Golfweek

As the host of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on the Fox Business Network, the cable commentator breaks down the day’s news into a macro-economic view. Dobbs, 61, who carries “about a 20” handicap once the weather turns at Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg, N.J., also has some big-picture thoughts about golf, which he adopted later in life.

What took so long to get into golf?

I was a poor kid (in Texas and Idaho). My family didn’t have enough money to be supporting that kind of idea. I was working and going to school. Over time, economics changed and so did circumstances. My wife (Debi) said to me one day, you better get out there and play with the boys. I cherish the times with the kids on the golf course.

How related are golf and business?

As I talk to people, they wouldn’t know how to do business without playing golf with certain customers. And it makes all the sense in the world. It is the sport of business, without question.

Golf has a lot of issues: the economy, speed of play and the cost. From a business viewpoint, what would you change?

Reduce the time ...

This was before Facebook and Twitter, so we hadn’t yet transformed into a society of impersonal slugs and one wasn’t restricted to 140 characters to express his or her thoughts. So what arrived in the mail one day was something Mary Bea Porter-King cherished, for it involved real words and real emotions.

“He wrote me a letter, when he was 17 or 18. He told me how he had come to really realize the impact of it all, that he would not be here if it hadn’t happened.”

“He” was Jonathan Smucker.

“It” was Porter-King’s heroic efforts that saved his life.

Think of how silly we are when we write or talk or use the word “hero” so cavalierly; someone is a “hero” for making a putt in a competition, or Player X hit a “heroic” shot because he aimed for a harmless flagstick. Then think how out of touch we are when we go on with our lives each and every day, paying so very little attention to those who truly are heroes or have done heroic things.

Fortunately, cognizant people sometimes rise to the occasion and take stock of the landscape to pay homage ...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.– Many sages have imparted wisdom that goes something like this: Most important is not what happens to you or how you react to what happens; rather, it’s how you consciously choose to respond.

Apparently Kyle Stanley was paying attention.

Two days later, the shock and emotional pain of making triple-bogey-8 and losing a three-shot lead on the 72nd hole of the Farmers Insurance Open apparently have worn off. They have been replaced by warmth from an outpouring of support and the realization that he is playing well.

If he’s ruminating, he’s hiding it well.

“I’m pretty much at peace with everything,” the 24-year-old said Tuesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “You can either let it get you down or you can focus on the positive. I did way too many good things last week to dwell on one shot or one hole or one putt.”

The shot and putt, of course, came on the same hole. He put too much spin on a 77-yard sand wedge shot that spun back some 35 feet into water. Then he missed a 3 1/2-foot putt for victory and lost on the second playoff hole against ...

Dottie Pepper agreed with the suggestion that there are an awful lot of golf books out there.

“That’s why I was skeptical,” said the 17-time LPGA Tour winner and current NBC golf reporter.

She was talking about having been been approached to contribute to a golf book. But quickly, Pepper realized that this wasn’t just any golf book. It was for children, built around a character named Bogey Ballton, a range ball whose ambition is to reach the PGA Tour. Volume 1 of the series “Bogey Tees Off” was officially introduced at last week’s PGA Merchandise Show and Pepper’s skepticism has long since morphed into enthusiasm.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It really has,” said Pepper, who was brought into the project because “they needed a golf geek – and I’m the golf geek.”

The one who shapes the stories is co-author Scott Fuller of Virginia Beach, whom Pepper had never met before being introduced to the project in the days after helping with a pro-am right after the U.S. Open at Congressional. “(Fuller) is the one who knows the right way to talk to children,” Pepper said.

Bogey’s story is simple ...

SAN DIEGO – Making just his second PGA Tour start, rookie John Huh made three eagles during a 64 in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open. One sensible response to such a rare occurrence might be, “Huh?”

Now the 21-year-old Korean-American is tied for second entering Sunday’s final round, five strokes behind second-year Tour player Kyle Stanley.

That makes for a Huh statement instead of question.

The Q-School graduate who has taken the road less traveled to golf’s big show has proved to be a quick study. Only a few years ago, he wasn’t even the best player on his high school team. Saturday, he shot up the leaderboard by making seven birdies in a third-round 68 on the difficult Torrey Pines South Course.

Apparently he was in some sort of zone, because he said afterward that he didn’t realize he had made seven birdies.

“I just know I made two good putts,” he said.

The reference was to a 46-foot putt on No. 2 and a 37-footer at 16, both for birdie.

“I’m just trying to learn,” he said.

What did he learn Saturday?

“I learned you have to make a lot of ...

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Get ready for David versus Goliath, Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed, the rabbit taking on the hare.

Even if you tried, you couldn’t find two more disparate characters at the top of the Abu Dhabi leaderboard than Tiger Woods and Robert Rock. They’re tied on 11 under par, but that’s about the only thing they have in common.

Woods has won 14 majors and another 83 tournaments around the world. He has 71 PGA Tour victories alone. He’s earned $1 billion in earnings (and endorsements).

Rock, meanwhile, is the epitome of the journeyman professional. He’s just won one tournament of note, last year’s Italian Open. But even that was the result of a long, arduous road from oblivion.

It’s not that long ago the 34-year-old Englishman was teaching 18 handicappers how to fix their slices at Swingers Driving Range in Litchfield, England. Honest, “Swingers.”

You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Rock turned professional in 1998 but didn’t make it onto the European Tour until 2003. He qualified for the Benson & Hedges International Open and Volvo PGA Championship after nice performances in PGA professional events in the ...

Editor's note: Phil Mickelson shot 68 in Round 2 to miss the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.

SAN DIEGO – Phil Mickelson hit his ball into 10 bunkers Thursday. Spencer Levin and Kyle Stanley shot 10 under par.

Mickelson shot 77. The two co-leaders shot 62.

That means a few odd things. The hometown legend found himself 15 strokes off a first-round lead, maybe his largest deficit ever after an opening day, anywhere. The margin is even more stunning considering it came at Torrey Pines, where he has won three times on the PGA Tour, all before a 2001 South Course renovation that didn’t delight him.

For certain, the 77 tied his second highest score ever in this tournament, now named the Farmers Insurance Open. He shot 78 in the third round in 2005 and 77 in Round 3 in ’97. Runner-up here last year, Mickelson has played 80 rounds in 23 starts in this event.

Also certain is that the World Golf Hall of Fame inductee walked off disappointed and confused after entering the season and the week with high hopes at age 41. All parts of his game were off, particularly driving and putting, and he ...

LA JOLLA, Calif. – It’s been a decade since Phil Mickelson won his hometown event at Torrey Pines. He finished second with flair, as he so often does, last year when Mickelson’s caddie, Jim Mackay, tended the flag on the final hole as Mickelson tried to hole a wedge shot for eagle.

He came close, but had to settle for birdie, finishing a shot behind Bubba Watson. It was an illustration of Mickelson’s confidence in his wedge game. He estimates he hits the pin a dozen times per year with a wedge in his hand.

“I work at that,” Mickelson said. “That’s what I practice. It’s not an accident that my wedge game is what it is.”

So, how does one get Mickelson’s wedge game? Practice, practice, practice. He said he spends three days per week on his wedge game, hitting 1,500 balls to specific spots. “For the most part, I’m able to fly it within a yard 90 percent of the time,” he said.

His short-game instructor, Dave Pelz, said Mickelson should remove the flag on every wedge shot. “I won’t do (that) because it looks bad,” Mickelson joked.

• • •

The Q-School ...

Lexi Thompson spent Demo Day at the Cobra Puma booth, hitting balls for a growing audience as a disc jockey pumped music in the background. Golfweek caught up with Thompson before she heads to Australia to start the 2012 season at the RACV Australian Ladies Masters.

Golfweek: Demo Day is quickly becoming an annual thing for you. What’s your favorite part about it?

Lexi Thompson: Probably just hitting in front of all the fans and fans of all the equipment; just showing off all their new stuff.

GW: The actual show is more formal. Do you like this setting better?

LT: Both things are really set up good. They always have music playing, so it’s always fun. They get a lot of people.

GW: You’re going to guest disc jockey this afternoon near the Cobra Puma tent, is that right?

LT: I might go up in the truck and experience that for a little bit. That will be interesting. I love music, so...

GW: What’s on your iPod right now?

LT: I have the new Drake CD. I have the Rihanna CD. I have Linkin Park, Blink 182, just stuff that gets me pumped up. This ...

LA JOLLA, Calif. – International Sports Management, the agency headed by Chubby Chandler, is spreading its influence to the United States. ISM has hired Steve Zika as its U.S.-based director of player relations, Zika told Golfweek.

Zika had worked for Ping for more than a dozen years, most recently as a tournament player relations manager.

Zika will assist ISM’s players, which include Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, when they play in the United States. ISM also is looking to represent more American players.

ISM already has an expanding stable of U.S. players. It represents LPGA player Christina Kim, as well as Peter Uihlein and Ben An, the 2010 and 2009 U.S. Amateur champions (An was born in South Korea, but has lived in the United States since he was 15).

Other Americans in the ISM stable include Scott Pinckney, who turned pro last year and earned a European Tour card, and Dodge Kemmer, who became the first American to win on the EuroPro Tour. Kemmer recently earned his card at Asian Tour Q-School.

Zika will begin working for ISM at the WGC-Accenture Match Play.

• • •

Ryo Ishikawa is making his second PGA Tour start of ...

SAN DIEGO - The 2012 Farmers Insurance Open is missing Tiger Woods, but the field still is very strong, with Phil Mickelson as the headliner.

Mickelson, a San Diego native, will be playing in his 22nd Farmers at Torrey Pines. With three victories early in his career here (1993, 2000 and ’01), Mickelson has struggled to win his fourth, but came close last year, finishing runner-up by a shot to Bubba Watson.

It was Lefty’s first top 10 here since he finished sixth in 2008.

In last week’s Humana Challenge, Mickelson’s 2012 debut, he played the first 23 holes at 5 over par. His first-round 74 at La Quinta was only his second over-par round in the former Bob Hope Classic since a third-round 76 in 1994.

Mickelson, who started his second round of the Humana on the back nine at PGA West’s Nicklaus course, finally found his form. He was 3 over through five holes before playing his next 37 holes in 14 under - 15 birdies and a bogey.

He was unable to sustain that momentum and tied for 49th at 10 under, his worst finish at Humana since a missed cut in 1994.

“I think ...

This week we are going to hear a lot about the “mandatory player meeting” that will take place at the Farmers Insurance Open. The formal press is not invited into these meetings for good reason. But with the advent of smartphones and Twitter, most of the players are their own press agents these days.

We will hear a lot more about this meeting than we have meetings in the past - because it is one of the most important ones in the past five or six years.

For the last seven or eight months, the players have been hearing about the possibility of a new Q-School system that would funnel all players from Q-School to what is now known as the Nationwide Tour. Tuesday night they are supposed to hear the details, as there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to the new system and there will be plenty of questions, discussion and probably some arguing. But that is later on in the evening.

The meetings that I attended throughout my career tended to start with the Commissioner and other senior staff presenting the players with a “state of the tour.” There will be several minutes spent on ...

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Even the hardest cynic would have a hard time criticizing what happened last week in La Quinta. Yes, the removal of Bob Hope’s name from the tournament title is a sore spot, but the PGA Tour’s stop in the California desert has found new life with a new title sponsor and the support of a former president.

The Humana Challenge’s biggest improvement? The quality of its field. The Humana Challenge’s biggest challenge? Further improving, even retaining, the quality of its field.

Attracting more stars is a difficult task. The Humana has to compete with its West Coast neighbors and the Middle East’s appearance money. Getting those big names is important, though, for it will help the tournament achieve its off-course goals.

“It all revolves around players,” said Greg Norman, who played the Humana on Clinton’s request. “Once you have the name players coming in, then you have the sponsors. ... Then the sponsors get their TV ratings and when you get your TV ratings, people feel like it's worth the dollars that they have invested. And you get the players there and you're going to have the support of the ...

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- On a day when the winds gusted to 50 mph, former President Bill Clinton arrived in relative calm to a smattering of applause from the fans Saturday at the Humana Challenge.

The appreciative welcome from the gallery started as soon as Clinton made it to the driving range, well ahead of his 10:20 a.m. tee time with Greg Norman on the Palmer Private Course at PGA West. The applause recurred through the day, which would end after the front nine, when play was called at 1:25 p.m. because of the wind.

On the range, Clinton was making solid contact regularly but losing the ball right with a gentle fade or, at worse, a slice. There were some grounders and drop hooks, but every once in awhile, the former Arkansas governor would get ahold of one and look like the 17-handicap that he claimed to be, but clearly wasn’t this day.

The 42nd president also shook hands with Phil Mickelson and David Toms, both of whom were on the range, preparing for their tee times.

After about 25 minutes of warming up, Clinton made his way about 100 yards through a gantlet of ...

LA QUINTA, Calif. - The Humana Challenge yielded a 61 on the Nicklaus course, a three-way tie for the lead with Ben Crane, Mark Wilson and David Toms at 16 under and rookie Harris English potentially poised to make a run at his first PGA Tour title.

But it's only Friday, and there are two rounds remaining.

Here are some interesting tidbits from Friday's second round:

• IMMEDIATE DIVIDENDS: Beautiful scenery, a new season and a new caddie. All of that may or may not have had something to do with Ryan Moore’s 61 on the Nicklaus PGA West course on Friday.

Moore, after an even-par 72 Thursday in his 2012 debut, found his form Friday. He recorded 11 birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to tie the lowest round at the Nicklaus course in Humana Challenge history. Charlie Wi shot the same score in 2009.

Moore credits his new caddie, Tony Navarro, for the breakthrough.

“He's a great guy with a ton of experience,” Moore said. “I thought that could really help me take that next jump in my career and start winning a little bit more, so I'm excited to have him on the bag ...