Spring at the Masters.

The year's first major promises to set the tone for the next few years.

Tiger's resurgence and McIlroy's lack of form are only two fascinating stories.

Bubba's defending

Haven't seen much of Bubba recently, but I have a feeling he is fully enjoying being part of that most exclusive collection of winners.

Watch out for Harrington.

He came out and posted a -4, but given the wind conditions, they faced it was a remarkable round.  "It was cold!'  said Paddy.

Scott, Schwartzell, K.J. Choi.  Tiger will have his hands full.

The putter, as always, is the key.

'Naturally,' said Mickelson, 'You have to hit your approaches to the right locations to have a chance to make birdie,  Some holes, you just get your par and get out.  Experience is a major advantage.'

Major, indeed.

O'Hair breaks drought by taming rough at Canadian Open

It was the fourth PGA Tour win for O'Hair, but his first since 2009 and his first top-15 this season.  In fact, prior to this weekend, he had missed 10 cuts out of 17 tournaments.  He admitted he was not playing well after Wednesdays Pro-Am and felt he had bottomed out.


"Wednesday night was my worst point of the whole year," O'Hair said. "I was lost on Wednesday. To be sitting here, I just really appreciate this win."

HADWIN MAKES NATION PROUD but fails to end cup drought

Playing on a sponsor's exemption the BC native finished with a 72 and tied with  Geoff Ogilvy for fourth at 2 under. One of only a handful of players to finish under par.  Hadwin is in his second year on the Canadian Tour.  His strong finish as Shaughnessy qualifies him for another PGA Tour start next week.

Americans make good showing at The Open - but still winless in last 7 majors

Phil Mickelson made his best showing at The Open Championship with a T2 with Dustin Johnson.  Chad Campbell finished T5 for one of his best results in a long time.  And Rickie Fowler and Anthony Kim proved they have what it takes to contend on Golfs biggest stages.  Oh, and don't forget Davis Love III who was fortunate to get into the tournament at all and finished T9.


But, it was sentimental favorite Darren Clarke who held fast and won comfortably by 2 strokes.  It was reminiscent of Tom Watson's run two years ago.  Obviously not as amazing as Clarke is only 42 years old, but no one older had accomplished the feat since 1967.


Two good days of weather, followed by two blustery days challenged every contender to play straight ahead golf and make the fewest mistakes at Royal St. George's devilish layout.  Clarke proved to everyone that he is a true links golfer, who has all the shots necessary to navigate the undulating fairways and massive greens.  

And he has made super agent Chubby Chandler a household name, given that he now boasts Clarke as well as Els, McIlroy, Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel as members of his stable.  Chandler actually was managing McDowell as well, but let him get away in 2007.  Whatever he's doing, it's working!!

Will this be the year for El Nino?

It hasn't been easy to cheer for Sergio Garcia over the years.  His petulance at press conferences, spitting into cups, constant re-gripping, blaming his misfortunes on the course, and his inability to close the deal at majors has forced many who followed the Spaniard over the years to wonder if (not when) he will ever live up to his promise in the big events.

He has come oh so close many times, with 2 runner up finishes and 16 top-tens in his 49 consecutive major appearances.  No one questions his ball striking ability - it is his putting that has prevented him from getting the job done. True, he won the Players and has wreaked havoc at The Ryder Cup events he has played in.  Those events are serious pressure situations, so it stands to reason that he should be able to eventually put it all together.  And, I think it's fair to say that The Open Championship is probably the one he covets the most.

So, I for one will be very interested to see if he can pull it off.

WOW! - MclIroy Delivers in Record-setting Fashion

His Lowest 72 Hole Total of 268 will likely stand for years to come.  Jack Nicklaus set the bar at 272, back in 1980 at Baltusrol, and no one had gone lower until McIlroy's performance.

He also set the lowest score in relation to par at 16 under, which the USPGA will probably not want to see bettered, regardless of the weather which even MacIloy admitted helped him out.  He was actually 17 under at one point.

His wire-to-wire victory also meant 36 and 54 hole scoring records and he was the youngest player to win the US Open since Bobby Jones.  His fairways-in-regulation and greens-in-regulation statistics were also unprecedented.

In all he set 12 records over the past four days.

And he did it all with poise and youthful confidence that endeared him to everyone who witnessed it, especially after shooting a fourth round 80 at August just eight weeks ago (also a record by a tournament leader at The Masters.)

His free flowing swing matches his carefree personality and stands in stark contrast to the guarded Woods who is still chasing Jack's 18 majors.  It will be even tougher for Woods to accomplish that feat now that McIlroy has had a taste of major glory.

Tiger's Tail of Pain

 A chronology of Tiger Woods' injuries (From A.P. 06/07/11):

June 7, 2011 — Decides not to play the U.S. Open because his left knee and Achilles is not fully healed. It is the first time he has missed the U.S. Open since 1994, after he graduated high school.

May 12, 2011 — Withdraws after nine holes at The Players Championship after a 42, his worst 9-hole score at the TPC Sawgrass. Woods had a noticeable limp over the final hour. "The knee acted up, and then the Achilles followed after that, and then the calf started cramping up. Everything started getting tight," he said.

April 26, 2011 — Reveals he has a minor sprain of medial collateral ligaments in left knee and minor strain of his left Achilles, and he will miss the Wells Fargo Championship.

Dec. 11, 2010 — Has cortisone shot in his right ankle because of lingering soreness in his Achilles.

May 9, 2010 — Withdraws on the seventh hole of the final round at The Players Championship with what he fears is a bulging disk. He later says it was inflammation of a joint in his neck. He doesn't miss a start, returning a month later at the Memorial.

December 2008 — Ruptures the Achilles' tendon in his right leg.

June 24, 2008 — Eight days after winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole playoff, has reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and to repair cartilage damage. He misses the rest of the 2008 season and is out for eight months.

June 2008 — Advised in the weeks before the U.S. Open that he has two stress fractures of the left tibia and should expect to be on crutches three weeks, out of golf for an additional three weeks.

April 15, 2008 — Two days after his runner-up finish at the Masters, has athroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage. Decides against repairing ligament to avoid longer rehabilitation and to play the other three majors. Misses Quail Hollow, The Players Championship and the Memorial.

July 2007 — Ruptures his anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee when he took a misstep while running on a golf course. He wins five of his last six tournaments he plays, including the PGA Championship.

Dec. 12, 2002 — Has surgery to remove fluid inside and around the anterior cruciate ligament. Misses the season-opening Mercedes Championship for the first time, and returns 10 weeks later to win the Buick Invitational.

December 1994 — As a freshman at Stanford, has surgery to remove two benign tumors and scar tissue in his left knee.

True Grit

Dejected

To see David Toms pull it together after a heartbreaker at The Players and a blown 6 shot lead after back to back 62's at Colonial and capture the plaid jacket was a thing of beauty.

The fact that he is a serious contender now for The US Open is even more amazing.  I don't think he'll win it, but if he does, he has a serious case to make for Hall of Fame induction someday.

The fact that he is 44 years old (same age as me) makes it sweet indeed. 

Redeemed