Rude: Anchoring ban for good of whose game?
Let’s not kid ourselves. The ban on an anchored putting stroke, to start in 2016, would seem to focus on “sport” rather than “game.” On competition rather than recreation. On game-face golf rather than social golf.
Rude: Venturi was 'very fortunate'
Ken Venturi had a severe stuttering problem as a youth, lost competitive golf to carpal tunnel syndrome, and lost a wife to brain cancer. Yet he’s inclined to repeat, “I’ve been very fortunate.”
Bombers' 3-woods cut Tour courses down to size
“Not many drivers” is a crazy new catch phrase in sports. It applies not to the Indy 500 or the Iditarod dog-sled race but to, of all things, professional golf in the so-called Bomber Era.
Controversy causes a stir in Woods-Garcia pairing
It took less than two holes for controversy to rear its head in the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia final twosome in The Players’ third round Saturday.
Rude: Players leaderboard features biggest names
In most years, the top of the Players leaderboard features little-known names, with Sawgrass eating the game's best alive. Not so in 2013, with the likes of Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia leading the way.
Rude: Rare contention at Players for Tiger
Tiger Woods put himself in a position to contend for only the third time in his 15 starts at the PGA Tour's Players Championship, one of the few tournaments that has confounded him.
Singh, 'angry and hurt,' suing PGA Tour
In the aftermath of the deer-antler spray controversy, Vijay Singh has filed suit against the PGA Tour, alleging the Tour subjected him to "public humiliation and ridicule for months."
Snedeker voices opposition for viewer rules call-ins
The topic of whether television viewers should be allowed to call in rules violations reared its head again Tuesday when Brandt Snedeker emphatically expressed his opinion.
Rude: Rory McIlroy loses confidence in his putter
Rory McIlroy surely has had better birthdays. It’s not just that he made a double bogey and three bogeys in a sloppy 73 in the Wells Fargo Championship third round. His overcast day was darkened by the instrument known as the flat stick.
Rude: Pampling's alternate route yields fitting reward
You might say Australian Rod Pampling has made the most of his opportunity so far as an alternate at the Wells Fargo Championship. A pair of 3-under-par 69s have put him in a tie for sixth place.
Rude: It's time for Vijay to sing a little
In the wake of his controversy about a performance-enhancing substance, Vijay Singh can help himself by opening up a little, columnist Jeff Rude says.
Rude: On Tiger, Tianlang, Muirfield and more
Potential reasons Tiger Woods is skipping Quail Hollow, Tianlang Guan's long challenge, Peter Dawson's 'bullying' denial and more highlight this week's Hate To Be Rude.
Rude: PGA Tour likely to act soon on Singh
Hate to be Rude: Now that the Masters is over, the PGA Tour is likely to act soon on the case of Vijay Singh, according to one Tour insider.
Rude: Ultimately, the punishment fit Tiger's crime
While many may have a problem with a television viewer calling in the Tiger Woods penalty on Friday night, the timing actually helped the 14-time major champion. And punishment ultimately fit the crime says Jeff Rude.
Agent: Tiger's drop wasn't 'willful' violation
Mark Steinberg says that Tiger Woods' words that prompted a late-night video review by Masters officials mean that, “He in effect called it (the penalty) on himself."
Champ Watson squeezes inside cut line
Bubba Watson three-putted three times plus another from the fringe Thursday and Friday at the Masters. He says Augusta's famed greens are slower this year, and that his miscues are costly.
Rude: Masters revs up old champ Couples' cool
Fred Couples not only is defying age at the Masters, he is trampling upon his own words of late March when he grumbled about his form and maintained he had no chance at Augusta.
Tiger Woods keeps head down in Masters' first round
This was your Masters favorite, Tiger Woods, a winner of 14 major championships, but his body language on several holes would have fooled you, his head slung low.
Rude: Tiger balances confidence, contentment
Tiger Woods clearly is more equipped to win the Masters than at any point since 2005, when he won his fourth and most recent green jacket – and says there's balance to be seen in his life.
Masters champ Watson still has Augusta hooked
Never mind the green jacket in which he wrapped up adopted son Caleb last year – Bubba Watson wouldn't say no to a plaque at the spot of his famous hooked wedge during last year's playoff.
