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Colonial TV ratings jump in 2008

CBS television ratings for weekend rounds of the 2008 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial jumped markedly from last year's comparable telecasts, tournament director Peter Ripa said today.

Ripa said the final numbers he received from CBS officials showed Colonial with a 1.4 national rating for its Saturday telecast and a 1.8 rating on Sunday, when Phil Mickelson wrapped up the title with a dramatic birdie on the final hole. The figures represent increases of 27 percent (Saturday round) and 20 percent (Sunday round) from 2007 figures, when the Colonial tournament battled weeklong rains. The conclusion of the rain-delayed 2007 tournament was aired on The Golf Channel because the telecast ran past CBS' allotted TV window.

Colonial's 2008 weekend telecasts fared even better in Dallas-Fort Worth, where ratings were 2.2 for the Saturday telecast and 2.8 for Sunday.

On another Colonial front: Ripa said officials have learned they will host a meeting of the PGA Tour's Tournament Advisory Council (TAC) during the week of their 2009 event. The TAC meeting, considered an industry coup for the host site, will be May 25-28, 2009. Competition dates for the 2009 Colonial will be May 28-31.

_ Jimmy Burch

U.S. Open hopefuls with local ties

Lots of golfers with Tarrant County connections will learn Monday if they have played their way into the field for the 2008 U.S. Open.

The USGA has established Monday, June 2 as the date for most of its 36-hole sectional qualifiers that will offer spots into the 156-player field for the U.S. Open (June 12-15) at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.

Most players who compete on the PGA Tour will take part in a Monday qualifier in either Columbus, Ohio or Cordova, Tenn. Competitors on the Nationwide Tour, with rare exception, will try to qualify Monday in Lake Forest, Ill. But there are other qualifiers around the country, including one on Monday in Richmond, Tex. (suburban Houston) that will draw golfers with local connections.

Below is a breakdown of where golfers with local ties are headed Monday to try and play their way into the U.S. Open field. Listed is the qualifying site and players with local connections who appear on USGA entry lists:

COLUMBUS, OHIO (main qualifier): Colby Beckstrom, Ben Crane, Chad Campbell, Jason Day, Martin Flores, J.J. Henry, Tag Ridings. Colonial runner-up Rod Pampling, a Flower Mound resident, and rising tour star Anthony Kim, a Dallas resident, also are at this qualifier.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (site No. 2): Jim Bob Jackson, Adam Rubinson.

CORDOVA, TENN.: D.J. Brigman, Clark Dennis, Stuart Deane, Brandt Jobe, Justin Leonard, Ryan Palmer.

LAKE FOREST, ILL.: Hunter Haas, Colt Knost, Kelly Grunewald, Ian Leggatt, Paul Stankowski.

RICHMOND, TEX.: Kelly Kraft, Jace More, Zack Reeves.

_ Jimmy Burch

Was 2008 the best Colonial ever?

Typically, I shy away from "best-ever" proclamations, or mere suggestions, when it comes to athletes, teams and sporting events.

The exception comes when something extraordinary happens to make the athlete/team/event resonate beyond its normal realm. The 2008 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a great example.

Not only did Phil Mickelson, the No. 2 player in the world golf rankings, win the event. He did so with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole set up by a recovery shot that has been dubbed the "Mickelson miracle" -- a 141-yard approach from amid trees in the deep left rough. The shot stayed under one tree, flew over another and cut around a scoreboard to set up a 9-foot birdie putt that provided a one-stroke victory. Mickelson, 37, ranked his recovery shot among the "top 5" he's hit in a career destined for the Hall of Fame.

By winning, Mickelson -- who became the 54-hole leader on the strength of a dramatic, 18th hole birdie to cap his third round -- became the highest-ranked Colonial champion since the world golf rankings made their debut in 1986. But did his victory mark the best of 62 Colonials played in Fort Worth?

That's the question. And I'd love to hear YOUR answers.

We're seeking feedback for best-ever Colonial tournament. In my mind, that requires a memorable winner, a compelling storyline and lots of buzz throughout tournament week. To get the discussion started, we'll throw out a handful of possibilities. Please feel free to comment on which one you consider most deserving, or add your own. My quickie list:

2008: Mickelson wins in dramatic fashion, becoming the highest-ranked Colonial winner (No. 2 in world rankings at time of the tournament).

2003: Kenny Perry wins the Colonial that included competitor Annika Sorenstam. The event set a tournament record for ticket sales. Perry matched the course record (61) during the third round.

1998: Tom Watson, a Hall of Famer, gets the final PGA Tour victory of his career by holding off another elite player (Jim Furyk) with a closing 65 to win by two strokes.

1997: Tiger Woods plays in the final group on Sunday in his lone Colonial appearance but is reeled in by Dallas resident David Frost, whose closing 67 gets the job done. This one included lots of buzz and lots of tickets sold (a record until broken in 2003).

1994: Nick Price, the No. 3 player in the world golf rankings, erases a seven-stroke deficit in the final round to defeat Scott Simpson in a playoff. Hale Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champ, finishes a stroke out of the playoff in a three-way, final-round battle.

1982: Jack Nicklaus wins his lone Colonial title, reeling in 54-hole leader Andy North by three strokes with a closing 67.

1962: Arnold Palmer wins his lone Colonial title, defeating Johnny Pott in an 18-hole playoff. Palmer makes the playoff because Bruce Crampton takes watery double-bogeys at No. 18 to conclude both his Saturday and Sunday rounds, forever dubbing the pond beside the 18th green as "Crampton's Lake." Crampton finished a stroke out of the playoff.

1959: Fort Worth golf legend Ben Hogan wins his fifth and final Colonial title by defeating Fred Hawkins in a playoff. It is the last PGA Tour victory for Hogan, 46.

1946: Fort Worth golf legend Ben Hogan wins the inaugural Colonial in dramatic fashion. His closing 65 sets a course record that would stand for 24 years. He needed it to post a one-stroke victory over Harry Todd.

There are nine possibilities. Perhaps you have one that is better. Please let us know by leaving a comment to vote on your favorite.

_ Jimmy Burch   

Sunday's tee times at Colonial

Here is a look at Sunday's final round tee times at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial:

7:46 a.m. _ Brett Wetterich

7:50 a.m. _ Bo Van Pelt, Chez Reavie

7:58 a.m. _ Steve Elkington, Olin Browne

8:06 a.m. _ Arron Oberholser, Nick O'Hern

8:14 a.m. _ Kevin Na, Rocco Mediate

8:22 a.m. _ Anthony Kim, Carl Pettersson

8:30 a.m. _ Justin Leonard, Bubba Watson

8:38 a.m. _ Nathan Green, Ryan Moore

8:46 a.m. _ Jason Bohn, Kenny Perry

8:54 a.m. _ John Merrick, Brian Davis

9:02 a.m. _ Jon Mills, Parker McLachlin

9:10 a.m. _ Steve Marino, Tag Ridings

9:19 a.m. _ Billy Mayfair, Ryan Palmer

9:28 a.m. _ Glen Day, Nicholas Thompson

9:37 a.m. _ Kevin Stadler, Mathew Goggin

9:46 a.m. _ Joe Ogilvie, Heath Slocum

9:55 a.m. _ Steve Lowery, Patrick Sheehan

10:04 a.m. _ James Driscoll, Richard Johnson

10:13 a.m. _ Tim Herron, George McNeill

10:22 a.m. _ Daniel Chopra, Charlie Wi

10:31 a.m. _ Johnson Wagner, Sean O'Hair

10:40 a.m. _ Pat Perez, Ian Poulter

10:49 a.m. _ David Toms, Ben Curtis

10:58 a.m. _ Jose Coceres, Dean Wilson

11:07 a.m. _ Robert Garrigus, Bart Bryant

11:16 a.m. _ Brett Quigley, Alex Cejka

11:25 a.m. _ Chris DiMarco, Mike Weir

11:35 a.m. _ Vaughn Taylor, Matt Kuchar

11:45 a.m. _ Mark Brooks, Brian Bateman

11:55 a.m. _ Corey Pavin, Geoff Ogilvy

12:05 p.m. _ Tommy Armour III, Mark Wilson

12:15 p.m. _ Paul Goydos, Briny Baird

12:25 p.m. _ Jerry Kelly, Jeff Quinney

12:35 p.m. _ Brian Gay, Lucas Glover

12:45 p.m. _ Ben Crane, Kevin Sutherland

12:55 p.m. _ Stephen Ames, Tim Clark

1:05 p.m. _ Phil Mickelson, Rod Pampling

_ Jimmy Burch

Mickelson beside himself after round

Phil Mickelson greeted one of his lookalikes from the Crowne Plaza commercials, Dave Coonan, in the Colonial media room after finishing his post-round interview Saturday.

"Hey, buddy," Mickelson said before posing for photos with Coonan and his wife, Molly, who are attending the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and rooting for Mickelson to capture his second plaid jacket.

Mickelson stands well positioned to do exactly that. The 2000 Colonial champ buried an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to move to 12-under, one stroke ahead of his closest pursuers after 54 holes.

Mickelson will be paired with Flower Mound resident Rod Pamplin (11-under) at 1:05 p.m. in Sunday's final round. Stephen Ames (11-under) will play in the 12:55 p.m. group with Tim Clark (9-under).

_ Jimmy Burch

Mickelson gains share of lead

Phil Mickelson just bagged his second consecutive birdie, a 6-footer at No. 15, to regain a share of the third-round lead at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Mickelson moved to 11-under, joining Stephen Ames (two holes remaining) and Rod Pampling (round completed) for a share of the lead. Pampling posted a third-round 63, matching the lowest score of tournament week.

_ Jimmy Burch

Ames takes lead, Pampling answers

Within moments after Stephen Ames rolled home a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 16 to take a one-stroke lead, Rod Pampling answered with a closing birdie at No. 18 to post 11-under and become a co-leader.

Pampling finished with a third-round 63, matching the lowest round of tournament week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Ames, also at 11-under, has two holes remaining in today's round. Phil Mickelson, the second-round leader, is at 10-under with four holes to play.

_ Jimmy Burch 

Leonard's meltdown

Justin Leonard was truckin' along at 4-under for the day during this morning's third round, but get a load of where his ball at the par-3 16th hole ended up.

Is this a bad lie?

Suffice to say, Leonard ended up with triple bogey here after his tee shot flew FAR right, off a flower bed retaining wall and into an area used by service personnel.

It then rolled down a cement path bordered on either side by another  retaining wall, coming to rest under a gutter spout attached to Colonial's club house.

Leonard (1-under for the tournament) didn't know the ball was unplayable until walking up to the green. He returned to the tee area and hit again, this time into the gallery behind the green. He needed two chips to get on and a one-putt for bogey six.

Even more priceless was Leonard's reaction to the intial tee shot. Credit our uber-photog Sharon Steinman for these super images.

--Troy Phillips

Hot starts in third round

Mike Weir and Brett Quigley have made early charges during today's third round at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Weir has birdied five of his first eight holes to reach 5-under par. He stands two strokes behind leader Phil Mickelson, who will not begin his round until 12:57 p.m.

Quigly also is at 5-under but had a more dramatic start to get there. He went eagle, birdie, birdie on his first three holes to reach 5-under. He remains at 5-under through six holes in today's round.

_ Jimmy Burch

Power golf at Colonial

Colonial has a reputation for being a course that limits the potential for power players to excel because the course is short, by today's PGA Tour standards, and has lots of dogleg fairways.

But the stats from the first two rounds of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial do not back up that premise. Through the first two rounds, the PGA Tour's Shotlink system has measured 984 drives of 303 yards or longer at Colonial. Below is a look at the top 15, all of which covered at least 360 yards:

1. Bubba Watson, 394 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

2. Phil Mickelson, 382 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

3. Phil Mickelson, 376 yards (Hole 7, round 1)

4. Jason Day, 374 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

5. Bubba Watson, 370 yards (Hole 11, round 2)

6. Anthony Kim, 369 yards (Hole 7, round 1)

7. Bubba Watson, 369 yards (Hole 2, round 1)

8. Bubba Watson, 367 yards (Hole 2, round 2)

9. Steve Lowery, 367 yards (Hole 7, round 1)

10. Brett Wetterich, 367 yards (Hole 11, round 1)

11. Jason Gore, 366 yards (Hole 11, round 1)

12. Anthony Kim, 363 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

13. Daniel Chopra, 363 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

14. Jamie Lovemark, 363 yards (Hole 2, round 1)

15. Nicholas Thompson, 360 yards (Hole 7, round 2)

_ Jimmy Burch