SPORTS COUCH POTATO

Watson's British Open surge takes sting out of Tiger's tank

Tiger Woods misses the cut in a major for only the second time in his career. A stunner to be sure, especially for the folks at ABC Sports who were no doubt counting on the world's best golfer to attract a hefty number of eyeballs to this weekend's final rounds of the British Open.

We know what Woods means for ratings; he is the No. 1 draw in all of televised sports. But what looked like a total disaster for ABC may turn out just fine after all.

Looking for a good headline? Tom Watson is in the midst writing what could be an incredible story at Turnberry. The five-time Open champion leads the pack entering Saturday's play and is looking to net his ninth major championship just a couple of months from turning 60.

A win by Watson, pictured, would make him the oldest player to take a major. If he can hang on through the final holes, it would one for the ages.

Then there's Steve Marino. Tied with Watson for the lead at the halfway point, the unheralded journeyman was a last-minute add to the field and now is in position to contend.

No Woods but still plenty of high drama. ABC's got to be thanking its lucky stars.

Golf's Bob Rosburg dies; first network on-course reporter

The golf world lost a champion on and off the course Thursday when Bob Rosburg died at 82.

Known as "Rossie" by his colleagues, Rosburg was a champion golfer -- his biggest win was at the 1959 PGA Championship in Minneapolis -- and a broadcaster with ABC Sports for 30 years who became first reporter to call shots directly from the course. Today, every network deploys on-course reporters.

Rosburg was famous for responding to questions about a particular shot by saying, "He's got no chance."

Feherty backtracks, says Pelosi, Reid remarks 'unacceptable'

CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for comments he made in a Dallas magazine article.

Feherty was among five Dallas residents who wrote for D magazine on former President George W. Bush's move to that city.

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though,'' Feherty wrote. "Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death.''

The former Ryder Cup player has been to Iraq over Thanksgiving the past two years to visit with U.S. troops, and created a foundation to help wounded soldiers.

In a statement issued Sunday, Feherty called his remarks "inappropriate and unacceptable."

ESPN looking to get Skins Game out of rough

After 26 years, golf's Skins Game is facing a crossroads. Declining ratings and the loss of its primary sponsor have placed the future of the long-successful made-for-TV vehicle in some doubt.

Executives at ESPN are looking to breathe new life into the Thanksgiving weekend event, created in 1983 by two of the great TV sports innovators of our time, Don Ohlmeyer and Barry Frank.

Sports Illustrated's Jim Gorant, quoting an interview with ABC/ESPN vice president Tom Renaud in The Desert Sun newspaper, writes on Golf.com the cable net is promising big changes if it's to continue the match in which four players vie for a $1 million prize.

ESPN is looking for a sponsor to replace the departed LG Electronics and a bit more star power to try and revive viewer interest.

The inaugural Skins Game featured golfing legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson and was an instant hit. The field is now comprised of one sponsor exemption, the defending Skins champ, the Tour money winner and the standing Players champ and that, Renaud says, is no longer good enough.

"I'm trying to tell the Tour, 'This is a made-for-television event. ... We need to put together the four best people that we can,' " Renaud said.