“Some reporters suggested that the movement of The Barclays was due to our view that Westchester Country Club was substandard."

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PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is quoted by Sam Weinman as making an interesting statement in his apology letter to the folks at Westchester CC:

“Some reporters suggested that the movement of The Barclays was due to our view that Westchester Country Club was substandard. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Finchem wrote. “We have great respect for Westchester Country Club—your course, your membership and your great tradition. Our players enjoy playing there. We at the PGA Tour regret any offense created by these misplaced media comments and are sorry for the impressions these comments caused. Our return to your club at least one more time indicates our view that it is a world class facility.”

Now why would the dirty, nasty, grubby media get that idea? Could it be that Ed Moorhouse wrote:

"While we believe we all attempted to make The Barclays work at Westchester in late August, I believe it simply is not possible to stage a tournament at the level we need to stage this event, satisfy the needs and requirements of our players and accommodate the needs of the Westchester membership during that time of year."
No, it's those pesky reporters!

Weinman: Tour and Barclay's Back In The Saddle Again...Sort Of

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Sam Weinman reports that the PGA Tour will be returning to Westchester CC at some point, just not 2008, and the Commissioner will be apologizing for those letters that got out and where they never really meant what they said.  Oh, and here's $1.1 million for your troubles...this year.

Even better we now have a definition for accelerating the rotation. 

"It's very simple, play better"

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Considering his frustration with slow play, it's not a surprise that Tiger is a fan of the new cut policy, as Steve Elling reports on his CBSSports.com blog:

In fact, in 2002, 85 players made the cut at the Buick Invitational and eventual winner Jose Maria Olazabal, who advanced on the number, caught fire with rounds of 67-65 on the weekend. However, it should be noted that in 2002, Olazabal was eight shots back in a more tightly packed field, versus the 13-stroke margin the guys who were bumped on Friday would have faced.

Tiger Woods, who is leading the tournament by four shots at 12 under, hardly provided a sympathetic shoulder.

"It's very simple, play better," Woods said. "If you hit the shots that you want to hit and hit them properly, then you won't have to worry about that."

Of course, Woods almost never misses cuts.

Added Woods: "I think what I've tried to talk to some of the guys and with the commissioner is that maybe the fields might be too big when you have daylight savings, because, obviously, we're trying to get the round finished.

"And we weren't finishing the top players weren't finishing on time, guys were finishing Saturday mornings or Friday mornings, their rounds, just because it was too slow. If you had any kind of fog delay, rain delay, guys aren't finishing, a frost delay in Phoenix, things like that happen."

Kevin Who?**

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I know I should know all about Kevin Streelman, currently in second at the Buick Invitational behind Tiger, but I don't. Thankfully, Matt Paulson at Brener-Zwikel passed this along:

Before graduating from Q-School this year, Kevin Streelman, who is in second right now at the PGA TOUR's Buick Invitational, earned one of his biggest single-event paychecks ever in last year’s The Ultimate Game, a unique event co-created by former Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski where players compete for a purse composed wholly of their own entry fees.
 
In last year’s event, Streelman won both his matches to make the 12-man final, earning $25,000 in the process, a huge chunk for a mini-touring pro in one event. And this was eight months ago. This week, Streelman could take home nearly $1 million.
 
In the final, he shot 69-70 to finish in fourth place. A class act, despite not winning anything additional in the final, Streelman was awarded another $25,000 by his sponsorship group for his effort and conduct throughout tournament week, a gesture that brought him to tears.

 

"The unwanted Golf Channel sideshow also shortchanged Buick, which paid $7 million to puts its name on the tournament."

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Steve Elling prepares us for Kelly Tilghman's return on today's Buick telecast, and includes a couple of excellent points:

As Tilghman returns from a two-week, in-house suspension, the Golf Channel discussed making her available to media this week to address her misstep. But network officials instead declared her off-limits, a spokesman said, leaving Woods to deal with the fallout alone.
I did think she would have wisely just walked in the press room and started picking up some homework, allowing for a quiet return alongside her media peers. Instead she was probably locked up in some hotel room eating room service and practicing her apology speech.
The unwanted Golf Channel sideshow also shortchanged Buick, which paid $7 million to puts its name on the tournament. At the Golf Channel, poor judgment has been compounded by poor leadership.
And he's not done... 
Woods, meanwhile, is getting hammered for not being Martin Luther King in spiked shoes. Last week, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts wrote, "One has to wonder what it would take to get a rise out of this guy: burning crosses on his front lawn?"

Rob Parker of the Detroit News, appearing on ESPN, insisted that Woods "has a responsibility to respond to this."

Parker added: "Tiger Woods would rather be a pitchman than a man."

Woods, who has never been particularly political about anything, said he does plenty on the cultural front with his foundation, to which he has donated millions. Monday, which coincidentally marked the MLK holiday, he announced a new program to inspire kids to reach for their dreams.

Randell Mell also publishes a nice rant about some of the silly things asked of Tiger. 

Cut Rule: Don't Forget The Fans In This

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In reading John Hawkins' latest Bitter Golfer column, he continues the trend of ripping the players for whining about the new cut rule that reduces the number of weekend players at PGA Tour events. I joined in that ripping myself because the boys are slow and not particularly bright for not reading the documentation provided by the PGA Tour brass.

While the entire episode seems to speak to the insular world of pro golf and the folks who cover it, there also seems to be a disregard for the fan. I've contended to any poor soul who would listen that the rule needs to be amended for the fans. Picture the fan coming out early on Saturday after a long work week. He has pin-pointed an early group to follow so that he can see a favorite player up close, or simply enjoy a more intimate fan experience. He should not be stripped of that pleasure.

It would seem that the entire episode would be easily solved by Jeff Sluman's retro suggestion of a Saturday cut. Frankly I'm surprised it hasn't picked up more steam.

Greetings From San Diego, Vol. 3

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sandiegogreetingsfrom.jpgWednesday was an educational day at Torrey Pines...

-I learned that if you want to see the briefest, slightly deranged stare from Commissioner Finchem, just have a cell phone go off during his press conference! Twice during his chat today it happened and both times myself and a couple of other scribblers noticed his little inner cell phone demon rearing its ugly head. You had to be watching closely, no easy feat when he's rambling on.

-I learned that by studying the third green on the South Course (pictured), one can induce nausea. Or sea sickness? Or Reesphobia? Either way, after about 10 minutes of staring at this disaster, I can only surmise that the shapers were looking at the wrong set of plans or perhaps had them upside down. The green would be fun to play to  oh, from about 150 yards off the back edge or maybe 150 to the right. And then there's that artistic front bunker...Torrey3green.jpg

-I learned a prime new buzzword and because I'm a kind soul, I am going to share it with you so that you too can roll your eyes. While trying to kill some time to avoid rush hour traffic, I attended a meet-and-greet with the folks from CDW, the PGA Tour's new technology partner. There, the marketing dude gave a talk about the usual stuff. You know, the general obsession with reaching the youth demo. And Ty, if you think I'm exaggerating the Tour's youth obsession again, I simply ask you this: could I make up the buzzword that was dropped?  Ready? Millennials.

From Wikipedia:

The terms Millennials and Internet generation ("iGen") are attempts to give the Gen Y cohort more independent names that are tied with key events and cultural trends that are strongly associated with the generation.

Don't you ever say this blog is not educational. 

 

"We would like to perhaps accelerate the rotation somewhat."

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I sat through my first Tim Finchem press conference today. I know, I know...the perks of a media credential. The man has a svengali-like ability to lull you into a hypnotic trance where you ponder what's lurking on the lunch menu.

He did his usual bit about cheating countering the "culture" of the game, and therefore the Tour has no reason anyone will test positive, which is your basic credibility killer.

There were a few highlights, one being the new acronym that you are sure to get sick of reading about: T.U.E. (therapeutic use exemption).

Oddly, this answer to Steve Elling about the Westchester situation did not cause the room to break out in laughter.

On the second one, let me answer the second one first, Westchester. It's been widely reported -- we are in discussions with Westchester. We have a multi-year contract with Westchester. Our discussions focus on the possibility to alter the rotation arrangement that we entered into for this six years in some fashion.

As you know, we had agreed to play -- worked out an agreement where we'd play at least three times in six years. We would like to perhaps accelerate the rotation somewhat.

Is that Finchemspeak for we want to get out of Westchester immediately?

But we are in discussion with Westchester on a wide range of options within that, and I don't want to get into speculating on any one course, but we are deep into discussions. We hope to wrap this up quickly, and hopefully we'll have more to say within the next week or so. But obviously if it impacts '08 we really need to know right away. That's where we are. Not much more to say about that.
There was a nice non-answer on groove issue that wasn't worth copying and pasting.

Then, near the end, Doug Ferguson pressed Finchem on two key points related to drug testing that seem to expose potential flaws in the system:

If, however, we concluded that it's being taken because it is being abused, either because of a lack of judgment, dependency or addiction, we would treat it in that context, which would include a wide range of potential actions, including some disciplinary action, some therapeutic action, and some continuing testing action. So it could conceivably be that a player is disciplined at some level and then if he's allowed to continue to play he's tested on a regular basis to help him deal with those issues.

We view that as somewhat different than a player who has intentionally taken a substance to gain competitive advantage. That would be dealt with in a different arena.

Q. Who decides that, you?

COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: That would be me, and subject to an appeal process. 

 Seems like loads of potential for serious questions, particularly in light of this...

 Q. And lastly, just to clarify, if there is a positive test, what will you be releasing to the media? I'm a little confused on that. After it runs the appeals process.

COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: At this moment it's our intention when the process is completed, we would release to the media the fact that there was a violation and what the sanction for the violation is.

Q. But not the drug?

COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: Not the drug.

Over/under anyone on how long that policy is considered disfunctional? 

"Hicks teed off alone just after 6:30 a.m., but was joined by Woods and Watson on the fairway after Watson boomed a drive 80 yards over Hicks' head."

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I shared an apartment for one year during my UCSB days with Buick Invitational qualifier Justin Hicks and can attest that he is one of the nicest, most genuine people you'd ever want to meet. So naturally I found this great note from Ed Zieralski in today's San Diego Union Tribune a bit surprising.

For the past eight years, Justin Hicks has arrived at Torrey Pines at daybreak on Tuesday of the Buick Invitational to videotape Tiger Woods playing a practice round. Yesterday, in a dream-becomes-reality moment, Hicks stepped inside the ropes and played a practice round with Woods and his practice partner, Bubba Watson.

“You know how Andy Warhol talked about that 15 minutes of fame? Well this is my four days of fame here,” said Hicks, who could add two more by making the cut on Friday.

Hicks, 37, qualified for a sponsor's exemption at this year's Buick Invitational by being named Player of the Year for the San Diego Chapter of the Southern California PGA. A teaching pro at Stadium Golf, Hicks has missed qualifying for the Buick Invitational by one stroke three times.

Hicks teed off alone just after 6:30 a.m., but was joined by Woods and Watson on the fairway after Watson boomed a drive 80 yards over Hicks' head. Hicks said Watson hit driver, 7-iron to the 520-yard, par-5 hole.

Classy!

Hicks said it was “nerve-wracking” playing a practice round with Woods. “I felt like the ugly girlfriend with the hot girls next to her,” Hicks said.
The three only played 14 holes, skipping five, six, seven and eight and jumping over to No. 9. It was there that Woods and Watson hit their tee shots simultaneously.

Hicks said he felt like a “third wheel” and tried to keep out of the two friends' fun. He didn't say a word to Woods or Watson. They never said a word to him until the end, when both wished him and his caddie, Todd Howerton, well this week.

“It was still fun,” Hicks said.

How do you hit into (over?) someone and not spend the rest of the round down on your hands and knees kissing their rear end?

Westchester Options

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Sam Weiman posts an interesting update on the Westchester-PGA Tour standoff, including the slim possibility that the Barclay's may return there in 2008.
That contract had Westchester on the receiving end of $3.6 million from the tour—$800,000 for already hosting the Barclays last summer, and then another $2.8 million over the next five years.The value of that agreement alone suggests Westchester feels it deserves more than $1 million to let the tour walk away.

Greetings From San Diego, Vol. 2

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sandiegogreetingsfrom.jpgA glorious day at Torrey Pines with few clouds, temperatures in the low 60s and lots of giddy anticipation for...the 11 and 3 pm mandatory player meetings to discuss the new drug policy. I saw the Commish walk by and only fear that the players were subjected to lengthy presentations by golf's first $5 million suit.

Still, I managed to have some nice chats with several veteran players about topics of interest related to stories I'm working on. It's always refreshing to know that for every guy who is just happy to be there playing for $6 million, the Bob Tway's, Joe Durrant's, Geoff Ogilvy's and Duffy Waldorf's give the game a lot of thought.

However, that meant I missed Jason Day's sitdown with the scribblers but would imagine he was not quite so audacious in his stated aspirations.

The combination of the football playoffs going dark this weekend and the strong field had many on site wondering if this would be a more appropriate place to start the PGA Tour season. Not sure what you do with Hawaii and the Hope, but that was the vibe on the putting green.

I know your day has been made so much better by that spellbinding speculation.

Images From Torrey Pines: 14th Green

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The par-4 14th may be the best and worst change in the new look Torrey Pines. Best with the tree removal and embrace of the canyon, and worst because the canyon use could have been even better. The bunkers that look airlifted onto the landscape left protect balls from heading into the hazard, a feature I dread. Click to enlarge the image.

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(Click on image to enlarge)