Seems like a different tournament without Wie

Or is it just me? The whole production, the vibe of the event… it all actually seems like a golf tournament instead of a circus with a sideshow.

Without Wie around, we actually got to see some footage of Jesper Parnevik at the John Deere. In fact, had he made that putt for his third birdie in a row, I was going to dub him Jesper Birdienevik. He missed it and birdied the next hole for 3 out of 4, but that didn’t cut my mustard. Three in a row, Jesper. That’s the deal.

Another fresh face is on the scene and we were treated to some coverage of this little cutie:

Philip Francis, the 18 year old amateur out of Scottsdale, AZ. Will he really play for UCLA or will he get the pro bug and bug out?

The kid looked like he was just having a blast out there. He shot 3 over in the first round with what looked like his buddy on the bag. They were all smiles and chit chatting along the way. He nailed a great second shot on 17 to give himself an eagle opportunity and both boys just looked psyched. He missed it and tapped in for birdie and they headed off to 18 as if they were just going out to hook up with some girls at the movies. Very relaxed and carefree. Not that seeing Duffy Waldorf making a run with his fancy golf balls and watching Billy Mayfair actually sink putts with that crazy stroke wasn’t interesting, but the addition of this Francis kid really brightened things up. He’s T129 and probably has to shoot under par today to make the cut. I’ll be rooting for him.

I was going to switch over to the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic today and watch the women play, but here on the west coast, it’s on at the same time as the John Deere. I have old school Tivos so I can only record one thing at a time. So today, both Tivos will be rolling so I can root for the kid as I bloop-bloop my way through the coverage and still not miss the women’s event.

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