Sergio Cracks Under Playoff Pressure, WD's From Boston

The intensity of the algorithms, resets and overall immensity of the Playoffs got to Sergio Garcia as he withdrew from next week's Deutsche Bank Championship under the vast weight of the...wait?  What did you say?

Oh, it's to rest for the Ryder Cup? Well why not! He could win this week and next. Then there is a reset of the points before the final event that helps ensure more algorithm madness anyway. So why not take a week off?

Jim McCabe reports.

“Everybody knows how important the Ryder Cup is for me and I want to be fully fit there,” Garcia told PGA Tour officials after shooting 3-under 68 to get into a share of the second-round lead with Nick Watney at The Barclays. “I need to take a week off somewhere.”

How refreshing. He's passing up a chance to make money to be ready for a free appearance week at the Ryder Cup. Keep this up Sergio and we might start to really, really like you!

Where's Privacy When You Need It Files: Some Poor Hotel Manager Spent Friday Night Running Around Trying To Get Tiger A Firmer Mattress

Tiger docked his yacht at Kiawah for the PGA but didn't have Privacy shipped up to New York for this week's event at Bethpage, even though he had it there for the '09 U.S. Open and--even more startling--this is the Playoffs(C)! He's getting careless in his old age.

Hank Gola on Tiger's wrenched back caused by a soft mattress.

“There’s a difference between being in pain and injured,” Woods said afterward when asked about ’08. “This is just a little bit of pain. That was an injury.”

Woods blamed the soft bed in his hotel room — he said he’d be sleeping on the floor Friday night — for his back woes.

“Must have slept funny on it,” he said. “Woke up this morning with it stiff. You know, as I warmed up, it got progressively worse, and then you saw what happened on the golf course. It hurt all day.”

Actually, Wood played his best golf after the back got worse. He began with back-to-back bogeys but made three out of four birdies beginning on No. 4 and added another on the back nine on No. 14. That came just a hole after the hill got him as he walked into the bunker on the 13th.

Jim McCabe found the performance impressive in light of his ballstriking stats.

Time after time, Woods was shown wincing, though the agony didn’t translate into misery. Woods matched his Round 1 stats – 9 of 14 fairways and 13 greens in regulation – and played bogey-free for the final 16 holes.

One of his biggest winces came at the par-4 10th. The pain was so bad that he walked slowly into a tent next to the tee where players can collect snacks, fruits and drinks. Woods stayed there for nearly a minute before proceeding to walk to his drive some 322 yards away.

That’s right. In pain, he unloaded it 322 yards, one hole after driving it 310, and a few holes before toasting it out there at 311 and 315.

Finally An iPhone Swing Recording Device That Frees You From Relying On Unreliable Friends Or Other Range Rats

John Strege with a review of what looks to be the solution to the problem of letting friends record your swing in shaky, incompetent fashion.

It's the CamCaddy and it's $37.95.

My only question as someone who uses iSwing to record, which won't work with this device because it requires manually recording when the swing starts.

What do you use for the best slow motion and playback?

Scottish Gov Rep Reiterates Call On End To Male-Only Clubs

They've said it before and post-Augusta, they've made the call again, this time from Shona Robison, the Minister for Sport. From an unbylined Star story:

"The First Minister is on record in saying that all clubs should be open to women members but then there is nothing we can do to force them," said Robison.

"However the direction of travel now is clearly to admit both men and women members and hopefully we will see an end to not allowing women to become members."

Golf Digest's 50 Most Fun Courses

I don't usually get too excited about a new list but Golf Digest's 50 Most Fun is one that could actually have a positive impact on the game. It never hurts given I've only been associated with two courses that were created and built from scratch working with Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, to see Rustic Canyon (#30) and The Horse Course at Prairie Club (#10!) making the 50 Most Fun publics.

Peter Finch explains the thought process for the 50 Most Fun in the September Golf Digest, and there is a slideshow of the diverse group of courses selected. (As an aside for architecture geeks, there is also a recent Joann Dost aerial shot of Cypress Point showing the restored fairway bunkers on the 17th hole.)

The 50 Most Fun Privates, the 50 Most Fun Publics, and the most fun of Great Britain and Ireland.

Captain Olazabal: Padraig Needs "At least" A Win

From a European Tour story, European Captain Jose Maria Olazabal reacting to Padraig Harrington's opening 64 at The Barclays.

Olazábal was reminded that two weeks ago he said Harrington needed to do something extraordinary to make the side.

So what now constitutes extraordinary? "At least a win," Olazábal replied with a smile.

Considering the chemistry these two have, Americans should be pulling for Padraig to win this week!

The Reset Cup Has Arrived!

Sadly, I'm almost sure Tiger Woods meant his FedExCup comments Wednesday as a subtle insult, yet I'm guessing a few Ponte Vedra algorithm programmers cancelled their Cialis refills after reading this today.

Ryan Lavner posts the quote on GolfChannel.com:

“Right now, we’re all playing for position going into the reset at the Tour Championship,” Woods told reporters in his pre-tournament news conference Wednesday at The Barclays. “Before it was just trying to accumulate whatever you can and keep it rolling. Now, you’re playing for a reset, and then anything can happen.”

Playing for a reset. Goosebumps!

“To hold otherwise would be to turn federal judges into referees for a game in which they have no place, and about which they know little.”

Thanks to reader Jim for noticing Judge Sam Sparks' ruling in the Lance Armstrong case, as quoted in Juliet Macur's story.

USGA legal might want to take note of this:

Judge Sam Sparks of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, in Austin, who acknowledged that the case had “troubling aspects,” said that the United States courts should not be involved because the antidoping agency’s arbitration rules were robust enough to deal with the matter. He also said Armstrong had agreed to be governed by those rules when he signed for his cycling license.

“Federal courts should not interfere with an amateur sports organization’s disciplinary procedures unless the organization shows wanton disregard for its rules, to the immediate and irreparable harm of a plaintiff, where the plaintiff has no other available remedy,” Sparks said in his ruling. “To hold otherwise would be to turn federal judges into referees for a game in which they have no place, and about which they know little.”

A PDF of the entire ruling is here.

Lawyers and those who think they are, thoughts?

Sergio On Padraig: "He wouldn’t be a sure pick for me!”

Brian Keogh with a terrifically entertaining look at the bad blood between European Captain Jose Maria Olazabal that appears to pale compared to the general dislike Sergio Garcia has for the Irishman dating to the '07 Open and '08 PGA losses. Padraig Harrington shares the feeling.

Though Sergio at least is honest in his assessment of Harrington's chances to make the Ryder Cup team as a Captain's pick.

“I don’t think he’s a sure pick personally. He wouldn’t be a sure pick for me!”