Let it be said I love Tiger. I respect his work ethic, revere his talent and envy his fitness. But for the sake of variety (and my fear of disappointment) I've decided to root for somebody else this week, namely fellow blogger Jason Gore. That's right fellow blogger - this week Gore is writing a blog, albeit one with problems of spelling and syntax, which can be found on the official site of the U.S. Open. But that's why I'm rooting for Gore - like his prose he's flawed. He's human, but also he's accessible, he's a good fella, he's one of us. His physique is not chiseled. It does not resemble the uber-fit (dare I say manorexic) look of Tiger et. al. He eats hot dogs not vegetables, he drinks beer not vitamin-water. And he's a good sport. Who can forget the grace he showed at Pinehurst in 2005 after shooting 84 on the final day, a score which caused him not merely to lose the tournament but to lose an automatic bid to the 2006 Open. But he didn't cry. He didn't blame the USGA (the course was almost unplayable). He weathered the adversity and decided - like Beckett's Unnameable - to go on.

And now he's weathering even greater adversity. Earlier this year he was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, which is not to say he is obsessed with absurd game shows. No, Hashimoto's disease causes inflammation of the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, which regulates metabolism (among other stuff). In fact, that may be why he's overweight. It's not the hot dogs it's the thyroid. Of course Jason Gore would never say that. And that's the point. Gore's got his problems but he doesn't blame others, he accepts responsibility and goes on. And that's why I'll be rooting for him this week.