Last Week:

On the final hole, Padraig Harrington drops in a 65-foot bomb for Eagle to overcome a three-shot deficit and grab the Barclay's Classic victory. Paddy overcame a three shot margin over the last five holes to defeat Jim Furyk. It was Harrington's second victory this year (Honda), and it marked another top-10 finish for Furyk (7), who had the tournament firmly in his grasp until his sloppy bogey on 16, and 3-putt bogey at 17 left the door open for Harrington to steal the win.

A side story developed this week at Westchester as Vijay Singh decided to lash out at the 5+ hour rounds that players were forced to endure at Westchester. Vijay, who's controversial resume includes accusations of cheating, Male Chauvinism, spike inspection and other public displays of anti-affection said that the PGA Tour is doing nothing to speed up the pace of play on the golf course, and that he's had enough of it.

This may be the time to discuss "1-iron's" feelings on slow play. It is the feeling of this writer that slow play on the golf course should be treated as the legal equivalent of theft, assault and tax evasion. There simply is no reason for slow play to ensue on a golf course. You hit your ball, you find it, you hit it again until you get it in the hole. There is absolutely no reason for some of the gyrations that I see on the golf course. The excessive plum-bob's, analyzing putts like a hungry vulture, slow-practice swings with a training aid and dropping balls for practice are all examples of what slows up this great game. If you read this and think - "Hey, I do that!" Then "1-iron" implores you - STOP! If a round takes one second over four hours - something's wrong. It's an absolute travesty that so many players feel some entitlement to sitting on the golf course for six hours on a summer day. It ruins the enjoyment for others, and that's unfortunate.

This week at the Cialis Western Open:

When Frank Sinatra used to croon about "Chicago, Chicago - That toddlin town," he probably didn't have the 2005 edition of the Cialis Western Open in mind. But "Old Blue Eyes" would be proud of "Old 1-iron" this week, as we don't need lady luck to make several key assumptions about the upcoming week's results.

A quick note, "1-iron" wants to pay homage to the Western Golf Association and it's commitment to the Evans Scholars program, as it has been the driving force behind the Caddie Scholarship program since it's inception in 1930. The program provides scholarship monies for outstanding students, citizens and caddies so that they can use caddying as an avenue to a quality education. This is a tremendous character-building program, and one of the greatest things about the game of golf. The sad thing to "1-iron" is the depleted ranks of clubs that still use/allow caddies. The motorized cart has virtually replaced caddies, but there are still bastions of places where caddies dot the landscape. In those places, the rounds seem to be more enjoyable, the grass smells fresher and the game seems purer. We need to get back to those times and venues.

Several quick tidbits about the Cialis Western Open this year:

1. Watered down field. Vijay and Tiger appear, but a serious shortage of other marquee names. No Toms, Mickelson, Garcia, Els, Goosen or Gore.
2. Small purse. $5,000,000 - Is it possible that erectile dysfunction is on the decline for Cialis?
3. Cog Hill is one of the longest courses on tour at 7,326 yards. It won't play that long during the arid, dry, Chicago summer, but nonetheless, look for the big hitters to prosper.

18 Shots for the Cialis Western Open

6 Who Will:

1. Tiger Woods (7/2): In 2005 Eldrick has six Top 10s, 10-Top 25s, and three wins. He's coming off a solo second at the US Open, he's won the Western three times and he's up against a weak field at the Cialis Western Open, no way I'm betting against him this week.
2. Jim Furyk (10/1): Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. You choked away the Barclay's, but here's redemption. Won the 2003 US Open in Chicago at Olympia Fields. Finished T7 last year at Cog, and T3 in 2003. 7 Top 10s this year. Bound to close the door on a win at some point.
3. Jeff Sluman (100/1): Could jump in his family truckster and be at Cog in approximately 20 minutes. Lives in Suburban Hinsdale and "1-iron" always likes the Home Course advantage. See- Fred Funk at The Players Championship. T47 last year at the Western, but has four Top 25s this year and T3 at the Memorial a few weeks ago.
4. Vijay Singh (7/1): "1-iron" implores of Vijay - You've got to practice more. You've got to get the ball in the fairway more often. T57 in fairways hit at the Barclays isn't going to cut it. 11, yes that's right 11 Top 10s this year. Always a factor and please - Speed it up!
5. Stephen Ames (40/1): The defending champion who "1-iron" feels has NOT lived up to his potential this year. The Jamaican Bobsledder, I mean Trinidadian golfer, is making cuts but hasn't had a finish higher then T6 at MCI. He ranks T105 in Total Driving and T112 in Greens in Regulation, neither of which are going to garner many wins on this Tour. But, he's comfortable at Cog and he may just give us a repeat performance from last year.
6. J.J. Henry (Field 5/2): "DYNO-MITE!!!" 23rd place last year at Cog with a couple very solid rounds. Two Top 10s this year, and plays well (and not so well) in spurts. Hasn't been playing well of late, but seemed to get the hang of Cog Hill last year.

6 Who Can:

7. Shigeki Maruyama (50/1): "The Smilin' Assassin" as he's commonly referred, had a great tournament at Cog Hill in 2004. A T11 with a third round 67 was cause for great recognition coming into the 2005 edition. Two Top 10s and four Top 25s should be reason enough to push Shigeki this week.
8. Kevin Sutherland (100/1): "Bagels" is coming off a T22 at the Barclays, and is starting to come into form. He's got three Top 10s this year and has only missed one cut over the course of the season. He's 42nd in the all around statistic, but could be first in our hearts after the Western.
9. Peter Lonard (50/1): Played four very solid rounds at the US Open in Pinehurst two weeks ago, and that should push his confidence to new highs as we enter the second half. Won at MCI Heritage, and has two other Top 10s. Looking to hold onto his Presidents Cup berth, so this could be a helper.
10. Matt Gogel (Field 5/2): If "1-iron" would've won his first round match in the 1994 Kansas Amateur, he would've faced eventual champion Gogel in the 2nd round. While "1-iron" wasn't as polished a player as Gogel, he had the grit and determination that would've made it a close match at Shadow Glen in Olathe, Kansas. Gogel has gone on to big things and his T17 at the Cialis last year makes me proud to list him in this space. Three Cuts in a row and a Top 10 at the Booz Allen could make him a threat to win.
11. Brandt Jobe (Field 5/2): Do his friends call him "Jobey?" "1-iron" thinks that might be the case and we'll oblige their wishes in this space. Jobey was leading the US Open at Pinehurst for a cup of coffee before fading to T33 after a 3rd round 79. He's got two Top 10s this year and should be just fine coming off a Major Medical Exemption.
12. Scott Verplank (26/1): Many don't remember, but Scott Verplank was the last amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 1985 at where else? The Western Open. Couple that fact with his performances this year and you have a recipe for a champion. Three Top 10s and eight Top 25s support the cause.

6 Who Won't:

13. Ted Purdy (Field 5/2): Since his win at the Byron Nelson, things have gotten progressively worse, and culminated with a missed cut at the Memorial. While it's been a good season, this probably won't be the week Purdy gets win No. 2 in his young career.
14. K.J. Choi (40/1): The pride of Wando, South Korea played golf the ugly way at the Barclay's classic last week. Rounds of 76-73 and a missed cut didn't help continue his streak of two Top 15s in a row. Ranks 95th in driving distance, and that won't help this week at the long Cog Hill.
15. Justin Rose (40/1): This South African wunderkind hasn't finished higher then T13 this year, and it probably won't change this week in Chicago. Ring around the Rose's last three starts have been T75 at Memorial, Cut at Booz Allen, and T61 at Barclay's. Ouch.
16. Zach Johnson (35/1): Was starting to come around before the US Open with T26 at Colonial, T34 at Memorial, and T37 at Booz Allen, but it all came to a halt at Pinehurst with a Missed Cut. I'm picking him to win at the John Deere, but that's not this week's event.
17. Hank Kuehne (Field 5/2): 11 missed cuts. Two WD's. I'm not even going to continue writing about him. How he got to play with Tiger Woods in primetime is beyond me. That's it, I'm done.
18. Scott Hend (Field 5/2): "Waiter, check please" - I'm done. "1-iron" has tried for weeks to no avail to pry the potential out of this long hitting Aussie. He shot 79-75 last year to finish T148 and miss the cut at the Western. Probably won't do much better this year. (That's called "tough love" right there)

FYI, I'm not ignoring Luke Donald (20/1) but the "1-iron" is exhausted from waiting....and waiting.....and waiting for him to break through and grab a win this year. It's a home game for Luke (he lives in a Condo in Evanston), but "1-iron" no longer has the patience nor the will to struggle through another Donald preview of his talent. I want to see wins, and then we'll get him back on the board.

Fantasy Salary Cap Value Pick of the Week: Patrick Sheehan.

All odds are approximate. For updated odds, check Bodog.

E-mail "1-iron" at 1iron@docsports.com.

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