"It’s the first time Woods has been ranked behind someone younger than him."

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Doug Ferguson offers one noteworthy observation for an otherwise minor story: Tiger's drop to No. 3 in the world ranking.

What’s more noteworthy about the world ranking, however, is it’s the first time Woods has been ranked behind someone younger than him. He turned 35 over the holidays.

Woods has known this day was coming, even when his game appeared untouchable. In time, there would be a player – or players, in this case – younger than him and not as intimidated.

Sure, there was a brief challenge from Sergio Garcia. Adam Scott reached as high as No. 3, and Paul Casey did the same a year later.

Now, the youth brigade is coming in bunches.

Ahead of him in the ranking is Kaymer, the 26-year-old German who won the PGA Championship last year to become the youngest major champion since Woods.

"Because our scatter value on television would go up, and that's why we like to have better ratings, because it is a value proposition."

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Commissioner Tim Finchem took a few minutes from his schedule to visit the Farmers Insurance Open press center. While some scribes were taken by the newsworthiness of several answers, I will contend that it was his concoction of a potentially life-changing b-speakism that should be the lede story.
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Tiger Picks The South Over The North

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At least, that's what Ed Zieralski is reporting in trying to figure out why Tiger's 11 a.m. North Course tee time was changed to the South.

Woods was scheduled to play the North Course at 11 a.m. in the Pro-Am, but has been switched to the South Course.

Word at the tournament was that Woods was very unhappy with his 11 a.m. tee time and the fact he was playing the North Course in the Pro-Am. Tournament officials switched him to the South, moving Charlie Wi to the North. Tee times are given out based on money earned the previous year. Woods finished 68th on the PGA Tour money list in 2010.

And in case you were (most likely) wondering, Mark Soltau explains why Tiger is no longer getting the first spot out in the pro-am.

"Get The Obama Ball."

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(Click image to enlarge)So yesterday I'm walking around soaking up the glorious afternoon at Torrey Pines when I stumble upon a group using pull carts. Naturally, I thought this was a great site at a PGA Tour pro-am instead of folks whizzing around in an EZ-GO. So I stop to watch these fine Americans admiring the ocean from the fourth tee when the professional in the group summons his caddy for his driver.

This esteemed member of the tour proceeds to tee up a ball and hit it from the tee toward the Pacific, oblivious to the notion that there are people on the beach below. Then, just for the why-people-hate-golf files (if littering a public beach with a potentially fatal golf ball on a busy day wasn't enough), I hear the pro-am participants say, "Get the Obama ball." Said pro then hits the pellet toward the sea, this one presumably bearing the President's image.

"You can’t just look at ratings and say the sport has a problem. People who say that don’t know what they’re talking about.”

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Nice reporting by SBJ's Michael Smith and John Ourand on where the tour stands with its television partners (who sound positively giddy) and we learn that the 30% ratings really doesn't mean much. Get our your value-count reference clickers...
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2011 Farmers Insurance Open Scouting Report

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The view from the 5th tee looking toward the North. Brrrr! (Click to enlarge and get really depressed if you live outside of SoCal!)I write to you having donned a sweater as the sun sets and the winter chill finally dropped the temperature below 70 here in La Jolla. But, battling the barely discernable breeze, lush turf and bright sun, I toured parts of Torrey Pines North and South today. I can safely say the courses have never looked better. The combination of heavy December rains, warm weather most of January and the addition of Paul Cushing as superintendent has the place looking remarkable.

A few notes, for what it's worth:

- The greens are stimping just over 12 and they've actually had to slow them down a bit. Staffers were out applying water this afternoon on hot spots, an almost unfathomable notion just a few weeks after the deluge.

Rough on the 5th hole helps accent the artistic bunkering (Click to enlarge at your own peril)- The rough is extremely dense and a solid three inches. You might gravitate to a fairways and greens guy for your fantasy pick this week.

- Even with a few new back tees, the supreme conditioning of the North has it ripe for a super low score. The native push-up soil greens on the North look much smoother than the USGA greens on the South.

- The weather forecast is perfect for the rest of the week, though some possible winds and weekend cooling into the mid-60s with a wind chill making it feel like the low 60s, might mean players will have to keep their sweaters on all day. Again, that's for your fantasy players who have the stat breakdowns on sub-par rounds with sweater versus without.