The Four-Day, Single Pro-Am Partner Event Not-Played-At-The-Classic-Club-Effect: Phil Returns To Desert

Bones, get ready to remember a new pro-am partner's name every day! For Immediate Release:

Two-time event champion Phil Mickelson commits to play Humana Challenge
 
Immensely popular Southern California native and four-time major winner
 has an enviable record in the Coachella Valley
 
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner of the Humana Challenge and the leading all-time money winner in the event, has committed to play in an event where he has enjoyed immense success -- the 2012 Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
 
Set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May, Mickelson is the second Hall of Fame selection to enter the Humana Challenge field. Greg Norman, winner of two British Opens and captain of the International Team at the last two Presidents Cups, also committed to his first Humana Challenge since 1986.
 
“I’m honored to join President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the Humana Challenge,” Mickelson said. “I admire President Clinton and the charitable work of his Foundation, which helps millions of people around the world, and I applaud him for joining Humana in using the tournament to help promote health and wellness. Some of my best seasons have come after starting at this event and I’m really excited about coming back again.”

Whew: Johnny To Get Tampa Week Off For Burdening Himself With A Kapalua Trip, Working With Sir Nick

I've been wondering how NBC convinced Johnny Miller to make his way over to Kapalua for a lowly Golf Channel telecast when he already works so many grueling weeks a year (eight?). Sure enough, Doug Ferguson reports that Transitions Championship chokers need not worry about being heckled from the booth.

Miller said the plan is for him to skip the Transitions Championship outside Tampa, Fla., to be replaced by Tampa-resident Gary Koch.

Jim Huber Tribute Video

Very nice video remembrance on PGA.com.

FedExCup To Be Mired In Algorithm Hell For The Foreseeable Future

Doug Ferguson reports that the Ponte Vedra's permutations pundits have been running the numbers and by golly, the beleaguered points system doesn't get any better no matter how many times they try to rejig things.

PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said even though FedEx Cup points will start being awarded this week at the Tournament of Champions, changes could be made at the next policy board meeting in March, though "I would say that's unlikely."

The formula has been working well for the most part. The reward for a strong regular season is a high seeding going into the playoffs, which translates to better odds of reaching the Tour Championship. And there's still plenty of volatility for a high finish in the playoff events, as Reavie showed last year and Laird did in 2010.

Points are worth five times as much in the playoffs. Votaw said tour officials looked at how the standings would be if points were only tripled, or quadrupled, and didn't see anything worth changing.

"Going down to four [times the points] doesn't change a whole lot. We don't think going down to three changes much," Votaw said. "There has to be some premium on funneling down to the playoffs. The whole question of volatility has been a vexing one from the start. But we think the last three years have been good."

Volatility was evident all the way to the end last year. Bill Haas narrowly got into the Tour Championship as the No. 25 seed, then won the $10 million bonus by winning the Tour Championship with most of the top players in the standings faltering.

Jim Huber Tribute And Recent Interview

Steve Eubanks pays tribute to the late, great Jim Huber.

When Augusta National built its new driving range, he gave me a tour, pointing out every feature like a teenager showing off a new car. “You’ve got to see the new television compound,” he said. When I assured him that I did not, he said, “No, really, it’s the most incredible thing you’ll ever see: state of the art and they make it look like it’s been here a hundred years.”

It was no wonder Augusta National had Jim write and narrate their video essays. The guy could make a satellite plug-in sound like the greatest invention since the titanium driver.

Thankfully, I was able to return a small favor by encouraging him and answering questions during his foray into literature. His book, “Four Days in July,” about the 2009 British Open reads the way Jim lived: heartfelt, kind, and infectiously optimistic.

The majors won’t be the same next year, especially the post-round interview areas where Jim could always lighten the mood. The players will miss him, as will the fans. But his friends, of which I was blessed to me one, will never find another one like him.

Also worth checking out is Jim's great interview with Huber from this summer. You can access it here or check out the embed below: