The Relative Importance of the Australian Open

The Australian Triple Crown (Australian Masters, Australian PGA, and Australian Open) completes this week with the Australian Open - a tournament won by Jack Nicklaus six times. 

News came out yesterday that Adam Scott would not be playing in Sydney because of a surfing accident that he suffered injuries from off of the coast of Queensland.  It was a big blow to the tournament, considering Scott was named Golfer of the Year down there and he didn't really do that much this season aside from winning the Nelson here.

When asked by the media about the injury, Scott said the injury precluding him from playing in Sydney - but it wouldn't have stopped him from playing in the US Open.

"The reason I am not coming down to play is that I could hobble around this week and get it done, but I think that would set me back so far that I would not be able to start 2009 at the Mercedes (tournament).

"I am trying to look at the big picture. It's disappointing that I can't play. But as far as recovering my knee, and rehabbing it, at least this way I can start 2009 at 100 per cent."

"This is the sixth time I have done it to my knee," he said.

"There is a lot of stuff going on in my knee already. I can't extend my leg properly to walk. If I spend five days walking incorrectly, it is going to take me two weeks to get out of that.

"All the muscles have shortened and weakened and deteriorated. The leg is not in great shape at the moment. It's been a frustrating year. To be honest, my head was not on the golf course after June."

SIXTH time you've hurt your knee?  Hopefully that's not the sixth time doing the same thing surfing.  Then Adam Scott should probably seek a new instructor or technique.  Still, leaving Geoff Ogilvy as the headliner has caused the Australian media to question his grit and commitment to floundering Aussie golf.

Meanwhile, James Nitties just earned his PGA Tour card at Q-school.  Right after, he flew black from LA to Sydney and then made the drive to the Aussie Open.

They were still wide open yesterday, even though he had flown in at 8.30am - a gruelling end to a gruelling week. After he secured his card by finishing tied second in Q-school at La Quinta, he filled out his PGA application, drove two-and-a-half hours to LA Airport, and flew to Sydney, where he will today contest the Australian Open.

After guaranteeing himself a spot in some of the biggest tournaments on the planet for 2009, Australia's biggest event isn't exactly an afterthought, but he admitted he'll have "some fun" this week at Royal Sydney.

Yeah, Nitties is newly minted and probably has some energy to spare.  And he didn't hurt his knee surfing.  Still, if you have ever taken a long flight after a busy week, you would know that the LAST thing you want to do is something other than sleep.