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.
Masters moment: Nicklaus' waterlogged interview
A Jack Nicklaus post-round Masters interview was upstaged when some Tom Weiskopf shots being shown on TV sets in the room made a bigger splash with several reporters.
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.
Masters 2013: Clock ticks for Woods at Augusta
Given his early brilliance there, his 1-for-10 and 0-for-7 sound like factual errors, if not something out of Alex Rodriguez’s last postseason. Rather, they are indicators that Augusta has indeed been Tiger-proofed.
Masters 2013: Playing a little remember when . . .
From Bernhard Langer and Sandy Lyle to Mark O’Meara and Larry Mize, these little-known Masters moments are a hoot says our Jeff Rude.
Rude: Feherty, McCord provide levity at Tavistock Cup
None of the 24 contestants among the Multimillionaires Boys Club was spared the playful needle Tuesday at hoity-artsy Isleworth. Golf could use more of the clowning and fun on a regular basis.
Rude: Welcome to Tiger's personal March Madness
Tiger Woods was less-than-thrilled with his bogey-bogey-bogey finish on Friday. So, he went home and watched college basketball. All of it. On Saturday, he returned as the terminator, taking control of a tournament that he simply owns.
Rose shows Woods it takes more than great putting
Tiger Woods didn't like his drives or his irons, his distance or his trajectory Thursday. Sure, he putted well, but he trails Justin Rose - who put together a complete round - by four shots at Bay Hill.
Holmes breaks ankle while rollerblading
"Just a freak little thing," a media representative of the broken ankle J.B. Holmes suffered recently while he was rollerblading for exercise with his fiancee.
Healthy, Snedeker looks to make move at Bay Hill
A pulled rib muscle got Brandt Snedeker out of lifting boxes while his family moved into a new home. Healthy and back on the PGA Tour, he's ready to attack Bay Hill – and Augusta too.
Rude: Spieth grows while Woods rejuvenates
Jordan Spieth grows toward his first PGA Tour victory, while Tiger Woods rejuvenates his No. 1 form even if the computers don't see it, Jeff Rude writes.
Rude: Tiger to be tough guy to catch on Sunday
Tiger Woods doesn't give up 54-hole leads very often and never has given up a four-shot lead heading into Sunday. That means all pursuers are rooting for a Sunday hurricane at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, says Jeff Rude.
Woods, Lefty part of heavyweight battle in Doral
The stars have come to play at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and Tiger Woods is winning the heavyweight battle so far in Doral.
Rude: Rory works while Tiger breezes
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy looks every bit the part of a "work in progress" as he's said, while playing partner and world No. 2 Tiger Woods is tied for the lead at Doral.
Rude: Woods playing well since last year's WD
Tiger Woods has won four PGA Tour starts since he withdrew from last year's WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, citing leg pain. It's a winning percentage rivaling that of his career peak.
Rude: No question USGA needs to re-think anchoring ban
Our Jeff Rude hopes that the USGA and R&A will listen to those dissenting corners and continue to allowing anchoring for the sake of the game’s enjoyment and growth.
Rude: Upsets continue to claim big names in Arizona
A series of so-called upsets on Friday left just one player ranked in the world top 10 heading into Saturday's third round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Rude: Tiger falls victim to man with 'nothing to lose'
From his loss in the 1996 U.S. Amateur to countless rounds at Isleworth, Charles Howell III says he had never beaten Tiger Woods. On Thursday, Howell changed all of that by playing carefree.
Rude: Blitz at the Ritz stops play cold
The jokes flew during Wednesday's freak snowstorm at Dove Mountain. The winner would be "Best in Snow" or the "Wizard in the Blizzard." Regardless, it was a surreal site says our Jeff Rude.
Stricker opposes ban, points to growing game
Count Steve Stricker, one of the four players on the PGA Tour Policy Board, among what he says is a majority and growing number of Tour players who oppose the proposed ban on putter anchoring.
Swing in order, McIlroy to face longtime friend
As Rory McIlroy returns to competition for the first time in six weeks, he will tee it up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play against a decade-long friend in Shane Lowry, who would see a victory as one of the biggest moments in his career.
Rude: Haas has fallen in love with Riviera
On a week that the world celebrates Valentine's Day, Bill Haas is showing off his current love affair with Riviera Country Club after a 7-under 64 vaulted him into a three-shot, 54-hole lead at the Northern Trust Open.
Rude: Bae, Jacobson impressive Friday at Riviera
Sang-Moon Bae and Fredrik Jacobson posted impressive, albeit surprising, 6-under 65s to vault to the top of the leaderboard at Riviera.
Snedeker's ballstriking catches up with his short game
The two most famous and accomplished active golfers, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, may have won in exclamatory fashion in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour, but the blooming of Brandt Snedeker stands out as the game’s most compelling story of 2013.
Hulbert pulls off long 24 hours thanks to energy drink, Love III
After playing in a three-day pro-am in Pebble Beach, Mike Hulbert had to take a redeye back to Florida to try and make a 12:30 p.m. tee time at the Allianz. Thank goodness for 5-Hour Energy.
Love targets spring return after spinal surgery
Davis Love III had an operation to remove bone spurs and a disk that were pressing on nerves between his C5-6 and C6-7 vertebrae, said his longtime manager, Mac Barnhardt.
Rude: No excuse for Singh; he deserves suspension
Vijay Singh has no one to blame but himself. Apparently he agrees. Ostensibly that is why he said Wednesday that he is “angry” for unwittingly having taken a banned substance. In turn, he left himself open to a possible PGA Tour suspension.
HTBR: Tiger's next hurdle? Major weekends
Tiger Woods shows he can win big on Tour again. His next hurdle: weekends at the majors
Mickelson recovers from his 'drastic moves' flop
Apparently Phil Mickelson realized there many less fortunate than he, apologizing Wednesday for the second day in a row he said his public remarks were insensitive to “people who do not have jobs or live paycheck to paycheck.”
Cink trying to dig himself back to the top
It's been nearly four years since Stewart Cink won the 2009 Open Championship. But swing changes and all, the slumping Cink finds himself in contention after three rounds of the Humana Challenge.
Rude: Clinton has long history with game of golf
Former President Bill Clinton was at the Humana again because his foundation is a tournament partner and beneficiary. Long before his association here, though, he was no stranger to Tour players.
Mickelson battles cold, shoots even to open 2013
Phil Mickelson battled the lingering effects of a cold to notch an even-par 72 during the first round of the Humana Challenge. But despite the low energy, Lefty says he's got a low round in him for Friday.
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