Tiger tested his golf on Tuesday

''We're excited about what we're working on. I hadn't played well in a couple of weeks but we know what it is,'' Woods said of problems in his swing that have been addressed by him and swing coach Sean Foley. ''It's a matter of getting reps in and getting the trust in it.''

Woods practiced at Olympic earlier Mizuno MP-59 Irons in the day. He said he hit a 9-iron into one green on the Lake Course that bounced flag high.

''No questions,'' wrote NateDogg8896. ''Just wanted to say you're the most amazing person on the planet.''

After playing in temperatures in the 40s, Woods — wearing a black cap and black sweater with a blue shirt peeking through at the collar — went on a webcam for his close-up.

Woods took questions from several fans, including a sergeant with the Ohio National Guard, Olympic triple-jump hopeful Erica McLain and others. NBC golf analyst Roger Maltbie also participated in the 34-minute chat — called a ''hangout.''

There were few if any revelations in the chat. This is the second time this year that Woods has not met with reporters at a tournament but instead reached out to friends and fans online.

Woods said he still has fun playing golf, despite the meltdown he had during the Masters that included kicking a club and swearing.

''Tiger's online chat? I actually think it's neat. I can see that working out for me,'' he said. ''Again, I don't come Titleist 910 D3 Driver to the media center as much as he does, so I still like this. I feel cool up here. Yeah, I could see doing something like that, but I'd still come to the local media and talk here. He does it every week no matter how he plays, so it's still new to me.''

''I figure it's going to take a career,'' Woods said. ''It took Jack 24 years. This is my 17th year into it. I still feel like I've got plenty of time. It's about giving myself the most amount of opportunities to win them on the back nine on Sunday. The more chances I give myself, I figure I'm going to clip a few of them.''

Watson has been besieged by requests from sponsors, tournaments, media and others since his dramatic win in April at Augusta National. He said he's just learning now what it's like to be in such demand.

Questions on Woods' website ranged from who he looked up to the most as a kid to why he didn't recapture some of his old discount golf clubs championship magic by switching from Foley back to former swing coach Butch Harmon.

After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in late March, Woods came into the Masters as a favorite. He finished tied for 40th there, missed the cut at the Wells Fargo and then tied for 40th again at The Players two weeks ago.

hottest two players Flower and Dufner in this week

Yet how each got to this place in his career is as interesting and complicated as what kind of chemistry the duo might have as Ryder Cup teammates. Dufner is a self-fashioned, 35-year-old late bloomer. He's a journeyman who walked on to the golf team at Auburn and was little-known even inside the very insular world of pro Titleist 712 AP1 Irons until his surprise showing at last year's PGA Championship in Atlanta. The Cleveland native went back and forth between the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour before he finally settled down on the big stage in 2009 when he had six top-10s and earned more than $2.1 million.

In Thursday's first round at Colonial, Dufner will play with Matt Kuchar in addition to Fowler. Kuchar was an early bloomer who won a U.S. Amateur as a college student and then struggled on tour before rebuilding his golf swing a few years ago. Since then, he's become one of the most consistent players in the world. The 33-year-old former Georgia Tech star is a good example of an early bloomer who had a late bloomer phase in his early 30s.

Playing together this week for the first two rounds at Colonial, they might learn how well their games would mesh if U.S. team captain Davis Love III sent them out as partners. The coupling of their differences in style and comportment could bring a special congruence to their potential partnership in Greater Chicago.

The weathered players take a less glamorous and linear route, humbled somewhere along the way by some circumstance that put them behind schedule. Ben Hogan didn't win the first of his nine major championships until he was 34. Vijay Singh took 22 of his 34 PGA Tour wins after he turned 40. Late bloomers like three-time major winner Larry Nelson and 12-time tour winner Calvin Peete didn't play golf until their 20s, but they were two of the best American players of the 1980s. Nelson went 9-3-1 in three Ryder Cup appearances, including 5-0 in the 1979 matches. In the 1990s, no one better personified the late-bloomer tag than Tom Lehman, who won a British Open and had the 54-hole lead in three straight U.S. Opens.

According to recent educational studies of struggling school-age students in reading, late bloomers are rare. The slow learners Titleist 712 AP2 Irons typically never catch up with the early bloomers, and the ones who do close the gap with their more advanced peers need early intervention. These talent-deficit kids must become very hard workers.

Stars who rose to prominence early in their careers -- such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods -- have dominated the sport for years. Sure, plenty of these prodigies have fizzled out by the end of their 20s, but the best of them get out ahead of the heap and stay on top for a long time. They have superior talent. Rory McIlroy and Fowler want to play that role for their generation.

Dufner now expects to win and compete in major championships. He's in the same boat as Fowler, but as a grizzled veteran, Dufner doesn't have the same pressure to succeed as the California kid with the bright-colored clothes. Fowler has the pressure to be one of the great young American players, and he is expected to help fend off the international challenge to displace the United States as the center of the pro golf world. That's a hefty responsibility. Perhaps Dufner is in a better place, right in the middle of the action, but not burdened with the same kind of expectations.

Hamilton was a 38-year-old stalwart on discount golf clubs the Japan Tour when he finally earned his 2004 PGA Tour card after eight trips to Q-school. In his rookie year, he won twice, including the British Open at Royal Troon, where he beat a phenom, Ernie Els, in a four-hole playoff. Since that major victory, Hamilton has had just three top-10s and is no longer fully exempt to play the PGA Tour.

it's difficult t predict golf

Golf is impossible to predict as it is. Throw in the mystery that is the TPC Sawgrass, and there's no telling who beats the strongest and deepest field in golf. You've heard the line about there being horses for courses? This is more like predicting the dot race on video screens at a baseball game.

"I'm not sure how much local knowledge is required here," he said. "You just have to execute. There's really not a way to miss your way around this course, like Augusta, where you can miss in the right spots and still salvage pars. Here, if you miss shots, even if you're in the right spot, you're most likely not going to salvage par."

"There's no other course that less people have worked out than this one," Geoff Ogilvy said, who is still trying to do just that. He closed with a 69 on Sunday. It was only his third round in the Taylormade Rocketballz Irons 60s in 11 years at The Players Championship. This from a guy who has won a U.S. Open and two World Golf Championships. He's got a little bit of game.

By now, everyone knows that Sawgrass is not as friendly as Firestone or Torrey Pines for the 14-time major champion. When he tied for 40th last week, it was the fifth time he has finished out of the top 30. Woods has never finished out of the top 30 more than twice at any other tournament.

Rory McIlroy is not off to a roaring start at Sawgrass. In his three times at The Players Championship, he has yet to make par or make it to the weekend. This year, he became the first No. 1 player in the world to miss the cut at Sawgrass since Greg Norman in 1996. McIlroy is only 23, and he'll figure it out one of these days — maybe even next year.

Throw in the other three players from the "Big Four" of that generation —Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh— and it doesn't get much better. Mickelson had a chance to win only once at Sawgrass, the year he won in 2007. Singh's only good chance was in 2001, when he was runner-up to Woods. Els never has come close.

"You go through the history of winners we've had," Rod Pampling said. "Big hitters, short hitters … everyone has a chance. It's one of the very few tournaments open to anyone. If you're on, you can say it's your kind of course. But if you're not on, my God. I found TaylorMade R11S Driver that out. I was just a touch off with my driver and I was thinking, 'How am I going to make par?' Never mind birdie. That's the thing about this golf course.

Think of Sawgrass and the image of Fred Couples comes to mind as a two-time winner. The first two times Couples was at Sawgrass, he missed the cut. The next year, he won. And the following year, he made the cut with one shot to spare. Davis Love III, another two-time winner, captured his first Players Championship in his seventh try. He missed the cut three times and was disqualified once before then.

Ogilvy grew up playing courses in Melbourne where there was a good place to miss the green to secure par, or a bad side to miss the green and pay for it. He contends that even at Augusta, it's relatively easy to make par on every hole by playing it safe.

It should come as no surprise that of the PGA Tour events that have been around for at least 30 years, The Players Championship is the only one without a back-to-back winner.

Unlike other courses — particularly discount golf clubs those used at the four majors — a phrase seldom heard at Sawgrass is, "It really fits my eye." Far more common are words like "awkward" and "uncomfortable."

Mickelson has shown up at Augusta National with little game and even less confidence and the light comes on. He loves the Masters because he doesn't have to play perfect to score. That doesn't work at Sawgrass. So when someone brought up local knowledge, it was all Mickelson could do to keep from laughing.

all golfers want to be NO.1

The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is a rare occasion for them to get together. Already four months into the season, McIlroy and Donald have only competed in the same tournament four times: the Abu Dhabi Championship, two World Golf Championships and the Masters.

situations coming up in the next few months where we'll be playing in the same tournament and both having a chance to win the tournament."

As for a clear No. 1, Donald said that can only happen by winning a major or multiple tournaments -- along with the other players not playing well.

The ranking shuffle speaks to a broader issue in golf. No one ever talked about the world ranking because there was no debate about No. 1.

Donald has a chance to take it back Taylormade R11 irons from him this week at The Players Championship, which offers the most world ranking points of any tournament besides the majors. They already have taken turns at the top six times in the past 10 weeks. The last time the No. 1 ranking was even remotely this volatile was in 1997, when it changed seven times in 13 weeks among Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Tom Lehman and Ernie Els.


In the 18 months since Woods abandoned his post atop the world ranking, four players have been No. 1: McIlroy, Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer. In the 30 months since injuries and the scandal in his personal life reduced Woods to an ordinary player, no one has won more than three times in a season on the PGA Tour. That used to be considered a slump for Woods.

"We have concluded a number of times now -- and we have certainly not moved off of this -- that we are not going to give up the Masters as a tournament on our tour," Finchem said. "It's too important. And so at the end of the day, the membership of that club have to determine their membership. They are not doing anything illegal."

It all starts to unfold Thursday on a Taylormade R11 driver course that fittingly favors no one. The past winners on the Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass range from power (Woods, Norman, Phil Mickelson, David Duval) to precision (Tim Clark, Fred Funk, Hal Sutton).

McIlroy and Westwood skipped last year when they belonged to the same management company and were not PGA Tour members.

Finchem addresses Masters: PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said the Masters is "too important" for the tour to take it off its official schedule, even though Augusta National has never had a female member in its 80-year history.

Finchem spoke at a news conference that featured The First Tee announcing a new corporate partner. The First Tee discount golf clubs tries to attract kids of diverse backgrounds to golf.

"I think the last couple of months have not been as exciting because Rory and I really haven't been playing in the same events," Donald said. "I think that will change a little bit, and hopefully there will be some

a potentially wet and windy Scotland in Becky

“I’m coming back more often to the European Tour because we’re not getting as many tournaments as we have had in the States,” said Morgan before carding a two-over-par 74 yesterday. “In 2011 I probably did half and half and I’m coming over here to Europe to fill in weeks when we haven’t got tournaments in the US.

“We were losing events year on year and it was totally to do with the global recession. We have a new commissioner in the States and he’s beginning to turn things around over there.

“Playing golf is what I do best and what I enjoy doing. It’s a job most people would kill for, so I count myself lucky and try to make the most of it.”

“At the time you only has St Andrews and Stirling Universities as realistic options if you wanted to combine Mizuno MP-68 Irons and studying in Britain and I just felt they weren’t for me,” added Morgan. “I knew a few acquaintances who has been through the US College system, so I started looking into the possibilities of a scholarship.

“Golf courses in Asia aren’t my favourite and I would much rather play on the courses in Europe and America as I much more used to them. I did well in Europe last season because I was getting used to be back playing in those conditions.

“Being in Hawaii and in the high-80s a couple of weeks ago and then Alabama last weekend was very hot, the British weather is something I’ve grown up with, so it’s not so much of a shock coming back this week.

Morgan herself has been a resident in the Sunshine State since turning professional in 2000 after a glittering career in the amateur ranks over here that included two Curtis Cup caps. She travelled across to the States when budding Welsh amateur golfers learning their craft on the US College circuit, was almost unheard of.

“I know my parents worried because I was quite a shy girl but North Carolina is a friendly place and I think I settled down more quickly than anyone, including myself, thought I would.

“As far as my golf game was concerned, America was a fantastic learning experience. The collegiate circuit is so competitive and you have to be on your game all the time.

“I know most players who come through the amateur ranks and reach a high level just naturally aspire to turn pro, but I wasn’t totally sure that was the right thing for me to do.

“When I did I was lucky enough to Ping G20 fairway wood take a little bit of pressure off myself by earning opportunities to play on both tours.

“At the time you only has St Andrews and Stirling Universities as realistic options if you wanted to combine golf and studying in Britain and I just felt they weren’t for me,” added Morgan. “I knew a few acquaintances who has been through the US College system, so I started looking into the possibilities of a scholarship.

“But I don’t have any plans to move my base from the USA. The weather in Florida makes a huge difference.”

Though it was her runners-up spot in January’s New South Wales Open, in Sydney, that attracted headlines across the golfing world when Morgan, whose family reside in Ross-on-Wye, was beaten to the discount golf clubs title by 14-year-old wonder-kid, New Zealander Lydia Ko.

“I think most Americans would love it if their players were dominating but there’s more and more Asian players coming over than they are all great players. It makes it so much harder on the rest of us to lift our game to new heights, but that is the challenge.”

Moore is not your average golf-course owner

RMG Club offers three membership plans, and if golfers think the prices seem low (ranging from $49 a month for unlimited twilight golf at one of the courses to $179 for an all-access pass to all three courses including free range balls), there's a good reason for that.

Many of the early memberships were purchased by players who had belonged to Oakbrook Country Club, which RMG bought late last year. The price for unlimited all-access at one of the three courses began at $99, but because of demand, the price has risen to $119 at Oakbrook (it remains $99 at The Classic and McCormick Woods).

Mike Moore, the CEO of RMG Golf Management, said memberships are selling "beyond our wildest imagination. We are discount golf clubs way ahead of our projections."

What is especially gratifying to Mike Moore is what players are telling him.

"We wanted to make golf more affordable and give more people a chance to play," Moore said. "We want our members to play on nice courses and nice facilities. We want the quality to stay up and the prices to stay low."

Moore and 13 partners, a group that includes family and friends, formed RMG Golf Club Management, which owns ping g15 driver and operates three South Sound golf courses, including the course Moore grew up playing: The Classic in Spanaway, long owned by his father, Mike.

"People have been thanking me, saying they are playing more golf, and telling me, 'You made it so I can do it,' " Mike Moore said.

"The price is subject to supply and demand," said Mike Moore, who said the courses can also be played by nonmembers Titleist 712 MB irons. "We are working hard to make sure the members get plenty of opportunities to play."

Ryan Moore played Oakbrook a "handful of times" while growing up, and he said area players will enjoy the course.

He said that, while their prices are low by industry standards, the company will succeed thanks to efficient scheduling and the draw of good facilities.

"It's an older, classic country-club design," Ryan said. "It's a shot-shaper's golf course with great doglegs, tough par 3s, and classic greens with a nice amount of slope. It's a good test of golf."

Hamilton County golf course is attractive to visitors

"Oh yeah, we get them all the time here," said Mark Wisman, golf pro at Bear Slide in Cicero. "Most of them come from neighboring states like Michigan, Illinois and Ohio."

"We've been selling Hamilton County as a golf destination since 1997," said Karen Radcliff, deputy director of the visitors bureau. "Typically, our hotels sell 500 to 600 packages each year."

It's not a hard sell for Radcliff and her team members, who recently traveled to a golf convention in Chicago, where Mizuno MX-1000 irons they courted business groups seeking excursions for employee retreats, among other potential customers.

The local hotel-golf packages include eight public golf courses, six of which are in Hamilton County -- Bear Slide, Plum Creek, Prairie View (Carmel), Purgatory (Noblesville), River Glen (Fishers) and Wood Wind (Westfield) -- and Brickyard Crossing and The Fort Golf Resort.

Carmel is also home to courses Dye has designed, including the semi-private Plum Creek and the private Crooked Stick, Bridgewater and Woodland.

Crooked Stick is probably the best- known course outside of Indiana -- famously hosting the 1991 PGA  Mizuno JPX-800 Irons Championship, an event that launched the career of one of the sport's most well-known names, John Daly.

In addition to this year's PGA event at Dye's signature Crooked Stick, there is a national LPGA futures tour event in Fishers at The Hawthorns Golf & Country Club, which is not a Dye course. The My Marsh Golf Classic will be played from May 28 to June 3.

The trail includes Brickyard Crossing, Maple Creek Golf and Country Club and The Fort Golf Resort in the Indianapolis area; Plum Creek; Mystic Hills Golf Club in Culver; the Kampen Course in West Lafayette; and the Pete Dye Course in French Lick.

"There is not only a national draw, there is a worldwide draw to play Pete Dye courses," Mike David, executive director of the Indiana Golf Office, told The Star last year when the Pete Dye Trail was launched. "For people to come and play so many in a small area, I think there's definitely an appeal."

"Each year about 30 percent of our visitors travel here because they are visiting friends or relatives," Radcliff said. "All others are coming for a variety of reasons, including golf.

Hamilton County's visitor's bureau sends staffers to three or more golf consumer shows outside of Indiana each winter to promote local courses. They go to shows in Cincinnati, St Louis, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Novi, Mich., a suburb of Detroit that hosts the largest discount golf clubs golf show in the Midwest.

Many take advantage of special golf packages -- coordinated efforts between local hotels and eight public courses -- put together and marketed by the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

At least 15 hotels have established special "stay-and-play" rates, ranging from $190 to $260. That gets you a single night's stay and two rounds of golf. For extended stays, golfers can get three nights and four rounds at rates that range from $410 to $570.

Radcliff said the most recent survey of visitors to the county (in 2009) showed that more than 20,000 visiting golfers who had responded to visitors bureau marketing efforts had spent more than $6 million -- a conservative figure that did not include other visitors who came to play on their own.