Hopes in Michigan were high for the appearance of Greg Norman at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. It would have gone a long way to filling the hole left by Tiger Woods.

It won’t happen, though. Norman has officially said “no thanks.”

“While I truly appreciate the PGA extending me an exemption for this year’s PGA Championship, I have elected to decline in favor of adhering to the professional and personal commitments I made prior to the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale,” Norman said on his Web site, http://www.shark.com. “I wish the PGA and Oakland Hills all the very best for what I’m sure will be a great week for golf.”

In the most recent odds for the 2008 PGA Championship in Oakland Hills, Michigan, it looks as though Phil Mickelson is the favorite, at 9/1. Interestingly, Sergio Garcia is the next on the list at 14/1; I wonder what he’s done to make anyone think that’s a real possibility.  Anthony Kim—the latest anointed successor to Tiger also sits at 14/1. Ernie Els, who has shown some signs of life in the last two majors, is next at 18/1.

My favorite, Kenny Perry is a long way down the list, at 33/1.

Odds are read by looking at the second number first. So, a bet of 1 on Sergio pays 9.

Read the rest of the post to see the complete odds for the PGA Championship, provided courtesy of Bodoglife.Com, the world’s largest online sports betting destination.

The Franchise Babe: A Novel

by Dan Jenkins

Grade: A-
Teacher’s Comments: A cynical look at the LPGA, and mostly funny. It’s not Jenkins’ best work, but still is very good.

In The Franchise Babe, sporstwriter extraordinaire Dan Jenkins takes on the LPGA and its new crop of “lolitas”—the young girls who bring so much talent, and so much sex appeal to the Tour. It’s not as good as “Dead Solid Perfect,” but still worth reading.

The book’s protagonist is Jack Brannon, a cynical, politically incorrect, Texas-bred sports reporter. Weary of Tiger Mania and the “fat happy slugs” who are happy to play second fiddle, Brannon decides to spend a few weeks covering the other Tour—the LPGA. There, his attention is caught by Ginger Clayton—one of the lolitas—and even more by her mother, a stunningly attractive divorcee.

Brannon travels with the Claytons to several tour stops—the Firm Chick Classic, the Speedy Arrow Energy Bar Classic, and the never-to-be-forgotton Le Grand Cheval et Petit Chien Classique (known as the Dinah Shore before the commissioner sells out to a French company that specializes in horsemeat dog food). Along the way, Brannon falls further and further in with the Claytons until, at the end, he loses his objectivity entirely.

The Franchise Babe is a love story, a mystery, and a very funny sports satire. Jenkins pulls no punches in skewering players, agents, the LPGA Commissioner, golf executives, sportswriters, editors, pushy golf parents, the rich, corporate sponsors,golf course architects, fans, protesters, liberals and anyone else who happens to get in the way.

This is by no means Jenkins’ best work, but it is an enjoyable read. I really like Jenkins’ writing style, which features a lot of snappy dialogue and “insider” golf language. At 224 pages, I finished it in just under two hours.

I’ll happily recommend this book for everyone but the easily offended.

COBRA 08 M Speed LD Driver

The Cobra M Speed LD driver is designed for moderate swingers with a tendency to hit the ball off line in a face or slice. The large face with a milled dual rhombus face insert is designed to maximize distance on off center hits.  With the largest face on the market, the M Speed LD is forgiving, which, combined with extra-high launch and a draw bias design, provides increased distance.

BRIDGESTONE TreoSoft

The Bridgestone E6 has been one of my favorite balls over the last couple of years, so I was intrigued to see that Bridgestone has a new ball out: the TreoSoft.

The TreoSoft is designed for players with moderate swing speeds. Bridgestone says that it has a “gradational” core that offers distance and prevents it from ballooning in flight. It’s also got the seamless 330 dimple design.

I haven’t been able to find a press release on the ball so the specifics are a little fuzzy. It doesn’t say that it’s a three piece ball, but the name certainly suggests that (treo = three). On the other hand, if it was a three piecer, you’d think that they would brag about it.

Golf Chess Set

Ridiculous Golf Item Of The Week