Time will tell, but last week's triumph at the Bob Hope Classic might have done more than crown Jhonattan Vegas a sports hero in his native Venezuela. It has a chance to save the sport in his homeland.
Venezuela is home to just seven golf courses — half the number that existed in 2006 before President Hugo Chavez added golf to his campaign to seize private assets.
Now, though, Vegas has given Venezuelans a champion.
On Tuesday, Chavez took steps to tone down his venture.
"I'm not an enemy of golf," he said in a televised speech, explaining that land on Caracas-area golf courses could be used better for public housing.
"It's good that he acknowledged it," Vegas said before a practice round at this week's Torrey Pines stop.
Asked whether any courses will be saved, though, Vegas shrugged his shoulders.
"You know what, he's the president," the golfer said. "He does whatever he feels like."
Poking the Tiger: Now that Tiger Woods occasionally pops up on Twitter, Ian Poulter is trying to cajole him into joining the banter that goes back and forth between several European pros.
Woods has yet to take the bait, but give Poulter points for trying.
While Woods answered a handful of questions from fans — he picks the Steelers, by the way — Poulter was questioning whether the former No. 1 player writes his own tweets.
"Everybody ask Tiger to post a picture of himself now so we know it's him doing it," Poulter urged.
Lee Westwood even sent up a question asking Woods if he had dyed his hair and signed a contract with Poulter's clothing line. Again, no response.
Tap-ins: Vijay Singh has fallen to 105th in the world rankings, marking the first time in 21 years that he has been outside the top 100. To put that in perspective, the Berlin Wall fell just 10 days before Singh moved up to No. 91 on Nov. 19, 1989. …
The Scottish Open is switching to a links look, selecting Castle Stuart GL as its new home. The event had been played at Loch Lomond, a parkland course that was ill-fitting as a British Open tuneup. … Laurel Hill GC in Lorton, Va., is the choice to host the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
— Jeff Shain