"If I had won, I would have a real cool trophy sitting in my office right now. And a couple more dollars in my bank account. And I'd be a part of history. That's what would have been different.''

I don't know about you, but I'm really struggling to get excited about the Open Championship, what with players dropping like flies, Tiger out, Kenny Perry staying home...well that's not the worst thing...and Birkdale's only real interest relying on a goofy green going bad (or not), but I did thoroughly enjoy two preview stories looking at Brian Watts.

You may remember he was the fellow that nearly won last time at Birkdale, which ESPN.com's Bob Harig reminds us in catching up with Watts, now on the comeback trail. And in Golf World, Lorne Rubenstein takes us through Watts' odd series of misdiagnosis' and those unforgettable 18th hole bunker shots.

Comments

[adam clayman]

Great read Lorne-

I too had a 5 reading in my hip rotation 2 years ago. Tuesday I was measured at 22. My diagnosis came from a country Doc. I saw an Orthopedist before that, and he didn't even notice my askew gate.
For those suffering from Abductor (outside waist mistakenly called hip)and back pain, be careful listening to the established Orthos who want to cut. Seekout anyone familiar with Pelvo Lumbar instability. I use the Protonics system developed partly by Ron Hruska from Lincoln Nebraska.

[Greg]

Geoff,

I don't really understand why Birkdale gets so little respect on this side of the pond. Tom Doak said that he doesn't like Birkdale because the holes play between the dunes instead of into the dunes. Is that why you don't like it?

[Mike]

I don't know what's worse, not having Tiger around or having to listen to all the golf writers whine and complain about the lack of "buzz" around every remaining golf tournament this year. Geeze Louise give it a rest. Listen Tiger's great and all but golf was here before him and it will be here after he's gone. Consider yourselves fortunate to be killing trees during his time. There are a lot of great stories out there in the game but unlike writing about how great Tiger is you've got to go out and actually find them. Quite a concept but believe it or not there are plenty of us lifers out there who love the game and will follow it even if Tiger's not playing, including me as I watch my DVR of the Nationwide tournament at 2:30 A.M. If you guys can't get excited about The British well, there's always bowling or poker.

[Alonza]

C'mon Geoff, the Open! One hundred fifty six guys not called Tiger trying to win a major on a links course in the rain in a Ryder Cup year. We got Rose Fever over here if you believe the broadsheets, suspected Montgomerieitis north of the border & Harrington's Syndrome across the Irish Sea. What's not to excite, even if the official Open website lists two of the players as amateurs (including your own Jeff Quinney) when they are actually pros?

[BillV]

Adam

Good Boy. ;-)

We've had this talk before, but an Ortho Doc (especially a famous or "the best" surgeon) isn't the best place to go for a musculo-skeletal ailment.

"When you're a hammer everything's a nail" we always say. You can have an operation for just about anything (over 10, 000 in the Orthopaedic literature), the skill is in knowing the correct diagnosis, most of which aren't surgical diagnoses.

Seek out a Physiatrist. A Psychiatrist isn't too bad either.:-)

Just look at poor old Ollie with his "foot" problem, if you need any more motivation. Christ what a mess that was.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

So how is it possible that Brian Watts wasn't given a special exemption this year? In the words of Mike Tyson, that's ludicrisp.

[Ian C]

Van de Velde didn't get an exemption last year, why should Watts?

[Martin Del Vecchio]

Van De Velde should have received an exemption last year.

And Rocco Mediate should receive an exemption the next time the US Open is played at Torrey Pines.

As my wife would say, it just stands to reason.

[Joey]

In case no one else is watching, Paula Creamer is having a fabulous tournament (including posting a 60) and is looking smoking hot in her fashionable golf dresses.

That's enough buzz for me. You guys can go back to whining about the PGA Tour.