Sports Getaways for Nov. 9-12

Price leads Champions Tour team to 3-Tour Challenge sweep

Nick Price shot a 7-under 65 to lead the Champions Tour team to two nine-hole tournament victories at the 17h Annual Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge.

Carrying 'Fluff's' bag is more than just heavy lifting

Who's 'Fluff's' caddie? Our man dons a bib and totes Mike 'Fluff' Cowan's bag, and lives to write about it.

Ryder Cup report card: Several Americans make our honor roll

So how did all 24 players at the Ryder Cup do on our grading scale? ESPN.com's Jason Sobel examined the records and tallied the results in his report card.

U.S. takes 5½-2½ lead, its biggest on opening day since 1979

The Americans find themselves in an unusual position: leading the Ryder Cup.

A TALE OF TWO TOURS

The Ryder Cup has become the best of times for Europe, the worst of times for the U.S. Here's why.

Singh convinced himself he's 'the best putter in the world' ... and it worked

The power of positive thinking can go a long way, especially in a sport as mentally draining as golf. So a drastic change in Vijay Singh's outlook made the difference in the big Fijian's runaway victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday, writes ESPN.com's Chad Capellman.

At least one golfer isn't too pleased with new playoff system

Belly up to the bar folks. In this week's edition of the Weekly 18, we've got a virtual smorgasbord of golfing delights to wet your whistle, including a trip to Bizzaro World, a playoff beard plus some memorable quotes from the newly minted U.S. Amateur champion, writes ESPN.com's Jason Sobel.

Stricker takes 3-shot lead over Mahan in Barclays title defense

Steve Stricker is right at home at Ridgewood Country Club -- and the top of The Barclays leaderboard.

Jason Sobel's Barclays blog

As the FedEx Cup playoffs begin this week at the Barclays, Jason Sobel -- our blogger on the scene -- will be tracking all the happenings from Ridgewood Country Club.

Jason Sobel's Barclays blog

As the FedEx Cup playoffs get set to open this week at the Barclays, Jason Sobel -- our blogger on the scene -- will be tracking all the happenings from Ridgewood Country Club.

While better than alternative, PGA Tour playoffs still suffer from identity crisis

Year 2 of the FedEx Cup appears to better than the inaugural campaign. But does it still need tweaking? Bob Harig and Jason Sobel debate the finer points of the PGA Tour's playoffs plus offer a prediction in their weekly e-mail chat, Alternate Shot.

Expect 'rough' times, few birdie chances at Oakland Hills

Looking for lots of birdies at the PGA? Stop right there. The year's final major has the worst field of all the big ones? Wrong again. Jason Sobel will set you straight on a few Myths & Truths from Oakland Hills.

Goosen takes advantage of tamer course, leads at Bridgestone

Retief Goosen, a late arrival and an early starter, took advantage of a Firestone South course that played long and short on his way to a 4-under 66 that gave him a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.

Mickelson searching for first WGC victory

Phil Mickelson doesn't own a money title. He's never been voted player of the year or won the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average. And a WGC title so far has eluded him during a surefire Hall of Fame career. A victory at the Bridgestone Invitational this week would go a long way to rewriting that résumé, writes ESPN.com's Bob Harig.