- It was probably inevitable once the overseas-oriented American Express event went the way of the buffalo, but  foreign players are beginning to sound off – quite rightfully – on the America-centric nature of the WGCs.  Surely speaking for a number of his brethren, E Tour Order of Merit leader Lee Westwood opined that “You might as well call them the World Golf Championships of America. They're just like any regular U.S. tour event. It's a good way for getting players to come to the states more regularly. But they're not World Golf Championships."  Indeed, of the 28 WGCs contested to date, only six have taken place off of American soil – and five of those were at the American Express.  The present rotation touches such notable international locales as Tucson, Miami and Akron, Ohio, a circumstance many may find regrettable, but one rooted in three not-insignificant concerns.  First, available sponsorship dollars are much larger in America.  Second, TV ratings are comparably favorable.  And third, if the 2001 WGC Match Play (played in Australia) is any indicator, there is a very real chance that players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (who both declined to travel Down Under) won’t show up for an event played too far abroad.  Of course, a pretty strong argument can be made that the entire WGC concept is largely pointless to begin with.  Its stated goal of bringing together the world’s best is already met at the Majors and the Players Championship – and if anyone feels that the remainder of the schedule lacks sufficient international flavor, just take a look at the number of non-Americans sitting high upon either the PGA Tour’s money list or the Official World Ranking.  This is not to say that events boasting this sort of elite field aren’t interesting (especially when contested at Match Play) but is there anyone outside of Ponte Vedra Beach who actually considers these to be highlights of the golfing calendar?

- How, I wonder, can Ernie Els possibly go out in the first round of the Match Play for the fourth consecutive time?  Aside from being the 4th-ranked player in the world, this is a man who has won the prestigious World Match Play Championship seven – count them, seven – times.  Sure, that event is held in his back yard (literally) at Wentworth, but his recent record of futility at the WGC seems utterly inexplicable.  I was beginning to listen just a little to Ernie’s detractors when he imploded at the Alfred Dunhill back in December, then decided to ignore them when he came back the following week – well off the radar screen – to route the field (with an 18-iunder-par two-day total) at his own invitational event at Fancourt.  But toss in a crushing loss to Tiger in Dubai, the failure to contend two weeks ago at the weak-field Indian Masters and yesterday’s first-round blowout at the hands of Jonathan Byrd and one does find cause to wonder.  The talent certainly remains imposing, but at the moment, that is clearly not enough.

- It was probably too much to hope for, but the widely anticipated prospect of a Bobby Jones bracket final between Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini vanished with Sabbatini’s first-round loss to Welshman Bradley Dredge, however…  Almost equally amusing is the prospect of that same match being contested between Woods and Ian Poulter, whose perhaps-misquoted claims of being Tiger’s only serious competitor drew howls (among other reactions) in Dubai.  Poulter edged Soren Hansen 2 & 1 yesterday and now has to beat K.J. Choi and the winner of the Bradley Dredge-Paul Casey match in order to get an anticipated squareoff  with Tiger.  I wonder what he’ll wear…..