"On Our Mind" Golf Blog by Brandon Underwood

This week one of the deepest fields in all of golf will vie for the richest prize offered in a golf tournament in the United States. They'll also be battling for critical position in the FedEx Cup Standings and for the title in what is often referred to as "Golf's unofficial fifth major."

While the likes of Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott and emerging Anthony Kim take center stage, two men who are notable for their contributions to golf in the Jacksonville area will be celebrating their distinguished careers. 

John Daly is to golf what Mike Tyson is to boxing.

Last week Tyson appeared in a piece by Jeremy Schapp on ESPN's relatively new news magazine show E:60 talking about his past and admitted that his present life is quite boring compared to what he has been through. Tyson continues to be the most relevant figure in boxing despite his limited contributions. Daly does the same for golf and boy has he been keeping our interest lately.

The YouTube video of Daly in all his glory golfing shirtless in jeans and an Arkansas football hat at his Murder Rock Golf Club in Branson, Missouri has become an internet sensation. If it seemed like things couldn't get much better, they did when news surfaced that Roger Clemens had carried on an affair with Daly's ex-wife. He hasn't made a cut in two months but Daly continues to make plenty of news.

Gary Player is recognized as one of the most successful golfers of all-time. He is a member of the exclusive club of men who have captured golf’s grand slam. Lapping the globe and becoming one of the world’s most traveled athletes, Player has become the ultimate ambassador and spokesman for the game that has given him so much. In The Golfer’s Guide to the Meaning of Life, Player shares the lessons he has learned from his life on the links.

The Jumeriah Golf Estates, a development project in Dubai that will feature 13 luxury residential communities accommodating over 1,000 families and will offer four golf courses, will host the inaugural Dubai World Championship on Greg Norman's Earth design.

Earth is joined by Fire, Water and Wind in a lineup that reminds me of the Saturday morning cartoon Captain Planet. Norman is the featured designer or co-designer on three of the four courses. Other architects associated with the project include Pete Dye and Vijay Singh.

The Dubai World Championship is the new finale on the European PGA Tour and will offer an overall purse of $10 million, the richest in all of golf surpassing the $9 million offered at the PGA TOUR's PLAYERS Championship. The event will conclude the European Tour starting in November of 2009.

It has been 104 years since golf has graced the Olympic programme and for industry titans like PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, Billy Payne, who was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to Atlanta in 1996, having their beloved sport included in the games has been as problematic as getting the Olympic torch to Beijing.

Finchem and the PGA TOUR were the last of golf’s major institutions to get on board with the plan because of questions about scheduling conflict and player participation. Now, even moving forward with a united front from golf’s pseudo leadership council, the question remains whether the Olympics will decide to include golf or if the sport should be included. The sport was turned down for the 2012 Olympics in London and a vote is nearing for the 2016 games, which don’t yet have a site.

There are currently 28 sports on the Olympic programme and the International Olympic Committee intends to keep it that way, meaning a sport must be drop so another can be added. 

Do you have trouble placing the ball at a proper position when hitting out of a fairway bunker? Would you like to learn a new technique off the tee? Or are you a beginner looking to learn a proper swing?

Next month you’ll have the chance to pick up a valuable pointer or two from a knowledgeable professional in your area, and it won’t cost you a thing.

In an effort to increase participation and create greater interest in the game of golf, PGA Professionals will be offering free 10-minute lessons throughout the month of May.

One of the nation’s most prominent golf retail stores and one of the game’s most established and trusted equipment manufacturers are joining forces to give golfer’s some great deals on high quality golf products later this week.

Edwin Watts Golf, America’s Golf Club, will be hosting Taylormade Days from April 18-20 at its stores featuring great products at reduced prices.

A variety of Taylormade products will be available including drivers, iron sets, hybrids, fairway woods and wedges.

Tiger Woods needed only to close with a final round of 69 to force a playoff and keep his chances of completing golf’s Grand Slam alive.

In the end, Woods couldn’t catch Trevor Immelman and couldn’t solve the greens at Augusta National.

Immelman led the tournament wire-to-wire after posting three rounds in the 60s over the first three days of competition and then hung on with a gritty 75 in the final round to claim his first green jacket and his first major championship.

Only three players, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo, have been able to successfully defend a championship at the Masters.

Zach Johnson is off to a good start in trying to repeat his unexpected victory from a year ago. While he is intently fixated on defending his title, he has been forced into a defensive posture at times by questions of his success a year ago.