News » Rose was just starting the stretch run

Steve Stricker made it clear that money was not important. His plan was to defend his title at Kapalua and walk away from the PGA Tour for the rest of the year. Over the holidays leading into 2013, he reached a compromise and cut his schedule roughly in half. He contacted his sponsors, and they supported him. Stricker didnt have great expectations starting his year of semi-retirement. "If I could just make enough money to pay yearly expenses, Im fine with that," he said. "If we dont have to touch anything Ive put away ... I dont need to do what Im doing just to make money. Id rather be staying at home, doing things at home with the foundation and with my kids." No one else was around during this conversation, but Stricker still leaned in and lowered his voice as he stated what everyone already knew. "You know, were pretty conservative with our money," he said. Stricker was runner-up that week at Kapalua and made $665,000. He didnt play for six weeks, and then reached the quarterfinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship to earn $275,000. Two weeks later, he was runner-up at Doral and brought in $880,000. That should pay the bills. He finished the year with just over $4.4 million, the third-highest total of his career. His world ranking improved 10 spots to No. 8. And by the end of the year, he had several players contemplating a similar schedule. Along the way, there were plenty of other moments that showed more about players than just their birdies and bogeys, and the checks they cash. ------ Rory McIlroy generated a buzz no matter where he went at the start of the year. He had the hefty deal from Nike. He was No. 1 in the world. And he was struggling early with a missed cut in Abu Dhabi and a first-round departure in Match Play. Nothing caused a stir like Friday at the Honda Classic, when he abruptly shook hands with Ernie Els as they were making the turn and walked straight to the parking lot. Information was a trickle. He was vague during a brisk walk to the car. Later, a statement from his management company said he had a sore wisdom tooth. There was a golf tournament still going on. Michael Thompson shot 65 on that Friday to move to the top of the leaderboard. It was early afternoon and no one seemed interested. The announcement sounded more like a plea. "We have Michael Thompson in the interview room," the official said. One voice broke the awkward silence. "Is he a dentist?" a reported asked. No. But he did win his first PGA Tour event that week. ------ Angel Cabrera is a man of few words and loud actions. A month after losing the Masters in a playoff, he was walking off the 18th green at TPC Sawgrass following a practice round. Fans thrust programs and flags for him to sign. There was bumping and pushing, and a marshal started to bark at everyone to back up. Cabrera stepped back about 10 feet, and then instructed only the children to come under the ropes and join him. He spent the next 15 minutes signing for them. ------ It looked like the scene outside the mansion in "Young Frankenstein," missing only the pitchforks and torches. The Pure Silk LPGA Bahamas Classic was played on a 12-hole course at The Ocean Club because of flooding. The first round didnt finish because of another storm system in the area. Players gathered in darkness outside the rules trailer to find out the plan for Friday. A computer error led players to believe -- only for a moment -- that they would keep their same tee time for the second round. Chaos ensued, filled with heated arguments among players and rules officials. And it was at this moment the LPGA showed its true international flavour. A group of Swedish players were off to the right, raising their voices in their native language. The Americans were in the front of the pack. The South Koreans were in the back. The Spaniards were in the middle. The Germans were over by the hedges. It was the ultimate melting pot. And they ultimately got it all worked out. ------ Among the visitors at The Players Championship was Ulises Mendez, who plays on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. The Argentine earned his card last year when he tied for 15th in Latin America Q-school. His player badge allowed him access to the tournament, and he camped out just beneath the bleachers behind the 17th green. He stood there for an hour as the best players came through the 17th. It was an inspiring day. "To know where you need to be," Mendez said, "you need to see where you want to go." ------ There is no love lost between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, as both made clear at The Players Championship and in the weeks that followed. The same could be said for Garcia and Padraig Harrington, as the Irishman showed on a couple of occasions this year in his subtle style. Speaking to a small group of reporters at the TPC Sawgrass, where the Woods-Garcia flap was starting to unfold, Harrington said of all the times he has played with Woods he considered his etiquette "absolutely impeccable." "Ive played with Tiger many times," Harrington said. "I give him an A-plus on his etiquette on the course. I give him an A-plus for his respect for fellow players on the course." A British reporter then asked Harrington what kind of grade he would give Garcia. "Im not in a position to rank players," he replied. Later that summer, Harrington finished a practice round at Muirfield and was signing autographs. One fan had the British Open program turned to the page that showed Harrington winning his first claret jug. That was in 2007 at Carnoustie, after a playoff with Garcia. Harrington signed the page and held onto the book for the longest time, staring at the photo with a satisfied smile. "You like that picture?" the man said. "More than you know," the Irishman replied. ------ The woman behind the counter at Starbucks in the Denver suburbs was making small talk with a customer when she learned he was headed to the Solheim Cup. "Annika Sorenstam was just in here," she said. "Well, I think that was her." Think? Not only is the Swede the most famous LPGA Tour player of her generation, one would suspect writing the word "Annika" on the cup would be a dead giveaway. Except that in this case, she can be excused. Turns out Sorenstam doesnt go by "Annika" when shes in Starbucks. Her code name is Maria. "Maria is the one name that translates on every continent," Sorenstam said when she confessed to her alias. "So Im Maria Swenson." ------ The first day of the Solheim Cup nearly didnt finish because of a rules decision that took nearly a half-hour to determine -- and as it turned out, it was the wrong decision. It proved a pivotal part of the fourballs match, which Europe went on to win. It wasnt the first time a rules official had made the wrong call. Former USGA President Trey Holland, one of the most skilled in the Rules of Golf, mistakenly gave Ernie Els relief in the U.S. Open from a temporary immovable object that was movable. But when an official makes a ruling, it stands. Brad Alexander, a respected LPGA official, made the wrong call at the Solheim Cup. When the day was over, confusion and anger lingered. Alexander volunteered to accompany both captains to the media centre to handle any questions from the press. He explained what happened. He made no excuses. He accepted all the blame. It was classy. That kind of accountability would have come in handy at Augusta National this year. ------ The final week of December is the one week no meaningful tournaments are played on any tour in the world. The golf year is endless, and it can feel even longer. Mark Fulcher, the caddie for Justin Rose, has been at this a long time. The crowning moment was at Merion, where Rose won the U.S. Open for his first major. This was in late October, halfway around the world in Shanghai. Everyone was tired. Rose was just starting the stretch run to the end of his year. The caddies were talking about the drudgery of early rounds at a tournament. Except for "Fooch." "The day I stop caddying, Ill either be dead or I wont be excited on a Thursday morning," Fulcher said that day. "Thursday is the greatest day in golf. Its the perfect reset, isnt it? Youre reminded, even if you won, that everyone starts all over the next week. And if youve played absolute rubbish, theres always the belief that its about to turn around. I love Thursday. Just love it." Its a good reminder for everyone involved in this game. You never know whats going to happen next. Or when. Bobby Massie Jersey . 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"I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said.FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. STEVE NASH and STEVE BLAKE (Lakers): Both players are back in the lineup Tuesday against the Timberwolves. Blake had played quite well before he went down and, fingers crossed, Nash (who turns 40 on Friday - Happy Birthday!) tries to see if he can play through Back pain and finish the season. This Lakers season has not gone well with the loss of Dwight Howard, the injury to Kobe Bryant, and of course injuries to Blake and Nash. At the end of the day, this is a franchise that doesnt deal well with losing seasons yet it might be a time to re-invent themselves for the long haul. How these two guys hold up will give them better insight into where things are headed, at least short term, in their backcourt. 2. PAUL GASOL (Lakers): Speaking of this franchise, I think this ship has sailed here. If you can get cap space, luxury tax relief and/or a draft pick, you move him. He still has value, yet I see it diminishing despite him averaging close to 20 points and 12 rebounds a game in January. There is a lot of chatter about the Phoenix Suns making a run at him. Itll be interesting to watch it unfold but bottom line, it would be best for Gasol and the Lakers for him to have a change of scenery. 3. GREG MONROE (Pistons): There are rumblings from the Motor City that they need to look long and hard at what to do with this guy. I really like his game. When given the proper system and supporting players, I feel he has the attributes to help you win. Is he a franchise guy? No, but a very good player? Yes. Hes a positive building piece. I dont see how he can co-exist long-term with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond. Im not a huge Smith fan, nor am I big on the Brandon Jennings bandwagon. These are guys that will get you numbers but Im not sure if they understand what it takes to win on a nightly basis. Monroe can score in the post and has a solid face up game, he can really pass it and his rebounding and lane presence is sound. The Pistons need to figure out what their identity is because right now I see a team with a lot of parts yet with no semblance of the whole in mind. This is a team sport and when I watch them they dont look like one. Monroe is one of the few guys that gets how to play the team game. 4. RAPTORS at KKINGS: Youll hear all the coach and player speak about it being ‘just another game.dddddddddddd I dont buy it for one minute. Any time someone trades you, to some degree theyve given up on you and think they can do better with someone else, thats the reality of sports. The Raptors have benefited greatly with the acquisition of the Sacramento Four while Rudy Gay has played quite well for the Kings. Good for both sides. I expect a very intense game here tomorrow night in Sac-town. Cant wait. More importantly for the Raptors, its a chance to clinch a winning west coast trip (currently 2-1) with a win here before heading to LA to play the very difficult Clippers on Friday. Take care of business. Wont be easy, a lot of emotion will be present. 5. CONGRATS SEATTLE: I have buddies from Buffalo that hit a Super Bowl city each year. Unfortunately, Ive never been able to attend before. This year it worked. I was in Portland on Saturday night and went over to Seattle on Sunday morning before heading over to Salt Lake City to work the Raptors/Jazz game on Monday. My Super Bowl Sunday in Seattle was a total blast. A few quick observations: First, for the Raptors game in Portland, it was a wonderful turnout of Raptor fans from Vancouver area who made the drive over. Awesome support! And secondly, what a joke that an amazing sports town like Seattle doesnt have an NBA team right now. Everywhere I went I saw not only 12th Man signs for the Seahawks but Bring Back our Sonics signs. I couldnt agree more. And finally, once again, I ran into a ton of folks from Vancouver, this time while I was in Seattle. Fun time watching the football game with them and their passion for hoops as well. Ive said it a thousand times before and Ill say it again, weve got to get a team back in Vancouver as well. I travel all around North America and I feel pretty confident saying this, I have a very good sense for what makes a town a good fit for the NBA and there is NO doubt that Seattle and Vancouver fit my profile a whole lot better than many of the current NBA cities. You can fill in your own blanks. Maybe with a new NBA Commissioner in Adam Silver, this topic can be revisited again. It makes too much sense to me. Likely wishful thinking on my part. 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