Tiger admits he fell short at US Open

Tiger Woods admitted he came up short at last week's US Open - despite playing well and striking the ball cleanly.

"I hit is just like I did at Memorial and, unfortunately, I didn't make anything. The greens are a little slow and bumpy, but you have to be committed to hitting it that hard, and I left a lot of putts short. Then when I tried to hit them harder, I gunned them past the holes. I didn't make the adjustment."

Woods was four shots off the pace - the very same number he dropped at a catastrophic end to the first round. However he refused to blame the course for his performance:

"This is a great golf course," Woods said, adding that he'd like to see Bethpage Black host another U.S. Open. "It's just that the USGA got the short end of the stick on the weather. We have yet to play it hard and fast the two years we've played. It was kind of getting that way in 2002 in the beginning of the week until it rained on Friday. This course would play so differently. They had to put a lot of the tees up because it was so soft, and I'm sure they did that on 18 because the fairway is basically underwater."

Although Tiger is definitely back from his injury, he is perhaps not so far ahead of the pack as before. Last year a relatively unknown player pushed him to the limit but he did win. This year, he gave it his all and a relatively unknown player kept his nerve and took his trophy.

Tiger Woods: Jack is still the best

Tiger stated what we all already knew today - the Golden Bear is still number one golfer of all time. When asked who he thought the best was, Woods modestly answered "Jack. He's got 18. I'm at 14."

True enough, Tiger, true enough. But Woods is only trailing by four majors and who would bet against him adding to that total at this week's US Open.

"It's always nice to play well going into a major championship, no doubt," Woods said. "To get a win always adds to the confidence, and no matter how you win, if you can win this way, ball-striking, hitting it that well, especially going into a US Open, it always makes you feel pretty good."

Perry tells big stars to play more

PGA Tour stalwart Kenny Perry has called out big stars Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to play more - and increase the pot for everyone.

"We've all been sitting around in the locker room, wondering what the future of the PGA Tour is going to be and what it's going to look like in five years," said Perry, 13 times PGA victor.

"It's tough out there, and it's up to us to help promote it. We need upper-echelon guys to really step up. I know that sounds a little unfair to Tiger (Woods) and Phil (Mickelson), but those guys are going to have to step in and help us out."

So let me get this straight - he wants the really talented and big name guys to help the just-plain-old-talented guys earn a whole lot more money via the additional exposure they bring? Finishing second behind Tiger could well be more lucrative than finishing first to a field of journeymen...

Is Tiger back to his best?

Is Tiger back on his A-game? It would appear so after his latest victory at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Some facts about the tournament:

• This was Tiger's 67th Tour win
• Tiger has won this tournament four times - another record
• This was Tiger's second win in just seven starts this season
• Woods hit 87.5% of fairways - his best showing since 1998. Has Tiger added accuracy to his immense mental game?
• It's looking ominous for the upcoming US Open at Bethpage - Tiger won the last open there in 2002.
  

Charles Barkley really should quit golfing

Big Charles has never been much of a golfer, in fact he's one the worst golfers we've ever seen. But recently he went one further than destroying golf and tried to destroy a spectator. Also, that IS sweat.

Charles Barkley near taking someone's head off:



Here's how NOT to swing: