Behind the green: Don’t cry for FBR Open

A friend of mine, who I call Frank “the Tank’’ because he’s so old school, told me the other day that it was “too bad about the Phoenix Open.”

When I asked him what he meant, he started laughing chiefly because the Tank thinks he knows more about golf than anyone.

“Tiger’s not here, the field isn’t even as good as last year, and the Super Bowl is going to bury them,’’ the Tank responded. “You didn’t know that?”

Actually, it’s the Tank who doesn’t know much, as evidenced by the fact he still calls the FBR Open the Phoenix Open.

And for those who still don’t know — and so we can get it out of the way early — FBR stands for the investment banking firm of Friedman, Billings and Ramsey.

It’s true, Tiger is not coming — but he never ventures this way so that’s nothing new.

Tiger has fallen in love with Dubai. As one very knowledgeable PGA Tour player told me recently, “Tiger just doesn’t like the atmosphere here. Period, end of story.’’

I guess Woods prefers the dubious Dubai Desert Classic in the heart of the Middle East. Go figure.

Tiger aside, don’t feel sorry for the FBR. The Super Bowl isn’t going to “bury’’ it.

Here’s why.

The 2008 FBR field is on par with last year’s group, which rated high in the final analysis of regular-season events.

The 2008 FBR has eight of the top 20 players in the world, just as it did last year, and 101 (compared to 98 last year) of the top 125 money winners from the past season will be here.

Yes, the cast has changed slightly since Davis Love III and Jose Maria Olazabal, two top 20-ranked players in the world a year ago, won’t be here this time.

Love has yet to recover from a severe ankle injury he suffered last fall, and Olazabal will be in Dubai along with Woods and other world-beaters like Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.

The reality is, with 15 international players currently among the top 20, getting eight from that group is a coup.

Just look at this week’s Buick Invitational, where organizers also have just eight of those top-20 players despite the fact Torrey Pines will host the U.S. Open later this year.

Before we get carried away with this strength-of-field data, let’s not forget that it’s not only the players that make this particular tournament so special. It’s the party, too.

The 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale and the Birds Nest are one-of-a-kind sideshows that no one else in the world of professional golf can emulate. People come from all over the country just to partake in those experiences.

Then there is the critical element to a real good time — sunshine! Without question it is the make-or-break component to the secret of the FBR Open’s success.

The forecast for next week calls for sunshine with temperatures in the mid- to upper-60s. Translated: No rain.

Naturally, that could change but it looks like we’ll need sunglasses.

As for the 16th hole, we agree wholeheartedly with a story in this week’s Golf World that predicted the loudest place in Arizona next week won’t be the Super Bowl.

It will be “the most exciting hole in golf,’’ the magazine opined.

Just read the sign that is posted above the tunnel as the players enter the lion’s den, 10,000 fans strong: “Attitude Is Everything.’’ Especially this year, when 22 more skyboxes have been added to the 16th along with 50 individual chairs that will sit smack dab behind the players. Never stand pat seems to be the Thunderbirds’ credo.

As for the Birds Nest, some might argue it really isn’t part of the tournament, being a couple of blocks away and taking place at night. Not true. The Nest serves its role as an attraction that actually brings in more fans who “kill a little time’’ watching a few putts drop before they go berserk.

And this year, the Nest has the added bonus of being the filming location for Fox Sport Net’s “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.’’ That will take place from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with confirmed guests like Joe Theisman, Archie Manning, Barry Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Jim Kelly, Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Strahan, Ray Lewis and model Marisa Miller.

And the word is still to come on potential appearances by Phil Mickelson, Joe Montana, Samuel L. Jackson and Peyton and Eli Manning.

So from here it looks like the only piece of the puzzle that’s missing from past FBR Opens is the absence of crowd favorite John Daly. But with Daly withdrawing from two of the last three FBR Opens — 12 tournaments over the last two years including last week’s Bob Hope Classic withdrawal — WD he has worn out his welcome.

Tournament chairman Tim Louis gets the credit for making all the right calls. As he told us recently: “We’re looking pretty good. We’ve got a strong field once again, more celebrities than usual thanks to the Super Bowl, and we’re sold out.’’

Contact Bill Huffman: (480) 898-6525 or bhuff56765@aol.com