The Players Championship at Sawgrass

is it the fifth major, regardless of Tiger Woods’ absence?

The Players Championship tees off on Thursday without it demi-god who is still nursing his knee. While there will always be drama at the fantastic island green of the 17th, I might have some ways for you to enjoy even more drama with your .

Three of the past four TPC winners led the field in GIR, and two of those champions also led in fairways hit. This course plays super tight so favor the great iron players.

An issue I do not see enough of when predicting golf is the weather, and it is freakin hotter than McDonald’s coffee in Jacksonville/Ponta Vedra this weekend – expect the ectomorphs and fitness enthusiasts like Camillo Villegas and Adam Scott to do better than Phil Mickelson or Chad Campbell.

Tiger out for a month, PGA Tour in shambles

By the tone of the articles today, you might expect to see the PGA Tour logo on the back of a milk carton until June.

Tiger woods had his second surgery in five years on his left knee and will be out four to six weeks according to Tiger’s website. That means he will miss the Player’s Championship but will probably return for the US Open on June 12.

Tales of the Tour’s demise run the gamut…

“Doctors said the game of golf will be no more relevant than indoor lacrosse for the next four to six weeks.”  – Ian OConnor at FOXSports.com

So who is the big loser? It’s Wachovia. The nation’s fourth largest bank by assets will is now sponsoring a golf tournament in its home town without its defending champion in Tiger Woods. – Darrell Rovell at CNBC.

WHOOP! Berman not hosting ESPN Masters coverage

From New York Post

This past October, from the moment ESPN announced it had entered the mix to televise the Masters, the fear and loathing among golf fans in anticipation of Chris Berman‘s (right, with Ty Cobb-like grip) smothering presence has grown by the day.

With the Masters just three weeks away, e-mails, once expressing mere anguish, have begun to arrive carrying vague “goodbye-cruel-world” threats. The imagined sounds of Berman on the telecasts – “K.J. Choi To The World, for par” – have made people tense as a mousetrap.

Relax.

Berman will have nothing to do with this year’s Masters telecasts, no presence whatsoever. There’s not even a pro-am for ESPN to show him clowning in. Mike Tirico will be the only ESPN person seen through the network’s Thursday and Friday, 4-7 p.m. window. And Tirico is assigned to conduct interviews from Butler Cabin.

The rest of ESPN’s telecasts will be in the hands of CBS and CBS personnel. Berman won’t even be a member of ESPN’s three-man, on-site “SportsCenter” team.

Hmmm. ESPN’s first Masters, four ESPNers assigned to be there and none of them Berman? Would NBC leave Bob Costas home during a biggie? Would CBS give Jim Nantz the week off? Would Fox leave its robot in the shop? With newly purchased rights to the Masters, wouldn’t you want your No. 1 guy to be there in some role?

more at New York Post

Loudmouth Golf Pants

So KC and I are soaking in the sites at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill today and we see this off the 9th tee….

I know that these aren’t live shots, but imagine the hub-bub around seven guys decked out in the worst pants you have ever seen. and worst in a good way. We go over and ask what the deal is and they hand us a coupon for Loudmouth Golf 20% off!

I made the joke that “Ian Poulter said these pants are loud!” and that got a big laugh.

If you have any fashion daring whatsoever you need to checkout LoudmouthGolf.com.

They didn’t give me permission to share the discount code but if you email us we will see what we can do.

Golf blooper

sure this isn’t David Ledbetter?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NaOrTqo9F7A

KC On Golf: A Sadistic US Open Preview

After a lengthy sabbatical, KC and Vince marvel at the immense challenge facing the best golfers in the world at the 2007 US Open. Course breakdown, picks and insight for the $6.8million flagship tourney for the USGA.

Remember, search for KC On Golf on iTunes!

MP3 File

Site update

based on work schedules, illnesses and other everyday sort of interruptions, KC and I have not updated the site or produced a podcast since the Masters.

Just a note to let you all know that we will be back soon.

If we want to work here, we gotta close!  

Thanks for all the questions.

Masters Odds for 2007

courtesy of Sportsbook.com….

Tiger Woods 7-5

the perennial favorite, any discussion of his dominance seems superfluous…

Phil Mickelson 6-1

“The Scorpion” makes a nice value for the payoff, but you have to prepare for some intestinal discomfort if you take his side.

Vijay Singh 12-1

Singh played so much better than the field at the Arnold Palmer it was disturbing – a week of rest makes the Veej my favorite bet of the weekend.

Ernie Els 15-1

Can Big Easy get along with his new caddy for the entire tournament? He putted extremely well at Doral Country Club.

Others…

Retief Goosen 20-1

Jim Furyk 20-1

Charles Howell III 20-1

Sergio Garcia 25-1

Henrik Stenson 25-1

Geoff Ogilvy 25-1

Adam Scott 25-1

Luke Donald 30-1

Chris DiMarco 30-1

Padraig Harrington 40-1

Trevor Immelman 40-1

Paul Casey 40-1

Davis Love III 50-1
Jose Maria Olazabal 50-1
Robert Allenby 50-1
David Toms 60-1

Others given a 1.5% chance or less to win…

KJ Choi 75-1
Stuart Appleby 75-1
Aaron Baddeley 75-1
Stephen Ames 75-1
Justin Rose 75-1
Chad Campbell 75-1
Mike Weir 75-1
Colin Montgomerie 100-1
Nick OHern 100-1
Arron Oberholser 100-1
Fred Couples 100-1
David Howell 100-1
Stewart Cink 100-1
Darren Clarke 100-1
Camilo Villegas 100-1
Scott Verplank 125-1
Rory Sabbatini 125-1
Angel Cabrera 125-1
Steve Stricker 125-1
Zach Johnson 125-1
Tim Clark 125-1
Thomas Bjorn 150-1
Lucas Glover 150-1
Ian Poulter 150-1
Lee Westwood 150-1
Ben Curtis 150-1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 150-1
Rod Pampling 150-1
Michael Campbell 175-1
zx Field (Any Other Golfers) 7-1