It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.

When Steve Marino stepped onto the 18^th tee in the final round of the AT&T National Pro-Am, he was two shots back with a par five to play. He wouldn’t know it at the time, but there hadn’t been an eagle on the hole all day; but nonetheless, he’s thinking eagle to tie. It’s exactly what he should have been thinking. It’s after his tee shot that it all goes sideways. 

Marino blocked his tee shot into the right-side fairway bunker, making it certain that he wouldn't get home in two. So eagle was instantly out of the question. No doubt Marino spent that walk down the famed 18^th hole producing enough steam to boil Still Water Cove; but what he should have been doing was planning for a second place finish and an extra 400 grand. Instead, he wedged out and then tried to hit a two hundred yard four iron to a pin tucked behind a bunker. What happened was he hit the ball into Still Water Cove, took a drop, hit it on in five, and three putted for triple bogey. He said later that he was trying to win, but the question is why? What were the chances of holing out for eagle from two hundred yards out with that particular pin placement? A near impossibility is what it was. 

Once Marino hit in the fairway bunker, he should have been thinking PAR. PAR equals to more money, PAR equals more fedex cup points, PAR means qualifying for more tournaments, and PAR means playing for more money. Also, last year to keep your PGA tour card for the 2011 season, you had to make almost $800,000. To date, Marino has made almost $500,000. So par, also would have meant locking up his tour card for the 2012 season. Next time Marino should be thinking like Michael and not Sonny.

1	D.A. Points	63	70	71	67	27	$1,134,000.00
2	Hunter Mahan	70	67	70	66	273	$680,400.00
3	Tom Gillis	67	68	70	70	275	$428,400.00
T4	Spencer Levin	71	68	67	70	276	$277,200.00
T4	Steve Marino	65	66	71	74	276	$277,200.00

Spit-gate part deux

We posted Tiger’s spitting incident here, and wondered if he may be fined. The European tour has announced it will fine Tiger for breach of the Tour’s conduct policy. The fine amount will not be released as is customary for both the European tour and PGA. I’m certain that Tiger won’t even blink at this. Petulance and arrogance rarely look in the rear view mirror. Just ask Sergio Garcia.

It's not you, it's me

Well done Alvaro Quiros for winning this year’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but it was supposed to be a showdown between those on top of the world rankings. Instead, the wind kicked up on the weekend and blew the drama right out of Dubai. From the start though, Rory McIlroy seemed to have something to say about his 7^th place in the world rankings. He led or was tied for the lead for the first three rounds. Sergio Garcia, who is searching for his place in the world rather than on scoreboards, also made his presence known. It seemed the golf world was a buzz for all things Dubai and who could blame them. The only alternative this weekend was the celebrity/CEO interview marathon at Pebble Beach. Unfortunately, like any big billing, it was hard to live up to.

Kaymer shot 76 in the third round and was done. Still, there was Tiger and Sergio who were one shot back and Westwood was three. Plenty to talk about until the curtain was raised for the final act. Tiger and Sergio shot 75 after both found water on eighteen. Westwood was one shot back with four to play, but doubled the 17^th. Given the way the tournament started, the most disappointing story line has to be McIlroy. After a fast start in the first two rounds, he seemed prepared to live up to his potential. Again, Garcia was a feel good story. Kaymer is still number three in the world and has a major and Tiger is Tiger; the most important golfer in the world. Westwood, despite not winning a major, is still number one in the world. 

McIlroy, on the other hand, has had the world by the Titleist since joining the golf world; but has just two wins to show for it. No doubt McIlroy is a class act, with never ending potential; but his final round 74 was most disappointing to watch. Once again, his putter is the dagger that dealt the death blow. For the week, McIlroy was ranked 6^th in hitting greens in regulation, but ranked 54^th for putts per round with an average of 30. This is disheartening considering a win amongst the big three billing would have been tremendous, but he laid the biggest egg of the tournament storylines.

T10	MCILROY, Rory	-6	65	68	75	74	282
T15	WESTWOOD, Lee	-5	69	70	72	72	283
T20	WOODS, Tiger	-4	71	66	72	75	284
T20	GARCIA, Sergio	-4	67	67	75	75	284
T31	KAYMER, Martin	-2	69	71	76	70	286

Point break

D.A. Points won his first PGA event on the individual side and the Pro-Am portion of the tournament with his partner Bill Murray at the famed 2011 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Points was back and forth with Steve Marino all week and the fourth round was much of the same. Marino had a firm grip on the lead for most of the day until Points exploded on holes fourteen and fifteen. Fourteen, being the infamous par five that destroyed dreams at last year’s US Open. In 2011, it was where dreams were made. In his post round presser, Points called the third shot into the green one of the “toughest wedges players face all year” and from 110 yards out; Points holed out for eagle three. He backed that up with a thirty foot birdie on fifteen. At that point, the pressure was on Marino and he could not respond. Two down with two to play, Marino looked as uncomfortable as a fish out of water. It culminated with a triple bogey eight on the final hole of the tournament, including a ball in the water.

It was a strange twist of fate this week for Points because he has said he’s had trouble “getting out of his own way” in the past and who better to have as your partner than Mr. Caddyshack himself. The two got off to a great start when they first met. Known for his antics, Murray was upfront saying that he “liked to have as much fun as he can and win.” To which Points replied, “Those two usually go together.” No moment proved more pivotal than on the 16^th green. Having gone eagle-birdie the previous two holes, Points snap-hooked his tee shot on sixteen. By time he reached the green he started to feel the pressure of leading the tournament. So while Murray lined up a curling forty-footer for who cares what, Points yelled, “You know, everyone would appreciate if you would make this.” Murray almost looked surprised at the joke, but was quick with “Well, I’ll see what I can do.” Everyone broke up laughing in the gallery, but Murray and Points were the last one laughing by the time they walked off the eighteenth green.

1 D.A. Points (PB) -15 2 Hunter Mahan (PB) -13 3 Tom Gillis (PB) -11 T4 Spencer Levin (PB) -10 T4 Steve Marino (PB) -10 Fantasy picks after round 4: D.A. Points Winner Nick Watney T6 Brian Gay Cut Brendon de Jonge Cut

Tiger Woods spits up

Tiger Woods lit up Twitter and Youtube with some serious spit on the 11th green at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

You can see it here and decide yourself if Tiger should be fined.

The name is Quiros. Alvaro Quiros.

1	QUIROS, Alvaro	-11
T2	KINGSTON, James	-10
T2	HANSEN, Anders	-10

James Bond fan, Alvaro Quiros is the winner of the 2011 Dubai Desert Classic. This is Quiros’ seventh career win having won one event in each of his past five years. If people in the states are looking for a reference, he’s Dustin Justin Johnson without having had a chance to win a major. No doubt Quiros’ emotions were a bit stirred during the final round as his scorecard suggested—one triple bogey, one bogey, four birdies, an eagle, and an ace. Quiros’ ace on the par three eleventh completed the cycle of an ace on each day of competition. Anders Hansen and James Kingston both failed to birdie the par five eighteenth to force a playoff. The story behind the story—the battle for number one started with some promise; but fell flat in the end. There were no changes amongst the top three in the world.

Thanks, but no thanks

Everybody with a microphone and keyboard will be reporting how they can't understand why Tiger continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth. On one hand, he says he needs more reps and then he proceeds to skip another tournament in the states—this time the Northern Trust Open. Tiger just finished a week in Dubai and do people really expect him to jet to California, to play a tournament his hasn’t one in eleven tries. I think Tiger’s three million appearance fee for showing up in Dubai covers the winner’s check for both the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Northern Trust Open.