BrettWetterich Posts -- FanHouse

The Ryder Cup starts tomorrow and for the first time in ages, the Americans are the clear cut underdog. They don't have their best golfer, they are one bad weekend away from the most consecutive U.S. losses in Ryder Cup history and they don't really have someone, as of yet, to step up as a true team leader.

The Europeans on the other hand look great, with the hottest golfer in the world accompanied by one of the hottest Ryder Cup players ever. With the matches beginning early in the morning on Friday, here are five questions that might be asked before the matches begin.

What will the absence of Tiger Woods do to the American team? -- Well, obviously not having the best golfer in the world in your corner puts you at a disadvantage, but maybe the biggest loss is with the Jim Furyk-Woods team that had some mild success in 2006. The duo went 2-2-0 which is a huge step up from the success of Tiger with other golfers in the team portion of the Ryder Cup. With some experience behind them, this could have been the two to carry an American team to victory. Now Furyk will have to find chemistry with someone else.

FanHouse U.S. Open Media Guide, Page 15

Posted: Jun 11th 2008 6:37PM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Golf, PGA

We've come to the end, so enjoy your last (extended) installment of the FanHouse Media Guide.

D.J. Trahan -- CUT -- At 27, he's one of the better golfers on tour nobody's heard of, winning the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic earlier in the season. His dad recorded 13 career aces, which makes me hate Poppa Trahan 13 times more than I hate a normal person.

Jonathan Turcott -- DNP -- A terrible start to the year, Turcott didn't cash a check in his first five Nationwide tournaments. A little better of late, Turcott has made six of his last eight cuts.

Kevin Tway (a) -- DNP -- Son of 1986 PGA Championship winner Bob Tway, Kevin can hold his own, winning the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2005. A freshman at Oklahoma State, Kevin will have dad on the bag to help out around Torrey Pines.

Scott Verplank -- t-7 -- A trivia question to stump your buddies, Verplank is the only American golfer to record a hole-in-one in Ryder Cup competition. Also, in a fit of lunacy, said the Bryon Nelson Championship is a "fifth major" after he won in 2007. In unrelated news, the Augusta National golf committee still won't allow me a spot in the Masters because they don't consider the "Lakeside Fourth of July Scramble" a professional golf victory.

Camilo Villegas -- t-26 -- The Sand Trap has a pretty good outline on why people love Villegas, I just haven't landed on board yet. He has never won a PGA Tour event but continues to finish high enough at the end of the year to retain his card. Oh, and he's really strong looking.

Nick Watney -- CUT -- A win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last season was his first on tour, but he's having more trouble in '08. He's only missed two cuts, but he isn't finishing his rounds, breaking 71 just once all year in the final round.

Bubba Watson -- t-5 -- Maybe my favorite golfer on tour, Bubba hit a drive in 2006 398 yards. Watson's wife Angie played in the WNBA and is an inch taller than him. He's struggled some this season, carding only one top-10 in 16 starts.

Boo Weekley -- t-26 -- His two wins on tour came at the same event, the Verizon Heritage. Was asked once what season it was, and answered "deer." I haven't found online evidence that Boo is a member of Mensa, though I have a hunch.

Mike Weir -- t-3 -- Weir has made seven of nine cuts at the U.S. Open and five top-10s, a stat that is pretty definitive of the caliber of player he is. A tie for second at the Memorial two weeks ago has Weir in top form heading to a tournament some feel he could win despite his length.

Lee Westwood -- t-5 -- Westwood hasn't had a top-10 finish in a major since 2004, but he did make the cut in all four last year and in the Masters earlier this season. According to Wikipedia, he supports a soccer team named the "Nottingham Forest" which even my weird brain can't believe is true.

Brett Wetterich -- CUT -- The 2006 Byron Nelson champion hasn't had a great year, with his best finish a tie for 36. His dad started teaching him golf at age 2, the same time my parents were finally figuring out what to call me.

Dean Wilson -- t-30 -- Wilson is one of those guys that without checking, you know was born in Hawaii. A winner of the now deceased International in 2006, Wilson has made six cuts heading into the U.S. Open.

Jeff Wilson (a) -- 59 -- Wilson, 44, won the Southern California Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship with rounds of 67-66-73 and finished third in the Santa Barbara City Championship before heading to U.S. Open qualifying.

Oliver Wilson -- CUT -- I've never heard of this guy, but he's got an awesome homepage and he drinks Sugar Free Red Bull. Nobody believes me that Red Bull is good for you, but Wilson drinks it and is third on the European Tour Order of Merit so it must do some good.

Casey Wittenberg -- t-36 -- Pretty interesting, Wittenberg shot a four day total of 296 at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the second best score ever by an amateur. Playing well on the Nationwide Tour, he's currently 13th on the money list.

Tiger Woods -- WON -- Honestly, what else can you say? The U.S. Open starts tomorrow people and we get to see Tiger play for the first time in ages.

The U.S. Open

Australia's Geoff Ogilvy gestures on the fourth green during a practice round for the US Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego on June 11, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

U.S. golfer Jim Furyk watches his tee shot on the second hole during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott of Australia watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott of Australia smiles at the seventh tee during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott of Australia hits a shot on the sixth tee during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott of Australia (R) gestures as golf instructor Butch Harmon (C) and fellow golfer Rocco Mediate (L) of the US look on, on the third green during a practice round for the US Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California on June 11, 2008. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Adam Scott of Australia watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott holds a camera on the fourth fairway during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Adam Scott of Australia hits a shot on the sixth tee during a practice round for the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Brett Wetterich Has Had a Crazy 18 Months

Posted: Apr 6th 2007 11:35AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Golf

Jason Sobel mentioned it yesterday in his excellent blog, but Brett Wetterich, who was tied with Justin Rose for the Masters lead after Day 1, has had quite an adventurous 18 months.

A member of the PGA Tour from 2000-2002, and parts of 2005, Wetterich lost his card after failing to finish in the top 125. He played the Nationwide Tour in 2003-2005 and following the 2005 season, finished tied for 26th at Qualifying School. The top 40 players in Q-School graduate to the PGA Tour, and in 2006, Wetterich won the Byron Nelson Championship, made the Ryder Cup Team, finished 10th on the PGA Tour's money list. And now, he leads the Masters after the first round.

Yes, I know, newcomers don't often have much success at Augusta, and just because you're atop the leaderboard after 18 holes doesn't mean much for your chances come Sunday. Still, it's a pretty cool story.

Whatever, as I write this, Wetterich is 4-under (1-under for the day, through nine holes) and in sole possession of first place. Not bad for a guy who was kickin' in on the Nationwide Tour less than two years ago.