and I don’t expect to miss extended time."
 
But he did miss the Hope. His absence left the field without a top 15 player. The way the top-ranked players treat the first three events of the year, the Tour might as well not start up until after the Super Bowl.
 


 
MEANWHILE ...: The European Tour's Qatar Masters had six of the top 15 players in the world. And for the second straight tournament more world ranking points were handed out to the European winner than the PGA Tour champion.
 
That winner, however, did not come from inside the top 15. Instead it was No. 74 Alvaro Quiros who prevailed in Qatar. Actually, make that No. ??, which is where Mr. Quiros currently resides. It pays to play in Europe – now more than ever.
 


 
???: Ryo Ishikawa accepted an invitation to play in this year's Masters. The 17-year-old Japanese sensation has also accepted exemptions to the Northern Trust Open, the Transitions Championship, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
 
That's Riviera, Innisbrook, Bay Hill and Augusta National. Not a bad quartet of courses for a high school student. Kind of like hanging out with three really cute girls and one super hot one.
 


 
WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?: One week after Colin Montgomerie became the overwhelming betting favorite to be the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal has once again thrown his name into the hat. A captain will be announced this Wednesday.
 
Here's what we'd like to see: Ian Woosnam (again) in his native Wales (2010); Ollie at Medinah (2012); and Monty at Gleneagles, Scotland (2014). We'd also like to see current U.S. captain Corey Pavin grow back his mustache and Golf Channel to hire 6-foot-7 Phil Blackmar to do all interviews with Woosie (5-foot-4) and Pavin (5-foot-8).
 


 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Champions Tour???? ... Seve Ballesteros said test results following his first course of chemotherapy came back “quite good." ... Adams Golf dropped Rory Sabbatini and added Chad Campbell. ... Erik Compton was granted an exemption by the Honda Classic. ... Barack Obama was elected the 44th President.
 
Champions Tour????. ... That's a good start to a long road of recovery. ... Adams got rid of a guy who won't shut up and picked up a guy who won't speak up. ... Compton, who received his third heart last May, will also play this week in Dubai, replacing John Daly. ... Was that on TV? Was too busy watch P90X infomercials.
 
Related Links:

Full Coverage – 50th Bob Hope Classic

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