'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
The number of people calling PGA Tour events after seeing possible rules violations has gone up since Tiger Woods took what turned out to be an illegal drop at the Masters. That doesn't mean the number of violations is increasing.
Except for the size and noise level of the crowd, and the significance of the stage, the moment was reminiscent of 17-year-old Justin Rose chipping in on the final hole at Royal Birkdale in 1998 to tie for fourth in the British Open.
Kevin Streelman figured a good round Saturday would at least get him in the mix at the Tampa Bay Championship.
Leonard walked toward the 12th green Saturday at Innisbrook and saw a scoreboard that showed he was tied for the lead in the Tampa Bay Championship. He knocked in his 8-foot birdie putt, assumed he was ahead, and then never looked at another board the rest of the day.
The final PGA Tour event of the year is a lot like the final stage of Q-school, one last chance for so many players to earn their full cards for next year. The field at Disney looks like Q-school, too.
The PGA Tour supplied the best tonic possible Tuesday to cure the Americans of a Ryder Cup hangover.
There's something about Spaniards tilting at windmills.
The Ryder Cup didn't end with the closing ceremony at Medinah.
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley helped stake the Americans to their biggest lead in the Ryder Cup in more than 30 years. Ian Poulter, eyes bulging and fists shaking with every clutch putt, at least gave Europe some big momentum over the final frantic hour Saturday at Medinah.
The end of the last Ryder Cup can look frightening on television. Hunter Mahan conceded on the 17th hole at Celtic Manor, and what began with teammates rushing over to congratulate Graeme McDowell turned into a mob. It was like ants converging on a morsel of food.
Europe has been trying to win over the American crowd at Medinah all week during practice rounds, with players going out of their way to sign autographs and mingle with the fans. And it helps that one of their own, Luke Donald, actually lives in Chicago.
Whether it's sheer concentration, inspiration from the loudest gallery in golf or a willingness to deliver when the sport is more about country and continent than cash, the Ryder Cup tends to deliver more stunning shots in three days than most fans see in a month.
How well do you know Ryder Cup history? Try this quiz:
The PGA Championship has delivered its share of unlikely winners over the years, particularly one stretch in the 1990s when eight of its 10 champions that decade won their first major.
Add the score to the list of complicated numbers Padraig Harrington, Justin Leonard, Stewart Cink and others will be calculating at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
"We all think that way," Leonard said. "We have no idea what the date is."
"We thought you were supposed to be a Texas-OU baby," he told her before catching himself. "See, it's still not a date. It's an event."
