By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where the next person who mentions Merion's wicker baskets risks being beaten with one of Merion's wicker baskets. Seriously, it was fun while it lasted, but all this attention might give other clubs ideas. What's next? Birdhouses on top of flagsticks? Car tires? Wicker chairs? Probably not, but if it ever happens, NBC and Jimmy Roberts will have a field day. In the meantime, here's what we're focusing on.

WE'RE BUYING

Justin Rose: A 32-year-old who was once a teen phenom breaking through to win his first major? Hmm. We think we've heard that one recently. . . There was a joke going around after the FedEx St. Jude Classic that the only English winner on the PGA Tour in 2013 was Harris English. Not anymore. What a performance by Rose at the U.S. Open, especially considering he'd never seriously contended down the stretch at a major before.

It was good to see Phil hasn't lost any of his hops. (Photo: Getty Images)

The U.S. Open: The course. The carnage. The NBC theme music. The star-studded leader board. The finish. Johnny Miller saying, "Chunk and run" every two minutes. Our favorite week of the year delivered in grand fashion.

Related: A collection of our favorite Johnny Millerisms

Jason Day: Who says Jack Nicklaus' major record is safe? Day is just 25 and seems on pace to challenge the Golden Bear's mark of 19 runner-ups with his latest T-2 at the U.S. Open. Add a third-place finish at Augusta already this year and the question must be asked: Why isn't this guy contending more in regular PGA Tour events?

Phil Mickelson: Let's focus on the positive. In the last two weeks, Phil has two T-2s that bookend him seeing his daughter, Amanda, graduate from middle school. Apparently, she even gave a speech at the ceremony in which she quoted Ron Burgundy from the movie "Anchorman". What a proud papa he must be! Yes, adding to his record of runner-ups at the U.S. Open stings, but obviously, you can't have this many close calls without being a great player. That being said. . .

WE'RE SELLING

Phil Mickelson: I thought I had our office pool wrapped up with Jason Dufner's Sunday run and Mickelson's Miracle-at-Merion holeout for eagle on No. 10 to take the lead. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Finishing runner-up is tough. I'll be thinking about that close call for awhile. What, you thought I was talking about Phil?

Steve Stricker: SHANKAPOTAMUS!!! Seriously, that train wreck was painful to watch. A U.S. course is tough enough, but under Sunday pressure, Stricker reminded us that even the world's best players are susceptible to weekend hacker moments. The shank OB on No. 2 virtually ended the 46-year-old's (last?) golden opportunity to win a first major. And he's already snuffed out his next chance by saying he won't play in next month's British Open. Disappointing.

Related: The shots that defined the U.S. Open

Players complaining: The rough is too thick. The hole placements are too tough. The par 3s are too long. Wah. Wah. Wah. Guys, the U.S. Open is one week out of the year. Is it difficult? Sure. But there's a difference between setting up a challenging course and an unfair one. Players who hit bad shots paid the price, but players who hit good shots were rewarded. And oh yeah, enough about what par is. Everyone played the same holes and added their scores up at the end of the day the same way: 281 won this tournament, not one over.

Tiger Woods:. When Tiger won his 14th major at Torrey Pines in 2008, what odds could you have gotten that he would go (at least) the next five years without winning another big one? 1,000 to 1? 10,000 to 1? Elbow injury or not, it's getting tough to explain Tiger's disappearing acts in golf's biggest events. Even tougher is explaining why he chipped and putted at Merion like a mid-handicapper. But never fear, Woods will still be made an overwhelming favorite for Muirfield by experts like us!

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship, aka that tournament they usually play after the U.S. Open. We have a lot of respect for Rose, who kept his commitment to playing this week instead of taking a vacation in the mountains of cash he earned himself with his first major championship. Actually, we have a lot of respect for anyone who competed in that grindfest teeing it up again so soon.

Random tournament fact: Tim Norris owns the best score in relation to par with a 25-under performance in 1982. He's so obscure we're not even sure Google has heard of him.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

The day before the tournament, I talked to Rose about mudballs as he signed autographs. When our chat was over -- he did a tremendous job multi-tasking -- I thanked him for his time, patted him on the shoulder and wished him good luck. Maybe I'm not such a jinx after all. . .

Starters -- (A-List): Jason Dufner: Did you see the ball-striking display this guy put on at Merion on Sunday?!

(B-List): Bo Van Pelt: BVP has finished in the top 25 at TPC River Highlands six of the past eight years.

(B-List): Fredrik Jacobson: The site of his lone PGA Tour win in 2011, the Swede finished T-8 in his title defense last year.

Related: The winners and losers from the U.S. Open at Merion

(C-List): Rickie Fowler: After a respectable showing at Merion, we think the time has come for Fowler to pick up that second PGA Tour title.

Bench -- Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman, Zach Johnson and Kevin Streelman.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In honor of Pinehurst, the site of next year's U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, we present this frisbee golf video the resort sent me. In it, Ken Climo, who is apparently the 'Jack Nicklaus of Disc Golf,' takes on the famed No. 2 course:

It also gives us a chance to link to this classic Seinfeld clip in which George Costanza chooses 'Frolf' over helping out Jerry.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- A player will hit a driver on one of TPC Highland's par 3s this week: 1,000-to-1 odds

-- Sergio Garcia will have nightmares about the Philly fans at Merion: 5-to-1 odds

-- Sergio Garcia will have nightmares about Merion's 15th hole: LOCK

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Unfortunately, we didn't cross paths with Paulina at Merion. We're guessing she's not a fan of walking around in the mud. But we do know that her and DJ are still an item thanks to this tweet photo of the two of them kissing their dog goodbye before heading off to Germany:

BAD JOKE ALERT: Apparently, DJ likes big dogs both on and off the course!

THIS AND THAT

Phil praised Merion, but ripped the USGA for the par-3 third playing 274 yards on Sunday. Phil, you played right into Mike Davis' head games! . . . Billy Horschel wore octopus pants on Sunday. Sorry, Mr. Style, but he looked ridiculous and Johnny Miller agreed. . . . It was not a good week for people being hit by stray golf balls. Luke Donald almost killed someone on Sunday and Golf Digest's own Max Adler was a victim of another wayward Sergio Garcia drive (above). Now that's going all out to get a story.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will Phil Mickelson ever win a U.S. Open?

Will Tiger Woods ever win another major?

Will any player ever wear octopus pants in a major again?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we've had that spectacular U.S. Open theme song in our heads for months. The Yanni-penned masterpiece, "In Celebration of Man," is so inspiring we're pretty sure Johnny Miller sets his alarm to wake up to it in the morning. Don't act like you've never hummed it to yourself when you've struck a solid shot on the course before. OK, so maybe that's just us. . . Still, you should do yourself a favor and give it a listen. NOW. And then come back, of course, to catch up on what is certainly one of the most exciting weeks of the golf year.

WE'RE BUYING

Harris English: The golfer with the movie star name broke through for his first PGA Tour win in Memphis thanks to a back-nine 32. Still 24, he seems destined to pile up a lot more titles. Then again, everyone was saying the same thing about Anthony Kim a few years ago. . .

Related: A collection of our favorite Johnny Millerisms

Phil Mickelson: Lefty skipped Memorial, but played in Memphis to tune up for Merion. Not only did he finish T-2, but he provided plenty of highlights, including nearly holing a pitching wedge from 172 yards (172 yards!!!) on Sunday. The window for winning a U.S. Open is starting to close on the man with the most runner-ups in event history, but it is still cracked open.

"Firm and fast"? Eh, not so much. . . (Photo by Getty Images)

Inbee Park: After her win at the Kraft Nabisco, we dubbed her "Winbee." And after winning another major, this time, the LPGA Championship, that nickname is even more appropriate. While Tiger Woods has generated talk of pulling off the professional grand slam in the past, perhaps it's Park who will actually do it. Going against her, though, is the fact there are now five LPGA majors. Tough break, Winbee. Keep it up, though, you're 40 percent of the way there!

WE'RE SELLING

Rain: For the past year, we've heard that a successful U.S. Open return to Merion hinges on the weather. It's almost as if people thought if they talked about it enough, then the rain would stay away. Wrong. Instead, Merion got hit with a tropical storm on Friday and then more heavy rains on Monday.

Being Mike Davis: How would you like it if your whole year's work was judged on one week? And what if that one week was still at the mercy of Mother Nature? And what if even if everything went smoothly, you still had to watch out for "Jungle Birds" crashing the trophy ceremony? Sure, there's a big paycheck and some fancy golf club memberships, but being the executive director of the USGA during U.S. Open week has to be about as stressful as being Lindsay Lohan's publicist. Cheer up, Mike. Next year you're only trying to host both the men's and women's Opens on back-to-back weeks at the same venue. Piece of cake!

Related: The most notable rule changes in golf history

The end of the Tiger-Sergio feud: Garcia found Woods on the Merion range on Monday and the two shook hands. It seems to be over (although Woods claimed on Tuesday that Garcia has yet to officially apologize). Boo. No, we're happy the two acted like grown-ups and seem to have put their squabble behind them, but we'll miss the drama. Of course, a late tee time on the weekend together could help bring back a lot of the buzz. Maybe one of them could even pull a Lee Trevino and toss a fake snake at the other on the first tee. SPICY!

ON TAP

The year's second major is finally upon us and Merion will host its first U.S. Open in 32 years. That is, as long as the course doesn't wash away.

Related: 11 ways to win the U.S. Open at Merion

Random tournament fact: OK, so this isn't random, but Ben Hogan won the 1950 U.S. Open here just 16 months after being hit by a BUS. One of the great wins in sport's history can't be glorified enough.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

In case you're not aware of "The Grind Jinx," we've put Tiger Woods in our A-list bench spot four times this year. He's won all four times. To all the Tiger fans out there, don't worry. We aren't going to try to jinx the jinx.

Starters -- (A-List): Graeme McDowell. The 2010 winner of this event and a runner-up last year switched his Twitter avatar to the famed picture of Ben Hogan hitting a 1-iron to the 18th green at Merion. Respect.

(B-List): Matt Kuchar. The only multiple winner on the PGA Tour not named Tiger Woods almost seems too obvious of a pick here, but we'd kick ourselves if he won major No. 1 and we didn't take him.

(B-List): Keegan Bradley. Imagine if the belly putter wielding Bradley won the U.S. Open? Talk about sticking it to the Man!

Related: The 10 best players without a major

(C-List): Lee Westwood. Westy has had so many close calls in majors, including last year at Olympic, where a lost ball in a tree derailed him on Sunday. Is it his time? Probably not since we're picking him, but you never know.

Bench -- Tiger Woods (Pssst, he's going to win), Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan and Adam Scott.

TWEET/PHOTO OF THE WEEK

"RT @ManasseroMatto Here Philadelphia .. Recognise this steps ?? pic.twitter.com/4EQcxRBeVn"

OK, so he's still working on his English (Hey, it's better than our Italian), but Matteo Manassero gets an A for effort. He also gets an A+ for his knowledge of American pop culture. The Italian phenom is way up in our book after expressing a like for Rocky, an all-time great movie made 17 years before he was born. It also reminds us of the Rocky theme song, "Gonna Fly Now," one of the only pieces of music that might even be more inspiring than Yanni's NBC ditty.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In case you missed it, this is the cutest golf-related rap music video ever made:

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- The Philadelphia fans will go easy on Sergio Garcia: 1,000-to-1 odds

-- Boo Weekley will do the Bull Dance with one of Merion's wicker baskets: 20-to-1 odds

-- One of the leaders on Sunday will have to hit from a divot on No. 18 thanks to EVERYONE trying the Hogan approach: 10-to-1 odds

-- NBC's Roger Maltbie will eat a Philly cheeseteak: LOCK

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Nothing to report from the lovebirds this week. Amazing. Perhaps that even explains Dustin Johnson playing four competitive rounds of golf for the first time in two months in Memphis and even finishing T-10. Paulina did tweet this photo of her taking a blanket with her to the movies.

We just have to ask where that theater is? Those seats look incredibly comfy!

THIS AND THAT

David Frost held off Fred Couples for his first Champions Tour major. We like the senior circuit's ability to produce breakthroughs at age 53. . . The U.S. won the Palmer Cup in convincing fashion. Is it just us, or does the U.S. win every international golf competition other than the Ryder Cup? . . . I recently rediscovered how glorious Rice Krispies Treats are. Is there a more versatile food? From breakfast to in the car to a late-night snack, these bad boys get the job done.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

How much sleep does Johnny Miller get during U.S. Open week?

Is this year's trophy ceremony "Jungle Bird"-proof?

How much would it cost for a personal theme song by Yanni?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we'll never feel bad about shooting a 44 for nine holes again. Tiger Woods reminded us that no one, even the game's most dominant player ever, is immune to a rough day on the golf course. So there you have it: Tiger Woods, man of the people. 

WE'RE BUYING

Matt Kuchar. The only question is when will this guy win a major? A week after a runner-up at Colonial, Kuchar became the only person not named Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour this year. And his last three wins (Memorial, World Match Play and the Players) haven't exactly been the Reno-Tahoe Open. Luke Donald topped our ranking of the best current players without a major following the Masters, but we don't need to crunch any numbers to know Kuchar owns that title. For now. . .

Related: Who is the best player without a major?

Life is good for Matt Kuchar right now. (Getty Images)

Karrie Webb. The Australian was victorious on the LPGA for the first time in two years by rallying to win the ShopRite Classic. We've always liked her since she helped us win a crude golf fantasy league while we were still in high school. True story.

U.S. Open qualifying: No one punched their ticket to Merion by parring the back nine using only a 7-iron like Kevin Costner in "Tin Cup," but there were still plenty of great stories. None more so than 18-year-old Gavin Hall, who birdied his final four holes to earn his first U.S. Open appearance.

WE'RE SELLING

"Spikegate". Lee Janzen should have known better than to show up to his sectional qualifier wearing metal spikes, but why are there different rules for what shoes golfers can wear at different events? Especially since the old-school steel cleats can be worn in the U.S. Open itself? The USGA should either allow them or outlaw them across the board and get rid of this gray, er, metal area.

The "Summer of Guan". Making the cut at the Masters -- a tournament the 14-year-old actually qualified for -- and even at the Zurich Classic was a great story. But now the story is being cheapened by more appearances, missed cuts and taking spots from pros trying to make a living. Besides, doesn't he have a science project that's due?

Related: The most notable rule changes in golf history

Tiger Woods' act. Nice try, Tiger. What, you don't like being considered a lock to win every tournament you tee it up in? Woods struggled mightily at Jack's place, but he's not fooling us and he's certainly not fooling Vegas oddsmakers as we approach the U.S. Open. He is still the overwhelming favorite at Merion and he'll have long forgotten about this blip come next week.

CBS. We've complained about the 30-minute (sometimes longer) gap in final-round coverage when CBS takes over from the Golf Channel before, but at least college basketball filled the void earlier in the season. On Sunday, while the final threesomes played their opening holes, CBS aired a riveting special on golf dads. We're sorry, but we get enough sap from Jim Nantz once the actual coverage starts.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Classic, the final event before the U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson is the defending champion, but he also returns as the tour's reigning champ when it comes to spending time on a party boat.

Random tournament fact: Memphis holds a special place in our hearts since its NBA team, the Grizzlies, plays in an arena that is affectionately known as "The Grindhouse." Need we say more?

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

Starters -- (A-List): Charles Howell III. With nine top-25 finishes and a couple of close calls already this season, CH3 is our pick to finally pick up career win No. 3 this week.

(B-List): Scott Stallings. If you need a guy to finish T-4, Stallings is your man. His latest at Memorial gives him three such finishes in 2013.

(B-List): Josh Teater. The 34-year-old has three top-10s this year. Perhaps more impressive, though, is the fact that he made it through qualifiers for both the U.S. and British Opens in the past two weeks. (UPDATE: Teater was a late scratch, so we'll move Fredrik Jacobson from the bench into this slot.)

Related: The 10 best players without a major

(C-List): Robert Karlsson. The Swede has never won on the PGA Tour, but he has two playoff losses in Memphis.

Bench -- Brandt Snedeker, John Merrick, Cameron Tringale and Billy Horschel (In for Jordan Spieth, another late WD).

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In case you missed it, this trick-shot video is INCREDIBLE:

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Some dude named Alex (I swear it's not me!) wrote into Deadspin with this pic of a Davis Love III tattoo. Has there ever been a more random tattoo? Unless of course, 'Alex' is just a code name for a golfer who was really desperate to earn one of Love's Ryder Cup captain's picks last year. It all makes sense now. . .

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Phil Mickelson will help Tianlang Guan with that science project: 5-to-1 odds

-- Dustin Johnson will actually play four rounds of golf this week: 10-to-1 odds

-- Somewhere, Tiger Woods will be practicing his putting. A lot: LOCK

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Aww, how cute. Wait a minute, that's not Dustin! Nope, it's his brother, Austin. Does this mean the DJ-PG relationship is headed toward some sort of tragic soap opera-like ending? Probably not. Last week, Paulina called the trio "The 3 Amigos" and this week, she posted this photo and wished Austin a happy birthday. No, he just likes being a third wheel and who can blame him? The guy basically lives on a beach drinking tropical drinks all day.

THIS AND THAT

Andrew Dodt made two holes-in-one in the same round during the European Tour's Nordea Masters. Must be nice. . . . Alabama won its first-ever NCAA men's team title. We mention this because we just like saying "Roll Tide." . . . Payne Stewart was apparently very flexible. If you can't tell by my attempt to imitate his reaction to winning the 1999 U.S. Open, I am not. You know what, I take it back. This was the picture of the week.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why isn't Phil Mickelson on Twitter?

Will the traffic by my work exit ever be finished?

Does someone really have a Davis Love III tattoo?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we're scratching our heads as to why Boo Weekley isn't a weekly contender on the PGA Tour. Oh yeah, that's right. Putting is part of golf. A big part. Even in his latest win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, Boo showed how scary that part of his game remains. But when you're a ball-striking savant who hits it to within 10 feet on every hole, you can still score well. And when you do that enough on the PGA Tour, you can quietly surpass TEN MILLION in career earnings. Hey Boo, bring a little of that cash and come meet us at the nearest mini-golf course.

Boo knows plaid. (Getty Images)

WE'RE BUYING

Boo Weekley. As John Strege points out, golf needs more characters. And the man who once wrestled an orangutan certainly fits the bill. For a third time in his PGA Tour career, Weekley won. And for a third time, he took home a plaid jacket (the other two for his wins at the Heritage in 2007 and 2008). It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume those are the only three "dressy" pieces of clothing he owns other than whatever team-issued items he still has from being on the 2008 Ryder Cup team. Nike struck marketing gold with its famed "Bo knows" ad campaign centered around Bo Jackson. "Boo knows" seems like a can't-miss idea. Hang on, while we Google "copyright lawyers". . .

Related: Golf Digest's interview with Boo Weekley

Matteo Manassero. The Italian prodigy now has four European Tour wins, including a victory in the tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA. He just turned 20. Why aren't people making a bigger deal about this?!

Kohki Idoki. A 5-foot-5, 51-year-old taming a 7,000-yard golf course? That should give everyone lacking distance in their golf games hope. More amazing was the fact that this was Idoki's first trip to the U.S. Something tells us he'll be back a bit more.

Tim Clark. No, the South African didn't win to give us the elusive "Grind Slam" (predicting the winner of the same event three years in a row -- copyright pending), but we appreciate his effort at Colonial. Clark flirted with the lead all weekend before finishing T-7. Now if only. . .

WE'RE SELLING

Bitter anchorers. Guys like Clark, Adam Scott and Carl Pettersson are lawyering up in response to the anchor ban? Really? This doesn't seem like a possibility in other sports. Imagine if Wilt Chamberlain sued the NBA for changing the rules to keep him in check? Imagine defensive backs suing the NFL for enforcing the illegal contact rule?

Related: The most notable rule changes in golf history

Lee Westwood. Forget winning a major, this guy can't even win a European Tour major. Once again, Westwood put himself in position to claim the BMW PGA Championship and once again, he came up short, this time to a player half his age. Kind of reminds us of. . .

Kenny Perry. Is this guy's hometown Elizabethtown, KY or Heartbreak City, USA? We're sorry to say it, but this guy just can't win a big one -- even on the senior circuit. The Senior PGA Championship was all but Perry's, until a late collapse left him looking up at the diminutive Idoki.

LPGA Weather. Apparently, it's not just the PGA Tour that's cursed this year. Weather was so bad at the LPGA's inaugural event in the Bahamas that the tournament used a makeshift 12-hole course Friday-Sunday to create a 36-hole event. Ilhee Lee won by shooting a, um, never mind. It's too confusing to try to figure out.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial, aka the place where Tiger returned to being Tiger last year. Remember that flop shot from behind the 16th green to vault him into the lead? Here's the clip in case you don't.

Random tournament fact: Jack Nicklaus called Tiger's shot the best he's ever seen under pressure. As great as it was, It wasn't. Unless, of course, the Golden Bear only watches his own event.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

We had a good showing last week with Matt Kuchar (2nd), Zach Johnson (3rd) and Tim Clark (T-7). Let's keep it going by picking Tiger Woods and three other guys this week.

Starters -- (A-List): Tiger Woods. Let's see if he can break the streak of only winning when we put him on the bench.

(B-List): Justin Rose. The Brit has three top-five finishes at Muirfield Village, including his maiden PGA Tour title in 2010.

(B-List): Bo Van Pelt. BVP has a pair of T-13s and a T-3 in his last three appearances here.

Related: The 10 best players without a major

(C-List): Charl Schwartzel. Our just-a-hunch pick of the week.

Bench -- Rory McIlroy, Jimmy Walker, Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In honor of Boo Weekley, who earlier this year tried to communicate with a gator on the course at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, here's a clip of a gator walking across a tee box in North Carolina while carrying dinner in its mouth. We're not sure if even Boo would mess with this big guy.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Tianlang Guan will be spotted in the Muirfield Village clubhouse catching up on homework during a weather delay: 10-to-1 odds

-- Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia will Skype each other to patch things up during a weather delay: TEN Million-to-1 odds

-- There will be a weather delay: LOCK

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Paulina give's DJ's brother, Austin, some love calling the group, "The 3 Amigos." She also breaks the unofficial record for consecutive days wearing a bikini. Congrats!

THIS AND THAT

Annie Park won the NCAA individual championship, while leading USC to the team title. The 21-shot victory had about as much drama as an Adam Sandler movie. . . . Jeff Overton was disqualified at the Crowne Plaza Invitational for using a practice aid while waiting to tee off on the back nine and then complained about it afterward. Is he going to retain a lawyer, too? . . . These Burger King frozen lemonades are surprisingly tasty. They also make as great drink mixers. You can thank me later.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Whatever happened to Michelle Wie?

Why isn't the Memorial on Memorial Day weekend?

Will Dustin Johnson actually play some golf this week?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we've had this week circled on our calendars all year. No, it's not the U.S. Open, but it is Crowne Plaza Invitational week, and that means we'll be trying to extend our improbable streak of predicting the past two winners at Colonial.

In other words, we're going for the "Grind Slam" (Copyright pending). And while a fantasy golf achievement may not garner the notoriety of the Grand Slam or the Tiger Slam or Byron Nelson's 11-tournament winning streak, it should because prognosticating the sport is only getting more difficult. Have you watched a non-Tiger PGA Tour event lately?

"Guys, this isn't even close to my ugliest jacket."

WE'RE BUYING

Sang-Moon Bae. We're especially happy for the latest surprise winner on the PGA Tour. Why? Because no one has ever been a victim of more bad geography jokes in history.

Related: The greatest streaks in golf history

Oklahoma State golfers. First, Peter Uihlein picks up his first professional win at the Madeira Islands Open. Then another former Cowboy, Morgan Hoffmann earns his best PGA Tour finish with a T-5 at the Byron Nelson. Rickie Fowler better watch out or he might not be the most famous orange-wearing tour pro soon.

American women golfers. Stacy Lewis became the first U.S. woman golfer to win the LPGA's Player of the Year in 18 years last season, but she has company. Cristie Kerr won earlier this season and last week Jennifer Johnson picked up her first LPGA win in Alabama. Add in popular and talented players like Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson and there's no excuse for U.S.-centric fans not to watch the LPGA anymore.

Martin Kaymer. Remember this guy? He's German? He won the 2010 PGA Championship? He was ranked No. 1 in the world? He sunk the winning putt at last year's Ryder Cup? Well, the 28-year-old finished T-5 in Dallas, perhaps indicating a return to the glory days way back when he was 26-27.

WE'RE SELLING

Anchored putting. USGA President Glen Nager couldn't have said it any better when he stated "It can never be too late to do the right thing." Golf's founders may not have had the foresight to see this becoming an issue, but we're pretty sure they never envisioned guys putting with broomsticks tucked into their chests, either.

Related: The most notable rule changes in golf history

Cruel timing. We're happy 14-time winner and longtime golf announcer Ken Venturi was elected to the Hall of Fame before he passed away, but we're sad he was passed over long enough to the point he was unable to attend his own induction ceremony. If golf can elect players who are still in their prime, why does it wait so long to give others their proper due?

Guan's latest sponsor's exemption. It was fun while it lasted. Tianlang Guan dazzled us all by making the cut at the Masters and the Zurich Classic before finally coming up short at the Byron Nelson. But now he's getting an invite to the Memorial, a limited-field event, as well? We're sorry, but enough is enough, especially when he's taking away precious spots from tour pros. Not to mention, Jason Dufner has probably seen the inside of a classroom more than this 14-year-old over the past couple months.

ON TAP

As mentioned, the PGA Tour stays in Texas for the Crown Plaza Invitational. Last year, Zach Johnson overcame a red-hot Jason Dufner (Dufsanity!) and a brain cramp on the final hole to win. ZJ received a two-shot penalty when he didn't move his mark back to its original spot before holing his final putt. Good thing he did or we would have had #Markgate on our hands!

Random tournament fact: Like the RBC Heritage, the winner at the Crowne Plaza Invitational dons a plaid jacket. Unlike the Heritage, this event can claim that Ben Hogan wore its ceremonial piece of clothing five times. Advantage: Crown Plaza Invitational.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

While we have an incredible two consecutive correct predictions here, we also have a heartbreaking streak of two straight weeks our pick has shared the lead late on Sunday before coming up short. Hopefully, Mr. Hogan's spirit will put us over the top. Again.

Starters -- (A-List): Tim Clark. A former runner-up here is our pick as we look for the unimaginable trifecta. He also happens to be one of the most vocal supporters of anchored putting. Fight for what you believe in, Tim!

(B-List): Zach Johnson. Coming off a disappointing week, it'll be nice for him to return to the site of his first PGA Tour title.

(B-List): Matt Kuchar. The "Matt Kuchar Rule" states this guy can't have two bad performances in a row. Maybe we need to change that to he can't have four mediocre performances in a row. . .

Related: The 10 best players without a major

(C-List): Kevin Streelman. A winner in Tampa, he is quietly the hottest player on the PGA Tour not named Tiger Woods with three straight top-six finishes.

Bench -- Jason Dufner, Fredrik Jacobson, Bo Van Pelt and Rickie Fowler.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Mike Miller, an up-and-coming amateur who I had the pleasure of covering when he was in high school, had quite a day last week. Playing in a pro-am, he made two eagles and a hole-in-one that won him a two-year lease on a Lincoln. But then this happened when he tried to imitate Rich Beem's celebration for winning a car with an ace in 2007:

In the words of Ron Burgundy after jumping into the bear pit at the end of Anchorman: "I immediately regret this decision."

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Nicolas Colsaerts had to take relief from a toilet during the Volvo World Match Play. No, seriously. And yes, this will probably be the easiest video to choose for this spot all year.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Zach Johnson will get penalized again for putting from the wrong spot: Million-to-1 odds

-- Tim Clark will win now that we've boasted about our streak: TEN Million-to-1 odds

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Two observations: 1. I think I have that shirt. 2. Is that a bracelet around her arm?

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Lindsey watches Tiger play poker during his Tiger Jam charity event in Las Vegas. Hey, it's not much, but perhaps when it comes to Tiger, Vegas and girls, the less we see and hear, the better.

THIS AND THAT

Tiger Woods doesn't plan on making nice with Sergio Garcia. Good, it gives us more to talk about. Now if only the USGA would pair them together next month at Merion. . . . This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Annika Sorenstam's historic round(s) at Colonial. Something tells me Vijay Singh isn't throwing a party at his house for people to come and watch the new Golf Channel documentary. . . . These chocolate chip/chunk cookies from Costco are the best chocolate chip cookies EVER. Um, make that second best. Sorry, mom!

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Would Ben Hogan have liked Twitter or fantasy golf? (Nope)

Does Vijay Singh have any regrets? (We hope)

Will Tim Clark make the "Grind Slam" a reality? (Not a chance)

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we've got island fever and the only prescription is... more islands! Island fairways? Fun! Island tee boxes? Pretty! Island drop areas? Cruel and fun! Imagine making a player who has already dunked a ball in the drink get into a boat and row his own way out to a solitary spot to his his next shot? Johnny Miller would have a field day! Alas, for now we'll have to settle for the excitement TPC Sawgrass' 17th hole provides us on a yearly basis. And that's not such a bad thing.

WE'RE BUYING

Tiger Woods. Now he's winning on courses where he's never been comfortable? The rest of the tour is really in trouble. Woods' latest win was his biggest since his return from his 2009 scandal. It also gave him four wins in a season at the earliest point of any season in his career. Of course, Woods himself has said he only characterizes a season as great if he wins a major, but he still has three more chances to make that happen in 2013. Would you bet against him?

One word, two syllables: Swagger.

TPC Sawgrass. It may not host a major, but it always seems to provide major drama. No. 17 gets most of the attention from fans, but there are plenty of other spots on the course that get the attention of the players. How exciting is the Pete Dye track? Sunday proved that even a Tiger Woods three-shot lead on its back nine isn't safe.

Related: The winners and losers from TPC Sawgrass

David Lingmerth. Where did this guy come from?! Even as he entered the final round tied for the lead, the Swedish rookie remained an afterthought to most prognosticators. Yet it was Lingmerth who remained the last man standing in the latest Tiger vs. the field competition. If he can hang in like that under those circumstances, it would probably be wise for golf analysts to start practicing pronouncing his name correctly (Hat tip to Swedish colleague, Stina Sternberg). Johnny, like in your name, the "H" is silent.

WE'RE SELLING

Sergio Garcia. This could have been a week where the Spaniard punctuated his return as one of the game's elite players. Instead, he further solidified his reputation for both whining and coming up short in the big spot. After his controversial comments towards Woods on Saturday, Garcia had a stunning meltdown over the final two holes. We feel a little bad for him, but we feel a lot worse for his caddie, whose big payday sunk with those three water balls at the end.

People complaining about TPC Sawgrass. There was a lot of talk about how there weren't a lot of drivers hit there, especially over the weekend. While that's true, guess what? It's 2013 and players can now hit 3-woods farther than they used to hit the Big Stick. Hey, no one is stopping these guys from pulling out the driver. Also, doesn't this somewhat contradict the complaints that these guys are hitting it too far off the tee?

Related: The worst water balls in golf history

Vijay Singh. Here are the bullet points: Singh admits to using a banned substance, the PGA Tour comes under fire for not acting quickly, Singh is eventually cleared of a doping violation on a technicality, then sues the tour for damaging his reputation. Say what? Sorry, Vijay, but A) This doesn't seem to make much sense (Or does it?) and B) What reputation?

Male Hall of Famers. None of them showed up to this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which takes place a short drive from TPC Sawgrass. None. Not even for Mr. Cool, Freddie Couples? Weak effort.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Dallas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Last year Jason Dufner won. Of course, he became much more famous when he returned last month for media day and by accident started a craze that became known as "Dufnering."

Related: The 10 best players without a major

Random tournament fact: The late, great Byron Nelson tried to start a fad called "Nelsoning"* in which he would show up to parties randomly posing like he'd just struck a perfect golf shot. Sadly, it never caught on since none of his fellow pros at the time could tweet about it.

*Not true. But maybe we could start that. . .

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

It's great to see our jinxing power is in full effect. First, Tiger Woods made it four-for-four in 2013 when we don't pick him. Second, unbeknownst to Sergio Garcia, we picked him to win at TPC Sawgrass, just adding to the list of things working against him. In other words, he had NO chance when he stood on that 17th tee tied for the lead.

Starters -- (A-List): Jason Dufner. The defending champ also finished T-8 in 2011.

(B-List): Keegan Bradley. Coming off a disappointing week, it'll be nice for him to return to the site of his first PGA Tour title.

(B-List): Marc Leishman. The Australian has contended at the two biggest events of 2013. It's time to take notice, especially at a course where he has three top 12s in four appearances.

(C-List): Jason Day. Has finished in the top 10 all three times he's teed it up at the TPC Four Seasons, including earning his lone PGA Tour title in 2010.

Bench -- Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, and Jordan Spieth.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

We enjoyed this clip of journeyman PGA Tour pro Todd Fischer having fun with the fans at No. 17 during a practice round. Fisher purposely shanked multiple balls into the pond, while a stunned crowd probably wondered how the heck this guy ever got into the field. Our favorite part is when someone else on the tee says, "Give him a bad [ball]." Fischer also wins our award for "Well-Orchestrated Ruse of the Week."

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

A sore subject this week. I was hoping to see the two in person, but after missing them on Day 1, what did DJ do? He withdrew for a second straight week (this time for his back, last week it was his wrist) and took off before I had a chance to stalk..um, make that follow them.

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

That didn't look awkward or anything. . . Hey, don't feel bad, Lindsey. Tiger's post-victory celebration with caddie Joe LaCava wasn't very smooth, either.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Sergio Garcia will ever willingly watch a replay of Sunday's finish: Million-to-1 odds

-- Official odds Tiger Woods will win the U.S. Open: 3.5-1

-- Unofficial odds everyone is giving Woods to win at Merion: LOCK

THIS AND THAT

For a second straight tournament, Tiger Woods is having a drop he took questioned. Weird. Controversy never seems to follow this guy. . . . Billy Horschel's PGA-Tour best cut streak of 23 came to an end when he didn't make it to the weekend at the Players. However, I ran one of the great (disturbing?) streaks in the world to 15. I ate at the same Chili's all FIVE nights for a THIRD year in a row during my stay in Ponte Vedra Beach. Top that, Cal Ripken! Pictured are the tasty "Wings over Buffalo," which only have 68 grams of fat.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why isn't there a Chili's within an hour of me?

Why aren't there more island greens?

Where can I place a bet on Tiger?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another editon of The Grind, where we don't understand the shock surrounding Derek Ernst's win at Quail Hollow. So what if he was the fourth alternate and ranked 1,207th in the world. There are SEVEN BILLION people in the world. You're legit if you crack the top 2,000 in anything. Like we've said before, the PGA Tour's slogan should really be: "These guys are ALL good." As Ernst proved, that includes guys who aren't even in a tournament's original field.

WE'RE BUYING

Derek Ernst. To win in your eighth PGA Tour event is remarkable, but the way he pulled it off was even more impressive. Ernst shot a back-nine 33, including a birdie on the difficult 18th hole to get into a playoff he eventually won. We just feel bad for him for all the Ernst & Young jokes that followed.

Haha that's OK. No one else had heard of me either.

Playoffs. On a sports weekend in which the Kentucky Derby stole most of the spotlight, golf had a trifecta of its own. Ernst won in extra holes, but so did Cristie Kerr on the LPGA and Esteban Toledo on the Champions Tour. And speaking of Toledo, he became the first Mexican winner on the senior circuit and he did it on Cinco de Mayo. How's that for timing?

Related: Golfers who play fast

David Lynn. Yes, the Englishman came up just short in what is perhaps the least-star-studded playoff in PGA Tour history. But on the bright side, after a strong opening-day performance at Augusta and this latest performance, he's not just "that guy who finished runner-up at the PGA Championship" anymore.

Jim Nantz. We'll admit, we're not the biggest Nantz fans, but we have to give props to a guy who inducts two players into the World Golf Hall of Fame on the same night and who has now given the speech for five players total. Jimmy, when you get your Hall call, we've got your back. We'll start making notes and practicing your Masters voice.

WE'RE SELLING

Withdrawals. Yes, the greens were bad, but the list of big-name withdrawals -- Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, David Toms, etc. -- was a little much. We're sure some of the nine guys who pulled out late (Derek Ernst should send them all thank-you notes) had legit excuses, but it sure didn't look good. Speaking of not looking good. . .

Quail Hollow's greens. We weren't fans of the excessive complaining and questionable WDs, but wow, were some of those greens brutal. To be fair, and most of the players were, Quail Hollow deserves a pass based on its track record. The good news is the course is putting in new Bermuda greens in a couple weeks and it has another four years before it hosts the PGA Championship.

World Golf Hall of Fame. If you're going to let two big-name, borderline candidates in (Sorry, Freddie and Monty), shouldn't you spread them out a little?

Related: Colin Montgomerie is a Hall of Famer? Really?

The Vijay Singh situation. This whole thing was just a mess from start to finish. First off, Singh admitted to using a banned substance. Yes, it has since been taken off WADA's list, but he admitted to using a banned substance while it was banned. It seemed like case closed, but the PGA Tour cleared him. Secondly, there's no real proof that deer-antler spray does anything!

Sunday TV coverage. Weather interfered with the PGA Tour yet again, but there's got to be a way to show live coverage instead of coming on tape-delayed an hour after anyone with electricity or a phone could learn the result. At least Derek Ernst had time to tell all his friends and family to set their DVRs.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to PGA Tour headquarters for the Players. It used to be called the Players Championship. We don't blame you if you're confused.

Related: The top 10 players without a major

Random tournament fact: There are 17 other holes at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium course other than No. 17.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

Our homer Wake Forest picks laid an egg last week. Sorry. Wait, what are we apologizing for? Some guy named DEREK ERNST won!

Starters -- (A-List): Sergio Garcia. His biggest win came here in 2008, a year after he was runner-up in the event.

(B-List): Zach Johnson. ZJ has broken par at TPC Sawgrass nine of his past 12 rounds and he finished T-2 last year.

(B-List): Bo Van Pelt. We're back on the "BVP is due for a win" bandwagon after a T-6 at Quail Hollow.

(C-List): Jason Day. After a close call at the Masters, the young Australian seems poised for his first big title.

Bench -- Graeme McDowell, Nick Watney, Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

DJ sends Paulina flowers! What does the other Paulina pic have to do with anything? Nothing.

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

We joked about golf's newest power couple's lack of public affection last week, but they stepped it up this week by attending the Met Gala in New York together. Several surprises here. A.) It had to happen sometime, but this was a pretty publicized event for the couple's big debut; B.) The timing of it, since it's both the week of the Players and it occurred the same night of his friend, Fred Couples, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame; C.) It appears Tiger is wearing NO Nike apparel!

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

How bad were the greens at Quail Hollow last week? On the third hole on Friday, Sergio Garcia -- our pick to win the Players -- opted to chip a six-footer for par (below). He made it. Hey, we think we've found the solution to his putting problems!

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Derek Ernst will not be recognized on the first tee on Thursday. By his playing partners: 2-to-1 odds

-- NBC, which owns the Golf Channel, will figure out a way to show live coverage on Sunday if tee times are moved up: LOCK

-- The phrase "watery grave" will get more air this week on NBC than during all other 2013 tournaments combined: LOCK

THIS AND THAT

A 12-year-old broke 80 in both rounds at the Volvo China Open, becoming the youngest golfer to ever play in a European Tour event. Yet somehow, ESPN UK wasn't impressed. We are not impressed with ESPN UK. . . . TPC Sawgrass has gotten so much rain of late that the famed island-green 17th hole actually was an island green at one point. Here's video proof. . . . Tying a bow tie is HARD. A group of friends took on the task to honor a buddy getting married and it was a struggle. I eventually did better than what's pictured (and also shaved and put on a dress shirt), but this effort came after more than an hour of hard work and a mini-nervous breakdown.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who will give Tiger's Hall of Fame induction speech?

Why weren't we invited to the Met Gala? We can tie a bow tie!

Can deer-antler spray cure a slice?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we are really impressed by Jason Collins. It takes a lot of guts to do what he did. A finely-tuned professional athlete coming out and admitting he's a bad golfer? Well done. Ohhh, that wasn't the big announcement? He also did what?! Wow. Good for him and hopefully others will follow. And great job by him to pay tribute to a cause close to his heart by wearing the No. 98. We just hope he doesn't think that's the type of score he should settle for on the golf course. After all, the NBA's off-season coincides perfectly with the golf season in most of this country. Jason, get to work!

WE'RE BUYING

Billy Horschel. We saw this one coming when we plugged him into our lineup last week. Then again, didn't everyone? It seemed like Horschel was going to keep playing every week until he finally got his first PGA Tour win. A Sunday 64, including a dramatic 27-footer for birdie on the final hole, got it done. While the former college star probably felt this was a long time coming, he pleasantly reminded us that you don't have to take a long time to hit a shot to be a good golfer.

We'd hoot and holler like we just won a million bucks, too, if we just won a million bucks.

Tianlang Guan. For a second time this month, this 14-year-old phenom teed it up at a PGA Tour event and for a second time, he made the cut. To put this accomplishment in perspective, keep in mind Tiger Woods didn't make a PGA Tour cut until he was 19 and in his eighth try at the 1995 Masters.

Related: Golfers who play fast

Inbee Park. Or should we just start calling the No. 1 player in women's golf "Winbee"?

WE'RE SELLING

PGA Tour drug testing. Greg Norman ripped the PGA Tour's drug testing policy, pointing out that the Vijay Singh situation could just be the tip of the iceberg. While we agree the PGA Tour has been lax on this issue (there's no reason golf should lag behind other professional sports), we just wish it didn't come from Norman. Adam Scott's recent Masters win for Australia seems to have put Norman back in the spotlight -- and the Shark seems to be eating it up.

PGA Tour weather. From fog to snow, we've seen every possible type of delay in the book this year. But a lightning delay with the two contenders -- one of whom has been agonizingly close to getting his first tour win of late -- in the middle of the FINAL hole of regulation? C'mon, Mother Nature. That's just cruel.

Michael Jordan. We love MJ's passion for the game, but a wedding reception on a golf course? On a Saturday? How are the members of the Bear's Club supposed to keep their games sharp? Oh right, they all probably just played at one of their other clubs over the weekend. However, we are NOT selling Yvette Prieto, Jordan's new wife. In addition to being beautiful, she even puts up with sitting through Charlotte Bobcats games with the team owner (above).

ON TAP

Speaking of Charlotte, the PGA Tour heads there for the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. Unfortunately, a couple of the course's greens had to undergo emergency replacement recently. This means the pros might actually have to play a couple less-than-perfect greens for the first time in years. What an OUTRAGE!

Related: The top 10 players without a major

Random tournament fact: This is the only event in which Tiger Woods has missed the cut twice as a pro. In semi-related news, Tiger Woods isn't playing this week.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

Why were we such big fans of Horschel's win in New Orleans? A. We had him in our lineup last week; B. We pegged him as one of our Sleeper Picks heading into this season and highlighted him as the guy on the list with the most potential. Man, do we look smart now. . .

Starters -- (A-List): Bill Haas. The 2011 FedEx Cup champ played his college golf up the road at Wake Forest University and has a pair of T-4s on this course.

(B-List): Webb Simpson. Another Demon Deacon with a good track record here, Simpson lives in Charlotte. He'll get to feel what it's like to commute to work for a week and should have plenty of crowd support.

(B-List): Lucas Glover. The 54-hole leader in New Orleans is familiar with being in contention at Quail Hollow as well. He won here in 2011 and was a runner-up in 2009.

(C-List): Lee Westwood. The former World No. 1 finally got the hang of this track last year with a T-5 (68-66 over the weekend) and seems to be hitting his stride with back-to-back top 10s. We also liked his hungover report on Twitter following his 40th birthday celebration.

Bench -- Rory McIlroy (2010 champ), Zach Johnson, John Senden, Rickie Fowler (2012 champ).

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Geoff Shackelford's headline says it all: "Oosthuizen's 500-yard, 120-second cart path drive." As if these guys needed any help with distance.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Phil Mickelson will conduct a 10-minute interview/lecture on Quail Hollow's two make-shift greens and the different types of Bermuda grass: 2-to-1 odds

-- Tianlang Guan has a lot of homework to catch up on: LOCK

-- Michael Jordan will find a way to play golf while on his honeymoon: LOCK

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Paulina tweeted this photo to DJ and he retweeted it. Teamwork!

THIS WEEK IN RORY MCILROY-CAROLINE WOZNIACKI PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Via Twitter: "Got these awesome early birthday presents last night from @CaroWozniacki! #lucky" Apparently, Rory loves him some Louis Vuitton.

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

(. . . )

THIS AND THAT

A 12-year-old will play in this week's China Open,, breaking the European Tour record. Two questions: Why isn't Guan playing in this and is this kid his younger brother? . . . Muirfield was lengthened for this year's Open championship. Why? Because every course HAS to be lengthened before it hosts a major again. . . . Brad Faxon gave Jeff Sluman a vicious pie in the face after the two teamed up to win last week's Legends of Golf event on the Champions Tour (Unfortunately, there's no picture. Hence, the photo of Evan Longoria giving the treatment to a Rays teammate). It's one thing for younger guys to do this, but the over-50 crowd? We're just glad no one involved was hurt. . . .

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

When will a professional male golfer come out as gay?

Is this Dumb and Dumber sequel really going to happen?

What did Tiger get Michael and Yvette as a wedding gift?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we're wondering what has happened to American golf? After opening 2013 with 14 straight victories, a U.S. player hasn't won THREE weeks in a row. C'mon, guys, that's almost an entire month! We already stink at tennis; we can't lose our grip on the other main country club sport! At least, the red, white and blue contingent will have a chance to get back on track this week. Why? Because the PGA Tour NEVER stops and neither do we. Here's what has us talking.

Who says there's no teamwork in golf? (Getty Images)

WE'RE BUYING

Graeme McDowell. G-Mac finally picked up his long overdue second PGA Tour win at Hilton Head. And then he called his new restaurant, Nona Blue, and opened the bar to all those dining there. No wonder he made our list of the coolest golfers ever.

Suzann Pettersen. A win in Hawaii has the Norwegian in the mix for the suddenly-competitive top spot in women's golf. As for her dancing (below), that we are selling. . .

Related: The shots that defined the Masters

Bernhard Langer. A week after contending on Sunday at Augusta National, Langer won his second event of 2013 on the Champions Tour. This guy might be the most in-shape 55-year-old since Sylvester Stallone did one final training scene in Rocky Balboa (aka Rocky VI).

WE'RE SELLING

Charley Hoffman. People often wonder why the long-haired Hoffman only has two career PGA Tour wins. Those people must not watch him on Sunday enough. Entering the final round at Harbour Town with a two-shot lead, Hoffman shot a 77 for a T-6.

The wind. After playing in very gusty conditions in the Northeast over the weekend, we were glad to see the pros have to suffer through a similar test in Hilton Head on Sunday. That being said, wind stinks. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's part of the game. We get it, but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

Guys who haven't won a major. We came up with a formula to determine who the best of this current crop is. That being said, outside of a select few (namely Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia), their collective track records in majors is embarrassing. It's not just that they haven't won a big one yet, for the most part, these guys haven't even come close. Fortunately, it's golf, and as Tom Watson proved, you can still contend when you're approaching 60. So they all still have time -- even Steve Stricker.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour stays in the Southeast, heading to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic. Ahh, New Orleans. Home of great jazz, the NFL's Manning family and "The Jester." What is "The Jester," you ask? Only the greatest frozen drink ever concocted. Just a word to the wise: If a friend offers to pay for as many as you can drink the day you're flying home, don't take him up on that offer.

Related: The top 10 players without a major

Random tournament fact: Fourteen-year-old Tianlang Guan is in the field after accepting a sponsor exemption. He is NOT allowed to drink Jesters yet.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

Starters -- (A-List): Jason Dufner. We're not big fans of playing defending champions, but we just have a feeling here.

(B-List): Justin Rose. The best player in a watered-down field.

(B-List): Fredrik Jacobson. The Swede has been knocking on the door for his second PGA Tour win all year.

(C-List): Billy Horschel. Does this guy ever take a week off?

Bench -- Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Andres Romero and Rickie Fowler.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Natalie Gulbis went snorkeling while in Hawaii for the Lotte Championship and snapped this photo. On behalf of snorkeling fans everywhere, thank you.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Tianlang Guan will win this week: 1,000-to-1 odds (actual odds)

-- Tianlang Guan will receive another slow-play penalty this week: 10,000-to-1 odds

Related: The shots that defined the Masters

-- Any player who misses the cut will feel a lot better after a few Jesters: LOCK

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

He's back!

Another fantastic effort by South Korean star Psy. We just wish he had shot a scene on a golf course. Psy's previous hit, "Gangnam Style," prompted Jesper Parnevik to put together a crew to do a parody video. Psy's videos are awesome. Of course, it helps when they have a higher budget than most Hollywood blockbusters.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (NOT INVOLVING PSY)

And to think, this actually used to be a penalty. . .

I have a friend who learned about a player being penalized for the wind moving his ball and he would remind me from time to time how stupid it was. It was a great day when I was able to inform him it was no longer a rule. Now I just hope he doesn't find out that you can still get disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard when MILLIONS of people around the world know what you shot.

THIS WEEK IN PAULINA GRETZKY-DUSTIN JOHNSON DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

DJ drops the "L-bomb" and Paulina replies by telling him "You're the best thing that's ever been mine." Sorry, guys. This is getting serious!

THIS AND THAT

Raphael Jacquelin won the Spanish Open in a record-tying nine-hole playoff. That must be a pretty difficult hole if if took the Frenchman 10 tries before he could birdie it. . . . Speaking of playoffs, Angel Cabrera got back to winning them in his hometown event on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. Cabrera has played two events on the circuit created before the start of the 2012 season. He's won both. . . . This is a "Jester" (above). Drink at your own risk.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why don't they sell Jesters in the Northeast?

Will Jason Dufner #Dufner when he wins again?

When's the Johnson-Gretzky wedding and can we come?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

Follow @AlexMyers3

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we're convinced Adam Scott might grow the game of golf more than anyone since Arnold Palmer. For non-golfy women around the country casually tuning into the end of the tournament -- or perhaps looking for "60 Minutes" -- watching the end of the Masters was a real eye-opener (Even ABC's 'The Bachelor' is wishfully targeting Scott). Guys, be aware going forward. When your significant other asks, "Is there any golf on TV this weekend?", that's really code for, "Is that dreamy Australian guy playing this weekend?"

"I know I'm single, but please calm down, ladies."

WE'RE BUYING

Adam Scott. The Australian had plenty of guys drooling as well with that perfect swing. And after struggling on the greens all Sunday, Scott finally got that broomstick putter of his to knock a couple in when it mattered most. Good for him for bouncing back so quickly from his collapse at last year's British Open. Good for me, since his breakthrough won me GolfDigest.com's first-ever Masters fantasy draft. And again, good for the game.

Angel Cabrera. Serious question: Other than the handful of times he's either contended or won a major championship, where does this guy go? What a performance, especially under the utmost pressure. The approach to kick-in range on 18 will long be remembered, but so should his putting and that chip shot on the first playoff hole that somehow didn't drop. Cabrera couldn't pull it out this time, but he served notice yet again that if he's in the mix, watch out.

Related: The shots that defined the Masters

Tianlang Guan. Not even a slow-play penalty could keep the 14-year-old from making the cut at the Masters. We probably shouldn't be too surprised with anything age-related in golf after a 59-year-old Tom Watson nearly won the British Open four years ago, but still, what a remarkable performance. Two stunning stats: Guan didn't make more than a bogey all week and he didn't three-putt on Augusta National's diabolical greens once. It shouldn't be too long before Tiger Woods asks the young man for a putting lesson.

The Masters. It delivers every year, doesn't it? And now Lindsey Vonn and Paulina Gretzky (unnecessarily shown above) can say they've been! Even when most of the final round is a bit of a snooze -- we'll give the rain a lot of the blame for that -- we wind up witnessing one of the most exciting finishes ever at a major championship. Whether its the routing of the course, the setting, or Jim Nantz's hushed tones, you can always count on an exciting finish -- and a dose of depression when it's over.

WE'RE SELLING

Brandt Snedeker. We thought he was over final-round pressure with his gutsy performance at the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup's $10 million bonus, but Sneds still looked a lot like the guy who melted down Sunday at Augusta five years ago the first time he had a chance to win his first major.

Tiger Woods. Even Nick Faldo marveled at the bad breaks Woods got during the week, most notably the shot off the flagstick into the water on Friday and what he termed a "400-degree lipout" on Saturday. That being said, here's a simple request for the World No. 1 and a man who has played more rounds of golf in his life than the combined staff of Golf Digest: KNOW THE RULES!

Phil Mickelson. From adding the "Phrankenwood" to his bag to worrying about the PGA Tour's schedule leading up to the season's first major, it seems like Mickelson over-analyzed his way to a disappointing Masters finish. What will Phil and Callaway cook up for the U.S. Open at Merion? A half-putter, half-doughnut maker?

ON TAP

Wait, there's another tournament this week? But the Masters is over! Hmm, let's see. . . why yes, it's the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.

Related: Winners & Losers from the Masters

Random tournament fact: Not sure if you've seen it before, but there is a lighthouse on the 18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

First, we started the PGA Tour Sleepers Jinx and now? The Tiger Woods Win Jinx. As has been pointed out to us by several people on Twitter, it wasn't the flagstick on the 15th hole or the incorrect drop or the TV viewer who called in, but us who cost Tiger his fifth green jacket. Simply put, when we start him, he loses. When we stick him on the bench, he wins. Every time. We'll keep that in mind the next time he tees it up. . .

Starters -- (A-List): Bill Haas. Tied with Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker for the most top 10s on the PGA Tour this year, Haas is getting close to career win No. 5.

(B-List): Luke Donald. With another major disappointment in the books, it's time for Donald to refocus at a course where he finished T-2, T-3 and solo second from 2009-2011.

(B-List): Bo Van Pelt. Why does he always wait until Sunday to make his move at Augusta?

(C-List): Billy Horschel. After close calls in Houston and San Antonio, Horschel and his PGA Tour-best streak of 21 consecutive made cuts will be looking once again for his breakthrough tour win.

Bench -- Brandt Snedeker, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, and Jason Day.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Thomas Vonn (Lindsey's ex-husband) is confirmed as the "TV viewer" who blew the whistle on Tiger: 100-to-1 odds

-- Brandel Chamblee is confirmed as the "TV viewer" who blew the whistle on Tiger: 2-to-1 odds

Related: The shots that defined the Masters

-- Jim Nantz will not scream "A Life Changer!" after the winning putt at Harbour Town: LOCK

-- You will not watch as much golf on TV as you did last week: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

It's the story that just won't die. We thought we could move on from #Dropgate and then the Augusta Chronicle released these side-by-side photos indicating that perhaps Woods didn't violate a rule after all when he took his now infamous drop on the 15th hole on Friday. What's next? The Golf Channel's first made-for-TV movie event?

PHOTO OF THE WEEK (NOT INVOLVING TIGER WOODS)

We don't know who these people are, but they seem pretty awesome. A guy proposes to his girl in front of the Augusta National clubhouse and she says yes? Very cool. We're just glad Augusta National doesn't have a rule against that type of thing.

THIS AND THAT

TV ratings for the final round of the Masters were up 26%. It helps to have Tiger on the first page of the leader board, even if it's at the bottom. . . . Inbee Park moved to No. 1 in women's golf during her off week. World rankings! . . . A 14-year-old made the cut at the Masters. Sorry, but we can't say that enough.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

How many more years will Fred Couples "turn back the clock" at Augusta National?

Why doesn't Angel Cabrera take over those "Most interesting man in the world" beer ads?

Who wouldn't want to be Adam Scott's agent right about now?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.