Golf Central

On this day in 1997, a pair of old-timers had to stay up past their bedtimes as Bob Murphy and Jay Sigel needed nine extra playoff holes to settle the Champions Tour's Toshiba Senior Classic in Newport Beach, Orange County, California - then the longest playoff in the tour's history.

As the two stubborn seniors battled it out, tournament organisers were beaming as broadcasters were forced to give the event an extra two hours on ESPN television. So nobody missed anything when Murphy canned an 80-foot snaking birdie putt on the 17th green to take the last of his 11 senior titles ...

Talk about a lucky 7 ...: Lucky for some! Not so great for Jeev Milkha Singh, but fantastic on Graeme McDowell and well played.
They had quite some duel, didn't they?: Yep, it was good stuff. The Irishman and the Indian posted a pair of 68s to close finish on 24-under and force a playoff, which took three extra holes before McDowell finished it off.
That was some 7-iron McDowell hit wasn't it?: Lovely. On their third trip down the 18th, Singh knocked his approach to six feet. But pured a 7 from 179 yards out to about one foot, and tapped in the birdie for the winner's cheque of 333,330 euros.
What did McDowell have to say about it?: "It's in my top five best shots ever hit under the gun", he said ...
I can sense a new list coming: "Graeme McDowell's Top 5 Shots Under The Gun" ...: Stop being silly.
Sorry. So that's a nice little feather ...: ... for McDowell's cap in a Ryder Cup year. And its three European Tour wins for the Ulsterman, who was the top collegiate golfer in America back in '02.
That's just what I was going to say ...: Sorry.
A bit unlucky for Jeev isn't it?: A bit. But the first Indian to ever play in the Masters, and the first Indian on the European Tour, was second in Indonesia as well, and now both he and McDowell get into the elite field at Doral next week. It was going to be the third Euro Tour win for either guy.
Don't you want to know how Hwang Inn-Choon of South Korea did?: The anticipation is too much ...
The world No. 1353 finished 32nd on 6-under, same as countryman Park Do-Kyu ...: Not bad. Well done Inn-Choon! Way to go Do!
Doh! And we'll see ya at the Blue Monster!: See ya at the Blue Monster!

This thing is living up to its billing now, isn't it?: Got to agree with you there. It's the King's tournament, and just after surpassing Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour victories list, Tiger Woods is
What should we call him then? The Emperor? ...: Tiger suits me just fine. Don't think he needs another nickname really ...
So explain how our Eldrick has turned this tournament on its head ...: Typical Tiger fashion. On a day when everyone else was dropping back, Tiger pulled off a seven-shot swing on the Friday leader, defending champ Vijay Singh, with a 4-under 66 to create a five-way lead.
Tiger likes it tough out there ...: He does. It got windy and wild and the greens got a bit a faster, which Tiger loves. So now it's Tiger, last week's Innisbrook winner Sean O'Hair, the grinder Bart Bryant, mad bomber Bubba Watson, and the only man to replace Tiger as world No. 1, Vijay ...
That's as good as it gets really ...: And that's not all. There are 16 golfers within three shots of the leaders.
So what happened to Vijay?: He doinked three balls into the water and shot a 40 on the front nine, and it goes to show how good his back nine was that Vijay's still in the hunt.
So here's the big question? Does anybody really have a chance other than Tiger?: Let's put it this way. In his last 45 tries with the lead or a share of it after three rounds, Tiger has won 42 times.
Likes that Sunday red then ...: He sure does. And if the greens stay fast I think he's going to make it 43 out of 46 ...
And that would be five straight wins for Tiger ...: Who's counting?
Everybody ...

Maybe Graeme McDowell should play golf in the dark more often ...: Yeah, that was a pretty impressive birdie he made on 18 wasn't it?
I don't know! I didn't see it! ...: I'll admit, it was difficult. But with a second-round 64, McDowell's our leader, although he still has a bit of a mountain to climb.
Lots of those around here ...: Yep. And Johan Edfors, your handy IGWT betting tip for this week is two shots back of the Irishman, along with India's Jeev Milkha Singh, who seems to be in contention in Europe every week lately.
But we're not in Europe ...: I thought we settled this yesterday.
Sorry. Who else is in the mix?: Well, it looks like we're in for compelling battles on both the European and PGA Tour fronts this week. A handful of regular PGA Tour guys are in the hunt ... you've got young Anthony Kim, the Korean-American star, on 8-under, and Chris DiMarco is still a factor at 6-under.
Anyone else?: Oh yes, Paul McGinley is on 9-under, and Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn are both in the group with Kim on 8. So it's an attractive looking leaderboard. Speaking of which, did you do your Obscure Golf Pros assignment?
Yep. My guy is Hwang Inn-Choonof South Korea ...: Why's that?
I just like his name. And he's No. 1352 in the world, the lowest-ranked of the guys who made the cut ...: Nice work. Any room at the Inn?
Not sure ...

On this day in 1934, the great Southern gentleman, founder of the Masters and one of the fathers of American golf Bobby Jones admitted that he was having a problem with one key component in his golf game. That's right, Bobby Jones had a case of the yips.

It's something we can all understand (OK, you can ... some of us can knock in putts with the regularity of a metronome), but it is pretty scary (or re-assuring, take your pick) when one of the grandest figures to grace the game of golf in the last 100 years fesses up to having a bit of trouble drawing the old flatstick back ...