Denying rumors, answering critics and much more

	Does Shipnuck have a man-crush on Tiger or Phil ... or both? Andrew Redington/Getty Images
	MAILBAG Alan Shipnuck will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

The great thing about Honda Classic week is that there is never anything meaningful to ruminate on, allowing me to do some long-overdue housekeeping of my inbox. Sifting through weeks' worth of e-mails, I was overcome by the outpouring of love from so many readers. Scott Gamache of Boca Raton, Fla, sent this valentine: "No question, just a statement: you are full of sh--." Hey, Scott, back atcha!

In reference to my bold Match Play Championship predictions, Mike Moya of Lafayette, Ind., writes, "You forgot to add your bracket picks under the 'Not' heading ... Whew, stinky."

Thankfully, there was some substantive discourse among all the mean-spirited drivel. Roman of Washington, D.C., sent me a 650-word opus comparing the careers of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, ending with this perky salutation: "Anyway, just food for thought!" Dude, that's more food for thought than even Tim Herron could handle.

In reference to my recent question as to whether Trevor Immelman is now the best South African golfer, Toledo, Ohio's Mark Barnes writes, "Uh, until Trevor Immelman wins about 50 more times, Ernie Els is the best player from South Africa. Alan, are you drunk? C'mon."

Here's the thing: Els is the best player emeritus, but he hasn't cracked an egg in about two years. Who's more likely to win this week, or next, or the week after that? I say Immelman. Patrolling the intimate range at the Match Play, Immelman's ball-striking sounded sweeter than anybody else's.

Peter Hall of Newtown, Pa., took issue with my recent jab at the Americans' weak showing at the Match Play, writing, "Mr. Shipnuck," -- let's pause for a moment to appreciate this rare showing of decorum -- "All of the Who's Hot columns by you and your colleagues are, by definition, pretty stupid." -- OK, so much for decorum -- "I understand you need something to write about and you're bored, and that's fine. But I actually got curious about this one when you said that American golf is not hot. I checked the latest world rankings, and did you know that of the top 25 players, 32 percent are American, and the top three are American? I may be a dope, but that doesn't suck. Are they less than stellar in match play? Sure, but does anyone really care? It's a gimmick tournament. When the tour starts playing match play events every week, then talk to me. I mean, would I like to see more Americans in the top 25? Sure, but 32 percent is pretty good against the rest of the planet. And we both know, for better or worse, it's all about the majors. Thanks for your time."

Senior writer Alan Shipnuck has covered golf for Sports Illustrated since 1994 and frequently contributes to SI.com.