How did Justin Leonard make the cut at Arnold Palmer's tourney?

Did he find his groove and shoot a great score to get into contention?
Was it the shoes?
Was he fortunate enough to have the cut move back to +3?
Did Tev let the "real" Justin Leonard out of his basement captivity?

Or was it that fine swing with the big stick?

Leonard In Position to Make Cut

JL battled back with a smooth even par round today. He's a half decent round away from making his first cut of the season.

In other news, there are freeze warnings in hell.

Mickelson: "I'd Hit Driver Again."

Interesting post on espn.com today from Mickelson... you can read it here.

Trade 3/15/07

We had one trade this week. Johnny V. has picked up Brad Faxon and dumped Bob May.

New Feature

I added a link to the sidebar which will take you to all of the updates posted this year called ALL UPDATES. If you are looking for some historical data on how bad your picks are, this is the place to go.

NCAA Pool...

I sent the spreadsheets to Megan, Stevie V., Vic, Jeff and Da Bandit, so check your email InBoxes...

You can fill out as many sheets as you want, just save them as separate spreadsheet files. Don't forget to put your name on each one also.

Anyone Out There Playing Well Yet???

I had another red-letter schizo round today... a not very inspiring 82 which included a pair of doubles, a triple, and two hole outs... one from a bunker for a par, and one flop shot from behind the 18th green for a birdie... the proverbial "keep ya coming back" shot. I seem to have two shots right now... "pretty damned good" and "sweet holy shit, have you ever played this game before." As a great example, on the #1 handicap hole, a bitchy little tight downhill then uphill par 4, about 430 or so that was playing into the wind, I hit a "stinger" 3-wood off the tee (it runs downhill a good bit and you can actually go to0 far if you hit the ball long... for Joel this would be "not an issue.") practically against the 150 post... and then I duck hooked a 7-iron. So... hit it 280, into the wind, with a 3-wood... and then hit your iron shot 30 yards short/left of the green. Nice. That all of my clubs still exist in one piece each is the biggest miracle of all. I was joking that I felt that I could shoot any score from 70 - 90... well, if I play 20 rounds this year, I might just shoot every one. Scratch off 82, 81, 77, and 75 so far. The real question right now is which will come first, the 70 or the 90.

Anyone else playing yet?

UPDATE 3/11/07 - Post PODS Tournament

Sometimes the best moves are the ones we don't make. Offline, Bandit told me he was thinking of dumping Jonathan Byrd... turns out he held at just the right time as Byrd made a decent check and vaulted forward about 40 spots. Gang, Mr. Bandit is completely in the driver's seat right now.

New Tex Can Predict The Future

He sure can. How do I know? He sent me an instant message via the Microsoft IM Network. It read,"Asswhooping".

On Friday morning I took my kids to school and was going to sit down at my desk and check out a few stock charts. That's when I saw the "Asswhooping" prediction. I simply replied by asking if Jesper Parnevik had teed off yet. See, he was making this prediction because at the time, prior to half the field teeing off on Friday. New Tex would have been up a ton of Fed Ex points in our weekly side wager had the tournament been over at that point. He had VJ and Jesper in the top 10 after Thursday's round and my guys were just hanging around the cut line. I guess New Tex had a special feeling down below. No not that one, a different one. One that made him feel an Asswhooping was en-route. HE WAS RIGHT! An Asswhooping occurred. Ol' Shade's here almost beat New Tex 2 to 1 in the FED EX points (1200 to 600) this week.

While our YTD totals are still in New Tex's favor by a pretty good margin, we have learned one thing. New Tex can predict an Asswhooping before it happens.

On another note, Boca Bandit should have gone in on our side wager action. He kicked some serious ass this week and is leading in Fed Ex points.

PGA Tour Fantasy Salary Cap

SirShanksAlot talks about a friend of ours

A guy with a website called "sirshanksalot" wrote a blog about JG and Nike. He then speculates that Cobra would be the best fit for him. JG, I don't really care who you use for equipment. That's obviously up to you. But you would be part of an interesting group of top young guys that are Cobra Tour Professionals, like Camilo Villegas, Geoff Ogilvy, Ian Poultier and JB Holmes. I would recommend against dressing like Villegas and Poultier though.

Get the FPGP on your Yahoo or Google Homepage

Just click the link on the right to add it to your Yahoo or Google homepage. I'll see about adding one for Microsoft too.

Callaway Balls?

I have blogger set up to alert me when someone makes a comment on the blog, which is why I tend to respond quickly. Unfortunately, there is only room for one email address in that blogger settings field, so you guys are screwed... haha. Anyway, I mention this because JG had left some comments down on the 2/25/07 Update post that were far enough back that you may not have noticed. He just asked whether any of us have ever hit Callaway balls, so I thought I'd just repost the thought here and let everyone chime in. I expect a dissertation from Shades.

Me... never. I've pretty much hit Titleists my whole life. I don't like Pro Vs though, as I tend to spin them too much and inconsistently, which messes up my already fragile short game. I typically just hit the NXTs now... they are reasonably priced and pretty consistent and have a "harder" feel to them than the Pro Vs, which I like. Back in the day, I'd hit 100 compression Titleists because I wanted to feel my mishits, so I guess I've always like a harder feeling ball.

Anyone else?
--------
As a side note, I just noticed Jeff's post about that mygolfrecord.com website (this thing lets me know when comments come in, but not new posts... weird). It really is a neat little web site for tracking some basic stats, and it doesn't cost anything. If we are ever going to get an FPGP golf outing together, we'll need to figure out shots, so this could be a good central place for us to enter scores.

NCAA Pool?

If anyone is interested in getting in to a $10 NCAA basketball brackets pool, hit me with an email or comment here... I have a friend running one, and I will distribute the spreadsheet for you to fill in next week.

This Week's Trades

Well, I can see this is going to be chess match between Bandit and I... he intimated that he was going to pull the trigger this week, but alas... he did not. Personally, I am committed to riding the damned Justin Leonard Train for a few more weeks. Anyway... 2 trades.

Tev trades Jim Furyk for Retief Goosen

Stevie V. trades Justin Leonard for Jason Gore

These trades are effective this week.

MyGolfRecord.com

Fellow FPGPers, New Tex and I are putting our golf scores and some of our golf stats on the web for all to view and you can too. Go to www.mygolfrecord.com and set up your free account. You can track your golf stats, show what's in your bag, see your handicap and more. Then once your account is set up add me (Shades) and New Tex (Steve) as friends. Then you will get to see our stats and scores and we can see yours.

Trades Are Comin' In!

My Inbox had two trade requests this morning... since no trade takes effect until the start of the next tourney, I'll keep these little gems to myself until first thing tomorrow (I do not intend on making a trade today). Remember gang, if you want the trade to take effect this week, I need your requests by tonite.

Jeff is a Slacker

Because the old boy hasn't updated the sidebar data during this crucial trade period, I'll send the spreadsheet to anyone who wants to take a look.

UPDATE 3/5/07

Here is this week's update... no changes in the top 3. Krust is starting to sneak up the board, and has cracked into the positive numbers and leading this year's rookie class. He even has Capt. Medical Examption (Jeff) covered. Jeff's score took a bit of a hit this week as the Gossett line moved from 216 to 220. Two of his positive picks are actually in the Gossett Zone right now.

Jeff should have the rest of the data updated and pretty by tonite... you should have all you need to make a trade by tomorrow morning, if you wish to do so. Email me if you have any questions.

293 .... Da Bandit
236 .... Stevie T. / Tex
224 .... Vic / Talon
143 .... Joel / Excal
139 .... Stan the Man
93 .... Johnny V.
4 .... Krust
-11 .... Jeff / Shades
-31 .... Tev
-94 .... Rob / Buzz
-128 .... Stevie V.
-183 .... Timmy D.
-308 ....Murph

There were no changes to our Gossett players this week. By the way, if anyone has Justin Leanord's contact info, I'd appreciate that... yeah... thanks. I need to drive over to Southlake and find out what the hell is going on. That little shit is killing me.

Let The Trading Begin

The Greg Owen Period is now over... the Trading Period begins tomorrow at the conclusion of the Honda. Remember, you can't trade short picks... you also don't have to make a trade this week or any other week for that matter... there is a couple month window, so pull the trigger when/if you are ready.

We'll get an update done tomorrow afternoon/night. Stupid Monday playoff pushes everything back here at FPGP Central.

My Game

Is completely schizophrenic so far this season... today was my third round of the year. My first two rounds have been so-so... 77-81. Today was psychotic... I had 5 birdies but managed to shoot 75. It was pretty much all or nothing out there today... I made the turn in 34 (-2), bogeyed 11 to go back to -1, then birdied 12 to get back to 2 under... and completely collapsed coming in. I really didn't hit the ball that great all day, but the putter was red hot and I never hit into any major trouble... but some swing hiccups finally got the best of me and I bogeyed 5 of the last 6 holes. I am at the point now where I feel like I can shoot anywhere from par to 70-85. Ugh.

Can I trade a guy for a 2nd short guy?

Just wondering even though what I need is 2 or 3 trades.

Big Break VII

Shades reminded me that the Big Break VII was on last night. I've not watched much of this series, but this new season is a "reunion show" that features Shades' pal, Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey. Since it was that or the Oscars, I figured I'd give it a look.

What a joke.

This is what the Golf Channel spews as entertainment for golf fans? First, it is more "reality show" than golf, which makes me sick. Second, it is pretty clear that at least half of the players are flat out no good, or at least not good enough for the grand prize (an exemption on the Nationwide, LPGA, or Champions' Tour, depending on who wins). The show features 16 "players" half men, half women. The first 30 minutes of the show was the drama surrounding who would be partnered with who. Here's a thought... "who the hell cares?" From there, they did three challenges to "seed" the teams. Ok, this was starting to make sense.

Challenge 1 was the "break glass" challenge. They stick a small plate of glass about 20 yards away from a teeing area, and the players needed to hit a shot that would break the glass. I admit, this was cool... because I COULDN'T DO IT. I can't hit the ball that low with control, so I thought this was a neat skill. That said, some of the women actually topped their shots. Ugh.

Challenge 2 was a stinking "closest to the pin" shot from 180 yards. Granted, the wind was pretty strong, but out of 16 players, no one hit what would be an impressive shot. A few of the women flared out woods that were just awful. One of the men hit a damned duck hook with a 4-iron, right into the lumber yard. Shades' friend hit a respectable enough shot to 30 feet... One guy tried to hit a cut driver to be a show-off. I mean, this was a joke. Hell, the old lady hit a full-bore driver and didn't carry a sand trap. If I want to watch an old lady hit a driver 180 yards, I'll just wait until Joel comes down during the Colonial weekend in May. Heyyo!

Challenge 3 was a "lob shot" challenge. The players had to hit their shots from behind some tallish (not tall) wooden structure with a door in the middle (so they could walk through the door to see where the ball ended up... sigh). About 1/3 of the players HIT THE DAMNED DOOR with their shot. Are you kidding me? The best shot was to about 4 feet, hit by one of the women. A lot of them flew way too long. This is "golf entertainment?"

Here's the deal... If I am going to watch golf on TV, I need to watch competition that doesn't look like me, Shades, Joel, and the rest out there slashing around the course. The actual quality of the golf counts. This is why I avoid watching the old men and young women. I am sure all of these players are decent in their own right, but based on what I've seen so far, I can't imagine any of them having a chance of success on any of the Tours they looking to get exemptions into.

UPDATE 2/25/07

Ok folks, here is the first of what will hopefully be weekly updates. As I said, with this week's update the Gossett Rule is being invoked. As you know, the Gossett Rule applies to PGA Tour players who have not earned a dollar on Tour. Those players have as their "money ranking" score the last player on the list, plus one. If you look at the money list here, you'll see that Grant Waite is currently at the bottom of the money list, ranked 215th. Thus, this week any PGA Tour players who have not earned a dollar are ranked 216. Interestingly, these are some of Jeff's best picks.

The players affected by the Gossett Rule are:

Olin Browne
Brad Faxon
Jonathan Kaye
Hank Kuehne
Justin Leanord
Scott McCarron
Craig Perks
Patrick Sheehan

Once these players make a cut (assuming they do) they will be off the Gossett Rule schneid.

On with the rankings... what a shock... Defending champ 'da bandit' is in the lead.

Krust, Tev and World Match Play

Looks like Tev and Krust could gain a few points going into the full weekly scoring updates with Chad Campbell, Trevor Immelman and Geoff Ogilvy in the final 4 of the World Match Play. Krust has the first 2. Meanwhile...All I have going for me is that Gut-check finally made a cut and then proceeded to do his best Eric Axely impression by moving backwards on "moving day". Atta boy Gut-check. Way to match the rest of "Team Shades" play as of late.

WGC Leaderboard?

Does anyone know the link for the match play leaderboard? I can't find it. I have the Cancun leaderboard link up on the sidebar.

Updates, Trades, Gossett...

Starting next week we will try to have an update up after each tourney. With the trade window opening on March 5th, we want to make sure everyone has the most current data available to inform their trading decisions.

Also, beginning with the next update the David Gossett Rule will be in effect. As you know, the Gossett Rule simply states that if a player has not yet made a cent on Tour, their "ranking" will be defined as the lowest currently ranked player plus one. So, let's say that Justin Leanord continues to hit the golf ball like a 12 year old girl and continues to miss cuts and there are 190 players on the PGA Tour Money List... his ranking will be 191. Speaking of which, does anyone have Leanord's address here in Dallas? I'd like to pay him a visit.

Do you know what these are?

It's not as dirty as you think. Click HERE to find out what these are.

JG WD's From Nissan Open

JG or MG, please give us an update. We know the big guy has been struggling the last few weeks. We hope he's ok and it's nothing serious that bothering him.

My only thought is that it must be the pressure of the FPGP on him and it's taking its toll.

WTF?

Who the hell woke up Rocco? He's en fuego.

You're gonna use this guy in your new ad?

UPDATE 2/11/07

Here is a slightly more meaningful update, current through Pebble Beach. There are still a good number of players who are not factoring in yet though, so take this with a grain of salt. That means you, Excal.



Don't worry Krust... still a full season to break though into the positive numbers.

Do you have this guy?

If not, then the 2007 FPGP could be over for you before it even really began. Matt Kuchar started at 241 on the FPGP 2007 money list. Should he complete his Top 10 finish at Pebble Beach, then anyone with Kuchar may well have 200 points by him alone. And that my friends is good news for New Tex, Da Bandit and Vic. Should they finish the 2007 FPGP in in the top 3, one could look at their smart selection of the guy who can't help but always smile, Matt Kuchar.

Hammerin' Hank Kuehne

Not only did I get word from New Tex that Hank could be out of commission until later this year, but this is the news I found on him:

Hank Kuehne, who struggled with back problems last year and had a hip operation during the off-season, has begun dating tennis star Venus Williams. Kuehne was served with divorce papers during last year's Pebble Beach event, five months after the birth of his son, Henry III.

What shit luck for that guy. No not dating Venus, but the divorce papers during and event and back problems to boot. UGH! That might explain his shooting 69 - 76 - 78 back in the 2006 Pebble Beach event.

My only question is where was this information in December, just 2 months ago? It's pretty sad when the FPGP blog is one of the more informative and entertaining sites on the freakin' internet(s). And still, nowhere can you find any information that he will be out until later this year, if anything golf related at all. Even the best golf pubs can't write a story that doesn't in some way include Tiger Woods, and that's not a knock against Tiger but rather golf journalists.

Thanks Veej!

Thanks for that 64 yesterday Vijay... it was just what the doctor ordered... combined with Garrigus' collapse on the back nine, my little weekly fantasy team overcame a huge lead by Shades' team...

All square Shades... 2-2.

-----
Next full FPGP update will be next week...

Dear Axley and Na,

I appreciate you making the cut at the FBR. I really do. But there is no excuse for shooting over par on so-called "moving day" when 95% of the field is under par. I understand that Davis Love III is one of the few of you over par for the day, but that is not an excuse. When you are in your 40's, make a cut and shoot over par on "moving day" as a guy who has won a major, then you might be able to get away with it.

Sincerely,
Shades
FPGP Member

Golf Anyone?

If any of y'all are interested...

Shades is going to come down to Dallas for The Nelson in April, and Excal is coming down in May for The Colonial. If anyone is interested in coming down for the tourneys, watching some great golf, playing some shitty golf, drinking too many beers, and eating too much red meat, let me know... we have more than enough room at the house.

Lefty, say it ain't so square man!

What the hell is that in this tour player's hand. Is Lefty really using the Callaway FT-i SQUARE shaped driver? Does he hit it off the toe and heel that much that he needs the MOI effect to help straighten his shots or it that driver the real deal?

What's in your bag?

I realize it's early in the season for some, but I thought it might be interesting to see what clubs each FPGPer has in their golf bag. For Excalibur, you might want to limit what you list to the names of your putters.

A golf club hitting a lighter

Yes, I do have too much free time.

Found

Phewwww... I just noticed that ol JL is in the field this week for the FBR. After not showing up for the first few events this year, I feared that Tev knew something I didn't (afterall, he shorted Justin).

While panning through the names on the field, I saw Cliff Kresge who was also in the hunt for a little while this past week. FPGP Veterans... remind me... wasn't there some kind of Kresge Controversy in our pool a few years ago? That name always sticks out, and I can't imagine why.

FIRST OFFICIAL UPDATE 1/28/07

Here's your first official update of 2007... Not unlike Tiger Woods, Da Bandit has picked up right where he left off.

Please note that for Tour Players who have not yet earned official money, their points are defaulted to zero. As silly as it is to take much stock in an update this early in the season, it is even more silly to invoke the David Gossett Rule (adding 1 to the last player on the money list for anyone making $0). We typically don't kick the Gossett Rule into effect until the trading season begins.



Let the ball bustin' begin!

Buick Open - South Course

JG, don't worry about your play today (Thursday). Everyone on the South Course put up a big number. You have a "go low" score in you. North Course is just the cure for playing the South Course. Only 4 guys that played the South Course on Thursday were in the top 50 at the end of the day.

Paleo-Tech

I ain't no genius of things aerodynamic, but it's crazy to think with all the wind tunnels in the world the best they could come up with is this block. Looks like they regressed to 1950's Soviet Union, fighter aircraft technology...maybe MIG-6 Fishpot would have been a better name. Am I mistaken, but if you zoom in on the bottom right you can read the pressure treatment rating and a Werehouser stamp. I am sure I saw this baby in Fred Flinstone's bag at Pebble Beach in the Water Buffalo Open sponsored by Slate Quarry Co. He hammer-threw the beeeyatch into the tar pit after a nasty snapper on the 4th hole. Understand I am not picky, I'd work up my own wood and hit it if I could guarantee 280 on the sprinkler line. That club is Rosey O'Donnell ugly...

Golf Action?

How about some (most, all) of us trying to gather for the 2007 annual fall Monkey Hill Classic in New Orleans, which raises money for charity (in honor of my dad). Not trying to raise money here guys. Thankfully, the event has lots of interest and many teams are turned down due to limited slots. It's simply a lot of fun (da Bandit and I haven't missed one yet). The thing is minimally about golf and much more about food (many N.O. restaurants have booths in the parking lot of the bar with free stuff), drinks (free), and music (blues by Luther Kent and his band "Trick Bag" -- one of the best around). There's also a sports memorabilia auction.
At left, da Rodent doesn't threaten the hole; this isn't Augusta folks! Center is Johnny V. with some of the cart personnel after many shots of booze. Last, the booze got to him and he tried to "bunghole" former Saints receiver Eric Martin. He decided to go back to the women.

Who on tour is going to use this?

I am considering the Callaway Square driver called the FT-i, but likely will end up with the FT-5. I just can't imagine hitting something with that different a shape at the end of the a shaft.

JG, have you hit that Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 driver yet?

No Tiger

For those of you partaking in that weekly fantasy golf pool on PGATour.com... Jeff and I are adopting a "No Tiger" rule for the purposes of our year-long wager, as there will never be a tourney in which we won't both take him... if you want to continue "competing" with us on an even playing field, don't take Tiger this week or any other...

Real Update Coming Next Week

I just noticed that Jeff put up an unofficial leaderboard...

Anyway, I was planning to pop one up in a couple weeks, but that won't happen. That Sunday night is the Super Bowl, and I have to go out of town to pick a jury the next day. So, I am going to post an update next week, rather than wait another three weeks. It should get the bullshit started. And, I need to make sure the spreadsheet is making the calculations correctly, so as always, I'd ask that you take a look at the "data" and make sure your team is being tabulated correctly. We were pretty good last year at not making mistakes and people not freaking out when some minor errors were made.

On a different topic...

Has anyone watched the Golf Channel coverage? I spoke with Jeff about it... he likes it, I think it sucks. That putting tracker thing makes me dizzy. I can't believe they are using gimmicks like that.

UNOFFICIAL Leaderboard

I had too much time on my hands this AM so I entered in the data into the worksheet and got an unofficial point total. This should just go to show how useless the data is until after about 6 or 7 events.

Is Duval Ready?

He [David Duval] said earlier this week that he's "played one round, maybe hit 30 balls and that was it," as far as preseason preparation went. Whatever the case, for the first two days of the Hope, at least, Duval is showing signs of being the talented guy we came to know in the latter part of the last decade.

-From ESPN Insider

Field for the Bob Hope

Not only will the FPGP's favorite player, Jason Gore, be in this tournament, but a handful of FPGP picks will take part in this event too. See the list of who's in HERE.

Good Luck JG!

FYI: Updates

I mentioned this in a comment somewhere last week...

We are not going to post updates until the end of the month... the rankings change too fast in the first few weeks, and it is really a waste of time. Anyway, once we get the first one up, we'll do it every other week until we get into the "trading window" and then we'll make sure we get them up weekly.

F'n Wie or F'n Me.

Well, that will be the last time I place a wager on Michelle Wie. Of course, I vowed to stop drinking a few times too.

All Payments Are In...

With the receipt of Robbo's check yesterday, everyone in the pool is paid in full. Actually, Vic paid $120 which means he already knows his picks are so bad he wanted to assure himself of a trade! With the extra $20 in the pot from Vic, assorted discounts for new players, other players paying off sidebets, etc., the total prize pool as of right now is $1310. If everyone makes a trade, the total pool will be over $1500... not bad at all. As always, I continue to encourage side wagers (especially if you get can get action from Shades...) and trash talking (ibid).

Don't expect an update until the end of the month... until most players have a few tourneys under their belts, the standings are too goofy to interpret. I'll probably post the first update around the time of the Pebble Beach tourney, and then go every other week until the trading window, at which point I'll make sure we have weekly updates.

Found: This Article | Missing: Craig Perks

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:47:41
Weeksy Awards, Part 1

This week, with golf news a little light after the end – finally – of Tiger’s Target, I’m going to list off the Weeksy Awards for 2006. Today I’ll focus on the PGA Tour, including the Majors.

Biggest Moment in a Major: Phil Mickelson’s disaster at the U.S. Open. Absolutely stunning. I was standing behind the clubhouse interviewing players as they came off the 18 th and I noticed Amy and the three kids, all neatly dressed, walking out obviously in preparation of an 18 th hole celebration. A few moments later, Amy was quickly hustling the kids back towards the player/family tent. Oops.

Most Surprising Win: Either the backhanded Chris Couch in New Orleans or J.B. Holmes at the FBR Open. Anyone who had either of these two guys in the pool step forward.

Most Impressive Win: No question here. Stephen Ames at the Players. Second place to Tiger at the British.

Biggest Comeback: Either Steve Stricker or John Daly’s fourth wife.

Best Player with a Waist Size under 28: Camillo Villegas. And am I the only one who thinks that funny thing he does to line up his putts looks like a curling delivery?

Most Impressive Winner’s Speech: Jim Furyk, for announcing that he’ll come back to play in the 2007 Canadian Open.

What Ever Happened To?: Jason Gore, Chris Riley, Steve Elkington, Todd Hamilton or Craig Perks.

See I Told You I Was More Than A One-Win Wonder: Ben Curtis, who won twice in 2006.

Over-Rated (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap): Charles Howell III.

Most Disappointing Year: Ernie Els, who at least won the South African Open.

Real Start To The PGA Season (from ESPN Insider)

HONOLULU -- Now this is what I'm talking about!

I joked prior to last week's Mercedes-Benz Championship about needing to carry my 2007 PGA Tour media guide around with me, just to identify some of the champions from the previous year. But in reality, after a day or two at Kapalua, I could pretty easily tell John Senden from Eric Axley, and D.J. Trahan from Will MacKenzie.

So forgive my enthusiasm, but it's nice to arrive at the Sony Open and see some unfamiliar faces -- or at least some that I couldn't recognize right away. Just got back from the practice range and putting green after checking out the likes of Jason Dufner and Paul Sheehan for a few minutes each, which is a golf geek's version of checking out spring training baseball games.

Can't say I saw much in the limited time I was out there that would lead me to say whether some rookie would be a bust or a journeyman is ready for a breakout season. Still, I almost got chills knowing that those stories are out there; we just have to wait for them to develop. (And yes, you can get chills in 82-degree weather.)

Last week was nice, a small gathering of 34 champions from the year before, but this week is a PGA Tour event at its best (though certainly not the best PGA Tour event).

There are 144 players in the field this week. Many you (and I) don't recognize. Some will struggle on tour, fade away and never be heard from again. Others will find success, make names for themselves and become recognizable faces.

I can't wait to find out who's who.

A Wie or Wi little wager

New Texan and I (Shade's) have another side bet going on this week and hopefully into the weekend for me. I have Wie making the cut. I also have Charlie Wi in our other weekly pgatour.com fantasy golf side bet action this week. At first New Tex thought I was trying to pull a fast one on him by having him agree to the Wie bet but then telling him I said Wi, as in Charlie Wi. I figure this might be the best chance Wie has of making a cut on the PGA Tour. Heck, this could be the best chance that Charlie Wi has of making a cut on the PGA Tour as well.

Shades, This Is For Your W(h)ine

In response to Mr. Shades views of our weekly side bet...

1. I am not excited about winning $5. I am excited about winning 40 weeks in a row, at $5 a pop.

2. Your comments are exactly what "making excuses" are. Half my points came from Vijay? Ha! Ok, drop Vijay's 4500 points from my total. I still have you beat!

I love it... one week in, and the smack/trash talk has already hit full stride!

Weekly Side Bet

Looks like I bitch slapped Shades this week... my boys came through for 7909 Fed Ex points to his lowly 2259. Yikes. That's a $5 hole you are in son. I am not looking back either. Good thing you didn't want to do an overall or segment bets.

Da Bandit had a respectible 6511 points. "Bozos" came in with 3866. Which of you guys is "bozos?"

If anyone else wants to join, let me know and I will "invite" you to the league. It is free and kind of fun. You pick 5 players each week with salary cap limits on the picks.

Why Tiger couldn't play in the Mercedes Tournament.

Just another reason I can't pull for Tiger. I have trouble pulling for a guy who plays only 15 events and wins $9 million. Yes, he earned it, but I can't pull for him when he is too busy pushing cars for Buick rather than playing in tournaments that got him that opportunity. If he's not playing a tournament because of his family or is gearing up for a long season with another event in mind, that would be fine. That simply wasn't the case this week, unless he has family in the greater Detroit area.

I want to pull for PGA Golfers that play golf. 15 events is not enough for the top golfer in the world. Tiger is just a rock star that happens to be the best golfer in the world. What a shame for the PGA tour and the game of golf.

I guess if you want to see the greatest golfer in the world, you have to go to the Detroit Auto Show.

From ESPN Golf Insider

Just a few tidbits of useless information.

Holmes on the range: I could just tell J.B. Holmes was in for a tough second round at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Watching the super soph on the range before the day started, I told a fellow scribe that it looked like J.B. was blocking most of his drives to the right and seemed to be struggling with his swing.

Goes to show how much I know. Though Holmes did take a while to warm up, making bogey on his first hole en route to a front-nine even-par 36, he went low on the back with five birdies to finish with a tournament-best (so far) 68 for the day.

Backing out: I was greeted by the AP's Doug Ferguson this morning with a sarcastic, "Good job." Figuring he was blaming me for the torrential rain, I apologized, but he was instead chiding me for putting an apparent hex on Arron Oberholser, the subject of this week's Hot Seat interview.

Turns out Arron suffered a back injury and was forced to withdraw from the Mercedes prior to Friday's second round. At least, he contends it was a back injury. But you and I both know he was too mentally drained from those tough questions to continue competing. Of course.

Rob da "Gambler"

Speaking of betting, and thanks to da Bandit's suggestion, here's a shot of Robbo at Johnny V's Monkey Hill Bar in New Orleans. He's looking at a TV after a triple by Scott Spiezio in the Cardinals-Mets series. Da Rodent was on his way to lose another baseball bet, this one to me! Those wanting some betting action are hereby advised to contact Rob, it's like money in da bank (just ask Joel).

Duffer Award

My first decree ever as Commish... Let's hope the power doesn't get to my head like it did with our Former Commish and his meetings with the so-called "Central Committee". Since we were going to give $100 back to the last place finisher anyway, I think this will be reasonable.

THE DUFFER AWARD - 2007

The FPGPer with the lowest point total at the end of this year will get a "free roll" into next year's FPGP.

So it is written; so it shall be done.

Can Axley make the cut?

Sure he can. There is no cut this week. Gulp!

All Picks Are In...

Robbo made it in just under the gun. Thirteen total players this year, a record high!

I am sending Jeff the spreadsheet so he can adjust our sidebar and whatnot, so you should be able to see everyone's picks in the next day or so. Again, in the interets of transparency in this administration, here are Jeff and my picks:

My Regulars: Dimarco, Els, Furyk, Kuchar, Leanord, Na, Perez
My Shorts: Durant, Wetterich

Jeff's Regulars: Axley, Couch, Gutschewski, Hoffman, Kuehne, Na, O'Hair, Perks
Jeffs Short: Micheel

We have an interesting first time phenomenon (as far as I can remember) this year. Three players were both shorted and picked as regular picks. This could create some intersting fireworks. The players were Wetterich, Axley, and Leanord.

In the original rules, I indicated that if we had 15 players, we'd give $100 back to the last place finisher... the so-called "Duffer Award." We did not meet that number, but I would like to suggest that we institute the Duffer Award anyway, but rather than take $100 out of this prize pool, this year's Duffer just gets a free entry into next year's pool. If anyone has a problem with that, speak up. Otherwise, I am making it so.

Let the games begin!

PGATour.com Fantasy League

I just sent a few of you invites to play on a weekly PGATour.com fantasy league... it is simple to use and easy to understand... for those who are more interested in a "fantasy" experience where you juggle your roster from week to week, this will be a nice addition to our FPGP experience. If anyone else is interested, let me know.

Have You Seen Me?

The Diddler is living up to his nickname... everyone else has their picks in, with the exception of MG's friend. If any of you Floridians have contact with Robbo, get him to turn his picks in!!

Greetings, Happy New Year, Etc.

OK FPGPers, we have most of the picks in now... still waiting on Robbo (what a shock), MG's friend, Stan (who is dutifully working on his picks in the office next to me) and Shade's brother in law. If anyone can scrape up a few more players, that would be great, otherwise I think we will have 12. Not shockingly, Fraser sent me an email indicating that he was not going to join...

In the interest of transparency, I'll post my picks to the blog on Wednesday night. It will take me a little longer to get the others put together in a spreadsheet so that Shades can change the side bar, and I don't want to be accused of cheating...

I thought I'd ring in the new year on the FPGP with a Bobby Knight instructional video. Some bad language (shocking, right?), so if you are at work, turn down the volume.



A class act all the way...

JG Has Some Skills...

Congrats on winning the skills challenge JG... I noticed that you did all the hard work and left that little wedge shot to Marino.

Now that you've got a little extra ching-ching make sure you take the wife out to some place nicer than The Sizzler, and get a "friend" to play the FPGP!

FPGP Open 2007

I am proposing the first ever FPGP Open.

When: April 26-29
Where: Dallas, Texas
Why: Play Golf, Watch Golf and meet the other FPGPers.

Anyone interested? Any suggestions on a better date and location. Florida works for me too.

2007 Rules

Welcome to the FPGP X!!!

Below are the rules for the 2007 version of the FPGP. Veterans, please note there are some changes, as we “discussed” earlier this summer. As always, the rules are posted in a Q&A format.

Do you have an incredibly cool blog that allows FPGPers to view updates, rankings, etc. as well as chide each other on a regular basis?

Yes. All pool information is posted to our blog at http://fpgp.blogspot.com/. This is done to ensure that email InBoxes are not filled with rants and raves about our picks. If you are interested in the chatter, you can go find it; if not, you can ignore it. I suggest everyone gets a blogger ID so they can post comments and blog posts, as this was a great source of fun in 2006.

How much is the entrance fee?

The same amount as always, $100 US dollars (no inflation in the FPGP!). It's a small price to pay for a year of fun and aggravation. Further, veterans of the FPGP will receive a $10 discount for each new player they get to enter the pool. The goal is to have as many entries as possible. First year players are not eligible for the discount, but if they come back in 2008, they can cash in on new player discounts at that time.

What’s the timeframe?

The FPGP officially starts with the Mercedes Championship beginning on January 4th, 2007 and ends on November 4th, 2007, or the day of the final round of the Walt Disney World Resort Classic. Even though the Fed Ex Cup is completed earlier in the Fall, there are several official PGA Tour events from September thru the Disney, and all of those will be counted in the standings.

What’s the format?

• Each FPGP participant selects 9 PGA Tour players from the men's 2006 Money List (you can click the link provided or see the money list at the bottom of this document). To be as clear as possible: you may not choose a player who is not on this list. So, no picking Michelle Wie. No picking guys who made it through Q-school, but who did not have official earnings on the PGA Tour in 2006.

• Once again, TIGER WOODS is off the board. If there is a player that EVERYONE picks, I will drop him from the picks and allow everyone a re-pick so we can get some variability like we did in 2006 with Ernie Els.

How are points earned in the FPGP X?

There are two types of picks which we call “regular” and “short.”

REGULAR PICKS

For “regular” picks, you earn points based on:

1) Positive (i.e. improvement) changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.

2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007

Assume you select our FPGP blog buddy Jason Gore, who finished the 2006 season ranked 118th on the money list. Now assume that Jason Gore finishes the 2007 season ranked 50th on the money list. Such movement would earn you 68 points. However, if Jason Gore fell to 150th on the money list you would LOSE 32 points for that pick.

With regard to the “earnings points” you gain 1 point for every $100,000 that your "regular" players earn on PGA tour in 2006. Again, if you selected Jason Gore and he earned $1,243,332 next year, you would gain 12 points under his earnings. Please note that points are rounded up. For example, a player earning $551,000 will earn you 6 points, while a player earning $549,000 will get you 5 points.

So, let’s put it all together… assume you pick Jason Gore at 118th , and he finishes the 2007 with $954,323 and at 62nd on the money list. You’d gain 10 “earning” points and 56 “ranking” points, for a total of 66 points.

As a reminder, you can pick anyone from the list at the bottom of these rules… Q-school graduates are fine, AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON THIS LIST. That is, you can pick a guy who did not keep their card but re-earned it at Q-school, but you cannot pick players that did not make the list last year. The obvious reason for this is that such players have no “starting” position in the rankings.

SHORT PICKS

The so-called “short” pick name derives itself from the stock market. The idea here is that you are able to pick player(s) who you think had a better than average year in 2006, and you anticipate they will fall in the rankings (i.e., get worse) in 2007.

For “short” picks, points are based on:

1) Negative changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.

2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007, only in this case you LOSE points as that player earns money.

Again, to illustrate, assume that as a short pick you take Chris DiMarco, ranked at 53rd on last year’s money list. Further assume that he falls to 100th on the 2007 money list. That fall would GAIN you 47 points. Conversely, if he finished the 2007 season ranked 20th on the money list, you would LOSE 33 points. Needless to say, you root for your short pick(s) to have bad years.

Also, for every $100,000 your “short” pick(s) earn, you LOSE one point. So, let’s say you picked DiMarco as a “short” and he earned $1,000,000 and finished 61st on the money list. You would lose 10 “earning” points for the million in earnings, and gain 8 “ranking” points, for a net of -2 points for that selection.

To see more examples of how points work, click here to see an update spreadsheet from the 2006 season.

What is the David Gossett Rule?

If a player fails to make a single cut, their earnings are set to $0, and their “ranking” is set to the last player on tour plus one. For example, one of last year’s picks, Paul Casey, did not earn any official money on tour. Because there were 263 players (David Berganio was #263) who earned some money on tour, Paul Casey’s “ranking” was set to 264. Note that the only dollars that count in this pool are official PGA Tour dollars. Paul Casey made plenty of money, and he did so in some events sponsored by the PGA Tour, but because his primary membership was on the European Tour, he did not have any official money in this country.


CONSTRAINTS ON REGULAR AND SHORT PICKS

1. You may take as many as two short picks, but you have to have at least one. So, your line up is either 8 regular and 1 short pick, or 7 regular and 2 short picks.

2. The short pick(s) must meet the following conditions:

1. They had to finish in the top 125 on the 2006 PGA Tour Money List. That is, they must have FULL STATUS ON THE PGA TOUR. NO NATIONWIDE PLAYERS CAN BE USED AS A SHORT PICK.


2. They may not be over the age of 50, or turning 50 this year. That is, you can’t pull a 2006 Loren Roberts, and have your short pick playing on the Senior Tour all season, thus earning virtually no PGA Tour Money despite having full status on the PGA Tour. Simply put, you can’t short Fred Funk, although if you want him as a regular pick, knock yourself out.

3. Only 4 of your picks can be players in the Top 30 on the money list.

TRADES

One trade is allowed and it'll cost you a grand total of $20!! If you make a trade, the points that your new player earns will be counted from that point forward, and the points from your original player will be eliminated whether they are positive or negative. Trade details:

• The trade must be for one of your “regular” picks!!! That is, you cannot trade your short pick(s).
  
• Trade Window. Also known as the Greg Owen Rule, trades will only be allowed between March 5th and May 28th. Trades are registered when I receive notification of the trade via email, and are officially consummated when I receive funds for the trade. If funds are not received within a week of notification, the trade will be null and voided, and the FPGPer will not be allowed another trade. There will be NO discussion on this.

• The person you trade for must be ranked lower than the guy you traded. For example, if you want to trade Ben Crane and, he was ranked 58th at the end of the 2006 season, the trade must be for someone was ranked 59th or lower (worse) at the end of the 2006 season.

How do I ante up?
Checks must be post-marked by Wednesday, January 3, 2007 or you can't play. Send checks to:

Steve Tuholski (stevetuholski@hotmail.com; just email me for my address and I will send it back. I have no desire to have it hanging out there on the internet).

The preferred method of payment is paypal, which can be sent to my hotmail address above. It is quick, easy, and saves me a trip to the bank.

What’s the payoff?

If 15 or more FPGPers are entered, we will award a “duffer prize” of $100 to the last place finisher. The intent here is to keep everyone interested in the pool throughout the year, even if your picks suck.

For the people who make good picks, the awards are as follows:

1st Place = 70% of prize pool (all entry fees and trade dollars, minus the $100 duffer award if applicable)
2nd Place = 20%
3rd Place = 10%

How do I enter?

Send me your picks via e-mail (stevetuholski@hotmail.com). Please send them in the following format to make my life a little easier:

PLAYER NAME 2006 MONEY RANKING REGULAR OR SHORT


Good luck everyone… let the games begin!

No Wie

Michelle Wie appetite for playing in men's tournament shows no sign of abating and she will kick off 2007 by competing in the PGA tour's Sony Open on her home island of Oahu.

Sony, one of the 17-year-old's key sponsors, granted Wie an exemption to play in the early-season event for the fourth straight year. FULL STORY

Tommy "2 Gloves" - Q School round 2

"2 Gloves" will be playing his 2nd round of Q-School in Florida. Round 2 starts Nov. 16th. Get the scores and see who else is at this location HERE.

Question

Does anyone know if that Nextel... er, FedEx Cup money is going to count towards official money next year? JG?

Your Winners

From left to right: Da Boca Bandit, Steve V., . and Johnny V

Thanks to Stevie V. for providing this recent photo of our 2006 FPGP winners... he wanted me to point out the irony that the photographer was Da Rodent.

FINAL UPDATE

And the winners are.......

407 .... Da Bandit
379 .... Stevie V.
342 .... Johnny V.
-------------------------------
And the also-rans...

301 .... Shades/Jeff
263 .... Robbo
262 .... Vic/Talonflier
250 .... Tiger Philp
245 .... Steve / New Tex
180 .... Stan the Man
-------------------------------
Deserving his own category....

-169 .... Fraser

Congratulations to the three winners... and as for the rest of us... well, we just suck ass. Here is the final tally for dollars to be awarded.

We had 10 players, at $100 per player for $1,000. Plus, 9 made $20 trades, for an additional $180 in the kitty. So, our grand total is $1,180, to be awarded as follows.

Da Bandit, $826
Stevie V., $236
Johnny V., $118

Winners, if you want me to hold back $100 for next year's pool (which I'd appreciate as it will mean three fewer people to chase for next year) let me know. Also, if anyone wants to see the spreadsheet and the formulas that were used to derive the final scores, let me know and I will email it to you. I'll leave this request up for about a week, and then I am sending checks...

I am going to be out of town for about a week, this wednesday until next wednesday... then, the following week, I am getting hitched and will be gone for a while on honeymoon. I'll be back and fully blog-ready the week of December 3rd. I want to initiate some incentives for bringing more people into the pool, and I will post those either before I take off for the wedding stuff, or immediately thereafter. It seems to me that this pool/blog will be even more fun if we get more people involved, and also, as the "founders" of such pool, we should get a little discount / incentive for bringing in more players... I am thinking that we keep the entry at $100, and also offer a $10 discount for every player that is brought in... so, if I bring in 3 new guys, they all pay $100, and I pay $70. If this makes sense, let me know... if not, we can scrap the idea.

And no one gets credit for bringing in JG or MG for next year, although they can get in for $80, since Jeff and Stevie V. each owe them $10 from the "Wie/Trahan" bets. Also, since they've been loyal bloggers, I'll extend the discount program to them as well...

Thanks for a great season everyone... I hope the blog was as enjoyable for everyone else as it has been for me.


Da Bandit, singing to a packed crowd after learning of his FPGP 2006 victory.

Someone is making a try at Q-School.

Look who's trying to get their tour card, and I'm not talking about my boy, Tommy "2 Gloves" Gainey: HERE

UPDATE 10/23/06

No real change in the standings this week...

UPDATE 10/16/06

Here's your update for this week... I looked at the spreadsheet last week, and we should be good to go... as you boys know "the only score that counts is the final score" so let's not all get our panties in a wad if there is a discrepency of a point or two right now... no one wins money for leading in October. At the end of the year, I will send the final spreadsheet out to everyone (well, maybe not Fraser... what the hell is the point) and you can look at all the numbers for yourself to make sure your points add up correctly.

Jeff has stuck his head back into money position... the remaining weeks should have good battles for 1st, 3rd and... well, 5th. Shit.

Oh, and I'd like to personally congratulate Bob Tway... what an accomplishment. How many guys have you ever seen go out and shoot 63... SIXTY FUCKING THREE on the first day of a tourney, and then over the next 3 days play so poorly that he LOST GROUND ON THE MONEY LIST. Way to go you brillo headed mother %##@$%!

403 .... Da Bandit
378 .... Stevie V.
291 .... Jeff/Shades
287 .... Johnny V.
268 .... Robbo
243 .... Steve T./New Tex
239 .... Tiger Philp
234 .... Vic/Talonflier
174 .... Stan the Man
-141 .... Fraser

Sorry...

Fell asleep at the wheel this week and forgot to post links to the scoreboards... they are up now.

And I will not do or say anything to jinx said scoreboard... which is looking very good for someone...

FPGP Audit

Another possible mistake was noted in this week's FPGP Scoreboard. Looks like you frigging vultures at the top are finally paying attention to my math. Well, at least you can't accuse me of trying to benefit myself...

Don't expect an update next week... I am going to spend a couple hours making sure the spreadsheet is adding things correctly... I am also going to double check the "starting positions" that are listed on the spreadsheet, although I am 99.5% sure they are correct.

Scoreboard / Season Coming To A Close

FPGPers... An error on the tally was pointed out to me by Da Bandit... he and Shades should both have another 10 points for Allenby, as I misentered some data into the spreadsheet.

This year is drawing to a close, and we have some tight races... Jeff and I have done our best to make sure we haven't made any errors, but these things do happen... it would probably be a good idea for everyone to double check their picks/scores, just to make sure we don't have any goofs that could affect the outcome. Shades... it will be important that you get the updated stuff up as soon as possible each week, so folks can check us for errors.

Well, Fraser probably doesn't have to worry. Unless I forgot to carry a few zeros, that dude is dead.
---
This has been a good year... the blog seems to be a success, and we even have our own PGA Tour player among us... Let's do our best to recruit some new blood for next year... if we could get 15-20 total people in the pool, the prize money is going to be SA-WEET, and the chatter should be even more interesting.

Having been exposed to the business and marketing world for the last few years, I am thinking about taking a new approach with "recruits." I want to think of this like business development... what would you guys think of this... for every new player you can pull into the pool, you get a $10 discount on next year's FPGP entry fee? So, if Shades pulls in 5 new guys, it only costs him $50 to play his own team. The $50 lost in the prize pool is more than compensated by the $500 his 5 guys bring in. Effectively, if you get 2 new guys, your trade becomes "free."

Also... no one gets to claim JG or MG for the $10 discount, although it was my creation of "ButterTits" that got them here. MG... you gonna make some picks next year? What's a hundo to a woman living the good life with a professional golfer? :-) Who better to break down the gender barrier of the FPGP than you? JG... if it doesn't cross some ethical/moral barrier, we'd love to have your picks also... We know you have an extra hundo sitting around after taking it off Michelson at the PGA... :-)... if not, send me an email and tell ME who I should pick! I need the help from the inside!!!

Standings!!!

The performance of Fraser is quite remarkable. Let's take up a collection for the poor f -- -er and buy him some darts and a board next year! Put me down for 10 bucks; let's get him a decent set

Or, we could reward the last place finisher next year (an idea of New Texan). Let's face it, getting -136 points is nothing short of miraculous. This kind of talent is rare and deserving of some recognition!!! Who the hell is Fraser anyway? He must be a hell of a guy just to keep playing in this thing ---

UPDATED 10/2/06

Well, DJ has put me back into contention!!! (for 5th place).

Jeff's cup of coffee in the money position was truly short lived... although he is nipping at Johnny V.'s heels still... lot of golf left boys...

For a while yesterday, I thought Robbo was going to be the one making the move... Rocco and Riley were sniffing at the top of the leaderboard early... but then they realized the natural order of things and returned to the middle of the pack.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES????

Trashcan wins!
Trashcan wins!
Trashcan wins!

The two greatests upsets in sports history now rank...

Number 1: DJ Trahan goes wire to wire to win a PGA Tour event, putting New Tex almost back into the mix in the FPGP (yeah, this fucking tourney pays a paltry 540k to the winner... damnit).

Number 2:


USA Hockey triumphs over Russia, making the sport of hockey relevant in the US for about 15 minutes.

Now, if I could just get a little production of Rich "Don't Call Me Jim" Beem... man, my picks suck.

Trashcan En Fuego! Part Deux

DJ shoots a nifty -7 today...

Come on you Clempson Puke!!!! Get it done this week and get me back in this frigging pool!!!

Rocco and Adrian Mediate?

The scene from the Mediate's house, shortly before Rocco left for the Southern Farm Bureau tourney...

Golf Just Lost A Legend

Byron Nelson passed away today in his home...

http://www.pgatour.com/story/9687154

"I don't know very much," Nelson said in a 1997 interview with The Associated Press. "I know a little bit about golf. I know how to make a stew. And I know how to be a decent man."

You can't live in Dallas and play golf and not hear about Byron's goodwill... a real loss today.

From Brushback.com...

Horrible Golfer Receives Sponsor’s Exemption Because She’s Michelle Wie

FARMINGTON, PA--A horrible golfer, who was completely unqualified to play in a men’s PGA tour event, received a sponsor’s exemption anyway just because she’s Michelle Wie. Wie finished in last place at the 84 Lumber Classic after shooting a second-round 81. “Wow, she is really a bad golfer,” said Joseph Hardy, owner of 84 Lumber, the event’s sponsor. “She could not get out of her own way. Still I have no regrets about giving her the exemption. Just because she’s a girl and this is the men’s tour, and she’s horrible and most of these guys are good, doesn’t mean she’s not qualified to play. Anybody is qualified to play if they bring attention to the tournament. I would have invited Saddam Hussein if he was available. Not to compare Michelle with Saddam Hussein of course. He probably has a better chip shot at this point.”

UPDATE 9/25/06

Only one little move, but it is historically significant... Jeff slides into 3rd place by a slim margin, putting him in position for his first ever FPGP cash.

Rocco Makes A Cut!!!

Despite unbelievable odds against, Rocco makes a cut... here was the scene on the 18th green, shortly after putting out...

Texas Open

The Valero Texas Open is LOADED with FPGPers... this is probably a throw-away tourney to a lot of casual golf fans, considering that the world will be watching Ireland and the Ryder Cup... but just look at the field. It is full of FPGP bottom dwellars... this could be an interesting week.

UPDATE 9/18/06

Well, the rich got even richer this week... by way of Chaz Howell's finish at the Wooden Bird Open, Da Bandit has increased his lead over the Vodos...


406 ... Da Bandit
356 ... Stevie V.
298 ... Johnny V.
291 ... Jeff/Shades
264 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
221 ... Vic/Talonflier
208 ... Steve T./New Tex
186 ... Stan the Man
-125 ... Fraser

By the way, not sure if Jeff will get a chance to post the specifics on the side bar, but this is interesting... currently, Robbo's trade of Singh for Mediate has COST him 71 points. Singh is +38 on the year, and Mediate is -33 since the trade. Add those 71 to his current total and he would still be in 3rd place. This is worth watching...

Dude, You Holdin?

In every picture I see him, Hunter Mahan looks like he is baked. Look at this one, on PGATour.com... they couldn't find one that didn't look like he was jonesin' for some some nachos?

I need to do much better homework for next year. I've rested on my early laurels in this pool, but after not cashing in 3 years, this shit has to stop. What the fuck was I thinking with the Mahan/Trahan combo? That their fucking names kinda rhymed and it would look like genius if they actually did anything? I am an idiot.

Greg Kraft(y) near the top of the leaderboard

Greg Kraft is near the lead and as such I felt we needed some dope white guys rapping and dancing to a Krafty Beat.

MICHEEL TAMES THE TIGER!

Stevie V. must be thrilled that his ace did this. Damn shame that he gets bupkes for it in the FPGP. Go cry me a river, Voodoo. Further proof that we either need Mulder & Scully to investigate or get a DNA sample from a discarded water bottle to see if this guy's an alien.

Good Luck JG

Good luck with the title defense this week... go get ya another one of those goofy bird trophies!

UPDATE 9/11/06

Here is the non-fancy update for today... Bart Bryant's 2nd place finish yesterday effectively took Robbo out of the money for good. We currently have 2 good battles... for first and third... Shades has moved as close to a money position as he's ever been in this pool... too bad Justin Rose couldn't finish the deal for him yesterday. As for me, I am already doing my homework for next year's picks.

371 ... Da Bandit
354 ... Stevie V.
305 ... Johnny V.
271 ... Jeff/Shades
261 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
213 ... Vic/Talonflier
202 ... Steve T./New Tex
185 ... Stan the Man
-119 ... Fraser

Tiger Crushes "Make-A-Wish" Kid At Putt-Putt

FRAMINGHAM, MA--Robbie Blanchard, a 10-year-old suffering from leukemia, had but one wish in his short life: to meet his hero, Tiger Woods, and play some miniature golf with him.

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, that dream came true on Monday when the two met at a Putt Putt course in Framingham, Mass, where Woods crushed the bumbling youngster by 20 strokes.

Throughout the 18 hole round, Woods was his usual intense and focused self, meticulously measuring each shot and pumping his fist after each ace.

“Get in there, get in there, get in there…Yes!” shouted Woods, as he marched down the green to retrieve another hole in one. “That’s five in a row. Watch out for this one, Robbie. It breaks to the left but it gets a little bumpy along the way. And whatever you do, avoid hitting it through the windmill. That thing leads you right into the stream. Anyway, let me know how you do. I’m going on to the next hole.”

In the end, Woods aced every hole but one, while Blanchard struggled to find a rhythm, finishing an embarrassing 23 over par. Blanchard, however, wasn’t interested in the final score. He was only interested in spending some time with his idol.

“I’m not too sad that I didn’t play well,” said Blanchard. “I just wanted to meet Tiger and spend some time with him. I wish he could’ve paid a little more attention to me, though. He really seemed focused on getting the best possible score and making sure I couldn’t come from behind. You know, when he gets a lead, forget it. You have no chance.”

Woods started off with 7 straight aces but missed on the 8th hole after being distracted by someone taking a picture with a camera phone. That someone was Robbie’s mom, Stacy, who got an earful from Woods for screwing up his shot.

“Aww come on,” Woods said as he watched his putt lip around the hole and miss. “Put that thing away. Goddamn it. Goddamn it! Nobody understands the protocol anymore. Are you done? Are you through taking pictures? Good, because if you do that again, I am out of here. Try explaining that to little what’s-his-face.”

For the rest of the course, Woods put on a clinic and by the 18th hole a large crowd had gathered and was cheering his every putt. When he sunk his last hole-in-one, a relieved Woods waved to the crowd and then spoke to a reporter about his record setting day.

“You know this is a tough course,” he said. “It’s got a lot of weird angles and breaks and tons of little obstructions. I just tried to get in the zone and play a good round of golf. My opponent played well, too, but I just found that rhythm and was able to put some distance between us early on. Where is that kid anyway? Oh, he’s still on hole 6. Heh. One of those days, I guess. I’ve been there. Keep plugging away, Bobbie. Don’t get discouraged!”

Two hours later, Blanchard finished the course. Woods was long gone, but Robbie did get to share a smile and an ice cream cone with a representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who said Robbie did a “great job” even though he finished with a 59.

“Robbie was wonderful and it was a really great day all around,” said Ty Weathers, director of Make-A-Wish. “He got to play some mini-golf and he also got to experience what it’s like to be thoroughly and mercilessly dismantled by the greatest golfer in history. He shouldn’t be embarrassed about the fact that he laid down and died like a dog. Tiger just has that effect on his opponents.”

Wie Wants To Play On Ryder Cup Team

Seriously... just read it for yourself here.

My favorite quote:

"Hopefully, I will be able to play the Ryder Cup one day, that would be awesome and I think it is totally possible."

Totally? Like wow... that is a totally cool idea. Here's another one: WIN A FUCKING TOURNAMENT AGAINST WOMEN.

I am so sick of this kid. Let's face it, if she looked like the other bull-dykes on the LPGA Tour, no one would even care about her.

Ryder Cup... man, my blood is boiling. So, she thinks it is possible that she is going to be, over the course of a two year stretch of time, one of the top 12 players in the United States? Really? This is "totally possible?"
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No updates this week... we'll get er done next week for sure.