Rodman Wanamaker: The Man Behind the Trophy

(Plucked and updated from the ARMCHAIR GOLF archives.)

HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE PLAYING FOR in the 93rd PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. (Plus $1.35 million, plus exemptions and endorsements galore, plus getting the major monkey off their back, if they’re Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, or others.)

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Wanamaker Trophy. Shiny, isn’t it?

Of course, as with anything that’s 93, there’s a story behind it. It’s named after Rodman Wanamaker, a Philadelphia-born man of means who took up the cause of professional golfers when they were considered to be lowly working class and not allowed in the clubhouse or locker room. Think Walter Hagen era.

Wanamaker thought the treatment of pro golfers was wrong, so he spearheaded the formation of the PGA of America and its pros-only tournament, the PGA Championship. He launched the effort with $2,500 and ordered the silver cup. Every pro who teed off on Thursday playing for the $7.5 million purse should say a word of thanks for Rodman Wanamaker, a Princeton grad who owned the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph newspaper and financed designs for experimental seaplanes that made aviation history.

The original Wanamaker Trophy was huge—more than two feet tall and two feet wide (handle to handle) and weighing 27 pounds. That’s a lot of silver to hoist. Today the PGA of America awards a smaller replica to the winner.

Multiple Winners

Beginning in 1916, the PGA Championship was a match-play tournament until 1958 when TV helped dictate the move to stroke play. With Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus topping the list, following are multiple winners of the PGA Championship.

Walter Hagen 5
Jack Nicklaus 5
Tiger Woods 4
Gene Sarazen 3
Sam Snead 3
Jim Barnes 2
Leo Diegel 2
Denny Shute 2
Paul Runyan 2
Byron Nelson 2
Ben Hogan 2
Gary Player 2
Dave Stockton 2
Raymond Floyd 2
Lee Trevino 2
Larry Nelson 2
Nick Price 2
Vijay Singh 2

Notable majors winners who didn’t win the PGA Championship and wish they had: Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Nick Faldo.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: kompuder, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

The Real Marshals of the Dubai World Championship

NO, IT’S NOT A REALITY TV show. The people pictured above with champion Robert Karlsson (wearing red shirt, white cap and, I believe, holding a scepter) are real volunteer marshals at last year’s Dubai World Championship.

Question: Why is the fellow on the far right holding up his “QUIET” sign? Doesn’t he know The Race to Dubai is over?

The European Tour is looking to round up volunteer marshals for this year’s Dubai World Championship to be played on December 8-11 at the Earth Course (Jumeirah Golf Estates) in Dubai. Of course, it’s the concluding tournament of The Race to Dubai (a series of 50 tournaments in 29 golf destinations) and a great opportunity to see and be alongside Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Karlsson and many other European Tour pros.

Jenni Hoskins, a 17 handicapper and member of Emirates Golf Club and Bearwood Lakes in England, has been appointed Chief Marshal of the volunteer marshal operation, which last year numbered more than 300 from Dubai, the UAE, the gulf region and overseas. Marshal perks include clothing, caps, tournament passes, parking and invitations to 200 volunteers for an appreciation day with a round of golf on the Earth Course.

To learn more about marshalling in Dubai, email Hoskins at jennih51@yahoo.com.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Dubai World Championship via Alan Ewens)

2011 U.S. Open: USGA Can’t Stop Low Scores

Editor’s note: I’m at Congressional Country Club this week covering the 2011 U.S. Open. Share your U.S. Open thoughts: Comment below or email me at armchairgolfer@gmail.com.

PLAYERS WHINING ABOUT THE U.S. Open setup is nothing new. It’s been going on for more than a half century. Horace Rawlins, winner of the inaugural U.S. Open in 1895, probably would have griped about the Newport Country Club had he not won. But the complaints at the 111th edition of the national championship are strangely different.

Congressional Country Club is way too easy. This is not a U.S. Open test, an unfair fight to the finish. Rather, it’s a different kind of bloodbath, a sea of red on the scoreboard resulting from an onslaught of birdies. As one person in the media center put it, the Blue Course is handing out birdies like they’re Halloween candy.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell admitted as much after his 69 on Saturday.

“I’ve been a little disappointed with the golf course the last couple of days,” McDowell said. “It wasn’t as firm and fast as I would like to have seen it. The storms on Thursday night really softened the place. So it’s not a true U.S. Open test out there, to be honest. There were some tough pins out there, no doubt. I’d like to see it tougher than it was.”

World No. 1 Luke Donald, who at 7 over for the championship is not exactly lighting it up, said the rough is not as difficult as at past U.S. Opens.

“It has that different feel,” Donald said of the course. “It almost feels like the Firestone or something.”

Firestone, as in the home of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Due to the rain and cooler temperatures this week, Congressional is playing much softer than expected. The greens are receptive to approach shots, and are not the rock-hard, dry, brownish putting surfaces seen at past U.S. Opens. Rory McIlroy and others are, in effect, playing darts.

The USGA said it can’t be helped.

“I think it’s the oppressive heat we had last week that started us off on this dynamic of weather that we’ve experienced,” said the USGA’s Tom O'Toole, “and then of course making sure that we maintain the health of those greens by hydrating them and raising the cut of our mowing, not rolling, and the number of times we’ve mowed and rolled. So we’ve done all those things to maintain the health of Congressional’s greens.”

In its previous three majors (two U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship), Congressional has yielded scores of 276, 278 and 281. The winning scores ranged from 4 under at the 1997 U.S. Open won by Ernie Els to 1 over at the 1976 PGA Championship won by Dave Stockton.

This week the winning 72-hole total will likely be much lower and could break the U.S. Open record of 272 set by Jack Nicklaus and tied by Lee Janzen, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. Rory McIlroy needs a 72 in the final round to eclipse the U.S. Open standard of Nicklaus and Woods, golf’s two greatest champions. But what McIlroy wants more than anything is his name on the large silver trophy.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Rory McIlroy Extends U.S. Open Lead to 8 Shots
Comeback Award Goes to Marcel Siem
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

2011 U.S. Open: ‘Big Blue’ Ready to Challenge Field of 156

Editor’s note: I’m springing out of my armchair to spend the week at Congressional Country Club covering the 2011 U.S. Open. Share your U.S. Open thoughts: Comment below or email me at armchairgolfer@gmail.com.


























“BIG BLUE” WAS A NICKNAME coined for IBM back in the 1960s and 1970s. This week the nickname fits the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club, site of the 111th U.S. Open Championship. It’s a big, hairy, manly golf course that will test the skills of 156 of the world’s best golfers when they tee off on Thursday.

I’ve read about Congressional, seen it on TV, and heard plenty of chatter about it today on the PGA Tour network while I was driving to Bethesda. But until a few hours ago I had never set foot on the championship layout. I arrived on site in the mid afternoon and a short while later hiked all 3,872 yards of the back nine, which plays to a par of 35.

It was a perfect afternoon, about 80 degrees. Following are my notes on the golf course and a few other stray thoughts on the eve of the championship.

No. 10 is a 213-yard par 3 that features the course’s largest lake, which fronts the green. I didn’t get a good look at this hole, but I’d say it’s far from an easy start to the back nine.

No. 11 is a 494-yard par 4. A pond guards the right side of the green. The hole was deserted, so I crossed the fairway and walked down the left side to get an up-close look at the graduated rough. The first cut is a few yards wide and not long at all, a collar of sorts. The second cut, which is five to seven yards wide, looks to be about three inches deep. The last cut is the nastier five-inch variety.

The rough didn’t look that bad to me—but then I don’t have to play out of it. Several players have praised the course setup, including the rough, so I figure it’s not as wicked as in the past. The gallery ropes are set far off the fairways, which means that crooked drives won’t benefit from relatively playable lies in trampled rough.

No. 12 is a 471-yard par 4, a tight driving hole that doglegs lefts. This one looked tough to my eye. Narrow and curving.

No. 13 is a 193-yard par 3 with a two-tiered green. It doesn’t appear to be that difficult from the tee. Yet when you reach the putting surface you can see the potential challenges. The pin locations will make all the difference. Many of the greens, in fact, are tiered and undulating. They’re only going to get harder and faster as the week progresses.

No. 14 is a 467-yard straightaway par 4. From the tee the fairway looks only slightly wider than a cart path. There are openings into some of the greens, like at the 14th, but it’s going to be difficult to bounce the ball in on many holes because of rather severe slopes.

No. 15 is a straightaway 490-yard par 4. The fairway looked generous compared to the 14th. Four fairway bunkers guard the right side.

No. 16 is a 579-yard reachable par 5. No. 17 is a 437-yard par 4, and where I caught up with Rory McIlroy and company. At least one player teed off with an iron.

“This is going to be a great finishing hole.”

That’s what I overheard one spectator say about the 18th. I agree. It’s a 523-yard par 4, much of it downhill on the approach shot. The drive doesn’t look that difficult. The second shot is another story. Club selection will be crucial because a small lake wraps around the left- and back-side of the green. I predict there will be lengthy player-caddie discussions on the 18th fairway as they stare down the hill at the smallish green.

The front side, which I haven’t walked yet, measures 3,702 yards and plays to a par of 36. The course totals: 7,574 yards, par 71. It’s the second longest U.S. Open course. Torrey Pines played slightly longer in 2008.

So who can win on “Big Blue”? Will it take a bomber like Dustin Johnson? Can a short hitter with a golden short game get it done?

I’ve heard some say world No. 1 Luke Donald (a short hitter) can’t win here. That’s true if he makes too many visits to the rough. But, whether a short or long hitter, I think the winner will have to be great on the greens this week. That’s always the case at the U.S. Open.

That guy will be easy to spot. He’ll be the one with the lowest score.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2011 U.S. Open: Play the Groupings Name Game
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes
Donald Would Swap No. 1 for Mickelson’s Record

(Photo credit: Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Donald Would Swap No. 1 for Mickelson’s Record

Editor’s note: I’m springing out of my armchair to spend the week at Congressional Country Club covering the 2011 U.S. Open. Share your U.S. Open thoughts: Comment below or email me at armchairgolfer@gmail.com.

WORLD NO. 1 LUKE DONALD has a sensible perspective when it comes to the statistical ranking that says he’s the king of golf. The system rewards consistency, but it’s no substitute for wins, especially major wins. Donald arrives at this week’s U.S. Open still in search of his first major victory.

“Certainly being No. 1 is a great achievement,” Donald said, “but if you ask me if I would swap that for Phil’s record, sure, I would love to take his majors and the number of victories he’s had.

“But I’ll continue to feed off all the good things that have got me to No. 1,” he added, “and hopefully I can add to my victories, too.”

Other than a little more media attention and recognition from the public, Donald’s life hasn’t changed dramatically since he became No. 1 by defeating former top-ranked golfer Lee Westwood at the BMW PGA Championship. He’s been too busy to notice.

Well, Ralph Lauren called. And Greg Norman texted Donald. “Things like that don’t happen every day,” he admitted.

Donald likes the setup at Congressional, including the graduated rough, which he said is more manageable. The course plays long, but he doesn’t think only bombers have a chance to win. He’s ready to compete and hopes to contend on Sunday.

“I’ve been doing that a lot lately,” he noted, “and there’s no reason why I can’t do it this week.”

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2011 U.S. Open: Play the Groupings Name Game
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

(Photo: Courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren)

2011 U.S. Open: Play the Groupings Name Game

Editor’s note: I’m springing out of my armchair to spend the week at the 2011 U.S. Open. Beginning on Wednesday I’ll be at Congressional Country Club covering the year’s second major. Share your U.S. Open thoughts: Comment below or email me at armchairgolfer@gmail.com.

I’VE BEEN STUDYING THE Thursday and Friday groupings and can’t help thinking one of these guys is going to win this thing. Seriously, though, I like the way the USGA puts together the 52 groupings. A lot of thought goes into them, whether it’s a marquee grouping or the lesser-known players.

Following are some of the groupings that stood out. Some I’ve named. Some, well, I need help, if you’re willing. (Also feel free to rename the ones I’ve named. I’m not saying they’re good names.)

Lawrence Welk (a one, and a two, and a three …)
Luke Donald, England; Lee Westwood, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany

Men of a Certain Age
Ernie Els, South Africa; Davis Love III, Sea Island, Ga.; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

How Swede It Is
Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Johan Edfors, Sweden; Fredrik Jacobson, Sweden

Three Amigos
Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Alvaro Quiros, Spain

M&M’s
Matteo Manassero, Italy; Francesco Molinari, Italy; Edoardo Molinari, Italy

Campbell’s Funky Soup
Fred Funk, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; A-David Chung, Fayetteville, N.C.; Michael Campbell, New Zealand

Southern Comfort
Jonathan Byrd, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.; Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.

Men of a Certain Age (Part 2)
Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Retief Goosen, South Africa; David Toms, Shreveport, La.

Masters Class
Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Trevor Immelman, South Africa; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa


NAME THESE GROUPS
Your turn: I left the really hard ones for you.

Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.; Ian Poulter, England; Hunter Mahan, Colleyville, Texas
Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.
Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England; K.J. Choi, Korea
Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; A-Peter Uihlein, Orlando, Fla.; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa
Ryo Ishikawa, Japan; Anthony Kim, Los Angeles, Calif.; Y.E. Yang, Korea


Bodog has Lee Westwood as the favorite at 11/1. World No. 1 Luke Donald is listed at 12/1. Phil Mickelson is 14/1 and Rory McIlroy is 16/1.

−The Armchair Golfer

A Quarter Century of World No. 1 Golfers

THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING (OWGR) debuted in 1986. Masters champion Bernhard Langer was the first world No. 1. Langer’s reign only lasted three weeks. Seve Ballesteros, who died three weeks ago, grabbed the top spot and held on to it for more than a year. Then Greg Norman was king of the hill for much of the 1990s.

Luke Donald will now take a turn at the top, thanks to his dramatic playoff win over former No. 1 Lee Westwood at the BMW PGA Championship. Donald is the 15th player to claim the No. 1 ranking.

Here are all 15, including the number of weeks they were on top:

Bernhard Langer, 3 weeks
Seve Ballesteros, 61 weeks
Greg Norman, 331 weeks
Nick Faldo, 97 weeks
Ian Woosnam, 50 weeks
Fred Couples, 16 weeks
Nick Price, 44 weeks
Tom Lehman, 1 week
Tiger Woods, 623 weeks
Ernie Els, 9 weeks
David Duval, 15 weeks
Vijay Singh, 32 weeks
Lee Westwood, 17 weeks
Martin Kaymer, 8 weeks
Luke Donald, took over yesterday (May 30, 2011)

Since the decline of Tiger Woods, it has been Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and now Luke Donald. How long will Donald be No. 1 and who will displace him?

It might be Westwood again, especially if he can finally get the “major” monkey off his back. Of course, The Donald would also like to win his first major.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Source: Golf.com)

(Photo credit: Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Hoping for More Heritage

I’M AMONG THOSE WHO HOPE The Heritage can attract a title sponsor so it can stay on the PGA Tour schedule for its 44th year and beyond. I admit to being nostalgic. I’ve watched the tournament for a long time and know many of the holes and landmarks at Harbour Town Golf Links, even though I’ve never attended the event or played the golf course.

I even have some love for those loud Tartan sport coats that no one would be caught wearing outside of the club entrance gate. Here’s a partial list of the men in plaid:

Plaid Jackets
Davis Love 5
Hale Irwin 3
Johnny Miller 2
Hubert Green 2
Tom Watson 2
Fuzzy Zoeller 2
Payne Stewart 2
Stewart Cink 2

Opening in 1969, Harbour Town is old-school Pete Dye, with tight fairways, overhanging trees, sand, water and small greens. It’s certainly not a grip it and rip it layout. So it’s no surprise that straight hitters with stellar short games have excelled there. Winner Brian Gay overwhelmed the field in 2009 with his 20-under total, but no one else bettered 10 under. That’s Harbour Town. Posted by Brandt Snedeker and Luke Donald, yesterday’s winning score was 12 under, a testimony to the course’s difficulty.

Was it the last Heritage? As AP reported, there were rumors of a “Sunday surprise,” a new corporate sponsor to rescue the event as the sun set on the 2011 tournament. It didn’t happen.

“We will not be making any announcement regarding a new title sponsor today,” tournament director Steve Wilmot said on Sunday, “but the sponsorship search continues in earnest …. The efforts of the Foundation and the PGA Tour will continue with the care that The Heritage name and tradition deserves.”

If it was the last Heritage, then it was a fitting finish. Donald and Snedeker went three extra holes. They matched birdies on the par-4 18th and pars on the par-3 17th. Then Luke of Arabia failed to get up and down from a bunker after so many spectacular sand saves, and “Sneds” slipped on the Tartan coat. I hope he’s not the last man to wear plaid.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: danperry.com, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Identifying Golf’s True Young Guns

NICK WATNEY RALLIED AT DORAL with a final-round 67 to win the WGC-Cadillac Championship by a shot over Dustin Johnson. It was Watney’s third and most significant PGA Tour victory. He faltered in the final round at last year’s PGA Championship. This time Watney struck the clutch shots and, more importantly, sank the clutch putts to close it out.

The young talent is highly touted—and for good reason. With Watney and Johnson dueling at Doral—and players such as Martin Kaymer, Hunter Mahan, Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar, Francesco Molinari and Rickie Fowler in the mix—the youth movement is on the rise. In Miami, another title went to a young gun.

(Photo: Dustin Johnson)

But here’s what I realized. Nick Watney isn’t that young. He’s 29. And he’ll be 30 shortly after he makes his last loop through Amen Corner at the upcoming Masters. He seems young because we haven’t noticed him much until the last two years. Just like Sergio Garcia seems ancient at 31, a mere 16 months older than Watney.

It’s easy to be enamored with the fresh faces, but the winners in this year’s first dozen events are closer to Tiger’s age. Here’s a list of the winners and their ages:

Hyundai Tournament of Champions: Jonathan Byrd, 33
Sony Open in Hawaii: Mark Wilson, 36
Bob Hope Classic: Jhonattan Vegas, 26
Farmers Insurance Open: Bubba Watson, 32
Waste Management Open: Mark Wilson, 36
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am: D.A. Points, 34
Northern Trust Open: Aaron Baddeley, 29
Mayakoba Golf Classic: Johnson Wagner, 30
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Luke Donald, 33
The Honda Classic: Rory Sabbatini, 34
WGC-Cadillac Championship: Nick Watney, 29
Puerto Rico Open: Michael Bradley, 44

The average age of winners thus far this PGA Tour season is 33. Think Luke Donald. Toss out the 44-year-old Michael Bradley and it’s still 32. Think Bubba Watson.

So here’s what I’m thinking about this young-gun business: You have to be young in a golf sense. (Not just younger than Tiger.) I don’t think Nick Watney fits, even though he’ll probably get carded at Safeway until he’s 47. I’m arbitrarily making Martin Kaymer and Dustin Johnson the cutoff. If you’re their age (26) or younger, you’re a young gun. It you’re older than Kaymer and Johnson, you’re just a gun.

That includes you Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Camilo Villegas, Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott and Molinari brothers. But don’t feel bad. At least I didn’t call you old guns.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: zzazazz, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Louis Oosthuizen Fires 67 With Eye Closed

ON SATURDAY MORNING IT seemed doubtful that Louis Oosthuizen would tee it up in the third round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The reigning British Open champion has been sick for a while. Last week he withdrew from the Honda Classic after the second round. Antibiotics had helped, but the infection had moved from his left eye to his right, which was swollen shut.

“It looked pretty bad,” Oosthuizen said at PGATour.com. “It was swollen badly and I couldn’t really see through it. I just iced it and got some eye drops put in.”

The eye felt OK an hour before his tee time, so the South African decided to start the round. But he also suspected he would hang it up after a few holes. “I just wanted to give myself a chance,” he said.

Putting five birdies on his card, Louis recorded a 31 on the opening nine. “The first seven holes I could have been seven under.” He took dead aim and didn’t worry about a thing, even though his right eye was swollen and watery, blurring his vision.

Oosthuizen got to 7 under on his round at the 16th before making a pair of closing bogeys to notch a 67. Still, not bad for a player whose right eye was described as a slit when he finished. Beware the ailing golfer.

Dustin Johnson (13 under) leads by two over Luke Donald, Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar heading into the final round at the Blue Monster.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Bob Stapleton, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Good Old Days: Tiger and Phil’s Duel at Doral

REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS when Tiger Woods was the No. 1 golfer in the world and always seemed to win at the Blue Monster? (Doral, that is. White-sand bunkers, lots of water.) Tiger collected hardware on three consecutive visits, from 2005 through 2007.

The above highlight package from the 2005 tournament is a case in point. Tiger chased down Phil Mickelson in a thrilling final-round duel that wasn’t decided until Lefty rimmed out his birdie chip on the 72nd green.

Times have changed. Boy, have they changed. The automobile sponsor has gone from Ford to Cadillac. Tiger’s game has gone from Cadillac to Ford.

Tiger, now world No. 5, and Phil, now world No. 6, will be grouped in the first two rounds of this week’s Cadillac Championship, a World Golf Championship event featuring 69 of the best players from around the globe. The top 21 players will be grouped according to world rankings, which means Tiger and Phil will be joined by world No. 4 and reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. The top three of Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald will also tour the Blue Monster together on Thursday and Friday.

Can Tiger or Phil reprise their mid 00’s dominance and swagger? The question hangs in the air like a weak approach shot in a stiff Florida breeze.

−The Armchair Golfer

The Stats on Luke Donald’s Desert Romp

LUKE DONALD, THAT UNASSUMING, polite Englishman, humbled the world’s 63 best golfers in the wind, cold and hail on the southern Arizona desert. The former Northwestern University golfer was a one-man bracket buster at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Now he’s ranked No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking, just behind fellow Brit Lee Westwood.

I’m still processing Luke’s victory at Dove Mountain. I didn’t fully realize how dominant it was until I read some of Donald’s stats at Geoff Shackelford’s blog.

Luke set a record for fewest number of holes played to win the event: 89. That’s in six matches, folks, or a possible 108 holes. None of Donald’s matches reached the 18th hole. Only one reached the 17th. He made 32 birdies on his 89-hole romp, hitting 74 percent of the greens. He one-putted 46 times.

Scores of Donald’s six matches: 6 and 5. 2 and 1. 3 and 2. 5 and 4. 6 and 5. 3 and 2.

Any questions?

“Kind of one of those weeks where a lot of things went my way,” understated the one-putting machine.

If he keeps playing like he did last weekend in Tucson, we might want to call Luke “The Donald” instead of Trump. Or Sir Donald. Or, as some have already suggested, Cool Hand Luke.

That fits. Especially considering the way he rolls it on the greens. Tell me you wouldn’t bid on that stroke if it was auctioned on eBay.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo: Courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren)

The Math Works for Martin Kaymer

MARTIN KAYMER HAS 8.36 POINTS in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), which makes him the new No. 1 golfer in the world. After Tiger Woods held the No. 1 spot for a bazillion weeks, there have now been two on top since November 1. Kaymer displaced Lee Westwood (8.16 points) and is the first German since Bernhard Langer to reach golf’s summit, nearly a quarter century after Langer debuted as No. 1 in the new world golf rankings in April 1986.

Kaymer, who this past weekend finished as runner-up to Luke Donald at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, sounded like he was still in a state of disbelief in a CNN.com story. With an open week in his schedule, the 26-year-old German star said he will have some time to let his accomplishment sink in.

As I’ve said before, I don’t understand how the math behind the OWGR works. I haven’t tried, to be honest. But I do feel better with Kaymer on top. He deserves it. He’s actually been winning golf tournaments.

To review, Tiger Woods remained as world No. 1 until last Halloween despite a lackluster 2010 season. Westwood had two late-season wins in 2009 and one 2010 victory at the St. Jude Classic. Not bad, but certainly not a compelling case for world No. 1. Tiger fell on his own more than Lee knocked him off the pedestal.

Kaymer, on the other hand, has had five wins in the last 13 months, including a major, the PGA Championship. However you do the math, that adds up to world’s best golfer in my book. Martin has played his way to the top—with wins. It’s about winning, ultimately. Or it should be.

Official World Golf Ranking Top 10
(as of 2/27/11)
1. Martin Kaymer
2. Lee Westwood
3. Luke Donald
4. Graeme McDowell
5. Tiger Woods
6. Phil Mickelson
7. Paul Casey
8. Rory McIlroy
9. Steve Stricker
10. Matt Kuchar

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Martin Kaymer’s Quiet Golf Takeover

It Rains Money in Atlanta for Jim Furyk

2010 Tour Championship Recap
Winner: Jim Furyk
Score: 8 under, 272 (67, 65, 70, 70)
Quote: “It’s my second biggest win.”
Fact: Won $11 million with used $39 putter.
Thought: Winning Ryder Cup would cap off best year of Furyk’s career.

I DON’T TALK TO the TV a lot. Certainly not as much as I used to. And usually not with my family around (not that they care). But I was talking to the TV late this afternoon as I tuned in to the final holes of the Tour Championship. I was talking Jim Furyk through those last few holes because I didn’t want to see him blow the tournament and FedEx Cup.

I don’t understand how the the FedEx Cup points work. I let the talking heads and graphics help me keep score. What I did understand was that if Furyk won the tournament, he’d also win the FedEx Cup (and $10 million). The same was true for Luke Donald and Retief Goosen as they played the closing holes.

I decided Furyk is my guy. Nothing against the others, but I’ve always liked Furyk’s grind-it-out style.

So then he bogeys 16. Me: “Um, Jim. C’mon, buddy.” Good drive at 17 and then a weak approach shot. (I thought he hit his second shot fat long before Johnny Miller asked him what happened in the post-round interview. Was it that hard for the TV guys to see?) Another bogey. Me: “JIM!”

Eighteenth tee, long par 3. It’s raining hard, sure. Tough conditions. I get it, TV guys. (Hey, I’ve played in lots of rain and with soaking wet grips, just not for the Gross Domestic Product of a small nation.) Me: “Just get it on the green, Jimmy. C’mon now.”

Bunker.

Some work to do here. Making it interesting, eh Jim? Nothing to say now. I’m just watching. The ball comes out clean, hops, spins and checks two or so feet from the cup. I could make that one. Well, maybe. At least the soaking rain might hide the soiled spot on my pants.

Jim turns his cap around so the rain won’t drip off the bill and taps it in. He later called the putt dummy proof.

It was a nice ending. The guy who missed The Barclays because of a faulty alarm ends up winning it all. And with that used putter he picked up at Joe & Leigh’s in the Boston area, which sounds something like the House of Putters.

“It was like 65 bucks,” Furyk said, “but they sold it to me for $39, I think. I didn’t ask for that, trust me. I didn’t barter.

“It was a used putter. It’s got a nick on the back flange. It’s got a little ding in the top line. I never loft and lied it which is rare for me because I’ve always got my putters on a loft-lie machine at home, and the way the grip is on it, it might be slightly off center but that’s kind of how I like it anyway.”

Next stop for Jim and his $39 putter is Wales for this week’s Ryder Cup.

So, with three wins and the FedEx Cup, Jim Furyk is player of the year, right? I can’t make a stronger case for anyone else.

−The Armchair Golfer

Yes, He Khan: Journeyman Captures BMW PGA Championship

2010 BMW PGA Championship Recap
Winner: Simon Khan
Score: 6 under, 278 (72, 69, 71, 66)
Quote: “This means everything.”
Fact: Introduced to golf by grandfather.
Thought: Might be only player who likes new 18th hole.

SIMON KHAN LOST HIS TOUR card last year and wasn’t exactly setting European Tour courses ablaze thus far in the 2010 season. Khan’s best finish was a tie for 27th two weeks ago. Before that, the Englishman was sputtering along with finishes such as 56th, 93rd and 105th.

That all changed at Wentworth Club on Sunday when Khan posted a 5-under 66 to win the prestigious BMW PGA Championship by a shot over Fredrik Andersson Hed and Luke Donald, who stumbled with a double bogey at the 17th. A birdie and par on the last two holes, both par 5s, would have earned Donald the title. He shrugged it off afterward. Still, it must sting, right? Luke?

Meanwhile, Khan, a mostly invisible player of late (he was a last-minute entry at Wentworth), rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green that turned out to be the clincher. Welcome to the math of Khan. From a best 2010 check of 7,360 euros to 750,000 euros. From 471st to 106th in the world rankings. From Q-school late last year to a a five-year exemption on the European Tour, including an automatic entry into the Open Championship. Even a Ryder Cup spot is now possible for the 37-year-old from Essex. A little Sinatra seems appropriate: “Blue skies smilin’ at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see.”

By the way, Khan’s charge was also the largest final-day comeback in the history of the tournament. Simon, who had one other European Tour win in 2004, was seven shots back entering the final round. Well done, sir.

Once again, it demonstrates one good week can change everything. Yes, it Khan.

Tour Notes

• PGA Tour: Australian Jason Day won the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
• LPGA Tour: Sun Young Yoo captured the Sybase Match Play Championship by beating Angela Stanford 3 and 1.

−The Armchair Golfer