"This is a big deal not just for Augusta State but for the city of Augusta, Ga."

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It's a shame the NCAA golf championships aren't televised, because after reading Ron Balicki and Ryan Herrington's game stories and watching the Golfweek highlight reel, it looks like the match play format would make good television. Especially when Augusta State and it's well-spoken mix of American and European players knocks off big, bad Oklahoma State.
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Isn't It Great Having Jack In The Booth?

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CBS's normal nap-inducing telecast has been livened up by Jack Nicklaus's presence during the Memorial final round. Naturally I loved his snide remark about the golf ball not going any longer after Phil Mickelson drove the 14th, but I couldn't tell if Nick Faldo was needling Jack or simply obvious when he brought up Seve and the Champions exhibition at St. Andrews. Thoughts?
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"Ridiculous"

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I'm still trying to understand Paul Lawrie's eight-putt and whether it was induced by a faulty hole location at Celtic Manor (thanks reader Brian for this).

A sixth birdie of the day was his hope at that point, but after splashing out 20 yards past the flag his first putt rolled off into a hollow.

He needed three attempts to get back up, then from 20 feet beyond the cup he putted back down the slope and took three more from there.

"Ridiculous," he said after signing for a 74 and making plans to fly home to Aberdeen. Asked if the blame lay with him or the pin placing the 41-year-old replied: "Bit of both.

"I hit the first putt about a foot out. When you do that from 60 feet and you end up where I was then that's a bit silly."

John Wooden, R.I.P.

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He didn't play much golf later in his life, but as we learned last year Coach Wooden accomplished an incredibly rare feat during his Indiana golfing days.

Cliff Schrock interviewed the Coach for the April, 2010 Golf Digest. And I can attest to his fascination with the game, as he always asked about my game and I know from one chat that he was particularly fascinated by Tiger Woods.

The lengthy L.A. Times obituary by Bill Dwyre and David Wharton is here.**

**This was the only way to read the remarkable piece of work by Dwyre and Wharton for many LA Times subscribers since Wooden passed away at 6:30 p.m., past the printing deadline for the Times, which has to make room on its own presses for the Saturday Wall Street Journal printing.

"He knew when to quit."

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I'm not really sure where to begin with the goldmine of material Brett Avery has pieced together for a Jack Nicklaus oral history in this week's Golf World, but I have to say that the below quote caught my eye. It may provide us with a little bit of context in better understanding why Nicklaus may be sincere in his stance of not returning to St. Andrews for this year's Champions exhibition.
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