"I felt comfortable in the standings to take the week off"

Scott Michaux, writing in the Augusta Chronicle on the lure of college football.

Just how enticing is the lure of college football? Consider that one of the legitimate contenders for the PGA Tour's $10 million playoff all but forfeited his chance to win the grand prize by skipping this week's event in Boston to be in Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

Scott Verplank said he had a harder time convincing his wife to let him come to Athens with fellow OSU luxury box owner Tway than he did to take the week off. Standing 15th in golf's new playoffs points system, he was one of the few considered a viable contender to win the overall FedEx Cup and the richest paycheck in sports history. But the Cowboys were playing the No. 13 Dawgs between the hedges.

"I felt comfortable in the standings to take the week off," Verplank said.

Boy, when the PGA Tour adopted its new schedule to avoid conflicts with football season, here's betting the commissioner didn't have this in mind.

But that says something about the attraction of football on a Saturday. It's irresistible to fans and players alike.

Scott had a slightly different rationale earlier in the week.