FanHouse Charles Howell Iii

If I've said it once, I've said it a billion times. Tiger Woods has skewed our take on golf tournaments. It isn't that easy to win. It just isn't.

Jerry Kelly would agree with me. He's 42, and won twice on tour in 2002. Since then, he's finished second four times, which is pretty darn impressive from the quintessential PGA Tour journeyman, but he couldn't break through. Sunday in New Orleans, Kelly claimed his first win in seven years, taking the Zurich Classic over a group of golfers either trying to break their own winning slump or trying to claim their first PGA Tour title.

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.

Goosen Breaks Four-Year Drought -- When Retief Goosen first burst on the scene with his '01 U.S. Open victory, he was an unknown golfer to most anyone. But unlike the regular U.S. Open one-and-done scoreboard Cinderellas, Goosen had a different look. Southern Hills Country Club, one of the toughest tests in golf, just didn't seem to rattle the Goose. Everyone kept waiting for him to falter. He wouldn't.

Up until the 18th hole, that is, when two putts were all he needed for his first PGA Tour victory and an unprecedented major championship. When he blew it, needing an 18-hole playoff to win, "Rattled" and "Goosen" almost became synonymous.

On Sunday at the 2009 Transitions Championship, a golf tournament lost in the shuffle of all the madness of March, Goosen found himself in an eerily similar situation.

Take it from me, there is nothing more annoying that wrapping up a long day of blogging when you don't have your best stuff only to be pulled aside by your editors to pee in a little plastic cup.

Colin Montgomerie knows what I'm talking about. After his two-over 72 at the Bridgestone Invitational, Monty, always one to be patient and understanding, was pulled aside to relieve himself in the name of HGH.

The 45-year-old Montgomerie acknowledged he didn't really know what the procedure was. Then, as he left the scorer's trailer, he turned to his caddie and said, ``This is a complete waste of time.''

This really is comical. The PGA Tour made a big stink about implementing steroids testing and so far they've pulled aside the likes of Davis Love III, Charles Howell III, Tim Clark and now Monty. Has anyone seen Monty? It's not like he's injecting at the turn or anything.

Since Tiger Woods is obviously what keeps the tour rolling, I'd like to start an ongoing bet on how long it takes before he's pulled aside for a test. I think it's fair to say that nobody really believes Woods is juiced, but wouldn't it make a tad more sense to pull aside the guy that is jacked like a football player than a man past his prime that looks like something you'd make in a Build-A-Bear? What are they scared of, muscle profiling?

Just when I thought the PGA Tour's new drug-testing program couldn't get any more credible, I read this:

In the 237 times Charles Howell III has teed it up on the PGA Tour, he never had a round end like Thursday at the AT&T National. After signing for an even-par 70, he was handed a pink slip.

Howell was among the first players chosen for testing under the tour's Anti-Doping Program that went into effect this week. He left the scoring area at about 5:45 p.m., and came back out to the putting green 40 minutes later. He was given a pink piece of paper showing that his sample was valid.

Weird. Howell, 130 pounds in moon boots, wasn't hopped up on 'roids? Didn't see that coming.

Howell says he doesn't think any PGA Tour player "is taking something they shouldn't be taking," but his fear is "the accidental thing" -- the false-positive. I'm not sure the entire tour is drug-free -- I mean, the laws of probability suggest somebody's juicing -- but I suspect it's most prevalent among fringe players willing to do anything to improve. The thing is, unlike most sports, I'm not sure taking steroids or human growth hormone offers much of an advantage.

Maybe it helps golfers return from injury faster, but in terms of on-course performance, the benefits are pretty inconsequential. Sure, you might be able to drive if farther, but if you couldn't get up-and-down from 50 yards before pharmacological intervention, that won't change.

It's the day before the tournament and time for more FanHouse Media Guide.

• Todd Hamilton -- CUT -- Hamilton had a great 2004 (won twice, once was the British Open). All other years besides 2004? Not as great. In five attempts at the U.S. Open Hamilton has never made the weekend.

• Soren Hansen -- DNP -- Hansen has never battled the U.S. Open, but he has won twice on the European Tour and carded a top-10 in the 2002 British Open.

• Padraig Harrington -- 5 -- For a stretch in the early part of this decade, it seemed like Harrington (pictured) was in the hunt at every major championship (this, of course, is what I call a "journalistic exaggeration"). The reigning British Open champion has four top-10s at this event and tied for fourth at last week's St. Jude Championship.

• David Hearn -- CUT -- In 13 tournaments on the Nationwide Tour, Hearn has only made six cuts. The Canadian native did play a full year on the PGA Tour in 2005 and has had a lot of success at the Canadian Open.

• Jimmy Henderson (a) -- DNP -- A 65 in the second round of sectional qualifying allowed the amateur a spot in the field. Golf clap.

• Justin Hicks -- CUT -- HIcks has played in six tournaments on the Nationwide Tour in 2008, scrounging up only $8,464. With gas at $4 a gallon, that's only 2,116 gallons of gas. Note to Justin -- golf clubs do fit in the back of a Prius.

• J.B. Holmes -- t-48 -- One of the longest hitters on tour, Holmes is one of those guys that tend to do well on a stretched out U.S. Open course because unlike short hitters, he's used to playing out of the rough (I'll allow five seconds for you to snicker). He's only missed two cuts this year and showed everyone he isn't scared of some of the big guys, with a playoff win over Phil Mickelson in Phoenix.

• Charles Howell III -- t-18 -- Chucky Three Sticks has made the cut in six straight U.S. Opens, but has only cracked the top-30 once. Also, the 4,943 golfer in the Open that played at Oklahoma State.

• Ryuji Imada -- t-12 -- Feast or famine for Imada at this tournament. The Japanese native has two top-15 finishes and two missed cuts at the U.S. Open, but has been coming more into his own this season, even winning for the first time on the PGA Tour.

• Trevor Immelman -- t-21 -- Not to get all crazy on you, but I'm a big believer that the Grand Slam is "well within reach."

Apparently content with sitting at 10-9 and third place in the National League East, members of the Atlanta Braves roster have turned their attention to more important matters: the 2008 NFL Draft. Of course, the hometown Falcons have the third pick, and with Jake Long off the board, have been rumored to have interest in any number of players, including Matt "Matty Ice" Ryan, Glenn Dorsey and Chris Long.

A few Braves -- and Charles Howell, III, as well, since he's a Falcons fan -- recently offered up their choices for the number three pick. Jeff Francoeur thinks Matt Ryan or Glenn Dorsey since you "need an impact player" and quarterback and defensive end are the best spots for that. Chipper Jones called for Ryan as well, assuming Jake had been drafted. (He has.) And Kelly Johnson pointed out that Chris Long is the way to go, but if he isn't there, why not take an offensive lineman; if the player "not a stretch [to pick] at 7, I would get him at 3."

But perhaps the strangest pick came from Chucky Three Sticks, who is obviously so beat down by his Falcon fanship that he missed that whole Michael Turner signing:

I've been a Falcons fan for a long time and it's sad to see what's happened to that organization. It's a tough call. I honestly would take Darren McFadden, if he were available. He's too good of a player to pass up. I wouldn't trade the pick.

Now, it's not inconceivable that the Falcons pull trigger on McFadden. He is talented, despite his off field issues, but it also seems a bit redundant with all the money they threw at Turner. The safer bet is that they take Chris Long in the spot or possibly look to trade down with a team that has a greater interest in Ryan or McFadden.