By now, we have all heard of Tiger’s mishaps off the course. The public fallout began with his infamous single-car accident in his neighborhood last November. This began a ruthless onslaught by the media to divulge every detail they could find about Tiger and anyone who may have had an inappropriate interaction with him. Since then, Tiger has done everything in his power to attempt to salvage what he values most, his privacy.

Tiger has recently left rehab for his sexual addiction, with his wife Elin at his side, and is attempting to re-build his life off the course. His coach, Hank Haney, resigned after six years in which Tiger won six Major Championships. In the past seven months, Tiger has finished only thirteen competitive rounds. He missed the cut at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, and he had to withdraw from TPC on Sunday due to a bulging disk in his neck. This week, as play begins at the US Open at Pebble Beach, Phil Mickelson likely has his best opportunity in the past five years (Tiger’s current reign on the number one spot) to overtake Tiger as the number one player in the world.

Quite simply, if Phil wins the US Open, he is the world’s new number one. If Phil finishes as the runner-up, and Tiger finishes out of the top four, Phil becomes number one. If Tiger winds up out of the top eighteen, and Phil finishes third, Phil would be the new number one. If Tiger misses the cut, Phil would still have to have no worse than a two-way tie for third place to overtake the number one spot.

Tiger does have one thing going for him this week… Pebble Beach. Woods made history there 10 years ago with a dominating, 12-under 272, to win the US Open by fifteen strokes. Will history repeat itself? Can Tiger overcome himself and his problems and continue to hold on to his reign on top? Can Phil continue to build on the momentum he gained from his victory at the Masters and his inspiring family story off the course?

Will we see a legend replaced as number one in the world after this weekend? What a great week for golf, history, and possibilities.

It was a little more than 2 weeks ago when John Daly surprised the golf community with an abrupt & unfiltered announcement that he was done with the game.  JD was quick to retract the statement, pointing to overwhelming mental, physical and financial frustrations that have affected his play on Tour.  It seems that the week break from PGA play coupled with the relaxed atmosphere of a Pro-Am have helped Daly’s golf game.

After 10 holes of play at the newly renovated Monterey Peninsula Country Club course, Daly and his partner, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, sit at 2-under par in this weekends AT&T Pebble Beach Open.  As usual, Daly is receiving lots of support from the gallery and the environment is providing him and Romo the opportunity to have fun playing the game.

Hopefully the fun has only just begun as the Golf Channel’s newest reality show, “Being John Daly” premiers on March 2.

Even though Phil Mickelson respectfully left his Ping Eye-2 out of his bag for this weekend’s Northern Trust Open at storied Riviera Country Club, the ongoing “Groove Controversy” just won’t seem to go away.  Rather than keep the focus on individual players and subject them to media ridicule (many pros using the Ping Eye-2 have recently been scrutinized and labeled as cheaters), PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem took the lead and commented about the 2010 Rule Change on this week.

At Wednesday’s News Conference at this weekend’s PGA Tour Event in Pacific Palisades, CA, Finchem outlined a 3-option strategy to work towards resolving the “Groove Controversy”:

1. Do Nothing – things remain Status Quo — Finchem acknowledged that this is certainly not a longterm solution as the PGA Tour Rules Committee firmly believes that clubs similar to the Ping Eye-2 provide players with an unfair advantage.  When it comes to fairness in competition, the Tour will not waiver
2. Ping’s Generosity – CEO of Ping John Solheim dismisses the Legal Loophole — at the heart of the controversy is a the ruling from the 1990′s in which the court ruled in favor of Ping.  As part of the agreement, Ping would stop manufacturing the club, but players would still be allowed to use it.  Such precedent creates the “loophole” , and it would be a tremendous gesture for Solheim to give up such leverage.
3. Group Ruling – nominate a special 5-person committee to determine whether or not a rule should be made to “close the loophole” — in essence this would mean that the “Groove Controversy” would work its way through the legal system.  Both sides are already beginning to form their positions, with Solheim stating that he didn’t believe that a local Tour rule could overrule a court decision, and Finchem saying, “I politely think he’s mistaken.”

This will be an ongoing issue especially if the only way to resolve it is via the legal system, and players are beginning to voice their opinions.  I’m just curious to see how long Lefty’s Ping Eye-2 stays out of his bag . . ,