Each Wednesday during the golf season, FanHouse will list the top five names in golf and why they're important. Did Barack play 18 with Tiger? Did a certain player do something controversial off the course? Or was just playing golf enough to get the pot stirring? Join us for a weekly feature we call Making the Cut.5. Tom Watson -- Golf.com got it right when they printed this open letter to Fred Couples -- pick Watson for the Presidents Cup. Their reasoning is simple. Watson, who will be 60 next month, played golf near Harden Park, site of this year's cup, and obviously showed at Turnberry that he still has game that can go on for days. If you think it's crazy, look at the group Couples has to pick from. Along with that, Watson was 10-4-1 in his Ryder Cup career, third best percentage ever, and would bring an added appeal to a tournament that loses luster to Sir Ryder.
4. David Letterman -- You can always count on the Late Show bringing a little humor to the golf world after major championships. After Lucas Glover won the U.S. Open, Letterman had him on to deliver the goods. Stewart Cink appeared in New York after he stole the Claret Jug. Now, after Y.E. Yang upset Tiger, Letterman did his own top-10 list on Mr. Woods. Enjoy.
3. Michelle Wie -- The Solheim Cup gets a nice and hearty plus-1 for their approach to Camp Wie -- basically, make it no camp at all. The parents of Michelle, who tend to be a little over-the-top, to say the least, have been told they will not be allowed in the locker room, which might be the best thing possible for Wie. It seems at times that the pressure us in the media put on Michelle is nothing compared to what happens at the family dinners, so maybe this will week, she can go out, stress-free and have some fun for once on the golf course.
2. Tiger Woods -- Ah, Mr. Woods. He's had to endure the "choke chatter," the "can he get to 18 anymore" talk and the fact that this year, 2009, will end without a major title to his name. Forget the fact that Jack Nicklaus went 12 years (in the time from his first major win to his last) total without a major win to Tiger's four (first time since '04), but the missing major will be the talk of the offseason. Next up for Tiger is a mini-run at the FedEx Cup, but the focus will soon turn to August and Augusta, a place Woods has gone winless for four straight years. If he can't pick up a victory at the Masters in 2010, it will tie the longest stretch between major wins (of the same major) in his career.
1. Y.E. Yang -- Mr. Yang caused quite a stir early in the week with his upset of Tiger. Not only has he become a household figure (I just lifted my golf bag in the air for good measure), but Yang now has two wins in '09 and might become the type of golfer that occasionally contends because of his steady game. Will he win another major championship? Who knows, I didn't think Angel Cabrera would add a second to his trophy case, but he has made the world see golf as something different ... something global. Hopefully we get a little more Y.E. in the coming years, and hopefully, one of these days, Yang and Tiger can meet again, and maybe the outcome will be just as dramatic as the first time.
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