Dangerous Liaisons

Dangerous Liaisons by Norman Chad of the Washington Post:

It's every man's nightmare: Pulling out of your own driveway, you hit a fire hydrant and 37 mistresses drop out of the sky. Tiger Woods's private flings have become public fodder. He is taking an "indefinite break" from golf, but he carries on. Here now, "A Day in the Life of Tiger Woods":

6:10 a.m.: Wakes up, gets dressed and goes home.

6:45: Breakfast at Perkins Restaurant. Tips waitress $250 on a $16.75 bill.

8:13: Calls Las Vegas banks, sees if anyone has tried to cash one of those oversize golf checks.

8:52: Five-year supply of Gillette razors mysteriously has been dumped into guest bathroom.

9:07: Cancels lunch date with David Duchovny.

10:28: Switches cellphone service from "family plan" to "unlimited night and weekend mistress minutes."

11:14: Takes Jesper Parnevik off Christmas card list.

11:56: Finishes monthly column for Golf Digest on unplayable lies.

12:03 p.m.: Picks up rental tux for "Cablinasian Father of the Year" banquet.

1:43: Sees if Hank Haney's got any bright ideas.

2:38: Nike calls back, tells him it will not replace the golf club.

3:00: Oprah!

4:02: On off chance he has no other plans, books New Year's Eve trip to Caesars Palace.

4:18: Faxes Dick Ebersol questions NBC can ask him during February's WGC-Match Play Championship.

4:37: Denies published report that he cheated on AT&T with T-Mobile.

5:05: Leaves Post-it note on refrigerator, asking Elin to still pick up Sunday golf shirts at cleaners.

5:22: What's a good texting translation for "prophylactics"?

5:30: Watches "Around the Horn" on mute.

6:06: Picks up snacks for book club.

6:22: Sets up TiVo to record Dr. Drew on VH1.

6:28: Orders "Porn Star Brides" from Netflix.

7:13: Shoots 61 on Wii golf.

8:44: Barkley and MJ won't answer their pagers.

9:19: Just for the heck of it, googles "sex in a church parking lot."

10:31: Sends flowers to Rachel.

10:32: Sends flowers to Jamiee.

10:33: Sends flowers to Kalika.

10:34: Sends flowers to Jamie.

10:35: Sends flowers to Mindy.

10:36: Sends flowers to Cori.

10:37: Sends flowers to Holly.

10:38: Sends flowers to Joslyn.

10:39: Buys 25,000 shares of FTD stock on Ameritrade.

11:26: Notices that Elin has "Tiger-proofed" master bedroom.

11:58: Double-checks prenup to see if it has "lothario loophole."

2:25 a.m.: E-mails Windermere Public Works and asks if it can remove that hydrant.

Playboy Hefner weighs in on Tiger

Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine has now spoken up in the wake of Tiger Wood's extra-marital activities.

Hefner spoke with Fox News and had the following comments.

"I don't approve of it. I just was not surprised by it," Hefner said. "The reason that I wasn't surprised is that he’s traveling the world. He's a handsome, young guy and beautiful ladies are throwing themselves at him. You never know the circumstances of a personal relationship or a marriage and how well it worked and I think that the immorality of infidelity is the lie. It isn't really the sex. It's the cheating."

On whether or not athletes such as Woods should stay single?

"It's an individual decision, it works for some people," he responded. “I was married for eight years and was faithful to it the entire time. And, I certainly had plenty of temptations. But, was I happier then? No," he said laughing, "I wasn't."

Hefner, now 83, made the comments while at a book signing with his three girlfriends.

Crazy world we live in for some people:

Hugh Hefner: age 83, three girlfriends about 6 decades younger than him.

Tiger Woods: age 33, married, approximately 16 girlfriends

Steve Williams calls out ESPN's Reilly

Tiger Wood's long-time caddie Steve Williams has vehemently denied any knowledge of Wood's extra marital activities and infidelity.

"I had no knowledge of what Tiger's indiscretion was," Williams said. "What people fail to realize is I just work for Tiger Woods. I live in New Zealand, I travel to and from New Zealand to caddie for Tiger Woods. Whilst I am a very good friend of his, I don't know what he does off the course.

"When he is not competing, I am back in New Zealand. I have no knowledge of what he is doing. Yes, I talk to him on the phone, ask him how his practice is going, how he is hitting the ball, how his family is, but I don't know what he is doing, just like he doesn't know what I am doing."

Rick Reilly, ESPN writer, recently wrote an article stating that Woods needs to fire everyone around him, including caddie Williams, because he had to of known Woods was having affairs.

“I am a straight-up sort of person," Williams said. I tell it like it is. Last year, at the same particular point of time, is when I had the confrontation with Phil Mickleson. I didn’t lie about it. I called the guy a prick. I never said I didn’t call him a prick. I never denied one word of what I said. I had no knowledge of what Tiger’s indiscretion was. And for Rick Reilly to turn around and say that I am a liar and there is no way I couldn’t know – and that I should be fired – that is sensational journalism at its height right there. I am an honest person. I had no knowledge of what was going on with Tiger. If I did, I would say I did.”

Williams has been on the bag for 13 out of his 14 major championships and has stated that Woods would be the last player that he will ever caddie for.

I tend to believe Williams. He doesn't seem like a guy that would lie.

Although I did think the same thing about Tiger, so who knows?

More Tiger cartoons

Tiger taking indefinite leave from golf

Tiger's statement:

I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

Where in the world is Tiger?

Tiger hasn't been seen on camera in quite awhile now. No pictures from TMZ, National Enquirer, or anyone else that is stalking him.

If I was him, I'd probably buy an island in the middle of nowhere, go there, and meditate for about two years.


The last two weeks have probably been a living hell for him so it makes you wonder where he could be.

I guess if you have a billion dollars, you can go anywhere you want to get away from the madness.

A great suggestion would be taking a golf break in Spain. Spain has a great deal of quality golf courses to choose from and almost always has phenomenal sunny weather along the Mediterranean coastline.

The most highly rated golf location in Spain is Villaitana Wellness Golf Resort with two 18 hole golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The Levante course is the championship layout and is widely regarded as one of the country's most challenging tests. The course offers a great deal of risk/reward options tailored by the Golden Bear. Aggressive play will be rewarded if the shot is pulled off correctly while mistakes will certainly be costly.

The 7, 297 yard layout features generous fairways that favor long hitters. The large greens are receptive and maintained to the highest standards.


More on golf breaks in Spain

Other locations Tiger may be:

Golf at Pebble Beach
Golf in Vegas
Golf in Scotland
Golf in Panama
Golf in Sicily
Golf in England
Golf in South America

Unbelievable

In lighter Tiger news

Bar Refaeli, SI swimsuit model, has officially NOT been linked to Tiger Woods.

WTF

The Tiger saga continues................ and it's giving me a migraine.

Tiger Wood's mother in law was rushed to the hospital early this morning after a 911 call was placed from Woods home.

CNN Story

Notes from Q-School

The drama is finally over for the guys going through Q-School and the PGA Tour will see some new faces starting in 2010. The top 25 made it and the magic number to get in was 9 under par.

Troy Merritt won at 22 under par.

Rickie Fowler, 20 year old rising star, continued his great play as of late and is now a full fledged member of the PGA Tour. He finished at 11 under.

Full leaderboard

The heartbreak of the day had to go to Tom Pernice, Jr. At 10 under, he needed just a bogey on the 18th to secure his card. Unfortunately, he hit his tee shot into the water, then hit his third into the greenside bunker, from which he hit it to about 6 feet, only to miss the putt on the right edge. Devastating to end with a double bogey and miss by one shot.

David Duval, former number player in the world, finished at one over par and failed to secure his card in his first attempt at Q-School.

Whitlock sums it up on Tiger

AP / Rob Griffith

Read Jason Whitlock's article on Tiger Woods and the media.

I could not agree more, especially when he grills idiots such as Rick Reilly and Jay Mariotti.

Golf News

Since there is NOTHING going on in the golf world right now, here are some updates:



Ian Poulter and Zach Johnson lead after round one at the Chevron World Challenge.
Full scores and photos

John Daly shot a first round 72 at the Australian Open which included six bogeys, four birdies, and and eagle. He hasn't lost his fashion sense in his return to action.

Troy Merritt is leading Q-school after two rounds at 10 under par. Rickie Fowler is only three shots back at seven under par.
Full leaderboard

Tiger apologizes

From Tigerwoods.com

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

New Agassi book explains what a "tennis parent" really is

I just got finished reading Andre Agassi's new book titled "Open" and although this is not golf related, you can compare Agassi's childhood to golf stars with overbearing parents.

The closest example I can think of when it comes to golf would be Sean O'Hair's father.

Here is a quick summary of Agassi's childhood:

• His father drove Agassi's three older siblings so hard, they all quit tennis, leaving Andre, the youngest, as the last hope in the family to become a top professional
• His father built a backyard tennis court himself
• His father had a specially made tennis ball machine shoot balls at 110 miles per hour to Andre, who was age 7
  
• Starting at age 7, his father made him hit 2500 balls a day because it would equal out to approximately 1 million balls per year
  
• Agassi was a phenom, betting against adults and winning money as a kid
• At age 9, Agassi won a bet against Jim Brown, beating him 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Agassi's father tried to make the bet 10k in cash, his entire savings, before Brown changed the bet to $500
  
• Agassi was sent to Bollettieri tennis academy at age 12, which he hated with a passion
• Agassi dropped out of school in 9th grade and turned pro at age 16
  

This book was very enlightening to what Agassi was forced to go through as a child and for much of his life. It takes him from being a phenom to hitting rock bottom, and then rising back up to become number 1 in the world.

Great read. Highly recommended for sports fans.

Tiger Speaks

Statement from TigerWoods.com

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.

This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.

This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

Black Friday

Throughout his career, Tiger has never been in the news for anything negative other than cursing or throwing clubs.

As everyone knows, he was involved in a car crash early Friday and unfortunately, there are lot of unusual details.

Who knows what is true and what is not true at this point.

I'm not going to go the National Enquirer route on this but if you're interested in various theories go here:

Wei under par
Waggleroom

Personally, as a huge Tiger fan, I hope he's fine and none of these rumors are true.

Happy Thanksgiving

With the 2009 season about over, there are just a few more notable events to watch out for.

The Tiger World Challenge in December.
Q School.

2009 PGA Tour: What could have been

There were a lot of great moments throughout the 2009 season, and there were even more what if and what could have been moments.

• Kenny Perry could have won the Masters had he not bogeyed the final two holes in regulation.
• Phil Mickelson could have won the Masters and could have had one of the most famous final rounds in history after shooting 30 on the front nine. His double bogey on 12 cost him that shot.
  
• Mickelson could have won the U.S. Open in heroic style with his wife going through cancer.
  
• David Duval could have comeback from nowhere to win the U.S. Open. An unfortunate plugged lie that led to a triple bogey early in his final round really hurt his chances.
  
• Tom Watson, 59 years old, could have been the oldest player ever to win the British Open before a heartbreaking bogey on the final hole sent him to a playoff against Stewart Cink.
  
• Tiger Woods was in contention at both the Masters and U.S. Open. Poor ball striking at the Masters and terrible putting at the U.S. Open killed his chances.
  
• Tiger Woods could have won the PGA Championship for the 5th time before being stunned by Y.E. Yang. This was the first time Tiger ever lost a major with the lead going into the final round.

Looking back on it, the major winners very well could have been something like this.

Masters: Phil Mickelson
U.S. Open: David Duval
British Open: Tom Watson
PGA: Tiger Woods

Nothing Major

I recently received the book Nothing Major from Bob Cayne, who has been involved with golf for over six decades.

Bob has been the General Chairman of the World Championship of Women's golf, organized and promoted PGA Senior Tour events and the Women's Western Amateur Championship, co-hosted the weekly radio show "Talking Golf" and served as marketing consultant to several golf industry clients.

He has compiled a great deal of humorous and interesting stories about himself, his friends, and the many famous PGA and LPGA Professionals he met along the way. The book is a quick read and provides a lot of old school golf stories that were nice to learn.

Here are a few of the radio spots he used to promote his show.

"This is Chi Chi Rodriguez. Every Saturday morning I tune into my radio with "Talking Golf" with George Sweda and Bob Cayne. Then I go out and hit golf balls until the show is over.

This is Raymond Floyd. I used to think the worst thing I could hear was "You've missed the cut." Then I heard "Talking Golf" with George Sweda and Bob Cayne.

Order your copy today at Nothing Major.

New book

Win a free copy at Armchair Golf Blog.

News and Notes

• Tiger won the Australian Open for his first tournament victory ever down under. He also had another first when he flung his driver into the gallery. It would be interesting to see if the various tours publicly reported fines for throwing clubs and cursing, etc. Tiger would be in first place in another category.
  
• Michelle Wie finally got her first win which is great news for the LPGA Tour. This will give her a lot of confidence and momentum moving to the Tour Championship this week and for 2010.
  
• David Duval lost his card but should be fine anyway. He still has exemptions into the Masters and U.S. Open and will get hooked up through the connections he has made over the past decade.
  
• Rich Beem spent his time at the 19th hole after his final round at Disney sweating out making the top 125. According to Golf.com reports, he took down a couple beers and shots to relieve the stress. He made it though so he is good for 2010.
  
• Tom Watson, coming off his performance at the British Open at Turnberry, has been given a 5 year exemption to play in the tournament. We will see him in 2010 at St. Andrews.
• Rory Mcllroy has announced he will play the PGA tour in 2010. Look for him to have a huge season and possibly hit top 5 in the world.
  

Big winners of the week

Wie gets first LPGA victory in Mexico.

Tiger wins the gold jacket in Australia.


Wie photo - AP / Miguel Tovar
Woods photo - AP / Rob Griffith

In non related Tiger news......

Anthony Kim won a million bucks at the Kiwi Challenge in New Zealand by beating Sean O'Hair in a playoff. Hunter Mahan placed third and Camillo Villegas fourth in the tournament for players under 30.


The final round of the Fall series kicks off Thursday at Disney giving the players one final shot to secure their card for next year. David Duval is right on the bubble, and unfortunately shot 76 in the first round which jeopardizes his chances immensely. Definitely amazing that he was so close to winning the U.S. Open this year and still might not secure his card for next year.

Center of Attention

In shocking and surprising golf news, Tiger Woods is the center of attention at the JB Were Masters in Australia.

AP photos / Rob Griffith

So far, it's been a typical week for Tiger.

• 3 million dollar appearance fee
• attending gala dinners
• having TV network helicopters swarm overhead during his practice rounds
• having the entire tournament sold out
• having every hole he plays surrounded by spectators
• shooting an opening round 66 to be tied for the lead

This round goes to Mickelson

It wasn't the showdown that everyone was hoping for, but it was interesting to say the least. Both Mickelson and Tiger made some serious miscues in the final round of the HSBC World Golf Championship in Shanghai that they don't normally make.

Phil missed a few short putts, had a really bad 3-putt, was wayward with the driver for most of the the day, and even whiffed a flop shot. He did make a great par save on 16 and a nice birdie on 17 to seal the tournament. He finished with a final round 69 and ended up at 17 under.


Tiger missed several short putts, had a really bad 3-putt as well, yanked an iron into the water, hit a fairway bunker shot with a plugged lie about five feet, and chunked a flop shot into a bunker. He was four over through seven but was able to make five birdies from there to finish with an even par round of 72, good enough for 6th place at 12 under.

The nerves must have gotten to them all. In one five minute stretch, Els dumped his 5 wood into the middle of the lake on 18. On hole 16, Watney hit a very poor chip from the rough, Mickelson whiffed his flop, and Woods chunked his flop into a bunker. Amazing to see the top players in the world all hit poor shots like that in a row.

Regardless, it was still an exiting tournament to watch. Mickelson ends his 2009 season on a high note with his fourth win. Tiger will be taking his game to the Australian Masters starting on Thursday in Melbourne.

It's almost a certainty that these two will be going head to head a lot in 2010.

2009 HSBC World Golf Championship - Full photo galleries and recap

AP Photos / Andy Wong

Chinese checkers then golf

The HSBC in Shanghai kicks off Thursday with Tiger and Phil together in Asia for the first time.The field has 15 of the top 20 in the world rankings and should be a great tournament.

More photos from Shanghai - AP / Eugene Hoshiko

Drugs officially enter the golf world

When the news broke about Andre Agassi doing Meth during his career, I thought of posting about when drugs would become an issue in golf. Wouldn't you know it, we now officially have our first player suspended.

Doug Barron, who I've never heard of, has been suspended one year for violating the PGA Tour's substance abuse policy by testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Under their policy, the tour does not disclose what substance the player abused which is stupid. Not sure why it should be a big secret.


Barron, a 30 year old journeyman who has played eight full seasons on tour, had this to say about the suspension. "I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the tour of its players resulting from my suspension. I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour."

Not quite sure what other reasons there would be to take performance enhancers and his statement sound very similar to other athletes who have been caught such as:

Barry Bonds

Sean Merriman

Marion Jones

Floyd Landis


It will be very interesting to see if the Tour makes the drug policy even stricter with more testing now that one person has been caught. Gary Player did call it a few years ago when he said some players were using.

Happy Halloween

What is scary about golf?

Bears


Crocodiles


Black Mambas - read why

Holiday Gift Ideas - 20% Discount

It's that time of year again, so if you're looking for a holiday gift for the avid golfer, here are two options with a 20% discount provided.

Golf Record Book full description

Stat Book and Log for Golfers full description


Discount Code: 20WhoL20

Type in the code at checkout at WWW.THE20THHOLE.COM to receive the discount.

Happy Holidays!

What to look for this week

World Match Play Championships:
Anthony Kim dominates Goosen and Casey on day one and he may end up playing Allenby. That would be an interesting scenario.


Singapore Open:
Poulter leads by one over Els and three over Phil. Can Phil keep up the momentum from his Tour Championship win and his 4-0-1 record at the Presidents Cup?


Viking Classic:
One player to watch is David Duval as he's 125th on money list and needs a strong finish to secure his card. Rickie Fowler might secure his card in only his 3rd professional start. John Daly makes his return which always provides some type of story, for better or worse.

Golf in Spain

Spain is an ideal golfing destination due to the excellent weather and geographic diversity. There are a number of fantastic courses throughout the country and more continue to be developed as the popularity of golf grows there. Golf in Spain offers a tremendous variety including courses set under the 9000 foot Pyrenees as well as the consistent good weather of the southern coasts and islands.

One of the top golfing resorts to visit in Spain is the La Manga Las Lomas Village. It has been voted European golfing resort of the year many times, strongly in part to three top notch championship courses it consists of. The resort features the South, North, and West courses with the South being the premiere layout. The par 73 was redesigned by Arnold Palmer in the early 90s and frequently hosts prestigious regional and national events.

La Manga also features a golf academy which runs regular competitions that guests can enter. Once the golf is finished, the resort also has a casino for the gamblers and a nearby beach. It doesn't get much better than golf, gambling, and soaking up rays at the beach.

Read about the different golfing regions in Spain.

Sergio Garcia, Spain's most popular player, is currently playing in the World Match Play Championships in Casares, Spain. He lost his first match to Oliver Wilson of England and then halved his second match with Australian Robert Allenby.

After almost winning both the 2008 British Open and PGA Championship before losing to Padraig Harrington, Garcia has struggled since and didn't contend in any majors in 2009. He had a difficult year both on and off the golf course, and looks to rebound for a strong 2010.

Garcia photo credit - AP / Manu Fernandez

Bogey Pro Golf Gear and Apparel

Amusing website : BogeyPro.com

Frys.com Open

Cool shot of Tom Lehman at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. (AP / Matt York)

Day One update and slideshow from the Frys.com Open
Day Two update and slideshow from the Frys.com Open

Barkley gives advice to Kim?

Charles Barkley seems to be pretty cool and he's definitely an entertaining personality, especially for people witnessing his golf swing. I'm just not sure why a 45 year old guy who recently got out of jail for DWI and is absolutely atrocious at golf is giving advice about drinking to a 24 year old who hasn't got in trouble (yet) and is one of the best players in the world.

From Golf.com

"I have become friends with Anthony Kim and I was talking to him the other day trying to tell him: Let this B.S. with Robert Allenby go. Nothing good is going to happen if you all are going back-and-forth. The one thing that I will say about Tiger is that when we go out, he can drink. He drinks but he never drinks when he has got a tournament. So I think you distinguish those two. If we are just going to Vegas to screw around or we are just going around, he might have a couple of beers or something. If he has got a tournament, he does not drink. .... You can have fun when you are off: Ok, I got a tournament this week. Tiger won’t even do caffeine the week of a tournament. He thought that it screwed up his putting stroke. You know how sometimes caffeine has got you jittery? I mean just simple stuff like that."


I'm sure he is just trying to help out AK and his statements are very interesting about Tiger. The part about no caffeine during tournament weeks makes a lot of sense. If you've ever drank a lot of coffee or soda on the course, or smoked cigarettes while playing, you know it can cause some jitters and shaking.

Golf and Gambling

With the Shriners Hospital for Children Open currently going on in Las Vegas, it seems to be a good time to discuss golf and gambling. For many golfers, the two go hand in hand and makes the game more fun while adding additional pressure. There are many different games that golfers can play and betting amounts can be either very small or very large.

Here are a few of the top games to play while betting on the golf course.

NASSAU
A Nassau consists of three bets in one round. You will play your opponent for low round on the front nine, low round on the back nine, and low round overall. For instance, if you are playing a $10 dollar Nassau, and you win all three bets, you win $30.

WOLF
Wolf is a game played with groups of four, and players rotate being the wolf. The Wolf tees off first. Then once the other 3 players hit their tee shots, the wolf can choose who he wants to be partner with for the hole. Or, if he wants to risk more and play against 3 players for the hole, he can do that as well. In some versions of the game, if the wolf chooses to go it alone, he will have to howl like a wolf on the tee.

SNAKE
Snake is a game played on the course that only involves putting. For instance, for any putt your opponent has on the green, especially a long putt (or snake), you can hiss like a snake to initiate the bet. Then, if your opponent 3 putts he owes you money. If he 2 putts, you owe him money. This makes putting a lot more stressful, but the hissing part makes it hilarious.


BARKIE
A barkie is a bet involving a player hitting a tree. If any player hits a tree on a hole but still makes par, the rest of the group owes him or her money.

SANDIE
A sandie is similar to a barkie. If any player gets up and down for par out of the sand, the other players owe him or her money.

There are many other ways to bet on the golf course such as skins games, match play, closest to the hole on par 3s, or paying players for birdies or eagles. Golf is already fun enough but adding games and side action raises the stakes even more.

For people who love both golf and gambling, traveling for golf in Las Vegas is the perfect choice.

For further reading, check out this casino guide.

What did we learn at the 2009 Presidents Cup?

AK feels Robert Allenby may need to practice a little more in the future. (AP / Marcio Sanchez)

• The United States has now become a very formidable threat in team events. They have a record of 6-1-1 in Presidents Cups and currently hold the Ryder Cup. It will be very interesting to see the U.S. take on the Internationals in Australia in 2011, hopefully with Fred Couples and Greg Normans as captains again.
• Tiger is Tiger
• Phil's game is in tip top shape heading into 2010. Johnny Miller called Phil "the best player in the world" and says next year could be his best year ever.
  
• Steve Stricker is becoming a ridiculous player, especially when he gets the putter rolling. Tiger called Stricker's Saturday afternoon round one of the best putting performances he'd ever seen.
• Who knows if Michael Jordan did anything to really help Sean O'Hair, but regardless, O'Hair played great and destroyed Ernie Els. Not quite sure anyway why O'Hair really needs any help as he's one of the best players in the world now.
• Ryo Ishikawa was the most exciting player to watch on the International team.
• Adam Scott's performance was, to put it mildly, not so good.
  
• The most amusing aspect had to be the comments made by Robert Allenby, when he called Anthony Kim a "loose cannon" and "the new John Daly", after getting drubbed by the American 5 and 3. Even more amusing was Kim's response, when he said "If he feels that way, maybe he should practice more."Good early controversy for 2011 when the cup will be played in Australia.
  

President Cup Photos

Tiger Woods photo gallery

Stars and celebrities at the Presidents Cup

Michael Jordan Photo Gallery

Closing ceremony and final photos from Cup

Sunday singles matches photo gallery

Saturday four-ball and alternate shot photo gallery

Friday four-ball photo gallery

Thursday alternate shot photo gallery

United States team profile photo gallery

International Team profile photo gallery

Day two pairings and tee times at the Presidents Cup

Ryo Ishikawa (AP Marcio Sanchez)

Friday tee times

Four-ball matches (best ball)

1:55 p.m. ET – Mickelson-Leonard (US) vs. Goosen-Scott

2:07 p.m. ET – Furyk-Kim (US) vs. Els-Weir

2:19 p.m. ET – Perry-O'Hair (US) vs. Ishikawa-Yang

2:31 p.m. ET – Glover-Cink (US) vs. Singh-Clark

2:43 p.m. ET – Johnson-Mahan (US) vs. Allenby-Villegas

2:55 p.m. ET – Woods-Stricker (US) vs. Ogilvy-Cabrera

Day One Pairings

(AP / Eric Risberg)

Tiger looks ready to play and ready to stop answering questions.

Day One Pairings:

MATCH 1

Anthony Kim / Phil Mickelson (USA) vs. Mike Weir / Tim Clark (International)

MATCH 2

Hunter Mahan / Sean O'Hair (USA) vs. Adam Scott / Ernie Els (International)

MATCH 3

Lucas Glover / Stewart Cink (USA) vs. Vijay Singh / Robert Allenby (International)

MATCH 4

Kenny Perry / Zach Johnson (USA) vs. Angel Cabrera / Camilo Villegas (International)

MATCH 5

Tiger Woods / Steve Stricker (USA) vs. Geoff Ogilvy / Ryo Ishikawa (International)

MATCH 6

Jim Furyk / Justin Leonard (USA) vs. Y.E. Yang / Retief Goosen (International)

Questions abound at the Presidents Cup

There are many questions and great story lines for this years Presidents Cup.

Which captain style will work out better?
Laid back Fred Couples or more highly energized Greg Norman.

How will Adam Scott play?
He's had one of his worst years ever, he's been in the spotlight more for surfing and starlets, and was the most controversial selection on either team.


How will Ryo Ishikawa play?
At 18, he's the youngest to ever play in a Presidents Cup.


Will Michael Jordan help the U.S. team?
Jordan was named assistant captain, but so far has been getting more headlines for smoking too many cigars on the course.

Will Vijay look yippy with the putter?
How will the greens hold up after being damaged?
Will there be any controversial pairings or strategies?
Who will be the U.S. team ping pong champion?
Will Tiger smack Phil across the face with a ping pong paddle?
Will there be a blow out or will it come down to the singles matches Sunday?
How many players will Johnny Miller grill during the weekend?

AP Photo Credits
Norman and Couples - Jeff Chiu
Ryo Ishikawa - Eric Risberg
Adam Scott - Marcio Sanchez
Michael Jordan - Marcio Sanchez