Week In Review Jan 1-7: ABC Out

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WeekInReview2.jpgA lot of bloggers recap the week and I'm not really sure why. Therefore, I'm joining the week-in-review club.

Besides looking back at posts from the week, I'll sometimes highlight discussion threads and user comments of the week (just in case you missed them). 

Which reminds me, I've started a thread on the Discuss Tournaments page about Kapalua and the new look greens. Curious what you all think.

Since Sunday:

  • Lonard and Campbell had some interesting comments about the Mercedes no-shows.
  • I previewed the year in tournament courses while Steve Elling looked at possible stories for 2006.
  • Stu Schneider had the first scoop on the TV deal. The big news of the wee was not pretty for fans or the Tour: ABC is out.  Others weighed in. I asked a question.  John Steinbreder reported later in the week that ESPN had walked away from the negotiating table. And Larry Bohannon wrote what many are sensing: that ego is may be getting in the way of common sense.
  • Jerry Potter interviewed Tim Finchem, who had little of interest to say, though he did slip on the subject of the USGA "experimenting" with rolled back balls. 
  • I rambled on about lack of truly thrilling do-or-die situations in golf that leads to thought provoking Monday-morning quarterbacking.
  • And Dan G. started a thread on what people are watching this year.

There were plenty of fine reader comments this week, highlighted by this from Mark Smolens on the news that the Tour was cutting its purse subsidies by 12%:

So the Western Golf Association, whose entire reason for existence is to provide college educations for kids who caddy, is supposed to come up with an additional 12% for its purse? Kinda makes that Drive for a Billion seem like nothing more than words doesn't it?