By BILL HUFFMAN

       Apparently coming out of the wild blue yonder to win the British Open doesn’t make for great theatre these days, or so says the record-low 2.1 television rating that ESPN drew for the final round of the British Open.

       Louis Oosthuizen looked like a great story to me – young kid with a farm background; never sniffed it before in a major; a South African who prevailed on Nelson Mandella’s birthday; nicknamed “Shrek” because of the gap in his front teeth and big ears – but “King Louie’’ he is not, said the golf world.

      Just goes to show you how jaded we have become. Tiger Woods gets caught in the sex scandal of the century (to date, any way) and he remains the No. 1 most popular athlete in the world, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll. That he is tied for that dubious distinction in that poll with Kobe Bryant – I’m’ not making this up! – says it all.

     But, once again, “apparently,’’ people want Tiger and not Louie, Louie. Even though Greg Norman told Oosthuizen that it was the first time he ever watched “every shot by the champion’’ in a British Open, a lot of people disagreed with me and the Shark.

    Why are we so wrapped up in Woods, who finished tied for 23^rd at St. Andrews? I’m afraid it’s a sign of the sad state of professional sports. (Just look at LeFraud James!) And a sign we’re tied to the past, as golf aficionados were pretty wrapped up in Tiger’s quest to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors before everything went wrong for Woods.

    But it’s time to get over it, at least in golf. Woods probably is not going to break Jack’s record, and I think most people would agree with me when I say, “Thank, God!’’ Mark McGuirre’s steroid-tainted assault on another of my beloved heroes, Hank Aaron, was the all-time abberation in sports. As Popeye once fumed, “That’s all me can take, and me can’t take no more.’’

    Here’s why Woods will come up short (and this might have happened any way): Nicklaus was a freak of nature and Tiger is just freaky.

    Consider this:

    Bobby Jones played golf for 20 years but captured his 13 majors in a seven-year time frame (1923-30); Ben Hogan played the game for 25 years but won his nine majors also in seven years (1946-53); Tom Watson has played the game for 35 years but won his eight majors in eight years (1975-83); Sam Snead played the game for 40 years but acquired his seven majors also in eight years; and Arnold Palmer played the game for 25 years and claimed his seven majors in six years (1958-64).

   So you kind of see the pattern here, don’t you? Six to eight years is the peak of a golfer’s career in terms of winning majors. Woods has taken 11 years to win 14 majors (1997-2008) but 12 of those majors were won in a seven-year span (1999-2006).

   Nicklaus? The Golden Bear won his 18 majors over 24 years (1962-86), although 17 of them were won in a 18-year window (1962-80). In comparison to his peers, he was a freak, and I mean that in a good way.

   Considering all that’s come down on Woods, I don’t see him holding up the same way Nicklaus did, although he’ probably at least eight years to prove me wrong — and he’s done it before. Sure, at 34 years of age Tiger still has some goodwill hunting. But trust me when I say he’s no longer the No. 1 player in the world – he’s just a top-10 guy at best.

   It’s been over two years since Woods, winless this year, has won a major, and his game doesn’t look good enough to hold up at Whistling Straits when the PGA Championship unfolds there in three weeks. Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews were supposed to play right into Tiger’s hands this year but they didn’t. Now he comes to a course where he finished T-24 in 2004 desperately seeking a way out of his major slump.

   It’s not going to happen, and I’m sure the ratings will go begging at the PGA, too. Especially when you consider the trend lately, that a first-time winner in a major has won five of the last seven times on golf’s biggest stages. Only Phil Mickelson earlier this year at the Masters, and Angel Cabrera at the 2008 Masters, got in the way.

   Oh, it’s too bad, really. Oosthuizen, who celebrated his win at the British by buying a  John Deere tractor instead of a Ferrari – again, I’m not making this up! — was a wonderful story but for some reason most golf fans are not satisfied these days with heart-felt wins.

  They want Tiger, and Woods is all but a shadow of  his former himself.

By BILL HUFFMAN

      Funny thing about Tiger Woods: The better he played the bigger he got, and by the same token, the worse he plays the bigger he gets. Which just goes to show you that, when you’re golf’s superstar, bigger isn’t always better.

      It’s been nine months since Woods last won, an eternity by his standards. Then again, considering Tiger’s fall from grace and the pending mega-million-dollar divorce he’s facing, hey, the guy’s got a lot on his mind!

      That’s chiefly why I don’t think the stars are a cinch to come together for him at St. Andrews this week in the 150^th running of the British Open. I know, I know! He’s never lost at St. Andrews, but he’s only played there twice.

      If we need a little intrigue here besides the daily combative nature of the dialogue between Woods and the British press – a perverse lot seemingly obsessed with Woods’ sexual transgressions – it’s that Woods is the favorite at 9-to-2 odds despite himself. That’s right, fresh off his tie for 46^th at the recent AT&T – Woods’ worst finish since 2004 – he’s the man to beat.

     Personally, I’m not buying it if for no other reason than he hasn’t rolled the ball well this year. That’s not to say he can’t win; we all know you don’t necessarily bet against Tiger. But why else would he bag the Scotty Cameron after 11 years of record success in favor of a new Nike Method putter?

    OK, Woods says the Method to his madness has to do with St. Andrews’ large greens, and they are, by in large, huge since seven of them serve as double greens. (Believe it or not, there are only four holes at St. Andrews which feature single greens.)

    “It’s one of those things where I’ve always struggled on slower greens,’’ Woods said of the surfaces which also are relatively thick (like carpet) by PGA Tour standards. “I’ve always putted well on faster greens.

     “(The Nike Method) does come off faster with the new groove technology. It rolls the ball better and rolls it faster. I’ve had to make very little adjustment in how hard I’m hitting it compared to if I had my old putter.’’

     Here’s a fact, however, that says a lot more about Woods’ putting than the putter he’s using. He’s 45^th this season at rolling the rock, according to Tour statistics. Oh, yes, and he’s 151^st in driving accuracy and 125^th in greens in regulation. The amazing thing is he’s ninth in scoring average with a 71.19 average, which does defy everything as well as show us just how good he still is at getting the ball in the hole.

     Plus, Woods knows St. Andrews and its ubiquitous pot bunkers like the back of his hand. Who knows, he might even understand the secrets – or the “spirit’’ – of the Old Course like Old Tom Morris, whose magical touch almost 150 years ago won British Open titles in 1961, ’62, ’64 and ’67.

    “I wouldn’t say I have a specific advantage (at St. Andrews) because there’s a lot of guys who can hit the ball as far as I do,’’ said Woods, who last won a major championship two years at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

    “But this golf course requires placement. I mean you really have to place the ball correctly. Just because it’s wide off the tee doesn’t mean you can blow it all over the place. You have to hit the ball in the correct spots. And the two years that I’ve played here, I’ve done that.’’

    Woods said the reason he’s won two of this three Claret Jugs at St. Andrews (he also won the British at Royal Liverpool) is because he has putted so well.

     “I’ve managed my game really well and more importantly, I’ve lag putted beautifully,’’ he said of perhaps the deepest secret when it comes to conquering the Old Course. “You’re going to have some real long putts here no matter how you hit it, so many times you can three-putt.

    “You can go around here and hit 18 greens and shoot a high number because you are so far away from the hole.’’

    Still, you have to wonder if Woods and his putting isn’t more about the “Indian than the arrow.’’ He certainly couldn’t find the hole with any consistency in the Masters or the U.S. Open (fourth place in both) although he did show signs of his old self during the third round at Pebble Beach when he posted his season’s best score – 65.

    How this all translates is anybody’s guess. Even more than his game, I do see signs that Woods is trying to change from his old selfish self. For instance, when the tabloid writers hounded him about using the F-bomb and throwing tantrums on the course, he didn’t refuse to answer the question.

    “I’m trying to become a better player and a better person, yes,’’ he said, which was a rather huge concession from some of his past responses to highly personal questions directed his way.

    But when asked about the divorce – you have to wonder why people keep pressing him on this because, as we all know, it’s none of the media’s business – he calmly countered: “I’m not going to go into that.’’

    The Brits even got into pointed questions about his kids, infants Sam and Charlie. In that regard, Woods said: “They’re the most important things in my life.’’

    In all likelihood, Woods coming to grip with his personal life might be as important – maybe more important – than how he’s rolling the rock. The “Big D’’ still looms, but there are signs that his personal storm might be subsiding.

    It certainly makes Tiger a factor, but no more so than Phil Mickelson, the Masters winner whose only shot at a British came in 2004, when he finished one shot out of a playoff at Royal Troon; Lee Westwood, “the best player never to have won a major’’ who finished one shot out of a playoff last year at Turnberry; Ernie Els, whose last major came at the 2002 British Open at Muirfield; Padraig Harrington, who claimed back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and ’08 at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale; Justin Rose, arguably the hottest player in the field who finished third as an 18-year-old at Royal Birkdale; or Rory McIlroy, the kid everybody thinks is destined to win the oldest championship in golf.

By BILL HUFFMAN

        Normally, I’m not a huge LPGA fan unless, of course, it’s a major championship. The U.S. Women’s Open certainly fits nicely into that corner, especially when it’s played at a storied venue like hairy-scary Oakmont Country Club.

       I was there in 1994, when Ernie Els held off Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts in a playoff. I remember walking from the press tent to the clubhouse — about a one-block hike — only to discover that my perfectly pressed golf shirt had become drenched to my bones.

      Those attending this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont will certainly get some of that steamy heat, what with the East Coast under 90-degree temperatures and equally high humidity. But it’s the course that will create the real damage.

     OK, so the ladies are playing Oakmont at a modest 6,598 yards and a par of 71. Doesn’t matter as there WILL be blood. Certainly a lot more than in 1992, when Patty Sheehan beat Juli Inkster at that very same course with a score of 4-under 280 (yes, it was a par 72 in ’92).

     If I could bet the house on this tournament, I’d put the mortgage firmly down on Cristie Kerr. She’s got the killer instinct it takes to win at Oakmont, where if the big, bad bunkers don’t get you the monsterous, sloping greens will.  As I’ve said over and over about Kerr, she is the game’s new “Queen of Mean,” and that’s exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to the correct prescription at Oakmont, where the “Church Pew” bunkers at No. 3 truly are a religious experience.

     But, not surprisingly, even Kerr is slightly intimidated by Oakmont, which she called “One of the toughest courses I’ve ever seen.”

     If you follow women’s golf at all (or read my Backspin Blog), you already know that Kerr recently vaulted to No. 1 in the world, the first American to do so. You might also know that the good ol’ USA has six players in the top 25 — Michelle Wie (No. 10), Angela Stanford (11), Paula Creamer (13), Morgan Pressel (16) and Brittany Lincicome (21). Of the above list, only Kerr has a real chance here.

     Why? Because Wie is a bust, with only three top-10s this season. Before she’s going to get any better, Mommy and Daddy are going to have to quit following her around with the diaper bag. Stanford has a lot of heart, but not a U.S. Open-style game. Creamer just came off the DL, and Pressel and Lincicome haven’t sniffed it lately.

      Last year’s U.S. Women’s Open champ is one of the Korean kids, as nobody had ever heard of Eun Hee Ji before she won the silver trophy at Saucon Valley CC. (Odd that they’re playing back-to-back women’s opens in Pennsylvania, don’t you think?) And don’t be surprised if one of the “Seoul Sisters” wins again this week, as they took the top eight spots last week at the Jamie Farr Classic.

    Chances are if you want to look beyond Kerr, how about Korea’s No. 3, Jiyai Shin, whose probably ready to kick in the door again after losing the top spot in the rankings a month ago. Shin, who held onto the Numero Uno for seven weeks following Lorena Ochoa’s early retirement, is tailor-made for a U.S. Open, certainly much more than the punch-and-Judy Ai Miyazato of Japan, who currently ranks No. 2.

    Looking for a home-grown angle? Arizona State has five alums in the field — Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Louise Stahle, Wendy Ward and Heather Young. The Sun Devils also will be represented by recent graduate Juliana Murcia and sophomore-to-be Jennifer Johnson.  Murcia and Johnson — as good as any dark horses you will find — will be two of an unbelievable 28 amateurs who qualified for the 156-player field.

    Speaking of unfathomable, there will be 20 teen-agers that show up when the 72-hole chase gets under way Thursday. That’s why I say the carnage could get really, really ugly, like sacrificial lambs.

  Even Kerr admitted as much when she told reporters covering the event in the tiny hamlet of Oakmont, Pa., “I’ve played Oakmont twice, and I think oer par will win the tournament.”   

   Ya think?

By BILL HUFFMAN

       Just when it looked like the LPGA would be dominated by international players forever, along comes Cristie Kerr to give the American girls a glimmer of hope.

       Kerr, the feisty pro from Scottsdale who is known for her take-no-prisoners attitude, vaulted to the No. 1 spot in the women’s Rolex Rankings after winning last week’s LPGA  Championship, her second major championship and first since winning the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open.

       Naturally, she did it in typical Cristie Kerr fashion — by smoking the field by a near-record-for-a-major 12 shots. Relying on her fabulous putting stroke and not her 250-yard drives, she made everything she looked at. Kerr called it “ridiculous” and “obscene,” but I guarantee you  she reveled in the fact that she reduced the field to ashes.

      Not that Kerr grabbing the No. 1 ranking was exactly overpowering, mind you. There were five other players — Japan’s Ai Miyazato, the former No. 1; South Korea’s Jiyai Shin, who was No. 1 the seven weeks prior to Miyazato; Sweden’s Suzann Pettersen; Taiwan’s Yani Tseng; and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (the former ASU star) — who could have emerged No. 1 by winning the LPGA Championship. (Notice that all the rest were international, not American, stars.)

    But there was Kerr, who 15 years ago gave up college golf to turn pro at the tender age of 18, as the woman on top of the world rankings. And, believe it or not, she is the first American to hold such coveted status since the Rolex Rankings were introduced a few years back.

    Realistically, I’m not sure Kerr ever would have attained such lofty status had Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa not sought early retirement. But if Kerr’s never-say-die attitude has anything to do with it, she’ll be on top until they remove her screaming and kicking.

   In all of golf, I can’t think of anyone who is as tough, rough and gruff with the competition (and the media) as Kerr. Yeah, she’d kick you when you’re down — in your teeth, no less. From the day she first burst on the scene, reporters have learned that you never know what you’ll get from Kerr when you ask her a question, but oftentimes it’s your head  on a platter.

   Yes, the cute-but-curt Kerr is the LPGA’s  latest “Queen of Mean,” replacing former LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens for that dubious distinction. But that’s not all bad and here’s why.

   Kerr seems to need that extra motivation, that kill-or-be-killed personna, in order to lift herself to the next level. Remember, she’s been out there pounding away for 15 years to finally get where she’s gotten.

   When she said last Sunday, “I’ve worked for my whole life (to get to No. 1),” she wasn’t kidding. And in order to stay at No. 1, she’ll have to adhere to the same gunfighter philosophy — “kill or be killed” — that has gotten Kerr this far.

    When you look at the Rolex Rankings, the fact that Kerr is No. 1 is a little bit misleading from the standpoint of American dominance. Consider, there are only nine players from the USA in the top 50 and a mere 14 in the top 100. So Kerr being No. 1 is about the only bright spot you can cling to when it comes to red-white-and-blue pride.

    The key for Kerr to remaining No. 1, however, is to win her second U.S. Women’s Open in two weeks, a feat that would give her a bigger cushion in the Rolex Rankings. As it stands now, she is at 10.45 points to Miyazato’s 10.33, as .12 hundredths of a point separates the two.

    But given that the U.S. Women’s Open is at Oakmont Country Club, one of the more difficult national championship venues in women’s golf history, I like Kerr’s chances. Hey, it’s not my observation — it’s the late Vince Lombardi’s — but it’s, oh, so true: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

   And nobody in golf is any tougher than Cristie Kerr.

By BILL HUFFMAN

         Despite Arizona State’s fast start in Tennessee on Tuesday — near the top of the leader board – don’t expect the 16th-ranked Sun Devils to bring home the hardware from the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship.

         Unless you believe in deja vu.

         ASU Coach Randy Lien had to be tickled with his team’s first-round number — 2-under-par 286. And there’s little doubt he relished a return to Chattanooga’s famed Honors Course.

          “Obviously, the Honors Course in Tennessee holds great significance for our program. That was where we won our one and only NCAA title (under Lien) in 1996,” he told me prior to the tournament.

           Don’t get me wrong, ASU is strong. The problem is the Sun Devils aren’t quite that loaded from top to bottom on a consistent basis, which is what it will take when the 54-hole medal play qualifying portion (top eight teams) of this big event gives way to three days of match play later in the week.

          ASU’s Jesper ”Parnevik” Kennegard is a future pro, and Scott Pinckney and Knut Borsheim have a chance to play golf for a living. I like Braxton Marquez – this year’s amateur sensation at the Waste Mangement Phoenix Open — and James Byrne, too, it’s just that they can be a little hit-and-miss.

          Like Tuesday, when the NCAA dance got under way with Kennegard posting a 4-under 68, Borsheim adding 70 to go along with a pair of 74s from Pinckney and Byrne. Good thing they were able to toss out Marquez’s 81 (ouch!)

          Yes, to win an NCAA team title these days you’ve got to have a No. 5 guy who has the potential to have the best score on the team, and I don’t think ASU is quite there yet. This is especially true when you get to the dicey match play portion of this tournament that was installed last year. (A bad move, really.)

         What’s weird is that ASU didn’t have to be the sixth-highest ranked Pac-10 team behind No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 Oregon and No. 10 USC  going into this thing had Philip Francis won his eligibility battle with the conference and Chan Kim not run into academic difficulty.

        Damn, now that would have been a strong team had Francis, a redshirt junior, got a break when he transferred from UCLA and Kim, a regular last year and a recent winner of the Arizona State Stroke Play Championship, not ended up at Mesa Community College!  

       As it stands, No. 1 Oklahoma State is the heavy favorite after blowing it last year when Texas A&M took them down in the head-to-head. The most likely Pac-10 team to emerge at the end might be – definitely! – Washington.   

      But if you believe in a magical finish all over again, why not the Sun Devils? For the record, nobody thought Darren Angel, Chris Hanell, Scott Johnson, Pat Perez and Joey Snyder would bring it home in 1996!

By BILL HUFFMAN

        This was supposed to be the “Year of the Tiger,” at least is you believe the Chinese calendar. But the reality is that it’s turning out to be anyting but.

       Frankly, if I’m Tiger, I’m taking the rest of the year off. I don’t care if the U.S. Open is at Pebble Beach and the British Open is at St. Andrews — two of Tiger’s favorite haunts — I’m outta the public eye for the next six months to lick my wounds and try to heal.

        At this point it would take a miracle to turn around 2010 for the Woods camp. And that’s not happening, as the news about TW  seems to get worse by the day – not that he doesn’t deserve it.

       First of all, there’s this “Divorce of the Century” hanging over Woods’ head.  According to a report in the New York Daily News, Elin Nordegren wants $750 million from sport’s first billion-dollar man. Granted, she won’t get half that much but, hey, why not ask for the motherlode and settle, for say, $350 million? All I can tell you is that the $100 million-plus divorces granted Greg Norman and Nick Faldo in the past will look like kid stuff compared to Tiger’s. 

        The “Big E” has three things going for her – Tiger’s two kids and a reported potential threat to write a tell-tale book. Apparently Nordegren is going to live in  Europe, meaning Tiger will have to negotiate for occassional child custody as part of the divorce. And despite Tiger saying he’s never taken performance-enhancing drugs, well, have we not been lied to by a good number of professional athletes already? Seriously, who knows what ”E” has up her sleeve(s) beyond the Vicodan and Ambien? 

       Secondly, Tiger’s track record this season is so abysmal (at least by his standards) that even U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is starting to diss him. Or did you not hear Pavin’s response this past week to a question about Tiger currently being No. 11 in the Ryder Cup standings? (No, I’m not making that up — 11th!)

      ”I’m not going to treat Tiger any different than any other player,” Pavin told Retuers. “He’s certainly not going to be an automatic pick.

      “He’s just going to be treated like everyone else. I’d love to have him on the team, but I want him to be playing well.”

      Personally, I’ve always thought Pavin was a jerk. If you don’t think he’s got the “small man” syndrome then you probably don’t know he’s 5-foot-8. In the prime of his career at age 34, Tiger is NOT an automatic pick with 14 majors and 71 PGA Tour victories? Go figure!

      Thank goodness Jack Nicklaus, the only guy with more majors than Tiger (18), brought Pavin’s haughty bluster  into perfect perspective.

     ”(Pavin) would need a brain scan if he left Tiger off the team,” roared the Golden Bear. “Of course he should pick Tiger.”

      I guess when you’re down and out even little people like to pick on you. True, Tiger is a slimeball for hooking up with an alleged 120 hookers/porn stars/blonde bimbos/etc. while he was married. But on the golf course all that deplorable behavior gets a pass from most people. As for Pavin,  if I’m Tiger, I don’t play in the Ryder Cup in October even if I’m a captain’s pick.

     Moving right along with why Tiger should take 2010 off,  just look at the results so far (even if there aren’t many). He’s only played in three tournaments, missed the cut and withdrew in two of those, and currently stands No. 126 on the money list with a paltry (at least by his standards) $330,000. Oh, yes, and part of that fiasco at Quail Hollow included a 79 — the worst score of Tiger’s career. More outrageous numbers will follow until Tiger gets the brunt of this fall from grace behind him.

    Checking out Woods’ stats, his 71.33 scoring average is his highest ever. Granted, he’s only played in three events, but he hasn’t cashed a check (his only check) since the first week in April. Not necessarily a good thing when four of your chief sponsors have dumped you, your main sponsor (Nike) has benched you for Paul “the Big P” Casey and Justin Leonard,  and your wife wants the entire ranch and everything that goes with it.

    Oh, and did we mention that your arch rival, Phil Mickelson, is on the edge of taking away your worldy No. 1 status? OK, so Mickelson only seems to play well when Tiger’s in the field — three wins, one runner-up and a T-17 in their last five head-to-heads — but it’s going to happen eventually. Do you want to be playing when Phil the Thrill finally rubs it in your face? (If I own a yacht deemed Privacy, I’m way out to sea when that happens!)

     Believe it or not, it was six months ago Thursday that the most infamous one-car wreck in a driveway in sports history rocked Tiger’s world. Given what’s happened since — and what’s to come?? – Tiger Woods needs to step back and try to get a new grip for 2011.

     2010? Forgetta-bout-it!

By BILL HUFFMAN

        When I finally reached Jordan Spieth on Wednesday to see if the 16-year-old phenom who stole the show at last week’s HP Byron Nelson Classic could join us on ”Backspin The Golf Show,” I got the answer I didn’t want to hear.

        “Sorry, I’m just so over my head with schoolwork after last week. I really need to spend the night studying,” Spieth reluctantly told me. “It’s a group project with some of my other classmates from Jesuit (High School in Dallas), and I really need to get this done if I’m going to get to Phoenix by Friday morning.”

        When I said I was sorry to hear that he was swamped and that I understood, Spieth showed me why he’s going to be a star someday.

       “Well, I’m in-between classes right now, so I can give you a few minutes if that’s OK with you?”

        Turns out Spieth (pronounced “Speeth” like teeth) hasn’t taken a page from the PGA Tour’s superstars just yet, as he doesn’t know how to blow off reporters with aplomb. Hopefully, he’ll never learn. All I can say is I met Tiger Woods and Ty Tryon when they were 16 and Phil Mickelson when he was 18, and none of them were as well-spoken as Spieth is at that age, although Mickelson was a close second. 

       That’s why I’m urging you to get in line this weekend at Grayhawk Golf Club to catch “The Jordan Spieth Show,” which will be playing as part of the 11th annual Thunderbird Junior International. The tournament features many of the top juniors in the world — both No. 1 players (Spieth and Argentina’s Victoria Tanco), as well as 44 other Rolex All-Americans (13 first-teamers) — in a 54-hole event that runs Satuday through Monday.

        Frankly, I’m surprised that Spieth decided to show up after all the hoopla and big crowds that surrounded him last week. Hey, even juniors probably think twice about going from the pinnacle of their dreams (playing with the pros) back to reality (junior golf).

        But according to Jordan, not even for a second.

       “To be honest, I never even considered it,’’ said Spieth of his decision to return to kids’ golf. “Sure, this week is going to be a smaller stage, but to me the competition will be almost as tough.

      “People might not be aware of it, but the Thunderbird is one of the best junior tournaments in the country. Yeah, it’s not the PGA Tour, but a lot of the kids who will be playing there will be playing on Tour someday.’’

      You can almost bet one of those will be Spieth, who dazzled the fans at the TPC Four Seasons with a performance (68-69-67-72) some felt literally saved the tournament after its normally stellar field was decimated by a new spot on the schedule that was up against the BMW PGA Championship in Europe. (For instance, the highest rated player in the Byron Nelson was No. 17 Hunter Mahan, while five of the top 10 in the world played in England.)

      “I would hate to say that,’’ countered the junior at Dallas’ Jesuit High School, who currently is the top-ranked junior in the country after winning the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

      “Bearing Byron Nelson’s name is extremely special. Everyone that’s invited to this event knows that.’’

       If you get the drift that Spieth is “extremely special,’’ too, that would be correct.  All he did last week was become the sixth-youngest player to make a cut on the PGA Tour before ending up tied for 16^th — the best finish on golf’s big stage by a player under the age of 17 since Mac Hunter tied for 10^th at the 1972 Bing Crosby Pro-Am. Believe it or not, when Spieth entered the final round tied for seventh place he was in a rarified position that even Tiger failed to attain as a 16-year-old.

     “I’ve played the last two years (in the Thunderbird) and I think the best I’ve done is, like, fifth place,” he told me. “I had a chance last year, but the guy who won the tournament (Lee) just went nuts.’’

     That was Danny Lee — not that Danny Lee, the 2008 U.S. Amateur champ, but a Danny Lee from California — who set the 18-, 36- and 54-hole records en route to an 18-under 198.

     Obviously, Spieth  is a very astute youngster when he stated the Thunderbird is “one of the best junior tournaments in the country.’’ The other top-ranked junior, Victoria Tanco from Argentina – one of 15 foreign countries represented in the tournament – also is in the field.

     As for Arizona kids entered in the Thunderbird, there’s only three and all three are girls. They include Alex Stewart of Peoria, Lindsey Weaver of Scottsdale and Kyung Kim of Chandler.

         Of course, no one is going to get as much attention as Spieth, who said he never considered pulling out of the Thunderbird despite his newfound success. 

        “I don’t consider playing in the Thunderbird ‘down’ at all,’’ he said. “You might think I’m a little crazy, but winning this tournament will be just as hard as winning last week. In their own way, these top junior players from around the world are just as good.’’

       Yeah, that does sound a little crazy, but at the same time I get what the kid was saying. I wouldn’t recommend most junior events as golf entertainment even if they’re free. But a chance to catch “The Jordan Spieth Show” is totally worth it.

By Bill Huffman

Perhaps the quietest 63 ever recorded at Phoenix Country Club took place this past week when Jim Carter, a quiet guy formerly known as Jimmy Carter (but not the ex-President), led the way in local qualifying for the U.S. Open.

You remember Carter, the former Arizona State All-American who was last seen on the big stage winning the 2000 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open. Well, these days he goes by Jim Carter, although I’m not certain of that I’m just reading what it says on the release from the Arizona Golf Association.

Seriously, I’ve searched high and low to find Carter, including the two phone numbers in my Rolodex that proved “out of order.” I’ve also tried four other numbers that “sources” gave me and also proved worthless. I think I’ve called his house, but no one ever answers so I’m not sure.

Geez, one week of an intensive search and no sign of the whereabouts of Jim (or is it Jimmy?) Carter. According to my ”sources,” this is the same guy who lives in Scottsdale and once was named ASU’s athlete of the year (1984) as well as the Pac-10′s top golfer.

What Carter did at PCC on Monday (May 10) was impressive, as he shot 5-under 30 on the front nine to win by a comfortable four shots over another former PGA  Tour player who lives in the Valley, Jerry Smith. Among the six players who advanced to sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (June 17-20), was Chan Kim, who recently captured the Arizona State Stroke Play Championship.

There were two other local qualifers in Arizona for the U.S. Open, with Brett Swedberg of Gilbert leading the way with a 4-under 66 at Southern Dunes and former Scottsdale Community College All-American Rich Saferian setting the pace with a 5-under 67 at Tucson Country Club. Others of note to advance at those sites included Ben Kern, Brian Kontak and Dean Vomacka at Southern Dunes, and Nathan Tyler, Jake Rogers and Tommy Medina moving on at TCC.

According to my sketchy records, Carter was last seen winning the 2004 Tommy Bahama Challenge at Grayhawk Golf Club. The 49-year-old also has “Ws” next to his name for claiming the Arizona Open in 1989 and 1996, and the Nike Tour’s 1994 New Mexico Charity Classic.

Obviously, Jim or Jimmy (no the ex-president), can still play. I’d love to contact him if you know the magical number (no guesses, please!). I’ve tried six times to no avail. If you can help, send me an email at bhuff56765@aol.com.

We all knew it was going to happen someday, so perhaps that was the reason Tuesday’s announcement that Tiger Woods will return to golf at the Masters wasn’t exactly “the shot heard ’round the world.’’

As he likes to do these days, Woods leaked the story a week ago through the Associated Press and then made it official via his website this week.

In other words, everybody knew he was ending four months of self-imposed exile at the place where he is most protected from the paparazzi and pundits — Augusta National. And given that CBS Sports has been the Masters’ lap dog for the past 50-some years — even going as far as sacrificing its own reporter, Gary McCord — Tiger can stay warm in his media-proof cocoon for at least another month or two.

Chances are Woods isn’t going to do a pre-tournament press conference or maybe even any press conference during Masters week. You can expect the Pinkertons will get plenty of airtime escorting him from his car to the clubhouse and back again. And once he’s inside the ropes, Woods will batten down the hatch.

But it will be very interesting to see how it all unfolds during that second week in April when, as they say, the “real season’’ begins. And, of course, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief – Tiger’s back!

One thing is a gimme: record television ratings for CBS. Tiger already held the old mark with a 15.8 rating in 1997, the year he won by a landslide (12 strokes) and a record score (18-under-par 270). By comparison, the average PGA Tour telecast does about a 2 rating, and my all-time favorite Masters telecast – Jack Nicklaus winning his sixth green jacket in 1986 – did a 10.5.

So this year’s Masters is certain to be the all-timer from a TV standpoint just because Tiger’s audience has morphed significantly into non-golfing circles ever since that fateful early morning of Nov. 27, when the sky fell in on Woods. By now, most of us are quite familiar with the one-car pileup and subsequent revelations that led to the “Sex Scandal of the Century.’’

Whether Woods’ new followers are made up of “sex addicts’’ (please!), pill poppers or just the curious average guy who attended Tiger Jam remains a mystery to me. But, hey, many of us have gone through that sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll phase.

The only thing I know for sure is that Tiger Woods has become bigger than ever despite his fall from grace. From here, I could care less about Tiger’s sex life, or if he needed a prescription drug like Vicodin or Ambien.Or for that matter if wife Elin might have teed off with a 7-iron, like the Florida Highway Patrol originally suspected.

The bottom line is Tiger’s back at the place where he made his name, and according to his website, “The Masters is where I won my first major, and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.’’

, because up until Ernie Els’ win last week at Doral, this had been a dreadfully dull year. No doubt PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem was jumping for joy even though he kept his words brief: “We all wish him and his family the best as he rejoins the Tour.’’

Interesting reaction by Finchem, who held a press conference Monday to announce a new sponsor, but was unsually short with his words in the wake of Tiger’s return. Oh, yes, and there was a message at the end of the commish’s statement: “Please DO NOT respond to this email.’’

How this tainted tale of Tiger moves forward is anybody’s guess. I’m sure nobody ever imagined it could get as ugly as recently, when radio shock jock Howard Stern hosted a “Tiger Woods Mistress’’ competition that gave the crown and the $75,000 first prize to Mistress No. 3, Jamie Jungers.

Then there is the upcoming season opener of “South Park,” which is dedicating Wednesday night’s show (March 17) to Tiger under the title: “Sexual Healing.’’ According to South Park producer Matt Stone, “We’re all really concerned about (Tiger) and hope he gets better. It’s such an important issue in America right now – the sex addiction outbreak.’’

Stone is right down the middle of the fairway with that assessment, as the coverage on Woods’ personal life has gotten to the point where it’s a joke. There will be plenty of one-liners on “South Park,” as Woods is joined in the acerbic cult cartoon that lampoons celebrities by such other well-known “sex addicts’’ as Bill Clinton, David Letterman and David Duchovny.

First the “South Park” spoof parodies Tiger’s recent speech, making fun of his now infamous “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to’’ quote. Then when asked what he needs to avoid problems in the future by his therapist, a clueless Tiger responds: “Having sex with lots of girls?’’

Yes, Woods will soon be driving down Magnolia Lane, but chances are the circus that surrounds him isn’t going to end any time soon even if he wins. You’ve just got to hope he can stay away from the Perkins restaurants, and that his volatile caddie, Stevie Williams, doesn’t hear a catcall like “Cheetah” and poke somebody in the nose.

But, seriously, did you really think Tiger was going to skip a chance to win a 15th major championship – especially the Masters, which by his own admission is his favorite major? I never did for a minute.

Sure, the “continuing treatment” Woods talked about Tuesday is important. It’s just not as important as the thrill of a fifth green jacket, his ultimate addiction.

I’ve had a love affair with newspapers almost since the day I was born.

Maybe that had to do with the fact that, as a baby, I was the main subject of my father’s weekly column in a little newspaper in Iowa called the Traer Star-Clipper. Or maybe it was that early photo of me on the family throne reading the newspaper (just like my dad) at age 2.
Whatever the imprint, my three kids never got it. Newspapers to them are as foreign as video games are to me. It makes me sad because they don’t know what they’re missing – the drama of the world told in in-depth stories and photos on a daily basis.
As a result, the newspaper industry seems to be under a death knell, with my ilk – golf writers – becoming an endangered species. In the past year, 25 major newspapers (that I know of) have eliminated their ink-stained golf scribes in places like Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles. And, yes, right here in the East Valley.
Last week on www.golfobserver.com, the only Internet site that features many of the top stories in golf on a daily basis, Sal Johnson, one of  the game’s leading statisticians and historians, penned an article entitled “The Death of the Newspaper Golf Writer.’’
“It’s just scary the way we’re disappearing,’’ said Johnson, who made me part of his story. “Your readers might not understand the magnitude of it yet, but I guarantee you they’ll realize it at some point, and actually miss those front-page stories that Bill Huffman has brought them over the years — especially in a golf haven like Arizona.’’
According to the Department of Labor, over 30,000 newspaper employees have lost their jobs this year, a story that has developed in small chunks of 50 here and 100 there. One of those cuts came not long ago at the Tribune, where 142 employees lost their jobs.
Just last week the Arizona Republic laid off dozens of editors and writers – its third downsizing of 2008. And that was followed by the Rocky Mountain News in Denver announcing it would shut down its operation if the newspaper wasn’t sold by mid-January, as well as news that the “other’’ Tribune Company that owns the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times had filed for bankruptcy.
Granted those numbing newspaper stats aren’t as severe as what’s going on in the financial and auto industries, but you should be alarmed as we move more exclusively to the Internet to get our news. Bloggers aren’t journalists, and the lack of “watchdogs with ethics’’ is eventually bound to cost us dearly.
Actually, I would be surprised if many have empathy for my plight, which is hardly life or death. Hey, being a golf writer for the past 20 years at Arizona’s largest two newspapers has truly been a dream job. So many people have told me “I wish I had your job’’ over those two decades that I’ve actually felt guilty even if I never knew exactly why.
It has been a wonderful ride with a lot of wonderful people. Getting to know different types in golf such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold  Palmer, Phil Mickelson, John Daly, Billy Mayfair, Tom Lehman, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park, Linda Vollstedt, Heather Farr, Karsten Solheim and Bob Goldwater, to name just a few, has been more fun than work. And being around the game’s greatest player ever also was very special even if I never really knew Tiger Woods.
I can still remember vividly the first of the 44 major championships I covered at the Country Club near Boston. That was the 1988 U.S. Open, and my highlight for the week was having a beer around midnight with Tom Watson in the parking lot of our Red Roof Inn. Just Tom and I shooting the (expletive) with a six-pack of Old Milwaukee – you would have thought I had died and gone to heaven!
But mostly I hitched my wagon to Arizona golf, and wrote the book “Arizona’s Greatest Golf Courses.’’ That was in 1999, the same year I started co-hosting Backspin The Golf Show on the radio, a medium that, thankfully, seems to be faring better than print these days.
A year later I joined The East Valley Tribune, which I added to a resume that included the Daily Iowan, the San Antonio Express-News, the Des Moines Register and the Arizona Republic. During those 35 years in newspapers, I was fortunate enough to represent my peers, who elected me as the national president of the Associated Press Sports Editors (1995-96) and to the executive board of the Golf Writers Association of America (1997-99).
So as I leave the newspaper industry, probably for good considering the job market out there is zilch, these are just a few of my most fond memories along with covering 20 Masters and 22 FBR Opens. I’m not going completely away, but I am moving over to the other side – the Internet.
Starting in January I’ll begin writing a column called “AzGolf at Large’’ for the Arizona Golf Association on its website (www.azgolf.org). It represents a new frontier, and I’m excited about the prospects of once again traveling this great state for golf and finding those untold stories in out-of-the-way places like Bisbee, Bullhead City, Page, Tubac and Pinetop.
I’ll admit, it’s a bittersweet path I’m on right now, and I probably will miss the ink-stained world even more than I can imagine. I thank you sincerely for reading my column in The Tribune over these past nine years, and hope you’ll join me again in the future.