Let's Talk about...Golf

We've touched on baseball, football, basketball, hockey, even tennis...and we will get to college football I promise. But there has yet to be a time that we focus on the simple game of white ball...starting out 400 yards a way with a tiny white ball, 13 sticks, and with the goal of putting that white ball in a tiny hole every inch (and for most of us, sometimes more) than 400 yards away.

Ok, that was a nice easy, walk in the park, lead in...let's get down to something nasty.

The US Open is coming up faster than you think. On June 14th, Geoff Ogilvy, yes, that Geoff Ogilvy, will begin his defense of the US Open Championship, this year with a purse of almost $7 million. The US Open is one of my favorite sporting events to watch. Why you may ask?

I pretty much don't have any loyalty to any PGA Tour player. Jeff Sluman used to live down the street from me and still is neighbors with my parents and he used to give me sweet Polo stuff...but let's face it, I don't know if he's really going to be in contention this year. I'm just kind of sick of Tiger and his views..."I only want to win majors." Me too Tiger. Thanks for pointing that out. And the worst day of my sporting career was when Phil Mickelson won his first major. I know he's the crowd favorite...but I don't know why. He's a total sap. After blowing numerous leads and opportunities I can just hear him talking to Jim Nantz..."Well, you know Jim, I just tried to be aggressive out there today and the shots just didn't fall for me. I gave it my all, and Tiger just made the shots and I didn't. This is just such a great tournament and I am honored to have played here. My time will come." Shut, up.

Love it.
When Phil Mickelson won the Masters, he was no longer known to me as the greatest loser in sports history. What's up Michelle Kwan...how's that Olympic gold feeling? Didn't think so. The only reason I like watching Phil is for the chance to see Amy on screen...yeah, you probably still have that SI Swimsuit Issue...

The main reason I enjoy the US Open is that who I root for normally wins: the course. I root for the highest scores possible. I love bogeys, I love quads...they make me happy. Birdies? Get um outta here. I want thick rough, I want frustrated players, and I want the winner to play Even-Par golf. Why? That's the way the course was meant to be played! I want to see a winner scavenge for par after driving into thick rough, lay up short on a par four and have to make a 10 footer for par. That's what I'm talking about. And I want to see Phil putting it in the drink...with a drink in my hand.

I know it's early, but I'm taking Adam Scott to win it all. He played decent at the TPC Sawgrass, which isn't the 5th major, so stop calling it that. He's kind of that next big star waiting in the wings...and I think this is the year he will break into the big guys. Vijay has also been quietly playing well recently and never count out my favorite Europeans...just like Jose Maria Olazabal can always win at Augusta...Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen can always win a US Open. Colin Montegomery cannot.

Just because I am picking Adam Scott to win doesn't mean I am going to root for him. I mean, if he does, there will be a nice post on the blog about how right I was, how smart I am, blah blah...but keep in mind I did pick Mike Weir to win the Masters in '03. I have proof if you want to see it. No, I won't be rooting for Scott, I will be rooting for Oakmont...its trees, its rough, its sand, and most of all its water. I hope Phil runs out of balls, since Callaway is the only one who provides him with them.

Lefty doesn't want anything

to do with Isuro "The Kamikaze" Tanaka.