"I didn't think I had it in me."

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Tim Rosaforte follows up with Erik Compton about his play Monday and about next week. What a contrast to the boneheads who no-showed for the qualifiers.

"Two years ago June 7, I was at my parents house with (wife) Barbara," Compton said. "We had no baby; we didn't know she was pregnant. I was all stapled up, trying to find a comfortable position to lay down in and get up and go to the bathroom. There were staples all down my leg, all down my chest. I was all beat up, man, but I was envisioning what was going on now. It was wild. I was watching the Open at Torrey thinking [about the Open at Pebble]."

What helped were the low expectations based on Compton's 82 on Sunday in the Memorial, and how worn out he felt waking up at 4 a.m. that Monday morning. Disconsolate, he walked off the course with a double bogey and hit balls on the Muirfield Village range until 9 p.m. Sunday night. Quietly he made his fourth cut of the year at the Memorial, but in every case physical fatigue was an issue on the weekend.

After opening with a 69, Compton's tour caddie, Ron "Bambi" Levin had to leave for a commitment with Todd Hamilton at the Memphis St. Jude Classic. Scott Wilke, a massage therapist who had been working on Compton at Muirfield Village, offered to take the bag. Wilke is a member at Springfield CC, and gave Compton a good read on a 50-footer he made for eagle on the 15th hole.

"I think this is a very functional partnership. I hope we can work a deal."

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Don Corleone? Gordon Gekko? Uh, more like Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam pitching themselves to design the Olympic golf course, should the folks in Rio actually even decide to build a new course.

Doug Ferguson reports on the hard sell from Jack and Annika to the IGF:

Nicklaus said one potential site already has been identified. If selected, he said he and Sorenstam would collaborate on the strategy of each hole -- Nicklaus from championship tees for the men, Sorenstam with women in mind.

Boy, I'm giddy already at the possibilities. And just think, they could do it all on the computer screen in Florida!

"I'll be surprised if they don't select us," Nicklaus said. "But I'm sure other people are interested."

Oh the Don issues a strong hint!

If a golf course is to be built, the IGF would pick the architect, but the host committee in Rio would pick up the cost, much like building a stadium or arena for other sports.

Fay confirmed that IGF members -- representing all the major golf organizations -- received the Nicklaus-Sorenstam letter.

"It was a very nice letter," he said. "When you get a letter from two Hall of Famers, that will get a lot of attention. But there definitely will be a process to go through. Sometimes there's a feeling that you don't want to Americanize the process. We've been very respectful of the fact, as we should be, that it is an international game."

As I've said, the smuckering up, politicking and backdoor dealing to design the course will be far more entertaining than the Olympic competition itself. Then again, at 72-holes stroke play, that's not saying much.

Why People Hate Golf Files: Jim Nantz Reciting Sappy Lyrics Editon

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When I saw the tweet about Stephanie Wei's item on Jim Nantz's Memorial call of Justin Rose's win, I figure she was just having a good ole time with Jim. Then I see the video on Deadspin today and all I can say is...I knew I hit mute for a reason. Thank you higher power.

 
I just pity the poor assistant who got the directive from Jim: Google the lyrics for The Rose and do it now!

Prepping For Pebble: Bring Your Amex Card

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Regular readers know I wasn't a fan at the time of the USGA's corporate partnership deals but I have been swooning since 2008 about American Express and the various U.S. Open activities they've added to the fan experience. So naturally, I'm thrilled to see their Course Cast TV's and radios are going to be available again, the best free deal anywhere.