May 11 Report: Former New York Jets Kicker Pat Leahy

Hard to believe more than a month and a half has passed since I reported my last football success here on this blog.

Shouldn't be that much of a surprise since I've been focusing on golf so much lately. Guess like many aspects of this hobby, trends come and go. I never would have thought when I started this project I would have ever sent out more golf requests than I have football.

Well today I get back to my first love -- football autographs.

Pat Leahy kicked for the New York Jets for entire NFL career (1974-1991). Amazingly in his 18-year career he never had a kick blocked. He scored 1,470 points.

Day of the Year: 131
Number of Autographs This Year: 179

May 10 Report: British Open Winner and PGA Championship Winner John Daly

Few people have made the splash John Daly has on the PGA Tour.

Daly joined the Tour in 1991 and won a major -- the PGA Championship -- in his rookie season. Daly's victory was so stunning because he was the ninth and final alternate for the competition held at Pete Dye's Crroked Stick Golf Club.

Daly's unrefined style won him legions of fans as golf's "everyday man". His ability to simply "Grip It And Rip It" while tossing back a few beers was an endearing trait.

His detractors point to his lack of fitness and dedication to the game as a waste of tremendous talent.

Seen above is Daly's autograph on a photo of the Wanamaker Trophy, given for winning the PGA Championship.
Daly again won a major championship in 1995 when he won the British Open at St. Andrews. His playoff victory over Costantina Rocca remains one of the dramatic wins in golf's oldest tournament.

Amazingly Daly has won only five PGA Tour events, but two of them have been majors. He's the only eligible player to win two majors but never get selected for a Ryder Cup.

The photo seen here is of the Claret Jug -- the prize for winning the British Open -- and Daly has signed it.

On both photos Daly has inscribed his catch phrase "Rip It" before signing his name.

Day of the Year: 130
Number of Autographs This Year: 178

May 8 Report: Two-Time Masters Winner and Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer; Solheim Cup Player Brittany Lincicome

As I typically like to do, I'll begin with the Hall of Famer.

Bernhard Langer is definitely that. Not only is he in the golf hall, he'd also be in the great guy HOF if there were such a thing.

I've had the opportunity to be around and meet Langer on several occasions and he's never disappointed his fans. Definitely a role model for today's young people.

On the golf course Langer accomplished 80 worldwide wins and was the first-ever player to be ranked No. 1 in the world when the rankings debuted in 1986. Among his most notable wins are his two Masters Tournament titles.

It is those two titles I was seeking autographs to represent, and Langer accommodated both. I'm just picturing one here, but he signed two prints of the Masters trophy and inscribed each one with the year he won.

I also received another signature for my Solheim Cup collection today. This is the first one from a current player, that of Brittany Lincicome.

Lincicome has won three LPGA events in her short career to date, including a major championship in 2009 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

She has competed for the U.S on the 2007 and 2009 Solheim Cup squads. The U.S. won both competitions.

Day of the Year: 128
Number of Autographs This Year: 177

May 7 Report: Hall of Famer, U.S Open and British Open Winner Johnny Miller

Sometimes during the course of your day a huge surprise lands in your lap. Today was one of those days.

While touring the World Golf Hall of Fame today, an unexpected guest showed up inside the museum, which drew quite a crowd. The man who shot the lowest final round in U.S. Open history (63) at the 1973 event at Oakmont walked into the Hall of Fame.

Miller took the time to shake hands, take pictures and interact with the guests in the museum. He signed a few autographs and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying his visit to the museum where he is honored for his achievements on the golf course.

Definitely a day everyone who was in the Hall of Fame will remember for as long as they have a sound mind.

Day of the Year: 127
Number of Autographs This Year: 175

May 6 Report: LPGA Major Champion and Solheim Cup Star Pat Hurst

Incredibly busy week this week with my "day job", but wanted to make a quick post on today's success.

Pat Hurst is the latest to sign and return one of my custom Solheim Cup prints to me for the collection I am working on of all the U.S. players who have competed on at least one team.

Hurst, who won the 1998 Kraft Nabisco Championship, played on five different teams between 1998-2007.

Day of the Year: 126
Number of Autographs This Year: 174

May 4 Report: Toronto Blue Jays Catcher Ernie Whitt

Another baseball success to report, which puts me above the 50 percent return mark for baseball autograph requests this year. It's taken a while, but now every sport is above 50 percent. Most other sports, however, are around the 80 percent or higher success rate.

Perhaps it just takes former baseball players longer to sign as maybe they get more requests.

Regardless, today I received a pair of signed cards back from Ernie Whitt.

Day of the Year: 124
Number of Autographs This Year: 173

May 3 Report: Former Masters Tournament Winner Jack Burke

A number of days have passed since I added a signed golf ball to my collection. So take that joy and add to it the fact that a Hall of Famer was the one signing it!

Needless to say I'm pretty pumped about my ability to add Jack Burke Jr.'s autograph to my collections of Masters champs. Burke, at 87, is the oldest living Masters Tournament winner, claiming his Green Jacket in 1956. He signed a Masters Tournament logo golf ball.

Burke, a former Marine, won 16 PGA events and played on six Ryder Cup teams. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Day of the Year: 123
Number of Autographs This Year: 172