Monday Backspin: A who-dat moment; Sergio's struggles

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Apr. 26, 2010

We all know the story by now. Jason Bohn was a college student at the University of Alabama when he won $1 million in the 1992 Hole-in-One Shootout. He gave up his amateur status and has been collecting a $50,000 annual check ever since.

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Still, at the start of the week few would have expected Bohn, who hadn't won on the PGA TOUR since 2005, to be the one cashing another million-dollar check. Maybe it was fitting, then, that he did so in a city that still hasn't stopped partying from the New Orleans Saints' improbable run to a Super Bowl title.

Sunday, it was Bohn who had his own who-dat celebration, nearly jarring his approach shot for eagle on the 72nd hole to set up a tap-in birdie and two-shot victory.

"I feel like 22 right now," said Bohn, who actually turned 37 on Saturday. "I didn't see all of this coming out of my game. I knew I had some good things going. I thought it might take me a little longer in the summer until I kind of got everything worked out."

Afterward, it was pure joy for Bohn. He admitted to having tears running down his face while putting out on 18. In his post-round interview with CBS, he hugged Peter Kostis in one of those I'm-so-excited moments, then let out a yelp.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Bohn of his walk to the 18th green with caddie Billy Spencer, who has been on Bohn's bag a loyal 13 years. "My body's just tingling, my tears are flying. I'm thinking about my wife, I'm thinking about my kids. I'm just -- there's a lot just jamming in that brain." As for how the win compared to his first one four years ago, there was no comparison.

"Emotionally this one is different," Bohn said. "I've had some injuries the past couple of years. I've had to sit out. I've had some back surgeries. I never knew if I was going to get back it to that level."

At one point in his career, Saints quarterback Drew Brees might have felt the same way, coming off the bench in San Diego before being passed up by the Miami Dolphins in a trade offer. Like Brees, Bohn gave 'Nola another reason to keep the party going.

Stock up
Robert Allenby: The last couple of weeks have been a big turnaround compared to the first handful for Appleby. After missing six of eight cuts to start the year, the Aussie has top-10s in each of his last two starts with five of eight rounds in the 60s. FedExCup rank: 16 (15 last week)
Boo Weekley: Weekley is finally starting to get healthy after fighting back and shoulder problems that plagued him the last year-plus. He's finished in the top 12 in his last two starts, including a tie for 10th in New Orleans. FedExCup rank: 86 (99 last week)
Ernie Els: Back-to-back wins a few weeks before the Masters took its toll on Els, who admitted to being tired at Augusta. After a week off, though, he was back to good form, finishing in a tie for ninth in South Korea. FedExCup rank: 1 (1 last week)
Stock down
Sergio Garcia: The hand injury Garcia is dealing with is clearly an issue, forcing him to mess with his grip and therefore mess up what has already been a troubled swing this season. Garcia doesn't seem to know where the ball is going, either. FedExCup rank: 84 (74 last week)
John Daly: Daly had to withdraw after 12 holes Sunday with what he cited as a hip injury. Daly was 1 over at the time and he hasn't broken 70 in any of his last 10 rounds. On the year, he has just one top-25, a tie for 24th in Puerto Rico. FedExCup rank: 193 (188 last week)
Brandt Snedeker: If you're wondering why you haven't seen Snedeker on TV the last few weekends, it's because he's missed his last three cuts. He's also broken 70 just twice in his last 12 rounds and has just one top-40 since mid February. FedExCup rank: 30 (29 last week)

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. Since 2005, Sergio Garcia has as many wins on the TOUR as Jason Bohn. Crazy, isn't it?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Back to Sergio. He found his club." -- Peter Kostis on the 16th hole during the opening round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Garcia had deposited his club into the edge of the woods after a bad second shot. That should tell you a little something about just how frustrated Garcia is with his game right now.
FACEBOOK COMMENT / TWEET OF THE WEEK
"#TweeOff ends Tuesday night so get in today!! Text "CHOA" to 90999 to donate $5 to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. www.choa.org/tweeoff" -- @stewartcink

Cink is a big proponent of children's charities and as of Monday morning, he had raised just over $70,000. Click on the link above to find out more or make a donation.

To visit the PGA TOUR's Facebook page, click here. To follow the PGA TOUR on Twitter, click here.)

2. Maybe the biggest thing that jumped out at me about Bohn: The fact that he's the best guy on TOUR from over 200 yards out. That's not a stat that carries a ton of weight, but it was pretty important last week, especially on Nos. 15 and 17.

3. Troy Merritt is going to win soon. You don't win 21 times in college, including five in a row at one point, hit the ball as well as he does and not win. Merritt got back to being aggressive last week and it paid off.

4. All I'll say is, you hope Ken Green can get out there as much as possible. He's had a lot of ups and downs in his career -- most of the downs brought on by himself -- but what he's doing right now is pretty amazing and you can't help but root for him.

5. I wonder how many stops the Vince Lombardi trophy has made since the Saints won the Super Bowl? Team owner Tom Benson was toting it around the tournament last week.

6. Steve Stricker withdrew from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a sore clavicle and from reports coming out of Milwaukee, it sounds like he might be out at least a couple of weeks. He's still hopeful for THE PLAYERS Championship, but it could be a game-time decision from the sound of it.

7. From the sound of it, Ian Poulter just played too much basketball, which caused him to withdraw from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week after some fluid had built up in his knee. It was serious enough, though, for him to have an MRI done and to do some rehab.

8. A smart move -- and not a surprising one -- for Tiger Woods to announce his upcoming schedule, which he says the TOUR asked him to do to help with security and other issues. It certainly won't hurt ticket sales, either.

9. Is anyone completely shocked by Lorena Ochoa's decision to retire, or take a leave of absence, or whatever they're actually calling it? Surprising, yes. Shocking no, especially since she's always wanted to start a family. She'll be back, too, on and off the course. Th bigger question is who will fill her shoes.

FROM THE MAILBAG (Click here to submit your question)

If Brian Davis knew that the stick would likely get hit in his backswing during the Verizon Heritage two weeks ago, but he could not move it due to the loose impediment rule, then what were his options? What if he hit it on his downswing? -- Todd McElreath

The e-mails have poured in over this one. I'm sure Davis didn't think he was going to hit anything or else he wouldn't have tried to hit the shot. The only other option he had was to take a drop where his ball crossed the line of the hazard. He considered doing that, and if he had he would have had to chip in to make par, but ultimately he decided it was better to try to get up and down from the hazard.

Brian Davis has renewed my interest in the PGA TOUR. -- George Mallia

You have to love a sport where players call their own penalties, especially compared to, oh I don't know, the NBA playoffs.

Last week's Kodak Challenge hole
HOLE: The par-3, 215-yard 17th at TPC Louisiana
LAST WEEK: Rickie Fowler retained sole possession of the 2010 Kodak Challenge lead, but several players moved up the standings. Charlie Wi jumped into a tie for seventh with a birdie in the final round, while John Senden's birdie in Round 3 helped him move into a tie for second. Click here to tour the Kodak Challenge holes | Current Kodak Challenge standings
The Forward Spin
Tiger. Phil. That's pretty much all you need to know for this week and the Quail Hollow Championship, where Mickelson will play for the first time since winning the Masters and where Woods hopes to right the ship of an errant driver and/or a balky putter. Also in the field is Anthony Kim, though he's playing with a bad thumb and is coming off a trip to South Korea. Though short hitters have won there before, the list of past champions also includes last year's winner Sean O'Hair, Woods, Kim and Vijay Singh. Quail Hollow is a big ballpark, so expect the guys who hit it a long way to do well there.
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