It's funny, there always just seems to be the same simply maddening players week after week that perform below expectations.  And you'd think I would learn after a while, but no, myself (and others) continue to pick these guys week after week; and a lot of times it's a very reasoned argument.  These players have a lot of talent, and should be performing to our expectations, but for whatever reason, they just don't.  That is, until the week you don't pick them; then they net a top-10 and laugh at you as they're cashing the check.  Ok, not really, but it certainly feels like it sometimes.  These three have that in common this week, and they're the focus of my ire as my busts this week.

Heath Slocum - Ok seriously, go home so I don't pick you anymore and come back in 2009 so I can pick you again.  Someone who is 57th on the PGA Money List really shouldn't be shooting 72-69 and missing the cut in a T-93rd; especially not in a tournament like this one.  The problem is his putter, which has absolutely gone home for the winter.  This week, he averaged 31.0 Putts Per Round and 1.852 Putts Per GIR (Average).  That is simply awful, and is well into the bottom-third of Tour in both cases.  He bombed the ball as best he could, over 302 yds/drive; was a respectable 71.4% in Driving Accuracy and an also-respectable 75% in Greens In Regulation.  But it's the putter that will make or break Slocum going forward, and it certainly broke him this week.  You're entering Sergio Territory here, Heath.  Trust me; you don't want to be there when it comes to me.

Rich Beem - Ok, I really shouldn't do this since I already made fun of him in Top Tournament Performances this week, but he hasn't won a thing since the PGA Championship in 2002, and is now out of exemption time.  In other words, he needs to finish in the top-125 to keep his card.  Has anyone gone from Major winner to the Nationwide Tour before?  I'll see if I can get that information and get back to ya.  (See what I did there?) Beemer currently sits at 128th on the PGA Money List, but shooting 72-69 and missing the cut isn't going to help matters.  He will need two or three top-25 finishes down the stretch here, and he's showing no signs of doing so at all.  He's still one of the longest hitters in the game, and was around 308 yds/drive this week.  However, he was a mediocre 67.9% in Driving Accuracy, an even more mediocre 66.7% in GIR.  However, the whole story is right here: 31.0 Putts Per Round and 1.833 in Putts Per GIR.  That's just awful, and Beem is going to need to step it up to avoid playing the "East Overshoe Nee-Haw Classic" come March 2009.

Alejandro Canizares - Well, I DID say he was going to be a "hibernator" and I guess I was right.  The good news was that Canizares made the cut.  The bad news is that he finished T-63rd after a promising opening round 66.  He closed 73-70-70 to finish at -1, just 18 shots behind the leader.  It's clear now that Canizares will probably need a couple of wins to finagle a Tour Card for next year, and his game just isn't really all that promising.  His driver was useless this week; he was 72nd in Driving Accuracy and T-67th in Driving Distance.  His iron play was also useless: T-51st in GIR.  His putter was useless - he was T-46th in Putts Per Round and T-50th in Putts Per GIR.  Basically, he was lucky to finish T-63rd this week, because his stats say he should have finished much, much worse.

The ScreamingSports.Com Golf Department would like to extend our thoughts, prayers and best wishes to the Seve Ballesteros family - and our hopes for a speedy and full recovery.