Early Thursday thoughts, including some pre-round stuff as I am pouring over "Judging Amy" reruns on TNT.

Dave Pelz was only trying to have his guy's back with his comments in the Chicago Tribune, but how idiotic is it to say something Tiger Woods might use as ammo? The guy is playing as well as he has since 2000 and Pelz gives him bulletin board material by saying Mickelson can't be beaten when he's playing his best.

Remember when Stephen Ames said something about how anything could happen when he played Woods in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play? Woods won 9 & 8 and I felt so bad for Ames I thought about giving him some money. Bad move by Pelz.

Woods and Mickelson are not best friends and they are not acting like it on Thursday. Not that anyone would know.

Seriously, "Judging Amy?" I know TNT can't schedule its broadcast around certain pairings, but let's be real. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are paired together and it's not like the episode of "ER" from the mid-90s is bringing home that big a Nielsen rating.

Anyway, pga.com is doing an awesome job with a podcast that features either the elite grouping of Woods, Mickelson and Geoff Ogilvy (remember him?), or a full broadcast.

The other big story from the first wave Thursday morning (third place goes to a windless, therefore defenseless, Medinah) is Billy Mayfair. At the moment, he is one behind Lucas Glover, who just birdied 18.

Mayfair is 11 days removed from surgery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. I barely got out of bed two weeks after having a wisdom tooth pulled, and this guy is competing for a major title. Awesome.