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Bubba Watson Wins Farmers Insurance Open

All the talk coming into the Farmers Insurance Open was about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Now, it's Bubba's time. Bubba Watson held off Phil Mickelson to win for the second time in his PGA TOUR career and his first in 2011. 

(Bubba Watson shot a final round 67 to win the Farmers Insurance Open)

Watson took the lead on the 3rd hole on Sunday. Although he never looked back, the win was nothing short of dramatic. The 17th hole he left himself 10 feet to save par, which he comfortably knocked in. On the 18th hole, he found himself in the greenside bunker but managed to make birdie, which ultimately earned him the win. 

The win earned Watson $1,044,000 and puts him in second place in the FedEx Cup standings. 

Notables

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson made their 2011 PGA TOUR debuts at the Farmers Insurance Open.  Tiger came out with something to prove and fired back to back 69's to start the event. Saturday and Sunday were struggle days as Tiger shot 74 in round three and 75 in the final round. It marked the first time in his career he shot over par at Torrey Pines He finished tied for 44th.

Phil Mickelson looked in midseason form, finishing in second place just one stroke behind Watson. Some thought the travel from United Arab Emirates would cause an issue but Mickelson didn't falter, shooting under par in all four rounds.  

 Dustin Johnson finished tied for third with last weeks winner, Jhonattan Vegas while Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, and Nick Watney finished in a tie for sixth.

The PGA TOUR returns to action Thursday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Tiger Woods No Longer Most Powerful Athlete

Tiger Woods is no longer the most powerful athlete in the advertising world according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. That honor now belongs to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

 
(Peyton Manning surpassed Tiger Woods as the most marketable athlete in the world)

All is not lost for Tiger, he is third on the list and earned an estimated $70 million in endorsements last year. More than any other athlete in the world. The list mentions Tigers major sponsors as Nike, EA Sports and Tag Heuer. It cites the major reason Tiger is no longer number one as losing major sponsors like Accenture. Tiger has not won an event since 2009.

Tiger is not the only golfer to make the list. Fourth on the list is Phil Mickelson, just one spot behind Tiger. Phil won his third Masters on 2010 and is currently ranked fourth in the overall world golf rankings. Earning over $50 million last year, Phil has major endorsements from Barclays, Callaway, KPMG, ExxonMobil and Rolex.

 Other Golfers Make the Top 100

Lee Westwood, the number one ranked golfer in the world, makes the list at number 21. He was not on the list in 2010. His earnings topped $15 million in 2010 and lists major sponsors UPS, Ping, Jaguar, and Audemars Piguet.

Jim Furyk makes the list again jumping up 22 places, from 50 to 28. The 40 year old Furyk was 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and won the Fed ExCup, the PGA TOUR's playoff. Furyk earned over $15 million in 2010 and list major sponsors as Exelon and Johnny Walker.

Steve Stricker did not make the list last year but finds himself in 59th place. The 43 year old make over $9 million last year and won the John Deere Classic. His major sponsors are Titleist and NYSE Euronext.

Luke Donald cracks the list coming in at 87th. The 33 year old earned just over $9 million in 2010 and has Polo Ralph Lauren and Mizuno as sponsors.

Ernie Els is the final golfer to make the top 100 list, coming in 93rd. Els was not on the 2010 list but the 41 year old earned about $11 million last year and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is sponsored by Callaway and SAP.

Click here to see the full list of the Power 100.

PGA TOUR Farmers Insurance Open Preview & Fantasy Picks

The PGA TOUR continues this week with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.  Headlining this event will be Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, both playing in their first PGA TOUR event of the season.

(Will Tiger Woods get back to his winning ways in 2011?)

Tiger is in search of his first win since 2009 and Torrey Pines could be the place to do it. He has won at this course seven times. The last tournament of 2010, The Chevron World Challenge, Tiger had the lead but was out-dueled by one of the hottest players in golf, Graeme McDowell.

Phil Mickelson played last week in Abu Dhabi where he finished 19 strokes off the pace. He is looking for his first win since April of 2010, when he captured the green jacket at The Masters. Mickelson is also no stranger to Torrey Pines, he has won here three times.

Groups To Watch

1. Bubba Watson, Stewart Cink & Davis Love III. It's no secret, I love watching Bubba Watson play. He is energetic, hits the ball a long way, and loves to take risks. Stewart Cink is looking to rebound after missing the cut at the Bob Hope Classic last week. He's been a staple on The TOUR and always fun to watch. Davis Love III was recently named captain of the 2012 American Ryder Cup, I think this will give him a boost of confidence and help him compete this season.

2. Tiger Woods, Rocco Mediate & Anthony Kim. Do I even need to explain why this is a group to watch? Tiger Woods makes his 2011 debut on a course he has owned. Everyone is watching him. Rocco Mediate is as entertaining golfer as there is. His open candor with the media and passion for the game makes him fun to watch. He won the Frys.com open earning his card for another two years. Anthony Kim struggled due to injury last year but is one of the best youngsters on TOUR. I'm hoping he will regain the form he had a couple of years ago and show us what he has in 2011.

3. Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose & Phil Mickelson. Once again a group that needs no explanation. Dustin Johnson is talented and looks continue his winning ways in 2011. If you like big hitters, keep your eyes on him. Justin Rose finished 5th in the FedEx Cup standings last year earning over $3,000,000. He made the cut both in both events so far in 2011, he will look to go 3 for 3. Phil Mickelson will hope to fight off jet lag from the UAE last week. He knows the course well and I wouldn't be surprised to see him win this tournament.

Fantasy Picks

Last week I started out great but a lack of adjusting my roster hurt me in the long run. Hopefully I pay more attention this week but it's unlikely.

Starting Four: Phil Mickelson (A), Bubba Watson (B), Kenny Perry (B), Anthony Kim (C)

The Bench: Tiger Woods (A), Kevin Na (B), Rickie Fowler (B), David Duval (C)

My rank is 293 of 1,163

 Coverage begins at 2:00pm EST on The Golf Channel.

McIlroy & Westwood Will Not Play at THE PLAYERS

The world's number one ranked golfer, Lee Westwood, and European star, Rory McIlroy have both said they will not play in THE PLAYERS this May. THE PLAYERS is one of the biggest tournaments the PGA TOUR hosts every year.

(Rory McIlroy & world #1 Lee Westwood. Photo from Life.com)

If the tournament were to be played today it would mean The PLAYERS would be without two players ranked in the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings. Westwood is currently the top ranked player while McIlroy is 7th. Neither player has won a major. 

Why They Decided Not to Play

A great post on Wei Under Par shows tweets by McIlroy implying it's because he hasn't played well there in the past. Personally, I'm not buying it.  He's young, it's an exciting tournament, and he has only played in the event twice.

In my opinion, and I'm not alone, it's a political move. Westwood and McIlroy are both high profile players who clearly don't like the PGA TOUR limiting how many events they can play in. THE PLAYERS is considered the biggest event after the four majors, which they wouldn't skip. I think they are trying to make a point that the PGA TOUR needs the top players in the world more than the top players need the PGA TOUR.

What's the Solution

I wish I could tell you I have the answer to this but I would be lying. These are a couple of suggestions and possible roads the PGA TOUR can down down.

1. Do nothing. There is a very good chance Lee Westwood will not be the #1ranked golfer in the world come May (when THE PLAYERS tournament takes place).  Prove the point to Westwood and McIlroy they can't bully the PGA TOUR.  It might not be the best approach since this will probably happen again but right now the PGA TOUR is still "The TOUR". 
2. Special Treatment for the Top 10. Offer an open door to any player ranked in the top 10 in the world.  If they want to play in an event, they can because they have earned it. Once you're out of the top 10, you lose this right.
3. Adjust the number of events non PGA TOUR card holders can play in. Right now players without PGA TOUR cards can only in three North American events excluding majors and world championships.  I think this needs to change and is probably what the PGA TOUR will do.  It doesn't have to be an open door policy but there should be some flexibility.  Westwood is using one of three to defend the St. Judes Classic.  If you win an event, you should be allowed to defend the title without it counting towards your total number of events played.. in my opinion.

As golf grows globally, the United States and PGA TOUR are going to have to make changes.  European players are taking over the top 10 (Martin Kaymer will probably be #1 next) and if adjustments are not made, the PGA TOUR and the game could suffer.

WAM Golf Radio Live Tonight at 8pm EST!

The DQ of Padraig Harrington has me pretty heated.  Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson make their 2011 PGA TOUR debuts at Torrey Pines.  Golf season is right around the corner... right?  Join us tonight to discuss anything golf related.  Listen, call or join us in the chat room!

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