Tiger Woods

I'll readily admit that my favorite golf tournament to watch is the British Open that starts Thursday. There's nothing better than waking up early in the morning, turning on the TV and watching the wind, weather and course play havoc with scores and make the world's best players have to be both creative and a bit lucky to win. Steve Siebold, a former professional athlete and a mental toughness coach who works with professional athletes, is the author...

AKRON, Ohio - Tiger Woods acts as if he's impervious to any verbal challenges. He hears them, though, takes notice and uses those words for motivation. Woods again overwhelmed Rory Sabbatini along with a stellar field, shooting a 5-under 65 on Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational for the sixth time. It was the second time that Woods has won the tournament three times in a row, something no PGA Tour player has ever done before. "Everyone knows how Rory is, and I just go out there and just let my clubs do the talking," Woods said after overcoming Sabbatini's one-shot lead to start the day. Woods finished at 8-under 272 for an eight-stroke victory.

Thank you Tom Watson. No, he didn't pull off the impossible and win the British Open Sunday. If he had, it would have been the biggest golf story of my lifetime to have a 59-year-old golfer - heck, that's even older than me - win a major championship. Instead, he led most of the way before hitting his second shot too well on the final hole of regulation Sunday. It flew over the 18th green and when he missed a 8-foot par putt it forced a a four-hole playoff that Stewart Cink easily won by six shots over an emotionally drained Watson.

My wife Rhonda doesn't play golf. She likes Tiger Woods. The reason? His impact on the sport over the past decade has been beyond measure, plus it's hard to root against Tiger. His youthful appeal and his obvious energetic approach also has been a welcome addition to the game of golf. Woods hasn't hurt the integrity of the game, either. In fact, he's enhanced it. How can you not feel the emotion when he pumps his fist after making a big putt in the clutch? Nothing against Phil Mickelson, the late Payne Stewart, Kentuckian Kenny Perry or the legends of golf who came before Woods, Mickelson and other successful players.

I drive past Cassell Creek Golf Course at least twice a day on my way to and from work. I usually glance over to see how many golfers are playing the first three holes. Although I'm no fashion expert, I occasionally take note of what players are wearing. On Monday, I did a double take. I noticed a man and woman walking off the first green wearing matching Western wear. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that's the first time I'd seen such attire on a golf course.

There are many today who insist the Bible is irrelevant to modern life. While atheists dismiss the Good Book altogether, many liberals maintain it is nothing more than an error-riddled collection of ancient stories with a few wise sayings and suggestions for living. Tiger Woods is in the process of discovering that the atheistic and liberal view of the Bible is absolutely wrong. The renowned golfer is fast learning the Bible is truth ? unyielding, eternal and ever-relevant truth.

Jason Vaughn's trek toward what he hopes is a path to a career in golf management reached a peak last weekend. Vaughn, a 1997 graduate of George Rogers Clark High School has been working at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. for the past six months as a greens technician and played a major role in making sure the greens stayed in shape during the 89th PGA Championship. Vaughn's primary role over the weekend - not to mention the past six months - was to make sure the greens stayed watered and clean in temperatures, that soared above 100 degrees for most of the weekend.

At the 1991 MTV Music Awards PeeWee Herman returned to the public spotlight after a humiliating arrest in an adult theater months earlier and asked the crowd (use your best Pee Wee voice in your head), "Heard any good jokes lately?" The crowd gave Pee Wee a standing ovation, but the MTV crowd is a more forgiving bunch. Pee Wee's misdemeanor arrest for, well, let's just call it a victimless crime, cost him his TV show, product sponsorship and his relationship with NBC and MGM-Disney.

This was almost too good to be true. Monday's playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate to decide the U.S. Open winner offered two great story lines. Could Woods return from a two-month layoff due to knee surgery and win his 14th major championship, even though he limped badly at times and was in obvious pain? Or could Mediate, 45, go from surviving a sudden-death playoff in a U.S. Open qualifier to overcome a three-shot deficit with eight holes to go in Monday's playoff to beat the world's best player?

People and things: Travis Leffew The former Boyle County star will play his final football game for the Louisville Cardinals against Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl. However, no matter what happens in that game, Leffew has already had a memorable career. He's been a four-year starter on one of the nation's best offenses, one reason he continues to add honors to his potential NFL resume. College Football News.com not only named Leffew to its All-Big East Conference first-team at offensive tackle, it also picked him as the league's best overall lineman.

I'll readily admit that my favorite golf tournament to watch is the British Open that starts Thursday. There's nothing better than waking up early in the morning, turning on the TV and watching the wind, weather and course play havoc with scores and make the world's best players have to be both creative and a bit lucky to win. Steve Siebold, a former professional athlete and a mental toughness coach who works with professional athletes, is the author...

There are many today who insist the Bible is irrelevant to modern life. While atheists dismiss the Good Book altogether, many liberals maintain it is nothing more than an error-riddled collection of ancient stories with a few wise sayings and suggestions for living. Tiger Woods is in the process of discovering that the atheistic and liberal view of the Bible is absolutely wrong. The renowned golfer is fast learning the Bible is truth ? unyielding, eternal and ever-relevant truth.

At the 1991 MTV Music Awards PeeWee Herman returned to the public spotlight after a humiliating arrest in an adult theater months earlier and asked the crowd (use your best Pee Wee voice in your head), "Heard any good jokes lately?" The crowd gave Pee Wee a standing ovation, but the MTV crowd is a more forgiving bunch. Pee Wee's misdemeanor arrest for, well, let's just call it a victimless crime, cost him his TV show, product sponsorship and his relationship with NBC and MGM-Disney.

Thank you Tom Watson. No, he didn't pull off the impossible and win the British Open Sunday. If he had, it would have been the biggest golf story of my lifetime to have a 59-year-old golfer - heck, that's even older than me - win a major championship. Instead, he led most of the way before hitting his second shot too well on the final hole of regulation Sunday. It flew over the 18th green and when he missed a 8-foot par putt it forced a a four-hole playoff that Stewart Cink easily won by six shots over an emotionally drained Watson.

Carl Jennings remembers the first time he laid eyes on Augusta National more than two decades ago. "I was in awe," Jennings said Friday. "I used to dream of that place when I watched it in color when it came on television in 1960. When I first saw it on the color television, it was unreal. " Once an observer, Jennings is now a vital part of one of golf's most prestigious tournaments - the Masters - which begins Thursday in Augusta, Ga. When he arrives, Jennings, owner and operator of Winchester One Hour Dry Cleaners, will take the same spot on the 18th tee box he vacated when the tournament ended last year.

I drive past Cassell Creek Golf Course at least twice a day on my way to and from work. I usually glance over to see how many golfers are playing the first three holes. Although I'm no fashion expert, I occasionally take note of what players are wearing. On Monday, I did a double take. I noticed a man and woman walking off the first green wearing matching Western wear. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that's the first time I'd seen such attire on a golf course.

This was almost too good to be true. Monday's playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate to decide the U.S. Open winner offered two great story lines. Could Woods return from a two-month layoff due to knee surgery and win his 14th major championship, even though he limped badly at times and was in obvious pain? Or could Mediate, 45, go from surviving a sudden-death playoff in a U.S. Open qualifier to overcome a three-shot deficit with eight holes to go in Monday's playoff to beat the world's best player?

My wife Rhonda doesn't play golf. She likes Tiger Woods. The reason? His impact on the sport over the past decade has been beyond measure, plus it's hard to root against Tiger. His youthful appeal and his obvious energetic approach also has been a welcome addition to the game of golf. Woods hasn't hurt the integrity of the game, either. In fact, he's enhanced it. How can you not feel the emotion when he pumps his fist after making a big putt in the clutch? Nothing against Phil Mickelson, the late Payne Stewart, Kentuckian Kenny Perry or the legends of golf who came before Woods, Mickelson and other successful players.

Jason Vaughn's trek toward what he hopes is a path to a career in golf management reached a peak last weekend. Vaughn, a 1997 graduate of George Rogers Clark High School has been working at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. for the past six months as a greens technician and played a major role in making sure the greens stayed in shape during the 89th PGA Championship. Vaughn's primary role over the weekend - not to mention the past six months - was to make sure the greens stayed watered and clean in temperatures, that soared above 100 degrees for most of the weekend.

If you are looking for examples of how to be a poor loser versus a gracious loser, simply turn to the world of professional sports. First, a sore loser. Remember Rory Sabbatini's comment earlier this season when he said Tiger Woods looked "beatable" even though he had just lost to Woods in a Sunday showdown. Sabbatini got a chance to back up his observation Sunday at the Bridgestone Invitational when he took a one-shot lead over Woods into the final round. By the time the round was half over, Woods had picked up five shots in a five-hole stretch.