ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL REACTION

Here it is ... the REACTION! This shows you how badly Tiger wanted this one.

Why was this one so important? There are lots of possibilities, but here's my take on it. There's a special camaraderie between Tiger and Arnie. Arnie's pride in the kid is almost fatherly. And Tiger expresses a deep affection for the older duffer when the two are face to face.

Arnie was pretty obvious about his desire for Tiger to win his tourney once again. "Get off your butt and go out there and shoot a low score." he ordered Tiger as he left the locker room. Later, on the practice range he walked over and gave him a little more prodding.

At the treacherous 18th,Tiger was preparing to make his 162 yard approach with a 7- iron in his hand, tied with Bart Bryant at -9. As he started to move forward to address his ball, Stevie suddenly stepped up and interrupted him. The wind was gusting and changing directions. And Stevie offered him a 5-iron.

That could be dangerous. There was just a little slip of green with water on the right and a bunker on the left. If the wind should suddenly go quiet, that could send the ball way off into the unknown.

Tiger took the 5-iron. "I hit an aggressive swing to a conservative spot," he later said. It landed 24-25 feet on the left side and behind the hole taking the water in front out of play. He called it his best shot of the week.

This was the moment of truth. Would he birdie this hole and win the tourney? Would he par the hole and move into a playoff with Bryant? Or, would he end up with a bogie and finish in second place. Not many were expecting the third possibility. But many were betting on number two -- a playoff.

It was going to be a tricky putt. It was a downhill slider and everyone except the Tiger was holding their breath as he stepped up and made his putt. The ball moved ever so slowly down the line eventually breaking left to right and trickling into the hole. WOW!

In the meantime, Arnie stood on a rise of ground with some of the officers and other observers. As Tiger moved toward the ball, Arnie predicted that it would drop. When it did, Tiger tore off his hat, slammed it into the turf and let out a rebel yell and a roar that far exceeded anything we have heard out of him before.

When it subsided, Stevie handed him his hat. Tiger looked at the hat in amazement and asked how that got off his head. He had been so caught up in the moment, that his celebration was a blur to him.

A gleeful Arnold Palmer gave him a bear hug and asked, "What else is new?"

DALY DQ'D FROM THE ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

A day after Butch Harmon fired John Daly, John received another big disappointment. He had played in the Monday Pro-AM at Bay Hill and was asked to play in the Wednesday pro-am too. He was playing on a sponsor's exemption. But when he called in on Tuesday and asked for his tee time, he was given a starting time of 9:47 a.m. What he got was his Thursday tournament time. His Wednesday time was actually 8:40 a.m.

In Arnie's tournament, if you miss the pro-am tee time you don't get to play the Invitational. So when John arrived that morning, he was told he was disqualified from the tournament. Bummer.

"I didn't even know that was my Thursday tee time," Daly said. "I should have looked into it. It stinks for me. I want to do anything I can for the tournament as a sponsor exemption. I wanted to meet the people I was playing with in the pro-am. I love Arnold Palmer to death. I called and talked to him and apologized

"And the thing that upsets me is I cost Nick O'Hern and Ryuji Imada, so now I got these guys mad at me, too."

Imada and O'Hern were alternates for the pro-am, and both thought they were assigned to the afternoon group. Instead, they were the first two names called when Daly didn't show, and when neither was around, they also were disqualified from the $5.8 million event.

Well, this is Sunday and Tiger just spiked his hat at 18. More on that later... Marion

March 17 -- Here's a little update on the above.

After calling Arnold Palmer to help set it up, John Daly played the Celebration golf course Sunday with three UBS sponsors to make up for his missed Pro-Am tee time Wednesday that disqualified him from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, according to a tournament official.

MORE BAD NEWS FOR JOHN DALY

Harmon



Yesterday Butch Harmon announced that he has cut John Daly loose. Butch said he worked with him three times this year , but John's behavior at the PODS Championship was enough to end their short-lived relationship.

There was a 2 1/2 hour rain delay in the first round and John spent it in the Hooter's tent. When play resumed, Daly had John Gruden, Buc Coach, out on the course caddying for him. Butch was really frosted. Gruden caddying "was ridiculous. I thought he made a circus of the whole event."

"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life,'' Harmon said from his golf school in Las
Vegas. "And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk.''

"He would work hard and get better, but when things don't go right, it's back to the alcohol stuff,'' Harmon said. "I love this kid. He's a tremendous talent. But if he's not going to give 100 percent effort, it's a waste of my time.''

John was the ninth alternate when he won the PGA Championship in 1991 at Crooked Stick, and he captured the British Open at St. Andrews four years later. His last victory came four years ago at the Buick Invitational, but his game has been in a tailspin ever since, and his personal life has been as rocky as ever.

Butch is currently voted the best swing coach in golf. He really wanted to help.

"I've let him know that after his actions of last weekend, we are no longer together,'' Harmon said. "In all honesty, I'm a very busy person. I'm willing to help the kid, but until he helps himself and makes golf his No. 1 priority, I'm not his guy."

So... it's tough for all the Daly fans, I know. If John wants to get it together, it's all up to him now.

Yuk.

Marion

Sean O'Hair Wins the PODS

Stewart Cink, in a stunning collapse, during the final round of the PODS Tournament, surrendered the Tourney to young Sean O'Hair. Sean shot 2-under 69 Sunday and finished at 4-under 280 to the tune of $954,000. This should increase his total career winnings to something like $6million.

This is Sean's first victory since the John Deere in 2005. And plenty of fans are always pulling for the kid that had such a bad start with an overly aggressive father. No doubt that conversation will start up again. But Sean said last July that he now talks with his father occasionally. It would be good if they could get past the past. Sean is free to live his own life now and perhaps he can forgive and realize that life is too short to hold grudges. Marc has come from a pretty dismal background and maybe he did the best he knew how under the circumstances.

At any rate, this victory gives Sean a ticket to the Masters as well as to the WGC-CA at Doral. Nice perks! The win also moved him from the top 75 in the world to the top 40. He moved from 162nd to 13th in FedEx Cup points. Ain't it amazing what one W can do!

Marion

ACCENTURE BLOWOUT!! 47 Birdies + 2 Eagles

Tiger Woods did it again. Did we have any doubts?

The 32 year old passed Arnie's record for a 63rd PGA victory putting him in 4th place for all time career wins and is one away from the King, Ben Hogan. Career wins? Yes, and his career is still in its beginning stages.

He played like a machine this week and completed the week with an 8 and 7 over Stewart Cink in a 36-hole marathon that topped anything anyone has ever accomplished in match play. Stewart could only smile and suggest:

"I think maybe we ought to slice him open to see what's inside there," Cink said, grinning. "Maybe nuts and bolts."

Well, maybe the Grand Slam in 2008. What do you think?

Marion

The Accenture - On Saturday

What a shoot out! Badds punched out 10 birdies, but the Tiger roared again with 12 birdies to put it away in 20 holes.

Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Phil all went home early. It's now Saturday and Tiger has just sent K.J. Choi home with a 3 and 2. This afternoon should be another good one. Henrik Stenson is churning it out and we will see if Woody can survive to play this afternoon. Justin and Vijay are in a shootout. And it's looking like Stewart Cink may be able to put away Angel Cabrera.

Nothing like match play is there?

See ya after the match.

Marion

BUICK INVITATIONAL 2008

DO TIGERS ROAR?



He did it again! 19 under and leading by 8. This weekend he will be at Dubai with Ernie Els, Darren Clark, Sergio and a host of others from all over the world.

Will he roar again?

Meanwhile back at the ranch ... the FBR in Arizona is getting into full swing. Should be an exciting weekend.