News & Notes

This Pitch Is Grooved

Just when you thought it was safe to watch golf without having to hear about grooves... Tour veteran Steve Flesch believes the rule banning square grooves will be an issue at the Players Championship. The new modified V-grooves reduce spin (and therefore control) on some shots. The new grooves weren't a problem at the Masters, Flesch says, because Augusta National didn't have any rough to speak of. The Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass has a unique combination of bermuda rough and firm, fast bermuda greens.

"The grooves will be a bigger issue at this venue than any other tournament this year," Flesch says. "If the Tour sets up the course like it should, with only intermediate-length rough, you're going to see shots careening like pinballs. And chipping? My God, the ball comes out of bermuda like a Tim Wakefield knuckleball. It won't be fun for us, but it'll be fun to watch."

Walking Taller

Not even a knee replacement can stop Fred Funk, who played in the Zurich only five months after having his right knee replaced. Funk, 53, had planned to enter the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, but his partner, Scott Hoch, couldn't play due to injury. Funk, who missed the cut by two shots in New Orleans, won last year's U.S. Senior Open, but he opted for surgery after his knee got worse in late summer. He says his putting has come around but his ball striking has been poor, and that has hurt his attitude. "The knee is fine," he says. "Now I'm looking for a brain replacement."

Going Places

With its lack of marquee names, the Zurich Classic served as an opportunity for struggling pros to make a move up the money list. Every player who finished in the top 10 improved his position, some dramatically. Here's who made the biggest jumps.

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