Maine feature draws raves

Mickelson, Faxon stage four-ball show

It won't go down in history as a four-ball match to rival the legendary one pitting Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan against Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward at Cypress Point in 1956, but for pure fun in a classic setting, it was good stuff last week when PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson and Brad Faxon teed it up at the Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Visits to Cape Arundel by Mickelson, Faxon, and colleagues on the PGA Tour such as Davis Love, Fred Couples, Justin Leonard, and David Toms are nothing new, because the opportunity to play this Walter Travis gem is inviting. When you throw in the fact the invitation is extended by George H.W. Bush, well, it's no wonder Mickelson and his wife Amy pinch themselves after each visit. This year was no exception, even if Mickelson did fail to improve upon the course-record 60 he posted last year.

The trip would not be complete without the annual presence of Mark Plummer, owner of so many Maine State Amateur titles that it's hard to keep track of them. Plummer was paired with Mickelson against Faxon and Eric Higgins, the 2007 Maine State Amateur champ who works on the staff at Arundel.

With the former president and his wife Barbara following the action from a golf cart, and with Amy Mickelson and Dory Faxon watching along with a small gallery of members, the spirited competition started at the first hole when Mickelson went straight into attack mode. Cape Arundel, a par-70 layout, offers relief for guys like Mickelson and Faxon who often are confronted with 7,300-yard monsters. At roughly 5,800 yards from the tips, it is a course saturated in character, with small greens and firm conditions at the heart of its makeup, but players of great skill will try and play it aggressively, so there was Mickelson charging a back hole location at the 360-yard first hole.

He went long into a bog and took triple bogey.

"Brad looked at me and said Phil had told him the night before he wanted to shoot 59," said Higgins, "so it was too bad. It was going to be tough to do that after that start."

Not that getting into a quick lead calmed Higgins down. "I was extremely nervous," said Higgins, who played collegiately at Northern Colorado. "I couldn't stop shaking for four or five holes."

Apparently, it didn't hinder his play.

"He was playing better than all of us early on," said Plummer.

Through 11 holes Faxon and Higgins were 3 up, and after 14 they were 2 up. But Mickelson and Plummer have achieved their legends - albeit on stages of different scales - for good reason and Faxon and Higgins knew they'd have to hold on. They held a 1-up cushion through 17, affording them an opportunity to nail down victory at the 390-yard closing hole. With everyone in play, it would come down to what it frequently does at Cape Arundel, the short-iron game, and when both Higgins and Faxon hit second shots that presented birdie opportunities, things looked good.

Then . . .

"A typical Phil moment," said Higgins, still laughing a few days later. "He dunked it for a deuce. I said to Amy, 'How many times have you seen that?' "

The match was tied and while all four competitors felt a playoff was necessary, there was no doubt the final decision was up to their host. The former president couldn't have been more adamant; the fun would continue. Back at the first tee, Mickelson again hit into a hazard, but Plummer saved par to halve the hole. Then, at the par-4 second, Plummer, whose résumé includes a spirited US Amateur match against Tiger Woods at Newport CC in 1995, slipped home an 8-foot birdie putt to provide for a comeback, 1-up victory.

"None of us played particularly well," said Plummer, "but it sure was a lot of fun."

Mandate misses the mark

"I do think it's a little drastic," she told reporters in her native Mexico.

No one seems at odds with the LPGA Tour's underlying purpose for the policy - if the South Korean women learn to speak English it would make it easier to market the players and tour - but holding over their heads the threat of suspensions? Well, Padraig Harrington couldn't stop shaking his head.

"Surely, if you can say, 'Hello,' that's English. Is that good enough?" he told reporters at the Deutsche Bank Championship. "Who draws the line about how many words you've got know in English?"

Seth Waugh, the CEO of the Deutsche Bank Americas, like Harrington, offered a viewpoint that many in America should have. He conceded he was a bit embarrassed to say he only speaks English, whereas many Europeans, for instance, are fluent in several languages. "They do what we should all do," said Waugh, who plays in pro-ams and understands how it would help the LPGA Tour if all of its Korean players spoke English.

But he sees it as hard to mandate, especially when so many American players don't speak Korean or Spanish, yet travel with the LPGA Tour to South Korea and Mexico more and more frequently.

Harrington also wondered about another issue.

"That's tough, to ask somebody with a learning disability who might have found golf as the saving grace in their life," he said. "To ask them to learn a different language, or else you can't play.

"There are people out there who don't naturally pick up second languages. They could make an effort, but it would be difficult. I'm just saying that there's lot of different issues to [be considered]."

Well done, Padraig, and you are so right.

And for those who feel strongly that the policy should be implemented as it's been laid out - speak English or face suspension - then what do you say to Daisuke Matsuzaka?

Tour needs to take another cut at fixing FedEx Cup

But let's give credit to PGA Tour officials who surveyed last year's debut of the system and reacted favorably.

There wasn't enough movement in the standings from week to week last year; everyone agreed on that point. The points distribution was tweaked and this time around, players moved in and out of the cutoff marks at an alarming rate, so much so that the shouts came loud and clear: "There's too much volatility."

There is, but it's much better than last year and officials are closer to having it on target in 2008 than they were in 2007.

"It took NASCAR five years [with its season-long points chase]," said PGA Tour member Nicholas Thompson. "Hopefully, we can get it right in three."

Thompson had no qualms about using his own situation as an example of what needs retweaking. He referenced back to a putt he had on the 36th hole of The Barclays, the first playoff event. Thompson made a birdie putt of 25-30 feet to make the cut on the number, then he had a terrific weekend to move into a share of seventh. He earned 3,455 FedEx Cup points, 2,000 of which were secured just for making the cut.

He jumped from 47th to 20th in the standings, "but if I had missed that putt, I would have fallen to 83d," said Thompson. "That's kind of a lot [of volatility]."

Jim Furyk agrees and if his voice is heard, PGA Tour officials will lower the number of points you get for simply making the cut.

"Volatility is good, but I still think we're rewarding mediocrity," said Furyk. "Cuts made bothers me. Making a cut isn't anything to be proud of, in my opinion. Playing well, finishing fifth? Now, there's something to be proud of."

He was hitting at an example that has been used time and again at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Paul Casey finished joint fifth at The Barclays (3,455 FedEx Cup points), but missed the cut at TPC Boston (0 points).

A player who finished 70th at Barclays and 70th at DBC would have received a total of 4,196 points.

On one hand, Casey's work was worth $203,700, far more than the $27,440 you'd get for going 70th and 70th, yet the guy who goes 70th and 70th gets more FedEx Cup points?

"I think we're rewarding mediocrity. That's my term: Rewarding mediocrity. I made that up. I don't like rewarding mediocrity," said Furyk.

Etc.

Quick delivery
When he closed out his Deutsche Bank Championship with an eagle at the par-5 18th Monday afternoon and headed home to Jupiter, Fla., Brett Quigley knew he was in a race to get home to see the birth of his second child. His wife Amy had been scheduled to deliver Thursday, but things went a bit faster than expected. Going into labor on Labor Day, Amy gave birth to another daughter that evening, just before Brett arrived.

The Daly number
If you like numbers, here's one for you: 708. That's the spot in the world rankings occupied by John Daly, who sits one position ahead of Marco Soffietti of Italy. Ranked 708th? You don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Dynamic duo?
Fairway news: Tiger Woods announces his wife is pregnant and the couple's second child is due in late winter.

Clubhouse view: If it's a boy, the bookies in the UK have made him a 2-1 favorite to win the Father/Son Challenge as early as 2010.

A Bolt out of the past
The death of colorful Tommy Bolt - the 1958 US Open champion who was heralded as much for his fiery temper as his Hall of Fame talent - at the age of 92 rekindled fond memories for many. Bob Donovan, the executive director of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, used to organize pro-ams for CIGNA and Bolt was a frequent participant, often times paired with Steve Melnyk, John Brodie, or Dave Marr. "He was fanatical about his clothes and he brought a lot of luggage," said Donovan. Personally, there was the opportunity a few years ago to visit Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Fla., where Bolt was the unofficial mayor, jokester, and goodwill ambassador. Simply sharing a few words with the man was a treat. A colleague had me beat, though, because Cape Cod native and GolfWeek editor Jeff Babineau visited Bolt in preparation of his 2002 Hall of Fame induction and actually got to play with the former champ. When Babineau asked Bolt why he chose to play in the afternoons, the man offered one of his many pearls of wisdom: "Son, all the leaders tee off in the afternoon."

Cup takes
An outward nine of thoughts, considerations, and wonderments as we draw closer to the 37th Ryder Cup:

Azinger said he called just one player to say he wasn't being picked. Reporters asked who. "Didn't matter who it was. I'm not going to tell anybody who it was," said the captain. Talking to a Pittsburgh reporter later in the day, Mediate said Azinger had called him to offer his regrets. So much for mystery.

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