FanHouse Making The Cut

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. Ryo Ishikawa -- The 17-year-old (who will turn 18 on September 17) was named to the Presidents Cup, making the potential for some Tiger vs. Ryo matches all the more possible. Tiger lives for stuff like this, and even though the two were paired together at the British Open, it wasn't the same as match play. Two things will happen with Greg Norman's teenage pick -- either he comes out, shows signs of brilliance and earns a point or two for the International side, or he crashes and burns, and the Japanese media will be all over him.

No matter the outcome, it will be a bonus to see if Ryo comes out with a matching headcover of himself again.

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. Tom Watson -- Golf.com got it right when they printed this open letter to Fred Couples -- pick Watson for the Presidents Cup. Their reasoning is simple. Watson, who will be 60 next month, played golf near Harden Park, site of this year's cup, and obviously showed at Turnberry that he still has game that can go on for days. If you think it's crazy, look at the group Couples has to pick from. Along with that, Watson was 10-4-1 in his Ryder Cup career, third best percentage ever, and would bring an added appeal to a tournament that loses luster to Sir Ryder.

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. Fred Funk -- It was one of the better final rounds in the history of the Senior U.S. Open, but nobody watched because of a certain someone in the accompanying photo (thanks, Woods). It was his second major championship on the Champions Tour and fifth senior win since turning 50 three years ago. Funk is the type of player that could still make the occasional wave on the PGA Tour (made the cut in both the U.S. Open and Players this year), but it seems his focus is going to be with the Champions Tour, which is probably for the best. Maybe more impressive than his final-round 65 that help vault him to a six-shot lead? The fact that he made four bogeys all week at Crooked Stick.

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. Rick Rhoden -- Who said 50-year-old golfers can't win the occasional golf tournament? Rhoden, 56, claimed his eighth (8th!) Lake Tahoe Celebrity Championship last weekend, beating out Dan Quinn and Tony Romo. As Ryan pointed out after the victory, Rhoden has earned more in his "celebrity" golfing than he ever did during a season as a major league baseball player.

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?

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. Ana Ivanovic -- Yep, she plays tennis, but she also is wooing a golf heartthrob away from the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods. Adam Scott, who is to the PGA Tour what Erin Andrews is to sideline reporting, has said he will miss the AT&T to go watch Ivanovic at Wimbledon. The word is they're dating, but nothing has been confirmed. I guess here's hoping Ivanovic makes it long enough so that Scott can sport his Burberry on the hallowed tennis grounds.

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 new weekly ranking feature we call Making the Cut.

5. John Daly's Shorts -- The company is called Loudmouth Golf, but these outfits have been way more about the loud than the golf. In the U.S. Open sectional qualifier, where Daly missed a chance to make it to his first U.S. Open since 2005, his shorts looked more like kitchen aprons and less like golf attire. I believe this was the perfect example of why pants are mandatory on the PGA Tour.

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 new weekly ranking feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Michelle Wie -- Thinking back a year ago, it's almost like Michelle Wie has become a different person. In 2008, at the very tournament she will tee up at on Thursday, Wie forgot to sign her scorecard after rounds of 67-65, landing a disqualification that could be listed as her lowest of lows (which is saying a lot). Now, with a tour card and a fresh outlook, Wie is back at the LPGA State Farm Classic with two top-3 finishes this season and seemingly getting close to her first career victory. Even if she doesn't win, Wie has to be hoping that someone will remind her to put her autograph on the only piece of paper that matters.

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 new weekly ranking feature we call Making the Cut.

5. The Mickelsons -- A week after learning that Amy Mickelson was diagnosed with breast cancer, the golf world has jumped directly behind Phil Mickelson and his family during this tough time. John Daly wore pink pants in honor of Amy. A flurry of support from fellow tour players including Twitter posts has shown that no matter what you think of Phil, everyone understands and respects the man as one of the better family men on tour. He will be missed on the golf course, but he is where he should be right now, and for that he is quickly earning tons of respect from places that it may have been lost over the last few years.

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 new weekly ranking feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Tony Romo -- He might have failed to qualify for the Byron Nelson Championship, but Romo reminded us yet again that he is the best golfing quarterback in the world. Also, he reminded us that even the top tier athletes can utterly choke it on the golf course. Two-over par with three holes to play, Romo could have thrown in a couple of birdies and hoped even par would get into the next stage of qualifying. A triple-bogey followed by closing bogeys was visual evidence that our affection towards golf can change from love to hate quicker than a hook will snap.