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And for all the cynics perched in Turn 2 awaiting the fiery pile up know this about the slimmed-down Daly, the world quickly became much less accommodating toward his off-course shenanigans and personal, as well as professional, extinction can be a powerful motivator.
Exhibit A is JDs current swing through the Euro Tour. There was a time six-figure appearance fees were hardly enough to get him on a plane to the Continent. Hes touring Europe on his own dime these days. The reclamation project may still be a fashion mess but hes doing just fine on the golf course.
In 2006 Texas officials granted AK a sponsor exemption into what was then a fall afterthought and his tie for second place turned out to be a glimpse of things to come. Kim returned to the event in 07 after a stellar rookie season, but he had to miss last year because of scheduling issues.
After 07 you felt like hed met his obligation, said Tony Piazzi, the CEO and president of the organization that runs the Texas Open. Then he turns around and comes to this years event. Thats cool.
Texas, where Kim is the only top-20 player in the field, is AKs third consecutive start and the beginning of a run that will add up to seven events in eight weeks through the U.S. Open. All of which makes his San Antonio stop-over very cool, indeed.
Missed Cut ' Did not finish (MDF)
Sensitivities aside, Feherty is paid to entertain and does funny better than anyone else in the business. If he takes things a bit too far at times hes earned some freebies. Besides, of all the people wed want muzzled in golf, the Northern Irishman wouldnt even be in our top 100.
Phil Mickelson proved last year that you cant win a U.S. Open without a driver in your bag and, with all due respect to that nuclear 3-wood, Stenson ' by his own admission ' does not have a driver in his bag.
But in dizzying order the sports world has been rocked by more drug scandals in recent days that make Goydos turn at the testing counter at least understandable.
While no one should be surprised that Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez tested positive for a banned substance, further soiling a sport that should simply change its logo to a fully-loaded syringe, but word last week that NASCARs Jeremy Mayfield had tested positive put the Tours testing initiative in perspective.
Before Mayfields gaffe, it was hard to imagine NASCAR drivers testing positive for anything more harmful than Copenhagen snuff and Bud Light. Maybe drug-testing on Tour isnt a bad idea after all.
Missed Cut
If the Tour is serious about dubbing The Players the fifth major, it needs to exempt the event from the 78-player rule. None of the other majors employ a secondary cut and the events new spot in May gives officials plenty of time to get 80, 85 players around the golf course.
The secondary cut impacts the competitive integrity of the event and Aaron Baddeleys Sunday surge proved why the Tour should revisit the rule. The Aussie finished Saturdays round at 2 over, one shot on the right side of the 54-hole cut, charged out early Sunday with a 6-under 66 and finished tied for ninth.
It is a bad rule at the Buick Invitational, but it is a ridiculous rule at The Players Championship, said one manager who, admittedly, had multiple players miss the secondary cut.
Even 2010 European skipper Colin Montgomerie ' who can be easily hushed by a three-putt at the last but hardly ever by a metaphorical three-jack outside the ropes ' was left speechless by the lads take. The Ryder Cup is most definitely not an exhibition. Having played in it, having experienced the emotion and the stress of it, I can assure you of that, Monty said.
David Duval and Hunter Mahan had similar takes on the biennial exhibition, until they felt the weekend heat at Brookline and Valhalla, respectively. Ask Mark Calcavecchia about the exhibition, that in 1991 left him emotionally drained and crying on a South Carolina beach. Trust us young Rory, youll never see that at a Skins Game.
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