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04

Sep
Tue

Video: Piling on to Mahan's tough day

With so much hand-wringing over the omission of Hunter Mahan from Davis Love III's wildcard picks, a natural question is whether Mahan's last Ryder Cup experience at all played a factor For the record, Love says no.

04

Sep
Tue

Did Obama and Clinton find common ground on the golf course?

By Sam WeinmanWe have heard often during President Obama's tumultuous first term how he has sought refuge on the golf course, with his frequent rounds at Andrews Air Force Base a popular target of his Republican opponents. Imagine what those critics must think knowing Obama uses golf for political gain as well.Obama beat Clinton "fair and square" when they played together last September. In the process, a partnership was forged. Photo by Getty Images.First there was the well-documented "Golf Summit" between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner in June 2011. But even more intriguing is a round Obama played with former President Bill Clinton last September that has repercussions still felt today. In a story in the Sept. 10 issue of The New Yorker about the complicated partnership between Clinton and Obama, political correspondent Ryan Lizza describes the pivotal role a round at Andrews played in bringing the two Presidents together. This is particularly appropriate this week with Clinton set to give a major address on Obama's behalf at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night. Related: President Obama, the First Golfer As Lizza writes, it took a golf invitation from Obama that helped the two men move past a bitter 2008 Democratic primary battle between Obama and Clinton's wife, Hillary, and turn their attention to winning the 2012 election:"The reconciliation began in earnest late last summer. Patrick Gaspard, the former White House political director, who has moved to the Democratic National Committee, approached Douglas Band, Clinton's closest political adviser and longtime gatekeeper, with some suggestions about how the former President might help with Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. Band, who, by reputation, has an acute sense for moments of political advantage, tried to explain that you don't just call up Bill Clinton and tell him to raise money and campaign for you. Band recommended that the two Presidents begin by playing golf. The next day, Obama phoned Clinton and invited him out for a round. Several Clinton associates say that this was the moment they realized that Obama truly wanted to win in 2012. Why else would he spend hours on a golf course being lectured by Clinton?"The Presidential round was played at Andrews Air Force Base on September 24, 2011, and since then Clinton has become a visible and vigorous champion of Obama's reelection." Related: Washington's Top 150 GolfersAs part of an interview with Thomas L. Friedman for last February's Golf Digest, Clinton discussed the round with the President, saying that though he should be a few strokes better than Obama (Clinton is believed to about a 15-handicap), "he beat me fair and square that day."It appears now that wasn't the only victory Obama had in mind. Follow @SamWeinman !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

04

Sep
Tue

Trending: Five other notable Ryder Cup snubs

By Derek Evers Today, Davis Love III announced his captain's picks for the four remaining spots on the 2012 American Ryder Cup team, rounding out the squad with Brandt Snedeker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker. While much will be made of the 12 golfers who will be representing the United States at Medinah CC, today officially marks the start of the second-guessing of the names left off of the captain's list. Many will point to notables like Rickie Fowler and Nick Watney as those overlooked by Love, but as any Ryder Cup veteran will tell you, it's as much about match-ups and intangibles as it is a player's performance. With that in mind, here are five golfers I think would have added some much-needed charisma to the U.S. squad. John Daly: While much is made of his off-the-course antics, Daly has quietly put together a pretty decent 2012. With four top-20 finishes, including his first top-5 since 2005, why not play the hot-ish hand? And just think of the distracting impact his pants could have on the course. If America is going to put up a fight, I want a Hooters-eating, beer-drinking, home-schooling, badass in my corner. Bill Clinton: He may not be the best presidential golfer, but he'll talk his way into making you think he is. It's that mental edge that the Americans need to overcome a European squad that boasts three of the top four players in the world. And all of the women and McDonald's wrappers lining the greens will undoubtedly get under the skin of the notoriously tidy Euros.Related: Meet the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup team Beau Hossler: With a youth movement led by World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, many believe the Europeans have a decided advantage, so why not start grooming some of the American prospects early on? The future is bright for young Hossler, who at one point was atop the leader board during last June's U.S. Open, but I think it's imperative we get the hazing rituals out of the way before he turns 18 so as not to stunt his growth as a player. Besides, no one wants to see Jason Dufner or Keegan Bradley take part in the Elephant Walk or Boob Ranking anyway. Bill Gates: Despite some rather underwhelming scores, the Augusta Member -- and second-richest man in the world -- could bribe a win out of at least two of the matches he plays in. That could provide a huge advantage for Captain Love should a momentum swing be needed. Bill Murray: Rounding out my three-Bills selection, the pro-am icon is overdue for some real action in a tournament. Murray could use his chumming with fans as a tactical maneuver to slow down play, while his antics on the course are sure to aggravate whomever he plays against. And like his movie career, he'll gladly play the lesser, more-compelling role of the 12th man picked -- he may not play his best golf, but critics are sure to be impressed he turned down a higher-profile match, giving the Americans their first-ever Oscar nomination. When the European team points out this does nothing for the actual match, we'll remind them we can always send Chevy Chase in 2014, thus resulting in the first ever intentional forfeit. Other notables who just missed out my list of other notable Ryder Cup snubs: Willie Nelson, the ghost of Bob Hope, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jordan, and Hunter Mahan. Follow @derekevers !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

04

Sep
Tue

And the captain's picks are...not surprising

By John Strege It is an odd morning, this biennial exercise, the announcement of the U.S. Ryder Cup captain's picks. We wait breathlessly for...for what? To learn that Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker are on the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the eighth- and third-straight time respectively? There were no surprises, even the choices of Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker to round out Davis Love III's four captain's picks. "Everyone assume it's Furyk, Strick, DJ and Sneds?" Joe Ogilvie asked on Twitter in advance of the announcement. Photo by Getty Images.On Monday night, Steve Flesch posted that, "DL3's picks are no-brainers. Stricker, Furyk, Snedeker, and Johnson. Consistency, experience, clutch putting, and fearless power." Related: A closer look at the U.S. squad Yet even when it apparently is so obvious, it is still the most thankless part of the job for the captain, who is certain to disappoint more players than he pleases, while exposing himself to criticism over that which ultimately he has no control: Who will be playing well three weeks hence? "I've been anxiously awaiting this day I'll be glad when this day is done," Love said at the PGA of America's news conference in New York City. Those left out include Hunter Mahan, who has won twice this year and at 19th is higher in the world ranking than either Mickelson (22nd) or Furyk (30th), both of whom are on the team. But Mahan has had only one top-10 finish since winning the Shell Houston Open on April 1. Also excluded were Nick Watney, who won the Barclays two weeks ago to salvage an otherwise forgettable season, and Rickie Fowler, who hasn't finished in the top 10 since the end of May. This does not leave much room for criticism this time around. One might have argued against the inclusion of Furyk, notwithstanding his having played on the last 14 U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. Furyk's Ryder Cup record is dismal (8-15-4), though he was 5-0 at the Presidents Cup a year ago. But he also has demonstrated a propensity for final-round collapses this year, three times a 54-hole leader without a victory. Related: Ron Sirak on the reason for Europe's recent success Love chose him for his experience and the fact that he's "one of the most consistent players on tour and one of the most respected players on tour." Stricker, meanwhile, makes sense on a variety of levels, among them that "Steve makes Tiger feel comfortable," Love said. In the last Ryder Cup, the team of Woods and Stricker went 3-0. "Tiger-Stricker's worked pretty well...I wouldn't want to play Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods for sure," Love said. Stricker also remains one of the stronger players in the world and one of its best putters. Johnson and Snedeker weren't long shots, either. Both have played consistently well all season. Johnson, Love said, "is the best athlete on the team, perfect for Medinah," and Snedeker "fits the role of the one thing I've been saying a lot, that we need hot putters. There hasn't been a hotter putter on the course since the British Open." So the news on Tuesday was typically anticlimactic. Fortunately, the Ryder Cup itself seldom is. Now we can dispense with the hype that the PGA of America stretches to nearly two years and get on with the main event. "Now it starts," Love said. "Now we get to go play golf." Follow @JohnStrege !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

04

Sep
Tue

The Ride Of His Life, Bumps And All

Why has John Huh succeeded against the odds? 'There really was no other option for me'.

04

Sep
Tue

The Game Gave Me Confidence: Elise Polk

In this month's installment of "Golf Saved My Life," Elise Polk recounts how, as a young girl dealing with hearing loss, she discovered golf as an outlet for making friends.

04

Sep
Tue

My Shot: Tommy Gainey

From $9 an hour to $20,000 a hole, Tommy Gainey on the karma of jumping from 'the Big Break' to the PGA Tour and going face to face with Fred Couples, Bill Murray...and an iguana.

04

Sep
Tue

Caddie Chatter

Decades of looping on the PGA Tour promise a life of laughs, especially when Mark Long is telling the stories.

04

Sep
Tue

Ryder Cup: Introducing Team USA

Davis Love III rounds out the team that will represent the U.S. at the Ryder Cup later this month

04

Sep
Tue

PGA Tour: Fantasy Fix: BMW Championship

We discuss making tough picks, Rory-Tiger mania, John Daly's unfortunate contribution to society, and of course, this week's PGA Tour stop.