Some Bearing...?

Due to my travels, I've only had a brief chance to glance over the Tour Championship stories this week and feel like I've missed...so little.

Far more interesting for largely selfish reasons was Thomas Bonk's LA Times story on Bearing Point taking over for Nissan as host of what most of us will continue to call the L.A. Open.

Just typing out loud here, but this move would seem to have several ramifications beyond the most obvious: Phil Mickelson should become a Riviera regular since his great showing there this year and his lucrative deal with Bearing Point.

And Bonk noted in his golf column today that this virtually guarantees that Phil will not return to the Bob Hope where the rotation has been weakened and everyone's insensitivity to golf architecture has deservedly caught up to the folks running the event.  

But again, just typing out loud here, Bearing Point's sponsorship could mean a couple of more things:

- Is Phil Mickelson going to be the host of the LA Open ala Tiger at Washington D.C. and the AT&T National? It seems unlikely since the L.A. Open has been an open event since 1926 and it's hard to imagine the Junior Chamber of Commerce or a sponsor daring to impact that tradition. Then again, if the Western Open is gone, anything's possible.

- Could it be that Phil's current gripe with the Commissioner has something to do with the Bearing Point Open...oh that hurt to type...and a possible denial by Ponte Vedra of Phil serving as the "host" ala Tiger in Washington D.C.? 

- With the traffic, apparently bumpy greens, the Target World Challenge locked into Sherwood and Phil/Bearing Point dominating the scene at Riviera, have we seen the last of Tiger Woods at Riviera?

Anyway, just a few thoughts. I guess we'll find out more when the official announcement is made.