Hard to believe, but the U.S. Open is indeed over. This year’s victor Lucas Glover might as well be Crispin Glover in Back to the Future III. His time has passed. Time to move on to real golf entertainment, or at least a tournament that’s guaranteed not to finish up on a Monday while your at work. I’m talking of course about the American Century Championship, held every summer in Lake Tahoe – the land of gambling, skiing, that horrible Piven movie Smokin’ Aces, and a place where no man’s golf game would ever get delayed an extra day.

Every year about 80 celebs escape to the Lake so that they can put their 40-yard slices power-fades on display to be broadcast on NBC. Over the years, friendships have been forged at this event. Charles Barkley already challenged Alonzo Mourning to see who can get the lower score this year (probably be around 125). This year, TAHOECELEBRITYGOLF.COM has decided to enlist the sports blog intelligentsia to help foster new connections of would-be golf prowess. Take a look at the list below of the 2009 participants and select your Fantasy Pairings (could be a twosome, threesome, or foursome), and send me your quote-unquote rationale. Next Week leading up to the tournament, we’ll post the best and vote.

The winner is going get their fantasy pairing printed as a by-line in the 2010 American Century Program, which is a family publication, so keep it less-than offensive. TahoeCelebrityGolf.com will also send free merchandise to the top entries. To enter, either email me here or post a short entry on your blog and link back here. Readers are free to enter as well!

Voting kicks off next Monday and the winner will be decided during tournament week beginning July 13.

For my personal, yet very ineligible, submission I’m throwing out a threesome that no Country Club manager would ever dare try to put pin a single with: David Wells, Chuck Liddell and Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin on The Office.

These guys could be brothers if you ask me, the kind of brothers that go drink Budweiser in the garage of their parents house for 6 1/2 hours…and then go play a round. You see why I couldn’t have put Alfonso Ribeiro in this group.

Extra favor or consideration may be given to anyone who makes a case for a grouping that features Carlton from Fresh Prince. Check out the list…

1. Marcus Allen (NFL Hall of Fame RB)

2. Ray Allen (Boston Celtics)

3. Anthony Anderson (Law & Order, Barbershop)

4. Derek Anderson (Cleveland Browns)

5. Ronde Barber (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

6. Charles Barkley (Former NBA All-Star)

7. Steve Bartkowski (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

8. Shane Battier (Houston Rockets)

9. Brian Baumgartner (The Office)

10. Tim Brown (Former NFL All-Pro WR)

11. Joe Buck (Announcer)

12. Cris Carter (Former NFL All-Pro WR)

13. Joe Carter (Former MLB All-Star OF)

14. Matt Cassel (Kansas City Chiefs)

15. Chris Chandler (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

16. Vince Coleman (Former MLB All-Star OF)

17. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)

18. Jack Del Rio (NFL Head Coach: Jacksonville Jaguars)

19. Vinny Del Negro (NBA Head Coach: Chicago Bulls)

20. Richard Dent (Former NFL All-Pro LB)

21. Trent Dilfer (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

22. Herm Edwards (Former NFL Head Coach)

23. Trent Edwards (Buffalo Bills)

24. John Elway (NFL Hall of Fame QB)

25. Mike Eruzione (Captain, 1980 US Hockey Captain)

26. Marshall Faulk (Former NFL All-Pro RB)

27. Grant Fuhr (NHL Hall of Fame Goalie)

28. Trent Green (NFL All-Pro QB)

29. Anfernee Hardaway (Former NBA All-Star)

30. Rodney Harrison (NFL All-Pro Safety)

31. AJ Hawk (Green Bay Packers)

32. Dennis Haysbert (24, The Unit, Major League)

33. Todd Heap (Baltimore Ravens)

34. Oliver Hudson (Rules of Engagement)

35. Brett Hull (Former NHL All-Star)

36. Dan Jansen (Olympic Gold Medal Speed Skater)

37. Dale Jarrett (NASCAR Driver)

38. Dick Jauron (NFL Head Coach, Buffalo Bills)

39. Michael Jordan (NBA Legend)

40. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)

41. Pierre Larouche (Former NHL All-Star)

42. Matt Leinart (Arizona Cardinals)

43. Mario Lemieux (NHL Legend)

44. Chuck Liddell (MMA Fighter)

45. Kenny Lofton (Former MLB All-Star)

46. Neil Lomax (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

47. John Lynch (Former NFL All-Pro Safety)

48. Dan Marino (NFL Hall of Fame QB)

49. Tino Martinez (Former MLB All-Star 1B)

50. Chris McDonald (Happy Gilmore)

51. Bruce McGill (Animal House)

52. Jim McMahon (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

53. Bode Miller (World Class Skier)

54. Alonzo Mourning (Former NBA All-Star)

55. Kevin Nealon (SNL)

56. Daniel Negreanu (Professional Poker Player)

57. Terence Newman (NFL All-Pro CB: Dallas Cowboys)

58. Jonathan Ogden (Former All-Pro OL)

59. Paul O’Neill (Former MLB All-Star OF)

60. Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)

61. Digger Phelps (ESPN Analyst, Former Notre Dame Basketball Coach)

62. Wade Phillips (NFL Head Coach: Dallas Cowboys)

63. Maury Povich (Television Host)

64. Dan Quayle (Former U.S Vice President)

65. Dan Quinn (Former NHL Center)

66. Rick Rhoden (Former MLB All-Star Pitcher)

67. Alfonso Ribeiro (Fresh Prince of Bel Air)

68. Jerry Rice (Former NFL All-Pro WR)

69. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)

70. Jeremy Roenick (San Jose Sharks)

71. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

72. Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond)

73. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)

74. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)

75. Mark Rypien (Former All-Pro NFL QB)

76. Bret Saberhagen (Former MLB Pitcher/World Series MVP)

77. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche)

78. Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

79. Mike Schmidt (MLB Hall of Fame 3B)

80. Mike Shanahan (Former NFL Head Coach)

81. Sterling Sharpe (Former NFL All-Pro WR)

82. Emmitt Smith (NFL All-Time Rushing Leader)

83. Ozzie Smith ( MLB Hall of Fame SS)

84. Steve Spurrier (Univ. of South Carolina Football Coach)

85. Darryl Strawberry (Former MLB All-Star OF)

86. Wally Szczerbiak (Cleveland Cavaliers)

87. Lawrence Taylor (NFL Hall of Fame LB)

88. Vinny Testaverde (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

89. Joe Theismann (Former NFL All-Pro QB)

90. Billy Joe Tolliver (Former NFL QB)

91. Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears)

92. Jack Wagner (The Bold and The Beautiful)

93. Antoine Walker (Former NBA All-Star)

94. Wes Welker (New England Patriots)

95. David Wells (Former All-Star Pitcher)

96. Ken Whisenhunt (NFL Head Coach: Arizona Cardinals)

I don’t even know Briny Baird, son of Butch Baird, but what a guy! He won the whole damn Country P.F. Changs!

Yesterday, while a whole lot of you were sitting at work dreaming about P.F. Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps, B.B. was atop the Omni Hotel in San Diego staring down at a make-shift bullseye set-up in right field of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

The task at hand, take ten shots from the 300+ foot elevated tee. If a single one landed in the center of the bullseye, every man and woman alive in America would receive a free P.F. Chang wrap (the kicker: you have to buy a damn entree. RATS!) Additionally, for every bullseye P.F. Chang’s donated $2,000 to the San Diego Navy/ Marine Corps Relief Society ($1,000 and $500 for the outer rings).

Now this was an elevated tee. It sat Monday on the roof of the Omni San Diego Hotel, 34 floors – 340 feet or thereabouts – above L Street, 268 yards to a flag stabbed into Petco Park’s right field turf and surrounded by a large bull’s-eye. Tough hole, but maybe the most picturesque in the history of golf.

Little wind, but always a threat of tricky gusts. No trees. Possible nosebleed. The only rough was the shot itself. Not since Alan Shepard sliced a few on the moon had we seen anything like it. A David Letterman stunt, perhaps. (SignOnSanDiego.com)

Briny put two in the center, and 8 of 10 in the scoring area – raising $17,500, which Chang’s upped to $25 large. Novel charity work by all (we all lost interest in the chicken lettuce wraps after hearing the damn entree kicker).

Go check out the video on SignOnSanDiego.com

Interestingly enough, the LPGA held an all hands on deck over the weekend where the message to the golfers was basically, “Be more like Natalie.”

The LPGA lost five tourneys this year due to sponsors dropping out, and in an effort to curb this behavior officials are looking for the ladies to get out themselves out there and starting shilling. In the ranks of the LPGA, Natalie Gulbis is the poster girl for self-promotion and marketing. From pin-up calendars, to The Apprentice, to Twitter…

and now, The Price is Right!

Way to airmail that putt, Strokie McLuckerson.

Kudos to my man Zachary however – a pillar of restraint. A lot of guys probably would have had Natalie hoisted ten feet in the air, or tried to go for their Bogie-Bacall moment.

Well, dwarfs may be a bit of an exaggeration. But she’d probably throw it back in his face if he drove the lane on her. Those legs look like she might have ups (i.e. I can’t stop looking at those awesome legs).

You know what else I like about Natalie’s Tiger on Sunday get-up in this picture: her really nice, tan legs.

(via TheGolfBlog)

Follow @Natalie_Gulbis on Twitter

The top-3 LPGA stories from the weekend, in reverse order as perceived by me…a dude who watches an average 45 minutes of LPGA action annually, but at the same time, is fascinated by the intermingling of babedom and 300+ yard drives within that sport

3.) Anna Rawsom finishes 12th at the Q-School Qualifiyah! Ensures that 2009 will include Anna Rawsom in the LPGA golf conversation…and the gawking, and the gazing, and the ogling.

2.) Annika Sorenstam closes out an illustrious career with a 7th place finish at the Dubai Ladies’ Masters.

1.) Speaking of the Dubai Ladies’ Masters, this weekend marks the one-year Anniversary of Natalie Gulbis’ dressing up sort of like a Geisha. And now you know where (or who) most of that 45 minutes of LPGA action I claim to have watch stems from. On with the photos (c/o Zimbio)…

(more…)

Unlike this guy, Natalie Gulbis doesn’t have five career hole-in-ones (she has two), but, to borrow a line from the incomparable Mitch Hedberg, she did “hit a guy.”

(via Fandome)

Gulbis showing her vindictive side with that whole, “five bucks if I hit him?” line. Hot.

Champions Tour wins Three-Tour Challenge (Times of the Internet)
TV On The Radio Visit Jay Leno (Stereogum)
BCS Doesn’t Suck For SEC, Big 12 (Moondog Sports)
Falcons thriving after extreme makeover (Fox Sports)
Anthony Kiedis’ rock memoir heading to HBO (via Pop Candy)
You’re With Me, Double-Breasted Suit (Mister Irrelevant)

The 17th Annual Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge golf tournament takes place this weekend in Henderson, NV. It is the only pro golf event that pits players from all three major tours against each other.

The LPGA is going with quite the team of vixens, a power trio consisting of…

Cristie Kerr

Helen Alfredsson

Natalie Gulbis

The other two teams that will be competing against [and distracted by] the ladies include:
Fred Funk, Jay Haas and Nick Price. [the fogies] representing the Champions Tour, and the not as old (but as creepy as they want to be, I’m sure) Stewart Cink, Rocco Mediate and Kenny Perry representing the PGA Tour.

Important to note, on the off-chance that you’re gonna be in Nevada and are interested in checking this out, general admission is free! I know if I was in the greater Henderson area, I’d make time to go watch NG read a putt or two.

The Tournament benefits the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and more info can be found at Wendys3tour.com

Link:
Teams Complete for Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge

I take fashion pretty seriously…especially, when the clothing involved asks that we suspend all notions of practicality. And double especially, when it’s some form of cuckoo [golfing!] lingerie.

Looking to create the online athletic couture unveiling of the season, this was sent my way by UK designer boutique Mio Destino.

The golfing bra is, quote, “the answer for all golf lovers who feel they neglect their lady.”

“So the next time your partner asks if you ‘fancy a tee?’ she won’t be putting the kettle on, oh no! She will be opening her lingerie drawer and whipping out the fun new set from Mio Destino”

The golfing bra is nearing the final stages of development (I’m thinking the dangling golf balls on tassels might get left out of the on-the-course version), and the set is available for £300.

Link:

Mio Destino Golfing Lingerie