“This event is even bigger than The Players is in the United States."

Oh Vijay, break out the check book, it's time to give back to the PGA Tour's charity of your choice!

Thanks to Hawkeye for catching this article where Ponte Vedra resident Vijay Singh is talking about the BMW PGA in Europe:

“This event is even bigger than The Players is in the United States. This is a premier event in Europe and whoever wins here has to play good golf. They have made some major changes to the course so you can’t get away with hitting bad shots, and that’s the way it should be.

“The BMW PGA Championship is big and I would like to see a lot more Americans coming over and playing this tournament. I like to play in Europe. I have some good memories here – my son was born here and my career more or less started on The European Tour,” commented Singh on the eve of the first round at Wentworth Club in Surrey.

Players Ratings Up

Good to see the May date was validated...

NBC reported an overnight rating of 3.7 and a 9 share for Sunday's final round, in which Phil Mickelson won his first Players with a closing 69. Mickelson and Sean O'Hair were locked in a battle for the lead until Mickelson took a two-shot lead on the 11th hole, and O'Hair hit two balls in the water at the par-3 17th hole.

The network estimated that the rating equated to more than 4 million households tuned into the telecast at some point during the final round, and more than 8.6 million viewers.

"We're very pleased, especially since there was some unexpected competition from NASCAR, when their race was rained out Saturday. That won't happen every year," said Edward L. Moorhouse, co-chief operating officer of the PGA Tour.

"We also got a big break on the weather, and we had one of our marquee players in a very exciting finish. And some of our other players, such as Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal, playing very well down the stretch. We think all of the changes we made contributed to the high ratings." 

Now Ed, I don't think the Taj Mahal clubhouse added viewers. Then again there were a lot of flatscreens in there tuned to the golf.

Players Pace Of Play

The only place I've seen any discussion of the Players final round pace of play was on golf.com, where Josh Sanburn noted the tepid final day (and check out what the readers think).

But I heard from a few current players that the four hour pace for twosomes was unfathomable just a few years ago. One even relayed this story to put things in perspective: 

Vijay jumped on me at Colonial in 1996 for playing slow. Par time was 3:30 and it was blowing 25 mph, my two-some finished in 3:18. Twelve minutes under par time. I took some heat from Vijay in the locker room after the round, told him to check with our scorer, then take it up with the rules officials, then make sure your scores on your card are accurate, don't be worring about me.

Should Gore-Tex Sue?

Don't know about you, but I didn't see a whole bunch of tee shots running furiously down the TPC Sawgrass fairways or bouncing high off of Pete Dye's greens thanks to that "layer of Gore-Tex" the PGA Tour spent millions to install.

So, has the definition of "fast and firm" simply changed? Or was it simply a failure?

Either way, I don't think the 2007 Players will be remembered for its fiery golf course.

Might this even be a setback for setback for sand-capping fairways? Is that such a bad thing? Have I asked enough questions?

"You are a cute little man, aren't you (laughter)?"

You can't say Phil's press conferences are dull...

 Q. Obviously this is a significant victory for you. Can you talk about how excited you are to be able to take this game and the new swing and all the changes into the majors next month?

PHIL MICKELSON: That's what's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started. This is only week No. 3. I feel like in three months how much am I going to progress? In three years where am I going to be? I've seen an immediate difference in three weeks, and I can't wait for another three weeks to go by and start getting ready for the U.S. Open. And another three or four weeks to go by and get ready for the British. I'm really excited about the direction I'm headed.

Q. Just to follow it up, how much better can you get?

PHIL MICKELSON: You are a cute little man, aren't you (laughter)? I don't know. That's such a good question from a brilliant individual. I don't know (laughter).

I could swear a I heard an "Alan" thrown in after "aren't you?" 

I can't fathom who he could be talking about!

Players Championship Final Round Photo Caption Help, Vol. 2

Courtesy of The Golf Channel, but minus what they're actually thinking. Any mind readers out there?

 

Players Final Round Photo Caption Help

What's the standard bearer thinking? Courtesy of golf.com:

 

Mickelson Slobbers All Over Butch In Players Victory; Smith To Be Put On Nationwide Suicide Watch After Watching Post Round Lovefest

Poor Rick. Poor Adam.

Courtesy of Doug Ferguson's Players Championship game story and mutual admiration society image photo of Phil and Butch from The Golf Channel:

His caddie loosened the flag from the 18th pin as a symbol of victory Sunday at The Players Championship, and Phil Mickelson added a personal touch. After playing one of his tidiest rounds on one of the most intimidating golf courses, Mickelson signed his name at the bottom of the note and handed it to his new swing coach, Butch Harmon. Arms around each other's shoulders, they walked up the hill toward the sprawling clubhouse for the trophy presentation, another sign that Mickelson might be on the rise.

"What's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started," Mickelson said.

"I've never cheated in my whole life. I'd rather shoot 85 than shoot 65 cheating."

Golf.com's Josh Sanburn reports on the latest Tour tiff between Sergio Garcia and Cliff Kresge, though this catch-basin relief-inspired spat is not as sexy as Woods-Sabbatini. The photo is courtesy of Golf Channel's excellent collection from the final round.

A bit of confusion arose when Garcia took relief from a drainage area on the 2nd hole. His playing partner, Cliff Kresge, and Kresge's caddie questioned the drop.

"I've never tried to do anything wrong on a golf course," Garcia said. "If I would have felt at any time that I wasn't taking full relief, I would have called for a ruling and do whatever was right. But I felt like I did and that's all there is to it."

Garcia said it affected his play on the 2nd and 3rd holes and may have even cost him a stroke.

"They were calling me a cheater on that. You never like that. I've never cheated in my whole life. I'd rather shoot 85 than shoot 65 cheating."

He said he finally relaxed toward the 4th or 5th hole. "It probably cost me at least one (stroke). It's fine, but you never know. Maybe I would have not finished the way I finished."

Fifth of Four Majors Watch: All Hell Breaks Loose Edition

Okay, would Tiger do this at a major? I don't think so.

And then John Huggan gets all cynical in the East Lothian Shopper On Sunday, dismantling many of the romantic notions we had fostered this week (well before the Kenny G announcement). 

Real majors have their own identity, they don't copy other majors. They don't start off being the Tournament Players Championship, switch to the Players Championship, then again to the Players, in a feeble effort to sound more like the Masters. Real majors don't have pro-ams, as the Players used to before the PGA Tour noticed that the Masters, US Open and Open manage to get by without shamelessly dipping into the deep corporate pockets of people who can't break 100 on their best days. Real majors don't change their dates because everyone pitches up thinking about the Masters. Only wannabe majors do those things.

And...

Real majors are not run by organisations that claim to have given over $1bn to charity when the reality is that they have done no such thing. Just so you know, it is the tournaments on the PGA Tour that do so much good for those in need, not the Tour itself, a subtle but important distinction.

Oh, one more thing, real majors really don't care how many Fed-Ex Cup points are available for a victory. Or who led the week in the "bounce-back" statistical category. Or who missed most fairways on the right.

10 The bottom line? The Players just isn't a real major. As that master of succinctness, US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, said last week: "It is not a career-defining win." Enough said. Now, can we move on please?

But it was reader JT who had to throw wrench in the whole thing by noticing the subtitle of John Feinstein's new book, where he writes about the fifth major. Only it's Q-School he's calling the fifth of four majors! 

Where's Marty Hackel When You Need Him? Vol. 451

Golf Digest's style editor needs to get his hands on Nathan Green's hat collection so that he can replace those gap-backed one with something providing better sun protection. Or at least outfit Green with some Kiehl's Vital Sun Protection. Anything to lose that Mikael Gorbachev-esque tan spot seen during Saturday's Players Championship third round as he shook hands with Phil Mickelson.

 

Players Excess?

Over at golf.com, they're making sure to take in all of the conspicuous consumption in Ponte Vedra. Alan Shipnuck first:

For starters, it appears that having a flossed-out BMW is as standard for Tour players as a significant other who looks like a cocktail waitress. Vaughn Taylor, Stuart Appleby, Richard S. Johnson, J.B. Holmes, Ian Poulter and Chris DiMarco are among those driving Beemers, with all but Taylor's being souped-up Motorsport editions. Bonus points to Poulter for his sweet M5 with chrome rims and an IAN P vanity plate.

Another popular genre is the macho truck. Vijay Singh drives a hulking black Dodge SRT-10, Hunter Mahan a Ford that looks like the spawn of Big Foot and Peter Lonard a slammed Lincoln Blackwood. The choice of SUVs is also revealing: Camillo Villegas a sleek Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Frank Lickliter a beefy, politically incorrect Hummer H2, Luke Donald a vanilla Escalade.

Best car in the lot? That's easy: Nick Faldo's Maybach.

As for Tiger and Phil, they toed the company line, rolling SUVs from Buick and Ford, respectively. I guess when you've made tens of millions of dollars endorsing car companies, you don't have to show off.

And Michael Bamberger, writing about the perks as well as the cost to stay and play at Sawgrass: 

It's a public course, in a manner of speaking. Not this week - what with the Players Championship clogging up the place - but any other week you can stay at the Ponte Vedra Marriott and play the Stadium Course for $350, which includes your cart, and, get this, your caddie. Tres chic.

The whole thing is about getting the private-club treatment at a semi-public resort course. The new clubhouse is so mammoth that it blocks out the fierce wind for anyone sitting on the veranda. Take the White House, add a few West Wings, top it off with a massive, Spanish, red-tile roof, and you have the new clubhouse. Spiffy.

In the dining room, there's a large fireplace stuffed with faux wood, and above it, an oil painting featuring a scorecard, virgin tees and a bottle of 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon bearing the name Commissioners Private Reserve. There's that word again, private. No half-crushed cans of Miller Lite spoiling this still life.

The Commissioners Private Reserve?  Why haven't I gotten my bottle yet Mr. Commissioner?

So Much For The Gore-Tex?

I walked in late and had other TiVo priorities, so I only caught Johnny Miller's comment about the TPC Sawgrass's much ballyhood "layer of GoreTex" failing on both the fairways and greens.

It is remarkable to see how little roll there is. Did it rain Friday night? Did anyone catch Johnny's exact comment?

Sand Shades?

Did you notice that Tiger's sunglasses were not worn while hitting any tee or fairway shots during round 2? Ah except for bunker shots from the TPC Sawgrass's (ridiculous) blinding white stuff.

Courtesy of golf.com...

 

"I like the new Tiger, as well."

Stephen Ames, you're off the hook!

Tiger, responding to Rory Sabbatini's inexplicably stupid (even for him) comment about Tiger being "more beatable than ever":

Q. Did you have a reaction to what Rory said yesterday about how he thinks you might be more beatable now than ever?

TIGER WOODS: Well, if I remember the quote correctly, he said he likes the new Tiger. I figure I've won 9 out of 12 and I've won three times this year, the same amount he's won in his career. So I like the new Tiger, as well.

Tiger 1, Rory 0.