I missed this over the weekend. Apparently Bob Tway hit four balls in the water and scored a 12 on the par 3 17.

Wow.

I can do that.

Several news organizations are reporting that the PGA Tour is considering moving the Tour Championship to September, and the Players Championship to May.

If adopted, the changes would occur when the new TV contract takes effect in 2007.

It’s not an attempt to shorten the season, though, according to PGA Tour Comissioner Tim Finchem.

Why, then?

Here’s my theory—although nothing I’ve read backs it up: Moving these events to May and September (from March and November) gives them a chance to stand alone in the spotlight.

In March, the eyes of the sports world are focused on college basketball.  In November, its College and Pro Football.

Even the Golf Blogger doesn’t watch golf in November. Not on Saturdays when either West Virginia and Michigan are on tv (and when isn’t Michigan on tv?). And on Sundays, I’m too busy watching my fantsy team scores to pay attention to golf.

Moving these events also might give guys like Tiger the chance to quit the season early. They can finish the Tour Championship, and then hang up their spikes for the year. The way it is now, they need to stay in playing shape until November.

The major downside of this is that the post-Tour Championship events become afterthoughts to the season—important only to those bottom tier players who are looking to keep their card, or to the few players who have the opportunity to win—and care about—the money title.

An article in the New York Times (registration required) explores the complex relationship between Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

In case you hadn’t noticed, three of the four just don’t like each other.

“Ernie gets along with everybody, and everybody gets along with Ernie,” Johnny Miller, the NBC broadcaster and a two-time major champion during the 1970’s, said Wednesday during a conference call. “With the other three, though, there is some stuff going on. I don’t think there is any love lost between those three.

The exception to all of this, the article says, is Ernie Els. Apparently everyone likes the Big Easy.

Steroids in golf. Well, probably not. But in golf, the long ball has become as important as it is in baseball

An article in SI dot Com talks about the new game of golf powerball: hit the ball as far as you can, then wedge it out of the rough and one putt for bridie. 

Ok. It’s not a major, but this weekend’s Players Championship is awfully close. With every one of the top 50 players, and 82 of the top 100, it’s the best field we’re going to see until the Masters’.

Even more important: the battle for number one continues. Either Woods or Singh could take the position with a win. Els could rise to number one with a victory, assuming that Vijay or Tiger finish no better than fourth.

There’s a much more complicated explanation here.