Something unusual occurred last weekend as ‘1-iron’ reclined in the barcalounger. Suddenly the world’s premier golf analyst displayed a curiosity in knowing whether Vaughn Taylor could keep his six shot lead taking him into the last round of the Reno-Tahoe Classic rather than view the thrilling end at the Firestone Country Club where Tiger Woods kept Chris Dimarco at a distance with Wood’s clutch par on eighteen. Something happened in Tahoe that made 1-iron ponder, perhaps it was the high Sierra Nevada, or the pleasant Vodka Tonic, or waching Aaron ‘Bads’ Baddeley could overcome a final sighing charge. This year’s edition of the Tahoe provided a super course, a wonderful tournament, an over-average field and great weather. The anticipations of 1-iron is that the tournament will locate a sponsor for the 2006 and assure the golf tournament’s sure return in order that VT can shoot three in a row at the coming venue at the Montreux Country Club. The Reno-Tahoe Classic is getting the grand thumbs up signal from 1-iron this week.

On inspecting the archives of 1-iron you find that he accurately forecasted that Tiger Woods at 2.5 to 1 would take the NEC, and he selected Vaughn Taylor at the NEC with pick twelve. You should read 1-iron’s columns, for as I previously stated there’s a good reason for it.

In reverse, at the NEC there certainly was a reversal of circumstances for Stu Appleby. Although they’ve been advertising it a lot, for any of you who have not seen it, Appleby was evaluated a two stroke penalty because his caddy in error touched a ball which was in motion dropped by Appleby while taking a break. Although the ball had not rolled to the extent of two club lengths which means there is a penalty for the player, namely, Appleby in this instance. Two holes after the event had happened, a rules official noted this and gave Appleby the penalty. For Big Stu this is a hard one to accept, as he was two shots from leading, and the prize cash of $106,000 was what it cost him. Following the incident what was a surprise for 1-iron was his scorn for his caddy. Due to the poor decision Appleby said he wouldn’t be paying Joe Damiano for a week. This is quite hard to believe. Considering that 1-iron assumed the guy to be a decent character prior to this event, this column really reacts negatively to Apple’s behavior. Instead of acting in a childish way he should consider his career and focus on that. The fact is that he should be moaning about that the winner’s group since the Mercedes Classic hasn’t yet been discovered, and that’s fine, outdated talent is being wasted while staring you in the face.

This week dishes up another interesting tale. Although 1-iron doesn’t expect you to know about him, Paul Gow hit the news this week, when he addressed Phil Mickelson’s activities as ‘acting’ in the face of the galleries. He also claimed that Mickelson wouldn’t be fed by Tour players and also described him as haughty. It all sounds awful from 1-iron’s vantage point about where it would feed him like some kind of Australian jargon for ‘wouldn’t get him a bottle of Jacob’s Creek for Christmas’ or something like that. But ‘Gowzer’ Paulie you can take it easy. Let’s be open about it, you haven’t triumphed on the PGA Tour and it seems you never will win there. Your two Nike Tour triumphs is the nearest you’ve got and that doesn’t cut anything. Twenty seven times on Tour and holding two major championships, Mickleson is the right guy to be talking to. However, what’s the reason? It’s simply that I adore the underdog and the ‘Kook File’ is going to file this one. Tell me, is Mickelson pretending? A could chance. It could be that this smiling and grinning is just make-believe. Can most of the public simply ignore it? A good chance. But what’s the point in even going along? There’s no advantage to Gowie to say what he thinks in this case. Vijay should be the one to say it, it would have more impact. Pai Gow Poker we’re not rooting for you.               

The Current Week: Gee whiz, another PGA Tour with the Buick Golf Tournament. Thank you God for bringing us this year Buick for the title sponsor three times. It’s quite incredible, but Tiger Woods the leading pitch-man for Buick this week didn’t journey for the event to Connecticut. This event makes 1-iron feel awful; it used to be known as the Greater Hartford Open, but during a very short time span it has begun to lose a lot of its renown. Since 1952, this tournament has been playing and providing fun for famous champs such as Howard Twitty, Phil Blackmar and Mac O’Grady. Just a joke, in actual fact Pete Jacobsen, Billy Casper, Arnold Palmer, Norman Mickelson, Price and Clink are the best of the champions of the GHO. One of the shortest courses is the TPC of River Highlands and measures just beyond 6,800 yards, but for the players and their patience it still presents quite a challenge. The coming week should be real fun.

1. Billy Mayfair 30/1: With a second at Colonial six top tens this year. Making virtually two million dollars in prizes he has been competing almost every week apart from the PGA tournament. Here he didn’t do too well, but this week he’ll be just great.  

2. Kevin Na 2/1 Field: Have you managed to triumph this year Kevin? Nope, six top 25’s with two Top 10’s and for The Big Na’sy it’s been a splendid year. Following T18 at Reno, he’s coming in nicely, and in CT should be aiming at winning. At the TPC he attained T32 last year.

3. Kevin Sutherland 60/1: He plays so terrifically at this tournament with T9 at the Highlands the previous year. It could be distracting competing with Jason Bohn, but the man known as the Bagels should be well prepared to triumph. In 2003 he got T11, in 2002 he cut, and in 2001 reached T9. He’s continually hunting.

4. Vaughn Taylor 40/1: I prefer Tonic you can keep the Vodka and jointly we’ll earn some money on Vaughn Taylor this week at Buick. Finishing the win at Reno, he’s still hot for this year’s triumph too.  

5. Zach Johnson 12/1: Assuming they repeat the ‘How Stella Got her Groove Back’, then Zach Johnson should also have one about him and his Mojo coming back to him in the 2005 second half. Following a rather dull start this year, ZJ has taken his last three tournaments with T2, T17 and a T9. That’s pretty good. He now enters the Hot GHO.  

6. Bo Van Pelt (40/1): BVP made cuts quite simply in the previous year. However, this year he’s missed quite a large number. At Baltusrol he made a tie for seventeenth, and 1-iron considers he’s coming along in good form. This year has seen three top 10’s and seven top 25’s.

7. Ben Curtis 125/1: Both the 2003 British Open Champion and Kent State University are real proud of him. With thirteen missed cuts he not represented very well this year. You are indeed reading me correctly. Nevertheless, his odds are not going to be too good although he did make the last two. At the Western Open he finished up at third place, so for a long runner follow him closely.     

8. Steve Elkington 40/1: Including the horrible disco shirts he sports, the runner-up at the PGA is revitalizing his tournaments this year. At the moment he’s playing fine with two top 5’s in the last four weeks. Although he hasn’t succeeded much at this tournament, this week his luck should take a turn for the better. 

9. Woody Austin 75/1: Either he’s going to come out tops in the golf tournament or he’ll bash himself several times over the head with his putter. The Vaughn Taylor effect is playing following last week as he’s the defending champion. Although he plays out of Derby, Kansas, not too far from 1-iron’s home town, and with his win at Top 10 at Zurich, and four top 25’s – he’s lining up tours.  

10. Jason Gore 40/1: Although he made his debut this week, several weeks ago the big guy finished his Nationwide Tour to the Big Dance. Let’s hope that this fun jaunt ends up better for him than occurred for Ryan Moore and Spencer Levin. At the US Open, Gore did quite nicely; on the junior circuit he triumphed. Take him into consideration this week, no harm in that.  

11. Jeff Brehaut 75/1: It’s been a great few weeks at this spot with a Buick T6  and an International third, the two fields are excellent. At Reno he missed a cut, but at the moment Brehaut is shining through. At the Highlands the previous year it was an MC. On Tour in Total Driving he is ranked at twenty second.

12. Mathias Gronberg Field 2/1: Please don’t moan when this column writes up Mathias Gronberg once more. Groanie is silently getting in some nice games after finishing on the TOUR money list 132^nd. At Reno he made a finish of T27 and this could lead him this week into CT.    

 13. Darren Clarke 12/1: Now wouldn’t be great singing Big Name in a Little Field.....Big Name in a Little Field and Tommy Boywould have it playing in a tent together with Ben Curtis and Frank Lickliter II. Darren has attained this year five top 10’s. However, the real issue is that he’s coming to his first attempt at Hartford, and it will probably need twelve months of adaptation. It’s easy to see here a missed cut.

14. Lee Westwood 25/1: Take a look at the comments for ‘first Hartford appearance’. On this side of the pond this year there are five top 25’s.

15. Hunter Mahan: Having missed on his previous three cuts he is nevertheless an addition super golf ball striker and ranks in total driving at 29^th. To really shine he has to improve form last year’s T21 and this week is not his.

16. Brad Faxon 40/1: In appreciating his game at the British Open run he certainly is liked by us here. Nevertheless, 1-iron refers to them as they really are and doesn’t predict anything wonderful for him at the TPC this week. At the PGA he missed the Cut and for the tournament that’s no way to enter it.    

17. Frank Lickliter II Field 2/1: With fourteen cuts this year the man from Middletown, Ohio steps into Hartford. Incredible, apart from the item that he’s got an average of approximately a T50 in each cut, which doesn’t come to very much. On Tour in Putting he reached thirty second and this week that looks ok, although it won’t assist him in 104^th in driving precision. This week, keep your distance.