Jordan Banished To Olympic Club For Prez Cup Opening Ceremony

Granted, there are worse places to be banished to, still, Sam Weinman reports the hilariously embarrassing move by the PGA Tour to "suggest" that the famous assistant captain not join the team on the stage. This inspired caddies to pencil "23" onto their caps in a paper-trail free way of suggesting to the golf media that they pop out of their little tent and as, "why have you penciled 23 onto your cap?"

"He had the right to attend, but it was suggested he not be on the stage as part of the team," the official said.

David Dusek reports that Commissioner Finchem apologized to the team for the...oversight?

Reader Cardinal attended the ceremony and says Barry Bonds was there while Jordan was downing Olympic Club cheeseburgers and enjoying the freedom of using cigars to induce halitosis:

I thought you'd like to know about my favorite "only in San Francisco" moment of the opening ceremonies yesterday.  Barry Bonds attended (but was not announced).  When he entered the ceremony area, however, the crowd started buzzing and when people recognized him, he received a standing ovation and many loving shouts of "Bar-ry! Bar-ry! Bar-ry!"  He was so happy, smiling and waving from his seat. 

The day one reports focused on the star power watching round one. Steve Elling writes:

At one point, Stricker looked over and saw Barry Bonds, baseball's career home run king, watching their alternate-shot match. Right about then, Michael Jordan -- who is serving as a volunteer assistant on the U.S. team -- tooled past in an electric cart.

Talk about a confluence of firepower. Woods, Jordan and Bonds at that instant were within 30 yards of each other, representing the most impactful, jaw-dropping talents in their respective sports in the modern era. Stricker could hardly argue that point.

"Wow, that's true, and I hadn't thought of that," he laughed.

Thomas Bonk says the atmosphere was postively weird, with the aforementioned star power joined by Jim Plunkett, Jerry West and way too many people crowding the first tee to be in Tim Finchem's presence. Oh, and there was a marshal who has a very persistent caller.

It wasn't a camera, but a cellular phone that was obviously the wrong number for Ogilvy on the next hole. Needing to make an eight-foot putt to save the hole, Ogilvy had to back off when a phone rang. He stood over the ball again, just as the phone rang again. Ogilvy marked his ball, started his routine again, and the phone rang once more.

As it turns out, the phone belonged to a marshal, who had been too chagrined to acknowledge he was the one messing up.

"That was a little awkward," Stricker said.

But if that wasn't embarrassing enough, someone in the gallery yelled something at Ogilvy just before he missed the putt.

"He said 'Noonan,'" said Stricker, referring to the famed line in the movie, "Caddyshack".

Woods wound up apologizing to Ogilvy for the remark.

Good move. Gallery Caddyshack references are so 1998.

Meanwhile, reader Charlie caught this Randell Mell blog post that makes it sound like we're missing the real drama. It's taking place in the team room ping pong arena and Phil came prepared.

And finally, Rex Hoggard reports on the strange and perhaps controversial ending to the Furyk-Leonard/Goosen-Yang match.