While My Head Gently Sleeped

Yes, shocking as it may seem, I did not rise at 4 a.m. to hear more of Bobby Clampett's supreme wit and wisdom. Besides, I have TNT's PR department to capture the highlights.

Clampett: “You know what (the media is) going to do?  They are going to write about Phil Mickelson if he doesn’t do that great this week and say that he over prepared.    What a bunch of hogwash.  The poor guy just can’t win.”

"Poor" would not be a word I associate with Phil.

Clampett on the definition of a “links course:”  “I thought for years that a “links course” meant that the 9th hole didn’t return to the clubhouse, but that has nothing to do with a links course.  It’s the stretch of sandy soil land along the edge of the ocean or the sea that really describes links land, and thus a links course.”

He gets it right, but then Gannon can't resist shoveling some horse puckey on top:

Gannon:  “It links the town to the sea.  You can’t farm on that land…but it’s great for golf.”

It links the town to the sea?!?! Hopefully he was joking.

Oh, and I missed more of Clampett on bunching.

Clampett on the difficulty of the course:  “This golf course lends itself towards “bunching.”  You have to take your medicine on a certain number of holes and birdies are hard to come by.  And the combination of the two leads to bunching on the leaderboard.”

Birdies are hard to come by at Hoylake?

Clampett on Phil Mickelson’s demeanor after completing 10 holes of Round #3 with a score of 75 (+3 over par):  “(Phil Mickelson’s) just about got the demeanor of a guy playing with his buddies in a practice round.  The competitive spirit is just gone.”

Clampett on Tiger Woods’ demeanor as he steps onto the course:  “(Tiger Woods) reminds me of a boxer entering an arena.  That look, all business like, and the stare down.”

Almost poetic. Almost.