Two of the Golf Boys gave an impromptu performance today during the third round of the Phoenix Open. Ben Crane even donned the helmet. Great stuff.

The Tour seriously needs more excitement like that generated on the 16th in Phoenix.

I’d guess that there’s potential at every tour stop. The Colonial’s par 3 thirteenth, for example, had that sort of vibe—to a much lesser degree of course, but it was there: lots of food and drink, side bets going on, etc.

Phil Mickelson has initiated a lawsuit against a Canadian Internet Service Provider to find the identity of an internet troll who has been making defamatory comments. From Fox News:

Phil Mickelson filed a lawsuit against an Internet service provider in Canada to learn the identity of a person who has been posting “vexatious statements” that the four-time major champion says is a deliberate attack on his reputation.
“I’m all for freedom of speech, but I won’t tolerate defamation,” Mickelson said Thursday after his opening round in the Phoenix Open.

The person or persons involved apparently have said that Mickelson’s wife had an affair and the he has fathered a child out of wedlock.

That’s not good. But it leads me to wonder about how the law works in Canada. Assuming Mickelson does obtain the name of the troll, what then? I’m no lawyer, but in the US, it seems to be fairly difficult for a public figure to obtain satisfaction. As I understand it, actual malice has to be proven. And while making such accusations may seem obviously malicious, it surely will be difficult to prove what’s in a person’s mind. The defense could argue that the suspect believed it to be true. And who is to say otherwise?

Good luck to Phil, though.

When I turned on the Golf Channel this afternoon to watch the Phoenix Open, one of the first things I heard was that the round likely would need to finish on Friday. That’s because play was delayed for an hour in the morning due to frost.

Nonetheless, Ryan Palmer leads with a -7 64, and Webb Simpson is a stroke behind. The leaderboard shows that Bubba Watson, Spencer Levin and Jason Duffner still have a chance to get into the lead. Watson and Levin are at -5 after 15, and Duffner is at -4 through 13. Bo Van Pelt also is still on the course at -4 through 14. Finally, Seung-Yul Noh is at -4 through 12.

I’d really hate to be one of the guys who has to sit around all night and think about finishing the round in the am, and then turn around and play again later that morning.

Bubba Watson has released a new video of his drive to the course in the General Lee, which he recently purchased.

Here are the television times for the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Thursday and Friday
GOLF - 4 pm

Saturday and Sunday
GOLF/CBS - 1/3 pm

This weeks’ PGA Tour stop, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, has what looks like a fun lineup. Webb Simpson is the favorite (and why not?) at 14/1. He’s followed by last week’s winner, Brandt Snedeker (whom I’m surprised is still in the lineup) at 20/1. Martin Laird and Nick Watney are in at 22/1. Then there’s a big pile at 25/1, including Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Bill Haas.

Given the egalitarian state of the Tour these days, practically anyone could win this event. The one I’d most like to see win is Phil, of course. But—even taking into account the fact that he has been (rightfully) distracted by family issues—his short game and putting are off. Phil has always been wild off the tee, but has made up for it with his crazy good wedge play and putting. Without those ...

If you’re looking for a feel-good story this week, how about JB Holmes. He’s a two-time winner (2006, 2008), who is coming off brain surgery for structural defects on the cerebellum called Chiari malformations. The initial surgery went well, but a month later doctors discovered he was allergic to an adhesive used in the titanium plate in his skull. He was airlifted from his home in Kentucky to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for another surgery. Holmes actually returned to the tour last week, where he missed the cut after opening with a 76. He recovered in the second round, though, with a 69.

Rickie Fowler may be the best bet overall, however. He was T13 last year, and in second alone in 2010.  He also shot a 62 on this course last year.

The complete odds for the Waste Management Phoenix Open are below, courtesy of Bovada, the world’s largest betting destination.

Phil didn’t have a good showing at this weekend’s Farmers Insurance Open, but it turns out he had more on his mind. Media reports say that his ten year old daughter Sophia was undergoing tests relating to a seizure she had experienced the previous week. Phil said “I just wasn’t able to focus.”

No kidding. How could he?

Sophia returned to school Friday and Phil improved with a 68.