Brighters Blog

Saturday, June 30, 2007

I'm officially tired of Michelle Wie. I hate jumping up and down on a kid, but this is getting to the point of annoyance. She withdrew again from a tournament because she was playing like crap. Wie's wrist may well be bothering her, but twice now when she posts gigantic numbers she pulls out. That is not professional, nor is it tough.
Let's try this out, Michelle. Do not play until you are fully healed. Take the rest of the year if you have to, but you are destroying your already fragile reputation in the world of golf. Just shut it down now, so that you can avoid this come time for the Women's British Open.
On to the U.S. Women's Open, I don't think Angela Park will make it through this thing. Morgan Pressel and Lorena Ochoa are lurking, so expect either one of them to run this 19-year-old out of the lead.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

U.S. Women's Open this week and I like Karrie Webb.

Now Annika is taking the stance that Michelle Wie can apologize anytime for her disrespectful behavior. Fascinating. I'm getting the feeling that Sorenstam may be waiting a long time. At least til Wie's in her mid-20s.

The PGA and Champions Tours are both adopting drug-testing policies and I still contend these are not necessary. However, I think it will give some within the sport peace of mind, so hooray for that. I do not believe steroids to be a problem in golf. I do believe them to be a problem in the WWE, but that's for another time.

Ok, a guy in Florida goes to get his golf ball out of the pond and an alligator latches on to his arm. Terrifying. Probably would have induced a heart attack if it happens to me. Here's the rub, the alligator had one eye. Is there any way this guy is not nicknamed Chubs from now on? (For the uninformed, Chubs was Carl Weathers in "Happy Gilmore" and he lost his hand to a one-eyed gator.) What made me most angry about this story is that I didn't come up with that joke. My friend Matt Lyon nailed it, so kudos to him.

Now as for my friend and colleague Gerard. He sucks. For those whose memory does not span a week, he had me pick a random guy out of the field for last week's Travelers Championship. That guy happened to be Nick O'Hern. The same Nick O'Hern who took third place for another point for G. I said a real man doesn't accept that point, but he claimed he was thinking of him before that. I think he's a liar who is devoid of a soul. Jealousy on my part.

Gerard Gallagher (37) - Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, George McNeill, Robert Allenby, Troy Matteson, Luke Donald, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, David Toms, Jesper Parnevik, Johan Edfors, Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Phi Mickelson, Davis Love III, Carlos Franco, SCOTT VERPLANK, Geoff Ogilvy, John Rollins, ZACH JOHNSON, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Sean O'Hair, Jim Furyk, Nick O'Hern.

Kevin Currie (22) - David Toms, Davis Love III, Ryan Moore, David Duval, Jeff Quinney, Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby, HENRIK STENSON, Rich Beem, Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Billy Andrade, Sean O'Hair, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Tim Herron, Ernie Els, Brett Quigley.

Mediocrity (10) - Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby, Justin Rose, Mike Weir, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington, Carl Pettersson, Charles Howell III, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Joe Durant, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Bob Estes, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis.

This week's Buick Open

G - Jay Williamson.
KC - Brandt Snedeker - "I've won with two S's before (Stenson/Sabbatini), so hopefully my cold spell will end."
JB - Sean O'Hair - "I'm getting points this week. I feel it."

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

I have a U.S. Open column up on the site already, so check that, but long story short - Cabrera shot a 69 so that means he won, not that Woods and Furyk lost it, although Furyk pulling a driver at 17 was hideous.

Also, I think everyone should calm down on what they think will happen now that Sam Alexis Woods has been brought to the Earth. Let it play out, but my guess is Tiger's game suffers down the line. The major record is still completely attainable, but the time put into the game will go down.

G and I each picked up five points for Furyk's runner-up finish as I have now got two second places in majors. Still trail by a mile.

Gerard Gallagher (36) - Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, George McNeill, Robert Allenby, Troy Matteson, Luke Donald, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, David Toms, Jesper Parnevik, Johan Edfors, Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Phi Mickelson, Davis Love III, Carlos Franco, SCOTT VERPLANK, Geoff Ogilvy, John Rollins, ZACH JOHNSON, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Sean O'Hair, Jim Furyk.


Kevin Currie (22) - David Toms, Davis Love III, Ryan Moore, David Duval, Jeff Quinney, Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby, HENRIK STENSON, Rich Beem, Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Billy Andrade, Sean O'Hair, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Tim Herron, Ernie Els.

Mediocrity (10) - Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby, Justin Rose, Mike Weir, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington, Carl Pettersson, Charles Howell III, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Joe Durant, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Bob Estes, Jim Furyk.

Let's explain how G has come to his selection this week. Here is the text message he sent me in the afternoon on Wednesday. Admittedly, I needed to do the blog earlier this week than normal, but here's what G said:

"Close your eyes, run your finger over the field and wherever it stops, that's my pick, as long as I haven't used him."

This is a perfect combo of him being busy and arrogant and I love it.

G - Nick O'Hern - "Hand to God - or whatever - I was going to say him."
KC - Brett Quigley - "Just a hunch, maybe being back in New England will do something for his game."
JB - Ben Curtis

Friday, June 15, 2007

Some random things from Friday morning of the U.S. Open.

Phil Mickelson flew out of the gate and was two-under on his round. Since, he has gone double-bogey, bogey, bogey, double-bogey and the cut line is in sight. Oakmont taketh away.

Oakmont is amazing right now and I promise you, even-par is the best possible score that could lead after this round.

The leader will be Jose Maria Olazabal. Despite not being in the lead, I thought he played the best on Thursday with a steady diet of pars. Felt the same way about Zach Johnson after Friday at the Masters and look what happened there.

ESPN broadcasters should never be permitted on a course unless playing recreational golf. Not its normal golf team like Turico, North, Rankin and Cratzert, I mean Boomer and Ravech. Boomer has a niche but if I hear Ground Control to David Toms or Paul Casey is at the bat or Ian Poulter is Geist once more, I will throw up. Again, he's got a niche, but not here.

Best part of any USGA event is the steady stream of the commercial with the guy wanting to golf in the rain. Real method acting, kinda like when DeNiro packed on the pounds to play Jake LaMotta. Dude probably went to Julliard, so I shouldn't mock him, but this commercial is always on.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

U.S. Open time and periodically I shall be blogging, but here's the contest.

No one got anything last week, so here we go.

Gerard Gallagher (31) - Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, George McNeill, Robert Allenby, Troy Matteson, Luke Donald, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, David Toms, Jesper Parnevik, Johan Edfors, Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Phi Mickelson, Davis Love III, Carlos Franco, SCOTT VERPLANK, Geoff Ogilvy, John Rollins, ZACH JOHNSON, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Sean O'Hair.

Kevin Currie (22) - David Toms, Davis Love III, Ryan Moore, David Duval, Jeff Quinney, Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby, HENRIK STENSON, Rich Beem, Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Billy Andrade, Sean O'Hair, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods, Tim Herron.

Mediocrity (5) - Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby, Justin Rose, Mike Weir, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington, Carl Pettersson, Charles Howell III, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Joe Durant, Shigeki Maruyama., Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Bob Estes.

G - Jim Furyk
KC - Ernie Els - "Won here in '94 and is finding a good groove with his new Callaway's."
JB - Jim Furyk - "I never liked Gerard."

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

First the Michelle Wie thing. I didn't believe it was a conspiracy that she withdrew to avoid the "88" Rule until today. When I found out she was practicing for the LPGA Championship over the weekend, I am now convinced she withdrew to avoid getting thrown off tour for the season.

This girl is turning into a mess. Wie is resented already because she has been handed so many sponsor's exemptions . Annika spoke out against her this week and she's perfectly within her right to do so. Wie is getting some bad advice in how to handle her career, and I'm looking right at you, dad. Get this girl on the right path. Let her go to Stanford and play occasionally.

As for Butch saying Phil Mickelson will supplant Tiger Woods atop the rankings, I have two things to say. No he won't and shut up, Butch. Your mouth is what got you booted from Team Tiger and Woods would rather eat tree bark then let Mickelson take over No. 1.

I hated using Tiger at the Masters and him not winning. It's better than getting zero points out of him like the two others did last week at the Memorial. Of course, Zach Johnson walked off with strep throat, so I didn't light it on fire.

Gerard Gallagher (31) - Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, George McNeill, Robert Allenby, Troy Matteson, Luke Donald, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, David Toms, Jesper Parnevik, Johan Edfors, Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Phi Mickelson, Davis Love III, Carlos Franco, SCOTT VERPLANK, Geoff Ogilvy, John Rollins, ZACH JOHNSON, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods.

Kevin Currie (22) - David Toms, Davis Love III, Ryan Moore, David Duval, Jeff Quinney, Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby, HENRIK STENSON, Rich Beem, Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Billy Andrade, Sean O'Hair, Shigeki Maruyama, Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, RORY SABBATINI, Tiger Woods

Mediocrity (5) - Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby, Justin Rose, Mike Weir, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington, Carl Pettersson, Charles Howell III, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Joe Durant, Shigeki Maruyama., Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson.

St. Jude Championship

G - Sean O'Hair
KC - Tim Herron
JB - Bob Estes - "Was going to wait until a major to use Estes, but his record here is too good."