In the world rankings, only one American is in the top 7 and that is 40 year old Phil Mickelson. The rest of the top 7 spots are filled by foreign players who are in the twenties for the most part with a couple in the thirties.

Where does that leave the Americans in the Players Championship come Thursday at Ponte Vedra?

Phil played last week and showed some glances of being a threat but faded over the weekend.

Tiger has not played since the Masters and is slightly injured.

Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson appear to be our only hope in this years 5th major, but then again Ricky Fowler is destined to win sooner or later; so why not this weekend?

No matter the challenges from the Europeans, the Americans need to get back to basics and start playing the kind of golf we have been accustomed to seeing.

Phil and Tiger should get back to basics and stop being so mechanical. They can both take a few pages out of Bubba Watson’s book. Hit em and put em. I MAKE THE CALL.

Tiger Woods

At the end of the final round of the Masters at Augusta, no American golfer held any of the major titles. Sad but true.

Until Tiger made a charge on the front nine on Sunday, no American was on the first page of the leader board. Tiger Woods changed that when he shot a sizzling 31 on the front nine. It appeared as if the eye of the Tiger was back. Well, it was short lived.

On the back nine, Tiger left a approximately 4 shots on the course by missing very short putts, the most critical being the missed 4 foot putt for an eagle on 15. On Sunday, it was not his swing, but his putting that took the wind out of his sail. The flat stick was not working for him when he needed it on the back nine.

Overall, he gave us some hope about his game, but still has to convince us that he can close the deal. I MAKE THE CALL.

Jim Storr's Sports round-up

Let’s start with the mens’ basketball where Ohio State stomp Penn State to win back to back big 10 conference titles, while Kentucky was doing it to Florida again.

Meanwhile back in good old North Carolina, Duke was dancing all over the Tar Heels and Kansas was doing a hoe down on Texas.

Tiger finally had a top ten and showed shades of coming back at Doral when he played the back 9 in 4 under, making some pin point iron shots along the way.

The big dance was finally open and Ohio State got the overall number one seed and they will be defending the East Region while Pitt is setting up shop in the South East.

Duke finally gets to leave the comfort of home by going west with its young men and Kansas, who will take it all is seeded close to home in the Southwest.

My early prediction for the Elite 8 features:

• Ohio
• North Carolina
• Xavier
• Kansas
• Louisville
• U-Conn and my two surprises,
• Old Dominion and
• Oakland.

Basketball fans and haters alike, take it to the bank. It is a lock. I MAKE THE CALL.

Tiger Woods

What is Bubba Watson’s putting has to do with Tiger Woods’ practice times? Not one single thing!

Johnnie, I respect you as a golfer and an analyst, but in this one, I have to call it like I see and hear it.

Everyone knows that Tiger is off his game and not playing like we are accustomed to seeing him play. Do you think that the lack of practice or how many events he plays has anything to do with his recent slide?  If you do, then something is wrong with you.

What about the couple of years that you did not win a tournament? Was it about your practice, or was it about your overall game or lack there of?

Lets be real.  Tiger has lost some of his mojo, but he is still playing the same events he has always committed to. His not winning is not because of not playing more, but due to better golfers and the trauma he put himself through for his indiscretions. I don’t think he needs to be chastised anymore for that, but talking about how he practices his game is another matter.

Every golfer in the history of the PGA has had losing seasons. Tiger is no different no matter the reasons.

It happened to Nicklaus, Palmer, Chi Chi, Player and you, just to name a few. Get off your soap  box and analyze the not so obvious. I MAKE THE CALL.

Golfer Camilo Villegas

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only sane person in the golfing world. I am an avid fan, as a matter of fact, I am a rabid fan, but when I see and hear about some penalties being imposed on players for so call infractions, I get annoyed.

For instance, in Hawaii when Villegas tapped down and old spike mark and his ball happened to roll down in the area where he tapped, he was assessed a two shot penalty and consequently signed an incorrect score card which in turn automatically disqualified him from the event. Does this make sense?  Hell no. The violation was called in by a fan and the officials eventually informed Villegas of the infraction.

Should we allow fans to have that much impact on an event. I say no. If one of his playing partners had called it, I would be okay with it. Golf is one of the most honest professional sports. In fact, it is the only sport where players call themselves out when they knowingly violate one of the rules.

Commissioner Finchem, I do think that you and the USGA should get together and review some of these antiquated rules currently on the books. You need to do it soon, or make every fan an official because that is what appears to be happening. I MAKE THE CALL.

The PGA season officially begins to day in Southern California at Torrey Pines. Although it is not the start date, I declare it the official opening just because two of the golfing world’s greatest, will tee off.

Phil and Tiger are playing in the Farmers at Torrey.

Tiger has won the last 4 times he played at Torrey. It is like a given whenever he plays at Torrey that he wins.

Out of the box, who needs this win the most? Is it Phil or Tiger? Just because Phil is about 5 years older than Tiger, I am going out on a limb and say that Phil needs the win more than Tiger. Don’t get me wrong, they both could use a win, but it is more critical for Phil than Tiger.

Who is better prepared for this outing? I think Tiger is, even though he has not played in an event this year and Phil has.

If tiger wins, it is not from his intimidation of the other players as in days gone by, but pure golfing skills. If Phil wins, it is pure determination.

Tiger is the PGA’s biggest draw in any event. He wants to be center stage and if he wants to regain his number one ranking, it is on starting at Torrey Pines today. I MAKE THE CALL.

2010 started out with Tiger Woods leading the sports world in the news and being the headline longer than 911.

Alabama went on to capture the college football championship, followed by New Orleans winning the Superbowl.

Everyone in the hockey world just about gave the Stanely Cup to the Washington Caps, but Chicago had something to say about it and took it from Philadelphia Flyers.

Phil Mickelson the only American to win a major in 2010 won the Masters while Graeme McDowell won the US Open, followed by the South African, Louis Oosthuizen winning the British Open, and Martin Kaymer taking the PGA Championship.

Spain won the World Cup and the San Francisco Giants won the World Series.

Duke won the NCAA Basketball Championship and Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves finally said farewell and rode off into the sunset.

A few coaches were fired and a few new ones were hired. Overall, the year in sports for 2010 was a good one. Stay tuned for bigger and better things in sports in 2011. I MAKE THE CALL.

Tiger Woods

No one on this golfing planet has ever caught up to Tiger Woods when he has 3 shots on the field going into the final day.

Well, on yesterday McDowell made history by catching Tiger Woods who had a 4 shot lead on Sunday.

Mc Dowell shot 69, Tiger shot 73. You do the math. With a 4 stoke lead on the last day of the tournament, Tiger had a triple putt for a bogey, had a double bogey on the par 5 13th. Bam! There goes the lead.

Tiger had three and a half good days of golfing, and appeared to have gotten his mojo back. Not so fast my friend. McDowell over came Tiger’s 4 shot lead and did to Tiger what Tiger normally did to his opponents. Stared him down and won on the first playoff hole by sinking almost the same identical shot of about 20 feet which he had just made in regulation.

Tiger is still a work in progress, but he is showning signs of getting it done. Had he won yesterday, Tiger would have regained his number one world ranking, but now has to wait until 2011. I MAKE THE CALL.

Many are called, only a few are actually chosen.

The word is out that Lee Westwood will dethrone Tiger Woods within the next month according to Tiger’s former coach. Where have I heard that before?

They come and they go, but they leave without that number one ranking. Just ask, Phil, Sergio, Ernie and a host of others. It is easier said than done.

Say what you want to, but you have to back it up and up to this point, no one has done it.

Eventually, Tiger will lose his number one ranking, but he will lose it by not playing, and not by the media saying so.

Get with it, competitions are won on the playing field, and not with a pen or words. In this instance, whoever wants the number one ranking, must take the sticks to the course and use them. I MAKE THE CALL.

In less than 24 hours, the show down between the US and Europe will kickoff at Celtic Manor in Wales.

The Euros are heavily favored to take the cup, and based on paper, I totally agree.

Unfortunately the game is played on a course and not paper. Should the weather change and the rain comes, lookout. We have the long knockers in the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods.

The European Team may have the the lay of the land knowledge, but the US Team certainly has the experience even with 5 rookies in the mix.

There has been much talk about McLlroy going head to head with Tiger. Be careful what you ask for. Tiger might not be up to his old standards, but I will put my money on the Tiger in this one. Sooner or later, Tiger will get over the personal tragedy and come back to form.

The media acts as if Tiger is the only professional athlete who has not won something in a year. Take a look at any of the famous athletes and you will see that each and everyone of them has had an off year including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and a host of others.

I guess when you are accustomed to writing about greatness, it is hard to come down a notch. I MAKE THE CALL.