There’s something about the West Coast Swing that seems to bring out the best in Spencer Levin. After posting three top-20 finishes last year, Levin went low at the Farmers Insurance Open, blistering the course with a 62 on Thursday before stumbling over the final three days. And just like clockwork, he’s back in contention a week later at the Waste Management Open.

Only this time around he’s hoping for a better ending. Levin fired a 8-under 63 on Friday to grab a five-shot lead over Harrison Frazar at the midway point in Scottsdale. Other notables within shouting distance are Webb Simpson (8-under) and Kyle Stanley (7-under). Play was once again delayed due to frost, forcing tournament officials to, once again, call play on Friday due to darkness. 34 players will have to come out on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET to finish their rounds.

You have to hand it to TaylorMade Golf: the golf manufacturer sure knows how to build up the hype for their new products.

After running a series of commercials with the likes of Dustin Johnson launching the new RocketBallz 3-wood over 300 yards, and then kicking off the new RocketBallz and R11S line with a midnight launch, TaylorMade took things even further on Friday, sending staffers Johnson Wagner and Pat Perez to a local Scottsdale golf shop to give away $10,000 in cash for trying out the new line.

Free cash for trying out a new club? Sounds good to me. Golfers were asked to try out the new RocketBallz 3-wood and were paid $10 per yard, up to $100, for every yard they gain with the new club over their current 3-wood.

Needless to say, people showed up for the chance to take home some free cash, and try out one of the most talk-about products in golf. Give TaylorMade credit for thinking up these crazy ideas. While some might question the need to constantly build up products with countless gimmicks, it’s clear from the buzz surrounding the clubs that the gimmicks are definitely working.

With the exception of maybe Dustin Johnson, there’s no question Gary Woodland is the best all-around athlete on the PGA Tour. Simply put, the dude is a freak of nature on the course, continually bombing it a country mile and flying the green from 249 yards with an 8-iron. To top it off, he also played college hoops and can dunk a basketball

The guy puts the average pro to shame, so it shouldn’t come as surprise that Woodland nearly aced the par-4 10th on Thursday, crushing his drive 320 yards before his ball came to rest next to a … trash can? OK, so Woodland didn’t come close to holing out on the 10th. But he did come close to knocking it right in the trash can from 300-plus yards out, which is still pretty impressive.

Of course, all this happened at the Waste Management Open, making the whole Woodland-trash-can-ace connection even more hilarious. Better yet, he went on to par the 10th, thereby ensuring the hole wasn’t complete garbage. And on that note, I’m going to end tonight’s comedy hour.

Ryan Palmer hit only 6 of 14 fairways during the opening round of the Waste Management Open but somehow managed to find a way to put together a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Webb Simpson on Thursday. Bubba Watson is also in contention at at 5-under, but his round was cut short after just 15 holes due to darkness. A four-hour frost delay forced officials to delay the start of the tournament, leaving 42 players stranded when the sun finally set. Players still left on the course will have to return and finish their rounds at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

Like most professional golfers, there’s very little Phil Mickelson will do for free on the golf course. When you’re one of the best on the planet, you expect to get paid handsomely for your time.

However, when it comes to Torrey Pines — a course Mickelson grew up playing  – he’s apparently willing to make an exception. As first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Mickelson is currently in talks with Torrey Pines and the city of San Diego to renovate the North Course for free.

While doing the design work pro-bono might come as a surprise to some, other architects have done similar projects in the past, including legendary course designer Pete Dye, who designed Wintonbury Hill GC in Connecticut for $1.

Mickelson has not publicly discussed his ideas for the North, but those familiar with his thoughts on the course say his top priority would be to keep it enjoyable for the average golfer. He is said to be sensitive to the concerns by locals who don’t want the demanding South Course to have a twin brother.

Just to bring you up to speed on the North Course, it has always been the South’s little brother, and when Torrey hosted the 2008 U.S. Open on the South, the quality gap between the two courses widened.

After hearing complaints about the ease of the layout, tournament officials decided to tighten the fairways and grow the rough, turning it into one of the toughest driving courses on tour in 2011. Of course, players then started to complain that the course was too difficult.

Mickelson, who was born and raised in San Diego, would most likely be entrusted with updating the bunkering and working on some of the green complexes on the course. Whether he goes beyond some minor touch-ups and does a complete overhaul remains to be seen.

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It’s tournament time! We continue the season at the Waste Management Open, a tournament that’s known for having one of the rowdiest crowds on the PGA Tour. Here’s a tournament primer to get you prepared for the week.

The course: TPC Scottsdale has been hosting the Phoenix Open since 1987, just one year after the course officially opened to the public. At 7,216 yards, the course isn’t long by tour standards — it’s currently ranked as the 42nd easiest course on tour (out of 51) — but the lack of length usually ends up adding to the drama — especially on Sunday afternoon. Only 558 yards, the reachable par-5 15th hole starts a four-hole finish that’s one of the best on tour. The 162-yard par-3 16th is known as the loudest hole on the PGA Tour, and with the addition of new grandstands that encompass most of the hole, it can sometimes feel like you’re in pressure cooker. Throw in the drivable 17th and difficult 18th and you have a fantastic risk-reward finish.

The schedule: The tournament runs Thursday-Sunday. It’ll be broadcast on the Golf Channel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday,  and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on CBS.

The field: Webb Simpson (6) and Dustin Johnson (9) may be the only OWGR top 10 players in the field this week, but that doesn’t mean the Waste Management Open is without top-tier talent. Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, and Rickie Fowler are three fan favorites in the field this week, and the addition of Bill Haas, Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker round out a solid tournament field.

The video: Check out this PGA Tour recap of some of the Waste Management Open’s most memorable moments.

Your turn. Who are your picks for this week? Swing away!

Here’s a little midweek video for you to enjoy: six minutes of aces on the PGA Tour (not including those pesky majors with their video-rights issues). Some beauties here, including young pups that look a lot like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and Leif Olson’s skip-shot which deserved to be much higher. Enjoy.

Chances are you’ll never have a swing anywhere close to as good as Phil Mickelson’s, but if you have $7.095 million lying around, you can at least live like the four-time major champion. That multimillion-dollar price tag is the current asking price for Mickelson’s 9,500-square-foot, five-bedroom Tuscan-style estate in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

[Related: Phil Mickelson misses cut at Torrey, daughter recovering from seizure scare]

If the price tag hasn’t scared you off yet, you should also know the estate has some nice additions, including putting green — Mickelson flop shot not included — and a swimming pool. Based on the pool’s proximity to the green, I’m going to guess Phil perfected the skip shot off the water in this backyard.

As far as what’s inside the house, here’s a brief rundown:

– The single-level floor plan (without any steps) includes soaring ceilings, trussed beams, and hand distressed walnut flooring, all helping to provide an intimate living environment for this highly functional, well-designed home.

– Intricate mosaics were painstakingly applied over six months by renowned artisan Petri Bersage, the same artisan noted for his work at the Bellagio.

– Entertainment center, trophy room (or library/office), exercise room, steam room, sauna and safe room are all part of the main estate.

– Two unique and spacious guest houses – both finely appointed.

And it can all be yours for $7.095 million! No word yet if Mickelson would be willing to throw in a golf lesson or two for that price.

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Let’s face it, the Waste Management Open is 20 percent golf tournament, 65 percent party, and 15 percent headache the next day. Few golf tournaments outside of majors get this many people excited for so many different things, and for good reason, because the entire week is the greatest show on grass. But what to do if you’re in Phoenix for the week? Holes to visit? Places to hit up? Events to attend? We’ve got you covered for the 2012 Waste Management Open.

– Spend an entire afternoon on the 16th hole — Sure, this seems like a no-brainer, but hear me out. The 16th hole is the biggest draw of the tournament, and one of the easiest places to watch golf on the entire course, but instead of just going and plopping down for 45 minutes, spend an afternoon there. Head into the grandstands behind the green. Walk over to the ones south of the bunker, and then finish in the rowdiest place on the hole, just north of the tee box. Those are where the fans get the craziest, and where the best caddie bets are placed. Trust me, walking from grandstand to grandstand will not be something you regret.

– Find out where Camilo Villegas is, and then follow his gallery — Scottsdale is known for the beautiful female contingent. This is where they will all be for about 4.5 hours.

– Find a way to get into the corporate tents north of the 17th green — You’ll hear all week about Greenskeeper tickets, but the best badge to have of them all is the one that gets you just north of the 17th green. My favorite spot on the course, it’s the best place to see drives find the green, find the pond, or find the tough pitching area just to the right of the green. It’s also the most relaxing area on the golf course, which would be like finding the quietest place at Coachella, but still …

– Walk the front nine — 160,000 people show up at TPC Scottsdale on Saturday, and about 15 of them make their way out to the far sides of the course. If you’re into watching golf, head out to No. 5 or 6 and enjoy a little golf for a change.

– Make your way to the Bird’s Nest on Wednesday night — It is the “Saturday at the golf course” of nights out, and the Bird’s Nest is the place to be the night before golf kicks off.

– The best people watching spot on the entire golf course … — Is a hill just to the right of the 11th tee box as you’re heading to the 16th hole. Stand up there, watch just about every creature if existence walk by, and even catch the occasional putt on the 10th hole and tee ball on 11.

– Find out where Fred Couples is, and then follow his gallery — You know what I said about Villegas above? Basically Couples is the exact same thing for the Washington State mascot.

– For golf fans, Friday or Sunday mornings are the best — Want to get out and actually follow some golfers? Get out early Friday or early Sunday. Yes, it is true, Friday is the new Saturday at the WaMo, but getting out early is always a bonus and will allow you to see some actual golfers. Also, Sunday is smart because most people are scared they’ll miss Super Bowl action if they head out. Get to a place early, enjoy it, and make your Super Bowl party in plenty of time (And you’ll miss all those hours of pregame shows … win-win).

– Don’t be an idiot — The one thing the Waste Management is full of is people that are trying to draw attention any way possible. College kids, drunk visitors and locals alike, you’ll see and hear just about anything. Don’t be those people. The golfers will appreciate it.

David Feherty has a new season of his talk show “Feherty” (catchy title) coming up on the Golf Channel starting this week, and he joined our very own Yahoo! Sports Radio to talk about his plans, his hopes, his dreams, and so forth. Topics included Tom Watson and Tiger Woods and included plenty of one-liners. Here, check it out for yourself:

Season 2 of “Feherty” begins on Feb. 27, with a live performance from the Super Bowl airing this Saturday on the Golf Channel.