The Specs on Phil Mickelson’s New Belly Putter

Phil Mickelson’s latest addition (Courtesy of Odyssey)

MAYBE YOU HEARD. PHIL MICKELSON slipped a belly putter into his Callaway golf bag last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. I’m being facetious. Of course you heard. The belly putter is all the rage. It’s dominating golf news.

So, in case you’re curious, here’s the dope on Phil’s new magic wand, as reported by the Hot List 365 blog at GolfDigest.com:

According to Odyssey, Mickelson’s belly putter is an Odyssey Sabertooth with a White Hot XG insert. The club is 45.5 inches long with a lie of 70 degrees. The putter also was custom weighted to put more weight behind the face. Lefty worked with Austie Rollinson, Odyssey's principal designer, on the putter.

The plan was to build Phil a belly putter like the one used by PGA champion Keegan Bradley, a Mickelson pal and practice partner. But Rollinson made some tweaks after he and Lefty met recently at the Odyssey Putting Lab in Carlsbad, California. The Mickelson version is a half-inch shorter and two degrees more upright than Bradley’s.

Phil had mixed results with it last week outside of Boston, finishing in a tie for 10th. His 9-under total included a 63 in the third round.

Do you think the switch will help Lefty putt better and win more?

−The Armchair Golfer

Fluff and Bones to Appear on Next ‘Feherty’

By Golf Channel

THE NEXT EPISODE OF ‘FEHERTY’ on Golf Channel (Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET) will feature two of the best caddies in the game: Mike “Fluff” Cowan and Jim “Bones” Mackay.

David Feherty will chat with the two loopers about what it has been like to tote the bag for Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk during careers that have combined nearly a half century of heavy lifting and thousands of miles of walking the world’s best golf courses.

With all that wear and tear, Feherty chose a spa setting for the shared interview, and does his best pampering with a hilarious pedicure scene.

Player-caddie relationships often last no more than a few years, but Mackay has been on Phil Mickelson’s bag for nearly his entire career. Feherty finds out how the two became acquainted and what makes their relationship the exception to the rule.

Currently working for Jim Furyk, Cowan also has caddied for Peter Jacobsen and Tiger Woods. He talks about his experience as Tiger’s caddie and explains how being a good friend with a player can lead to success.

The two caddies also talk about how often their bosses want to hear their opinions or just confirm their own; describe some of the best shots they have ever witnessed; show some caddie hand signals; and discuss what they think is right and wrong with the game.

‘Feherty’ debuted in June as Golf Channel’s most-watched original series premiere in its history.

How It’s Done: Andres Gonzales at the Greenbrier Classic

PGA TOUR ROOKIE ANDRES GONZALES demonstrates the chip-and-run shot to perfection on the 15th hole of Old White at The Greenbrier Classic. Gonzales, self described as “half man, half amazing,” went on to card a 69 on Thursday but slipped to a 74 on Friday to miss the cut.

Gonzales is perhaps best known for his one-way Twitter conversation with Tiger Woods. It began this way:

“@TigerWoods my name is andresgonzales and I am a rookie on tour. I like elephants.”

Tiger was his idol growing up. Now Gonzales wants to be friends. And perhaps play a practice round with the 14-time major winner. A tweet in June:

“@TigerWoods qualified for the open today. Hate to say I don’t need a roommate because my family is coming. But I would be up for a p. round.”

And on July 2:

“My wife is at my sister’s bachelorette, so I found a different party. I need a date. I doubt you’re here but it’s worth a try...@tigerwoods?”

So far, no Tiger. No matter, the 28-year-old rookie is having fun.

Webb Simpson and Brendon de Jonge are tied for the 36-hole lead at The Greenbrier Classic. 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman is one shot back. Phil Mickelson missed the cut.

−The Armchair Golfer

U.S. Senior Open: Cochran to Attempt Langer Double

ONE LEFTY FINISHED SECOND at the British Open. That would be Phil Mickelson, whose final-round charge fizzled on the back nine. But the following week a lesser-known lefty won the senior British. The Champions Tour’s Russ Cochran claimed his first professional major at Walton Heath in England last Sunday.

Can Cochran win consecutive majors by capturing the U.S. Senior Open title at Inverness this week? Bernhard Langer performed the remarkable feat a year ago.

(Russ Cochran)

PGATour.com contributor Vartan Kupelian thinks Cochran can do it. Kupelian ranks the veteran lefty No. 1 in his U.S. Senior Open Power Rankings.

“Now that he’s [Cochran] back and fit again after a wrist injury,” Kupelian writes, “a back-to-back isn’t out of the question. Consider that Cochran’s first two Champions Tour victories, in 2010, came in successive tournaments last September in Korea and North Carolina.”

Cochran, a journeyman who won just once in 26 years on the PGA Tour, is flourishing on the second-chance tour. The 52-year-old Kentucky native has three victories since joining the Champions Tour in February 2009.

Cochran will face tough competition at Inverness. Other players have been knocking at the major door, including John Cook and Mark Calcavecchia. Calc perhaps only needs a good putting week to kick the door in. Troubled by a thumb injury this season, defending champion Langer might be rounding into form after last week’s T12 at the Senior British Open that included a pair of 69s on the weekend.

As Kupelian reports, there are five players in the U.S. Senior Open field who have won at Inverness dating back to 1973: Craig Stadler, Hale Irwin, Bob Tway, Paul Azinger (update: Azinger has withdrawn) and Bruce Lietzke. Inverness has hosted four U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, two PGA Championships and one U.S. Amateur.

ESPN and NBC have the TV coverage.

−The Armchair Golfer

2011 U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy Beats Up ‘Neighborhood Bully’

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.

RORY MCILROY HAS POSTED some astonishing numbers at the midway point of the 111th U.S. Open Championship. McIlroy’s 65-66 for 131 sets a 36-hole record. He leads the tournament by a whopping eight shots.

“I don’t really know what to say,” McIlroy said. “It’s been two very, very good days of golf. I put myself in a great position going into the weekend.”

You’re not supposed to do this to U.S. Open courses. Not the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club, not any of them. U.S. Open courses are the biggest and baddest golf courses around. They’re the neighborhood bully, that cruel dude in school everyone feared because he made a sport of hurting people with his fists. The bully was an intimidator, an evil force to be respected and, if possible, avoided.

But on Friday afternoon as the enormity of McIlroy’s 36-hole tear sinks in, it’s as if young Rory sized up the Blue Course and said to himself, “I can take this bully.” On Thursday afternoon playing alongside Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, the Irish tour pro extracted six birdies from Congressional on his way to a bogey-free 6-under 65 and a three-shot lead.

In Friday’s second round, McIlroy picked up where he left off on a course that was softened by rain on Thursday night. He made two birdies and an eagle on the outward nine to card a 4-under 32. After a string of four consecutive pars, he reeled off three birdies in the next four holes to go 7 under for his round and 13 under for the tournament. No one had ever reached 13-under par in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open. Not even Tiger Woods.

The neighborhood bully was on the receiving end of a serious thumping, and the crowd loved it. They cheered and cheered and cheered. The young lad had knocked Congressional down, stomped all over it and taken all the lunch money it had stolen through the years. No doubt, our hero Rory would donate the recovered funds to the Haiti relief effort.

But just when we thought that big, bad Blue Course was down for the count, bloodied and completely humiliated, it reached out and tripped McIlroy on the way to the clubhouse celebration. Rory stumbled at the last hole, making a double bogey, the first blemish on his scorecard in two days.

The bully will be waiting for him tomorrow. You can count on it.

“I know more than probably anyone else what can happen,” McIlroy said. “So I’ve got to stay really focused and try and finish this thing off.“

To be continued.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2011 U.S. Open: A Rock and a Hard Place
2011 U.S. Open: Day One Belongs to Rory McIlroy
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes
2011 U.S. Open: A 16-Year-Old Player and Other Notes
2011 U.S. Open: ‘Big Blue’ Ready to Challenge Field of 156

2011 U.S. Open: Day 1 Belongs to Rory McIlroy

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.

WHEN Y.E. YANG CAME HOME in 68 strokes earlier in the day, I thought the score might hold up for the first-round lead. But then along came Rory McIlroy who played what he termed “stress-free golf.” (I didn’t know there was such a thing at the U.S. Open.)

The supremely talented Irishman blitzed the difficult Blue Course, carding a 6-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Yang and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who also posted a 68.

Here’s what McIlroy said in a “flash” interview immediately after his round.

Q. That was spectacular, six birdies, no bogeys. Talk about your experiences in this round.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was a good round of golf. I didn’t really put a foot wrong. The only mistake I made was missing the green on 14, and I held a nice sort of 15 footer for par there. Apart from that it was pretty much stress free golf. It was nice. I feel like I’m driving it well. I’m hitting my iron shots good, holing a few putts. So it’s a nice combination.

Q. Is the course set up perfectly for you?

RORY McILROY: When I got here last week on Wednesday, I felt like the golf course set up good for me. It sort of worked out that way.

Q. I don’t know if you ever get comfortable on a U.S. Open golf course, but you looked comfortable, did you feel that way?

RORY McILROY: I did, yeah, I felt very comfortable. I said this in the press conference Tuesday. It doesn’t feel like a typical U.S. Open, for some reason. The golf course is going to get harder and it’s going to get firmer and it’s going to get trickier, but I still feel that it’s very playable and fair. If you don’t hit a fairway, you’ve still got a chance to hit it on the green and give yourself a chance for birdie. I like the way they’ve set up the golf course this year.

Meanwhile, McIlroy’s playing partners in the marquee grouping struggled to post a good number. Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson shot 74 and 75, respectively. With a ball in the water at the challenging par-3 10th (his first hole of the day), Mickelson’s round and 41st birthday got off to a rocky start. Lefty made a double bogey and had to steady himself the rest of the way.

The boys had a huge gallery, as you might imagine. I followed along for a few holes, but it was difficult to get a good look at the action.

In addition to McIlroy, Yang and Schwartzel, six players broke 70 in scoring conditions made easier by overcast skies and relatively cool temperatures. British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Sergio Garcia are among the group of players who are at 3-under par after 69s.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2011 U.S. Open: ‘Big Blue’ Ready to Challenge Field of 156
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes
2011 U.S. Open: A 16-Year-Old Player and Other Notes

Y.E. Yang Takes Early Lead at Congressional

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.

THE 10TH IS A FRIGHTENING hole on Congressional’s Blue Course, a 218-yard par 3 that crosses a small lake. Few would choose to start their U.S. Open here, but many have no choice. For Y.E. Yang, the clubhouse leader after a 3-under 68, it was the perfect start. While others have nervously dunked their golf balls in the water (Phil Mickelson, for one), Yang smacked a 5-iron hybrid and watched it fly toward the green.

“It was a very straight, honest hit, and it landed quite well,” Yang said. The 2009 PGA Championship winner sank the putt for a birdie and was off to a round during which he birdied all four par 3s, a first in his career.

Carding five birdies and two bogeys, Yang put together nines of 3-under 33 and even-par 35 for his 68. The softer conditions resulting from overcast skies and cooler-than-normal temperatures helped the cause. It won’t get any easier, he said.

Yang believes his experience as a major winner can help him the rest of the way. “I know the feeling, and I know that it’s a little more of everything in a major than it is in other tournaments, so it’s easier for me to cope with that kind of pressure or expectations. It definitely has some kind of psychological advantage.”

Louis Oosthuizen and Ryan Palmer finished with 2-under 69s. A half-dozen players have completed play at 1-under 70, including defending champion Graeme McDowell, Stewart Cink and Davis Love III.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2011 U.S. Open: ‘Big Blue’ Ready to Challenge Field of 156
2011 U.S. Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes
2011 U.S. Open: Play the Groupings Name Game
2011 U.S. Open: A 16-Year-Old Player and Other Notes

2011 U.S. Open: A 16-Year-Old Player and Other Notes

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.

SOMETIMES BOYS PLAY LIKE MEN. That’s the case for Beau Hossler Jr., a 16-year-old rising junior in high school who is the youngest player in this year’s 156-man U.S. Open field. I saw Hossler on the practice putting green on Wednesday afternoon and did a double take. I couldn’t figure out why a kid was rolling putts on the green.

It turns out the kid from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, is quite a player. Hossler finished third in his Sectional Qualifier and got his driver’s license during the same week. Not a bad week at all for a teenager. Now he’s teeing it up on the national stage with the world’s best players.

“It’s an awesome layout and conditions are obviously very difficult,” Hossler said the other day. “But I feel like I can play this golf course.”

Hossler said the players have treated him well. A personal favorite is Phil Mickelson. The teen begins his U.S. Open adventure at 2:52 p.m. alongside Chris Wilson and David May.

Notes

The longest U.S. Open courses are:
2008: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) 7,643 yards
2011: Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) 7,574 yards
2009: Bethpage State Park (Black Course) 7,426 yards
2006: Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) 7,264 yards
(Source: USA Today via USOpen.com)

Morning green speeds averaged 13.5 on the USGA Stimpmeter, but they’re expected to slow down to the high 12’s in the middle of the day.

The 2011 U.S. Open is sold out. “The USGA is proud to reach this milestone at Congressional, in our nation’s capital,” USGA Executive Director Mike Davis said.

The sun is trying to break through. Today’s high is expected to be in the mid 70s. Thunderstorms are possible.

−The Armchair Golfer

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

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 Stunning New Episode of Masters Theater

“TO ME, GOLF IS GREAT THEATER.” Those were the words of Frank Chirkinian, the legendary CBS-TV golf producer who recently died after a long fight with lung cancer. Chirkinian, considered to be the father of televised golf, explained that he never thought of himself as a golf or sports producer. The golf course was the setting for drama, tragedy and triumph. Above all, it was theater.

Can you imagine what Chirkinian would have thought about this most recent Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club?

Like a lot of golf fans, I’m still trying to process what I saw take place yesterday amid the pines and azaleas, through Amen Corner, and on those last four holes. I wholeheartedly agree with Chirkinian. The Masters is certainly “great theater.” I’ve been spellbound by it for three decades. I remember 1986 and so many others. But I’d never seen this episode. Not even close. This one had everything, and it was mesmerizing.

The mind tries to pick a winner. Who has the lead. Who has the look. Who still has enough birdie opportunities and nerve on the way to the clubhouse. But yesterday it was impossible to identify the 2011 Masters champion. I couldn’t even narrow it down to two or three. This was by far the largest cast of Sunday contenders on Masters Theater.

Who would wear the Green Jacket?

It was Rory. It was Tiger. It was Rory. It was Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi and Charl Schwartzel. It was Tiger. It was Geoff Ogilvy. Bo Van Pelt? No. It was Adam Scott. Definitely Adam Scott. Wait, maybe Jason Day. No no no no! It’s Schwartzel. Yeah, that quiet skinny guy who sinks every five-footer. (And chips in for birdie and holes out for eagle.) For the love of Jimmy Demaret, that 26-year-old birdied the last four holes to win the Masters!

Who had done that? Exactly no one in the 75-year history of Bobby Jones’s invitational.

Those four Schwartzel birdies, especially the final three that were medium-range putts, were stupendous.

Charl “Don’t Add ‘es’” Schwartzel didn’t lose any sleep on Saturday night like young Rory McIlroy. As Phil Mickelson said, it’s pretty difficult to sleep on a 54-hole Masters lead. It’s even more difficult to play with a four-shot lead. Poor Rory.

McIlroy’s implosion was probably the least surprising aspect of Masters Theater. Tiger’s charge was amazing and tragic. But nor was it the most surprising thing. What surprised me the most about the 2011 Masters was the number of players who struck quality shots down the stretch, who played their fancy white pants off to win the Green Jacket, even after Tiger set off explosions all over the grounds.

That was incredible stuff. It was good for golf. Most of all, it was great theater.

−The Armchair Golfer

Tiger Crashes Masters Leaderboard

THE PUTTS WENT IN. After a sluggish start that included three bogeys in the first seven holes, Tiger Woods sank seven birdies in the last 11 holes en route to a 66 that moved him to within three shots of Rory McIlroy’s lead. Tiger’s touch on the glassy Augusta greens was back, like at 11 where he coaxed in a ticklish par-saver. His tee shots were still shaky at times, but many of his approach shots were on target, like at 18 where he carved his ball around the pines to set up a finishing birdie.

The look was also back as Tiger marched through the back nine and up the leaderboard late on Friday. On Saturday he’ll be paired with K.J. Choi, who posted a 70. The two played all four rounds together at last year’s Masters. They enjoy each others’ company.

Playing with leader McIlroy, Aussie Jason Day fired a brilliant 64, the day’s best round. Day is 8 under, two off McIlroy’s lead. Rory continued to stripe the ball, although the putts didn’t fall like they did on Thursday when he shot a 65. Rickie Fowler, the third musketeer, carded a 69 to keep himself in the hunt at 5 under.

After his second 69, Geoff Ogilvy is at 6 under along with first round co-leader Alvaro Quiros. Ricky Barnes, Fred Couples and Lee Westwood are tied with Fowler. Couples posted an age-defying 68. Freddie loves Augusta. It’s a crazy love. Phil Mickelson shot an even-par 72, and at 2 under has a lot of work to do on Saturday if he wants to crash the party.

The third round will be intriguing, for it’s a test. Will Tiger continue to hit good approach shots and hole putts? I think he can, especially at Augusta. On the other hand, Tiger hasn’t put together back-to-back rounds in a while. The pins will be tougher to get to; the greens will be harder and faster.

I’m also curious to see how the young bucks respond. For all the talk about Tiger’s intimidation factor being a thing of the past, I wonder if McIlroy and Day will have the twitches. My hunch is that Day will struggle. The Masters pressure might just beat him silly. Rory is a little more battle tested. But will he putt like Sergio Garcia?

As Rickie Fowler says, game on.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Gary Hisanaga, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

McIlroy and Quiros Lead Masters, Fowler to Wear White on Friday

THE 75TH MASTERS IS underway, golf fans, er, patrons. It was an especially gorgeous day at Augusta National, warm and no wind to speak of, a day for scoring. The field charged out of the gate like 2-year-olds at the Kentucky Derby. They’re all bunched up as they enter the first turn and it’s way too early to sort it all out.

But we know the horses leading the pack, a couple of strong thoroughbreds: Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros.

Rory McIlroy, grouped with Rickie Fowler and Jason Day, set the early pace with a 7-under 65. Fowler had a 70. Day carded a 72. Quiros, playing alongside fellow power rangers Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland in the day’s last grouping, matched McIlroy’s 65. Previously, Quiros’ best trip around Augusta National was 75.

I enjoyed watching Quiros, Woodland and Vegas blister the back nine. Woodland salvaged a 69 by playing the last six holes six under par.

With 67s, Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi are two behind the leaders. Matt Kuchar and Ricky Barnes fired 68s. Phil Mickelson and Tigers Woods had 70 and 71, respectively. World No. 1 Martin Kaymer stumbled to a 78.

The weather is supposed to be perfect on the weekend. The course will play firmer and faster as Sunday approaches.

Y’all know this isn’t a golf fashion blog, but the folks at COBRA-PUMA GOLF contacted me as they sometimes do. They wanted me to know what Rickie Fowler would be wearing all four days at the Masters.

Who am I to withhold this information from you?

So Rickie will slip into white with a blue-striped pattern on Friday, a green-striped polo with white pants on Saturday and his trademark all orange on Sunday. It might be the only thing I can say with any certainty about this year’s Masters.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Courtesy of COBRA-PUMA GOLF)

2011 Masters TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

HELLO, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME to the 2011 Masters. This is Jim Nan ... er, sorry. I got carried away. It’s Masters week, golf fans! Magnolia Lane, azaleas, Amen Corner, pimento cheese sandwiches and Chuck Norris-style security.

MASTERS NEED TO KNOW

Purse: $7.5 million
Winner’s share: A bundle, but they’re really playing for the Green Jacket
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson

2011 Masters Leaderboard

Masters field
Augusta National Golf Club
First and second round tee times
Masters photo gallery
Masters newsroom
Masters tournament information
Masters winners
Official Masters site

ARMCHAIR GOLF Masters Vault

Assorted past stories.

The Roars of Augusta
13 Things We Still Know After the Masters
Errie Ball: Last Man Standing from First Masters
Q&A: Walker Inman Jr.: First Augusta Native to Play in Masters
Masters Food: A Tradition Unlike Any Other
Q&A: SI’s Jim Gorant on the Masters

TV SCHEDULE

Between Golf Channel, ESPN and CBS, roughly a gazillion hours of TV coverage are scheduled for the 2011 Masters. If your TV is on, you’re bound to catch it.

Wed, April 6
ESPN 3-5 PM ET
GOLF 6-8 PM ET

Thu, April 7
ESPN 3-7:30 PM ET
GOLF 8 AM-3 PM and 7:30-9:30 PM ET
Sirius/XM 2-8 PM ET

Fri, April 8
ESPN 3-7:30 PM ET
GOLF 8 AM-3 PM and 7:30-9:30 PM ET
Sirius/XM 2-8 PM ET

Sat, April 9
CBS 3:30-7 PM ET
GOLF 12:30-3:30 PM and 7-9 PM ET
Sirius/XM 2-7 PM ET

Sun, April 10
CBS 2-7 PM ET
GOLF 12:30-3:30 PM and 7-9 PM ET
Sirius/XM 2-7 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

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

Phil on ‘PARADE’

THE PHIL MICKELSON INTERVIEW at Parade.com (Phil Mickelson: “I Couldn’t Be Any Luckier”) is a feel-good piece that covers a lot of ground many golf fans already know, with a few new anecdotes thrown in.

Phil says, “I’m much more emotional than Tiger.” No surprise there. And Lefty says he wants to make 2011 the kind of golf year he was expecting to have in 2010. He better get busy.

Following is one of my favorite paragraphs from the Kate Meyers interview. It really sums things up.

In this era of golf, Mickelson’s name will always come after Tiger Woods’s. He is the anti-Tiger, though not because he’s gracefully weathered the obstacles life has thrown at him while Tiger is still stinging from self-inflicted wounds. He’s the anti-Tiger because on the course he plays a mild-mannered, sometimes bumbling Clark Kent to Woods’s Superman. And fans love him for it. He never looks chiseled, never seems invincible, and—despite 38 PGA wins—has never been No. 1 in the world. He’s been faulted for taking too long to win his first major (in his 12th year as a pro) and for making too many suicidal shots at critical moments. But throughout his nearly 20-year professional career, he has had the same caddie, the same manager, and the same wife.

Does Phil have a chance next week at the Masters? You bet he does.

I don’t care how Phil is playing, the place energizes him. It offers the risk-reward shotmaking opportunities he lives for. And, of course, experience is huge at Augusta National.

PARADE’S photo shoot with Phil Mickelson

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Courtesy of PARADE)

Tucson or Gone for Graeme McDowell?

Editor’s note: Brian Keogh, a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun, is in Tucson, Arizona, this week for the Accenture World Match Play. Brian filed this report at his Irish Golf Desk. Used with permission.

By Brian Keogh
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

GRAEME MCDOWELL IS DETERMINED to improve his disastrous Accenture World Match Play record in Tucson. The US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero has made it to the second round just once in four appearances in the World Golf Championship event. But he believes he can feed off his sensational 2010 form and make a run at the title if he sees off debutant Heath Slocum tomorrow.

At world No 4, a spot ahead of Phil Mickelson, McDowell said: “I look back at the last two years and I’ve had my clubs in their flight bag at 12.30 on day one. You start to think that this is the worst event in the world but I have actually played pretty well the last couple of years and shot the equivalent of 67s and just gone home.

“If you can get a couple of matches under your belt, all of a sudden you gain a bit of confidence and a bit of momentum and suddenly you are in the weekend with a great chance to win a big event.”

McDowell beat Darren Clarke in the first round in 2005 but then lost to Robert Allenby and hasn’t won a match since.

Beaten by Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and Luke Donald in his last three starts, McDowell said: “That’s the nature of the beast. You run into a guy who plays great and you have got to try and play better than him.

“If you look at this event on its own and you’d say I am not a good match player but I have got a good match play record in general. I look at my Ryder Cup record, my wins in the Seve Trophy and even looking back to my old amateur days. I still maintain that I am a good match player.”

McDowell finished third in the PGA Tour’s season-opener in Hawaii and at the Abu Dhabi Championship before deciding to take a month off.

“I am back here this week feeling refreshed and recharged and ready to go.”

If he beats Slocum, McDowell could face stablemate Ross Fisher in the second round. The English star takes on Australia’s Robert Allenby.

Brian Keogh covers golf for The Irish Sun and contributes to a variety of golf publications. Pay him a visit at Irish Golf Desk.

Matt Kuchar Displays Strong Grip on Vardon Trophy

THE VARDON TROPHY LOOKS like it’s a heavy rascal. But Matt Kuchar, shown above in a recent appearance on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” show, has a strong grip on the trophy and that ever-present Cheshire cat smile on his face. The Vardon Trophy is awarded to the PGA Tour player with the lowest adjusted scoring average, which happened to be Kuchar in 2010 with a mark of 69.43.

Harry Vardon, for whom the trophy was named, is famous on several counts. Vardon won the British Open a record six times and was twice victorious in the U.S. Open. Harry is also credited with the overlapping grip that’s favored by so many amateur and professional golfers. I thought of the famous Vardon grip as I took a close look at the trophy in the photo: two hands gripping a club and anchored to a slab of mahogany (or some other hardwood).

It’s early in the 2011 season, but Kuchar’s Vardon Trophy defense is off to a good start. He has three top 10s in his first three events, with a scoring average of 67.62. He is ranked 11th in FedEx Cup points and 13th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

And Kuchar is locked in a first-place tie with Phil Mickelson in the aw-shucks grin category.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Courtesy of Golf Channel)

2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM gets underway on Thursday on three gorgeous golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Defending champion Dustin Johnson headlines a strong field that includes major winners Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, Geoff Ogilvy and Vijay Singh.

Purse: $6.3 million
Winner’s share: $1.16 million
Defending champion: Dustin Johnson


Inside the field
Inside the courses
Tee times
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Interviews
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am website



2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Leaderboard


TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Thu, 2/10:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 2/11:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 2/12:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 2/13:
CBS 3p - 6:30p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times

−The Armchair Golfer

2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN is scheduled to start on Thursday at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. Currently, the start time has been pushed back at least two hours due to frost. A strong field will play in front of the largest crowd on the PGA Tour, including Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, defending champion Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson, Geoff Ogilvy, Jhonattan Vegas, Bill Haas and Camilo Villegas.

Purse: $6.1 million
Winner’s share: $1.08 million
Defending champion: Hunter Mahan


Inside the field
Inside the course
Tee times
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Interviews
Waste Management Phoenix Open website


2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open Leaderboard


TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Thu, 2/3:
GOLF 4p - 7p ET

Fri, 2/4:
GOLF 4p - 7p ET

Sat, 2/5:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 2/6:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times

−The Armchair Golfer

2011 Farmers Insurance Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2011 FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN is underway at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are making their 2011 debuts on the PGA Tour. It’s early in the first round. Three players lead at 4 under.


Purse: $5.8 million
Winner’s share: $954,000
Defending champion: Ben Crane



Inside the field
Inside the courses
Tee times
Tournament overview
Tournament news
Interviews
Farmers Insurance Open website

2011 Farmers Insurance Open Leaderboard


TV SCHEDULE

TV coverage of the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open is on Golf Channel and CBS.

Thu, 1/27:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Fri, 1/28:
GOLF 3p - 6p ET

Sat, 1/29:
CBS 3p - 6p ET

Sun, 1/30:
CBS 3p - 6:30p ET

SIRIUS-XM broadcast times

−The Armchair Golfer