The Sports Monitor

I've said it before, but I'll say it again up front: I'm a Phil Mickelson fan. I know what to expect the next three days at the U.S. Open. Mickelson is just a couple hours from teeing off in the second round at Merion. He had a fantastic round of 67 to take the clubhouse lead after the first round was delayed. That doesn't guarantee any success the rest of the tournament. Mickelson is know for his high-risk, high-reward play, which isn't the best approach to the Open. Lefty will stay near the lead, put up a bogey-bogey stretch to fall behind and find a way to get a birdie to get everyone jazzed up again about his chances. It's exhilarating and frustrating all at once. It's the Phil Mickelson Experience. Will he win? Don't think so. But that doesn't mean I won't be rooting for him. I want to see him get his breakthrough win at the Open. And after one round he has a shot. But it's usually an errant shot that takes him off co...

Yeah, I know there's still a couple more weeks before the calendar says fall begins. For me, however, summer ends when my kids go back to school. That was today. Golf's over (the PGA Tour's playoffs are a joke), baseball pennant drives are heating up and the U.S. Open has started. Couple that with football around the corner and our vacation to Myrtle Beach, S.C., wrapped up, and it's over. I'm just waiting for the trees to fall.

Can you call Tiger Woods' performance in the U.S. Open as a disappointment? Not if you're like me and you didn't think he would win. Most people though Woods was back entering the tournament. After the first two rounds, many still believed, thinking this could be his big return. I didn't. I held firm after 36 holes of the tournament at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. After seeing Tiger struggle at the Masters, I knew something wasn't right with his game. I didn't think his game could hold up over four days against the best in the world. Yeah, he can win a normal PGA Tour event against a weak field. That doesn't mean he's back. Saturday and Sunday confirmed it. Maybe next time Tiger's game will be up for it. Only time will tell, but he's slowly running out of it.

By many accounts, Tiger Woods is the favorite to win the U.S. Open. It's just like the Masters, when Woods was coming off a convincing win and was tabbed as the favorite. Tiger told us he was ready for a win and his game was in shape. It didn't work out that way. Tiger looked normal and didn't win a green jacket. The Open starts Thursday and Tiger is coming off another convincing win. We're also hearing similar comments about everything clicking for Woods before the tournament. We'll see how that works out for him. I think Tiger is trying to convince himself, the media and the rest of the PGA Tour his game is back. He's trying to bring back the intimidation factor. I don't think the top players are buying it. And I don't think Woods' game is tip-top shape. I think he'll eventually win another major, maybe even two. It won't be this week at the Open.

I don't usually delve too much into the world of golf, but with the U.S. Open in full swing, this is as good a time as any. What prompted me was a column by Associated Press columnist Tim Dahlberg about Tiger Woods. Dahlberg, it seems, is missing this tournament without Woods not being there. In a "letter" to Woods, Dahlberg writes, "Believe me, this tournament needs something to make it interesting." Ah, did you happen to watch the first round, Dahlberg? Rory McIlroy blew threw Congressional Country Club. And on Friday, he did it again. McIlroy's 11-under is a record through 36 holes at the Open. That's not too shabby. Not many expected it, I'm sure, especially Dahlberg. Maybe we just need to embrace change. I don't miss Woods and his surly attitude. I don't miss Woods swearing after every errant tee shot. When McIlroy withered on the final day of the Masters in April, he handled it with class and grace. I'm confident enoug...