This week in golf started off as being all about Tiger Woods but he ended up dropping out of contention in a hurry but coming into the final round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, 19 year old rising star from Japan Ryo Ishikawa is just one stroke behind the leader.

Why should the casual fan or even someone who doesn't like golf care? Earlier this year Ishikawa announced that he would be donating all of his prize money from 2011 to help relief efforts in Japan in the aftermath of the Tsunami from earlier this year. According to ESPN he has earned $247,636 so far on the PGA Tour this season. He is not a member of the PGA Tour and a win here would also help him earn a spot there. The winner here will get $1.4 million which will obviously go a long way towards helping relief efforts in Japan. A win here for Ishikawa would also make him the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since 1911.

By the way, Rory McIlroy is also in contention here.

The countdown is on for the coronation of Rory McIlroy. NBC goes on the air at 1:30 PM Eastern but McIlroy won't tee off until 3:20 PM. There is rain in the forecast but hopefully it stays away. 

I didn't get to watch his round live yesterday but caught up late night courtesy of the DVR. There is no way McIlroy blows this. This is not the same situation as the Masters. Yes, he had a four shot lead going into the final round there but that lead was gone by the time he was on the 2nd hole because Charl Schwartzel was shooting lights out. The lead is just too big here. He showed yesterday (I believe it was the 3rd hoel) that he would play it safe when need be when he just chipped out to the fairway.

There is already talk of him being the one to potentially chase down Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors. Padraig Harrington mentioned it this week too and McIlroy was asked about it yesterday. McIlroy's response? 

"Oh, Paddy, Paddy, Paddy,I'm still looking for my first one. That's all I can say. I'm looking for my first one. I've put myself in a great position to do that (Sunday), and then we'll see what happens from there."

He said all the right things including  but if there is a guy on the tour today who will chase down the record (or come close) it will be McIlroy. Yes, everyone talks about him shooting 80 but lets not forget that coming into this US Open he had played in eight majors and already had three 3rd place finishes. In those eight majors he has four top 10 finishes and 6 top 20. Keep in mind that he is just 22.

I absolutely loved the "Lets go Rory" chants yesterday. To me his is the anti-Tiger which is one of the biggest reasons so many (including me) have become big fans in such a short time span. The way he handled his letdown at The Masters can only be described as classy. Even in the aftermath of the disaster at Augusta I thought he would return to greatness. He is great with the media and even better with the fans. By the way make sure you follow Rory McIlroy on Twitter.

I know we've been here before. Sergio Garcia was hyped up as a potential Tiger rival (and the thought wasn't crazy at the time) but I don't think Garcia ever had the mental makeup for it which is a shame because I absolutely loved watching him play.

By the way, Oakley which sponsors (and dresses) McIlroy is busy selling shirts that he is wearing here at the US Open although like pretty much everything else they are available for cheaper on Amazon. 

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Masters officials apologized to sports columnist Tara Sullivan of The Bergen (N.J.) Record on Sunday evening after a security guard denied her entry to a locker room for a post-tournament interview.

Augusta National spokesman Steve Ethun said the guard acted improperly in stopping Sullivan, since club policy is to provide equal access to all reporters. The club has no female members, but several female reporters at the tournament confirmed they had made numerous trips to the locker room for interviews in the past without incident.

What an absolute joke. What a way to ruin what was a great day for The Masters. Keeper her from doing her job in the year 2011 is pathetic and disgraceful

I don't remember the last time I felt his bad for a pro athlete. The kid will be back though. He's just 21 and already has four Top Ten finishes at major tournaments. He is the next dominant player in golf.

Masters Sunday is always one of my favorite sports days of the year but the back and forth action today was even better then usual. Hats off Mr. Schwartzel. I really feel bad for Rory McIlroy but the kid will be back.