After a late evening at the 63rd Annual Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Awards Dinner, Unplayable Lies gave it's entire staff some flex time off this morning. But we're now open for business, and business is good...
Actual Eyeballs - We've noted the many ratings tumbles in the men's golf world this year, attributed to blowout wins, the absence of Tiger or the unusual level of sunspot activity. So it's nice to have some actual good news to report, especially about the ladies. From Shackelford (though his link takes one to an ESPN page related to a previously-unknown sporting event called the World Cup):
From NBC/Golf Channel:- NBC's coverage of the final round of the U.S. Women's Open drew a 1.67 overnight rating in metered markets, up 92% from a year ago (3-6P; 0.87). This was the highest final round overnight at this event since 2007 (3-6:15P; 1.9).
Small numbers compared to other sports, but at least bigger small numbers.
Torrey On His Mind - Having declared the experiment a success, Shack posts in the Loop to advocate going back-to-back with these back-to-back Opens, as follows:
The only beef with Pinehurst was the locale. While the Sandhills are wonderful and the heart of America's golfing core last century and this, inhabited by all sorts of nice folks with great spots to dine, two straight weeks was a lot on the people of Southern Pines and the Village of Pinehurst. It's not that they can't do it again, but if the USGA is to replicate this in the future, a larger region with more options for lodging and off-course activities needs to be part of the decision-making process.Add up all of these elements and there is one no-brainer for another back-to-back: Torrey Pines.The men are slated to go there for the 2021 U.S. Open. Adding a U.S. Women's Open to the week before that men's event should be a USGA priority.
It's well worth a read to review his logic, and he doesn't even touch on the true selling point to the USGA and Fox, which is prime time telecasts. I think there's a far broader message here, which is to finds ways to showcase the Women's Open, and you'll be rewarded with ratings and buzz. My only hesitation with Shack's suggestion to go B-to-B there is, as he notes, that's it's quite the dreadfully boring golf course. But he's spot on that this is one of the few venues where it's logistically doable, though I don't see any scenario in which the men go second and Keegan uses Michelle's yardage book.
I Thought These Guys Were Good - We take time out from our regularly scheduled blogging about the stellar play of Tour professionals, to make everyone feel better about their own games. Alex Myers trolls the bottom of the PGA Tour statistics pages and comes up with this:
OK, so when we say "ALL TIME" we really mean since 2004 when the PGA Tour startedkeeping track of strokes/gained putting. Nevertheless, Kyle Stanley's performance on the greens this season has been remarkably bad.Stanley currently ranks last on the PGA Tour in strokes gained/putting at -1.607. That's last out of 191 qualified players.Yes, someone always has to be ranked last, but never before has the gap between the last guy and the next-to-last guy been so pronounced. Lucas Glover is second worst in the category at -1.196. That's more than a 34 percent difference between the two!
That's an enormous amount of strokes to be ceding to the field, and as Myers notes, it comes at a bad time as Stanley's two-year exemption for winning in Phoenix has lapsed. He's a good ball-striker, but he'd need to be Justin Rose-good just to break even and get back to average.
Living The Dream - The Back9 Network, a fledgling "Golf Lifestyle" Channel, announced that it has signed a deal to be carried on DirectTV, and has hired forty people after signing the contract. Peter Finch interviews network president Carlos Silver here, but the far juicier take on this comes via Dan Haar in Hartford Courant, including linkage to the debate over the pending Comcast-TimeWarner Cable merger:
 |
| Living large on the taxpayers' dime. |
Bosworth, known as Jamie, told the Senate Judiciary Committee about his efforts to gain a place on one of the nation's four large outlets for pay TV. Without that, Back9Network's $7.5 million buildout of a studio on Constitution Plaza could sit underused. The company's $30 million in investors' money, including $5 million from Connecticut taxpayers, could look like a bad bet.
So we have Comcast's high-paid lobbyists rolling Back9's influential ties to the Connecticut political elite...is this a great country or what? Most folks would wait to build the $7.5 million studio until they had, you know, a business, but standards tend to be a bit lower when it's someone else's money. As for the taxpayers of the state of Connecticut, nothing to see here...
The only thing missing from this story is an ugly divorce.....Oops, gotcha covered:
The preening Bosworths have parted. The former Jennifer Lahmers is suing James Bosworth
Preening in happier times. for divorce, according to Connecticut court records. The two were married in Carmel, California on July 2, 2011.
They have maintained a high public profile in Hartford since launching the Back9Network a struggling louche online and cable venture much favored by the Malloy administration. Taxpayers have poured more than $5 million into the startup that has attracted much criticism for its misogynist underscoring. The company raised eyebrows when it hired a former postman, the spouse of Malloy’s chief of staff, after receiving millions in taxpayer funds.
Jennifer Bosworth was a frequent face of the operation. She is seeking temporary alimony as the case proceeds.
If they had burned the $30 million, at least they'd have gotten some heat...
Rabbits Live Well - Hunter Mahan has had a decent career, winning a few events and there was also the Golf Boys gig... But lately his game as been such that you're more likely to see him on a milk carton than a leaderboard. But the thing is, between Ping commercials and appearance fees, no need to organize a rent party:
For those lacking sufficient motivation to get to the driving range, we point you to Hunter Mahan's lavish Dallas-area mansion, which he and wife Kandi have put on the market for $9.5 million.
Now, you get quite a bit for $9.5 million, and that's just an opening offer, they'd no doubt take $9 million even. And it's got a pool:
Or perhaps you're a hoops fan:
I guess Kandi and Hunter would be the target demo for the Back9 Network.
What Would it Take to Put You In a Ryder Cup Today - One of the recurring outrages in our game is that the powers-that-be continue to take the Ryder Cup, the best event in golf, to dreadfully boring venues.
Both sides are guilty, though the PGA of America has marginally redeemed itself with its choice of Bethpage Black, where the crowds will be a bit loud. The Euro's have actually put their bidding specs in writing and, well, Shackelfrod is only human:
From the official Ryder Cup site, notes on the "Bidding Process."
It is expected that bids will be submitted from a wide range of countries whose players are eligible for selection to The European Team and who are sure to benefit in a similar manner to previous host countries from the unique sporting eminence of The Ryder Cup.
That would seem to rule out Dubai, mercifully.
KEY BID CRITERIA FOR THE 2022 RYDER CUP
1. Demonstrable Government, Political, Institutional and Golfing Community support
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
2. Commitment to the development of a world-class golf facility (new or existing) to host The 2022 Ryder Cup
God forbid we'd use one that's proven itself worthy, like The Old Course.
3. Provision of ancillary facilities, suitable access and infrastructure commensurate with the staging of an international sporting event, including proximity to a major international city
4. Commercial opportunities available to The Ryder Cup
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
5. Contribution of the Bid Country to the development of golf, for example:
Ø Legacy
Ø Contribution to the professional game
Ø Integration of golf within tourism and business communities
Ø Development of levels of golf participation
Ø Professional tournament golf at all levels
Ø Contribution to The Ryder Cup: eg Player eligibility and participation
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Hard to miss their primary objective, isn't it? We'll all see what this begets in September, when the world gets it's first look at the dreadful Nicklaus Centennial Course at Gleneagles. It'll have us pining for the Belfry...
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