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Nick Faldo is Now a Knight

Tuesday November 10, 2009
Make that Sir Nick Faldo. Faldo was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.

Does this mean that Johnny Miller will now insist on being called "maestro"?

Queen Elizabeth is not the first woman to approach Faldo with a sword. I mean, have you read about his relationship troubles? (Thank you, I'll be here all week.)

Faldo was wistful upon the conclusion of the ceremony, telling the BBC: "I played my first round of golf on my 14th birthday. When I found out in the summer (about the knighthood), my first thought was of riding my bike through the woods to the golf course when I was just starting out."

Aside from being called "Sir," what does being a knight get Faldo? Well, he'll learn the truth behind the DaVinci Code; he gets free fish and chips for life; and he's allowed to drunk dial the Queen at 2 a.m.

Faldo is the second golfer to receive the knighthood in England, the first being Henry Cotton.

PGA Tour Season Wraps Up at Disney

Monday November 9, 2009
And then there was one: Just one tournament remaining in the 2009 PGA Tour season. That tournament is this week's Children's Miracle Network Classic at Disney World Resort.

Just one more chance for those golfers outside the Top 125 on the money list to get inside the Top 125 and secure a full tour card for 2010. And those golfers must be antsy - they've been waiting a while. It's been three weeks since the last event, the Frys.com Open. The Viking Classic two weeks ago was rained out, and last week was a bye week.

The Viking Classic rainout means that Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark both get into the field this week without having to get sponsor exemptions. They both fininshed in the Top 10 at the Frys.com - taking part in a 3-man playoff - which would have gotten them into the field at the Viking Classic. Fowler planned to play the Viking, while Lovemark had to skip it for a Q-School qualifier. Because the Viking was canceled, those automatic entries by virtue of the Top 10s carry over to the Disney.

And both young golfers, with another high finish, have a chance to earn enough money this week to automatically qualify for the 2010 Tour, bypassing Q-School finals. Fowler - with $553,700 in earnings, which gets him close to the Top 125 - has a much better shot than Lovemark, who has $453,872, the equivalent of 147th on the money list.

The bubble boy going into the tournament - the player sitting at No. 125 - is David Duval. And the former No. 1-ranked player needs to play well this week. He's used up all the exemptions he had available to keep his card - one for being in the Top 25 in career earnings two years ago; another for being in the Top 50 in career earnings last year. Duval appeared as if from nowhere to finish second at the U.S. Open in June. Be he made only four cuts prior to that, and has made just one cut since.

Also in the field this week is Haymes Snedeker, who joins his brother Brandt by virtue of winning Big Break X: Michigan; and double-heart transplant recipient Erik Compton, who received a sponsor exemption for the second straight year.

View the field field here; or check the PGA Tour money list to see which players are right around the 125 cutoff point.

Rules FAQ: Golf Ball Stuck in Tree

Monday November 9, 2009
Remember when Nick Faldo climbed up into a tree and played his golf ball, which had become lodged in the branches? Golf balls do occasionally get stuck in trees. It happened a few times during the recent Presidents Cup, in fact.

What's a golfer to do when it happens? That question is part of our Rules FAQ. Read about the options when your ball is up a tree.

Mickelson Outplays Woods, Rallies to Win HSBC

Sunday November 8, 2009
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were in the final group together, Mickelson leading and Woods two strokes behind at the start of the final round of the HSBC Champions.

And at the end of the final round, Mickelson was still on top, but Woods five strokes back. It was Ernie Els, not Woods, who charged at Mickelson on Sunday, even overtaking Phil before Els (playing several groups ahead) found water on the 18th.

Mickelson, meanwhile, rolled in a long par-save on the 16th and birdied the 17th, shooting 69 to finish at 17-under. Els was one back after his final-round 63, followed by Ryan Moore, Rory McIlroy, Nick Watney, and then Tiger and Martin Kaymer at 12-under.

Although this win doesn't count as an official PGA Tour victory for Mickelson, it is his second WGC win of the year. Which is notable for the fact that Mickelson had never won a WGC tournament prior to the 2009 WGC CA Championship at Doral.

Woods and Mickelson both missed short birdie putts on the second hole. But while Mickelson righted himself, Woods never did. Woods found water on the fourth hole, double-bogied, and was never in the mix after that. It's also the fourth time in their last five rounds together that Mickelson has bettered Woods.

Woods plays again this week at the Australian Masters, and will play at least once more in 2009 after that at his own Chevron World Challenge - but we won't see Mickelson again, the AP reports, until the Century Club of San Diego Invitational at the end of January.

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