July 14th, 2007
Tolliver leads celebrities in Tahoe
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — Billy Joe Tolliver followed consecutive bogeys with a 25-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to take the first-round lead at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe on Friday.

10 To Forget
1. Bellerive

Angry Ballesteros denies suicide attempt
Seve Ballesteros officially denied attempting suicide last month following reports that he had overdosed on pills after being admitted to a hospital.

July 13th, 2007
Bryant wins U.S. Senior Open as Watson fades again
Tom Watson gave as Whistling Straits took away. In the end, Brad Bryant was left with the biggest moment of his career …

Pitcher-turned-pro Rhoden to swing with celebs at Lake Tahoe
Last week, Rick Rhoden was playing in the U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, alongside Ben Crenshaw. This week, …

July 13th, 2007
Choi wins Woods’ inaugural tourney at Congressional
K.J. Choi of South Korea likes being called "The Tank," because he’s a methodical golfer, always marching forward to the next …

Hawaiian golf phenom Fujikawa turning pro at age 16
Tadd Fujikawa, the 16-year-old who became the youngest player in more than 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour, said Thursday …

Se Ri Pak off to great start at Jamie Farr Classic
Se Ri Pak isn’t sure why she plays so well at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Everyone else in the field wonders what her …

July 12th, 2007
Tiger’s teacher helping kids at S.C. academy
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Hank Haney was eager to meet his new students at the International Junior Golf Academy and hoped they wanted to get to know a little about him. Instead, he got peppered with questions about his most famous pupil.

Jim Engh’s Colorado
Architect Jim Engh has single-handedly raised the bar for golf in Colorado, from the ultra-exclusive Sanctuary course in Sedalia in 1997 to his most recent effort, Lakota Canyon Ranch in New Castle, which has already cracked Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play. His design philosophy is simple: He wants you to have fun. And you will. His imaginative courses combine visual beauty and unpredictable quirkiness. Here are a handful of Engh’s Colorado tracks that will make your next trip to the mountains a real blast.

Johnson finds little comfort at John Deere
SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Masters champion Zach Johnson couldn’t settle in at home, shooting a 1-under 70 and falling six strokes off the lead through the first round of the John Deere Classic on Thursday.

Monty wins, but is he washed up?
(AP) — This is no time for Colin Montgomerie to get excited about Carnoustie.

Take my clubs…please!
Don, great talking to you. Whoknew you were even still alive?

July 11th, 2007
The Pepper Mill
The U.S. Open should get with the restof major-championship golf and do everything possible toditch the 18-hole Monday playoff. Among majors, the men’sU.S. Open is the final holdout, as this year the Women’s Openhad a three-hole playoff in place similar to the one used by theSenior Open.

Hot? Monty. Not? Tiger’s Putter.
Hot

July 11th, 2007
Ask Travelin’ Joe
If you need travel directions, zip him an e-mail at askjoe@golf.com.

Host With The Most
If you’re ever in the area," a fan told Phil Mickelson last Friday,"I’d love to show you the State Department." To which the world’ssecond-ranked golfer, who was seven over par after two rounds ofthe inaugural AT&T National in Bethesda, Md., could have replied,"Well, I’m free this weekend."

Swing Vote
In May the Wall Street Journal asked me to reviewJohn Feinstein’s new golfbook, Inside Q School: Talesfrom Golf’s Fifth Major, and Ithought, Why not? I had readand liked several of Feinstein’sbooks and, like many golfers, Ienjoy reading about the gamealmost as much as playing it.

The Big One That Got Away (Again)
He stood there last Saturday like a carving on a mythical Mount Watson, poised at the upper end of the 6th fairway at Whistling Straits, studying the green below whiledeciphering his next shot in the U.S. Senior Open. From aspectator’s vantage point below, Tom Watson looked heroic,like George Washington crossing the Delaware. At least onephotographer thought so too, because the moment was splashed across the frontof the Sunday sports section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, under the headlinelonely at the top.

Long Slog
As the old joke goes, Scotland has only two seasons: winter and July 21. Anyone who tried to watch sports from the U.K. last week saw weather that was not only cool but also wet. Wimbledon faced near-recorddelays, and to complete play,officials at the European tour’sSmurfit Kappa Open had toalter the course. Things havenot been much better at Carnoustie,in Scotland. The weatherhas been so cold and wet thatstarting in early June the clubrequired players to hit off matsbecause it could not be sure divotswould regrow in time for theOpen; on July 2 the course wasshut down. The forecast for thedays leading up to the event isbetter but not great. The area isexpecting occasional showersand passing thunderstorms, buttemperatures probably won’treach 70 . There is one brightspot: The third round of theOpen is scheduled for July 21.

July 10th, 2007
Golf makes patriotic return to D.C., courtesy of Tiger
It took an ex-president to steal the spotlight from Tiger Woods.George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara caught up with Woods’ group …

Woods plays waiting game with Congressional
It’s hard to imagine Tiger Woods would have to audition for anything connected to golf, but that’s what he did last weekend at …

July 10th, 2007
Though invitation only, National still feels inclusive
Rich Beem and Brad Faxon expressed concern about adding another limited field event to the schedule when the tournament was announced …

Golf makes patriotic return to D.C., courtesy of Tiger
It took an ex-president to steal the spotlight from Tiger Woods.George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara caught up with Woods’ group …

July 9th, 2007
A real throwback
Few years ago the cover of theprogram for the Tour event atColonial Country Club in Fort Worthfeatured a photo of Ben Hoganleaning on a club with that enigmaticlook on his face, but the most noticeable thingabout it was the gap between his nicotine-stainedmiddle and index finger where his cigaretteshould have been. I like to think of Hogan tossinghis Gallaher’s Blue to the ground as he set up overthe ball — grip and posture by Leonardo da Vinci,and the last wisp of smoke trailing from hisnostrils as he began his takeaway.

Ask Rules Guy
DEAR RULES GUY: Myopponent and I were in agreenside bunker. He hit first, andthe shower of sand from his swingcovered my ball. I dusted off thesand, but he cried foul and mademe replace the grains on my ball.What’s your take? — Stanley M., via e-mail
