In the past few years golf’s major tournaments, and the Masters in particular, have grown exponentially in popularity amongst the population of sports gambling aficionados. US Masters odds are now a big deal, and Masters pools frequently ride the gambling wake left by March Madness – especially with those of us who won our bracket and have money to burn, or those of us who lost their shirt and are in search of some redemption.

So who is my pick? With all the hype surround Rory and Tiger’s recent return to form, I’m going with Phil Mickelson. This is Phil’s favorite tournament, and I for one am buying into his use of Callaway’s new “Phrakenwood.” This club is shorter than the standard for today’s modern drivers at 44.5 inches in length, yet contains a driver shaft. It also boasts a head similar in size and technology to a three wood, although it has 9 degrees of loft. It’s essentially a slightly shorter, smaller headed driver – or something of a 2-wood in Michelson’s hands. This should help Phil work the ball with ease, and generally keep the ball in play.

My thinking is simple – if Phil has a great week off the tee, he’s going to be very tough to beat. Just one man’s opinion.

If you want in on the action, Paddy Power golf betting is just one destination where you can hedge your bets. Go Phil!

With a barrage of reports that Rory McIlroy will soon sign a 10-year, $200 million equipment and apparel deal with Nike – coupled with McIlroy’s own admission that he’s been tinkering with new clubs – the transition for McIlroy from Titleist to Nike now seems imminent. “I’m a Titleist player until the end of the year, and I’ve made no commitment to any company for next year,” said McIlroy. “I have a process that we are working through and you’ll probably hear more about it in the next few weeks.”

While the reported move has already drawn criticism from the likes of Nick Faldo, I for one have no issue with the move. It’s easy to share Faldo’s opinion when you don’t have a $200 million contract in front of you, but I’d imagine it’s damn near impossible to turn down that kind of guaranteed money. Faldo’s opinion is based largely on the notion that any change in equipment will initially lead to you having less trust in your clubs, which can in turn shake your confidence when  you’re not sure if it’s the Indian or the arrow leading to errant shots. While I see Faldo’s point, I think Rory has picked the perfect time of year to experiment with new clubs. Couple that with the fact that all of the major equipment manufacturers make awesome stuff, and I think Rory has nothing to worry about. On top of this, Nike is reportedly bringing in one of Cleveland/Srixon’s former top designers exclusively to match Rory with the equipment that works best for him, much like they did when they lured Tom Stites away from Titleist and made him Nike Golf’s Chief of Design (essentially to work with Tiger Woods). Rory will also continue to play equipment with same shafts that he has been using, a key to consistent shot-making.

All of this aside, I stand by the notion that if you’re that good at golf, you can play with a wooden spoon. Give Rory a set of ladies clubs and he’ll shoot a 65 on your home course with ease.

With the switch now seemingly imminent, one interesting by-product of the move is that Tiger Woods is no longer Nike’s highest paid golfer. Will the man who essentially built Nike’s golf division on his back now play second fiddle? Far from it. While Rory is the world’s current #1 player and their highest paid golfer, Rory is no match for what Tiger does for the Nike brand. No athlete in history has ever touched Tiger’s marketability – his ability to reach what has long been a historically Caucasian market, coupled with the Asian market and the African-American market is unmatched. He’s brought more people to the game who otherwise may never have found it than any player ever will. Rory’s a white kid from Ireland, and no matter how good he becomes, he’ll never be as valuable to Nike as Tiger.

That said, you have to credit Nike for  a brilliant business move. Nike knows Tiger as well as anybody, and they clearly believe that he has plenty of golf left in him. By bringing Rory onboard they’ve further fueled the growing Woods-McIlroy rivalry. As the golf world drools over Woods-McIlroy showdowns that you know will happen for years to come, both men will be donning the Nike Swoosh. The best golf ever played may very well be in front of us, and Nike is positioning itself as the gold standard of the game.

In signing Rory, Nike is also stepping pretty solidly on Titleist’s neck. Long considered arguably the best equipment company in the game, Nike has used it’s seemingly endless resources to squash the competition. While I’m something of a golf traditionalist and yearn for the days of the best players hitting MacGregors and Wilson Staffs, I’m aware that that will never happen again. I’ll never root for any corporate takeover, but you have to admit Nike is pulling all the right strings in their golf division.

Tiger will always be the man at Nike, but the new kid will certainly position them as golf’s premier equipment company well into the future.

The 2012 Ryder Cup is in the books, and all of the stereotypes have seemingly come true – the Euros were gutsier, seemed to want it more, and made the putts when they had to. There’s little the US team can do except shake their heads, lay low during silly season, and get their games in order for the 2013 Masters. While nearly every player on the European squad stepped it up in the Sunday singles, here are the players that proved to be the X factor for the European team.

1) Martin Kaymer – Most people will call me crazy, but if you make a 5-foot putt that essentially decides the Ryder Cup then you’re my Ryder Cup hero #1A. Kaymer’s deciding putt was dead center after Steve Stricker forced him to make it, with only Tiger Woods and his 1-up lead over Francesco Molinari left on the course. If Kaymer had missed, the Cup in all likelihood would have been won by Woods in the final pairing – good enough for me. Few players have ever had a putt under that much pressure, and Kaymer proved to be up to the task.

2) Ian Poulter – Ian Poulter put up one of the finest performances in the history of the Ryder Cup, no doubt. Going a perfect 4-0, Poulter’s performance was as cold blooded as could be. He’s an easy villain, but you have to give it up for his performance between the ropes. No matter how you cut it, this guy is an all-time Ryder Cupper - now owning a 12-3 career record. But God is he annoying.

3) Justin Rose - The putts that Justin Rose holed on 16, 17, and 18 allowed him to eek out an improbable win over Phil Mickelson after finding himself 1-down with 3 to play. The definition of clutch on all three holes, Phil could do little but applaud as Rose would not be denied. Without this crucial birdie-birdie finish, the Cup resides in US hands. As one of two Europeans to tee it up in every single event, Rose finished 3-2-0 for the week.

Honorable Mention: Luke Donald - Luke Donald went 2-2-0 for the week, but he gets the honorable mention nod for setting the pace on Sunday. As the first match out on the course for the Euros, Donald was able to get up on Bubba Watson early, establishing some much-needed momentum. His final round was pretty close to flawless, featuring 6 birdies in 17 holes.

You got to hand it to the Euros – they went out there and did what they needed to do to seize this thing.

Phil Mickelson is in every sense a Ryder Cup veteran – when he tees it up at Medinah later this week he’ll be making his 9th Ryder Cup appearance. Unfortunately for the US, despite Phil’s talents and aggressive style of play he has a lousy Ryder Cup record of just 11-17-6. He’s performed particularly poorly in the team events (7-13-6) and is batting just .500 in singles. So is there reason to believe that this year will be different? I think so. Here are my 5 reasons why Phil will tear up Medinah and the Euros.

1) Phil is hot at the moment – Almost every Ryder Cup captain likes to go with the hot hand, and Phil is certainly hot at the moment. After a relatively poor season in which Phil won only a single tournament, he turned it on during the FedEx Cup playoffs (finishing 5th overall). Mickelson shot 7 consecutive rounds of 68 or lower throughout the Deutsche Bank and BMW Championships, en route to finishes of T4 and T2 respectively. During this streak Mickelson earned over $1 million – he’s clearly returned to form just in time.

2) The crowd is in his corner – Phil is, without a doubt, the US player that the fans will get behind the most. In major events (see the 2002 US Open, for example) the crowd has literally carried Phil around the course. He’ll feed off of this energy, and his opponents will have to deal with the noise and the cheers every time Phil pulls out one of his tricks.

3) He’s a different player now – Phil’s career record in the Ryder Cup is indicative of a player who has a hard time dealing with the extreme pressure cooker that is the Ryder Cup. We saw this with Phil, a lot, earlier in his career with regards to major championships as well. Phil has since shaken the major monkey, and it’s done a ton for his confidence and his ability to perform under the most intense pressure. I’d expect this to be his Ryder Cup coming out party, much like the 2004 Masters was for Phil in the majors.

4) Medinah’s length – At 7,658 yards, Medinah is going to be playing long. Like way long. Phil can bomb it with the best of them, and his high ballflight will help him stop the ball near the hole more effectively than many of the other players – especially the Euros who are used to playing in the wind. There’s a reason Phil excels at Augusta and stinks at the British Open.

5) His core competencies – When you think about Phil’s countless talents, the ability to bomb in is certainly one. But Phil’s long game hasn’t been so hot this year. He’s 101st in greens in regulation, and 166th in driving accuracy. This certainly is in line with the stereotype of Phil being a player who sprays it all over the place, then scrambles to recover. But there are two statistics that stand out to me – Phil is 7th on tour in strokes gained putting, and 6th on tour in birdie average. Birdies win matches, and if Phil is able to get the putter going at all he’ll make them in bunches.

Now the question is if Phil has a 10-footer to win the Cup, will he drain it? I wonder how his ups are compared to 2004…

The 2012 Ryder Cup is set to begin September 28th at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. The big names and the usual Ryder Cup suspects will all be there – Rory, Tiger, Phil, Sergio – you get the idea. But as a team competition, this sure isn’t just McIlroy versus Woods (although that sure would be fun to watch in singles). It may very well be one of the lessor known players who tips the scale in his team’s favor.

As I thought about putting together my initial Ryder Cup predictions, I couldn’t help but notice the strength of the European team. It’s a pretty bulletproof group, although I’m shocked that Padraig Harrington didn’t make the cut. By most accounts that was due to a personality conflict with European  captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Regardless, my initial inkling was “big win for the Euros.” I’ve since back-pedaled on that stance, in large part due to the course – Medinah is certainly “American style golf” and at 7,658 yards it’s an absolute beast in terms of length. With four par 5s, the course certainly plays into the Americans’ hands. While I’m still picking the Euros to win, I think it will be closer than expected – and I think it may very well come down to one of the lessor known players acting as the “X” factor. Here are four guys that I wouldn’t be surprised to see make the difference.

For Team USA:

Keegan Bradley – Averaging 302.5 yards per drive off the tee on the PGA tour, Keegan Bradley has the length to tame Medinah. Normally I’d discount a 26-year-old Ryder Cup Rookie, but given that Bradley has proven he can handle major championship pressure (he won the 2011 PGA Championship), I’m reading that as guts of steel and the ignorance of youth. Nothing like reppin’ Vermont on an international stage.

Webb Simpson – Webb Simpson has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world – he’s currently 8th in the Official World Golf Rankings. He’s won 3 times, including a major, and he’s only 27 years old. He’s also a pretty amazing putter, currently ranking 6th in putting on the PGA Tour. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a match-winning putt come off his blade.

For the Europeans:

Nicolas Colsaerts – I recently wrote about Colsaerts as one of the 5 European players I’d like to see play more on the PGA Tour. The man is crazy long, currently leading the Euro tour with an average drive of 317.7 yards. He’s easily the European best equipped to deal with Medinah’s length. Colsaerts has also proven to be a great match play player, capturing the 2012 Volvo World Match Play title on the Euro Tour.

Perhaps more importantly, Colasaerts is a rare Belgian golfer. The only thing the Euros care about more than representing their continent is representing their home country, and Nicolas has a rare opportunity to do that for Belgium.

Martin Kaymer – Martin Kaymer may be the single golfer that the more I watch, the more I’m impressed by him. He’s been a dominant player on the Euro Tour, winning 10 times since 2008. He’s also shown proficiency in match play, finishing 2nd in the 2011 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. His game is all around rock solid.

With the international golf scene as competitive as ever and new-found rivalries forming at the top of the World Golf Rankings, this year’s Ryder Cup should provide plenty of fireworks. Just don’t be surprised if it’s one of these lesser known players setting them off.

While golf fans everywhere have yearned for a rival for Tiger Woods, the reality is that Tiger has long been a golfer without a true peer. As the landscape of Woods’ life and golf game has changed, it appears that this may as well. So while we continue to watch Tiger challenge Rory McIlroy throughout this year’s Fed Ex Cup, let’s reflect on the players who have mounted the biggest challenge to Tiger’s supremacy.

1) Rory McIlroy – Tiger Woods is smart enough to know that Rory McIlroy is different. He’s seen a lot of up and coming “young guns” come up hot only to flame out, but in Rory he sees more of… himself. He sees an uber-talented kid winning majors in his early twenties. He sees that he’s similarly unflappable. He sees that he’s almost untouchable at the moment. But most importantly, he sees that he has that sixth gear that only the greats possess and that he wants it. He wants in that bad.

But while Rory only has two major victories in his young career, both were by a Woods-like 8 shots. I’m not here to say that Woods and McIlroy will go on to hold a similar place in golf history – I don’t think they will – but I’m here to say that Rory is better than Tiger right now, and Tiger knows it. Tiger will, 100% bounce back from whatever you want to call the lull he’s in right now to challenge Rory for what has so long been his – the title of the best player in the world. And that, I’m hoping, will provide the rivalry we’ve all been waiting for for so long – and perhaps the best golf ever played. I for one think that’s a likely reality, and can’t imagine what would be more fun to watch happen to this sport.

2) Ernie Els - Soon after Tiger Woods said “Hello, world” and announced that he’d be turning pro and signing an endorsement deal with Nike, Ernie Els captured his second US Open championship. He was a known, established commodity in the golf world and as Tiger came up Els was one of the giants of the game he’d have to dethrone. 15 years later Ernie has managed to capture 2 additional majors, but he’s also racked up 15 additional top 3 finishes in majors. In 2000, Woods best season as a pro, Els came in second place in the Masters, the US Open, and the Open Championship.

Els has also been famously forthcoming about all things Woods, often offering up opinions on Tiger’s game, supremacy compared to other players, and even his off course issues.  Els would manage to play at Tiger’s level at times as well, with the 3-hole playoff for the 2003 President’s Cup being perhaps the best display of clutch putting I’ve ever seen. All of that said, I don’t think Tiger ever felt much of a threat from Els. My guess would be that Tiger holds a deep respect for all aspects of Els’ game, but has few doubts about his ability to beat him head to head.

3) Vijay Singh – Vijay Singh’s rivalry with Tiger Woods really blossomed in 2003, then matured throughout the 2004 season. In ’04 Singh would win 9 tournaments, including the PGA Championship, before overtaking Tiger Woods for #1 in the Official World Golf Rankings – a spot Woods had held for 264 consecutive weeks. He was also named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. While it’s undeniable that Vijay wasn’t derailed that much by Woods in the majors (despite his 3 major victories he only had 5 top 3 finishes), his 2004 season was the only instance of true Woods-like dominance in the midst of the Woods era, with the possible exception being Padraig Harrington’s 2008 campaign.

4) Phil Mickelson – In Hank Haney’s book The Big Miss he dishes on Woods’ views of Mickelson stating, “Most of it is that Mickelson possesses the kind of talent that has made him a legitimate threat to Tiger’s supremacy. Phil’s popularity with fans and gentle treatment from the media add to Tiger’s annoyance. For years, Tiger reveled in the idea that Mickelson had trouble playing in his presence.” And while there’s no doubt that to this point Phil Mickelson has been considered Tiger’s biggest rival, the rivalry most certainly has not lived up to the hype.

Truthfully, Phil hasn’t had much more luck than Ernie against Tiger. He’s managed to win 4 majors, be he also has 18 top 3 finishes. A closer examination of their records suggests that Ernie lost as Tiger’s hands more often than Phil did – in fact Phil has only been runner-up to Tiger in a major once. I think Tiger’s perspective on Mickelson is more based in his recognition of Phil’s talent than a true respect for him game. He roars at the opportunity to step on this dimwit.

5) Honorable (or pityable?) mention - Chris Dimarco. You’ve got to feel bad for the man. He finished runner-up to Woods in a major twice, as well as once in a World Golf Championship event. And his performances were all pure grit – he absolutely pushed Woods as much as anybody. As of now, he looks set to retire with 3 wins on the PGA tour and certainly no spot in history. Without Woods’ interference, he could be mentioned in the same breath as other players with multiple majors.

Will Rory or Woods spend more of the next 5 years ranked #1 in the world? How many majors will Rory end his career with? Will this rivalry even continue to play out? Let’s just say I’m optimistic, and it should be a hell of a lot of fun to watch unfold.

A Belgian, a South African, a German, a Spaniard, and a Dane walk into a bar. Whaddya got? Just another week in the clubhouse pub at the most recent European Tour stop. In all seriousness though, the group below are all ranked in the top 90 in the Official World Golf Rankings, are all proven winners, and all have bank accounts worthy of your envy.

The Euro Tour is often forgotten by those of us stateside, who tend to care very little about any tournament unless Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, or Rory McIlroy is in contention. But to me, the Euro Tour is about as sexy as it comes. What could be cooler than running around Europe, with a bunch of Europeans, playing golf? Not a whole lot. While the PGA Tour has the flash and the prestige, we’ve seen several “unknown” major champions come from the Euro Tour as of late – Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen immediately come to mind. You may surprised to see these guys winning majors, but I can assure you their peers are not. The Euro Tour prepares professional golfers exceptionally well, with the players having to deal with less manicured courses and brutal travel schedules just to eek out their millions. Don’t be surprised if the names below pop up and win a big one soon – I for one would like to see each of them play a bit more here on this side of the pond.

1) Nicolas Colsaerts – A rare Belgian golfer, Colsaerts is currently 8th in the Race to Dubai (the European Tour’s money list) and is ranked 33rd in the world. That’s right, 33rd. That’s higher than the likes of David Toms, Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen, just to name a few. He’s won twice on the Euro Tour thus far but is perhaps best known for his length – he’s averaging an absurd 316 yards off the tee this year. Best of all, the man loves to rave and considers house music among his most important hobbies.

2) Branden Grace – At 24 years old Branden Grace has already had a career nearly all young South African players could only dream of. A product of Ernie Els’ golf foundation, Grace’s game has already drawn compliments from Gary Player. Better yet, he’s already beaten countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen head to head (am I the only one wondering aloud if they let him win for the good of South African golf?). Branden is currently 11th in the Race to Dubai, and is just outside the top 50 players in the world coming in at number 51. Grace has won 3 times on the Euro Tour, with each of those victories coming this year.

3) Marcel Siem – A tall lanky German with a pony tail, Marcel Siem is not lacking in the personality department. He’s a veteran amongst this group, and has won twice on the Euro Tour. Siem also teamed up with Bernard Langer to win the World Cup of Golf in Barbados in 2006. He’s currently 13th in the Race to Dubai and 60th in the world.

4) Rafa Cabrera-Bello – A Spaniard who is 45th in the world, Cabrera-Bello has won twice on the Euro Tour. One of those victories came this year at the prestigious Dubai Desert Classic.  After taking up the game at 6 years old, Rafa would go on to win the Spanish National Championship in the under-7 age bracket. He’d continue to win the same title each year all the way through the under-18 age bracket. His sister also competes on the Ladies European Tour.

5) Thorbjorn Olesen – Thorbjorn is a 23-year-old Dane, whose golfing idol is more-known fellow countryman Soren Hanson. This kid has one Euro Tour win under his belt, and is currently 85th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Better yet, he’s still improving – Olesen improved his game in almost every statistical category from 2011 to 2012 including dropping his stroke average by over a full stroke per round. With Thomas Bjorn getting up there in age, Danish golf needs a new king – why not Thorbjorn? His name is very much a combination of Thomas Bjorn’s anyways…

Keep an eye on these guys – you may just see them on a leader board soon. You can also catch Colsaerts in the upcoming Ryder Cup, as he was just asked by captain Jose Maria Olazabal with a captain’s pick.

All statistics courtesy of http://www.europeantour.com/.

Most golf fans will remember that several years back some yahoo named Martha Burke set out to ruin The Masters by protesting the fact that the club did not have any female members. Yet as soon as soon as the tournament began, poor old Martha was sent to a small patch of grass away from the action, where she was eventually forgotten (by most). To be honest, it was reminiscent in many ways to the occupy Boston protesters that I watched outside my office window this past fall (until it got too cold for them). Mike Weir won the green jacket that year in a fantastic tournament, which remains my enduring memory from 2003.

Now I know that sounds very harsh, and all the female golf fans out there are about to send me a slew of hateful  comments calling me the next Hootie Johnson. Frankly, I think it’s a good thing that Augusta finally accepted their first female members – Secretary or State Condeleezza Rice and Financier Darla Moore. There’s no doubt that golf’s female fan base is growing, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve gotten by butt whipped, handily, playing against women on several occasions. It makes good logical sense, and I’m happy for both women and the game of golf – there’s no doubt the Augusta plays a special role in the game’s storied history.

My issue and reason for writing this article is simple – no, Augusta should not be scorned for not allowing women members. They’re a private club, and frankly they can do whatever they hell they want. I don’t care if you’re male, female, blue, green, or an opossum – Augusta is one hell of an exclusive club and always will be. But the segregation! The discrimination! Please. Let me tell you who Augusta is discriminating against – you, me, and everyone else who wants to play there. Am I about to make a picket sign and stand out there protesting until they let me in? Far from it.

This is just one recent episode of a much larger social issue, one that embodies itself in many different ways across this country. We saw it recently with Chik-fil-a as well. I’m 100% in favor of gay marriage, the president of Chik-fil-a is not – people have differing opinions, and that’s what makes horse races. But what we need to understand is that when it comes to private golf clubs or chicken sandwiches, it simply isn’t that important. It’s bad business sense – I doubt very many gay couples are running out for chicken sandwiches and I’m sure many women aren’t buying tickets to the Masters. But that’s all it is – your opinion, whether it’s more nonrestrictive or not, is merely your own opinion. When these issues truly matter are when it comes to important freedoms – think voting rights, medical care, your ability to serve in the military. So America, listen to me – pick your battles, homie.

Still not convinced? I don’t know many women who would want a boy in their daughter’s girl scout troop. How about bathrooms? They don’t allow women in the men’s room… make a sign! Get out there! Hope you enjoy the guy in the stall next to you after that you scarf down that bacon-egg-and-cheese and too much coffee.

Whether or not g-o-l-f stands for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden” is up for debate – I rest in the this is an urban myth camp – but it’s certainly a good thing that Augusta’s taken its first shot of estrogen. Have you seen the new Footjoys in the pro shop? They’re super cute!

Historic. Dominating. Superlative. Brilliant. Those are merely feeble attempts to come up with a word that truly describes how good Rory McIlroy was yesterday. In winning the PGA Championship by 8 shots, Rory became the PGA Championship’s second youngest winner, but more impressively, he won by the largest margin of victory ever. At 23 years old, Rory joins the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only 23 year olds ever to capture the PGA Championship. That’s pretty decent company, no?

Seriously though, Rory’s final round 66 was arguably the best round of golf I’ve ever seen – the kid literally didn’t miss a shot. And make no mistake about it, Kiawah Island is a brutal course with trouble looming everywhere. McIlroy not only avoided all of the trouble, but he did so without showing anything resembling nerves – he was in total command the entire round. I recall Tiger’s 15 stroke victory at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, and while Rory didn’t win be 15, his final round was of that caliber. It may have even been better.

This kid’s the complete package – he bombs it, is flawless with his irons, great around the greens, and let’s just say he had 24 putts in his final 18 holes yesterday. Remarkable. Rory is simply proving what everyone has been saying all along – he has the 6th gear that the other players don’t. He’s got that freakish level of talent and the ability to go super low. Tiger is the only other player I’ve ever seen that out of. Color me impressed.

The win moves Rory to number one in the World Golf Rankings, and make no mistake about it, he’s the best player on the planet right now. That’s right, I said it – Rory McIlroy is a better golfer than Tiger Woods is right now. No doubt about it. And while Phil Mickelson has long been considered Tiger’s chief rival, I think it’s unquestionable that Rory will emerge as a much larger threat to Tiger in this second phase of his career. He’s got multiple majors already – both 8 shot victories – and at 23 years old, he’s got a real shot at being one of the greats. If Tiger regains his form, to see McIlroy and Woods go head to head when playing their best might be witnessing golf at the highest level it’s ever been played at.

Best of all, Rory seems like a an extremely likable champion. He seems as humble as could be for someone so talented, and he seemed genuinely giddy with joy following his performance yesterday. All those female golf fans that now hate Tiger’s guts? They’re going to love Rory. But perhaps more importantly, Rory’s performance yesterday will undoubtedly grab the attention of his peers. They all knew he was awesome already, but Rory just scared the heck out of his fellow touring pros. Remember how the rest of the guys used to look at Tiger? Rory just put the tour on notice – you know you can’t beat him when he’s at his best, and he knows it as well.

The 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham should not be remembered for an Adam Scott breakdown, but rather for one of golf’s great champions resurfacing to further cement his already undeniable legacy.

There’s no doubt that Adam Scott’s loss was heartbreaking. The guy played the best golf of anybody all week, and contrary to what the commentators on TV said, his loss was in no way comparable to Jean Van De Velde’s collapse at the 1999 British Open. For 14 holes Scott hit the ball conservatively but solidly, making a ton of easy pars although certainly not pushing the lead by any means. He started to show nerves on the final four holes, but ultimately Els should be given credit for applying an absurd amount of pressure. Had  Els not birdied the last forcing Scott’s hand, I think Scott would not have stumbled as he did.

Ultimately Adam Scott has to feel terrible, but there’s plenty of reason for him to hold his head high. His peers seemingly all worship his swing, expect him to win a major sooner rather than later, and his approach into the 18th green was as gutsy as they come. For all of those who will be throwing around “Adam Scott choked” comments, go ahead and imagine hitting that shot given the circumstance. I also think that Scott hit a good putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff, despite the putt curling left at the last moment.

The 2012 Open should not be remembered as the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot is – as much for Phil Mickelson losing it as Geoff Ogilvy winning it. Els played solidly all week, and to put together a round of 68 in the final round of a major with wind gusting up to 25mph on a course with 205 bunkers is remarkable. It serves as a kind reminder of the kind of golfer Ernie Els is – one of the most under-appreciated of my generation.

I was about 15 years old when I took my first golf lesson, and I vividly remember following an old leather-skinned pro into his office, absorbing the smell of hand-rolled cigars, and spending 5 minutes studying a swing sequence of Ernie Els tacked to the wall. I then proceeded to hit balls under the pro’s gaze, just one of thousands of students from beginners to PGA professionals who have sought to replicate Ernie’s positions and seemingly effortless tempo.

With all the hype given to Phil Mickelson as Tiger’s chief rival, it’s very difficult for many to remember that Ernie was really more of casualty of the Tiger Woods era than Phil ever was. Ernie now also equals Phil’s record in majors with 4 wins, becoming only the 6th player in history to capture 2 US Opens and 2 British Opens. He’s won 65 tournaments around the world, reached #1 in the World Ranking, Won the European Tour Order of Merit twice, and captured the World Match Play Championship a record 7 times. And unlike Mr. Woods, Ernie’s done it all while being by all accounts a great guy and a fantastic ambassador for the international game.

Ernie’s long been one of my favorite players, and when I reflect on his career visions of his gritty US Open victories in 1994 and 1997 first come to mind. His Open Championship at Muirfield in 2002 and now at Lytham in 2012 will also be career milestones. But perhaps more than anything else, I recall Ernie’s duel with Tiger at the 2003 President’s Cup in his home country of South Africa. It may have been clutch golf played at the highest level I’ve ever seen, with Ernie matching Tiger multiple times, drained putt for drained putt, enroute to a 17-17 tie.

Ernie is one of the best 3 or 4 players of my generation, and with an enormous frame and a swing that relies on its incredible arc and solid contact as opposed to fast hands, hip rotation, or fast twitch muscles, he has the potential to compete for a long time to come. I’m thrilled to see Ernie’s return to form and hope he’ll capture another major or two – preferably a Masters – so long as he leaves one or two for Adam Scott to claim.