Rory McIlroy doesn't appear to be lacking confidence, not in a week in which he told the media he "certainly believes" he's the best golfer in the world. 

But just in case the defending U.S. Open champion was in need of an ego boost, the San Francisco Giants announced yesterday that it'll give away Rory McIlroy bobbleheads at its Irish Heritage Night on June 12.

From a marketing perspective, the promotion seems like a "home run." Two days after the promotion, the 2012 U.S. Open will be contested at nearby Olympic Club in San Francisco. We gather that's a good way to boost interest for the casual golf fan in the Bay Area.

So what if the bobblehead looks little like the curly-haired 2011 U.S. Open winner? McIlroy doesn't seem to mind.

"The Bobblehead might be a little better looking than me, which is nice," McIlroy quipped when asked about the promotion after his round at the BMW PGA Championship.

We wonder if his star tennis girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki agrees.

Related: McIlroy named Golf World's No. 1 Newsmaker of 2011

Does McIlroy, from Belfast, Northern Ireland where he certainly grew up keeping an eye on soccer and rugby over the MLB, even care for baseball?

He seems to be warm enough to the idea, probably more so for the sake of the U.S. Open. He says he'll have some friends from the San Francisco area there to watch him, too.

McIlroy seemed to be practicing for his date on the mound during the first round of the BMW PGA as he tossed a club in disgust on the 12th hole Thursday.

"Obviously throwing the first pitch at a baseball game [is] something I've never done before," he said. "Just need to start practicing. I don't really want to make a fool of myself."

--Stephen Hennessey

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly. (And, you'll win a sleeve of golf balls printed with the Golf World logo!)

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday morning, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from our last Front 9: Luke Donald moves back to No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking with a third-place finish in New Orleans.)

Punchline: Being No. 1 at a major championship is what Donald really needs.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World.

Plus, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our new #Reaction blog. With the increased popularity of the contest, we've been getting too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was Gary Faulhaber of Erie, Pa., whose winning entry appeared in the May 7 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: Saying he's "mentally exhausted," Masters champion Bubba Watson returns to the tour at the Zurich."

The winning punchline: "Major championships bring major responsibilities, Bubba."

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly. (And, you'll win a sleeve of golf balls printed with the Golf World logo!)

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday morning, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from a recent Front 9: The House of Representatives votes to award Jack Nicklaus the Congressional Gold Medal.)

Punchline: Better than the silver medal he got from the Olympics Golf Course Selection Committee.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World.

Plus, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our new #Reaction blog. With the increased popularity of the contest, we've been getting too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was Thomas B. Allen of Middletown, Ohio, whose winning entry appeared in the April 30 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: Time magazine names Yani Tseng one of "The 100 Most Influential People in the World."

The winning punchline: "Non-golfers said 'Huh?', but he did not make the list this year."

You don't hear brain surgery associated with golf too often, but a second golfer on the PGA Tour will be forced to undergo brain surgery in less than a year's span.

Jeff Klauk will have one of three possible surgeries necessary to remove a "spot on the brain" that has caused epileptic seizures since 2006, as reported by the Florida Times-Union yesterday.

(Jeff Klauk with his wife Shanna after he won the Melwood Prince Georges County Open on the Nationwide Tour in 2008. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)

Back in September, 2008 Ryder Cup and two-time PGA Tour winner J.B. Holmes underwent successful surgery to remove pressure on his brain. Holmes' recover was rather quick--the University of Kentucky grad has played in eight events in 2012, nine including this week's Valero Texas Open, and finished in the top 10 twice.

Klauk, who made $1.24 million in 2009, his rookie season on the PGA Tour with three top-10s and a T-14 at The Players Championship, told the newspaper that the first surgery taking place today will be more of an exploratory one, which will then be followed by at least one additional surgery to remove the brain tissue causing his seizures.

Apparently, Tiger Woods isn't very good at keeping up with his family. In fact, by one account, he's ignoring his sick half-brother.

ESPN columnist Rick Reilly's latest story depicts Tiger's estranged relationship with his family, particularly his brother, Kevin, who had to quit his job and is in danger of losing his home while battling multiple sclerosis. His sister, Royce, who was close with Tiger while he was at Stanford (even doing his laundry and cooking meals, according to Reilly), hasn't talked to Tiger since their father passed away.

"I would live in a shack," Royce told author and Golf Digest contributor Tom Callahan for his 2010 book His Father's Son, "literally a shack, if I could have my relationship with my brother back."

Tiger speaks at his Tuesday press conference at Augusta National Golf Club. Photograph by Timothy A. Clary/AFP

Woods shares a father with his three siblings, Earl Jr., Kevin and Royce. Royce, the youngest, is 17 years older than the 14-time major winner. Their mother, Barbara Gary, was married to Earl Woods before his second marriage to Tiger's mom, Kultida.

The last time they even talked to Tiger was at their father's funeral six years ago, Royce says. Calls and messages go unanswered and unreturned. The article depicts his brother, Kevin, as a huge Tiger fan who just wants to talk to his famous brother.

Gary says: "I'm very disappointed in Tiger. Before he got all famous, they were in touch a lot."

Tiger does keep in touch with his niece, Cheyenne Woods, the 2011 ACC champion on the Wake Forest golf team. Earl Jr.'s daughter spent part of her Thanksgiving break with Tiger, according to the article.

"I'd like to [slap] Tiger, wake him up," Earl Jr. says. "I'd like to say, 'Don't come knocking on the door when you need a bone-marrow transplant.' To see this is the response we get? Maybe when you see the world like he does, you don't see what other people are going through. But, seriously? You've got problems with your knee? That's nothing compared to what Kevin is going through. Nothing."

--Stephen Hennessey

Follow @s_hennessey

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly.

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday morning, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from a recent Front 9: Luke Donald wins the Transitions Championship in sudden death, and retakes golf's No. 1 ranking from Rory McIlroy.")

Next step: Getting these guys to do their battle in the same tournament, instead of a computer program.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World. In addition to having their entry published in the magazine, winners will receive an official Golf World logo hat.

Hey, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our Editors' Blog: We've gotten too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was Chris Hamman of Wichita, Kan., whose winning entry appeared in the April 2 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: TaylorMade CEO Mark King appears on TV's Undercover Boss." Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/blogs/golf-editors/2012/03/these-guys-are-good-golf-world.html#ixzz1qcIQMMiX .

The winning punchline: "And until his win at Bay Hill, Tiger Woods played the role of Undercover Golfer for 924 straight days."

This is not a new story to Martha Burk. But she's hopeful for a new ending.

A Bloomberg article on Wednesday revealed a predicament for Augusta National Golf Club because of IBM's new CEO, Ginni Rometty. In the past, CEOs of the Masters' top three sponsors, IBM, AT&T and Exxon, have all received membership invitations from Augusta National. The club has never had a female member in its 80-plus year history, which prompted a series of protests led by Burk, a women's rights advocate, in 2003.

When Burk heard the news about Rometty, particularly that neither Augusta nor IBM commented on the situation, she felt it was a mistake and an opportunity lost.

"They should say they no longer participate [in sponsoring the Masters]," Burk told Golfdigest.com late Wednesday, speaking from a hotel room in Washington D.C. Augusta National's male-only membership "is an archaic policy that does not agree with their company's values. The board of directors has a responsibility here too. The board needs to distance the company from this club. But they've had that responsibility for the past nine years, and they haven't done anything about it.

"So if they don't do anything, that is a sign of disrespect for their new CEO."

Photo: Burk photographed in Washington D.C., in 2002. Mannie Garcia/Getty Images

Augusta National's media relations director, Steve Ethun, declined to comment for the Bloomberg News story. Its chairman, Billy Payne, has said there's no timetable in place for when its all-male membership policy might change.

Burk's protests outside Augusta National in 2003 generated headlines around the world but didn't lead to any significant change. Now Burk would like to see Rometty take a stand on the issue, too. "Female CEOs are rare, and it's very hard for her to get where they get," Burk said. "They are subject to a huge amount of peer pressure. They have to conform to the norms or they don't get to where they get. So it's interesting to see how strong she is."

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly.

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday around noon, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from a recent Front 9: Jessica Korda, 18, wins the ISPS Australian Handa Women's Open, the LPGA's season-opening event.")

Korda, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko . . . These days the media guide of women's golf looks like a high school yearbook.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World. In addition to having their entry published in the magazine, winners will receive an official Golf World logo hat.

Hey, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our Editors' Blog: We've gotten too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was John Breaker of Golden, Colo., whose winning entry appeared in the March 26 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: British Open champ Darren Clarke up for membership at Pine Valley.

The winning punchline: "Oh, sorry! I thought you said Pint Valley."

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly.

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday around noon, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from a recent Front 9: Jessica Korda, 18, wins the ISPS Australian Handa Women's Open, the LPGA's season-opening event.")

Korda, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko . . . These days the media guide of women's golf looks like a high school yearbook.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World. In addition to having their entry published in the magazine, winners will receive an official Golf World logo hat.

Hey, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our Editors' Blog: We've gotten too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was Kelly J. Hahn of Wilmore, Ky., whose winning entry appeared in the March 19 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: Rory McIlroy wins a point from tennis player Maria Sharapova during exhibition match in New York.

The winning punchline: "Following the match, McIlroy bowled a 300 and declared for the NFL Draft."

In a 20-minute span, a 12-year old duplicated a feat most golfers only dream of accomplishing.

Naomi Lee, a 7th grader from Menlo Park, Calif., etched her name into golf's record books when she aced two holes in the same round on Pebble Beach's nine-hole Peter Hay executive course on March 3.

Her aces came on the 82-yard third hole (using a 9-iron) and the 64-yard sixth hole (using a 52-degree wedge).

According to Golf Digest's knowledge, of the 150 reported double-ace rounds, Lee is the youngest female to pull off the trick. What are the odds of hitting two holes-in-one in one round? That'd be 67 million-to-1, according to a Sept. 2005 column in Golf Digest by David Owen.

While the odds decrease somewhat in Lee's case because she had nine par-3 holes instead of the standard four par-3 holes on a regulation course, it doesn't change the fact that a 12-year-old accomplished the feat.

Lee's officially spoiled for the rest of her golf career.

"It's something you don't really understand the gravity of until you really start to dig into it," says father Doug Lee, who's a member at The Olympic Club. "Maybe it's something Tiger or Jack have never done."

Actually, he's right. According to PGA Tour records, it's only been done twice in the modern era on tour. At the 2006 Reno-Tahoe Open, Yusaku Miyazato aced two holes within a six-hole span in the second round on Nos. 7 and 12 at Montreux G. & C.C. (He shot a 66 and finished T-21). The first was Bill Whedon, who made two holes-in-one in the first round of the 1955 Insurance City Open.