The Year of the Rule has taken another turn.

Last weekend at the CN Canadian Women's Open, two players, Ilmi Chung and Shi Hyun Ahn, were disqualified from the tournament on Thursday for signing an incorrect scorecard. But according to reports on-site, the players had previously decided to collude and not disclose the fact that they had accidentally played the wrong ball.

Now, Ahn's caddy is speaking. In an interview with Waggle Room, Tim Hegna, a journeyman caddy, reveals his side of the story. On the 18th, Ahn chipped up to the green, but apparently played the wrong ball. And then it went like this:

"I saw the ball and told [Ahn], 'This is a Titleist 6. It's the wrong ball. You should tell Chung.'"

Hegna said Ahn didn't acknowledge what Hegna said. In fact, she said nothing at all on the green. The players finish out and go to the scoring tent. All three sign their cards neither Ahn nor Chung taking the penalty.

As they were heading back toward the clubhouse, Hegna says Ahn told him, "Be here at 6:40 tomorrow and don't say anything to anyone."

Pretty incendiary stuff there. Hegna and Ahn had only known each other for a few days, so this isn't a case of long-term betrayal or anything. But if those players were the only ones involved, that would be one thing. Hegna alleged that the LPGA didn't do enough to handle the issue on its own either:

Hegna was displeased with the LPGA response to his efforts to come forward on this issue, saying, "I told the LPGA the same [account]. What they do about it is up to them. They're trying to sweep it under the rug."

Ultimately, the LPGA Tour says that the Rules of Golf were obeyed. This incensed Hegna, who later added, "When a caddie says something to you and you nothing, what's that called? A mistake? You can't call it a mistake."

"I know the truth," Hegna said. "I know the Rules of Golf. What [Ahn] did was not right."

If what Hegna is saying is true -- and there's no reason to believe he isn't -- this reflects poorly on both the golfers and the LPGA, and the LPGA owes it to its fans and its reputation to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

Check the rest of the interview at Waggle Room. It's good stuff.

Each week, we break down the coming week's tournament, giving you the big dogs, the sleepers, and the storylines to watch. This week, it's the second leg of the four-legged beast that is the FedEx Cup championship, the Deutsche Bank Championship. And here's who we'll be watching:

Tiger Woods: You could make a case that, for the first time ever, Tiger needs the FedEx Cup almost as much as the FedEx Cup needs Tiger. He'll have to play reasonably well to make it to the next round, but he should be able to manage that this weekend.

Matt Kuchar: Your current leader in the FedEx standings. Can he sustain it with another solid performance this weekend? It's wide open right now, but Kuchar has both the game and the mindset to stay atop the rankings come next week.

Vijay Singh: It was just two years ago that Singh had just about wrapped the FedEx Cup up by this point. My, how times have changed. He'll have to play over his head now just to make it to the next round.

Phil Mickelson: Because we can't mention Tiger without mentioning Phil, and vice versa. But if Phil doesn't step it up, pronto, he'll be an afterthought heading to East Lake.

Steve Stricker: He's still in second place, but the field is rising around him. He's not quite got the game this year to inspire confidence, but anybody in the top 10 could get hot at any time and take this.

Anthony Kim: He wants in on the Ryder Cup, but he's going to need some strong play to make Corey Pavin want to bring him along across the pond. The Kim Rehabilitation Project needs to begin now.

All right, you're up. Who ya got?

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Golf is a game of rules both obvious and arcane, and if you're going to play the game, you have to play by its rules. No matter what the cost.

Today, a classic "what would you do?" moment. Zach Nash is a 14-year-old Wisconsin kid  who happens to be a fine golfer. So good, in fact, that he won a junior Wisconsin PGA tournament.

Problem was, he won it by violating -- albeit unintentionally -- one of golf's most straightforward rules. He had too many clubs in his bag. And the worst part? It was a total accident, discovered long after the fact.

Specifics: Nash's 77 won the boys' 13-14 division at the Milwaukee County Parks Tour Invitational, knocking off 31 other players. Afterward, Nash went to celebrate with one of his mentors, Chris Wood, head club pro at Rivermoor Golf Club. And that's where the troubles began.

[Related: Golfer's swing sparks 25-acre wildfire]

Wood noticed an extra club in Nash's bag and pointed it out to him. Apparently, a friend of Nash's had left the club at his house, and Nash put it in his bag, not realizing it put him one over the mandatory limit of 14 clubs. Carrying an extra club is a two-stroke penalty per hole, but since Nash didn't account for those extra strokes, he signed what was, in effect, an incorrect scorecard, and thus would be disqualified from the tournament.

And from there, there really wasn't any choice. Nash called the Wisconsin PGA, explained what had happened, and sent back the medal from the tournament. WPGA officials plan to present it to the tournament's runner-up.  

Now, it's easy to go and tee off -- pun very much intended -- on golf's drop-the-hammer rules, on Wood for bringing the extra club to Nash's attention, or to Nash himself for failing to count the club. But all that misses the point. This is a story about honesty and doing what's right, even when what's right makes zero logical sense. Sure, Nash could have rationalized away keeping an extra club, but where's the honor in that?

Congrats to Nash for standing up and doing the right thing, no matter what the cost. And hopefully there are much bigger medals waiting for him down the line. 

For more golf news, follow Yahoo! Sports' Devil Ball Golf on Facebook and Twitter. 

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We're deep into the FedEx playoffs now, and frankly, it's anyone's game. We run down a few of the top competitors and consider some scenarios. Is the playoff structure worthless because people can just skip an event and pass right on through to the second round without penalty? Maybe yes, maybe no. And in other news, we consider whether Michelle Wie's recent victory is the best thing that's happened to the LPGA this year -- and going forward. Enjoy. 

As always, I'm joined by Shane Bacon, writer here and at Dogs That Chase Cars. (Follow Shane on Twitter right here, and while you're there, follow me too.)

We welcome your thoughts, ideas and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. And if you've got a question or comment for us to kick around, call our Skype line at 678-389-9173 and leave your message. Click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click it to download, and hit the iTunes site linked below to subscribe. Have at it!

Devil Ball Golfcast, Episode 49 -- Wake up, it's time to play golf

Jerry Pate knows golf. He's got eight wins on the PGA Tour, including the 1976 U.S. Open, and he's an accomplished course designer. Throughout the season, he'll be stopping by Devil Ball to offer an inside-the-ropes look at the week's upcoming course. Today: TPC Boston, home of the Deutche Bank Championship and the second stop in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The TPC Boston was originally designed by Arnold Palmer in 2002. To enhance the course's competitive interest for the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Fed Ex playoffs, the course was fully renovated by architect Gil Hanse in 2006. In fact, Hanse has continually tinkered with the course each year since in efforts to make an ever more entertaining course and event.

There are two stretches of holes that employ classic risk-reward design strategies that are always a large factor in the championship. The golfers who are successful at playing these holes aggressively will earn an advantage on the field and surely be atop the leaderboard at the end of the tournament.

The first stretch begins on the first -- a short par-4 that can be driven by the longest hitters in the field. Most players can at least challenge the right-hand bunkers to gain an angle around a very deep bunker in front of the green. Only a short pitch into the green will remain and provide a large advantage to those that lay up behind the large greenside bunker. The second hole is a reachable par-5 with the green protruding into a large lake. A successful challenge of the fairway bunkers off the tee will allow the players a chance to get to the green in two. The fourth is a short par-4 similar to the first, although it is shorter and the angles are more accentuated. The green is protected by a huge bunker in front with three fairway bunkers protecting its approach from the right. Like the first, an aggressive and successful drive will set up a simple pitch up the green or even a putt for eagle. It is quite possible that players can be five or more under par after these first four holes.

The closing stretch of holes offers similar opportunities, if aggressive play is properly executed. The 17th is a mid-length par-4 that entices an aggressive tee shot over the corner of its dogleg for a short approach to the green. The aggressive drive must carry a ridge to a narrow fairway below. This line will earn a much shorter and simpler approach than from the upper fairway and will set up a much better chance for a birdie. The 18th is another reachable par-5. A drive over the two center bunkers will allow a long second to the green protected by a fronting wetland. However, a very long and aggressive drive over the long right bunker will set up a middle iron to the green and set up a much better opportunity for a birdie or eagle finish. Steve Stricker played these holes perfectly in 2009 as he birdied his 71st and 72nd holes for a two-shot victory.

These classic holes have set up numerous entertaining battles among the players. In fact in 2008, the classic duel in 2008 between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods was the highest television-rated sports event of that weekend. It is not often enough that golf holds that distinction.

Jerry Pate has been designing golf courses for more than 30 years. His portfolio of work includes Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi, site of the 1999 United States Women's Open; Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck (formerly known as Shadow Isle) in New Jersey; Kiva Dunes on the Alabama Gulf Coast; and Rancho La Quinta Country Club in California. See more of his work at www.jerrypategolfdesign.com.    

Ah, pro-ams. Is there no way that these corporate smoochfests can't cause controversy?

Barely a week removed from his criticism of the PGA Tour for DQ'ing Jim Furyk for missing a pro-am, Phil Mickelson is himself "opting out" of this week's Deutsche Bank pro-am, the Golf Channel reported. In return, he'll have dinner with a bunch of Deutsche Bank honchos on Friday night.

Bowing to criticism, the PGA Tour this week suspended the rule that disqualifies a player who misses a pro-am from the tournament itself. But it's important to note that this isn't a case of Phil taking immediate advantage of a new opportunity.

Rather, Phil is taking advantage of the tour's existing "opt-out" provision, which allows players who finished in the top 30 of last year's money or FedEx Cup lists to bail on two tournaments. The sponsor must approve of the ditching, and the player must make good with an immediate sponsor-interaction event. About a half-dozen players have taken advantage of the rule this year, Mickelson among them; he jumped ship at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and had dinner with sponsors instead.

"In a pro-am three or four amateurs are going to get five hours with Phil on the golf course, which is great, but maybe it’s better if you have a dinner with 20 executives and clients for two or three hours," Andy Pazder, the tour's senior vice president of tournament administration, told the Golf Channel. "Maybe that’s a better use of a player’s time."

If Mickelson hadn't made a big deal about Furyk's DQ, this wouldn't have even been a thing, but he did, so it is. So what's your take? What would you rather have with a player, a few hours on a golf course or a few drinks and a steak?

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Why is this man smiling? Because he can see the end of his mortgage payments in the not-too-distant future.

A huge chunk of Tiger Woods' sponsors and fanbase may have abandoned the beleaguered golfer in the wake of his revelations of infidelity, but if some newly filed financial documents are to be believed, there's one person who still has tremendous faith in Woods: Tiger himself.

[Photos: See latest images of Tiger]

In a story first reported by TMZ and confirmed by Yahoo! Sports (via Waggle Room), Woods has taken out a $54.5 million mortgage for a brand-new mansion he's building on Jupiter Island, Fla. And no "go-for-the-adjustable-rate-and-pray" route for Tiger; no, he intends to pay back the loan by Jan. 15, 2016. (See, folks? That's sound financial strategy. If you've got a spare $54 million lying around, go ahead and get your mortgage paid off.)

You can get a look at the full documentation right here (PDF format, and remember, this is all public record.) Among the findings:

• This consolidates Woods' holdings in three properties on Jupiter Island, Fla. Woods is listed as "a single man," and for the record, signs his name "Eldrick," not "Tiger."

• At standard interest rates, Woods will pay about $1 million a month in mortgage payments.

• The law firm retained by Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren, McGuireWoods, is listed as receiving a copy as well. 

[Photos: See images of Tiger's ex Elin Nordegren]

Woods' estate spans three properties and will include all the requisite perks for someone of Woods' stature -- pools, tennis courts, fitness center, miles of hallways. That'll cost plenty to buy and maintain, so obviously Woods has faith that he'll play well in a few golf tournaments between now and 2016.

He gets his next chance this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs, which tees off Friday. 

For more golf news, follow Yahoo! Sports' Devil Ball Golf on Facebook and Twitter.

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Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

You can use a golf club for all kinds of non-golfy purposes -- walking stick, fishing rod, club, to name three. And now we can add to that list -- firestarter.

Over the weekend, a golfer's routine swing in the rough at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, Calif., struck a rock. Not so different from the way you play, right? Only this time, the impact caused a spark, and the spark set off a blaze that eventually covered 25 acres, according to the Steven Buck, General Manager of Shady Canyon Golf Course, and required the efforts of 150 Orange County firefighters, writes the Associated Press.

Wow. And I felt bad the time I shanked a ball through the window of a house too close to the fairway. That was nothing compared to this!

The golfer's name is being withheld, which is probably for the best, and no charges are going to be filed. Fortunately, it all could have been much worse. As it was, the blaze required both helicopters and on-the-ground crews.

The conditions were ripe for a blaze, with dry brush from a recent heat wave just waiting for the right spark. Like, say, one caused by metal on rock.

And now, your turn. This is going to inspire a raft of bad Sportscenter-esque "When we say he set the course on fire, he really set the course on fire!" jokes. So let's get ahead of the curve. Best bad golf-and-fire-related pun in the comments wins a round of applause. Go!

Photo credit: Thanks to Zach Bates

For more golf news, follow Yahoo! Sports' Devil Ball Golf on Facebook and Twitter.

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Well, would you look at this: The PGA Tour is actually bending a bit and recognizing that maybe one of its rules isn't quite the immutable Word of God after all.

In a statement, tour commissioner Tim Finchem has suspended the rule requiring all golfers to play in a pro-am at the risk of instant disqualification. Jim Furyk, you'll recall, discovered that the tour doesn't play around with this rule when he was DQ'd from the Barclays last week after oversleeping and missing his pro-am tee time.

Here's the meat of the statement, which is startling in its common sense: "Hereafter, should a player be late for his pro-am starting time, the situation will be handled as a matter of unbecoming conduct. Such player will be required to participate in the remainder of the pro-am round and may be required to perform additional sponsor activity. A player who misses his pro-am obligation in its entirety will still be ruled ineligible for the tournament unless he has been excused in accordance with the provisions of the regulations."

Of course. That makes total, perfect sense. If a guy's late, whether because of oversleeping, getting caught in traffic, or dropping his date off for her morning shift at the Waffle Hut (what? it's a hypothetical!), he shouldn't be penalized to the degree of losing out on the tournament.

Phil Mickelson ripped the PGA Tour for the rule after Furyk's disqualification, noting that less than half the field is entered into pro-ams and thus is held to a higher standard than their anonymous brethren who get Wednesdays off.  "If you’re going to have a rule that does not apply to everybody, because not everybody played the pro-am, you cannot have it affect the competition," Mickelson said last week. "I cannot disagree with it more. I have no idea how the commissioner let this rule go through. It’s ridiculous." And now it's gone, at least for this year. 

Somebody go wake Furyk and tell him the good news!

(Image via Serendipity Deals)

The 2010 European Ryder Cup team is fast becoming as notable for who's not on the roster -- Justin Rose and Paul Casey -- as who is, with one notable exception: Padraig Harrington.

Everybody's second-favorite golfin' Irishman was a surprise pick to join the Ryder Cup team, especially with Rose and Casey left at home. Yes, Harrington has three majors, but 2008 U.S. captain Paul Azinger aired the views of many when he took to Twitter to write, "Shocking revelation..Padraig 0 wins in 2 yrs. 0 wins in last 10 Ryder Cup matches!"

That's not quite true -- Harrington has played in only nine Ryder matches over the last two Cups, but he hasn't won a single one. In fact, he hasn't won since 2004, when he went 4-1. Two of those wins, he played with -- wait for it -- Colin Montgomerie. Since his dramatic two-major season of 2008, Harrington has exactly zero wins on the PGA Tour, with four missed cuts in eight majors. No way to slice that to where it doesn't look ugly.

Harrington will bring steadiness to the European team, if not necessarily the talent of a Rose or a Casey. And perhaps that's what Montgomerie is looking for -- Casey, of course, had an opportunity to challenge for the British Open in July but spit the bit against Louis Oosthuizen, for instance.

More interesting for the longer term is the way that the European leaders apparently factored loyalty to the European Tour into the equation. Eduardo Molinari, who spent most of his time playing in Europe, got the nod over arguably more talented players who have spent more time stateside. It's a philosophy that even Luke Donald, who was the third captain's pick, takes issue with.

"The team has to look harder at the qualification system and whether it's the correct way to do it or whether there's a better way," Donald said. "Golf really is becoming a world game. I understand they won't protect the European Tour but at the same time, the top guys are going to want to play against the best players in the world and shouldn't be penalized for that."

If the action on the course is half as good as the politics and backbiting beforehand, this is going to be the best Ryder Cup ever.

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Around here, we never get tired of trick shots. Hit golf balls into stadiums, off skyscrapers, down college dormitory halls, wherever -- we're all over it. And here, a couple cats from Ohio with too much time on their hands work on their short game -- from the top of the key:

Basketball-Golf Trick Shot @ Yahoo! Video

Alas, if you look closely, it appears the ball has been placed on an illegal tee. So the goal is waved off. Better luck next time, guys!

(Got golf trick shots of your own? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. Just don't kill yourself trying them, OK?)

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We're into the FedEx Cup playoffs now, and it's time to take a look at the whole field. Who's up? Who's down? Who's making a charge, and who's stumbling? We've got the whole rundown right here.

At the top: Matt Kuchar jumped into first place from ninth, but he wasn't the biggest mover. Steve Stricker moved from second to, uh, second, so obviously he wasn't the biggest mover. No, top jumper went to Martin Laird, who rose to third from 95th. Perhaps almost clinching a trip to East Lake will ease the sting of losing an outright win on the 18th hole at the Barclays. Right below Laird are Justin Rose, who, yep, Rose from fifth to fourth, and Ernie Els, who fell from first to fifth.

On the way up: Outside of Laird, big jumpers were Kevin Streelman, who rose from 102nd to 18th; Rory Sabbatini, who jumped from 60th to 33rd, and a fella by the name of Tiger Woods, who jumped from 112th to 65th. Oh, and Andres Romero fought his way into the next week by the skin of his teeth, rising from 115th to 100th.

On the decline: Jim Furyk's crappy alarm clock cost him five spots, down from third to eighth. Phil Mickelson's crappy play cost him six spots, from fourth to 10th. Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim both dropped from the mid-teens to 26th and 27th, respectively.

Out the door: Twenty-five players were shown the door after the Barclays, and most of those were already in the 101-125 range. Big decliners were Kevin Suutherland, Jerry Kelly, Alex Cejka and Derek Lamely, who all played themselves out of a top-100 spot. Also out are Sergio Garcia (did not play), Corey Pavin (did not play) and David Duval (did not play very well).

On the bubble: Next up is the Deutsche Bank Championship, and the field gets winnowed from 100 players to 70. So who's at risk? Davis Love III (72), Paul Goydos (84), Vijay Singh (86), Steve Elkington (89), Kenny Perry (90) and Boo Weekley (96) all need to pick up the pace if they're going to see next week.

All right, your turn. With the new rankings in place, who are your picks to reach East Lake?

Somebody's waaaaay lost.

That's Paul Broadhurst of England, playing at Gleneagles in The Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland. Mmmm ... Johnnie Walker. That reminds me, it's almost the weekend, and that means it's time to relax and check out some fine golf on both the gentlemen's and ladies' side of the fence. Be sure to stop by Devil Ball for updates throughout the weekend, and we'll see you soon. Hit 'em straight, and keep 'em out of the heather!

Hey, since everybody's tired of talking about Tiger Woods, let's go with politics! You may have heard there's this whole little battle going on about a Muslim community center being built in the vicinity of Ground Zero. (Aside: Keep up with all news by adding Yahoo!'s Upshot blog to your daily reading. You'll notice it's got a very familiar look to it.)

Anyway, here's how this story intersects with golf. Wei Under Par has found a Facebook post by LPGA Hall of Famer and ambassador Carol Mann in which she ... well, just read:

OK, without taking a position on the issue myself, I can see where this might cause a few problems for Ms. Mann. She's one of the most visible faces of women's golf in the sport -- just check out her resume here. And as a special ambassador of the World Golf Hall of Fame, she's just gone and taken a stand against a large segment of the world's population, some of whom no doubt might be future golfers.

So, community discussion time here. Should a person in Mann's very public position put forth potentially divisive opinions? Or are a person's religious beliefs above reproach, speculation or criticism? Does Mann have an obligation to be more inclusive because of her position as a special ambassador, or should she be free to express her own views without consequence? (Remember, this isn't a free-speech issue. She's perfectly welcome to say whatever she likes without fear of being thrown in jail. But the First Amendment doesn't apply to economic or career consequences for one's speech.)  

There you go. Have at it. 

Phil Mickelson haters, here's a little red meat for you. Try not to gobble it all down too fast.

Mickelson, yet again in position to dethrone Tiger Woods as the world No. 1, yet again in position to solidify his place atop the world of golf, yet again spit the bit and fell apart, this time in the second round of the Barclays.

Lefty was coming off a Thursday in which many players took advantage of favorable conditions to shoot well under par. Mickelson, by contrast, shot an unremarkable 1-over 72. Not great, but hey -- still time to straighten up and then make some noise on the weekend, right?

Wrong. Mickelson started ugly -- two bogeys in the first three holes -- and then seesawed back and forth between birdies and bogeys for most of the next dozen or so holes. With four holes remaining and sitting at 1-over -- the current cut line at this writing -- Mickelson only had to make par coming in to stay safe.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Mickelson bogeyed the eighth (his 17th hole) and double-bogeyed the ninth after hitting rough, rough, rough, two-putt. And that, as they say, was that.

Mickelson has been inconsistent all season, but within a limited range; this is only the second cut (after the Crowne Plaza Invitational) he's missed all season. And this won't cost him significantly in the FedEx standings; he started the tournament in fourth place and won't drop far out of the top 10.

So, yeah, we've got plenty more Mickelson golf to watch in the weeks ahead. Question is, is that good news or bad news? 

Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger Woods. Let's go ahead and get that out of our system right now. We talk a bit of Tiger here, specifically whether he'll play better now that he's a single man again. From there, we segue into a discussion of Shane's instantly notorious anti-stack and tilt post, and consider whether stack and tilt qualifies as fad or cult. Finally, we discuss Shane's caddying efforts for the LPGA's Irene Cho, and we flat-out run out of time to talk about rules controversies or playoffs. Next week, we promise.  

As always, I'm joined by Shane Bacon, writer here and at Dogs That Chase Cars. (Follow Shane on Twitter right here, and while you're there, follow me too.)

We welcome your thoughts, ideas and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. And if you've got a question or comment for us to kick around, call our Skype line at 678-389-9173 and leave your message. Click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click it to download, and hit the iTunes site linked below to subscribe. Have at it!

Devil Ball Golfcast, Episode 48 -- Stack and tilt THIS

Oh, this is going to be a fine Ryder Cup in a few weeks. You've got Corey Pavin getting in fights over his selection and Colin Montgomerie being the red-faced, spluttering Monty we all love. And now, we've got some trash-talking! In golf! I know, I can't believe it either, but here we are.

Anyway, as Waggle Room noted, Thursday night Ian Poulter and Justin Rose were hanging on Twitter, soliciting questions from fans. And Paul Azinger, captain of the victorious U.S. team in 2008, offered back this reply:

Hey..@Ianjamespoulter Is it to late to ask a question? I was busy polishing this:

Nice! (That, of course, is the Ryder Cup trophy from '08.) Zinger's, uh, zinger got the attention of plenty of pros and fans alike, all of whom enjoyed the goof. That would include Poulter, who Tweeted back his approval, along with the reply, "I'm so glad you're cleaning that Ryder cup trophy we don't want to lift a dirty one. : )"

Aw, yeah. Europe may be favored big-time in the Ryder Cup, but for right now, that doesn't matter. Scoreboard, Euros. Scoreboard.

Visor tip: Waggle Room.

Jerry Pate knows golf. He's got eight wins on the PGA Tour, including the 1976 U.S. Open, and he's an accomplished course designer. Throughout the season, he'll be stopping by Devil Ball to offer an inside-the-ropes look at the week's upcoming course. Today: Ridgewood Country Club, home of the Barclays and the first stop in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

In 1974, I won the United States Amateur Championship at Ridgewood Country Club.  This course, designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1929, is a difficult championship test that places a premium on the proper execution and placement of each tee shot, especially on its par threes.   

Tillinghast wrote in his article "Judging Courses by Low Scores," "My own observations in checking the play over such courses of mine as have been the scene of National and Sectional championships, have made me firmly convinced that the character of the one-shot or par 3 holes has more to do with checking the assaults of the 70-breakers than any other factor ... the short holes on championship courses should be the most feared of any, and any player who cracks 70 should face fear and conquer it if his performance is to be rated a truly great one." 

At Ridgewood, the second hole is a medium length par three of 190 yards.  The green sits left to right with a fronting bunker on the right.  Deep bunkers lurk on the left side to punish any shots not properly shaped.  The green slopes severely from back to front, with subtle interior contours which make it difficult to stop a long birdie putt close to the hole.

The eighth hole is slightly longer, a par three of 217 yards that plays some 50 feet downhill.  Like the second, the green is guarded by deep bunkers on the front and both sides.  The green slopes away from the players which makes holding the green extremely difficult.   Getting up and down from the deep rough behind the green is also a challenge.

The tenth is a long par three of 230 yards.  A gapping cross bunker protects the front hole location while bunkers left and right protect each side.  Should you miss the green, par will be a challenge.

The fifteenth, the final par three, is a short hole of 155 yards.  The tiny green is guarded by massive bunkers on all sides.  Precision is demanded on this hole and it is likely that a two-shot swing could occur as the tournament concludes on Sunday.

I am sure that Tillinghast's design at Ridgewood will test the best players in the game as they did during the 1974 U.S. Amateur.

Jerry Pate has been designing golf courses for more than 30 years. His portfolio of work includes Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi, site of the 1999 United States Women's Open; Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck (formerly known as Shadow Isle) in New Jersey; Kiva Dunes on the Alabama Gulf Coast; and Rancho La Quinta Country Club in California. See more of his work at www.jerrypategolfdesign.com.    

When you win a golf tournament, you get all kinds of perks -- big ol' checks, exemptions, invitations to future tournaments, half-off on all items at the club gift shop -- but one of the finest is the Ping tradition. If you win a tournament with a Ping putter, Ping creates two gold-plated putters engraved with your name and the win. One goes to you, but where does the other go? Right here:

The vault includes more than 2,500 putters from the last four-plus decades. However, if you should win a major with a Ping putter, guess what? Your replica you receive is solid gold. And this year, Ping is going to have to scrimp and save a bit, because for the first time since 1998, two players won majors using Ping putters.

Louis Oosthuizen rocks a Redwood Anser putter, while Martin Kaymer wields a Karsten Series Answer 2 putter. Both won majors, as you may recall -- the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, respectively -- and thus, both get the nifty solid-gold bonus club.

Ping won't disclose how much the putters cost, but let's hazard a guess. The average putter weighs about a pound. Gold closed on Aug. 25 at $1,239.10 per ounce. So, yeah, you're looking at about $20,000 per putter, assuming Ping crafts the gold putters to industry standard. Ping spokesman Pete Samuel won't disclose costs, except to note that "we welcome the opportunity." 

So, congrats to Louis and Martin on their new souvenirs. If I were them, I'd get a solid gold ball crafted, and then putt with them as I lit cigars with hundred-dollar bills. But that's just me. 

Before long, it'll be time to decide the PGA Player of the Year and the PGA Tour Player of the Year. (One's based on stats, the other on a Tour members' vote.) And since this has been one of the most up-and-down years on record, there's no clear favorite yet for either award. Let's run down some of the best choices, shall we?

Ernie Els
In his favor: He's got two early-season wins (the CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational) and he currently sits No. 1 in the FedEx rankings. Plus notched a couple of third-place finishes, including one at the U.S. Open. 

Against him: He stumbled after those wins, and he still doesn't have the "take over the tournament" aura that you'd expect out of your Player of the Year.

What he needs to do: The POY is his to lose, but he can do just that if he doesn't play well in the playoffs. A couple top-10 finishes, perhaps a win in there, and he can claim the title. 

Steve Stricker
In his favor: Two wins (Northern Trust, John Deere) and six top-10 finishes. He's second in the FedEx Cup totals, and he's been in position to win it before.

Against him: His highest major performance was a tie for 18th at the PGA. On the big stages, he's come up small.

What he needs to do: Only a victory or two in the playoffs will vault him past Els. 

Jim Furyk
In his favor: Victories at the Transitions and the Verizon, plus four more top-10 finishes. 

Against him: Ugly majors (missed cuts at the Masters and the British) and the tendency to vanish when he's not firmly in contention.

Phil Mickelson
In his favor: A Masters victory. A potential No. 1 ranking. The goodwill of millions.

Against him: He can't get over the hump with that No. 1; he's tried seven times already. Like everyone else on this list, he's feast or famine.

What he needs to do: Wrestle that No. 1 away from Woods, sooner rather than later, and play well in the playoffs, and the Player of the Year is his. 

Hunter Mahan
In his favor: Two wins (Waste Management Phoenix, Bridgestone) 

Against him: Other than the wins, he hasn't done much. In the majors, his only worthwhile finish was a T8 at the Masters.

Tiger Woods
In his favor: Force of habit. Woods has won both awards every year since 1999 with the exception of 2004 (Vijay Singh) and 2008 (Padraig Harrington).  

Against him: The entire universe, pretty much. 

What he needs to do: Just show up at the ceremonies and claim the awards anyway. Who's going to stop him? Beyond that, no chance at all.

With everything in flux, there are still plenty of opportunities for other players to slip in and grab a share of one of the awards. Indeed, we could be headed for our first split since 1991, when Corey Pavin won the PGA and Fred Couples won the PGA Tour award. So what's your take? How's it going to shake out?

As soon as the news that the Tiger Woods/Elin Nordegren marriage was over, the jokes began flying about exactly what Tiger would be doing with all his newfound free time.

Turns out he's not throwing a party, at least not publicly. Speaking at the Barclays, where he's scheduled to tee off in the first round of the PGA Tour Playoffs on Thursday, Woods described what he's going through as a "sad time" in his life.

With Elin Nordegren's side of the story dominating headlines and airwaves, the topic of the press conference hung in the air as the media danced around like a nervous freshman about to ask a senior cheerleader out on a date.

(Samples: "How did you play?" Tiger: "I played better." "Drive well today?" "I did." "How many drivers will you hit out there?" "It depends.")

And much like that hypothetical nervous freshman, once some media member screwed up the courage to ask the big question, he (or she) went too far:

Q. "Tiger, in today's People Magazine Elin describes the end of your marriage like a death where she feels grief, she hopes to forgive one day. I'm wondering, do you still love her?"

What? What kind of a question is that? "Do you still love her?" Look, I'm all for a little bit of Tiger Woods off-course news -- certainly, we've run our share here -- but asking if he still loves her seems, well ... a bit creepy. Woods replied: 

"I wish her the best in everything. You know, it's a sad time in our lives. And we're looking forward to -- in our lives and how we can help our kids the best way we possibly can. And that's the most important thing."

Yes. Yes, it is. Good to see that he -- oh, wait, there was a followup?

Q. "Do you still love her?"

Jeez. OK, Tiger, your turn:

"That's the most important thing."

For once, I agree with Robo-Tiger's dismissal. That's just not even a question that warrants a response. Other media members pursued lines of questioning that were of a little higher caliber than notes passed from desk to desk in middle school. When asked the degree to which his off-course troubles have affected his marriage, he replied:

"Being asked questions all the time, even after -- even as the tournaments are going I've been asked questions while we're playing," he said. "And that's always difficult.
And especially when I'm trying to work on a few things, trying to find shots in order to get around the golf course, and to have to talk about other things [is difficult]." He conceded that concentration has been tricky with all around him.

Still, the news of the divorce is an occasion for sadness, not relief, because "you don't ever go into a marriage looking to get divorced." Obvious, but still true. 

"My actions certainly led us to this decision," Woods later said. "And I've certainly made a lot of errors in my life, and that's something I'm going to have to live with."

Day 1 of Tiger's post-marriage professional life begins Thursday at the Barclays.

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

After nine months, Elin Nordegren has broken her silence on the infidelity scandal that rocked her family and led to the dissolution of her marriage to golf star Tiger Woods.

In what she says will be a one-time-only discussion of her side of the story, Nordegren spoke with People magazine for 19 hours over four days. The revelations were sobering, and in some cases surprising.

The three key takeaways from Nordegren's story are:

• She says she is in no way a violent person, calling any speculation that she swung a golf club at Woods on Thanksgiving night "ridiculous."

• She was completely broadsided by the news of Woods' extramarital affairs, believing that she was the only woman in his life. In short, she was as surprised as most of the rest of the world that the persona Woods put forth – dedicated competitor, family man – was a carefully constructed sham. "I'm so embarassed that I never suspected [his affairs] – not a one," she said.

• In line with that, she said she believed fully that her relationship with Woods was a real marriage, not an act orchestrated for cameras and sponsors. "The word betrayal is just not strong enough," she told People. "I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children."

Woods, who will be playing in this weekend's Barclays Championship in New Jersey, has not yet commented on Nordegren's interview. Clearly, however, she plans on him being in the picture as the father of her children – daughter Sam, 3, and son Charlie, 19 months – as she didn't scorch the earth with her comments. She declined to go into more detail about the events of Thanksgiving, and she would not comment on the size of her divorce settlement – rumored to be in excess of $100 million – except to indicate that it is substantial enough that she won't have to work initially and will be able to focus on raising her children.

[Related: A complete timeline of the Tiger Woods scandal]

The People magazine article gives the impression that Nordegren is both very aware of her celebrity – perhaps infamy – as the aggrieved wife, and also very understanding of the fact that she is something of a punch line for gaining so much money in the divorce settlement. As such, she intends to remain a private person and has no intention of being a celebrity – refreshing in an age where everyone who nabs a single headline is rushing to sign a reality-TV or talk-show deal. 

Most surprisingly, throughout all the drama of the Woods scandal, Nordegren quietly spent time as a humble college student, taking night classes in pursuit of a psychology degree. According to her, she's 40 credits short of a bachelor's degree in psychology, and hopes to follow that with a master's and, at some point in the future, work as a therapist herself. Perhaps fittingly, she took a clinical approach to her own healing, facing it directly and without shame in regular, intensive therapy sessions.

"My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation," she said. "I am going to keep taking classes, but my main focus is to try to give myself time to heal."

As for the future, she plans to raise the children in South Florida, near a home she and Woods have been building in Jupiter. So it seems she intends for him to remain a part of her life in some capacity; indeed, the article begins with Woods arriving home with the children during the interview and surprising Elin, who reacts with kindness and respect.

[Photos: More images of the Elin, Tiger drama]

For now, this will close Elin Nordegren's side of the story. Clearly, though, this will follow her and her family for decades to come.

The issue of People featuring Elin Nordegren on the cover will be inescapable starting Friday.

Join the Facebook page of Yahoo! Sports' Devil Ball Golf to keep up on Tiger Woods and all else in the world of golf by clicking here.

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Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Here we go again ... another rules controversy has cost a player a tournament. And this time, the player didn't even have a chance to get out of bed!

Actually, that's the heart of the problem. Jim Furyk may be one of the best golfers on the planet, but he's got some seriously bad luck. Early Wednesday morning, Furyk's cell phone alarm didn't go off, making him late for his pro-am tee time in The Barclays. And the PGA Tour's rules on this are very clear: no pro-am, no tournament.

"I'm kicking myself," Furyk said.

Fortunately for Furyk, missing the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs won't be too devastating to his hopes of winning the $10 million prize. He currently sits No. 3 in the standings, and doesn't figure to fall too far below that. Still, that's not exactly how you want to start a playoff run, is it?

[Photos: See Jim Furyk fully awake and in action on the fairway]

Here's the sequence of events, familiar to everyone who's ever sweated through a nervous night before a big final exam. Furyk apparently woke up at 7:23 a.m., threw on whatever clothes were lying around, and got to the course 12 minutes later. Problem is, the tournament was a shotgun start at 7:30, and as Furyk was starting at the 11th hole, there was no way on earth he'd make his tee time in time.

Now, unlike some of the more esoteric/ridiculous rules of golf that can cost a player a tournament, as discussed earlier this week, it's easy to understand why the PGA Tour has a rule in place that players have to be at the pro-am. Too often, players were skipping out on the Wednesday sponsor meet-and-greet, leaving executive VPs and similar corporate types unhappy that they drew a no-name -- or no name -- instead of the marquee player they'd been promised.

Still, as the AP notes, it's not the end of the road for Furyk. Last year, Zach Johnson was ranked third going into the Barclays, and had he not played, he would have only fallen to fifth going into next weekend's Deutsche Bank championship. (Memo to stars: Don't take this as an excuse to sleep in.) 

"I played my heart out all year," Furyk said. "I’ve got no one to blame but myself." 

Bet he's wishing he set a wake-up call right about now.

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Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

After nine months, Elin Nordegren has broken her silence on the infidelity scandal that rocked her family and led to the dissolution of her marriage to golf star Tiger Woods.

In what she says will be a one-time-only discussion of her side of the story, Nordegren spoke with People magazine for 19 hours over four days. The revelations were sobering, and in some cases surprising.

The three key takeaways from Nordegren's story are:

• She says she is in no way a violent person, calling any speculation that she swung a golf club at Woods on Thanksgiving night "ridiculous."

• She was completely broadsided by the news of Woods' extramarital affairs, believing that she was the only woman in his life. In short, she was as surprised as most of the rest of the world that the persona Woods put forth – dedicated competitor, family man – was a carefully constructed sham. "I'm so embarassed that I never suspected [his affairs] – not a one," she said.

• In line with that, she said she believed fully that her relationship with Woods was a real marriage, not an act orchestrated for cameras and sponsors. "The word betrayal is just not strong enough," she told People. "I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children."

Woods, who will be playing in this weekend's Barclays Championship in New Jersey, has not yet commented on Nordegren's interview. Clearly, however, she plans on him being in the picture as the father of her children – daughter Sam, 3, and son Charlie, 19 months – as she didn't scorch the earth with her comments. She declined to go into more detail about the events of Thanksgiving, and she would not comment on the size of her divorce settlement – rumored to be in excess of $100 million – except to indicate that it is substantial enough that she won't have to work initially and will be able to focus on raising her children.

[Related: A complete timeline of the Tiger Woods scandal]

The People magazine article gives the impression that Nordegren is both very aware of her celebrity – perhaps infamy – as the aggrieved wife, and also very understanding of the fact that she is something of a punch line for gaining so much money in the divorce settlement. As such, she intends to remain a private person and has no intention of being a celebrity – refreshing in an age where everyone who nabs a single headline is rushing to sign a reality-TV or talk show deal. 

Most surprisingly, throughout all the drama of the Woods scandal, Nordegren quietly spent time as a humble college student, taking night classes in pursuit of a psychology degree. According to her, she's 40 credits short of a bachelor's degree in psychology, and hopes to follow that with a master's and, at some point in the future, work as a therapist herself. Perhaps fittingly, she took a clinical approach to her own healing, facing it directly and without shame in regular, intensive therapy sessions.

"My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to ournew situation," she said. "I am going to keep taking classes, but my main focus isto try to give myself time to heal."

As for the future, she plans to raise the children in South Florida, near a home she and Woods have been building in Jupiter. So it seems she intends for him to remain a part of her life in some capacity; indeed, the article begins with Woods arriving home with the children during the interview and surprising Elin, who reacts with kindness and respect.

[Photos: More images of the Elin, Tiger drama]

For now, this will close Elin Nordegren's side of the story. Clearly, though, this will follow her and her family for decades to come.

The issue of People featuring Elin Nordegren on the cover will be inescapable starting Friday. Below, some video from Wednesday morning's Today Show covering the story:

Join the Facebook page of Yahoo! Sports' Devil Ball Golf to keep up on Tiger Woods and all else in the world of golf by clicking here.

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Some closure in the death of Erica Blasberg, as the Clark County (Nev.) coroner's office has ruled her death in May was a suicide.

It brings to a close at least one chapter of this story, which began on May 9 when Blasberg's body was discovered at her apartment.

After a months-long investigation, police have ruled out any foul play. However, they sought Dr. Thomas Hess on misdemeanor charges -- specifically, obstruction arising from removal of items, including a suicide note, from the scene. Hess turned himself in on Tuesday afternoon, and was released a half hour later after posting a $637 bail, Henderson (Nev.) police officials indicated. 

While Hess's alleged behavior may not have reached felony levels, it certainly raises suspicions about what role he may have played in her life and in her final hours. Until that issue is settled, the family and friends of Blasberg will surely have trouble finding peace with her passing.

The AP has full details of her death, including its manner and the substances found in her system. It's there if you want to read it. For us at Devil Ball, the fact that she's gone is enough. There's no need to dwell on ghoulish details or eavesdrop on the 911 call.  

Blasberg was a friend of our own Shane Bacon, who caddied for her on occasion and penned a heartfelt tribute to her. It's right here, and it's well worth reading. (Here's what he wrote today.) Our condolences to Erica's family and friends on their loss, with the hope that this helps them move on as best they can. 

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

And so it ends.

Attorneys for Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren Woods have announced that the couple have divorced, confirming rumors that have swirled for most of 2010.

"We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future," the couple said in a joint statement that leaves zero doubt as to where their future concerns will lie. "While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us."

[Photos: More of Tiger's Swedish ex-wife, Elin Nordegren]

Terms of the divorce were not disclosed, but it's likely that Elin Woods will receive a handsome financial incentive in return for her silence. Chances are it won't approach the outlandish $750 million figure bandied about earlier this year, but once you get into nine figures, does that first digit even matter?

Monday's news closes a chapter on a story that began last Thanksgiving, when news of Woods' infidelities came to light. A simple one-car accident kicked off a story that alternately fascinated, disgusted and amused fans worldwide. Woods took time off from the game, spent time in a treatment facility for sex addiction, endured scathing criticism and merciless teasing, and finally returned to the course a different player. (See a complete timeline of the Tiger Woods scandal here.)

[Photos: More images of Tiger Woods]

Without speculating on the family dynamics of the Woods -- and not at all to discount the effect that this will have on Woods' children -- it's obvious that Tiger had more on his mind this last year than ever before, and it's understandable that the off-course pressures would have had a dramatic impact on his so far very un-Tigerlike play.

We'll leave the cheap jokes -- and oh, there will be many -- about what Tiger will be up to after his divorce to others. Divorce is never without pain, but perhaps this will help Tiger put 2010 behind him once and for all and move onward. 

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So I'm trying to get my head around these latest rules debacles -- Juli Inkster got booted from an LPGA tournament for using a doughnut, and not the good tasty kind either, and Jose de Jesus Rodriguez got kicked out of a tournament for failing to sign a scorecard after scoring a 61 (visor tip: Shackelford) -- and I'm trying very hard to find a middle course here.

On one hand, you've got the "golf officials are idiots" crowd, those who think that the people who preside over the reams of tourney-killing rules are nothing more than the tweediest of the tweedy, uptight, out-of-touch elites interested only in preserving their own power. On the other, you've got the "learn the rules" crowd, those who hold that it's the player's responsibility to know the rules of the road, and anybody trying to wriggle out of the rules is ethically dishonest and lazy.

And, as in most cases when you're talking about people who can only comprehend one side of an argument, they're both wrong.

Make no mistake: Inkster's disqualification was ridiculous; Rodriguez's, even more so. The absurdly harsh punishment in no way fits the relatively minor crime. Even so, though, if you're going to play on someone's course, you play by their rules -- nitpicky, counterintuitive and asinine though they may be.

Which brings us to the point of all this. The days of golf being the dominion of a privileged few, handing down judgment from Olympus, are long gone. As you may have noticed, top-down corporate management isn't quite in fashion these days. (Save the political statements; let's stay focused on the golf course.)

Golf officials stand at a crossroads right now. They can continue to do business as always, clearly out of touch and out of step with prevailing sentiment. They can enforce their rules with an iron fist, prizing obedience over competition. Or they can take a page from every other sport in existence and bend just the tiniest bit. Let a little bit of light in. Understand that swinging a club weight or forgetting a half-second scribble is not, in tournament terms, a capital offense.

(Side note: a close parallel to the absurd scorecard rule would be a baseball manager filling out an incorrect lineup card. And guess what happened earlier this year when that took place? Did the offending manager have to forfeit the game? Of course not. The game was played "under protest," and since the other team won anyway it was a moot point. But even baseball -- the standard-bearer for head-in-the-sand officialdom -- is able to distinguish between an "honest mistake" and game-altering cheating.)

Don't go the slippery-slope route here -- "what, should they let players kick their ball out of bad lies now? Shave a couple strokes off a hole they don't like?" Of course not. We're talking degree and intent, and advising someone that a training weight isn't permitted -- or, if you have a burning desire to punish, making it a one-stroke penalty -- isn't in the same class as flat-out cheating. While there should be an expectation that players will know the rules, The Powers That Be need to bring intent and outcome into the equation now too before levying irrevocable punishment. 

If golf isn't firmly lodged in the public mind as a narrow-minded, zero-tolerance bureaucracy, it will be after these latest rules events. There's a time and a place for unquestioning obedience to a higher power, but the golf course ain't it. After all, isn't that why we hit the golf course to begin with?

Another lovely late-summer weekend, another bouquet of fine shots from which to choose our best. Here are the gentlemen who pulled off this weekend's top shots; head on out to the course and see how many of these you can manage.

First off, Scott McCarron rolls a birdie attempt at the par 3 7th ... wait for it, wait for it ...

More follows...

Next, at the JELD-WEN, some guy named "Tom Watson" makes a fine birdie. This kid has some skills.

On Sunday, David Toms birdied 18, putting himself in position for a playoff that, sadly for Toms, was not to be. Still, this was pretty:

Finally, the best pre-cut shot: Justin Leonard eagles the 15th on Friday:

Lovely. Hope your weekend round was equally as exceptional.

Since we've had two incidents in six days of golf rules completely submarining players' chances to win tournaments, it's only fair that someone use the rules of the game for good rather than evil. Behold Arjun Atwal, who decided to use golf's free-drop rule to set himself up for a better shot at winning the Wyndham Championship.

The scene: the 18th hole, Sunday. Atwal was facing a tricky second shot, lying on a downslope and looking at looming bunkers guarding the green. He needed to wrap the hole in par to win the tournament outright. So, rather than deal with the bunkers at all, he chose to fly right over them and spang the ball off the grandstand, banking on the free drop. And here's how it went down:

It worked out perfectly for Atwal, who got the free drop, chipped from the fringe and made a knee-knocking seven-foot par putt to win the tournament by a stroke.

Still, shouldn't he have, you know, warned the people in the tent he was aiming at them? Could have been an ugly scene.

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Juli Inkster is a legend on the LPGA Tour, a Hall of Famer and a seven-time major winner. But golf is a game of rules, and even the greatest must bow before them, like it or not.

Inkster was disqualified from the Safeway Classic on Saturday afternoon for a rules violation, but that's not the real story. The more interesting element is how she was caught.

First, the story. Inkster was playing well -- just three strokes behind leader Ai Miyazato -- when she hit a traffic jam on the 10th hole of the Pumpkin Ridge course. With a 30-minute wait stretching out before her, she attached a small "doughnut" weight to her nine-iron and swung to stay loose, much like a batter in the on-deck circle.

However, unlike a batter in the on-deck circle, a golfer can't use a weight like that during competition; it's illegal to use a training aid during play. And so Inkster was disqualified once she finished her round.

[Photos: More of LPGA star Juli Inkster]

But here's the kicker: the LPGA found out thanks to a tip from a keen-eyed television viewer. This oh-so-helpful soul called tournament officials, and after consultation with the United States Golf Association, the LPGA decided that Inkster had to go.  

"The rules staff here made the decision on the rule and we took it one step further and called the USGA," LPGA Director of Tournament Competition Sue Witters told the AP. "We would have loved to have some wiggle room on that. But it's pretty cut and dried. Being the professional she is, there wasn't much to say once the decision was read."

Inkster, obviously, was surprised, and issued a short statement. "I had a 30-minute wait and I needed to loosen up," she said. "Ithad no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I'm verydisappointed."

It's not the first time television viewers have injected themselves into golf tournaments with dramatic effects. In 1987, Craig Stadler was booted from a tournament after a viewer called to complain that Stadler's use of a towel to protect his knees while kneeling for a particularly awkward shot was an illegal construction of a stance; he'd finished second in the tournament but got nothing. And in 1991 at the Doral Ryder Open, a viewer ratted out Paul Azinger for moving a loose stone as he took a stance to hit a ball out of shallow water; moving loose impediments in a hazard is illegal, and Azinger got yanked from the tournament.

There are a few takeaways from this latest incident. First, obviously someone's watching the LPGA on TV, so that's good news. Second, whether or not you think that Mr. (or Ms.) Narc-on-the-couch was preserving the tradition of honor in golf or meddling where they didn't belong, you've got to hand it to the game for taking fans' complaints seriously. I can think of a few million baseball fans who'd love to have the power to overturn an egregious miscarriage of rules like the one that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game earlier this year. 

If Inkster violated the rules, she deserves disqualification. As a Hall of Famer, she'd certainly agree with that. But as to how it came about, well -- you can imagine she's probably not exactly thrilled with a member of her viewing public right about now.

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Take a look at that scorecard above, the product of Houston kid Aubrey Phillips. Good but not astonishing, right? A 5-over 77 in the Greater Houston Junior Championship.

Now, look a little closer. Specifically, at holes 5 and 16.

Yep, Phillips, age 16, recorded two aces in a single round. How well did you play when you were 16, huh?

Anyway, Phillips used a 9-iron to ace the 155-yard fifth, his first-ever hole in one. Eleven holes later -- using the same Slazenger ball and the same club -- he found the bottom of the cup on the 160-yard 16th.

The odds of one golfer getting two aces in a single round? Only about 1 in 64 million, according to Golf Digest.

The aces proved to be the difference. He finished three shots inside the cut line, and moved on to the Houston Golf Association Junior Championship next weekend at Redstone Golf Club. And if he doesn't card three aces there, I think we're all going to be severely disappointed.

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

Steve Spurrier ain't got nothing on Rory McIlroy.

The Ol' Ball Coach has long been famed for his ability to get under the skin of his opponents with quotes that burn right off the bulletin board. But McIlroy took it to a whole new level this week when he indicated he'd love to go head-to-head with the still-No.-1 player in the world:

[Photos: See more of golf's rising star]

"I would love to face him," McIlroy told the BBC. "Unless his game rapidly improves ... I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him."

Granted, this isn't Stephen Ames, who provoked Tiger before the World Match Play event in 2006 and then got hammered 9-and-8, or Rory Sabbatini, who said in 2007 that Woods was beatable and then proceeded to collapse over the rest of his season. The Tiger Woods of 2010 is hobbled and relatively easy prey.

You'd be hard pressed to find anybody outside of the TW acolytes who would take Woods over McIlroy right now. But Rory had better hope Mr. Woods doesn't get his game back to pre-Escalade levels any time soon. Otherwise, there'll be nothing left on the course but a few wispy Irish curls.  

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I know it's against the spirit of genteel competition that so many golf types cling to, but I love me some trick shots. And it's not just me -- the European Tour now has an entire video channel dedicated to the spectacular trick shots of its players. Like, for instance, this competition between David Howell, Paul McGinley, Marcel Siem and Rhys Davies, all of whom are trying to skim a ball 200 yards across the pond to ding a 9-inch gong. Can they do it? Watch on ...

Dinnertime! Well played, gents. Be sure to check out the European Tour's channel for more along these lines. (Visor tip: Waggle Room)

Ladies and gentlemen, we may have found someone who had a worse time in a bunker this week than Dustin Johnson.

Our story begins at the Topstone Golf Course in South Windsor, Conn., where course workers arrived Wednesday morning to find the scene you see at right at the course's eighth green.

Sweet mercy! An upside-down Saab in a bunker! What club do you use to get that one out, do you figure?

Well, conveniently enough, not long after this car was found, Matthew F. Diulio reported that his car -- a black Saab -- had been stolen. Look at that -- a law-enforcement circle closed nice and neat.

Except that it wasn't. Turns out that the cops had some suspicions about the whole "stolen" aspect of this, and they arrested Diulio for filing a false police report. Diulio admitted that he and a pal had taken the car for a little impromptu tour of the Topstone Golf Course, and -- much like Mr. Johnson at the PGA Championship -- ended up in a most unfortunately placed bunker.

Before cratering, Diulio caused an estimated $10,000 worth of damage to the golf course. We're betting he won't be earning it by driving the beer cart.

(Thanks to the Hartford Courant for the tip.)

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee. 

Tyreke Evans is a budding NBA star for the Sacramento Kings. Like many of his hoopster brethren, Tyreke Evans is taking a swing at golf. Also like many of his hoopster brethren, Tyreke Evans is not -- what's the word? -- good:

Wow. That was horrific. Like a man trying to pull from his gut the sword that he's been impaled upon. (Visor tip: The Big Lead.) But how does Evans compare with the Godfather of Godawful Golf Swings, Mr. Charles Barkley? View the competition and vote below.

Yeesh. Like a man trying to beat a badger to death.

All right, it's your turn now. Which NBA'er has the worse golf swing? Vote away!

Related stories on Devil Ball:

• 'Stolen' car ends up in sand trap
• Must-see video: Caddyshack reimagined Inception-style
• Mark Ingram: Heisman trophy winner, Tiger Woods imitator

Great mash-up here from Tauntr (via Sportress of Blogitude and Waggle Room) of "Caddyshack" reframed in "Inception" style. Now, surely you've seen "Caddyshack" -- if you haven't, go stop what you're doing right now and do it -- but even if you're waiting for "Inception" to come out on DVD, you can still get plenty o' humor out of this 30-year-old chestnut: 

Now, it's no "Shining" -- "The Shining" reimagined as a romantic comedy, the first and still the best of this remix genre -- but it's pretty damn good.

If you haven't seen "Inception" yet -- I'd give a spoiler here but any spoiler I could give, someone else could explain away -- following is the trailer on which this remix was based. Spin the top ...

If you've been playing golf for any length of time, you've probably got a little totem you carry around with you, a lucky charm that you use to give you that extra boost. Me, I've got a ball-marker from my brother's wedding that I bust out during those rare occasions when my ball is inside my playing partners' on the green.

Now, common sense holds that most of these lucky charms have absolutely zero power -- unless, of course, your lucky charm happens to be a tricked-up golf ball or driver. But as it turns out, a Golf Digest report indicates that these totems might just have a bit of merit.

A study at the University of Cologne in Germany has revealed that golfers who were putting what they were told was a "lucky" golf ball were 35 percent more successful at draining putts than players who didn't hit the "lucky" ball.

"Our results suggest that the activation of a superstition can indeed yield performance-improving effects," said Lysann Damisch, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Perhaps feeling lucky calms you down enough that you don't yip the putt -- or, you know, shank the drive on 18 into a waste area that may or may not be a bunker. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

So how about you? Got a lucky charm or two you use for keeping your game on track?

Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.

There once was a time when you could say "Tiger Woods trick" and nobody would think you were talking about something that can't be mentioned in polite society. But believe it or not, there's at least one "Tiger Woods trick" that's completely innocent, sweet and rather cool. 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram of Alabama recently demonstrated:

Man. The kid's a junior in college, he's holding a Heisman Trophy and a national championship ring, and he can also do that? Life just ain't fair.

Oh, after the jump, the original version -- a reminder of a simpler time.

(Visor tip: Local Knowledge)

[Photos: See the latest images of Tiger Woods]

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Each week, we break down the coming week's tournament, giving you the big dogs, the sleepers, and the storylines to watch. This week, it's the final tournament of the regular season -- if you consider the FedEx Cup a playoff, that is -- and here's who we'll be watching at the Wyndham:

Ryan Moore: Gotta throw some love to the defending champion. He had a little bit of success at the PGA before plummeting to the bottom of the weekend leaderboard. Still, he feels the love in Carolina.

Anthony Kim: The class of the field, even playing on a still-recovering thumb. He should be a slam-dunk pick for the Ryder, but he needs to demonstrate that post-surgery, he's still got the game to warrant a captain's selection.

Lucas Glover: Glover is falling into the unfortunate trap of one-and-done major winners -- the big win at the 2009 U.S. Open, followed by the long slow fade. But he's got five top-25 finishes at the Wyndham, so he's comfortable here.

Jason Dufner: Did you know he finished tied for fifth at the PGA? I know, amazing. He needed a better storyline! Anyway, he's obviously hot right now, so give him a look and see if he can ride that Whistling Straits mo.

Henrik Stenson: He's trying to make the FedEx Cup but currently sits 133rd on the list, with the top 125 making the first event. He's got a long way to go to get there, but if he's on his game -- something that hasn't happened much lately -- he's a possiblity. It's worth keeping an eye on Stenson this week to see how he performs under pressure.

All right, you're up. Who are your picks for this weekend? Go!

We're now several years into the experiment that is the FedEx Cup, and while opinions are divided as to whether it's a viable and realistic playoff -- some enjoy it, some consider it a hopeless contrivance -- it gives at least a few guys in the field a reason to play well and watch the standings at the Wyndham this week.

The Wyndham offers the last opportunity for players trying to get into the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list. Those 125 will then be winnowed progressively through the next few weeks, finally culminating in a 30-man free-for-all at East Lake in late September.

So let's take a look at who's on the bubble, both high and low, for getting into the FedEx Cup playoffs. Currently, Michael Letzig holds down the 125th spot. And who's in 126th? None other than former Masters winner Mike Weir.

Also just outside the bubble are notables such as Henrik Stenson, George McNeill and Billy Mayfair. PGA stats indicate that any player ranked from 126th to 142nd will jump into the top 125 with a top-10 finish.

But while the players from 96th on up are mathematically safe, there are a bunch who, statistically, are on the hot seat. Safe for the moment are David Toms (98), Corey Pavin (107), Justin Leonard (109) and David Duval (115), among others.

Oh, and there's a fellow in the 108th spot you might have heard of once or twice who's in play. Dude by the name of Tiger Woods. If, for some reason, Tiger plummeted out of the top 125 -- an implausible but not impossible scenario, given the fact that he's not playing at the Wyndham -- it'd be catastrophic for television viewing. A Woodsless Cup would put more focus on the best players in the world, but would anybody actually be watching?

Which brings up a point -- will you be watching the FedEx Cup, regardless? We'll be covering it here -- I love this stuff, contrived as it is -- but how about you?

Jerry Pate knows golf. He's got eight wins on the PGA Tour, including the 1976 U.S. Open, and he's an accomplished course designer. Throughout the season, he'll be stopping by Devil Ball to offer an inside-the-ropes look at the week's upcoming course. Today: Sedgefield Country Club, site of this year's Wyndham Championship.

In 2007, Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., underwent a wonderful renovation by architect Kris Spence in preparation for the Wyndham Championship. Spence did a skillful job returning the intents and philosophies Donald Ross originally crafted in 1926.

Like many Ross designs, Sedgefield rests comfortably on the natural grade ... nothing is contrived or overly created. The strategy is simple -- challenge the hazard off the tee and receive a better angle into the green. The short par-4 No. 8 is a fine example. A creek diagonally bisects the fairway. The short left fairway is the safe route for the members, the long right fairway is where the professionals will play. Bunkers in the right of the landing area protect the angle to the left-hole locations on the right to left green. The creek protects the angle to the right-hole locations. Again, there is no visual trickery or intimidation, just a clear representation of the task at hand.

Hopefully weather will permit the course conditions to be on the firm side. Firm conditions will place a premium on shot-making ability and accentuate the design intent of Ross and Spence. They will demand that a player keep himself in proper position in order to stay aggressive.

Jerry Pate has been designing golf courses for more than 30 years. His portfolio of work includes Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi, site of the 1999 United States Women's Open; Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck (formerly known as Shadow Isle) in New Jersey; Kiva Dunes on the Alabama Gulf Coast; and Rancho La Quinta Country Club in California. See more of his work at www.jerrypategolfdesign.com.

Can you believe the majors season is over already? Me neither. Here and gone, just like that. But since it's never too early to start dreaming of azaleas, we turn our eyes to next year. Is it April yet?

2011 Masters: Augusta National

The story: It's Augusta. In April. Really, what other story do you need?

Last major: Earlier this year. Phil Mickelson played one of the finest rounds of his life en route to winning his fourth major. 

2011 U.S. Open: Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Md.) 

The story: Congressional has hosted the U.S. Open, the Senior Open and the PGA Championship. It's been a regular stop on the tour for the AT&T National, so this is a familiar course to most pros. Congressional's Blue Course finishes on a par-3, which the USGA hates, so for 2011 the USGA will reverse the hole and extend it, then reroute the course so that the old 17th now plays as the 18th.

Last major: In 1997, Ernie Els won the U.S. Open, outdueling Colin Montgomerie by a single stroke. This was Tiger Woods' first U.S. Open as a pro, but he finished T19.

2011 British Open: Royal St. George's (Kent, England)

The story: One of the oldest courses on the Open rotation, it's hosted 13 Opens and was the first club outside Scotland to host the championship.

Last major: In 2003, Ben Curtis produced one of the most improbable major wins in history, though he got a big boost from Thomas Bjorn. In one of the uglier closes to a major, Bjorn stood on the 16th tee with a two-shot lead, but needed three attempts to get out of a greenside bunker. Curtis ended up winning by a stroke over Bjorn and Vijay Singh.

2011 PGA Championship: Atlanta Athletic Club

The story: The century-old club was formerly sited on what is now East Lake, home of the Tour Championship. It has hosted a Ryder Cup, a U.S. Open and a PGA Championship. And it's going to be hotter and nastier than a sack of wet cats next August.

Last major: In 2001, David Toms won the PGA Championship, defeating Phil Mickelson by a single stroke on the strength of a 20-foot 18th-hole putt. Toms' 265 remains the lowest score ever recorded at a major championship.

So there you have it -- four majors, four quality courses. And we can count on some outstanding stories coming from them. Got a favorite this far out? Make your call now. 

This is a little piece of awesome -- some sand from the Dustin Johnson bunker for sale on eBay. And for the low, low price of about ten bucks, too!

The buyer claims that she was standing "15 yards from Johnson" and calls the area a "trampled bunker." There you have it! It was a bunker! We knew it!

This is why the Internet is awesome -- you see a landmark moment on television, and two days later you can buy a chunk of it for your very own. What could we have salvaged from the earlier, pre-Internet days of golf? A little bit of the Colorado fairway from Cherry Hills at Arnold Palmer's 1960 U.S. Open win? A little azalea bush from Jack Nicklaus' 1986 Masters? A "hello, my name is Francis" nametag from Francis Ouimet's 1913 U.S. Open win? The mind boggles. 

So hey, go ahead and bid on this bad boy. But hey, be careful. Wherever you put this souvenir, it counts as a bunker. Two-stroke penalties await.

(Thanks to reader Stephen Paskey for the tip.)

If there's anybody in golf who's happy about the last-second PGA Championship meltdown -- other than Martin Kaymer*, of course -- it would have to be Nick Watney.

Why? Because Watney takes pleasure in the suffering of Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson? Of course not. (We assume.) No, Watney has to be at least slightly relieved at the rules craziness and playoff for a simple reason: It took all the heat off him for his total collapse early Sunday.

Watney, you'll recall, entered Sunday with a three-shot lead. And almost immediately, that lead blew away like sand from a Whistling Straits "bunker." He double-bogeyed the first, bogeyed the fourth, double-bogeyed the seventh -- hang on, we're just getting started -- made the turn at 7-over, double-bogeyed the 11th ... he finished with a 9-over 81, an utter debacle made better only by the fact that he carded two late birdies on 16 and 17.  

Unlike Johnson's debacle at the U.S. Open, Watney was spared the camera's eye because there wasn't one single player holding down the lead, the way Graeme McDowell did at Pebble Beach. There was enough happening all over the course; CBS didn't need to focus on Watney's self-disemboweling.

So that takes Watney off the hook in the public eye. But what about inside his own head? That's the tricky part. I'd bet Watney hasn't shot in the 80s often in his professional career. (He did on the Sunday of the U.S. Open, but you can almost excuse that as an aberration.) How does he shake off this embarrassment -- and make no mistake, that's what it is for a guy at this level -- and refocus? 

Watney doesn't have a sterling bounceback record. Since the start of the 2007 season, he's missed 22 cuts, and only once has he come back the next event to post a quality finish -- this time last year, when he missed the cut at the PGA and then tied for sixth at the Barclays.

But let's take a longer view. Over that same span of seasons, he's missed nine, six, five and two (and counting) cuts. That's a pretty convincing trend line. So while he may not instantly get his game back, he's still one of the best young golfers on tour, and it's fairly likely he'll be back atop a leaderboard somewhere soon. It may not be a major -- obviously, it won't be until 2011 -- but in the short term, that's not the point. An athlete has to have a short memory, and Watney would do well to remember the PGA as a tournament where he earned $85 grand, not a one where he ... oh, boy, he probably shouldn't even look at the money list.

And hey, it could be worse. He could have missed a putt to win it all. That's the kind of stuff that sticks in a man's mind. 

* -- He's the guy who won the PGA. I know, I had to look it up too.

For such a staid game, golf can sure make the blood boil. Send a drive sailing smoothly into the deep dark woods, and you suddenly become possessed with the urge to hurl your driver in after it. Yip a 3-foot putt, and you can unleash a torrent of curses that'll have the bikers from "Sons of Anarchy" telling you to watch your mouth. And this extends even off the course too; one need only look at any of the posts we write about Tiger Woods to see how ridiculously unhinged some people, pro- and anti-Tiger, can get about a guy they've never met, and likely will never meet in person.

So it's not surprising that we all got a little fired up when we saw that the PGA's gears were grinding Sunday night, looking at tape over and over to see if Dustin Johnson really did ground his club, and if so, if it really was a bunker. Shoot, I even threatened bodily harm of an official if it happened. (I didn't carry through on my threat, which is why I'm not typing this in handcuffs.)

And in the 48 or so hours since then, golf fans have been all over the map with their thoughts on the matter. Some expressed outrage that the PGA would nitpick like this, some called Johnson every name in the book for not paying enough attention on the most critical hole of his entire life. And a few actually had nuanced thoughts, recognizing that maybe it wasn't all one side or the other's fault. (Such people do not belong on the Internet.)

We've all examined the tape of Johnson's walk up the hill and that shot as if it were the Zapruder film, trying to pinpoint the locations of Johnson, the caddy, the PGA rules official all on that well-covered grassy knoll. Here's the thing, though -- while that's all fascinating, none of it really matters.

Strip away all the emotion, all the portentous weight of the moment, everything -- and it comes down to this: Dustin Johnson made a mistake. Yes, it was a small one. Yes, his mistake gave him no competitive advantage. Yes, you could argue that it's a silly or misapplied rule. Yes, the "bunkers" outside the ropes at Whistling Straits look like they should have fat beachgoers buried in them, or maybe tumbleweeds blowing across them. Yes, all this is correct and so much more.

But bottom line, Johnson screwed up by failing to recognize the possibility that he might be in a bunker. All the rationalizations and the "yeah, but" reactions in the world can't change that.

It's easy to take a moment like this and blow it up into some societal metaphor -- "The Man always finding a way to bring us down," perhaps, or "these whiny kids today never want to play by the rules." But let's avoid that temptation, if only because this is one of those Rorschach incidents where what you see in it depends on what your worldview is in the first place. Let's just leave it at this:

The rules of golf -- silly and nitpicky as they may be -- are the rules of golf. You know that going in. If you're going to play the game and cash the checks, you've got to know the rules. It sucks for Johnson, beyond belief, but if he can recover from this, he'll be a far better golfer for it.

Oh, and the PGA better budget for a few more rules officials, and whip those guys into shape. After this, every golfer who doesn't land in the middle of the fairway is going to be asking for clarification on every single shot.

The PGA Tour has suspended Matt Every for three months for "conduct unbecoming a professional," according to Golfweek sources.

Every was arrested on July 6 at the Isle Casino Hotel in Bettendorf, Iowa, and charged with possession of a controlled substance. At the time, Every was entered in the John Deere Classic. (He would end up T56.) His management company denied Every had marijuana in his possession.

However, Every did not comment on this most recent news. The PGA Tour also declined comment, as it always does in matters relating to players' conduct and possible suspension.

Where it gets even more treacherous for Every is the fact that he needs to get into the top 125 to hold onto his PGA Tour card, but he only has one event left in which he'll be eligible. He can play in the Children's Miracle Network Classic, but he currently sits 144th on the money list -- a ranking that will certainly fall even further in the next three months.

Sunday's PGA Championship was the final chance for players to play their way into a guaranteed slot on the Ryder Cup team, and a couple did just that. Unfortunately, for every man that's in, another one bounces out, and thus becomes a potential captain's pick. So let's take a look, shall we?

First off, the final eight are as follows, in order of qualifying: Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar. Missing out: Anthony Kim, Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods and a bunch of other guys.

So who played their way in? Exactly who you'd expect. Bubba Watson rode his playoff up 15 spots, from No. 18 to No. 3. And Dustin Johnson couldn't ground his own chances to make the Ryder Cup, going from the bubble spot of No. 9 up to No. 5.

Alas, two players got the boot, but considering how they're playing, it's not the greatest of tragedies. Lucas Glover dropped out of the instant-in status because he missed the cut with a couple of ugly rounds. The exact same could be said for Anthony Kim, still coming back from a thumb injury.

So that takes us to the next stage of the game, the captain's picks. U.S. captain Corey Pavin gets four picks to round out his team, and here's how I think they should go (current rank in parentheses):

Tiger Woods (12). Why? Because he's Tiger freaking Woods. You don't look at the stats, you just shut up and pick him. Best golfer in history, and you're going to leave him on the bench? Come on. He's in.

Zach Johnson (11). Steady as they come. He'll be a calming presence on a team heavily made up of rookies. Can withstand the taunts of the European crowds.

Anthony Kim (9). Unstoppable during 2008, and his enthusiasm for the Ryder -- he sat out two majors so he'd be ready for the Ryder -- make him a sure bet.

Stewart Cink (14). He's a veteran presence, and like Johnson will be able to keep his head and keep focused -- and perhaps keep a few of the youngsters' heads screwed on right -- during the intense pressure of the Ryder. 

Now, that leaves Lucas Glover, Nick Watney and other talented guys at home, but that's how it shakes out sometimes. Still, that's a fine slate of golfers we've got guaranteed. It won't be easy, but we'll have those Euros begging for mercy soon enough. 

And your picks are ... ?

So it turns out that all golf has to do to spark some interest is throw down a highly controversial rule interpretation that costs somebody a shot at a tournament. After our post Sunday about Dustin Johnson's losing battle with the rule book, many of you wrote in with your own particular takes. We love your emails; hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com to add your voice to the mix.

Reactions hit every point on the compass, and we've got a sampling of the more coherent ones we received. First up, we have a gentle-but-chiding view of DJ:

Dustin and his caddy are guilty of not reading the rules sheet, that is true. Had he done that, he would not have grounded his club hence be in the play off. He still may not have won, but we'll never know. Using Roberto D.'s word, this is a "STUPID" rule. No defined bunker area is horrendous, but it means if you see sand "anywhere" don't ground the club ... Professional golfers (sans Tiger) are the most honest sportsmen I know....amateurs cheat all the time. I revere them and I revere the raw talent of Dustin Johnson. He learned from Pebble Beach and he will learn from this mistake. He carried himself well with no Tigeresque cursing or poor sportsmanship. He will be fun to watch for a long time....as will Bubba.

Sam Peterson

More follows.

Could Dustin Johnson have made another error? Does the PGA regulate the sun? Perhaps:

I actually think that Dustin made another rule violation when he asked the crowd to block the sunlight from reaching the ball when he was in the now famous bunker.

Niels Agdal

And chalk up another vote for "it's the officials' fault":

The fault of Johnson not knowing he was in a bunker is because the officials failed to remove all the spectators that were in the bunker. He could not see all sides of the bunker because the people were packed in...inside the bunker. Let's assume that the officials did their job and removed all the spectators at least three feet outside of the bunker. In this situation, Johnson would have seen that he was in a bunker. Poor officiating cost Johnson.

Alfred Rimm

And it wouldn't be the Internet if we didn't get emails with their points wrapped snugly in insults and absolutist thinking: 

Dude!

The rules of golf are the rules of golf. The PGA didn't make them up. The PGA didn't do anything wrong in their ruling. Johnson blew it, not the PGA. He should have had the presence of mind to ask for a ruling. I mean the course has 1,200 bunkers and your ball's lying in sand -- wouldn't you ask for a ruling. Oh, guess not -- after all you think the rules ought to be all about inclusion.

Don't give up your day job.

Frank Eckerd

But ... but this IS my day job! What am I to do now?

Got a take on this or another golf issue -- or, hell, life in general? Write us at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and you could see your question here soon.

Unbelievable. No other way to put it. Hands-down the best major of the season gave us some of the best shots of the year. We can't even get them all in here, but here are a few of the better ones. And no, poor Dustin Johnson's sand save isn't among them. We've seen enough of that for now.

More follows ...

Further down the line, none other than Phil Mickelson made a run, birdieing 12, 13 and 14 on Sunday. He'd given away too many strokes earlier in the week, but this run showed Lefty still has game:

Dustin Johnson did have a completely noncontroversial eagle:

And finally, Nick Watney (remember him?) had outstanding stretches on Saturday, including this three-birdie run. The less said about Sunday for Nick, the better.

And that only scratches the surface. Martin Kaymer had some clutch putts, as did Steve Elkington. But this'll keep us warm for now. Only eight months to Augusta, everybody!

On the weirdest major championship Sunday in years, if not decades, one golfer stood strong through 72 holes plus a three-hole playoff. And although he's not as well-known a name on United States shores as the fellas who wear red on Sundays and prowl donut shops after their wins, he's nonetheless a deserving winner.

Martin Kaymer -- seen here just before plunging into one of Whistling Straits' many invisible bunkers -- currently stands fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings, and the way he played on Sunday, it's not inconceivable that he'll pass Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Steve Stricker before long. Kaymer demonstrated both power and grace, strategy and touch, en route to posting an 11-under round and holding off Bubba Watson for the Wanamaker Trophy. It wasn't easy, but Kaymer made it look that way. 

Kaymer, a German who earlier this summer wore his country's soccer uniform during a tournament played during the World Cup, is one of Europe's best players. Until now, he was best known stateside for wrecking his go-kart and destroying his chances in the 2009 Race to Dubai. And even now, he's likely to be a trivia question answer -- as in, "Who won that PGA Championship where Dustin Johnson got hosed by the rules?"  

But that's for the future. For now, the 2010 major season is over and done with, and it closed off in fine fashion. Congrats to Martin Kaymer, and congrats to Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, too. All three earned new fans on Sunday afternoon, and all three deserve them.

On Sunday, the difference between victory and defeat at the PGA Championship was as thin as a line in the sand.

It was a day when six golfers entered the last few holes within a single stroke of the lead, a day when a first-time major winner would achieve his life's dream. Germany's Martin Kaymer would win the tournament, but the story of the afternoon -- indeed, the story of the season -- would belong to Dustin Johnson.

As contender after contender fell just short, it appeared to be a day of redemption for Johnson, the 26-year-old American who had self-destructed on the final day of the U.S. Open just a few weeks ago.

Johnson had faced down almost every opponent this week and was within a stroke of winning his first major. But then he smacked hard against the PGA's rule book -- and that's a battle that nobody ever wins.

[Photos: See more of Dustin Johnson's final round performance]

To set the stage: After 71 holes, Johnson led the PGA Championship by a single stroke. All he had to do was make par -- something he's probably done, oh, 50,000 times in his life -- and the major trophy was his.

But Johnson sent his tee shot wide right, deep into the gallery and that was where his troubles began.

CBS's Jim Nantz initially said that Johnson's tee shot went into "one of the thousands of bunkers that line this course," and that statement -- apparently forgotten in what would happen next -- would prove sadly prophetic.

Johnson approached his ball, which -- as you can see above -- was lying in a sandy mess amid a crowd of thousands. He stepped up, addressed the ball, backed away to ask that the crowd fill in the shadows falling on the ball and then swung away. Easy enough, right? He left the hillside to the cheers and backslaps of a thronging crowd.

One approach later, and Johnson faced a 6-foot putt to win the major. He pushed it ever so slightly and tapped in to prepare for a playoff with Kaymer and Bubba Watson. 

But as he walked off the course, a rules official intercepted Johnson, put his hand on his shoulder, and informed him of some bad news: There was a problem with his shot out of the rough. Here, check the video:

Seems that there was a concern on the PGA's part that Johnson had actually been standing in a bunker when he hit that second shot, and prior to hitting it, he'd grounded his club -- which is a two-stroke penalty.

Following a lengthy, agonizing review in the clubhouse, the PGA rendered its decision: Johnson had indeed violated the rules by grounding his club, and his 5 on the scorecard was changed to a 7. Just like that, he went from standing over a putt to win a major to being sent home while others played on in the fast-setting Wisconsin sun. 

It was an excruciating ruling, made so much worse by so many extenuating factors:

• The area Johnson was hitting from was as scrubby as an abandoned beach. There was sand there, yes, but there was also straw and the footprints of thousands of spectators.

• Speaking of the gallery -- in most tournaments, the gallery isn't permitted to stand in sand traps. Yet here they were, trampling down the edges of this and hundreds of other bunkers well outside the range of play.

• The purpose of the grounding rule is to prevent players from testing the consistency of the ground they're about to hit through. Johnson's grounding was more force of habit than test; no advantage was gained by the tiny scrape he put in the sand.

• There was apparently a PGA official walking with Johnson, according to several observers. It's not required for officials to remind players that they're in bunkers, but it would have been the polite thing to do ... if the official believed that was a bunker, that is.

• Johnson and his caddy apparently failed to even consider the possibility that they might be in a bunker, an oversight on their part that can't be rationalized away by blaming the PGA. 

Bottom line, though, the PGA determined that Johnson had been in a bunker and he had indeed broken the rules. Like it or not, rules govern the game of golf. As Mark Wilson of the PGA's rules committee told CBS after the decision was rendered, "The No. 1 item on the local rules sheet [which all players and caddies receive] was that all of the areas of the course designed as bunkers would be played as bunkers. ... Although some of those areas outside the ropes may have changed from what a tour player might expect [to see in a bunker] ... Dustin, in this position, just didn't recognize that fact." 

For his part, Johnson appeared shell-shocked. "Walking up there, it never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap," he said afterward. "The only worse thing that could have happened was if I made that putt [to win]."

He's right. Had he done that, this rules violation would have supplanted Roberto De Vicenzo's 1968 Masters mistake as the all-time worst. In that Masters, De Vicenzo's playing partner gave him an incorrect score on the 17th, and De Vicenzo didn't check the scorecard before signing it. Just as in this instance, the penalty knocked De Vicenzo out of a playoff; he responded with the immortal line, "What a stupid I am."

The PGA will take all kinds of heat for this ruling, with good reason -- the spirit of the rule and the letter are two different things entirely, and while Johnson violated the latter, he didn't violate the former. Following the rules -- or, put another way, grasping them the way a drowning man clutches at a life preserver -- is, to the letter of the law, the correct thing to do. There's nothing that can be done for Johnson now, but the PGA ought to look much more closely at the practical effects of its own rules, particularly the local ones that shift with each tournament venue.

Golf has enough problems with exclusion. Rules like the one that cost Johnson a shot at a major are designed to exclude, not include, and that is against the true spirit of golf.

Related stories on Devil Ball

Martin Kaymer stays steady in PGA Championship insanity
Not even a double-bogey can keep Bubba Watson down
Phil Mickelson charges on Sunday, but still not enough
Obsessed: A report on everything Tiger Woods

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So Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods won't figure in the finals of the PGA Championship. So what? At one point, there were six players within one shot of the lead, making this easily the best major of the year and one of the best, competition-wise, in recent memory.

One of the better potential playoff throwdowns would have to be between Bubba Watson and Steve Elkington. These two have history, you see. As Waggle Room noted, back at the 2008 Zurich Classic, Watson accused Elkington of playing mind games with him by wandering around during Watson's shots, leading to this. Listen very closely:

Man, I'm liking Bubba Watson more every time I see him.

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Here's a story you definitely don't want to show your significant other when you're getting set to go out for a day on the links. Leading off the final day of the PGA Championship, Jeff Overton cranked his way around Whistling Straits Sunday morning in a time of two hours, nine minutes.

Two hours! Shoot, Sergio Garcia and Ben Crane spend that much time setting up over the ball for their rounds! The mark set a new PGA Tour record, besting by one minute the pace set by the immortal Phil Blackmaar at Crooked Stick in 1991.

And if Overton had played a little better, he might have even cut a few more minutes off that mark. He shot a 79, but hey -- at least he did it quickly. (Overton was playing first and alone because Ian Poulter had to withdraw from the PGA Championship because of illness.)

So in an era where five-hour rounds are considered the norm, we salute you, Mr. Overton ... salute you as you run past.

Confession time. I was doing a radio interview just before the PGA Championship started. The hosts led off with three straight Tiger Woods questions, then apologized for doing so.

"No apologies necessary," I replied. "People want to hear about Tiger Woods. I mean, it's not like there's this huge group of people clamoring for more info on, say, Nick Watney."

Whoops.

Watney is doing his level best to make sure that everyone hears more about him, leading after Day 3 of the PGA Championship by three strokes. He was on target almost all day long, turning in a -6 performance that tied for the second-best day on the course after Wen-Chong Liang's record-breaking 64. He sits three strokes up on Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy.

After the round, Watney was all standard-issue cliches about Sunday being a long day and teeing it up and playing them one at a time and only controlling what he can do and all that, but you know what? The dude's rolling. He can afford to fall back on some easy answers.

Sunday will be a whole different affair, with plenty of players clearly able to make a run. As we saw at the U.S. Open, a three-shot lead can vanish in an instant. But as we saw at the British, a lead can stand up for an entire day all the way through to the trophy ceremony, too. 

So, good on ya so far, Nick. I promise never to use your name for a cheap joke again. I've got Heath Slocum for that. 

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Admit it. If you were paying attention to the PGA Championship on Saturday, you felt a familiar feeling as a rather well-known figure began making his charge up the leaderboard. If you're a Tiger Woods fan, you loved it; if you've always loathed Tiger, you hated it; and if you're one of those who can't separate his on-course play from his off-course actions, well, you were probably spitting mad.

Woods played respectable golf in his first round, carding a 1-under 71. He faltered early in his second round, and for a brief moment it appeared he would be in danger of nearing the cut line. But on his Round 2 back 9, he finished with three birdies over the final nine holes, and entered the clubhouse early Saturday afternoon (remember, the fog delayed his round) just a handful of strokes behind the leaders. Would he be prepping for the inevitable charge?

Well, no. Woods stumbled badly in his next nine holes, going +3 to erase all the gains he'd made to that point. And then, just as it looked like he was headed to a Bridgestone-style implosion, he turned it around, wrapping his third round with four birdies against one bogey.  He finished the round even par and -3 on the weekend overall.

Not terrible. That's the best we can say. And these days, Tiger will take whatever good news on the course he can get. 

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Earlier this year, Tom Lehman won the Senior PGA Championship. Playing Saturday with the young whippersnappers of the PGA Tour, he unveiled a little trickery of his own: a four-iron for an ace on the 217-yard, par-3 17th:

Sweetness. If he could do that on every hole, he'd win this thing going away.

Did you miss a day of golf goodness here at Devil Ball? No sweat, we've got you covered. (Just don't let it happen again.) Here's what was shaking this past week around these parts:

• Fight! Fight! Jim Gray and Corey Pavin squared off in a fight over -- who else? -- Tiger Woods. 

• Speaking of Tiger, as everyone always is, he may be auditioning a new swing coach,  but he's got some work to do if he wants to make the Ryder Cup team outright.

• Oh, and as for his foil Phil Mickelson? He's not No. 1 yet, but that's not such a big deal after all. Really.

• A familiar face provided one more bit of drama, as Jack Nicklaus drilled a hundred-foot putt in a charity game.

• Prepping for the PGA Championship, we spoke with 2002 champion and Tiger-outrunner Rich Beem.

• Videos aplenty, as Keith Ohr nearly fell into a ravine and Sergio Garcia beat a bunker into submission.

Thanks for hanging with us. See you here later today ... and tomorrow ... and the next day ...