Fighting the tedium of victory

Tiger won another major. It's almost as though they don't need to play these things anymore. Just give the trophy to Mr. Woods.

Except that this one was interesting.

The 108th US Open should have ended yesterday, but Tiger and Rocco Mediate shared a score at the end of the day. So they met this morning for another go around the field. Lo and behold, another 18 holes later: still tied. Mediate finally yielded after the first sudden death hole, and Tiger was hoisting that gleaming cup just a few minutes later. I admit, I was rooting for the other guy. I had several reasons:

1. Rooting against Tiger is a family tradition
2. I really wanted the US Open to be won by a guy named Rocco
3. Had he won, Mediate would have been the oldest guy to ever win the US Open (have to root for the geezer since my husband and I just had our first child at nearly 47 and 37, respectively)
4. Had Mediate won he also would have been the first guy to beat Tiger when Woods came into the Final in the lead
   

Having said all that, Tiger was greeted by his almost one year old daughter, Sam, before accepting the trophy, and that little girl is absolutely gorgeous. She was dressed in finals red, just like her dad.

If you harbor fantasies of winning a tournament yourself, reserve a spot in The Bud Traynor Classic. It's being played on July 21st at Bethpage - home of the 2002 and 2009 US Open. Click here for a peak at last year's event.

Brendan watching his first Major (he slept through The Masters)

The eternal power of fans and foes

I don't know how I missed this one last Thursday, but it explains a lot. (Click the title to read the full article)

Tiger Woods Reveals He Is Zach Johnson

For those that don't know, to say my father was not a fan of Tiger is an understatement (there was an incident involving a boulder moved by spectators that my dad never got over. I won't go into it). Ever since my dad passed away, Tiger's career has been uncharacteristically inconsistent. We Traynors are convinced it's my dad's heavenly intervention.

It's fact - Tiger's wins usually coincide with other earthly events that would compete for Bud's attention. For example, Tiger won the British Open last year the same week we held the Fourth Annual Bud Traynor Classic at Bethpage. Bud was too busy focusing on the weather patterns above the Red Course to be diverted by Tiger. Naturally, Tiger took first place at St. Andrews.

So I admit I was a little hurt when Tiger didn't win the masters last week. Doesn't my dad care at all about my recovery?! He's focused on making sure Tiger doesn't get a green jacket when I am sitting around recovering from brain surgery? Really? I envisioned a future fraught with expensive therapy sessions.

But now I see what happened. Thanks, dad. Feeling better already.

Congratulations, Zach!

31 year old Zach Johnson won the Masters today at 1 over par (tied for the highest winning score in the history of the tournament).

My favorite 2007 Masters moments:

1. When Tiger (not realizing he was on camera?) screamed at his caddy for misreading the wind and calling the wrong club on 17. This very well may have cost Tiger the green jacket.


2. When Zach Johnson, in response to a question about how having a baby in January had changed him, responded with with no guile whatsoever that it had given him a new appreciation for women and mothers. I wish Hootie had not yet retired simply so he could have heard that statement uttered in the hallowed halls of Augusta first hand. I'm sure it wasn't lost on Billy Payne.