False Alarm: Woods Just Tweaking His Backup Putter Fleet; Nike Reps Flood Norton Pubs Overnight

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Doug Ferguson tells us Tiger Woods was not mulling a putter change, but instead merely fixing his back up set of Nike putters to his weird grip configuration should his Scotty Cameron (A) accidentally get dragged from the back of Tiger's Buick Enclave, as Dan Jenkins suggested he do, or (B) get dropped in a lake by Stevie.

Woods was only checking the alignment of the grip on his backup putter. He prefers it to be 1 degree to the right, which slightly closes the blade on impact. This grip was too square, and the glue had already dried before Woods could twist it where he wanted it.

He has several backup putters, which hardly anyone ever mentions.

"That's because I haven't needed it," Woods said.

“We got the first one from Staples"

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I guess I'd find this Adam Schupak item on the USGA's scanner/mold groove test doing a better job than the $175,000 machine a lot more cute had the USGA just not cited ended its Colorado Springs-based Fellows Program. (Golf World's Ryan Herrington reported in the September issue the "stagnant economy" as the blame and that the average annual grant give out of $5.2 million will be way down, with a $1 million minimum guaranteed by David Fay.)
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"None of the greats go a career without having a futile moment with the putter."

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There are a couple of worthwhile looks at Tiger's recent putting "woes" of late (wouldn't we all love to putt so poorly). Thanks to reader Joey for Thomas Boswell's take in the Washington Post. Boswell says Tiger has "learned how to lose" and makes an interesting but ultimately hard-to-buy comparison with Jack Nicklaus's career arch.
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The PGA Tour Gets It? Volume...

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...uh, I'll have to go back in the archives, but we do have a growing list of examples that the PGA Tour continues to move in the direction of downplaying rough, emphasizing the recovery shot, setting a proper example for the game and preparing us for a return to more flyer lie-golf in 2010 when groove rules are changed.

Thanks to reader Al for this Ed Sherman item about Cog Hill, site of next week's BMW Championship:

Received a call from Frank Jemsek the other day. He said he heard us speculating on our radio show ("Chicagoland Golf," WSCR-AM 670, 6-8 a.m. Saturday) about the rough the pros will encounter next week for the BMW Championship.

It turns out the rough might be as rough. Mr. Jemsek, the owner and operator of Cog Hill, said the PGA Tour has asked him to leave the rough at No. 4 at the same level of the facility's other three courses.

"That would be about 2 1/2 inches," Mr. Jemsek said.