She's just 19, the youngest ever to win a U.S. Women's Open, but to those of us who pick Ryan Herrington's brain on the subject of junior golf, she's a veteran. Way back in 2003, when some of us in this neighborhood were enthralled by the thought of Michelle Wie coming to Brooklawn C.C. to play in the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, Golf World's Herrington reminded us that there were some other good players. Like who, we asked? Oh, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lang, Mina Harigae.... and don't forget the defending champion, Inbee Park, who had won in 2002. At age 13!.

Sure enough, Park won medalist honors, survived the match play to make the finals as Wie, Pressel and Creamer fell by the way side. Park improbably lost a 5-hole lead in the finals with a few strategic errors, but she'd made her mark. When she won yesterday, it actually came as a suprise that she was the youngest champion. For some of us, she was overdue.

Speaking of Michelle Wie, the subject of many of your letters to us, you may have missed Larry Dorman's piece in Saturday's Times. Wie spoke candidly about the last couple of years, admitting that she'd tried to return from a wrist injury too soon. Surprisingly, Wie said that it was not only her coach, David Leadbetter, who had urged her not to play.

"I think to put it simply I would not have played," she said, and when her answer was repeated, she firmly responded: "Would not have played. I was in no condition to play. I don’t know what I was thinking."

She said her teacher, David Leadbetter, was opposed to her playing.

“David told me not to play,” she said. “My parents, at times, told me not to play.

“But I had to face reality sometime. I hate to say it, but they were right. It’s a learning experience.”

She shouldn't let pride get in the way. She should play the Futures Tour. All she needs to do is write a letter asking for permission. Do you think they'd ever turn her down? It's all about getting some rounds under her belt. That's how you learn how to win. That's how you learn to avoid mental mistakes like those she made on No. 9.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: David Cannon, Getty Images)

Peggy O'Toole takes offense at our dire predictions about Golf without Tiger Woods: Enough with all the hand-wringing already!

I really do not expect this email to get published but your recent issue regarding the status of golf now that
Tiger is out for the rest of the season really "infuriated" me.

I'm an avid golf fan and follower no matter who is playing and/or winning. . I recently attended the US Open at Torrey Pines and saw Tiger, Phil, etc what a wonderful experience. To me, the quality of golf and of all the other players is amazing.

My feelings are this: Yes, Tiger being out will be a loss for the PGA, but according to all the media and sports people supposedly "in the know" it all seems about the almighty dollar--how much money will be lost, how low the TV coverage will be, etc. etc. It's as though there is no PGA Tour without Tiger Woods. What about Mickelson, Els, etc. ? They don't seem to count for anything. even Paul Azinger--the new Ryder Cup captain putting his American team down--how sad is that!!!

My suggestion: if this is the case: Shut down the PGA Tour for the remainder of the season until 2009. That includes all tournaments, Golf Channel Coverage, Sports Announcers, Advertisers, golf magazines, cancel the Ryder Cup,.etc. Why bother covering anything golf related if no one seems to be satisfied unless Tiger is playing?

Isn't it time for a reality check ? Golf is a sport. Sure, Tiger is a phenom, but we have SO MANY very, very
talented professional golfers who are not even given any consideration.

You might enjoy a post by Geoff Shackelford a short while back. It was a letter he'd received from former USGA Executive Director Frank Hannigan, who made a point very similar to yours.

Ben Hogan, hit straight on by a fast moving bus, in the winter of 1948, after winning the US Open, had to sit our all of 1949. Golf survived. The four major winners in 1949 were Sam Snead (twice), Bobby Locke and Cary Middlecoff. Moreover, I'm sick of hearing of the huge money game being defined as "golf." As in "Golf is in dreadful shape with Tiger out. The British Open might just as well be Quad Cities.

By the way, golf has been stagnant during the era of Tiger Woods in terms of rounds played or golf balls sold. In Hogan's best days, golf boomed.

--Bob Carney

For those of you who have written to us about Tiger's knee, you'll be interested a piece by John Lauerman on Bloomberg.com today. Lauerman gets orthopedic surgeons to talk about Tiger's surgery and about the surgeon who did it. It turns out that Dr. Thomas Rosenberg, an innovative surgeon and an avid golfer himself, takes a significantly different approach to ACL surgery than most and probably took that approach with Woods:

While the doctor isn't saying what technique he used on Woods, Rosenberg is an early developer of the ``double-bundle'' reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.

Most surgeons repair a damaged ACL, which Woods tore, with a single strand of tendon tissue, usually taken from the patient's knee or from a cadaver. Rosenberg pioneered replacing both of the two parts of the ACL. Some specialists believe it may preserve the finely tuned ``screw'' action of the knee as it hinges, said John Richmond, chairman of orthopedics at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston.

``The anterior cruciate ligament guides the knee joint,'' said Richmond. He says he uses both methods. ``The perceived advantage of double-bundle surgery is that it restores a more normal motion.''

Worth a read.

--Bob Carney

It struck us, during the Open, that it was nice to have Curtis Strange back in the booth. So we were pretty sure it would strike someone else that it was not nice to have Curtis back. And so it was. While we thought that Curtis had added a new candor to his commentary, others were just perturbed. Kathy Lane of La Quinta, for example.

I love to play golf and enjoy watching it on tv, except when Curtis Strange is in the booth. I want a commentator who sticks to the tournament and players on the course and can tell me more than I can see for myself...for that reason, I really enjoy listening to Johnny Miller.

I was dismayed to read Tim Rosaforte's column on the possibility of Strange's return to television. I suggest the decision-makers considering this move listen to some past commentaries by Strange. His remarks always seem to be more about him than the players on the course...a perfect example is in the TV Rewind section in this issue. The guy was only on the air for a few minutes...yet managed to say "the Open was special at my house...I played in my firsst in '77 and to have excelled and won,it still really gets me."

I can mute him for short appearances, but I have trouble believing I am the only viewer that finds Curtis's commentary strangely annoying.

Kathy was not alone. Here's Fred Zinn of Pinehurst:

Please, please, no re-run for Curtis Strange into the ABC booth. It has been a GREAT RELEIF not to listen to him over the last few years. His "strange" accent bothers even my golf pal who was born and raised in Virginia and has never heard anyone talk like TOM for time and FAV for five.

What did the rest of you think?

--Bob Carney

You've heard from Michael Lewis, who doesn't even think golf's a sport. And many of you have your problems with golf coverage (see recent comments and letters on Curtis Strange, Johnny Miller, etc.) Here's another view, not from an old fogie but from a college sports editor who really likes what he sees of golf on television. Marty Hastings, sports editor of the Omega, the Thompson Rivers University daily newspaper writes:

At this moment in time, I would like to announce that the sport of golf is, hands down, the most entertaining sport on television. In fact, there is nothing else on television as engaging as golf is right now, period.

And holy cow there's more:

New technology allows viewers to see professional golf swings slowed down to the point where they can visibly see the golf ball compress as it is launched of the face of the driver. Viewers who don’t care about the compressing ball can just focus on certain parts of the golfer’s anatomy, which can be just as fascinating.

Hastings acknowledges that Tiger inspired his, and many others', appreciation for the game. But it hasn't stopped with Tiger.

Golf started to lose its reputation as a boring sport when Tiger burst onto the scene and made golf cool. Ever since then, more and more young people have been flocking to the game. Now the young talent that picked up clubs after being inspired by Tiger is competing on both the men’s and women’s tours. If you are a fan of the sport of golf then you don’t need convincing; it’s a great game without the frills and gimmicks. It’s the people with preconceived notions that need to be pushed towards the game. I urge anyone who has never given golf a chance to tune in one Sunday and check it out. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

--Bob Carney

There's an obvious need for some physical activity that can pass itself off as a sport in which rich, important people can easily participate, and simulate the motions of a pro, without fear of total humiliation. Michael Lewis

I liked everything Michael Lewis, author of "Moneyball" and "Blind Side" until I read his rant on golf today. (Thanks to Tony Wong for pointing it out). Lewis calls golf a "faux sport". Oh, Michael, say it isn't so:

The striking thing about the recent U.S. Open wasn't that Tiger Woods won it playing on a broken leg. The striking thingwas how much he -- and the golfing world -- clearly relished the idea of Tiger Woods playing on a broken leg.
As he limped and grimaced up fairways and around doglegs, with the crowd and the cameras lusting for every wince-laden drive, he was no longer just golfing. He was elevating golf to the status it so desperately seeks: the status of a genuine athletic event.

Odd that at a time when Woods has been mentioned as one of the top athletes in the world, Lewis goes so wrongly in the opposite direction. But then, he has a point to make.

Rich, important people often lack athletic ability, and so any faux sport would need to be doable without balance or dexterity or coordination. Many rich important people are also fat and physically lazy -- and so the faux sport must also be doable with a minimum of exertion.

It would be a plus, for instance, if it could be done, without shame, while riding around in a little electric cart.

Enter golf. If it didn't exist, some rich, important person would have had to invent it for himself.

Please, all you non-athletes out there, tell me what you'd say to Michael Lewis.

--Bob Carney

Is it true that cannibals don't eat comedians because they taste funny? George Carlin

We'll miss George Carlin, a very funny many, but when he passed on Sunday someone mentioned his rant on golf ("a boring game played by boring people") which we found to be angry, unleavened and not very funny. It got us to thinking about comedians who have done golf well and Robin Williams and Chris Rock sprung to mind. (If you're turned off by profanity, you might want to skip Williams, though it's hilarious.) I'm sure you can think of others who have done it well. Please suggest them. For example, hasn't Billy Connolly, a Scot, ever taken off on golf? I couldn't find it.

Meanwhile, you'll be happy to know that in the old country there is a Comedians Golf Society and that if you'd like a golf-savvy comedian for your member-guest, there is a company which will supply him. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.

--Bob Carney

We're still getting letters protesting Johnny Miller's "swimming pool cleaner" comment about Rocco Mediate during Open coverage. Miller also said, most of you know, that "Rocco" was not a name that wound up on the US Open trophy. A couple of those letters:

Let’s see how the double standards work from here. Johnny Miller says during the US Open telecast that Rocco Mediate “looks like the guy who cleans Tiger’s swimming pool” and that “guys with the name Rocco don’t get on the trophy, do they?” Let’s see if he’s reprimanded like others who have preceded him for making lame brain comments. I’ve never been a Miller fan; he’s a loose cannon during the telecasts and most of the time I zone him out when he talks. But this is going over the top. I’ve been around the Tour for 29 years and Rocco is truly one of those really nice guys that people appreciate on the tour. He actually talks to and acknowledges the crowds, something that Tiger will never do. For Miller to knock him like this shows that Miller has no class. He can speak his mind because there isn’t anyone on the air to argue with him, it’s just “yes Johnny you’re correct”. Well let’s see how big his mouth is now.
Andrew Cohoon

Here's another from Joel Pisano of Trenton, New Jersey:

In respect to NBC's coverage of the US Open, I would ask the following two questions about Johnny Miller's remarks:

Exactly why does he think that Rocco Mediate should be cleaning Eldrick Woods' swimming pool; and

Exactly why should we not have a name such as Rocco on the US Open trophy?

It's not always, "Yes, Johnny, you're correct." After being taken to task by Richard Sandomir of the Times, Miller apologized for his remarks.

"I apologize to anyone who was offended by my remarks,'' Miller said in a statement Friday through NBC. "My intention was to convey my affection and admiration for Rocco's everyman qualities and had absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity. I chose my words poorly and in the future will be more careful.''

We also got a couple of letters about Rocco not getting enough coverage in our publications and elsewhere. Hard for me to understand that. I think Rocco got great coverage, all deserved. He's also being heavily used to promote this week's Buick Open.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: buick-open-golf.com)

We are the Roshomon nation. The reactions to Tiger's victory at Torrey Pines--from some readers off-the-charts positive--have also been critical in some cases, surprisingly so. It's almost as if this second group of readers were watching a different Open. A sampling:

Tiger Woods may hold the title and the trophy but the real winner of the US Open us Rocco Mediate. Rocco not only played well but he coped with the Tiger circus and managed to retain his focus as Tiger took at
least twice as long to play every shot as he did. He was always gracious, applauding Woods good shots and was one of the first to congratulate him after holing the tying putt on the 18th hole on Sunday. Rocco talked and treated everyone with respect and at all times his demeanor was that of a gentleman. Woods, on the

other hand, frequently reacted badly to a less than perfect shot and his over-the- top display after the Sunday tying putt was disgusting. His playing partner, Lee Westwood, although a multiple winner around the world, had never won a major, nor had Rocco. His in-your-face display was insensitive and has no place in the gentlemanly game of golf. He should recognize that several times throughout the tournament he was lucky, whereas Rocco wasn't , as, among other things, he narrowly
missed a hole in one. Rocco is a winner.
Ken Stephen
Alliston, Ontario

It never ceases to amaze me why no one questions the lack of real competition for Tiger Woods in the majors. Jack Nicklaus on his way to 18 major victories had to face Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino, all multiple major winners. Tiger Woods’ competition in the last decade pales in comparison and, in fact, includes mostly players who win one major and disappear from view. Until Tiger encounters and goes head to head with real competitors, I take with a “grain of salt” the worth of his 14 major victories.
Joseph Hines
Ocala, Florida

Golf World's June 6th cover article on slow play was prophetic. In the article, you quoted PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem as stating “You owe your fellow competitor the courtesy of maintaining a reasonable pace.” I appeared to me and others that Tiger intentionally slowed down his play to un-nerve Rocco Mediate. It started around the 15th as Tiger fell behind, but was very apparent on the 17th fairway. An official should have put Tiger "on the clock" on the 17th as he checked and rechecked the wind, had numerous conversations with his caddie, changed club selections twice, and backed away from hitting his shot a couple of times. Rocco was on a rhythm, and is a fast play type of golfer. He had to wait in the fairway for Tiger to play before he could hit his approach. I feel Tiger’s slow play threw Rocco off the great birdie run that he had going into the last few holes. Tiger also took an unusual amount of time getting to the sudden death tee (as noted by announcer Johnny Miller), again leaving Rocco to pace the tee box to control his emotions. Tiger’s actions were probably within the rules of golf, but not within the spirit of the game.
Ed Mohr
Lake Orion, Michigan

There is no denying that Tiger Woods is the most talented player to ever pick up a golf club. His performance at last week's U.S. Open further solidified his position as the game's best player ever. Despite his incredible talents, however, I will never hold him in the same regard as some of the game's other great players. The reason is simple. As last week's telecast demonstrated over and over again, he still doesn't conduct himself on the golf course the way a Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and even a Phil Mickelson do. He continues to throw clubs and use language that I and I'm sure many others find offensive. Growing up in the Palmer and Nicklaus era I have watched endless telecasts of these great players and cannot recall one instance where either of them threw clubs or used offensive language. Tiger will likely hold every major record by the time he finishes his career. However, in my mind (and I suspect many other's) Tiger will never achieve the status of these other great players unless he learns how to control his temper and set a better example for all of those youngsters who watch him and aspire to be like him. Please Tiger, remember thousands and thousands of children are watching you.
Allen Stendahl
Franklin, TN 37067

--Bob Carney

Reader Brian J. Doherty of Mill Creek, Washington, had his problems with our U.S. Open Challenge.

GREAT idea, good timing, POOR execution of the "Challenge" at Torrey prior to the Open... Loved the idea. Most all of us live in the 10-15 handicap world and we all wonder a) what would it really be like to play an Open course and b) what would we really shoot ? Looked forward to it. But, it should have been a foursome of "regular" Joe's with handicaps from maybe 6 to 10, not one lucky guy ( who was well deserving) and three CELEBRITIES!! Who wants to see a 2-handicap like Tony Romo play ? Is he your average "10-handicap" ? Shouldn't he be in training camp still working on field-goal holds ? I was disappointed in the three celebs deal. They play/perform in front of thousands, maybe millions, on a regular basis. Golf or not, there is no way they would feel the same pressure like I or anyone else would who's never been on center stage !! Next time, keep the "celebs" out !! B-O-R-I-N-G !

By the way, loved Torrey for an Open. Next year we get another PUBLIC venue in Bethpage, then Pinehurst and Chambers Bay further down the line. Courses that ANY of us can play, not the exclusive private courses that have dominated US Opens of the past. Applause to USGA for being willing to
make some course changes, both physically and geographically !!

Did you catch Matt Lauer's mention of the Challenge on the Today Show this morning? He explained his score of 100 by reporting that he'd played the Challenge with two broken arms. Very funny.

--Bob Carney