Golf Central

On this day in 1999, David and Bob Duval became the first father and son combination to win professional golf tournaments on the same day. First off, former club pro Bob beat Bruce Fleisher to win the Senior PGA Tour's Emerald Coast Classic by two shots, then kicked back in the clubhouse to watch his world No. 1 son David on TV, as David captured The Players Championship by two over Scott Gump ...

You should have used Lee Westwood's picture on the site front yesterday ...: Why's that?
Well, he's not leading anymore so there goes your chance ...: It's not a hard-and-fast rule that we have to use the leader's pic on the site front every day. Those idiots did that last week on the WCG at Doral, but they're idiots.
Well, I'm calling you an idiot for not using Lee Westwood yesterday.: Man! Can't make anyone happy around this place. So can we talk about the golf then?
Only in context of whose picture is going to be on the site front.: What, are you on strike? OK, if you're going to be that way, big Peter Hedblom of Sweden is tied with not-so-big Matthew Millar of Australia in the leader's chair at 8-under.
Yawn. So who's going to be on the site front?: Well, it's either Hedblom or Millar, but it can't be both because it's just too much of a tiny wee picture. Probably Millar because we haven't used him lately.
Yeah, but they used Ogilvy all four days last week. Don't you think that's too much of an Aussie presence on the site front?: I'm just going to ignore you ... And there's a brace of Englishmen in second at 7-under, along with the Frenchman Thomas Levet.
None of whom are going to be on the site front ...: No. Nor is Westwood, as you said, after he slipped back to 6-under with some balky putting, nor yesterday's poster boy hero Danny Willett, the amateur who dropped back to 3-under by scraping around in 75.
Maybe he couldn't take the pressure of being on our site front.: Maybe.
Can I say something please? It hardly seems fair that when you have co-leaders you can only use one picture on the site front ...: Stop obsessing about the site front.
I can't ...: OK, you're just weird. If you're not careful I'm gonna put your picture on the site front.
What would the headline say?: "MISSING PERSON" ...

Thank goodness. A week without Geoff Ogilvy's mug on the front page ...: I'll second that. Not only did Ogilvy make me look bad, he didn't do much for the front page either. Now it's Dean Wilson's turn.
So do you think Dean Wilson will do a back-flip if he wins this week?: He might. The "Flyin' Hawaiian" has a lot at stake: If he wins in New Orleans, he gets another trip to Augusta at the age of 38.
Why is it that I always forget about Dean Wilson?: Maybe because he was such a late bloomer and he played for most of this decade in Japan. Plus, being Hawaiian he's a bit remote anyway.
Good story ...: Yes, Dean is a good story. He's of Japanese-American ancestry, played college golf in Utah with Mike Weir, and gained most of his pro experience in Japan, where he had six wins.
No wonder why I always forget about him ...: Sure. But you're not the only one. For years Wilson couldn't even get a sponsor's invitation to the Sony Open in Hawaii, even though he has been the Aloha State's best tour player for ages. Instead, the Sony Open gave their sponsor's invites to the likes of Michelle Wie.
So where does the Green Jacket fit in?: Well, Dean is now one of the most solid players out there on the PGA Tour these days. He got his first Masters invite last year after winning the 2006 Invitational and the winners this week, and next week in Houston, will be automatically going to Augusta.
Cool. We'll root for him then ... Is it as tough out there as it looks?: I'd say so. Wilson's 66 looks good on the leaderboard, but with the wind howling this TPC was playing nasty. It's going to be a good tune-up for Augusta.
Anybody else we should be concerned with ...? Well, there's the wonderfully named Briny Baird, a veteran still looking for his first PGA Tour win. He's on 5-under and has a great name for Bubba Gump Shrimp Company country.
And Peter Lonard? ...: The Australian veteran is on 5-under as well but I can't think of anything funny about his name except that he needs to ask Carol for a consonant so he can be more like Justin Leonard.
And Chez Reavie? ...: Again, on 5-under, with a perfect name for New Orleans. Sounds like a restaurant in the French Quarter.
Speaking of the French Quarter, let's go!: We can be there in 15 minutes with this tailwind ...

Aha! Here's the classic clash of raw youth versus veteran experience! ...: I was just going to say it's a classic clash of rich golfers enjoying another big payday in a beautiful place like southern Spain, but maybe I'm jaded ...
Look can we just concentrate on the golf please?: OK, if you want to go with your boring old saw about the clash of youth versus experience, I'm game. Sounds easy enough to me. Anyway, Danny Willett isn't rich. He's an amateur.
Thanks for patronising me. Tell me about the grizzled veteran then ...: Well, I'm not sure I'd call Lee Westwood a grizzled veteran to his face. Have you seen the kind of shape that big fella is in these days? But yes, on the one hand you've got big Lee, leading by one stroke after a 7-under 65, with - as he says - "one eye on the Masters".
How can you hit the golf ball with one eye on the Masters?: Not sure, but it will probably find it's way into one of those confusing golf tips you find in all the glossy mags.
I can see it now. "Keep your head down ...": Right. And "Keep one eye on the Masters ..."
... "And I guarantee this will lower your golf scores" ... Right. Tell me about this Danny Willett kid then ...: Well, he's a 20-year-old from Sheffield, making his Euro Tour debut, and he's the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world. So if Willett keeps playing like this he'll soon be the one dishing out the tips.
Does he have a chance?: It has happened before. Amateurs win occasionally on the PGA Tour, more so on the European. The Spanish wonderkid Pablo Martin did it last year in Portugal, and now he's a 20-year-pro with a full exemption.
Is Willett really that good?: You've got to be to be No. 1 in the world at anything. He's 6-under, tied with Norwegian Jan-Are Laresen, after a round that featured a couple of nifty eagles. Willett eagled the first hole which settled his nerves and away he went.
He'd better hope he eagles the first hole every day then ... Hey, I've got a joke for you.: Fire away.
What do you call it when Jan-Are Larsen hits his driver?: What?
Norwegian wood! ...: Oh God, I think I need another week off ...