Here's a little midweek video for you to enjoy: six minutes of aces on the PGA Tour (not including those pesky majors with their video-rights issues). Some beauties here, including young pups that look a lot like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and Leif Olson's skip-shot which deserved to be much higher. Enjoy.

David Feherty has a new season of his talk show "Feherty" (catchy title) coming up on the Golf Channel starting this week, and he joined our very own Yahoo! Sports Radio to talk about his plans, his hopes, his dreams, and so forth. Topics included Tom Watson and Tiger Woods and included plenty of one-liners. Here, check it out for yourself:

Season 2 of "Feherty" begins on Feb. 27, with a live performance from the Super Bowl airing this Saturday on the Golf Channel.

All right, now we're getting somewhere. The golf season always starts a bit slowly, as everyone shakes off the holiday dust and sparkle, but these shots here from this past weekend at Torrey Pines are a sight to behold. Greg Chalmers, Keegan Bradley, eventual champ Brandt Snedeker and many others give us some beauties here. Oh, we're rolling now.

The last time we saw a Luke in the desert this big, he was getting attacked by sand people, amirite, people?

Anyway, this is Luke Donald, World No. 1, "playing" a dune in Abu Dhabi's Liwa Desert. The desert is the world's largest uninterrupted sand mass, which means you're probably not going to get out of it in one stroke. No grounding your club!

Donald, of course, is playing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and other reasonably well-known names. Alas, Donald is T32 after two rounds, sitting six strokes off the lead at -1. But at least he's got a little more experience getting out of the bunkers.

The birdies and eagles were flying on Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open, with names like Vijay Singh and Bill Haas getting in the mix with red-number cards. But it was Spencer Levin and Kyle Stanley who made the most noise, relatively speaking, both cracking double-digits to finish the day at 10 under and a share of the lead. Festivities continue all weekend.

Welcome to the new season of Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day's topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, we consider whether it's time for the PGA Tour to start paying appearance fees to its marquee players.

Busbee: So Tiger Woods is playing on the other side of the world, and to no one's surprise, money is a factor. Woods confessed that the appearance fees offered up to play in Abu Dhabi were enough to get him to turn his back on Torrey Pines. So is it time for the PGA Tour to read the writing on the check? Is it time for the Tour to start paying its marquee draws to come to less-than-marquee tournaments?

Bacon: I never thought it would come to this, but it seems time for the PGA Tour to follow suit. Honestly, if it was you or me, and someone was going to pay us $500 to play at this course, or $0 to play this other one, we are taking the one with the cash, and anyone out there that dogs Tiger for taking the money is being hypocritical. I know it's a slippery slope with this, but just LOOK at the comparable fields. Tiger, Rory, Lee, Luke, Sergio vs. Phil and Bubba? It seems like a no-brainer which tournament is a bigger draw.

Busbee: $500? Shoot, I'd play a course for a free hot dog at the turn. The PGA Tour has to realize that it's no longer the only show in town, and home-country loyalty will only get them so far. The European Tour and other organizations can and will pay big money for the big names. And if the PGA Tour runs the numbers, I think you'd find that the payoff from sponsors could more than offset appearance fees if, say, you could guarantee that Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson were going to tee it up at the Anonymous Midwestern Insurance Concern Open. But how do you implement this without setting off a. a bidding war or b. resentment and fury among the Mark Wilsons of the world?

Bacon: I think B.) is the biggest problem. Where is the line drawn? Do you stop at Rickie Fowler? Hunter Mahan? Greg Chamlers? Will the PGA Tour be forced to hire some Moneyball-like mind to value what exactly a player brings to the tournament?

I guess it all comes down to what you're expecting. Pros used to always say that Tiger was the best thing that ever happened to the tour because it raised purses so high, and if he (or any of the others you named) is going to raise the interest in the event your playing, it can only end up helping you (especially if you play well).

Busbee: That's a good point: maybe any appearance fee could be tied to a measurable increase in the purse, to satisfy the other players? Then again, it's not like they're a union. This is the downside of that "independent contractor" mantra the players love to wield like a nine-iron in the driveway: sometimes, you're not the most desirable contractor.

This is an idea whose time has come, like it or not. Pay to (watch 'em) play. And let the agents figure out who can get the greatest market value for their clients. (Though I'd recommend Hunter Mahan get a haircut. Hippie.)

What downsides do you see to this, aside from the caste system/rich-get-richer which already exists?

Bacon: Honestly, is there a downside? The PGA Tour has the option to keep players here, and if the B and C-type of pro complains about it, it really doesn't hurt anyone except that B and C-player. Yes, the rich get richer, but at least they are getting rich at Doral instead of Dubai, ya know? If the PGA Tour wants to compete in the long run, this is something they'll have to seriously think about, and it might as well start now.

All right, your turn. Is it time for the Tour to start pay-to-play? Have your say. Today. You're away.

You know, there are a lot of "can you believe that?"s in sports, but the idea of a man named Bubba buying the iconic car from the most Southern TV series in history isn't exactly a shocker, you know?

Presenting Bubba Watson and his new car:

Watson was at the famed Barrett-Jackson automobile auction this past weekend, and picked up that gem there, which he called his "dream car," for $110,000. Now, there were plenty of General Lees, but the one there was special; called "Lee 1," it's the one that jumped the police car in "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV series' opening credits. It was totaled in the jump, but restoration brought it back to life over the course of 16 months. Autoblog calls the final price "seemingly paltry," which is really more a matter of perspective than anything else.

You can watch the bidding in the video below, including shots of Bubba nervously bidding. Be sure to keep both hands by your sides, as you might end up with a car yourself.

Now, if Bubba wheels that bad boy up Magnolia Lane at Augusta, he'll be my hero forever.

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here.-

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It's golf's most awkwardly named tournament, but the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation gave us a smooth ending. Mark Wilson held off birdie charges from John Mallinger and Robert Garrigus to take another early-season tournament; this guy plays his best before spring break. Overall, another fine weekend of golf, and Mark Wilson has now won three tournaments in the last 53 weeks, more than just about anybody else in the game. Weird.

The Humana Challenge offered up plenty of eagles to players like Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim and Rory Sabbatini, but since the players were all over several courses nobody had much idea what the hell was going on anywhere else. Still, that didn't stop Camilo Villegas and David Toms from posting nine-under rounds to hold the lead together. Catch up above, and catch the rest of the tournament starting Friday afternoon.

Welcome to the new season of Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day's topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, we're pursuing hard-hitting journalism by considering which golfers need a Johnson Wagner-style makeover.

Busbee: So Johnson Wagner won the Sony Open sporting the best 'stache seen in the Hawaiian Islands since Thomas Magnum. Now, "Johnson Wagner" sounds like an alias to begin with, and the mustache makes it even better. Since golf is almost always an unrelenting parade of well-kempt gentlemen, it's awesome to see someone breaking ranks. Where does Wagner's soup-strainer rank on the scale of golf's great facial hair exhibitionists?

Bacon: First, we need to get the levels of awesomeness in facial hair.

There is the Gary McCord Division, for people that don't even look normal when their face is bald.

Then we have the Geoff Ogilvy group, that shocks you with their new look, but you can't decide if it's a good or a bad look.

Finally, there is the Hunter Mahan Division, where the facial hair is so bad you're confused how he landed a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

I think Wagner lands in the group of Ogilvy, where it works, but isn't life changing. Your thoughts?

Busbee: Agreed. It's a fairly straightforward deal. Now, if he were to take it in another direction -- that old John Daly dirt-lip look, for instance, or the big sloppy Fu Manchu that Andres Gonzales rocks, then you'd have something. But Wagner is still being tentative. He needs to take it in another direction. Goatee, muttonchops, ZZ Top-style rug-beard, whatever.

New angle: which golfer most desperately needs a new look?

Bacon: That's a good question. Ben Crane could probably rock the stubble and pull it off. Rickie Fowler might grow up a little with a 5 o'clock shadow. But my biggest look change? Philbert Mickelson. That's right. Could you imagine if he changed his look? He already wears a lot of darks, but I think facial hair on Phil might get him going again. Thoughts?

Busbee: Phil needs to go totally Breaking Bad. I mean, full-on, shaved-head, Van Dyke, black porkpie hat Walter White look. (For those of you not familiar with Breaking Bad, it's the story of a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher who becomes a meth drug lord.) (Drugs are bad, kids. Don't do drugs.) Anyway, anything Phil could do to add a little more menace to his game would be welcome.

I also think Jim Furyk should play in full Grim Reaper regalia, but we're getting a little far afield from facial hair here. Let's turn it over to you, dear commenters: which golfer most needs a serious image makeover?

So it looks like the Tim Tebow/Tiger Woods pairing that was rumored to happen at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am isn't coming to pass after all. As Waggle Room notes, Woods will be playing with his previously established partner Tony Romo, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys and sometime U.S. Open qualifying-attempter. The two have played together before at the AT&T National Pro-Am. This marks Woods' first visit to Pebble for the AT&T since 2002.

Oh, and just for good measure, guess who else will be in the field, according to tournament organizers: Tom Brady. Now all we need is Brett Favre.

[Photo via Busted Coverage]

You don't see names like "Johnson Wagner" anywhere but in golf, and you don't see mustaches like Wagner's anywhere at all, except maybe on high school football coaches. But on Sunday at the Sony Open, the Stache was the star, taking down the tournament with a final-round 67 that turned a two-shot deficit into a two-shot win. He's now going to the Masters, and he's jumped from 220 all the way into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Rankings. Well done, Magnum!

Welcome to the new season of Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day's topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, we consider whether Hank Haney may have crossed a line by writing a book about Tiger Woods entitled "The Big Miss."

Busbee: So Hank Haney has a new book coming out detailing the years he spent as Tiger Woods' swing coach. Bearing in mind that we haven't read the book, and that we'll probably end up talking to Haney about it somewhere down the line, here's my question: What's your take on a teacher telling stories out of class, as it were? Appropriate, or out of bounds? What, to you, would be acceptable, and what would be an abuse of the teacher-student privilege?

Bacon: Personally, I don't like it at all, actually. This is a similar situation to dating someone, telling them intimate details about your life, etc., only to have them turn around and tell the next guy they date everything about you without hesitation (This is roughly 82 percent of what Drake raps about, actually). I think more than a teacher-student code, it violates human code. While I don't totally agree with the way Steve Williams has handled the breakup with Tiger, at least the guy hasn't gone on a secrets rampage against the guy, and I'm sure he could.

Busbee: If you believe Stevie's offhanded remarks, he will unload, once he retires. Which ought to give Adam Scott a nice warm feeling about letting Williams into his confidence. But back to Haney: This could go one of two ways. If the book views Tiger as a flawed but fascinating athlete battling against himself as well as the course, it'll be a good read. If it's a run of Tiger-did-me-wrong tales or score-settling, it'll make headlines, but will it be worth reading? I'm not going to pre-judge, but Haney certainly has enough ammunition to go in either direction.

Bacon: But my problem is this: The only reason people would buy this book is to get the dirt on Tiger. They'd be interested in hearing what he had to say on the other side of Woods. It was like when "My Life" came out, and everyone bought it to read the short excerpt about the Lewinsky affair even though the book was roughly the size of Rhode Island.

So, even if it isn't about that, people will be buying it for that, and to me, that's gaining on someone else's affairs. I just ... it feels dirty to me. I'd rather him write a book on his professional relationship with Tiger, even if that was more boring, which it surely would be.

Busbee: But can Haney even write a book on his professional relationship with Tiger without bringing up the scandals? Is that even possible? I guess the question then becomes, should he write a book at all? Because personal and professional are now inextricable for Tiger.

Bacon: I'll say this, since we know Haney is writing this thing: I wouldn't put it out there. Sure, you can make some dough on it, and it will get press, but for what? To pin a guy that basically took you from Golf Instructor You Could Maybe Pick Out of a Lineup to TIGER FREAKIN' WOODS' EX-COACH?

Would you publish this thing? Is it going to completely tarnish a relationship that used to be pretty dang successful?

Busbee: Hate to lay up on this question, but I'm not going to hit into a blind dog leg when I don't know the wind's direction and -- sorry, sorry, I just saw Tin Cup again and I've got the McAvoy-speak going. In human terms: I'd like to see the manuscript. There are so many ways this could go. And I'm with you, nobody ever went broke overestimating the public's appetite for all things Woods. One would hope that Haney won't pour dirt on his relationship with Woods, but even if he does, he's still plenty famous ... because of that relationship with Woods.

All right, your turn. Have your say on the Haney book: in or out of bounds?

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And we're off! The first week of Devil Ball's Fantasy Golf is over and done with, and hopefully you drafted Steve Stricker for your squad. Covert Operations did, along with Bill Haas, Mark Wilson and Martin Laird, and look what happened: they won! Second place went to Foreplay, while third went to pw (come on, get a better name) and Wolverines.

It's never too late to get in on the action. You can sign up for Yahoo! Fantasy Sports (yeah, like you aren't already) and get into the group by clicking here. You can also join by entering the group number and password:

"Fans of Devil Ball" group: No. 34
Password: devilball

And that's it! Next up, the first full-field event of the year, the Sony Open. Make your picks now!

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At Kapalua, Steve Stricker closed the deal easily enough, relatively speaking, bringing the final-day lead into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and leaving with it as well. Stricker's four-under 69 was more than good enough to hold off the field, and Stricker continues to burnish his credentials. Is this the year he finally closes the deal and wins that elusive major? No better way to begin the year than a W, yes? Oh, and Stricker currently leads the FedEx Cup points race, for those of you keeping score.

Next up: the Sony Open, still in Hawaii. Rough life, huh?

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Last week, we brought you the story of Elin Nordegren's curious-at-the-time decision to knock down a $12 million mansion. It seemed, at first glance, a rather conspicuous display of wealth -- I've got so much money I can demolish a mansion and build a new one! A divorce from Tiger Woods, it seemed, was the gift that kept on giving.

Well, turns out that there was a pretty good reason for razing the North Palm Beach, Fla., estate: termites. A report in People magazine indicated that the 1920s-era mansion fell short of current hurricane safety codes, and combined with a termite infestation, that was enough to warrant blasting it down to the sand.

[ Related: Check out real estate listings for North Palm Beach, Fla. ]

Also of note: Nordegren offered a local Habitat for Humanity chapter a month to take whatever it could from the mansion before demolition. (No, don't go all, "Oh, so generous, donating termite-infested wood!" on Elin. It was a nice gesture.)

Still, as you can see from the pre-demolition photo, that was a good-lookin' little shack there, regardless of what evil lurked behind its walls:

Apparently Elin thinks so too, because she's filed plans with the Palm Beach County Department of Planning, Zoning and Building that seem to indicate that the new mansion will look a whole lot like the old one. There'll be nine bedrooms, two kitchens, two Jacuzzis, a pool cabana and a three-bedroom guest house.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, will somehow manage to suffer through his day-to-day life in his meager $50 million-plus bachelor pad.

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook by clicking here.-

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Steve Stricker is running the show right now out in Hawaii, and his five-stroke lead at the top of the third round held up at the end of the day, as well ... though not without incident, as he needed a four-birdie run to re-establish a lead that closed to as narrow as one stroke. Final-round play is later Monday; tune in during timeouts of that little college football exhibition.

It's 2012! And while we may or may not be close to the end of humanity as we know it, we're certainly at the end of the golf offseason. (Comparable, right?) Listen in as Devil Ball's Jay Busbee and Shane Bacon weigh in on predictions for 2012, from sponsorship to Tiger Woods to the majors. How will this season go? Will it rank among the all-time greats? No idea, but it's certain that the level of talent across the board is as even now as it's ever been in the game, which makes predictions nice ... everybody's going to be way wrong. Click the little arrow below to play.

Devil Ball Golfcast 81: And so we begin again, my friend

To subscribe via iTunes, click here; to subscribe via RSS, click here. Email us at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. Follow us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon to get more frequent updates. Have at it!

Bryce Molder kicked off the 2012 season with his first tee shot at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and Jonathan Byrd has the distinction of owning the year's first overnight lead. Take two minutes to catch up with what was happening in Hawaii while you were out having fun on Friday night, including lovely shots by Steve Stricker, Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley. Play continues through Monday.

It's tournament time! We kick off the 2012 season, as is always the case, with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua. Let's get you prepared for this year's run, shall we?

The course: The Plantation Course at Kapalua, a 7411-yard par-73. The course's most notable hole is "Home," a 663-yard (yes, you read that correctly) par 5, a downhill monster that the best guns can reach in two. It's one of the most magnificent vistas in golf, and a great way to open the season.

The schedule: This is the rare Friday-to-Monday tournament. It'll be broadcast on the Golf Channel from 5:30 to 10 ET Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 4 to 8 ET on Monday.

The field: Comprised of last year's winners ? some of them, at any rate ? this crew is led by notables like Bubba Watson, Steve Stricker and PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley. It's a tournament for golf aficionados, though we can't help wishing there were more "big" names in the field.

The video: Check out this PGA Tour recap of some of the Hyundai's most memorable moments:

Your turn. Who are your picks for this weekend? Swing away!

We're at the cusp of a new season, so let's throw out a few predictions for the year ahead! Your three Devil Ball honchos will probably be wrong, way wrong, but it's not like this is going to be catalogued forever, right? Right...? Anyway, away we go ...

Jay Busbee:
Sponsorship issues will loom large. How much return on investment do sponsors get for their golf spending? That's going to be a question that many big-name companies will need to answer for themselves this year. Don't be surprised if the sponsor of at least one PGA Tour tournament decides that their money might be better spent elsewhere, particularly if said tournament continues to struggle to attract the biggest names in golf.

More follows...

The majors will have a familiar look. I have absolutely no basis for this prediction, but since nobody knows what the hell is going to happen in any of the majors anyway, I'm going to say we'll have far fewer first-time winners this time around. Last year, you'll recall, we had four of four. Expect a few familiar names to take home golf's biggest trophies. Like our next prediction ...

Shane Bacon:
Tiger Woods will win a major in 2012. Yes, this is coming from me, who hardly ever raves about Tiger any more, so it must be true! I really think we will see a Tiger win in 2012 because I think the guy just needed some confidence, and he got that at the Chevron. Sure, you can argue it was a silly season event that didn't matter, but that winning feeling matters, and Woods found it. I think he will be in contention again at the Masters, and even if he fails to win there, I think the majors align for him this season and we could see him put together a great ball-striking week at Olympic or snag the Claret Jug at Lytham.

[ Related: Tiger Woods set to make return to Pebble Beach National Pro-Am ]

Kyle Stanley is our best candidate to recreate Webb Simpson's 2011. He is an incredible young player, and he had four top 10s over his last 10 starts this past year, plus, he seems like the type of player that can get more comfortable as time goes on. I like how far he can hit it, I like how consistent he is with his irons, and I feel his putting will improve in 2012 and we could see Stanley snag multiple wins.

Jonathan Wall
Rickie Fowler will finally win a PGA Tour event. He's been oh-so-close on multiple occasions over the last couple of years, but for some reason, Rickie Fowler hasn't been able to close the deal on the weekend. I think all of that changes this year. He finally won his first professional event in October, taking down an international field in South Korea that included Rory McIlroy and Y.E. Yang, so I expect his confidence to be at an all-time high. I wouldn't be surprised to see him win early in the year on the West Coast and then capture another late in the season.

American golf will return to the major stage. Remember all that talk last season about the "great American drought" in major championship golf? Well, I think Keegan Bradley's win is going to be the start of an American resurgence at the majors. I don't expect a sweep of all four majors, but I think you'll see an American flag next to two of them (Tiger at the U.S. Open; Dustin Johnson at the British Open).

And there you have it! Your predictions as the season opens, friends?

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The golf season has begun, and as always, we've got a brand-spankin'-new Devil Ball Golf fantasy league for you to enjoy. Weekly winners will get posted right here, and we'll see if we can scrounge up some prizes.

Here's the deal: sign up for Yahoo! Fantasy Sports (yeah, like you aren't already) and get into the group by clicking here. You can also join by entering the group number and password:

"Fans of Devil Ball" group: No. 34
Password: devilball

And that's it! Get to it, because the season is upon us. See you on the fantasy links!

Welcome to the new season of Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day's topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, we kick off the year by wondering why the heck last year's champions aren't showing up at the champions-only kickoff event.

Busbee: It's here! It's finally here! The start of the 2012 season! And it begins with ... well, no offense to Kapalua, but with a bit of a fizzle. Only two players in the top 10 are even at the Hyundai Tournament of "Champions," and that just isn't good enough. We need more. We need better. We need more of the better. But how, exactly, do we do this, Shane?

Bacon: It seems the only way to get guys to come anywhere is money. Lots and lots of money. But golf is becoming big enough where it seems demanding a little is OK for the PGA Tour to do, right? I think making former winners play in this event seems legit. I mean, forcing a millionaire to go to a golf course with no cut in Hawaii seems pretty horrible, doesn't it? Could the PGA Tour do that? Does demanding PGA Tour winners to show up at ONE tournament go against everything that golf stands for?

Busbee: It's such a tremendous pain to have to deal with the "independent contractor" nonsense for non-major tournaments. The opening of the PGA season should have all the pomp and circumstance of baseball's Opening Day, the NFL's kickoff weekend and NASCAR's Daytona 500. Instead, it's more like the NBA, where nobody pays attention until Christmas ... or the Masters, whichever. I don't think it's out of line to demand tour winners go to ONE tournament. Question is, how do they go about that? Make it part of the deal in getting the card?

Bacon: I think they make it part in getting the exemptions that come with a win. Win a regular PGA Tour event and you get two years exempt on tour. That is only an option if you come to the Tournament of Champions to start the year. I mean, it might seem demanding at the time, but in 10 years nobody would think different about it. Plus, it would give the PGA Tour a great start to the season during a time when all other sports are really hitting their stride.

Busbee: Agreed. See the PGA Tour commercial during the Orange Bowl? (Much more interesting than the game itself, but I digress.) Golf needs a foothold early, and putting the game's best on display early would do just that. I like the exemption idea; you want the benefits, you pay the price. You think golf has the stones to do that? I could see them phasing it in -- say, less than five years of service, you have to obey us, at least initially.

Bacon: They'd never do it, but it sure would make it more fun. It's like the Grand Slam of Golf. How horrible is it to be forced to play in an event AFTER YOU WIN A MAJOR?! I'd like them to do this, just because it would give us all a chance to see all the winners from the previous year once before they go back into hibernation before Torrey Pines. And then the Masters. Golf has become such a top-heavy sport that if they don't figure something out fast, the big names will play in 10-15 events a year on either tour and call it a season.

Busbee: Here's one other element: sponsors. You think Random Midwestern Insurance Co. is going to want to sponsor a tournament when the best players in the game are taking a month off? Not a chance. Golf needs to figure a way to leverage sponsors in the equation and put more pressure on the players to, you know, play.

We can always hope, right?

Bacon: And if nothing else, we get golf on at night this weekend. And Bubba.

All right, you're up. Should the tour force its champions to play in the season-starting event? Have your say!

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As the offseason winds into its final hours, we throw you a little bit of golf-video love. Some cats down in Australia got it in their heads to try to smash china plates with golf balls. Ah, to be young, male and aimless ... anyway, observe and enjoy. And even though they said they got all the shards out of the water, we'd steer clear of that particular stretch of Australia coastline if we were you.

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Tiger Woods was back on the field of competition, but like so much of his recent past, it didn't quite go like he'd hoped. Woods was the honorary captain for his Stanford Cardinal in the Fiesta Bowl. (In a golfy turn of events, none other than Rickie Fowler honorary-captained Oklahoma State, and Michelle Wie cheered on Stanford as well.)

And perhaps because Woods didn't wear his proper Sunday reds, or perhaps because close-but-not-quite is becoming standard operating procedure for him, Woods' team lost 41-38 in overtime due in part to two missed field goals. Perhaps Sean Foley could help.

We're just days away (actually, it's Thursday) from the first swings of the 2012 PGA Tour season, and so it's time to get in our last-minute predictions, guesses, estimates and prognostications. We continue with one of golf's most familiar faces ... and wonder if he can build on a down year.

You'd be hard pressed to call 2011 a terrible year for Phil Mickelson; he had one win (the Shell Houston Open) and seven top-10 finishes; he ranked 12th on the money list and pulled in $3.8 million. That's a fairly successful season by most standards.

But as is always the case with Phil, there's the pesky question of what could have been. He was flat-out forgettable in three of the four majors, and only an amazing bounceback on the final day of the Open Championship, where he would tie for second behind Darren Clarke, kept the year from being a total major washout.

So here's the question, as it always is with Phil: Is this the year? Could he take down those elusive U.S. and British Opens? Could he snag another green jacket? Let's be clear here: Mickelson has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone but himself; he's already a deserving Hall of Famer, and if he walked away from the game at this moment he'd still be among its top-20 players ever.

But he's not going anywhere ... and neither are the fan bases, both pro and con, that both sanctify and rip into Mickelson with astonishing, what's-missing-in-their-lives fury. No matter what he does, he'll delight one and frustrate the other. So which will it be?

Mickelson is by no means done, but he's stretched out the string about as far as it can possibly go. He specializes in recovering from horrendous shots, but he no longer has a margin for error at this point. The field is just too good; both American and international golfers are playing at a level where Phil can't afford to give away shots.

Our best guess: Mickelson will be competitive in at least one major, probably Augusta, but he'll have a hard time winning any of them. He's surprised us before, though, and to win big this year, he'll have to do it again.

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Jim Huber, longtime golf commentator for TNT and CNN, has passed away at the age of 67. His sudden death will leave a hole not only in the world of golf coverage, but in the lives of the many who knew him, either as a friend or as a comforting voice on the many Turner broadcasts he graced.

Huber, who started his career in newspapers, later transitioned to broadcast media, and with his voice, it wasn't hard to see why. He could recite a grocery list and make you feel like you were listening to a classic, well-told tale on a late-afternoon porch.

His recently published book "Four Days In July," the story of Tom Watson's near-victory at the 2009 British Open, contains what would become an unintentional yet utterly appropriate epitaph: "I wanted to tell stories," Huber wrote. "My mother to this day claims, with a wry smile, that was my purpose in life from birth. I wanted to sit in front of a roaring fire, gather my friends at my feet, and tell them stories that would make them both smile and cry. I wanted to place them on the wings of their imagination and visit people and places that would quicken their hearts and souls."

As Scott Michaux notes over at the Augusta Chronicle, Huber's final days played out on social media, a sad string that likely will be repeated often in the coming years. Posts concerning his "persistent cough" on Christmas Day and a request for a "pulmonologist in the North Atlanta area" the day after take on added poignancy and pain now. Huber was diagnosed on Dec. 27 with acute leukemia. Just days later, he was gone.

We were lucky enough to talk to Huber for a podcast a couple years back. And like everyone who ever crossed paths with him, either in person or on television, we'll miss him. Condolences to his family and fans on this devastating loss.

With 2011 drawing to a close, it's time to look back at the most important/ popular/ bizarre stories that we ran here at Devil Ball Golf. Sure, Tiger Woods, John Daly and Phil Mickelson always draw page views and comments, but we like to venture into the stranger realms of golf, too. Join us for one last look back at a remarkable year.

January: We predicted Rory McIlroy would win a major, but we got the wrong one ... In what would become a recurring theme early in the year, TV viewers got a player disqualified from a tournament, in this case Camilo Villegas ... Be careful how you mark your balls on the European Tour; you could get a three-month suspension ... Watermelon vs. golf club. Who ya got?

February: Arnold Palmer ended an era when he flew his final flight as a pilot ... John Daly's new golf bag has a television screen. Of course it does ... Oh my heavens! Tiger Woods spit on a green! The world as we know it is coming to an end! ... Yani Tseng won a couple tournaments by this point. But it couldn't last, could it? ... Oh, and 16-year-old Lexi Thompson beat an all-male mini-tour field.

March: Check out the supreme weirdness that is Henrik Stenson interviewing Henrik Stenson ... also check out Tiger's swank new bachelor pad ... Ben Crane wants you to know about the dangers of slow play. It kills ... Former Atlanta Brave John Smoltz continued the tradition of athletes in other sports trying golf (and failing).

April: Rory McIlroy had himself a bit of a rough Sunday at Augusta ... Tiger Woods damn near turned the golf world on its head with an amazing Sunday among the azaleas ... Oh, right, Charl Schwartzel actually won the Masters thanks to four closing birdies ... Stacy Lewis' mother broke her leg celebrating her daughter's victory at the Nabisco. Ouch ... Kevin Na carded a 16 on one hole in Texas ... Sharks on a golf course? Why, yes!

May: Another tournament, another stupid rule violation. And since Webb Simpson narrowly lost the PGA Tour money title, this one could have been the most significant of all ... RIP Seve Ballesteros ... Tiger Woods bailed on the TPC early. Did the PGA Tour force him to play before he was ready? ... Some kid named Keegan Bradley won the HP Byron Nelson, and, as we put it, "is now a name we should all take notice of for the foreseeable future."

June: Rory McIlroy visited Haiti to get some perspective. And his month would get better ... Pretty impressive between-the-buildings shot here from Rickie Fowler ... The sublime beauty and horror that is "The Golf Boys" video ... NBC omitted "under God" from a pledge before the U.S. Open, and all hell broke loose ... McIlroy absolutely dominated the U.S. Open in what we termed one of the greatest performances in golf history, and six months later, we stand by that.

July: Bubba Watson: not big in France ... Must-watch video: Miguel Angel Jimenez's disturbing pre-round workout routine ... Never ever challenge Michael Jordan to a bet, even a golf one ... Darren Clarke won an emotional, well-deserved British Open ... All good things must end, as Tiger Woods and Stevie Williams officially called it quits, with absolutely no hard feelings whatsoever.

August: Adam Scott won the Firestone, but the story was Steve Williams completely unloading on Tiger Woods ... Rory McIlroy's ill-advised swing at a ball resting behind a root at the Atlanta Athletic Club during the PGA Championship could have had some seriously dire career circumstances ... Some people get very, very excited about being so close to Tiger Woods ... Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship in dramatic fashion over Jason Dufner in a win that shows exactly why we watch golf ... Sports cars in sand traps: never not funny, as this clown at Pebble Beach demonstrated.

September: Nick Watney carded an 11 on a par 5 at TPC Boston, and didn't react well ... We got to chat with the one and only Robert Duvall in advance of his golf flick "Seven Days in Utopia" ... Gators fighting on a golf course! ... Great Britain and Ireland won the Walker Cup in an unbelievable upset ... Another amazing event: the LPGA's Solheim Cup was an instant classic ... The FedEx Cup came down to a $10 million playoff, and Bill Haas topped Hunter Mahan for it all ... oh, and this month saw the debut of "Wozzilroy." Wonderful.

October: Rickie Fowler nailed down the first of what undoubtedly will be many professional victories ... Here's a new one: somebody threw a hot dog at Tiger Woods during a tournament ... Sergio Garcia got his first win since 2008; his second one came only a week later ... Golf racial pioneer Charlie Sifford on the Masters: "[Expletive] Augusta."

November: The "will Yani play on the PGA Tour" talk heated up ... Nice little race-tinged comment by Stevie Williams regarding his former boss ... John Daly falls completely apart in Australia, running out of balls and walking off the hole ... The U.S. won the Presidents Cup behind none other than Woods himself.

December: Holy sweet mother of mercy, Tiger Woods won a golf tournament ... Q School is one of golf's most painful events, and this year, as always, provided more drama than a middle-school cafeteria ... Three golfers drain holes-in-one on the same hole within an hour. We hate them all ... Yani Tseng won her 12th event of the year, and should be the player of the year, without doubt ... John Daly, knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door.

And that, friends, was our 2011. Thanks for joining us along the way. We'll see you in 2012 with much more!

Believe it or not, we're less than 10 days away from the start of the 2012 PGA Tour season. Better get ready right now!

The PGA Tour has this quick preview of the season, including the majors, the full-field tournaments, the FedEx Cup, the Players Championship, the World Golf Championships and other golf world staples.

Ready yet? It's almost here...

You need a better game. Don't deny it. So why not let Stewart Cink help?

Recently, Cink sat down with the PGA Tour's Win McMurry and Devil Ball Golf to talk a little about his own game, the challenges of life on Tour, and a new promotion from Crowne Plaza hotels. You can see the details of his interview above.

And if you're intrigued by Mr. Won-The-British-Open-And-Broke-Tom-Watson's-Heart, why not take a shot at playing alongside him? As he notes in the video above, if you go to Crowne Plaza's Facebook page by December 29 (not much time!) to enter their "Get A Better Game" contest, you might just win a chance to play alongside Cink in the 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational Pro-Am in May.

If you win, you also get to bring a guest down. We don't have any plans yet for May. Just sayin'. So get to it!

No sport offers quite the longevity to its players as golf. You can play at a reasonably competitive professional level for more than four decades, or more than ten times the length of your average NFL career. When guys like Ryo Ishikawa, Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy hit it so big at such a young age, it's not out of the question to think they'll still be competitive in the 2040s. (When we'll be playing golf on the moon or whatever.)

However, there's one big question looming over many of these players: what will keep them pushing to play? For earlier generations, the Champions Tour is the equivalent of an ATM; see ball, hit ball, cash check. But now, when golfers can amass more money in a tournament than many fans make in a decade? Yeah, the financial incentive isn't quite there.

Rory McIlroy hinted as much in a recent Irish Independent interview. (Via Wei Under Par.) When asked about whether he'd buy a private plane -- you know, the kind of questions we're all kicking around -- in order to extend his career, he replied, "I don't plan to be playing tournament golf in my forties."

Sure, easy to say now, but if he continues on his current trajectory, why would he? Kid's going to have half a dozen majors before he's 30. And since pursuit of Tiger and Jack may be out of the question, what would he have left to prove by then?

First step, though: winning the Masters. And he's lasered in. "Everything I do from the time I return to the game in the New Year will be geared to the Masters," he said. "And next April at Augusta, instead of being with the lads (his friends), I'll be sharing a house with my mum and dad. It's important to have them there."

Anyone feel like betting against him? Yeah, didn't think so. But watch closely, because it looks like we may not have him around as long as we'd thought.

Rory McIlroy's Sunday back-nine collapse at Augusta National was one of the most brutal breakdowns in golf history, a total flameout that had the potential to wreck his entire career.

In the wake of that, McIlroy noted that he received advice from pretty much everyone with access to him, and the advice was fairly universal: take control of your life and career. And he did just that, in part by firing longtime manager Chubby Chandler and chasing current girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.

"I really had to filter everything through and try and make decisions myself," McIlroy told the Irish Golf Desk (via Golf Talk Central). "Sometimes I felt I let people make decisions for me instead of taking my career into my own hands and deciding this is what I want to do, this is where I want to go. That day at the Masters helped me do that."

As Golf Talk Central notes, that collapse led to McIlroy's decision to work with Dave Stockton, cut ties with his old girlfriend and take up with Wozniacki, and leave Chandler for Horizon Sports Management and new manager Conor Ridge.

"I even said afterwards it was about being a bit more cocky, more selfish or assertive or whatever you want to call it," McIlroy said. "Making decisions for myself and really putting my golf and my career first. That's what I wanted to do."

And he went out and won the U.S. Open right after that, so, you know, sometimes things work out in your favor.

The women's golf game is so far in the shadows of the men's game that it takes an earthshattering, epic event to register in the greater golf world at large against the routine men's majors of a given year.

Turns out, 11 victories in a season isn't quite earthshattering enough. Golf Magazine named Rory McIlroy its player of the year over Yani Tseng, interesting in that McIlroy's two wins/one major trump Tseng's 11 wins/two majors. As Dogs notes, LPGA commissioner Mike Whan went to the mat for Tseng, with lines like this: "This season, she [Tseng] became the youngest player in history?male or female?to win five major championships at the age of 22. It's unfortunate I have to write this letter."

He pointed out that "total wins, total majors, records that transcend sport, and leadership in nearly every statistical category should have been more than enough for Golf Magazine to reach a very obvious conclusion."

Shame that Yani missed out on this honor. Maybe Whan opened a few eyes, though. Maybe if one of the LPGA'ers wins 20 tournaments, she'll get her due.

Time, she's a cruel one, marching onward and taking with her all those lovely gifts we used to take for granted ... like exemptions into the Masters.

As Golfweek notes, with the end of the 2011 season we now know which players met the top-50 requirement to earn their way into the Masters, and which players fell short in their bid. Among the notable names who didn't make it into the top 50: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Anthony Kim.

Among the names who got in under the wire: Jim Furyk, who ended up ranked No. 50 in the world, falling from No. 5 at the start of the season. Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Alvaro Quiros and other notable new names are also in the field.

On the outs are Ryo Ishikawa, Ben Crane, Matteo Manassero and Camilo Villegas. They can get in by winning a tournament between now and the end of March, or by getting into the top 50 just before the Masters.

At the moment, the Masters has 91 players in the field, though former champions could alter that. Augusta National tries to keep the field below 100, which won't allow for many more. Going to be a nervous few months for some players, won't it?

Masters field for 2012 already over 90 [Golfweek]

Not much doubt about the shot of the year this year: Bill Haas' astonishing from-the-water save at East Lake Golf Club to win not only the Tour Championship, but the FedEx Cup and its associated $10 million prize. This is snatching victory from the damp clutches of defeat on an epic scale. Not often you see a single shot change an entire life, but here's one case of exactly that. Well done, sir.

Steve Stricker generally has himself a fine time at the John Deere Classic; he's won the last three of the darn things. And he does it with astonishing shots like this one, a save that set him up for a one-stroke victory. This is what separates him from you; he didn't fall and break anything.

At the Thailand Golf Championship, none other than John Daly took the stage for a little impromptu jam, and he busted out that three-chord classic, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." And you know what? It ain't bad. He doesn't bust out the throat-searing crescendos of Axl Rose, but hey, he's not wearing that American flag as a kilt either, so we take what we can get.

And be sure to listen to the golf-oriented verse toward the end; no way Dylan had that in mind when he wrote this. Still, if you don't feel a touch moved by lines like "Haven't made a cut in weeks / My career looks really bleak," your heart may be two sizes too small.

[Visor tip: Deadspin]

Time again for another Devil Ball Golfcast, and this time around, we're recounting the visit of our very own Shane Bacon to Pebble Beach and several other esteemed golf courses as part of Lexus's "Champions for Charity" program. Yep, they let folks like us on Pebble, and Shane is living proof. What's it like teeing it up on some of the most famous golf real estate on the planet? Shane will tell you.

From there, we segue into some year-end talk, including whether Rory McIlroy is burning himself out by playing too much. Plus a discussion of golf groupies, and some debate over whether Johnny Miller might actually know what the hell he's talking about. It's good stuff.

You can read more from Shane at Dogs That Chase Cars. (Follow Shane on Twitter right here, and while you're there, follow me too.)

We welcome your thoughts, ideas and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. Click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click it to download, and hit the iTunes or RSS icons linked below to subscribe. Follow us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon to get more frequent updates. Have at it!

Devil Ball Golfcast 80: They let people like us on Pebble Beach?

When you're five shots down with three holes to go, you pretty much figure you're out of it, right? Not unless you're insane or Keegan Bradley at the PGA Championship. A few clutch birdies later, led by this astonishing 35-foot putt at 17, and Bradley snagged himself his very first major in one of the best stories of the year.

You always want to come up big in big spots, and it doesn't get much bigger than Pebble Beach. Playing with, of all people, Bill Murray, D.A. Points won the AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am thanks to this gem of a shot on 14. As someone once said: "It's in the hole!"

David Toms walked to the 18th tee at The Players Championship needing a birdie to force a playoff with KJ Choi. His tee shot ended up in a divot, but check out what he did with his approach. Not bad, yes? Alas, Toms would fall in the playoff, but getting there was an achievement all of its own.

If you're gonna win big, you might as well do it with style. Luke Donald nailed down the PGA Tour money title with this beauty of a 45-foot putt at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, his sixth straight birdie in a row. Can he bring home the European Tour money title as well? We shall see soon enough.

Early on, we hailed this as the year of Bubba, and right off the bat, Bubba Watson proved us correct. Check out this drive off the deck at the 18th at Kapalua: 305 yards to within easy eagle putting distance. At the time, the announcers said it was the shot of the year, which was funny because the year was one day old. A season later, and only seven shots beat it. Not bad, Bubba.

You've got to feel a bit for Luke Donald. He's the No. 1 player in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings, but even at that lofty perch he's still a co-star to the two most significant forces in the golf world today.

Donald is in the running to lead the money lists of both the European and PGA tours, an unprecedented achievement. He took the PGA Tour title earlier this year, and would have run away with the European title had McIlroy not found a higher gear in recent weeks. And while Donald is relatively safe -- McIlroy would have to win and Donald would have to finish outside the top nine -- the world No. 1 knows just how talented his pursuer is.

"I think of the guys I've played out here on tour, Rory has the most talent that I've ever played with," he said at a press conference prior to the Dubai World Championship. He's young and he's got a great future ahead of him and I see him winning lots of tournaments and lots of majors."

Most talent ever? That seems like a bit of a challenge to a certain You-Know-Who, and sure enough, the Tiger Woods question came up immediately afterward.

"I know Tiger is very, very close and obviously I think Tiger's work ethic has always been tremendous, and his mindset, as well," Donald said. "I think his mindset is what has separated himself from the field when he was really at the top of the game.  But in terms of talent, I think Rory has more talent."

Big talking there by Donald. We'll have to see whether Tiger comes back strong in 2012, because right now, McIlroy has the decisive edge. All time? Well, 14 to 1 seems pretty definitive, doesn't it?

-Follow Devil Ball Golf at @DevilBallGolf and Facebook. Follow Jay Busbee at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here.-

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The 16th at TPC Scottsdale, a completely-enclosed par 3, is one of the most terrifying holes in golf, with the rowdy, half-drunk feel of a college football stadium rather than the staid conservatism of most courses. So when you step up to tee off, the last thing you want to do is yip, chunk or duff. The first thing you want to do? Well, exactly what Jarrod Lyle did right here. Bravo, sir.

Running down the best shots of the 2011 season via the PGA Tour ...

Phil Mickelson knows how to play to the crowd. On the final hole of the Farmers Insurance Open, he had caddy Bones Mackay tend the pin, a bit of showmanship that turned out to be unnecessary. Mickelson would end up losing the tournament by a single shot to Bubba Watson, but for a moment, at least, we thought wizardry was in the offing.