FanHouse Todd Hamilton

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.

Stricker Wins Again -- Sometimes, being old has its perks. You can get a cheaper breakfast. You occasionally get helped with your groceries. And apparently, you can also still cash in victories on the PGA Tour.

Steve Stricker became the second 40-something to win twice this year on the PGA Tour when he took the John Deere Classic on Sunday, joining Kenny Perry and adding to the seven wins in 2009 by people in their 40s (Angel Cabrera and Phil Mickelson have also won, but are a year shy of the group).

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.

Johnson Delivers Another Playoff Victory -- Before April of 2007, Zach Johnson was a relative nobody in the golf world. He'd won the BellSouth Classic back in 2004, but he hadn't been making noise before he headed to Augusta National last year.

Yet twelve strategic lay-ups and a bunch of well played golf had Johnson wearing his first green jacket. Johnson's 2007 Masters win made us believe that golf isn't just about booming tee shots and big names.

It's moving day at the Masters. Join FanHouse as we document events as they unfold in real time. That's right, it's a little something we like to call a "live blog," old-school style. Fun starts after the jump.

---

---

It didn't quite start off like Thursday for Chad Campbell (right), but how could it? Five birdies on your first five holes doesn't happen very often.

Campbell, the co-leader in the clubhouse after the first round, started Friday with two birdies in his first four holes. Not bad. In fact, thanks to a 10th hole birdie, Campbell got to 11-under for the tournament. But he struggled on his way in, finishing with three bogeys over his next seven holes. Campbell birdied the 18th to finish his second day as the clubhouse leader at 9-under. Chad's birdie on 18 basically ensures the cut will be 1-over for the '09 Masters.

But Campbell isn't the only story of the day so far. Kenny Perry shot a bogey-free round of 67, including a birdie on 18, to tie Campbell at 9-under for the tournament.

Greg Norman would not have been your first prediction for British Open leader, two days in (he'll still be there, assuming K.J. Choi or Ian Poulter don't close out two under). However, you might have at least wagered on him at somewhere between 300 and 500:1, considering that he is a fairly popular name in the history of golf.

Darren Rovell points out that he if he actually holds on and wins this thing, he might go down as the most well backed huge underdog in the history of golf.

Many U.S. books, including those in Vegas, didn't even have Norman on the board. But the active shops in Europe had Norman as high as 300-to-1. It wasn't a bad read by the bookmakers. The guy hasn't played in a major since the British three years ago at St. Andrews. Those odds, for the most part, were slashed in half after Round 1, as the bookmakers don't believe Norman, who was wearing no logos aside from the familiar "Shark" logo on his hat, can keep up this pace.

Rovell picked up the tip from a few friends at sportsbooks and also points out that there have been bigger longshots, although most of them probably didn't carry a ton of money. (John Daly, Ben Curtis, Rich Beem, Todd Hamilton are all names that [don't] stand out in terms of having people bet on them before they won their first major.)

There's still plenty of weekend golf left, and there are still plenty of big, dangerous names lurking around the shark. Besides, he'd only dropped to 50:1 at BoDog before the second round, so if you don't believe, you're not the only one.

When Rocco Mediate sat down in January to map out his 2008 schedule, I'm pretty sure he figured that, barring an asteroid strike, he'd be teeing it up at this week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The 45-year-old five-time PGA Tour winner had a rough 2007, and was in no position to pick and choose the tournament's he'd play.

Ten days ago, Mediate was the 158th in the world rankings, and had to play a qualifier just to get into the U.S. Open. Ninety-one holes later, he's renewed interest in the game in a way Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and every other "threat to Tiger Woods' legacy" never could. Pretty amazing, actually.

But after the unlikeliest of weeks for Mediate, he won't be taking his new-found fame and sunny disposition to the Travelers.

Mediate, 45, whose last appearance at the Cromwell tournament was in 2005, said he was pulling out because he had just finished "a very busy week," tournament spokeswoman Anne Marie McLaughlin said Monday. ...

"He had a great run out there, and hopefully we'll see him here in the future," McLaughlin said Monday.

It's easy to say that Mediate's professional life has changed overnight, but Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton would disagree, I think. Mediate was an established tour player before Torrey Pines, so there's no reason to think he'll suddenly disappear after coming out of nowhere, but he only has five years before "graduating" to the Champions Tour.

For now, though, he's currently the second-most popular player in golf, and definitely No. 1 among the 40-and-over set.

If not for Todd Hamilton, Ben Curtis would probably be the most unlikely major championship winner in a long, long time. Instead, he's mostly remembered as "that guy who wears NFL gear during tournaments" who also has his name on the Claret Jug.

Curtis teed it up at this week's U.S. Open, but missed the cut, finishing 9-over. Before his Torrey Pines adventure, though, he played a less stressful round of golf back in his home state of Ohio against Browns starting quarterback Derek Anderson:

Curtis carded a 66 on [Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon] the 7,127-yard, par-72 Tom Fazio layout, which is ranked 60th on Golf Digest's list of America's 100 greatest courses for 2007-08. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 quarterback shot 78 and said that included a trio of 3-putt bogeys.

The Akron Beacon Journal's Maria Ridenour writes that Tony Romo, who fired a 84 at Torrey Pines last week, has nothing on Anderson's 78. Well, other than the fact that one course was in U.S. Open condition and was playing 500 yards longer. But otherwise, yeah, Tony Romo is golf's version of Brady Quinn.

Curtis and Anderson have been friends since 2006, which help explain his allegiances:

[Curtis, a longtime Browns fan, was asked] whether he was a Quinn or an Anderson guy, he said Anderson. ... ''He was a pro bowler last year,'' Curtis said of Anderson. ''He had a great year; he had maybe one or two suspect games. You can't fault the guy. He played great.''

If it's any consolation, Brady, Curtis thinks you're better than Charlie Frye.

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."