By Tony Leodora

This was supposed to be the showcase week of the year for women’s golf.

It turned out to be showcase week for a magnificently renovated and manicured Saucon Valley CC, the stately 54-hole facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

And it was a showcase for the weather in the Lehigh Valley, as the week from heaven made girl-watching at the USGA’s premiere women’s event very comfortable.

And it was a showcase for Eun-Hee Ji, the 23-year-old Korean who claimed her first major championship by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of a very tense competition.

But nothing else went right this week – for the LPGA Tour, for the USGA or for the overall mantle of women’s golf.

First, the USGA was forced to play the championship without the two most recognizable women on the LPGA Tour – Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis. Neither met the standards for an automatic exemption and both were bounced in qualifying tournaments.

Then, distraction turned to embarrassment, as it was learned that 15 major LPGA players got together and drafted a letter asking Commissioner Carolyn Bivens to resign.

After a day of peace, the distraction arose again as it was reported that Bivens was going to resign and the already-money strapped LPGA was working on terms of a buyout.

Then marquis attraction Lorena Ochoa, the No. 1 women’s player in the world, proved very vulnerable in her second round. On the extremely slick Saucon Valley greens she developed an embarrassing case of the yips. She missed at least a half-dozen very short putts (3 to 6 feet), en route to a 79.

In the third round Paula Creamer, the other remaining marquis name, seemed hot on the trail to her first major championship when she suddenly suffered a triple-bogey on the short 10th hole, then imploded during the rest of the back nine to disappear off the leaderboard with a 79.

In the final round, stumbling and bumbling again dominated the scene. Christie Kerr had a three-shot lead midway through the front nine before her putter betrayed her and caused her to finish above par. Brittany Lincicome also made a run before missing some short putts on the back nine.

Golfer after golf seemed to be falling prey to a combination of incompetence and nerves, until Ji saved the day. She shot three-under-par on the final eight holes to secure the win. Her 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole was reminiscent of the late Payne Stewart’s 18-footer to win the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

“I was extremely nervous before I made that putt,” Ji said, through an interpreter shortly after play concluded. “As a matter of fact, I’m still extremely nervous now.”

No doubt, the LPGA was very nervous also, until Ji sank the winning putt. A playoff, with two or three players stumbling their way along until somebody survived was the last thing women’s golf needed in this week of ruined showcases.

By Tony Leodora

For once, there may be more people in Pennsylvania trying to guess a number, other than the Daily Number.

Picking the correct lottery number could make you rich, but meeting the magic number in the U.S. Women’s Open at Saucon Valley CC in Bethlehem could make someone rich and famous.

And that magic number keeps changing as the week unfolds in the most important event of the year in women’s golf.

Before the start of this week’s championship, there were those who thought another double-digit-below-par score might take home the winner’s trophy.  Bob Holder, the evening host on Allentown’s Fox Sports radio station predicted 7-under-par would win the tournament. Bob Lentz of the Associated Press thought that 5-under-par would be a good score.

There were others who predicted even lower scores. After all, when they held the U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley in 1992, Larry Laoretti won with a 12-under-par score. In 2000 the Senior Open returned and Hale Irwin blistered the course with a 17-under-par total.

But Tom Fazio’s design firm came in and did a renovation of Saucon Valley. Although the routing remained the same, a few longer tees were added and the green complexes were reworked.

Add greens that have consistently reached 13 on the Stimpmeter all week and some blustery wind, as was the case for Saturday’s third round, and the scores have been extremely high.

“These are the fastest greens I have ever putted at Saucon Valley,” said Robin McCool, Saucon’s 10-time club champion. “They have turned this course into a beast.”

No argument from No. 1 player in the world, Lorena Ochoa. The green speeds caused a case of the yips and she shot a 79 in the second round that removed her from any contention. No argument either from Paula Creamer. A triple-bogey on the 10th round yesterday, a round in which she hit only five greens in regulation, led to a disastrous 79.

Only Christie Kerr, who played conservatively all day on Saturday, is below par – at 2-under par 140. Don’t be surprised if she slides above the even-par line on Sunday.

Only a rain-softened course could save the field on Sunday. Otherwise, this year’s championship at Saucon Valley will be known as the Women’s Open that was played above par.

By Tony Leodora

When planning a major event, one of the biggest worries is always the weather. All of the advance planning and organization in the world can be ruined by a clash with Mother Nature.

This year, the organizers of the U.S. Women’s Open at Saucon Valley have been blessed with some of the finest weather that can be found anywhere on Planet Earth. Instead, they have been blindsided with a force equally as destructive as any storm.

At the most inopportune time, controversy has arisen within the LPGA ranks threatening to harm the very foundation of the organization. At a time when promoters, players and sponsors hope that the eyes of the golf world would be focused on the best women golfers in the world, playing in the ultimate women’s golf event, a huge distraction comes from within its midst.

Last week, it was learned, that 15 prominent players drafted a letter calling for the resignation of LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. This caused a flurry of controversy that dominated discussion during the practice rounds early in Women’s Open week.

The controversy died down for about a day until, late Thursday, it was reported that Bivens had buckled under the pressure and was working out a buy out deal that would lead to her official resignation next week.

Over and over this week, players have begged off the question about their besieged commissioner, saying that it was not proper to discuss LPGA issues at a USGA event. They wanted to concentrate on golf.

That would be like South Carolina governor Mark Sanford saying he would rather not talk about his affair with a woman in Argentina because there were road paving issues that needed to be addressed in Charleston.

“We’re trying to concentrate on golf but the issue with the Commissioner just keeps popping up,” said Paula Creamer, one of the 15 who signed the letter asking for Biven’s resignation last week. “The timing is not the greatest.”

U.S. Women’s Open tournament chairman Mimi Griffin should be the one who really is bothered by the Bivens distraction. She has put two years of hard work into preparing for the event at Saucon Valley. But the always smiling Griffin refuses to let the outside events of the week get her down … at least publicly.

“We have a great tournament on a great course and that’s all I am going to focus on,” said Griffin. “And the weather has been spectacular.”

Once again, we are back to the weather. Pay no attention to those black storm clouds that keep popping up.

Listen to Tony Leodora broadcasting live from the pro shop at Saucon Valley CC on Saturday, July 11 from 7 to 8 a.m. Tune in to WNTP 990-AM or go to www.wntp.com and hit the “Listen Live” button.

By Tony Leodora

Women are so fickle.

One minute they love you and the next minute you are dirt.

Now, in the case of men, there are often a few reasons for the transition. But in the case of stately Saucon Valley Country Club, the host course of the U.S. Women’s Open did nothing to warrant such a fall from grace.

Nothing, except cause a number of great players to post scores they are not accustomed to seeing since their junior golf days.

Throughout the entire week leading up to the women’s third Major Championship of the year, the platitudes have been tossed at Saucon Valley CC like rose petals at a coronation. The chorus of adulation has been filled with words like “beautiful,” “Immaculate condition,” “phenomenal” and “wonderful”.

That tune quickly changed to anywhere from unintelligible grumbling, to expletives, to admissions of intimidation.

Thursday’s first round of the U.S. Women’s Open was played under absolutely ideal conditions for scoring. Clear skies, no wind, low humidity, pleasant temperature. It should have been the perfect situation for scoring. And a few players found red numbers. But a greater number found themselves at double digits over par.

Birdie Kim, the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open champion, was one of the notables at 10-over-par 81. So was four-time LPGA Tour winner Sophie Gustafson and five-time winner Brandie Burton. Helen Alfredson, a seven-time winner and former U.S. Women’s Open runnerup, also found herself carding the miserably magical 81. Her fleeting comment as she walked away from the 18th green was, “Tough course. I played like bleep.”

The source of the consternation for the players was the new greens that were installed at Saucon Valley during the recent renovation by Tom Fazio’s architecture firm, and chief architect Tom Marzolf. They are devilishly undulated and, this week, they are running at 13 on the Stimpmeter, the USGA device used for measuring green speed.

Christie Kerr, one of the few players who bettered par, with a 2-under 69, gave the greens the ultimate respect.

“A lot of the hole locations were near slopes,” said Kerr. “There were only two or three holes where you could really make a run at a putt. The rest of the holes were absolutely treacherous.”

Lorena Ochoa, another player who posted an opening round 69, was grateful for the early tee time.

“The conditions were perfect and I am glad I was able to take advantage of it,” she said. “There was no wind and the greens were perfectly smooth. Tomorrow, the course will play a lot different. I’m sure I won’t like it as much then.”

There goes those fickle women again. Love is a fleeting emotion.

Paula Creamer may have put it best when she said, “By Sunday afternoon, after everything is done, there’s going to be a lot of mentally tired people.”

And Saucon Valley will have completed its transformation from a beautiful goddess to a snarling beast.

By Tony Leodora

Ricky Barnes had golf fans around the world sitting on the edge of their seats.

Ranked No. 521 in the world and fresh off the Nationwide Tour, Barnes somehow navigated through the perilous waters of the multiple U.S. Open Qualifiers and found himself on Long Island … at renowned Bethpage Black … playing in the U.S. Open … holding the lead in the final round.

Barnes finally woke up from his incredible dream, a few holes short of winning the U.S. Open Championship, but the ride was one that he will never forget.

Jessica Carafiello is about midway through that same ride.

The 25-year-old Florida native with the Pepsodent smile, and a personality to go along with it, finds herself in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania this week … competing in the U.S. Women’s Open … playing with the No. 1-ranked player in the world.

The story is a most unlikely one. Carafiello is currently ranked No. 120 on the money list – on the Duramed Futures Tour. That is about as far away from elite status in women’s golf as your local Little League field is from Yankee Stadium.

In 10 events this year she has won a grand total of $1,895. Paula Creamer makes that just for putting on lipstick.

In four years on the Futures Tour the former Florida Atlantic University player has yet to win a tournament. She has yet to finish in the Top 10. She has played in a grand total of one LPGA tournament, last year’s Canadian Open.

Yet, somehow, everything started to come together for her about a month ago and she advanced through the qualifying tournaments to gain a berth in the U.S. Women’s Open. To give you an idea of how difficult that was: Michelle Wie couldn’t do it, Natalie Gulbis couldn’t do it.

“It was a rough start to the year but all of a sudden I started making some cuts and played well in the qualifiers,” said Carafiello. “All I have to do is keep it going and I can really write a great finish to this season.”

Carafiello almost wrote a great finish to the end of last season. She played well in the LPGA Tour Qualifying School, the hardest tournament of the year, only to fall one shot shy of gaining her LPGA status.

“That was a big disappointment but, hey, you just get right back on that horse,” she says, with a burst of fresh enthusiasm.

That horse is currently taking her on a wild ride, one that has not stopped since she arrived at Saucon Valley CC. At registration on Monday, she looked down the list of available practice times – searching hard for a familiar name that might ease her jitters as she negotiated he way around a difficult golf course.

Finally, she spotted the name of Sophia Sheridan, a friend who was playing at the desirable time of 1:03 on Wednesday. There was an opening in the group and she went to sign her name. Then she saw who else was playing in the group – Lorena Ochoa.

“I signed up as fast as I could,” said Carafiello. “Why would I not take an opportunity to play with the greatest player in the world?”

Some young players might be a bit intimidated playing next to Ochoa but Carafiello called the experience “exciting.” She added, “I’m pumped to see how I do playing with her.”

Needless to say, the experience of a practice round together is nothing like competing against the best in U.S. Women’s Open competition. But Carafiello learned from it.

“I was aware of the things she was doing,” said Carafiello. “Sub-consciously I picked up on a few things, but I maintained the focus on my game.”

It was not easy to focus because, aside from playing in her most prestigious tournament ever, she was definitely playing in front of her largest gallery. The crowd cheered Ochoa’s every move.

“That’s OK,” said Carafiello. “I love playing in front of people. I can feel their eyes on me and it gets me pumped up.”

Look for Carafiello to stay pumped as long as the ride lasts. If it lasts past Saturday, when the 36-hole cut is made, the excitement level could reach new heights. All will be OK, as long as it doesn’t reach the point where it awakens Carafiello from her dream.

Notes – For those keeping count of the Korean contingent, there are 10 Kims, seven Lees and five Parks entered. And one of the Parks is not fashion plate Grace Park. …

Kyle Lograsso, the seven-year-old golf phenom, who survived eye cancer, gave a clinic that was emceed by ABC’s Robin Roberts.

By Tony Leodora

Whether you ask the man on the street, or the woman in the commissioner’s office, the major challenge facing the LPGA Tour these days is marketing. Even though the talent pool is deeper than ever, and the players are better-looking than ever (important to the male audience), and they are more accessible than ever (important to all fans) – the Tour is losing sponsors.

And, as a result, it is losing tournaments.

So, the LPGA Tour has to make hey while the sun shines. In other words, when the best women golfers grab the national spotlight – as they have this week for the U.S. Women’s Open at stately Saucon Valley CC – they must make the most of it.

Unfortunately, they are bobbling that chance again.

With a national TV audience and a revered host course that will easily be the best they play all year, the LPGA goes into its third major of the year missing two of its most recognizable and popular stars. Neither the long-hitting Michelle Wie, nor the shapely and attractive Natalie Gulbis are part of the field. They didn’t qualify to play.

Wie gave it a good run last week at the Jamie Farr Classic in Ohio, finishing third. Gulbis also was in the hunt for a while, before slumping to finish 21st. A win would have meant an automatic berth in this week’s championship. That honor went to 21-year-old South Korean Eunjung Yi.

Yi tied with Morgan Pressel but won in a playoff. Recognizable? Hardly. Neither are the players who tied for third with Wie – Seon Hwa Lee and Song-Hee Kim.

Without sounding like some kind of anti-Korean or anti-Asian paranoid, let’s just say that lack of recognition is killing the LPGA.

For instance, the USGA brings in a number of big names for scheduled interviews before the start of the U.S. Open. The Tuesday lineup of big names included Cristie Kerr, In-Kyung Kim, Jivai Shin, Inbee Park, Yani Tseng and Angela Stanford. Creating excitement with that lineup is a tough task.

On Wednesday, the interview crop was a bit zestier – with Lorena Ochoa, Ann Nordqvist and Paula Creamer on the schedule.

But wouldn’t it have been wise – or at least cagy – if the USGA had tossed aside all political correctness for once and given exemptions to Wie and Gulbis. After all, they awarded an exemption to former Women’s Open champion Laura Davies. It was a nice touch to honor England’s Big Bopper, but how many fans will she put in the galleries?

* Notes – Providing an indication of the growing strength of women’s golf, a total of 28 amateurs will be among the 156 competitors at Saucon Valley this week … Twenty-two nations, including the USA, are represented in the field. The countries are: Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, USA and Wales.

Each day of the U.S. Women’s Open week at Saucon Valley CC in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Tony Leodora will be writing a column for this BLOG. This is the Tuesday edition.

By Ed Caiazzo

Golfers today might never expect to find the secret to the perfect golf swing from old, black-and-white video from The Ed Sullivan Show, but that just shows you how timeless the proper mechanics of golf are.

The video, dating back over four decades, shows PGA legend Ben Hogan appearing on Ed Sullivan’s “really big shooo” giving a golf lesson.  He starts by swinging the club in what appears to be a regular golf swing only not fully going into a backswing and just releasing slightly as the club moves back and forward.  He continually does this swinging a little harder each time until he finally goes into his legendary complete golf swing.

As a point of reference, Lou Guzzi shows the video of Hogan to all of his incoming students.  The point of showing the video is so everyone gets a visual of what he is trying to get them to achieve during his instruction period, and it was no different at Body Balance for Performance in Conshohocken on Tuesday June 30, 2009 in front of a small panel of interested golfers.

After viewing the Hogan video, Lou Guzzi revealed his golf bag chock full of interesting yet confusing tools he uses as one of the Philadelphia area’s premiere golf instructors.  Inside his golf bag was a baseball bat, a swim noodle, three club faces on one club and a plain vintage club he refers to as “The Old One.”  “The Old One” is an equivalent to a seven iron, and Guzzi explains he takes one shot with it also at the beginning of every new student’s instruction, and has success whacking the ball just as far every time he uses it.

His secret is really no secret at all, but not many seem to comprehend it.  He instructs everyone to look on as he explains to keep the elbows close if not attached to the body and simply swing the club back and forth as easily as Hogan did on the video.  It was important to take note as he showed everybody that his elbows remained firm to his sides even though he was going through the motions.  The result was a rotational body movement showing an almost perfect circular motion going through his full swing.  Something not very hard to do, but is not often thought of when trying to figure out your own perfect swing. 

The idea of rotating vs. tilting became the message midway through the presentation.  Tilting is something Guzzi discouraged everyone from doing.  As soon as one tilts, the left arms moves up in the release swing, breaking away from the circular motion that helps a golfer achieve accuracy and distance.  Instead Guzzi showed through video and by example a three-level swinging system.  The first level is hip high.  This is the simple continuous swing back and forth with the club in hand keeping the elbows locked to the body and the swing always in line with the hips.  The second level is chest high making your backswing come just higher back to where it is level with the chest and also level with the release.  The third and final step is the shoulder high swing.  This is your actual full backswing with a full release.  With these three steps being practiced continuously a perfect circular “Hogan-like” swing can and will be achieved.  It takes some getting used to, but Guzzi believes this is the key to a successful golf swing.

    Lou Guzzi is the Professional PGA director of instruction at Talamore and Applecross Country Clubs.  Some of his career highlights include: 2003 Philadelphia Section PGA Teacher of the Year, Golf Range Magazine’s “Top 50 Golf Instructors in America,” Golf Magazine’s “Top Regional Teacher in America,” and Golf Digest’s “Best Teachers in Your State.”  You can contact him directly at (215) 901-7192, shoot him an email at henybogan@pga.com, or book your lessons online 24-7 at www.louguzzi.com.

Surprise, Jack Frost National GC Is a Gem in the Pocono Mountains

By Tony Leodora

I am used to getting surprised when visiting daily fee golf courses for the first time. The surprises are usually of the following variety:

1. The 6,300-yard “championship” course length apparently included a number of proposed tees that are in the back yards of neighboring properties.
2. The “driving range” was a net hung between two trees.
3. No toilet paper in the bathroom.
4. The two-for-one beer special was yesterday.
5. They had not yet heard of the invention of pre-emergent weed killer at Dandelion CC.
6. The “full service” clubhouse had burned down three years ago.

So, it nearly left me speechless when I was presented with surprise after surprise at the one-year-old Jack Frost National GC in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains – and they were all very pleasant surprises!

OK, technically, Jack Frost National is in its third season. But the condition of the prematurely opened course was so awful in 2007 that nobody even counts it. Now, not only is Jack Frost National in find condition, but it is a fine golf course.

Situated at 2,000 feet, alongside Jack Frost Ski Area, the vistas of the surrounding mountain landscapes are stunning. But, unlike so many mountain courses that stun you with eye appeal but are short on solid design, Jack Frost National is a quality course from start to finish. While playing it recently with Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News and Don Allan of Golf Pennsylvania/Golf Northeast, I kept waiting for the “oops” hole. You know, the total abomination that interrupts a relatively pleasant round and sends the mind into spasm. It never came.

“I could play this course every day for the rest of my life,” said Kern, who admittedly is a lot less picky than me, but couldn’t help but rave about the course from the very beginning.

There are two signature features about Jack Frost National that set it apart from the rest of its competition in the Poconos. The first is its very wide fairways, often a very important part of the way the course plays. From that point on, playing the course becomes much more difficult.

Hitting from the constant uphill, downhill and sidehill lies in the fairways can be a challenge. But not nearly as much of a challenge as the golfer discovers upon reaching the greens. Extreme undulations, combined with the extreme topography of the overall area, makes chipping and putting a supreme challenge.

And here is what might be the best part. The fee for golf and cart is only $50 during the week and $60 on the weekend. That is an incredible price for one of the best daily fee courses in Pennsylvania.

This test drive comes with an A-plus rating.

By Tony Leodora

Each year, golfers from around the Middle Atlantic region make their annual pilgrimage to play Bulle Rock, the Pete Dye masterpiece in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Bulle Rock, a high-end daily fee course, is one of those must-play layouts that attracts avid, passionate golfers like honey attracts bees.

Or, maybe it would be more appropriate to say that the course attracts golfers like the Sirens attracted Ulysses and his men. Because, just as the ancient Greeks met their demise at the hands of the Sirens, most amateur golfers come away from Bulle Rock battered and bloodied.

The course is a brute, stretching to 7,375 yards, with a slope of 147 and a rating of 76.4. Those numbers make it one of the most difficult courses in the region.

So, why is it each year that the women golfers come in for the LPGA Championship and lay waste to this monster? The LPGA would borrow a marketing phrase and tell you it is because “these girls are good.” But not that good.

For one thing, in past years, the LPGA players have received help from some favorable measurements. Last year, head professional Rick Rounsaville groused, “It irks me what they do in this tournament. They play games. They say they are going to play the course from 6,500 or 6,600 yards, then they set it up shorter.”

The other bit of help has come from Mother Nature. It seems that each year the LPGA has come to Bulle Rock, so has an inordinate amount of rain. This year has been even worse than others.

Certainly, that makes Bulle Rock play longer, but it also makes it play soft.

When the majority of the army of amateur golfers invades Bulle Rock, it is usually summer or fall. When the wind has whipped the course into hard and fast conditions, it is especially difficult. Suddenly the fairways will not hold tee shots. Everything seems to trickle into the rough. And Bulle Rock’s rough is notoriously as thick as any course on the East Coast.

In this year’s first round of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, Nicole Castrale breezed around the course in a 7-under-par 65. Her 30 on the front nine was a record for nine holes in the four years the tournament has been at Bulle Rock.

Of course, Castrale would be the last to admit that she beat up on a softened course.

“It played tough out there,” she said. “It played long and if you hit it in the rough, sometimes all you could do was chop out with a wedge. And, a lot of times you were hitting into the green with a long iron or a hybrid club.”

But Castrale’s card told a different story. The soft greens allowed her to shoot darts into them all day. Five of her eight birdies came from nine feet, six feet, three feet, three feet and three feet.

When Bulle Rock is playing hard and fast, it is a chore just to keep approach shots on the green, let alone put one close.

Believe me, this is not a knock against the skill of the LPGA players. It is a joy to watch them attack this course.

But just once, for the sake of the reputation of this beast of a course, we would like to see the LPGA players face it at its best. Now, with the tournament contract at an end and the LPGA certain to take the Championship elsewhere next year, we will never get that chance.

By Tony Leodora

Philadelphia area golf fans would be justified if they started to get an inferiority complex.

Despite being one of the most historic, active and architecturally rich golf areas in the country, Philadelphia cannot seem to keep a professional tournament in the area.

It all started in 1980, when the IVB Classic, an 18-year staple on the PGA Tour schedule that claimed past winners such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Kite, came to an end.

The official excuse was that the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion would command all of the attention. In fact, a bad spot on the schedule in its last few years and a resultant poor field had sapped the sponsorship strength out of the event.

There was no more tournament attrition in the area until the turn of the century. Then the courses started falling at a rapid pace.

The Bell Atlantic Classic left Chester Valley CC after a long stint, opting instead to move north to Princeton and a quick death.

The McDonald’s LPGA Championship, which had a popular run at DuPont CC in Wilmington, took a money offer and moved to Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Four years later the contract is up, no new sponsor is in sight and nobody is saying a word about a new site.

The short reign of the SEI Pennsylvania Classic at Waynesborough was doomed from the start – from the September time slot and the back-and-forth venue format, between Pittsburgh and suburban Philadelphia.

On the LPGA Tour, tournaments dropped at an even faster rate. The Hershey Open, the Betsy King Classic and the Shop Rite Classic all passed into oblivion after fairly long runs.

And now, though only somewhat tied to the area, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship leaves Bulle Rock and word has it that it is headed for the New York area.

Another blow came on Monday, June 8, with Jim Furyk confirming what everyone already suspected. The Exelon Invitational will not continue next year, after an 11-year run in the area. Two-year stints at Wyncote, Inniscrone and Hartefeld National were followed by a successful five-year stretch at the ACE Club in Lafayette Hill. One-quarter mile from the Philadelphia city limit, the site and the tournament represented all the area had left on the professional golf scene.

“I’ve enjoyed the time we had with the tournament,” said Furyk. “I’m sad it won’t happen next year. It’s not going to happen for a lot of reasons. The economic situation is different and Exelon is cutting back.”

And, there is the competition from the AT & T Championship hosted by Tiger Woods that will be played at Aronimink in 2010 and 2011. But, before anyone gets too excited about the return of the PGA Tour, remember that it is only a two-year tease. After that Philly will be jilted one more time by professional golf.

Why doesn’t anyone like us?