Ogilvy Getting Into Politics, PGA Tour Style

Doug Ferguson's weekly AP notes include items on Bill Clinton getting the best political advice he's ever gotten from Tom Watson, a note on the retirement of Augusta National's Jim Armstrong and this insider item on Geoff Ogilvy's nomination to be a chairman of the Players Advisory Council. If elected he'd be elevated to the Policy Board.

The election would be historic because no international player has ever been on the policy board, even though one-third of the players are not U.S.-born.

“It would be interesting to be on the board. This is an interesting time for the tour,” Ogilvy said. “I’m not inclined that way, but I am interest in the operations of the tour.”

The former U.S. Open champion, who also has three World Golf Championships to his credit, is not about to campaign for votes.

He’s not even sure what players want in a chairman and future board member.

“I would have said at least 50 percent of the players don’t mind who the board members are and really don’t care about the operating of events. As long as they get $6 million to play for 30 times a year, they’re happy _ and they like the way the courses are set up. That’s pretty much the interest of half the tour. They don’t go much further than that. They vote for their friends, I would think. That’s how politics work in general, isn’t it?”

"They fly across oceans. It's grand, which is what describes the shot."

The hate mail has been rolling in over the use of double eagle to describe Louis Oosthuizen's 2012 Masters final round 2 at No. 2. As a maker of a 2 on a par-5 (like how I slipped that in, Johnny Miller style?), I can say that I've never once called it an albatross, and the historical record would seem to suggest double eagle has been part of the golf lexicon longer than albatross.

But as Doug Ferguson points out in this weekly AP notes column, double eagle really doesn't make sense since technically it's four-under par.

It's known as an "albatross" everywhere but in the United States, no doubt because of Sarazen, yet Sarazen once referred to his shot as a "dodo," and so the mystery continues.

"I didn't know what a double eagle was until I came to the U.S.," Geoff Ogilvy once said. "Maybe they couldn't think of a word for something better than an eagle, so they called it double eagle. But it's not really a double eagle, it's an eagle-and-a-half."

Scoring terminology went to the birds long ago.

According to the "Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms," the word "birdie" came from the American slang of something special. The story goes that three men were playing the par-4 second hole at The Country Club in Atlantic City, N.J., when Ab Smith's second shot stopped inches from the hole and he called it a "bird of a shot." That led to a shot one under par being called a birdie. That was in 1903.

Thus began the use of birds in scoring, such as an eagle, and so "albatross" makes sense.

"It's a good bird, isn't it?" Ogilvy said. "They fly across oceans. It's grand, which is what describes the shot."

Ogilvy's 63 Sets Up Showdown With Poulter

Three bogies and he still shoots 63 on his home course. It was great fun to watch from the 4-under through 3 hole start, and sets up a fun JBWere Masters final day with Ian Poulter just two back.

Bruce Matthews notes that 63 tied the Victoria course record previously set by John Wade in 2004.

Allenby-Ogilvy Reunion At Victoria Will Be Purely Accidental

Martin Blake on the possibility of Presidents Cup mates Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy finding themselves paired together at this week's JBWere Masters at the must-see Victoria GC.

According to the man who creates the groupings, the Australasian PGA Tour's tournaments director Andrew Langford-Jones, it is the last thing golf wants. ''They'll be on opposite sides of the draw, most likely, not together,'' said Langford-Jones yesterday. ''The focus should be on the golf, not on personality clashes.''

Allenby and Ogilvy, teammates in Greg Norman's International team in the Presidents Cup last month, had a public argument in a restaurant area on the last night of the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum. Ogilvy is furious Allenby was quoted as blaming him for some of his bad results at the Presidents Cup, where he was the only player of 24 in the field who did not score a point. It has been reported he demanded an apology from Allenby, who had suggested they settle the matter outside.

No Don Kings: Managers Downplay Ogilvy-Allenby Stoush

Mark Hayes offers this from Robert Allenby's ten-percenter in rounding up Sunday's post-Presidents Cup confrontation prompted by Allenby's inability to take personal responsibility for his play:

His manager, Tony Bouffler, was confident there would be no lasting ramifications.

"All I know is that they have been good mates and I'm sure will continue to be so in the future," he said.

Martin Blake talks to Geoff Ogilvy's man:

''Look, it wasn't TV Ringside or anything,'' said Paul Galli, Ogilvy's manager. ''I wasn't there, but from what I've been told, it's a storm in a teacup. There were a few words spoken. They will be fine. I've got no doubt they can come together at the [Australian] Masters in a few weeks, have a beer and move on.''

Blake also notes the harsh reaction of former touring pro Paul Gow on his podcast with Luke Elvy, where they also talk about Greg Chalmers' dilemma in pursuing the Australian Masters along with other notes from the Australian PGA week.

But former US PGA Tour professional Paul Gow said it was time Allenby bit his lip in pressure situations.

"I think he acts like a five-year-old when he plays golf," Gow said in his weekly Playing Around podcast with Channel 10 commentator Luke Elvy.

"He has to understand he plays golf for a living. He was in a team environment and to throw out those comments was really immature.

"It's probably time for Robert to grow up, let his clubs do the talking because he's a really, really good player. With this attitude, he will probably never win a major."

Allenby Challenges Ogilvy To Take It Outside, And That's Not A Backswing Reference

Brent Read reports on Robert Allenby's continued meltdown over his horrible Presidents Cup play, with Geoff Ogilvy's Sunday tweet perhaps fueling an "ugly spat" Sunday night following Australian PGA play.

Allenby and Ogilvy exchanged words at the Hyatt Coolum on Queensland's Sunshine Coast where the pair were playing in the Australian PGA with the former believed to have challenged his long-time friend to take the matter outside.

The incident took place in the village square at the Hyatt, where players, caddies, family members and the public were celebrating Greg Chalmers's victory earlier that day. At least one glass was broken before Allenby, who lost the play-off at the PGA that day to Chalmers, walked away, prompting Bronx cheers from a section of those in attendance.

Ah that must have really soothed his ego.

Ogilvy responded with a tweet that read: "Warms the heart to see Robert playing so well this week." Ogilvy later told media the tweet was genuine, although Allenby is believed to have taken offence at what he felt was a piece of sarcasm. It is understood he questioned Ogilvy over the tweet and his Victorian counterpart responded by asking why Allenby refused to take responsibility for his play.

The conversation degenerated to the point where a glass was broken and an offer was made to take the matter outside.

Allenby left the country but will be back for the Australian Masters at Victoria in a few weeks. Victoria, a splendid design, is Ogilvy's boyhood home course.

Update on 2011-11-28 16:09 by Geoff

***New details of the "stoush" from Sportal's Steve Orme, courtesy of reader Chris:

And when Allenby sauntered over to Ogilvy's table and sat down at around 9.15pm on Sunday night, the 2006 US Open champion immediately made his dissatisfaction known.

He was overheard accusing Allenby of throwing him under the bus and openly questioned his character, which sent the four-time PGA winner into a rage.

Allenby inadvertently broke a wine glass and screamed 'do you want to go?' (fight), prompting Ogilvy, who was surrounded by seven friends, to get out of his chair in front of a captivated and stunned audience.

Common sense prevailed as Allenby softened his approach momentarily.

But the argument soon flared up again as Ogilvy unsuccessfully sought an apology.

The ugly stoush escalated once again as Allenby invited his adversary to meet him outside of the main square, to which Ogilvy quipped 'I'd like that'.

Allenby subsequently stormed out as Ogilvy sat calmly.

"The people at Augusta National know how cool that second green is."

Geoff Ogilvy's column in this week's Golf World features some fun insights, but I'm really glad he's touting the underrated second hole, quite possibly the neatest green on the course and mercifully, still shining strategically because the lay-up area hasn't been clogged with trees or rough.

The course is so good because, so often, it allows us to choose how we want to play. My favorite hole is the 13th, but one of the most interesting is the par-5 second. Almost every player in the field has a different theory on where they ideally want to leave the second shot. Some people will lay up way right for the left-side hole location, way left for the right-side spot. But others will always take the former route, no matter where the hole location is. From there you have a backstop when the pin is on the right. Other guys like to lay up in the gap between the bunkers. From there you can use the slopes on the green to get the ball close.

So everyone stands at the top of the hill visualizing slightly different third shots. Everyone has a place where they are more comfortable. And there is no right or wrong. There is just personal preference. To me, that's the mark of a truly great hole.

I'm clearly not alone in feeling that way. The people at Augusta National know how cool that second green is. It's the one putting surface that has been replicated almost exactly on the new range. It's about 60 yards off the practice tee and is so much fun to hit to.

Ogilvy went into more detail about design changes he'd like to see at the course for Alan Bastable at golf.com. Nice to see he's a dreamer...

"This is more of an aesthetics thing, but my ultimate fantasy would be to get the course as close -- in modern distances -- to what MacKenzie and Jones came up with. It was just wild and wacky and there was some really cool stuff like the original ninth green, which was like a big horseshoe. The original bunkers were a little bit jagged and rugged, like the one down on 10. They kind of had that 'MacKenzie shape' to them, a bit like the Cypress Point look. I don't think there is anybody who would argue that Augusta doesn't look good now, but that would be interesting exercise -- to take all the original pictures, dating back to first tournament in 1934, and try to recreate that golf course. I think it would look amazing."