Tiger Woods began defense of his Masters title today in Augusta with a heavy heart. Earlier in the week, Woods spoke guardedly about his father’s health.

“I’ve been dealing with it for years, so nothing has changed,” he said. “It is what it is, and you just deal with it. Everyone who has had a family member who lived that long, you’re going to deal with it sometime. Unfortunately, it’s our time now.”

Hot golfers have teed off, but it hasn’t been an easy road for Tom Lehman.

The US Ryder Cup captain and 1996 British Open champion, was on his way to the Augusta airport late Tuesday night to pick up his son, as Lehman drove westbound on Bobby Jones Expressway, an older-model, four-door sport-utility vehicle sped past his 2006 Cadillac Escalade and he heard a loud explosion. A bullet hole was found in the rear driver’s side door of the Escalade, a courtesy car given to Masters participants.
The SHOOTER?

This Mensa reject, 26-year Troy Willis Smith of Augusta. The shooter is being held on two felony counts each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in commission of a crime. Smith was on a hot spree that night and was arrested after a separate shooting Tuesday night. The two occupants of the second car saw the suspect’s SUV pull into a driveway and called police. When the vehicle was searched, the police found weapons, projectiles and shell casings. Tom Lehman, was not injured and started the 70th Masters despite the drive-by shooting incident.

You may be aware of the “bet” between hot golfers Tim Clark, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia. They are all hot, with credit given to their sexy hair. None of these hotties can cut their sexy manes until one of them wins.

In this photo, hot Luke Donald, from England, super sexy Adam Scott, from Australia, Tim Clark, South Africa, and yummy Sergio Garcia, from Spain, left to right, walk off the 10th tee during practice for the 2006 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday.

Smoking hot athlete, golfer, pin-up Burberry boy, Adam Scott of Australia teed off on the first hole and made me scream at the T.V. “In the hole, in the hole.”

Sergio Garcia, teed off yesterday with wisps of possibly trimmed hair sneaking out from under his cap? In ‘06, sexy Garcia earned $634, 875 and is number 35 on the money list. Sergio is a humble and hot athlete worthy of exploring, keep watching and you’ll fall in love with him.

Drew Bledsoe is at the Masters. The hot quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys was wearing a funky white jumpsuit, why? I don’t know!

Here, Bledsoe, carries golfer Ben Crane on the ninth hole. I really wish I knew the story behind this photo, but I certainly wouldn’t mind being picked up and carried by any athlete as hot as Drew.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf is “appealing to the emotional” and “promoting the practical” in two new hot major campaigns to introduce a new golf ball.

Keep in mind that TaylorMade has already appealed to the emotional by backing Athlebrity favorite, and not hot golfer John Daly.
TaylorMade Exec VP Sean Toulon said the campaign is an effort to connect the brand, company and products with which he calls “the soul of the authentic, passionate, committed golfer. We’re letting our hearts come a little bit closer to the sleeve and let people see it, touch it, feel it. We think they’re going to want to jump in the car and go for a ride with us.” Yeah- only if Camilo Villegas or Adam Scott are in the car.

The company is spending millions on the hot campaign, called “I Am A Golfer.” One ad begins with “I am a golfer. I love this game. Its history is my history. Its rules are my laws. The course is my home. Golfers are my family,” and it ends with, “Some say I care too much but they don’t understand. Golf doesn’t begin on the first tee and it doesn’t end on the 18th green. It is a lifelong journey. I am a golfer. TaylorMade staff pros like sexy Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen play prominent roles in the campaign.

Wonder what your hot boys of baseball get paid? The average Opening Day salary for an MLB player this season is $2,866,544M. The three highest-paid and hottest athletes are all Yankees- big surprise.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ ($25.7M) tops the list for the sixth-straight year.

DEREK JETER ($20.6M) COMES IN SECOND

JASON GIAMBI ($20.4M) ranks third.

BARRY BONDS is forth ($20M)

JEFF BAGWELL ($19.3M) is fifth.

Who would I pay top dollar to? Either of these two hot athletes.

Oakland Athletics’ Huston Street, left, smiles with teammate Bobby Crosby after receiving the 2005 Rookie of the Year award prior to the baseball game with the New York Yankees Monday, April 3, 2006, in Oakland, Calif. Crosby, the 2004 recipient of the award, was the presenter.

And as always, thanks for reading. Delinda