Scott Mccarron

As Scott McCarron attempted the rare art of putting in the dark in front of an audience on Friday evening at Riviera Country Club, his 50-strong group of fans seemed to share a collective question. Does this one last baby have enough mustard on it? The nine-footer with the eight-inch break rolled and then rolled, and they waited in their UCLA gear in temperature that had plummeted into the frigid high 50s, and they shouted, "Get in there!"

Scott McCarron's decision to skip the British Open to host the Reno-Tahoe Open on his home course started to make sense as he shot a five-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round. McCarron was at 10 under through three rounds at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno. He birdie four of his first seven holes before chipping in for eagle on the par-five ninth, as he bids for his fourth PGA Tour victory and first since 2001. Robert Garrigus, who started the day tied for the lead with Matt Bettencourt, bogeyed the 18th to finish with a one-over 73 and slip into a tie with John Mallinger (71)

Scott McCarron's decision to skip the British Open to host the Reno-Tahoe Open on his home course started to make sense as he shot a five-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round. McCarron was at 10 under through three rounds at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno. He birdie four of his first seven holes before chipping in for eagle on the par-five ninth, as he bids for his fourth PGA Tour victory and first since 2001. Robert Garrigus, who started the day tied for the lead with Matt Bettencourt, bogeyed the 18th to finish with a one-over 73 and slip into a tie with John Mallinger (71)

Phil Mickelson's Ping is gone for now. The No. 2-ranked golfer in the world made it clear Wednesday that he wants his game to create the buzz, not his much-discussed wedge with the square grooves. In a preemptive move, Mickelson, the two-time defending champion of the Northern Trust Open, said he would not be using the controversial Ping Eye 2 when play begins Thursday. "I'm playing too well to get sidetracked here," he told reporters. "I've got a unique opportunity, and I want to take advantage of it without other distractions."

Scott McCarron says he's sorry he used the words "cheat," "Phil," and "Mickelson" in the same sentence last week. McCarron says he has apologized personally to Mickelson, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world, and that they are now on the same side in all things having to do with golf clubs, grooves and even Ping Eye 2s, which are legal but only thanks to a legal loophole. Oh, and the controversial Ping Eye 2 wedge that Mickelson used last week? It's still in play. Welcome to the "groovy" Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, where McCarron told reporters that he talked to Mickelson for 10 minutes Tuesday after a previously scheduled players' meeting.

"I hope it is. He's 12 under. If he came in and said he's 12 under and playing bad, I'd be worried." Scott McCarron, told that Tiger Woods said his second round 65 at Bay Hills was his best of the year.

Golf is not all Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Golf is Ted Tryba too. Golf is not all Millionaires' Row, golf is not always flying your own plane to the venue and buzzing the course later on your way home with first money. Golf is pulling into the clubhouse parking lot with an overheating engine, the air conditioning broken down and a grinding noise coming from the motor.

Scott McCarron became the third consecutive first-time PGA winner on Sunday, beating Tom Watson by five strokes in the $1.2-million Freeport-McDermott Classic at New Orleans. McCarron, who started the day in first place at 12 under, finished at 13-under 275. "I wasn't very nervous, I wasn't looking at the leader board until late," McCarron said. "I just stuck to my game plan and took it one stroke at a time."

On a wall not far from where Scott McCarron was talking Friday hung a makeshift Masters leaderboard, overloaded with what appeared to be an honor roll of past majors champions: Norman, Janzen, Price, Love, Langer, Olazabal. McCarron's was up there too, prompting one intrepid reporter to clear his throat to pose the question that somehow, some way, had to be asked. "Scott, don't be offended by this . . ." the audacious query began before McCarron, probably figuring what was coming, cut him off.

Scott McCarron says he's sorry he used the words "cheat," "Phil," and "Mickelson" in the same sentence last week. McCarron says he has apologized personally to Mickelson, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world, and that they are now on the same side in all things having to do with golf clubs, grooves and even Ping Eye 2s, which are legal but only thanks to a legal loophole. Oh, and the controversial Ping Eye 2 wedge that Mickelson used last week? It's still in play. Welcome to the "groovy" Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, where McCarron told reporters that he talked to Mickelson for 10 minutes Tuesday after a previously scheduled players' meeting.

A day that began with great promise for the game of golf ended with Phil Mickelson walking off the 18th green of the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday with the third-best score. In his threesome. Mickelson's final-round 73 over the Torrey Pines South layout, and his 280 total, weren't nearly enough. Ben Crane, previously best known for playing at the speed that molasses flows, won the tournament by one shot with a closing 70 and a 275 total. The over-under Las Vegas odds on Crane's finish time was 6:30 p.m., about an hour after dark, but he had a good sense of humor afterward about his tortoise-pace reputation.

As Scott McCarron attempted the rare art of putting in the dark in front of an audience on Friday evening at Riviera Country Club, his 50-strong group of fans seemed to share a collective question. Does this one last baby have enough mustard on it? The nine-footer with the eight-inch break rolled and then rolled, and they waited in their UCLA gear in temperature that had plummeted into the frigid high 50s, and they shouted, "Get in there!"

A sport allegedly bereft of buzz certainly did unleash a whole bale of commotion Thursday. The familiar old Mickelson philharmonic righted some recent discordance and played Riviera Country Club by morning to the tune of eight-under-par 63. A fresh Woods blast came blaring into the Northern Trust Open from clear across the continent around 2 o'clock with the news Tiger Woods would return next week at the Accenture Match Play near Tucson.

Carl Pettersson won his hometown event for his first PGA Tour victory in two years, shooting a two-under-par 68 Sunday for a two-stroke victory in the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. The local favorite, former North Carolina State player and member of the tournament's board had three birdies during a four-hole stretch on the back nine, finished at 21-under 259 and earned $918,000. Scott McCarron, who briefly led midway through the final round, shot a 68 and finished second.

ON TELEVISION Channel 2 (today, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3:30 p.m.). -- SECOND-ROUND SCORES At Riviera Country Club, Par 71 Note: Due to darkness play was suspended. Six golfers will finish the round today and the cut is projected to be at three-over 145. -- Phil Mickelson: 68-64--132 -10 Robert Allenby: 70-66--136 -6 Jeff Quinney: 69-67--136 -6 Scott McCarron: 72-65--137 -5 Chad Campbell: 67-70--137 -5 Scott Verplank: 68-69--137 -5 Billy Mayfair: 68-69--137 -5 Vaughn Taylor: 67-70--137 -5 Padraig Harrington: 69-69--138 -4 K.J. Choi: 65-73--138 -4 John Rollins: 68-70--138 -4 Charlie Wi: 70-68--138 -4 David Toms: 71-68--139 -3 Kevin Sutherland: 70-69--139 -3 Brandt Jobe: 71-68--139 -3 Peter Lonard: 69-70--139 -3 Bubba Watson: 71-68--139 -3 Stuart Appleby: 69-70--139 -3 Rory Sabbatini: 72-67--139 -3 Luke Donald: 68-71--139 -3 Zach Johnson: 72-67--139 -3 Steve Marino: 69-70--139 -3 Fred Couples: 70-70--140 -2 Ryuji Imada: 71-69--140 -2 Alex Cejka: 68-72--140 -2 Steve Stricker: 71-69--140 -2 Mark Wilson: 70-70--140 -2 Brian Bateman: 70-70--140 -2 J.B. Holmes: 74-66--140 -2 Dustin Johnson: 68-73--141 -1 Ben Curtis: 70-71--141 -1 Joe Durant: 71-70--141 -1 Charles Howell III: 71-70--141 -1 George McNeill: 72-69--141 -1 Angel Cabrera: 68-73--141 -1 Lucas Glover: 72-69--141 -1 Pat Perez: 69-72--141 -1 Adam Scott: 73-69--142 E Kevin Na: 66-76--142 E Nathan Green: 72-70--142 E Steve Flesch: 71-71--142 E Hunter Mahan: 68-74--142 E Tag Ridings: 75-68--143...

*--* 1. Tiger Woods 7 $2,255,857 2. Joe Durant 9 1,778,672 3. Vijay Singh 8 1,758,495 4. Phil Mickelson 9 1,511,702 5. Davis Love III 8 1,468,050 6. Mark Calcavecchia 7 1,266,633 7. Brad Faxon 9 1,235,310 8. Mike Weir 8 1,214,940 9. Steve Stricker 7 1,175,070 10. Jim Furyk 7 957,050 11. Scott McCarron 9 910,819 12. Tom Lehman 9 904,973 13. Robert Allenby 9 833,976 14. Ernie Els 8 826,275 15. Jesper Parnevik 10 797,516 16. Jeff Sluman 9 792,014 17. Frank Lickliter II 9 727,433 18.

Scott McCarron used a six-under-par 66 to surge into a tie for the lead with David Duval after three rounds of the BellSouth Classic at Duluth, Ga., on Saturday. Duval, who shot a 73, and McCarron had 11-under-par 205 totals on the hilly, 7,259-yard TPC Sugarloaf Country Club course. Duval had carried a one-shot lead to the par-five finishing hole where he took a bogey after catching water guarding the green.

"I hope it is. He's 12 under. If he came in and said he's 12 under and playing bad, I'd be worried." Scott McCarron, told that Tiger Woods said his second round 65 at Bay Hills was his best of the year.

The riddle goes something like this: Two men stay in separate hotel rooms, each with a black box, a padlock and a key. One has a diamond he wants to send to the other by way of a thieving bellboy who will steal anything but the diamond. How does he do it? Charles Howell III has no idea.