Wild Sunday Open Thread

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Geoff Ogilvy has already won the Australian Open but we can't see it here in the states because of a full line-up that includes a meaningful finale at the Chevron World Challenge for Tiger, the Nedbank in South Africa, the LPGA Tour Championship and the second-to-last round of PGA Tour Q-school. Let me know what you see.

"There's no way Jack Nicklaus designed these greens. They are mental."

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Thanks to The Constructivist over at Mostly Harmless for catching these comments from Laura Davies on Grand Cypress, home to this week's LPGA Tour Championship. I would have caught these were it not the fourth most interesting event this week!

Q. Tell us about the course. It's pretty challenging. What do you think of it?

LAURA DAVIES: This one? It's my favorite course in Florida. We played here years ago in the late 90s and 2000. It's always been my favorite course in Florida. I like the grass here. It's better. It's not so--the weird grass that Florida has. I don't know the difference between them but it's much spongier and I like it. The layout is fantastic, but the grass is good, too. I don't know what they did with the greens. Someone went mental on the greens. I don't know what happened there. Someone said Jack Nicklaus did it, but I don't believe that. Someone said Jack changed it; well, he must have been having a very bad day. (Laughter).

Q. Someone said that he had to oversee it for it to remain a Nicklaus design.

LAURA DAVIES: Well, he might have been in a helicopter above (laughter) or flown over and said "that will do" or something. There's no way Jack Nicklaus designed these greens. They are mental.

Clearly Laura needs to get out to Sherwood to see some of Jack's finest greens. She'd retract those comments in a heartbeat!

"In-Kyung Kim Donates Winnings To Ochoa’s Foundation"

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Tom Edrington reports that In-Kyung Kim gave an incredible gift after winning the Ochoa Invitational. Thanks to reader Kevin for the link.

Kim announced that she’s donating half of her winner’s check to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation and she’ll give the rest to a charity in the United States, perhaps in her hometown of San Diego.

“I went to Lorena’s party and I saw the kids and how she is helping kids with her foundation. I decided if I win, I will be giving all the money to people who need help,” Kim said of her generous decision.

Quite Possibly The World's Worst 36-Hole Complex Lands LPGA Event**

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They played here once, the women hated it, so they return again and this time add the vile Babe Zaharias course to the tournament's first two rounds, with the conclusion once again on the wretched Eisenhower 18. And that was when the resort had the wonderful Ralph Miller Golf Library, which has since been closed, so we are talking about a place with zero golf karma.
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"Ms. Evans declined to comment."

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The NY Times' Susanne Craig and Peter Lattman ponder the oddity of the folks who live in the revolving door world of corporate boards somehow retaining their prized place in that incestuous little world even after they've been part of a number of stinkers. One of golf's higher profile personalities from not too long ago was prominently featured for her fine work at Lehman Brothers, but oddly, her support of Brand Lady Bivens during her LPGA Board days was not noted.
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"We don't seem to be headed the way of men's tennis, as an example, or perhaps the LPGA Tour where, on the leader boards, you are sometimes lacking in American presence."

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John Paul Newport landed a lengthy sit down with Commissioner Tim Finchem and lived to write about it. Considering it was the WSJ, I figured we'd get at least one nice bit of jargon, but instead we just got a nice jab at the LPGA. Or at least, a jab in Finchemspeak, which is merely a long, tortured sentence.
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“Any discussion about cheating in the situation that arose last week with players Shi Hyun Ahn and Il Mi Chung is irresponsible."

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Beth Ann Baldry follows up with Shi Hyun Ahn's agent and gets a strong statement from the LPGA Tour on accusations of cheating by Ahn and Il Mi Chung. Of course, the identity of Ahn's caddie, who started the speculation, remains a mystery. Which really doesn't help clear this up entirely.