FanHouse Ian Poulter

Over the next two weeks, FanHouse will be delivering any and all awards for the 2009 PGA and LPGA Tour season. It will be a collection of anything that needs to be awarded, from Player of the Year, to Best Shot of '09 to Breakthrough Twitterer. It is, simply named, The Green Jacket awards.

Ahh, Twitter. The current Internet sensation. Google and Facebook, all wrapped in one 140 character text band that allows people to chat up just about any subject (even though it seems most subjects revolve around Jay-Z).

This year has been a banner one for Twitter, with athletes by the busload joining the site and sharing info we have never received from athletes. (Want proof? I stalked Shaquille O'Neal once because of his Twitter, and wrote about it.)

The PGA and LPGA Tour have been no different, with golfers from all over sharing photos of themselves working out, their random hairstyles and even the enjoyment of a pro-am round. So, who is the best Tweeter of '09?

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France (AP) -- Britain and Ireland led 3-2 over Europe after Thursday's opening fourballs of the Vivendi Trophy, a matchplay event on the European Tour.

Captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley, Britain and Ireland had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 but Continental Europe hit back each time at the Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club on the outskirts of Paris.

The Vivendi Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy after Seve Ballesteros, was created in 2000. Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won it four consecutive times.

It seems almost like clockwork, that at some point during your week you'll find out that Colin Montgomerie is not happy about something. Maybe it's Sandy Lyle, saying he cheated. It could be a trigger-happy photographer that didn't know of Mrs. Doubtfire's wrath. Or it simply could be a painter that refuses to brush Monty on a canvas because of his man boobs.

What is certain is he does tend to toss shoes around a lot, and his recent Nike discharge flew directly at England's own Ian Poulter, who after missing out on the Tour Championship, decided that he wouldn't be accepting an invitation to the Vivendi Trophy match in Paris (previously called the Seve Cup), and that rubbed the 2010 Ryder Cup captain the wrong way.

Twenty-one-year-old Englishman Chris Wood earned his European Tour card prior to the 2009 season. A few months before, the then-amateur, making his first British Open appearance, tied for fifth at Royal Birkdale.

Twelve months later, Wood is again on the first page of the leaderboard at the Open Championship. And now, following four steady-as-she-goes rounds at Turnberry, Wood is the leader in the clubhouse. After a 3-under final 18 -- the best round of the day by two strokes -- Wood is at 1-under for the week, currently two back of leaders Lee Westwood, Mathew Goggin and Tom Watson.

---

---

Just like we did with Augusta and Bethpage Black we present your Favorites 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 Favorites to win the British? Here are the top five.

Martin Kaymer -- Best Finish: 80 -- He's only 24, but has won four times on the European Tour since January of 2008, including two in a row heading into the British. While his major championship record is slim at this point, you can't discard his results in the short period of time he's been out there. Other than the last guy on this list, he's bringing the best 2009 resume to Turnberry.

I heard Michael Jackson died at approximately 5:30 PM ET. Hours later, I still don't think it's fully hit me. This was the man I idolized growing up as a kid ... I watched Moonwalker about 80 times on VHS (Joe Pesci was the villain). I once furiously outbid someone $159 for a replica Beat It jacket with 13 zippers. I actually have an 8x10 glossy of Billie Jean Michael taped next to my bedroom door.

Everyone -- from celebrities to sports stars to ordinary people -- had their way of trying to feel connected to the King of Pop. In his mere presence, fans have fainted and needed medical attention. So when news broke that Jackson had passed away, the reverberations on social media sites like Twitter were immense. Outspoken wide receiver Chad Ochocinco even went on to tweet "this is just as sad as 9/11" and then tried to play damage control after his offensive comment.

After the jump, read the emotional reactions from current and former athletes.

---

---

Ian Poulter has probably worked himself into the "best player to never win a major" conversation -- particularly after carrying the European Ryder Cup team last fall -- but that doesn't, in general, make him any more tolerable.

Despite his considerable talents, Poulter's whinging can be grating at times. Like, say, this week. Apparently, he is the only person adversely affected by the rainforest-like conditions at Bethpage Black.

Poulter's been using Twitter to bellyache about the course, and he's even got visual proof!

It's one thing to heckle the best player in the world -- Tiger Woods is used to it and it comes with the high profile. It's something entirely different to heckle the world No. 2 a month after learning his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But that's exactly what happened to Phil Mickelson at Bethpage Black Sunday. According to Newsday, one fan called Phil "fat," while another noted, "Time to raise some money, Phil," apparently in reference to the recent news about Amy Mickelson. Classy, I know.

At 10:14 AM ET at Bethpage Black, Tiger Woods was making his way to his third shot in the greenside bunker on the par-4 7th hole. Rain had been pouring down on players all morning, and just before Tiger hit his shot, the USGA sounded the horn to suspend play at the U.S. Open.

---

---