This week has been all about Bubba Watson and rightly so. However, there’s another great story that involves Paul Lawrie the 1999 British Open winner.

Here’s his timeline for the last seven days:

• Finished T24th at the Masters
• Flew to Scotland to see his sons play in the Scottish Boys Golf Championship – an event his foundation now sponsors
• Walks, yes walks, the 36 hole final of that event played today, even though his sons were not involved.
• Presented the trophy before hopping on a plane to China to play a Euro PGA event this week

Lawrie has done a tremendous amount for Scottish Junior Golf over the years. In fact, Ewan Scott the losing finalist first met Lawrie ten years ago at a golf clinic when he was 6 years old. Whatever he learned that day from Lawrie has certainly paid off.

The golfing world tends to recognize success in terms of majors or money won. But it’s time to recognize Paul Lawrie and others like him for what they do for Junior Golf.

The Masters is over for yet another year. We saw what we’ve come to expect – the surprises. This year was no exception, however, there are some things we didn’t see, and in fact may never see.

Here we go:

1. A blimp. And thank goodness for that. While I’m sure the overhead shots would be spectacular, the last thing I’d want to hear at the Masters is “And there’s the Snoopy flying overhead.”  Is it just me or does anyone else cringe when the announcers say that at every PGA event.

2. Patrons. Hands up those who say “patron” at anytime other than the Masters. And keep those hands up if you could spot one coming down the street towards you. I saw people, fans, crowds. I didn’t see a patron because I don’t know what one looks like. C’mon Augusta, stop being pretentious.

3. Pond diving. Remember the guy who went for a dip after Phil won the Colonial a couple years back? How cool was that. What do you think would happen if someone did that at Augusta?

4. A Big Three. We saw The Big Three but I doubt we’ll ever see a Big Three again. How touching it was to watch  Palmer, Nicklaus and Player walking onto the green at Augusta in their green jackets. The top three players in the world in their heydays. Rivals, yet friends. I don’t think we’ll ever see that again.

5. An albatross. Well OK we did see one. It was historic. Savor that shot. You will likely never ever see it again. So I put it on the list.

Phil Mickelson probably lost the 2012 Masters because of a piece of railing.

Unbelievable really.

How many times have we seen players hit into the bleachers, get a free drop, then get up and down for par. As Mickelson’s ball approached the bleachers, all I thought of was “free drop.” And then…

“Karoom”.

Off the ball shot into the bushes and a six ensued.

Can’t blame Phil for that.

Just a piece of bad luck.

Wrong time, wrong place.

The rub of the green.

How refreshing it was during the Masters to hear the opinions of Olin Browne and Steve Flesch. Could you feel the energy and enthusiasm each brought to the programming?

Their knowledge for the game and Augusta just oozed out. They weren’t trying to awe us with their knowledge (take note Brandel Chamblee.)

Post Masters, Kelly Tilghman did a great session with both of them. Once it was over, they went back to the studios to visit with Rich Lerner, Frank Nobilo and Brandel.

The TV was immediately turned off.

Instead of the over analytical Brandel Chamblee

The 2012 Masters is over and although it was as memorable as ever, one black spot remains. Namely the issue of the club admitting women as members.

The issue is not going to go away because the CEO of IBM is female and former IBM CEOs have been invited to become members.

As long as Virginia Rometty is CEO, the issue will arise each Spring. Every Masters pre-tournament press conference will include questions from the press about when Augusta will admit females.

As stubborn as these gentlemen are, there’s only so long they can hold out. They proclaim one of their objectives is to grow the game. They invited Ryo Ishikawa again this year to help expand golf in Japan. Yet, the elephant in the room is that by not admitting women, they are working against the expansion of golf.

Gentlemen, sometime this summer, when our interests have turned to other sports, do yourselves a favor and quietly change your policy.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Tiger,

I write as a huge fan (and Cardinal.)  One who has enjoyed watching you since you won your final U.S Amateur.  Your putt on the 35th against Steve Scott is still burned in my mind.

On Sunday at the Masters on the front nine, and even with your second on 15, your play caused my spirits to rise once more.

Finally, after 17  long months, it looks like your game is almost back.

It’s been a tortuous wait for all your fans.  In fact, it’s been horrible.

We’ve had to listen to every wannabe-swing-guru dissect your swing and rip it to shreds. We’ve heard idiots like Johnny Miller liken you to Mike Tyson.  And we’ve defended you on message boards and forums when you’ve been pilloried from all corners by the Tiger haters.

They’ll never be silenced for good and we’re going to have to endure them forever.

But there is something you can do for your fans besides winning again.

And that is to think of us and talk to us each time you are in front of a microphone. Even when the dumbest interviewer asks the dumbest question.

Talk as if we your fans are right there with you.

Go beyond the stock answers and just share with us.

Tiger, please do this, we need it.

A couple of days after the Masters debacle, Rory announced “The only shot I’d want back is the drive at number ten.”

And that only goes to show that Rory doesn’t get it.  Because his downfall was set in motion long before that.  On the first green to be precise.

That was where Rory yanked his short par putt left of the hole. The downward spiral continued on the 2nd hole where he drove into a fairway bunker then hit the lip trying to get out with his second shot. He scraped a par.  Then on 3, after a glorious pitch to just a few feet, he yanked the birdie putt left again.

This type of play does not inspire self confidence.

He did sink a long birdie putt on 7, but it was clear on the front 9 that he was jittery.  And even though he made the turn with a one shot lead, the writing was on the wall.

In the December 2010 Chevron tournament (Tiger’s event) I watched Rory have an awful week with his short game. Not just putting but chipping also. So it was no surprise that Rory wilted under the pressure of the Masters.

I’d hate to see him be like Fred Couples who was always missing short ones under pressure and with a more sound putting game would have won more than just the one major.

I do hope someone on his team – or maybe G-Mac – pulls him aside and tells him what his real problem is because the sooner he fixes his putting the sooner he starts winning majors.

It’s time Dan Jenkins retired. For good.

After a long and distinguished career in journalism, he’s losing the plot.  We’ve known for quite some time of his loathing for Tiger, but it reached new heights on the last day of the 2011 Masters.

On Twitter Chat (an appropriately named platform for him)  in response to the question if Tiger reaches 18 majors, Dan replied ” No, and he doesn’t deserve to tie Jack. Nicklaus had tougher competition.”

The comment doesn’t deserve a response not just because of its pettiness but also because it makes no sense.  It’s the kind of response a kid in the schoolyard might say.  Passionate, but illogical.

He later said “I have this thing about Tiger. I’d like him if he ever treated the press better.”

So there’s the heart of the matter.  Dan feels disrespected.

It’s funny that his long time friend Ben Hogan would have given Tiger a run for his money for his surliness.

Gary Player once called Hogan to ask him some questions.  Hogan asked what clubs he played, and when Player responded, Hogan told him to go and call the owner of that company and ask him the questions.

So if it was OK for Hogan to act that way, why is it not OK for Tiger.  The answer is that Hogan was a friend.

Well my bet is that Tiger will never be a friend of Dan’s.

Especially when he wins his 19th major.

Think of Swedes and who comes to mind.

Carls' Secret Weapon?

If you’re a guy, it’s possibly beautiful women like those gorgeous ladies of ABBA (boy those were great years to be a teenager!)

If you’re a golfer, it’s possibly those slim “walking 1-irons” like Henrik Stenson or Jesper “I-Don’t-like-Tiger” Parnevik.

But this year, the man who’s breaking the mold is Carl Pettersson, recent winner of the 2010 Canadian Open.

A close look at Carl (or for that matter a distant look), reveals a figure that’s more along the lines of a 450cc driver head than a 1-iron.

Today’s Quote

“I’m not your typical Swede.  I don’t have a 28-inch waist and I don’t eat bananas at the turn, stuff like that,” said Carl prior to the start of the Wyndham Tournament.

“I lost 30 pounds and my game completely left me. I’d love to be fitter, but I’m not going to go down that road again.”

Perhaps he missed out on Jesper’s moondust or whatever it was JP was eating back in the day.

Our hat is off to Carl for his forthrightness and today we will start golf exercises Carl-Style.

We’re off for a Swedish pancake or two down the local iHop.

I came across an excellent blog on the Rules of Golf today over at FreeDrop.Wordpress.com.

The author is John Vander Borght who has over 15 years of Rule officiating.  He presents his analysis in a very understandable way – no mean feat for such a complex collection of rules.

If you have a question on the Rules of Golf, be sure to ask John!