Notebook: It's a battle for Player of the Year, too

text size

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- We know that a month from now, the FedExCup title will be decided. And depending on who wins, the PGA TOUR Player of the Year award might be on the line too.

Only one of the four major champions -- PGA champion Y.E. Yang -- has another TOUR win in 2009. But any of the four -- which also includes Lucas Glover (U.S. Open), Stewart Cink (The Open Championship) and Angel Cabrera (Masters) -- could conceivably challenge Tiger Woods, a five-time champ this year, with a FedExCup win.

RELATED

Round 1 Tee Times
Approach Shots
Field Study: FedExCup
Expert Picks
Sleeper Picks
Power Rankings

"Playing well at the end of the year in the big events ... can swing votes because usually guys remember what you've done later in the year," Woods said. "There have been guys that have won three or four tournaments, but they were all at the beginning of the year and somebody does it all late in the year, then people remember those."

Yet for Glover, there's only one guy in the driver's seat right now.

"If Tiger wins, I think it makes it obvious," Glover said, acknowledging he hadn't thought much about the prospect either way. "Somebody that won a major wins, it might throw a wrench in some people's minds."

When pressed, Glover elaborated. "... Tiger's won five times, pretty impressive. But a major and then the whole FedExCup, which means you probably won another tournament, you probably played well in Atlanta, like you said, maybe two (other wins). Possibly. I can't say for sure. But you would have to think it would be a possibility, yes."

Glover has something else on his mind right now, though. He dearly wants to make the U.S. Presidents Cup team. He finished one spot shy of the 10 automatic qualifiers after the PGA and now must wait to see who Captain Fred Couples picks on Sept. 8.

Couples has publicly stated that Glover and Hunter Mahan are 80 percent on the team. Glover is taking no chances.

"I just want to play well, like always," Glover said simply. "Like after 2006 when I shot myself in the foot for Ryder Cup, I was just going to play golf for me and not whoever the captain is. That's still the mantra this week and next week. Just get it done." -- Helen Ross

TIGER'S SCHEDULE: Woods said he will avoid playing three consecutive weeks if it means the third week is a major championship.

Woods failed to hold a 54-hold lead in a major for the first time when he lost to Yang at Hazeltine, and admitted he was feeling tired at the end.

"Three weeks is fine, but being in contention just about every day, it puts a toll on you," he said. "And still, I was in position to win the championship on the last day and just didn't get it done."

While there's no official word yet, Woods may be headed for another three-week stretch in the Playoffs before the week off prior to THE TOUR Championship. -- Mike McAllister

STRIKE ONE?: Glover outlasted the rain and a star-studded field that included Tiger Woods to win the U.S. Open two months ago at Bethpage Black.

Glover was "shaking like a dog" Tuesday night, though, when he threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium before New York played the Texas Rangers.

Ah, but did the ball reach home plate on the fly?

"Everybody asked me that," Glover said, feigning surprise. "I'm not going to bounce it in. I was going to throw it in the seats before I bounced it in.

"I threw a nice pitch. Might have been a touch inside for a righty, belt high, I was happy. I practiced on the golf course yesterday with golf balls."

Glover said he went out to the mound where Joba Chamberlain would be pitching before the National Anthem was played. Jorge Posada was the catcher.

"Joba was on the mound, laughing at me," Glover said. "That was one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do."

After he threw out the first pitch, Glover met Yankess manager Joe Giradi and some of the other Yankees. Johnny Damon made it a point to come and say congratulations.

"He's a big golfer obviously," Glover said. "Just, hey, good luck, where are you guys playing, across the river, Liberty (National). It was cool. Everybody was very nice. "

Too bad the Yankees couldn't deliver the win. The Rangers won 10-9, holding off a New York rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. -- Helen Ross

YANG MEETS EX-PREZ: Y.E. Yang, who played with Tiger Woods on Sunday in the final group and won the PGA Championship two weeks ago, has been keeping some pretty interesting company.

The South Korean, who now makes his home in Dallas, went to the TaylorMade headquarters in California last week. Not surprisingly, he got the grand tour. When he reached the production line, the people started chanting "Y.E., Y.E." He was also pulled into a sales meeting and got a similar reaction.

"I felt like a rock star," Yang said.

The fun continued at The Kingdom, which is a golf course adjacent to the TaylorMade offices where Yang met President George W. Bush. The two talked for about 30 minutes and discussed playing golf together. Yang said he would actually be willing to skip a tournament for the opportunity.

"There was translation involved, so it wasn't actually a full 30 minute conversation," Yang recalled. "But in a nutshell, he came up to me very casually, like a next door neighbor, started talking with me.

"He actually had a speech two weeks before that occasion where he went over to Jeju Island, my hometown, and gave a speech. So he talked about that, talked about what a coincidence it was, and he talked about how good friends and buddies that he was with Korea's current president, Mr. Lee, and he talked about Mr. Lee's humble past, etc.

"He introduced myself to a lot of his friends over there, including his golf coach, and took a lot of pictures. He asked me whether it was really nerve wracking to play with Tiger for 18 holes, especially on the 18th hole, and finally on the last, he said it must have been less nerve wracking than his eight years in office." -- Helen Ross

A QUICK BOAT RIDE: Glover is one of many pros staying in Manhattan this week and taking the ferry over to Liberty National. He and his wife honeymooned in New York City and love spending time there.

"I took the boat ride this morning. It was fun," Glover said. "... It's a nice perk to be able to stay over there and have fun and still be able to get here in 15 minutes isn't a bad gig.

He's having dinner with friends in the city on Wednesday night. Glover may not be recognized on the streets of the Big Apple but he certainly feels comfortable there.

"I know my way around a little bit," Glover said. "I wouldn't say I'm a cab driver yet, though."

Phil Mickelson also took the ferry to the course Wednesday.

"To be able to be right by Manhattan is amazing," he said. "Golf has never been this close, and to have a world-class golf course in such great shape to host one of our big events is really neat."

Yang, on the other hand, vaulted into the top 10 for the International Team when he won at Hazeltine. He found out he made the team shortly after he met with the press on that Sunday night and International Captain Greg Norman called several days later.

"During the start of the PGA Championship week, I was thinking about probably playing well, finishing a bit high, and probably get a Captain's Pick," Yang said. "That was just a remote possibility at that time. I thought about it. I wouldn't say I dreamt about, it, but I thought about it, because nothing's impossible, right?

"But, well, I accidentally won the PGA Championship and with that came the work of going up in the international ranks and getting on The Presidents Cup, this roster." -- Helen Ross