This Week at WorldGolf.com: April 12, 2006

Chase to make the Ryder Cup team about
to create more exciting Sunday battles

Critics say there wasn't enough drama and excitement in Augusta Sunday. That may be true (though I suspect fans of Phil Mickelson found his march up 18 exciting enough). For those who yawned, however, for those searching for some drama and suspense, I give you the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Well, not the team exactly - the standings. With top-10 finishes now weighted more heavily in a Ryder Cup year, and finishes in majors weighted heavier still, the standings saw quite a shakeup with the Masters in the bag.

Whereas the top 10 spots in the standings (which earn an automatic berth on the team) had been dominated by rookies and newbies, some veteran big guns have moved onto Captain Tom Lehman's list. If the September trip to Straffan, Ireland were this coming weekend, Lehman's squad would include Tiger Woods and Mickelson, of course, at spots 1 and 2. But also now David Toms (3rd), Jim Furyk (5th), Davis Love III (6th), 46-year-old Fred Couples (7th) and Scott Verplank (10th). Add to that Young Guns Chad Campbell (4th), Zach Johnson (8th) and Arron Oberholser (9th) and you have a pretty exciting mix of cool-handed vets and Ryder Cup rookies.

The real excitement has just begun, though, because this list can't help but see radical changes as September nears. With each major, Lehman is going to see a new would-be team in place and he'll have to eye those guys just out of range to decide on his 11th and 12th team members. Incidentally, Lehman, who has been coy about the possibility of becoming the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, fell to 13th in the standings after missing the cut at Augusta.

The PGA of America's changes to the selection criteria - giving more credit for top-10 finishes in 2006 than in 2005 - were designed to select a team of golfers at the top of their game right now. The changes are going to have two other effects.

First, just watching the ebb and flow of the standings is a lot of fun. Okay, so it's not like college basketball's Selection Sunday, but it's good water-cooler talk nonetheless.

Second, right up until the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club, you're going to see some guys entering a lot more tournaments than they normally would and fighting like crazy to earn a spot - or to keep theirs.

So yawn all you want about Phil's finish Sunday. But stay tuned. Things are fixin' to get hot.

As always, WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Ireland vs. Scotland as a golf destination:
Packagers say price no longer a factor

Golfers from outside the UK have long looked to Scotland with awe. While that was going on, Ireland was becoming a lower-priced alternative for many traveling golfers. These days, however, one can not look at price as the main reason for making a decision between either of these two golf-rich nations. With Ireland's popularity booming, golfers will now have to find other deciding factors, and for many, that deciding factor is the legendary St. Andrews.

Course Review: Cruden Bay's stellar scenery, flash

Golf for Beginners: Do you play golf to
the extreme? Any animals in your group?

From bobcats to alligators, animals on the course can wreak havoc with a golfer's game. But what happens when they attack? Two men recently found out and Barry and Stacy report about it in their own inimitable way. They also talk about the other ways in which people enjoy golf, from an extreme viewpoint, that is! Their "golf tips" section focuses on putting and building confidence.

Also: A little gloating over picking Lefty to win the Masters

Psst! Painted Desert's great conditions
make it a valuable Las Vegas golf secret

In Las Vegas, your golfing options are almost unlimited, which explains why so many go for the best golf course available. For those looking for the best maintained golf course in Sin City, they need look no farther than Painted Desert Golf Club. An obsessed groundskeeper helps keep the course looking immaculate. And the great conditioning only adds to this sprightly, Jay Moorish layout that should satisfy any golfer's inner needs.

Also: Mesquite's Wolf Creek equals pure jaw-dropping fun