Shane Bacon Posts

If the Internet was ever going to crash and burn, it might be now, because of the following two (well, three) words meeting in the same sentence: Travis Parrott, an American doubles player, has taken to Twitter to deny the reports that he has swine flu. All he needed to work in was Michael Jackson, Iran and Follow Friday, and it would be the equivalent of hitting for the cycle in current events.

Here is the deal. The Daily Mail reported that Parrott, along with three other doubles players, were believed to have swine flu (it's baaaack). Problem is, Parrott has a Twitter page, and has treated the news like someone who has been falsely accused of having an STD.

Each Wednesday during the golf season, FanHouse will list the top five names in golf and why they're important. Did Barack play 18 with Tiger? Did a certain player do something controversial off the course? Or was just playing golf enough to get the pot stirring? Join us for a weekly feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Tony Romo -- On Wednesday, Romo got the unique pleasure of teeing it up with Mr. Woods during the pro-am of the AT&T National. Not only is the Cowboys quarterback getting flak from college coaches and sports bloggers alike, but he is having to try and keep his game together with the best in the world. Sure, Tiger played a little with Peyton Manning earlier this year, but Romo's game is at a different level. Maybe next year, Woods will invite Ben Roethlisberger for some true competition?

Even Tiger Woods, the man that tends to stay away from the hot button topics, spoke up this week at the AT&T National, the tournament Woods hosts, about Michael Jackson.

As you now know, Jackson died on Thursday at the age of 50, leaving most Americans mourning the passing of a music legend. Tiger, who grew up listening to Jackson's music, said that he was one of the best entertainers of all time.

In an effort to keep our golf visitors well informed on what is going on around the Internet, Range Balls is our weekly link dump. Every Tuesday during golf season, we will toss out some of the most interesting things we came across. If you have a tip, e-mail us at fanhousegolf@gmail.com. Enjoy the links.

-- The AT&T National is this week, which means Tiger Woods, the host, will be in the field. Yellowpages.com is offering two free tickets, and all you have to do is write in about your favorite July 4th golf memory. Submit them and maybe you can see Tiger for free. [Dogs That Chase Cars]

Like the Michael Jordan jumper against the Utah Jazz in 1998, there is a lasting memory in the golf world from the late 90's that would be tough to push out of any fan's memory.

The 18th hole ... U.S. Open ... 15-footer for par and the victory ... putt is stroked ... it's heading to the hole ... one arm outstretched, one foot off the ground ... and ... one final championship for one of the nicest guys to ever play the game.

Payne Stewart's legacy at Pinehurst No. 2, the site of his second U.S. Open that came four months before he died in a plane crash, is one that will always be around. This week, at the North and South Amateur, Payne's son Aaron Stewart will be continuing the legacy on those turtle-backed greens, hoping to follow in his father's infamous footsteps.

Over the years, talk of Andy Roddick finally "getting there" has been inaccurate. The top-ranked American has reached the finals at Wimbledon twice, but despite a brief moment in the first set of the finals in 2004, Andy has always seemed a touch short of championship caliber.

Maybe not this year. Roddick took down No. 20 Thomas Berdych 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match that was hardly competitive after the first set tiebreaker. Andy rode his 24 aces to easy service games, never even facing a break point, but the comfort he has shown with his ground strokes is what has really stood out in 2009.

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

Is Kenny Perry the Second Best U.S. Golfer? -- He's 48, yet Kentucky native Kenny Perry is playing the best golf of his career. Perry, who announced earlier this year that he wants to get to 20 wins in his career (he's currently at 14), has put up some staggeringly consistent numbers over the last year that now have him in the conversation as one of the top American golfers right now.

For the second straight week on the PGA Tour, weather has caused golf to conclude earlier than expected, with rain and storms forcing the second round of the Travelers Championship to be suspended for the day.

Kenny Perry, who yesterday neared that hallowed 59 before settling for a 9-under 61, is in the lead after a second round 68 that included just three birdies to one bogey, and a closing stretch to his round of ten straight pars. Perry has six top-10s, but only one win, dating back to the FBR Open in early February. As you might remember, the 48-year-old Perry was also nearly fitted with a green jacket at Augusta before making consecutive bogeys on 17 and 18 before losing in a playoff to Angel Cabrera.

Think back to 1992. The first George Bush was in office. "Aladdin" was the top-grossing movie in this whole new world, pulling in nearly $218 million dollars, and a scrawny, amateur golfer named Tiger Woods teed it up in his first ever PGA Tour event. Back then, the event was the Nissan Los Angeles Open, and Woods opened with at 1-over 72, eventually missing the cut at 5-over after following that up with a 75.

On Thursday, at the Wegmans LPGA, Cheyenne Woods, niece to Tiger, made her debut on the LPGA, shooting a 3-over 75 to tie for 119th.

There is one thing in golf that is miles bigger than a major championship or the rare double-eagle. It has only been done three times in the history of golf, with the last time coming in 1999. It's the sub-60 round.

On Thursday, at the Travelers Championship, 48-year-old Kenny Perry had the rare opportunity to match that feat, and shoot a sub-60 round for only the fourth time on the PGA Tour, and the first time on a par-70 golf course. Standing over a 24-foot eagle putt on the par-4 15th hole, Perry was 8-under and looking to move to 10-under, just a shot off the mark with three holes to play.