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Double P Up Bob Hope Down

Bob Hope week is one of the toughest cuts to avoid all year on the PGA Tour. You have to go four rounds, make a ton of birdies and hope for the best to earn a check in the Coachella Valley. Even here at Cut Line we are feeling the pressure.
 

MADE CUT
 
  • Tiger Woods:
    • The man has avoided political minefields almost as ably as he has sidestepped fairway bunkers and water hazards, but last week he changed course a bit and spoke at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration in Washington, D.C.
     
    Although Woods stayed well clear of any hot-button political issues in his speech, instead honoring the military and the families of those who serve, it was encouraging to see someone who wields so much social influence take part in such a historic event.
     
    Besides, as best we can figure, Woods will play Tour golf for five more years and collect his 20 or so major keepsakes before starting his own quest for the White House. A little inside-the-beltway stage time in January is good practice.
     

  • Pat Perez:
    • The Southern Californian once fumed over a headline in a national golf magazine, It said, Why is Pat Perez so angry? Perez seethed. Why am I so angry? Can you believe that?
     
    Truth is, Perez can be a tad angry, but he can also be very good on the golf course and in the community. The former was proven on Wednesday when he opened the 50th Bob Hope Classic with an 11-under 61 which could have easily been a 59. The latter came to mind last year as we walked Torrey Pines, Perezs childhood track, with the players father, Tony.
     
    He is so good with the kids. Its amazing to watch him, said Tony Perez, who runs the Pin Pals project which benefits underprivileged kids in San Diego and Operation: Game On for wounded veterans.
     
    Welcome to the softer side of Double P.
     

    MADE CUT ' DID NOT FINISH (MDF)
     
  • Tadd Fujikawa:
    • OK, so he faded on Sunday with an unsightly 73 to bring his total haul as a professional to $29,237. But you have to cheer the Hawaiian teens Sony Open odyssey regardless of finish or financial gain. The wee player with the whale-sized heart played his way through pre-qualifying, Monday qualifying and more pressure and expectations than should ever be cast on a 17-year-old.
     
    Todd Anderson, Fujikawas Sea Island (Ga.) Resort-based swing coach, said he wanted his pupil to focus on the mini-tours this year to build his confidence and hone his game. Good advice. Lets hope he doesnt follow the lead of that other teen-aged Hawaiian phenom and waste his time chasing sponsor exemptions and more Monday qualifying on Tour. Confidence is a commodity that shouldnt be taken for granted.
     

  • Flight Time:
    • It was a hook, in all honesty. A roping miss that sailed into the light rough ringing the 15th green at PGA Wests Palmer Course, bounced once and trundled some 50 feet into the cup for an unlikely hole-in-one and an unexpected door prize.
     
    Retired electronics manufacturer Andy Goldfarbs tee shot at the 15th was one of 88 strokes the 61-year-old took on Day 1 at the Bob Hope, but it was good enough to earn him a $50,000 credit toward flight time on a private Sentient Jet. Of course, $50K doesnt go real far when the going hourly rate on the companys smallest jet is $2,750. And that doesnt include taxes.
     
    The good news for Goldfarb? Most flights include an in-flight snack and there are no middle seats. The bad news? No word on whether Sentient was going to waive its $100,000 minimum deposit fee for membership.
     

  • Davis Love III:
    • The 20-time Tour winners name appeared on a ballot to chair this years Player Advisory Council opposite circuit quipster Paul Goydos. This years PAC chair ascends to the Tour Policy Board in 2010. Love, a board veteran, would certainly make a welcome return as a decision maker, but given the current economic situation he may want to take a dive in the chairmans race.
     
    They asked me to run for the board again and I said, Jeez, I was on the board when everything was good. Why do I want to be on it now? Everybody will be pointing fingers, Love said last month. I took a year off and look what happened.
     

    MISSED CUT
     
  • Bob Hope Classic officials:
    • Weve covered the last four desert classics, a brief but telling line that stretches from Chad Campbell in 2005 to D.J. Trahan in 08, and still have not fully grasped the temporary lapse that prompted tournament officials to oust George Lopez as tournament host.
     
    The pre-Lopez years had the look and feel of a tournament on life support, while the Lopez era was full of life, A list celebs and a bright future. Officials wisely enlisted the services of Arnold Palmer for this years event, but were still flummoxed by Lopezs ouster.
     
    A well-tread Hope one-liner seems apropos: I was out in the garden all day yesterday. I ironed the lawn, smoothed out the grass, put every blade in its place . . . and I still missed the putt anyway.
     

  • European Ryder Cup captain selection committee II:
    • Seems we wasted a portion of this space last week lamenting the ongoing and convoluted process. Turns out we didnt even have the right cast of characters.
     
    Reports surfaced last week that European stalwart Colin Montgomerie rushed into the frontrunners spot to captain the 2010 team in Wales. Monty would liven up the proceedings, but it must be pointed out that the Scot can be affable or aloof, it all depends on his mood.
     
    Were still confused by the committees indifference to Sandy Lyle, who was described as having, one of the best golf minds in the game, by one longtime associate last week.
     
    Outspoken basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith has a signature line for this: Dont hate the player, hate the game.
     
    Email your thoughts to Rex Hoggard