Tiger continues to sizzle; Ryder Cup qualifying doesn't

Hot

1. Tiger Woods
In the new Sports Illustrated list of sport's top earners, Woods clocks in at more than $97 million a year. Trailing Tiger, as always, is Phil Mickelson.

2. Corey Pavin
It's not quite Nicklaus at the '86 Masters, but Pavin's win in Milwaukee was remarkable given that he's 46 and 10 years removed from his last victory. Welcome back, Bulldog.

3. Loren Roberts
The Boss of the Moss won his biggest geezer title yet, the Senior British at Turnberry. If I'm Tom Lehman I am seriously considering Roberts for a wild card pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

4. Karrie Webb
With a rousing victory at the glittery Evian Masters, Webb becomes the only woman this year with three wins and moves to No. 3 in the world ranking. Which, at this moment, is two spots too low.

5. Nutty Swedes
Robert Karlsson's victory at the European Players' Championship -- his second Euro tour win in the last two months -- all but clinches his spot on the Ryder Cup team, which could have as many as four Swedes. Jesper Parnevik is going to have to be brought in as an assistant captain just to grind the volcanic sand.

Not

1. The new U.S. Ryder Cup qualifying system
With three tournaments to go, Nos. 7 through 13 in the points race are, in order, J.J. Henry, Zach Johnson, Brett Wetterich, John Rollins, Vaughn Taylor, Jerry Kelly and Lucas Glover. Think they'll be retooling the qualifying criteria yet again for '08?

2. Tom Pernice Jr.
Vijay's henchman was enjoying a PGA tuneup at Medinah when Woods played through on the 605-yard, par-5 14th hole. El Tigre ripped a 4-wood to four feet for an eagle, reminding Pernice exactly who his daddy is.

3. The Scots
Only two Scottish ladies will be in the field of this week's Women's British, and this comes after none of their countrymen made the cut at Hoylake or Turnberry. Maybe the Chinese really did invent golf.

4. Cheeseheads
Jerry Kelly came up short, again, during the final round of the Greater Milwaukee Open, the latest Wisconsin native to fail to win there. At least the 'heads still have the Packers. Uh, on second thought...

5. Alan Shepherd
It has been announced that Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin will attempt to launch a golf ball into orbit around the Earth in September from the International Space Station. If Tyurin's shot comes off as anticipated, the ball will be in orbit for more than three years and travel some 2 billion miles. Just another example of golf technology run amuck.

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