StephenAmes Posts -- FanHouse

Posted: Apr 23rd 2009 6:20PM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: PGA

Before Phil Mickelson broke through at the 2004 Masters, Lefty held the ultimate "kissing your sister" title. Phil was the "best player to never have won a major championship." Sure, Phil had made waves in majors, nearly taking the title at the 1999 U.S. Open and the 2001 PGA Championship, but he couldn't break through. Once the infamous birdie leap occurred at Augusta National in '04, Mickelson passed that title off to someone. The thing is, nobody has really grabbed it as feverishly as Phil did. He was the major-less face. Now, according to Forbes, it isn't Sergio Garcia.

FanHouse U.S. Open Media Guide

Posted: Jun 9th 2008 2:52PM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Golf, PGA

The U.S. Open starts today, and because it's a major championship and none of the scribes here at FanHouse made the field, we are presenting a full report on every player in the field. From Michael Allen to Tiger Woods, and every potential Angel Cabrera that will have his name called Thursday morning, here is what we offer. This list gives you the player, their best finish in a U.S. Open and something interesting about them, anything from the way they play major championship golf to them throwing the deuces in their Facebook page. You know, hard hitting journalism. We will present them alphabetically, 10 excited golfers at a time.

For the complete list of players, check out the other pages:
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

Here it is, your FanHouse Media Guide.

Michael Allen -- t-12 -- The definitive golf journeyman, Allen has had success a total of once at the U.S. Open, coming in 2001. He's never won on the PGA Tour, so I'm heading out on a limb and not taking him as my early favorite. Also, he'd be only the second "Michael" to ever win this tournament (Campbell) and the first with the last name Allen.
Robert Allenby -- T-7 -- The 36-year-old has never finished in the top-five of a major and hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2001, so maybe not the safest bet, but if the U.S. Open is ever hosted in, say Australia, look out (12 pro victories in his home country).
Stuart Appleby (above) -- t-10 -- You couldn't name this major as one of his favorites. Since his t-10 in 1998, the Australian has only made two cuts.
Stephen Ames -- t-9 -- Maybe not somebody that would come up in early "potential winner" conversation, but two top-10s in the last four years show he can play in the toughest conditions. Also, he's from Trinidad and Tobago, which, for some reason, makes me like him more.
Phillip Archer -- t-48 -- Archer is from England. He almost shot a 59 in the Celtic Manor Wales Open but missed the birdie putt on 18. That's about all Al Gore has provided us about Archer on the world wide web.
Woody Austin -- t-23 -- They say majors expose your weaknesses, and with a spotty short game, it's done just that. Interesting fact -- Austin was Rookie of the Year on tour the year before Tiger, even though he's 12 years older.
Eric Axley -- CUT -- This is the fifth straight U.S. Open Axley has qualified for, but he hasn't made the cut in a single one. USGA – 4, Axley – 0.
Aaron Baddeley -- t-13 -- The good news? Badds has been in contention at an Open, leading at Oakmont in 2007 after the first three rounds. The bad news? He shot 80 in the last round to finish in a tie for 13^th
Craig Barlow -- t-26 -- I'll allow the articulate genius of Wikipedia to take over this one for me. "In 2006, he was partnered with golfing legend Jeff Sluman for the final round of the U.S. Open. On the par-4 18th hole, as Barlow was about to tee off, a cart rode by on a path running parallel to the hole. Sluman motioned to the cart driver to halt driving as a courtesy to Barlow, who might have been distracted had the cart continued." Wow, now that is deep stuff. Sucks for the author of that paragraph because I now have the premise for my Oscar winning sports screenplay.
Rich Beem -- CUT -- Yikes, Beemer is 0-6 in making the cut at the U.S. Open. That will never stop him from getting really excited around his birthday.

Latest Golf Photos

** FILE ** In this April 26, 2008 file photo, Brad Bryant watches his teammate Lonnie Nielsen, not shown, line up a putt during the second round of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton, File)

** FILE ** In this April 5, 2007 file photo, Bart Bryant hits to the first green in the first round of the 2007 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Morry Gash., File)

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Jee Young Lee of South Korea plays her third shot at the 11th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Maria Hjorth of Sweden hits her second shot at the 18th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Maria Hjorth of Sweden prepares to play her third shot as Annika Sorenstam of Sweden finishes repairung her divot during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Annika Sorenstam of Sweden hits her third shot at the 11th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Annika Sorenstam of Sweden hits her second shot at the 11th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Lorena Ochoa of Mexico misses for birdie at the 15th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Lorena Ochoa of Mexico watches her second shot to the 18th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - JUNE 08: Yani Tseng of Taiwan hits her second shot at the 13th hole during the final round of the 2008 McDonald's LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock Golf Course, on June 8, 2008 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

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Mickelson and Colonial Almost Rhyme

Posted: May 25th 2008 10:55AM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Golf, PGA

If you don't know a lot about golf, a tournament like Colonial might pass as a buffer tournament, similar to a peppermint bowl at a nice steak restaurant.

Phil Mickelson has a chance to become relevant again today, regaining his golfer street cred by winning an elite golf tournament on an elite golf course weeks before the U.S. Open that now has name written all over it.

Lefty is a shot ahead of guys like Rod Pampling and Stephen Ames, golfers that have shown promise but are Top Flites to the Mickelson Pro-V.

Phil needs this. Hell, golf needs this. If Mickelson can take the victory today at Fort Worth the conversation about him winning a U.S. Open will sure erupt and that couldn't do anything but help the PGA Tour that banks on guys competing against Tiger Woods. Honestly, what is better news - Tiger loses the U.S. Open because his knee hurts or because Mickelson toppled him like a landslide? Phil needs a hand-wash after the '06 Winged Foot Experience.

Golfer not in the top 5 that could win - Lucas Glover

Tiger Wins PGA Championship, 13th Major; Jack's Lead Cut to Five

Posted: Aug 12th 2007 6:59PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Golf

Stephen Ames (loved him in Zapped!, by the way) didn't provide Tiger Woods much competition during the final round of the PGA Championship, but 43-year-old Woody Austin and three-time major winner Ernie Els certainly did.

Both players went on birdie binges during the middle of the round, Austin pulled to within a stroke of Woods -- Els got as close as two -- but that's as close as it got. Els bogeyed No. 16, and Austin couldn't convert some late birdie opportunities.

Interestingly, Tiger's 13th major seemed a formality after a birdie on the 8th. But Eldrick looked like he tweaked his left knee after an uncharacteristic fist pump (see the action shots after the jump) -- he hasn't really executed a full fist pump in some time, and instead, usually goes with the half-hearted wave to the gallery as he retrieves his ball out of the cup (or an awkward high-five with caddy Stevie Williams).