JAN

07

Daniel Chopra won the Mercedes Championship last night in prime-time, in a playoff over Steve Stricker (who is looking like the mid-ought's version of Vijay Singh). Chopra becomes the latest winner in a stellar list of champions that few tournaments can claim. Yes, this is partly because the field is open only to those players who won an event in the previous season (Chopra won the Ginn Sur Mer Classic, a post-Fed Ex Cup event, last season) and rarely has more than a field in the low thirties. Naturally, the players that can win tournaments are more likely to be household names. In fact, you have to go back to Mac O' Grady in 1987 before you find a player that wouldn't be recognizable to even the most casual of golf fans. The 32-year old Swede will hope that in the future, people still look to O'Grady for the first run-of-the mill pro (2 wins, 16 unsuccessful Q-school visits) to win the season opener. In other golf news, there isn't any other golf news. It's the first week of the season. That didn't stop Jason Sobel from doing the painstaking work of coming up with a Best of 2008 column, however. Hint: Chopra gets the nod for Player of the Year, and Tiger thinks this year's Major Championship courses are a fit for him.

• The Sports Frog Bracketology Feb 19
• ESPN Golf Lowery exploits Singh's fall at Pebble Feb 11
• The Golf Blog 47 year old Steve Lowery wins ATT over Singh, qualifies for Masters Feb 11
• ESPN Singh's collapse hands Lowery Pebble Beach title Feb 11
• CBS Sportsline Singh collapse opens door for Lowery Feb 11
• Sports By Brooks Natalie Gulbis wants to be on Vijah Singh's bag Feb 10
• NY Times Singh Shares Lead, and Mickelson Misses Cut After an 11 Feb 10
• CBS Sportsline Hart, Singh lead Feb 10