Tiger Apologizes

So Tiger Woods finally appeared and public and apologized for his behavior that may cost him his marriage and caused several sponsors to rethink their use of him as pitchman for his products. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," Woods said in a carefully controlled appearance at the PGA Tour’s clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.. PGA Tour Commission Tim Finchem was in the audience along with several dozen friends and supporters. Elin Nordegren, Tiger’s wife, was not at the event. "What I did was not acceptable." Woods said he plans to return to golf. "I just don't know when that day will be,” he said. “I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game." Woods allowed only a handful of reporters to attend and did not take questions. Kudos to my brethren in the Golf Writers Association of America for boycotting the non-news news conference. They understood that their presence would be to serve as props for Woods. He reportedly returned to an unnamed clinic where he is being treated for an addiction to sex. Forget about the sex and the bimbos. The real test to see if Tiger has learned anything and changed as a result of all this will be how he behaves when he does return to golf. Will he be humbled? Will he be kinder to the fans? Will the swearing and club throwing stop? Will he rein in his renegade caddie Stevie Williams? That’s the change I will be looking for.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Tommy Tolles.

Goydos Gags at Pebble Beach

Tour pros hate the word “choke” because it conveys weakness. But if the word fits, use it. I’m talking about Paul Goydos who threw away a chance to win the AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday. (Perhaps it's time to undo the top button on your golf shirt, Paul.) Goydos had a one shot lead over eventual winner Dustin Johnson as they stood in the 14th fairway and watched Bryce Molder make a quadruple bogey nine up on the green. Goydos told Johnson that Molder had put his third shot in the worst place to be on the hole, short and left of the green. Guess where Goydos his ball? Bingo. His fourth shot wedge rolled off the back of the green. Just like Molder before him, his next shot failed to make it on and rolled back to his feet. He hit the next one and three-putted for his nine. He finished with a 78, four shots behind Johnson and a T-5 finish. Just last week, Ryder Cup captain Cory Pavin selected Goydos to one of his assistants for the matches this fall. Wonder if he will be giving mental advice.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Wayne Levi.

Daly Unretires

John Daly's retirement lasted about as long as one of Mickey Rooney's marriages. But after posting rounds of 69-73-72 for a totalof 214 to miss the cut by three shots at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, perhaps Daly should retire again. He is quickly becoming the Brett Favre of professional golf.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Carlos Franco.

Stricker New No. 2

Congrats to fellow cheesehead Steve Stricker on his victory at the Northern Trust Open. It was nice redemption from last year when he had the tournament in his grasp down the stretch but couldn’t close the deal. The win propels him to No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings and he remains the No. 1 PGA Tour Nice Guy. He’s off to another great season.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Tom Scherrer.

Mickelson Feels Slandered

Poor Phil Mickelson. Now he’s complaining about being “publicly slandered” by fellow pros who called him a “cheater” for using an approved, but nonconforming 20-year-old Ping Eye 2 wedge with square grooves. Hello, Phil. You could have avoided the whole mess by not playing with the club. Some people thing Phil is just making a point to poke his finger in the eyes of the PGA Tour and the USGA because a newly designed Callaway wedge was ruled nonconforming. Whatever. The only thing Phil has gotten right in this whole controversy is the need for PGA Tour Commission Tim Finchem to sort it out, which he may do when he meets with players in Los Angeles next week. Let’s see if Mickelson, the face of the PGA Tour now that tiger Woods is in self-imposed exile, has the guts to sue McCarron, a member of the Tour’s Players Advisory Council. By the way, wasn’t that nice of CBS broadcasters Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo to take Phil’s side and criticize Scott McCarron for being “over the top” on his comments about Mickelson? Wonder why they might be in the tank for the PGA Tour?

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Paul Stankowski.

Phil: I'm Not Cheating

Things are heating in the PGA Tour locker rooms. Scott McCarron accused Phil Mickelson of cheating because the left-handed fan darling is using an ancient Ping Eye 2 wedge with square grooves that has been grandfathered in for use in tour events. Mickelson isn’t the first player to find a loophole in the PGA and USGA rules that ban square grooves in tournament play but he’s the most prominent. McCarron called him out at his hometown tournament. “It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it into play,” McCarron said. “All of these guys should be ashamed of themselves for doing that.” Good for McCarron. The Ping wedges, which are no longer in production, were given a pass as the result of a lawsuit by the manufacturer against the PGA Tour and the USGA in the early 1990s. Reports indicated that as many as eight players in the field at San Diego were using the old Ping wedges, apparently scrounging them from their garages or off E-Bay. They contend that rules allow the use of the wedges and while they are technically correct, McCarron and other critics contend using the wedges violates the spirit of the game. “I understand that guys are upset about the rule,” Mickelson said. “I’m upset about this rule. I think we need to take it out on the governing bodies, the ones who are making these rules or carrying out these rules. That’s where we need to focus our discontent. To call out a player, I don’t think is correct; we’re just abiding by the rules.” C’mon Phil, do the right thing and put the wedges back in the garage. Unless he does, any victory will be tainted.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Brad Elder.

Adios John Daly

John Daly might be thinking of that old country-western song “You’re Gonna to Miss Me When I’m Gone” when he announce he is “retiring” after missing the cut in San Diego. Message to Big John: Not so much. Daly, the PGA Tour’s perpetual train wreck, said he is done with golf after shooting rounds of 79-71 to miss the cut by eight shots. While it’s commendable that Daly underwent lap band surgery and lost a stunning 115 pounds, he started the 2010 season complaining that he didn’t receive a sponsor’s exemption from the Bop Hope Classic. This from the guy who was suspended by commissioner Tim Finchem for a variety of antics not to mention his habit of WD’ing after bad rounds. As far as I’m concerned, he can take his clown pants and go back to Arkansas and sign autographs at the local Hooters. The Golf Channel deserves blame for being a JD enabler by launching a new reality show “Being John Daly.” You can stick a fork in Daly because he’s done. He hasn’t won a tournament since 2004 and hasn’t finished higher than 188 on the official money list. His official World Golf ranking is No. 416. It’s time for the golf world to forget about John Daly.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Bob Verwey.