FanHouse Brian Gay

So it has come to this. The man who awed us for years in the golf world has been relegated to a sourpuss on the links who can't win the big one. Sure, he has claimed three events this year, but his missed cut at the '09 British Open -- on a course that some felt he would dominate -- has the golf world abuzz.

The Tiger Woods Conundrum is a tricky one. The biggest problem with it lies in the fact that Tiger has molded our expectations of him. He won his first major at 21. He never seemed to miss the big shot or the big moment, echoing these words by Earl Woods in the old Nike commercial, "I promise you, that you'll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life, and he hasn't, and he never will." He was a golfing machine.

Now, some might argue that he has fallen off. He hasn't won the Masters since 2005 on a course he should dominate. It has been five majors since Tiger last hoisted a trophy. His golf swing seems to be a light switch at this point in his career; on at certain times, and very much off at others.

With three tournaments in a row coming for Woods, a few questions are in order.

Just like we did with Augusta and Bethpage Black we present your "Regular Joes" for the British Open. Turnberry is hosting its first Open Championship since 1994, and most players have never played a competitive round at the beautiful course on the west coast of Scotland. So who are the Regular Joes who might be a little overlooked when the big boys tee it up on Thursday? Here's a list of five.

Retief Goosen -- Best Finish: t-5 -- He is everything you want in an Open Championship pick. Playing well heading into the tournament (t-6 at last week's Scottish Open), has won already this year (at Transitions Championship), is a major championship winner and has fared well in British Opens in the past.

The US Open starts Thursday, and because our guessing power is too great to keep bottled up (Note: Nobody here picked Angel Cabrera at Augusta), we give you the FanHouse "Experts" on who will walk away a champion at Bethpage Black.

Just like we did with Augusta, we present your Sleepers for the U.S. Open. Bethpage Black is 7,426 yards of pure nastiness, and will play to a gruesome par of just 70. It is one of the toughest tests in golf, and will be home to the best golfers in the world this weekend. So who are the sleepers you should bank on when the big boys tee up on Thursday? Here's a list of five.

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.

If you've ever checked this page (or Dogs That Chase Cars) you'll know one thing -- I'm far from a Phil Mickelson fan. Far from one. If Phil, who finished tied for 59th at the St. Jude Championship, was a nice pair of Bugatti shoes, then I'm the old Converse that sit neglected in the back corner of your closet.

For me, it isn't anything more than a personality change. Back in 2004, you couldn't have moved me away from the television when Mickelson was charging on the back nine of Augusta like a demolition ball. I loved him. I adored him. He had more guts than I did on the golf course. He took chances. He was a fellow left-hander that left it all on the golf course and never let anyone tell him his style was wrong.

The best word to describe Brian Gay's week: methodical. Fairways, greens, and a lot of birdie looks. Not particularly exciting -- and CBS would confirm as much -- but a win is a win, and for Gay, he made it look effortless.

And while he'll never be mistaken for Tiger Woods, he played the role of Boring Robot Golfer perfectly. (And let's be honest, if Tiger wins like this, we're slobbering all over ourselves to extol his greatness. And, yeah, I'd be leading the charge.) And the way Gay played the 72nd hole was a microcosm of his week. Middle of the fairway, second shot to four feet -- CBS' David Feherty described it, mid-flight, as "unnecessarily good." That turned out to be an understatement -- and, predictably, a birdie to top off a splendid 72 holes of golf.

MEMPHIS, Tenn.(AP) -- The encouragement came at Phil Mickelson as he spent nearly 30 minutes signing autographs for fans after a steamy day that featured 21 holes.

"We're praying for you,'' one fan offered.

"We're praying for your wife,'' another said.

And Mickelson, his eyes red, kept signing even as he moved away from a shady tree to take care of people waiting patiently in the baking sun. He didn't escape to the air-conditioned clubhouse until everyone still nearby was satisfied.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Phil Mickelson is tuning up for Bethpage Black and the U.S. Open. It might help if he can find a way to finish off the 18th hole at the TPC Southwind better than double bogey.

Playing the final three holes of his second round at the St. Jude Classic on Saturday, Mickelson started with a birdie that dropped him to 5 under, but then went bogey and double bogey on No. 18 for a second straight round.

He finished with an even-par 70 that left him 2-under 138 in his first tournament since announcing his wife has breast cancer.

Saturday Morning Update: You might say that Phil Mickelson isn't much of a morning person. Having to wake up and finish his last three holes because of weather on Friday, Phil birdied the par-5 16th hole before going bogey-double bogey to close. This is the second round in a row that Phil has doubled the par-4 18th hole, putting Mickelson at 2-under for the tournament and well back of being in contention. John Daly did make the cut at even par.

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In mid-April of 2009, Brian Gay became a two-time winner on the PGA Tour when he smoked the Verizon Heritage field, winning the tournament at Hilton Head by ten shots. With just three holes to play on Friday, it looked like Gay might be doing much of the same at the St. Jude Championship.

Standing on the par-5 16th hole, Gay was 12-under for the tournament, but a disappointing par there followed by closing bogeys on 17 and 18 left the 37-year-old Texan with just a two shot lead over Bryce Molder and Woody Austin.

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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.

Gay Crushes Field in Harbour Town -- One of the strange things about tournament golf is how people can navigate a golf course in totally different ways (big drives, short shots, putts, chips, bunker play), yet still finish 72 holes with a score that is nearly identical to others' rounds (see last week's Masters).

That was not the case on Sunday. Brian Gay, playing in his 330th event as a PGA Tour member, put a beat-down on the post-Masters field; a beat-down the likes of which had never managed done before at the Verizon Heritage.