Flotsam and Jetsam™ - Tryptophan Edition

I've been a bad, bad blogger recently...so many silly stories, so little time.  OK, let's dive in and hope you don't have any pressing engagements, as we may go long.

Aussie Rules - The Australian swing keeps guys like yours truly from a late-season case of the DT's.  I mean what's a fellow to do, when thje Race to the CME FedEX Cup finishes in Dubai?  The three event series is notable for strong venues (nothing beats last year's back-to-back at Royal Melbourne), decent fields and great accents on the broadcast crew.

The third round of the Australian Open finished at zero dark thirty here on the East coast, and the sponsors and networks won't be pleased.  here's a quick summary from a chap named Matt Cleary who was live-blogging the proceedings:

Rory McIlroy? It’s been a car accident. Maybe not a car accident. But the famous Irish

Rory tees off Saturday on the first hole.

Wolfhound, the World No.1 with a bullet, the outstanding champion golfer of his generation and a few others ... he’s six-over today, with a hole to go. And his round has gone: 

4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 7 - 38.

6 2 4 5 5 3 5 4 ? - 

Whatever. He’s out of this. He’s 2-over. Everyone else will have to sleep in for Rory to defend his title. Moving day has claimed a massive scalp.

A disappointment no doubt, but the young Ulsterman has had an OK season.  And they have an attractive leaderboard nonetheless, with Jordan Spieth, Greg Chalmers and the unkown Brett Rumford tied for the lead, with Aussies Adam Scott and Rod Pampling one back.  Chalmers, if you don't know, is one of the best putters on the planet, though that skill wasn't necessary for this shot-of-the-week:

You can level with us Greg, was that the fan at whom you were aiming?

Rio Loco - Vol. XXXVIV - Praise be Allah, Olympic Golf is saved:

A Rio de Janeiro judge on Wednesday denied a request from prosecutors to halt construction of the Olympic golf course because of environmental concerns, curtailing fears that the venue won't be ready in time for test events. 

Judge Eduardo Antonio Klausner said in his decision that there is "no new fact justifying ... a halt in the implementation of the golf course for the Olympics." 

He said changes made by the city and the course developer partially attended to the prosecutors' demands to protect the local environment.

Shackelford is even more indispensable than usual on this story due to his long working relationship with Gil Hanse.  So do refill the coffee mug and enjoy this link-rich rant:

This is the same judge, who was said by the AP to have previouslydecided to stop the

project in five days pending the creation of three news holes, according to an AP report. Those five days turned into nearly a month.

This is the same judge who prosecutors tried to influence with this leaked tale, which followed another leak of prosecutorial frustration during negotiations with the land owner controlling the site of 2016 Olympic golf. And these are the same prosecutors who just a few days ago were asking for new reasons to stop the project (miraculously reported by the AP) while the judge was weighing his final decision. 

It all adds up to a whole bunch of nothing.

I'll beg to differ with that last sentence, as I'm guessing there were beaucoup  Reals in the brown paper envelope that showed up on the judge's stoop.  This is just how they roll in Brazil, and I'm confident that showcasing golf in its best light is their highest priority.

Bushmills on the Rocks - This was intended to be included with my prior post on golf course development and restoration updates, but the mind isn't quite what it used to be.  But word came via the Beeb that the Bushmills Dunes project in Northern Ireland is foundering:

Land earmarked for the controversial Bushmills Dunes scheme on County Antrim's north coast is in the process of being sold to an alternative buyer.

The resort proposal, which included a five-star hotel and 70 golf lodges, had attracted strong opposition. 

Environmentalists objected because of its proximity to the causeway, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

There were unresolved financing issue remaining after securing approval for a David McClay Kidd design, but then Dr. Alistair Hanna, the developer, passed away.  Theresa's erstwhile pen pal, Mike Keiser, was known to be looking at the project as well, though his attention these days seems to be focused on the Dingle Peninsula.

For those unfamiliar with the area, the Giant's Causeway is a major tourist attraction in Northern Ireland, described thusly by Wikipedia:

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

I'm quite sure that this isn't the last we've heard of this project, which is a truly spectacular property.  And while I'm usually not a fan of the ultra-luxury resorts in this part of the world, in this case I think the Portrush area and Northern Ireland in totality would benefit from additional golf options as a magnet for the traveling golfer.  And there's a video at the link that will give you an idea of how spectacular that part of the world is.

Hello Friends - 'Tis the silly season, and Shackelford got very silly, indeed.  He was intrigued by the recent Fox hires (Brad Faxon, Juli Inkster and Steve Flesch), and invests some time and pixels into series of match-play brackets.  He even channels the WGC Match Play tradition of naming brackets after legends, thus we have the Bob Rossberg On-Course bracket, presumably including their versions of "He's got no chance, Johnny."  Here's his take on the that bracket's semifinal:

Inkster has been listed as an on-course reporter, but the wily LPGA veteran only hangs around against the huge favorite Feherty as long as she does due to Feherty inexplicably breaking into tears talking about the first time Tiger passed gas in his presence.

Funny that, as just the other day I was noting Feherty's flatulence-enabling relationship with Tiger.  

Give it a read if you enjoy making fun of the talking heads, and who amongst us doesn't?

Skins Nostalgia - Lots of gauzy remembrances of The Skins Game, the former Thanksgiving weekend staple that kicked-off on this weekend in 1983:

Those familiar with hitting persimmon drivers can recall when Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson debuted a new event in 1983, one that had an impressive 25-year run.

And here's a list of high-points:

Through the years, several indelible images were burned into viewers' memory: a rules

controversy in Year 1 between Player and Watson; Arnie, wearing green velvet pants, hitting his ball with his backside against a cactus only protected by a bag cover; Lee Trevino acing in 1987; and Fred Couples winning five times, earning the unofficial title Mr. Skins and so much money (more than $3.5 million) that the end of the year became known as the Silly Season as more big-money, limited-field events popped up.

 A couple of notes, as you've come to expect from me.  First, it was Watson calling out Player in that first Skins Game by saying, "Gary, we're tired of this s**t."  Because there are more allegations of rules breaches from Player than all other players combined.  If you ever want to get an earful, ask a Royal Lytham member about that subject...

Secondly, isn't using a bag cover for protection pretty much the same thing as using a towel under your knee in hitting a shot?  Craig Stadler could not be reached for comment.

Lastly, my enduring memory of the Skins Game was when they got Tiger to play at the height of the Long John Daly craze, and painted yardage stripes on the fairways.  

And if you're not yet sated on this subject, Golf.com has a lengthy slideshow of Skins Game photos here.  For me, this one about sums it up:

No worries, David, it's probably just the tryptophan.

Odds and Sods - Lots of odd photos out there in the last week, so submitted for your approval:

Henrik, we already knew about your...ummm...prodigious length:

Get a room, you two!

While they took place at the same tournament, we are definitively not implying any connection between this and the prior photo:

I've heard of swinging out of your shoes...that's Luke Donald by the way, though the astute reader knows tour pros by their butts.

Former Golf Channel babe Holly Sonders did a Sports Illustrated photo shoot, and to highlight her appeal to the golf audience they had her pose in plus fours:

Keep it classy, girl.

Speaking as we were of classy, how about this tasteful gift that Floyd Mayweather gave his son on his 15th birthday:

You know he's bring up the young man in the right way by the two canisters of divot mix.

Lastly, another Golf.com slideshow, this one of the weirdest golf courses, including this Desmond Muirhead offering:

Stone Harbor
Some called architect Desmond Muirhead a genius; Tom Doak called him a quack. That said, his work is on full display at this southern New Jersey club that incorporates Greek mythology themes into each hole.

Muirhead was quite the character, but let's not forget that he was also Nicklaus' design partner on Muirfield Village, and that worked out well.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2014/11/26/3447577_rio-wins-legal-battle-over-olympic.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Course Corrections

There's an accumulation of news about places to play that we'll throw together in one post.

Most Anticipated - Per Golf.com, the most anticipated new venue for 2015 is, envelope please, Cabot Cliffs, the Coore-Crenshaw sibling of Cabot Links.  It's in the form of a photo gallery, so take a spin and enjoy the spectacular vistas, such as the 180-yard, Par-3 16th below:

When he finally found the words, Kooch remarked: “I never thought I’d see something that made Cypress Point seem small.”

It's certainly eagerly anticipated by your humble correspondent, though given the cyclical low in golf course construction it's not the most competitive of categories.

Most in Need of Further Corrections - Have you been glued to the Back9 network?  Good luck finding it, and you're on the clock as it isn't likely to be there for long. Thanks to Shack for picking up on this get, a tour of TPC Scottsdale with designer Tom Weiskopf that the younger Shack knows how to embed but that this old guy can't figure out.

Thanks to Geoff for the screen shot of the Mickey Mouse bunker.

I'm sure you read Shack's post while you were there, and I must agree with his comments.  First, he notes the omission of any mention of Jay Morish, with whom Weiskopf initially designed this and many other courses.  Bad on you for abetting such nonsense, Back9, as Jay is a talented guy and deserves his original design credit.

I don't get the white-white bunker sand any more than Geoff does, as it seems quite jarring in contrast to the desert surroundings, and we've previously discussed the artificial looking coffin bunker and church pew bunkers.

Most in Need of an IED - Forgive the excessive number of Shack links in this post, but we're in his sandbox on this subject.  But Geoff deserves a lifetime achievement award for catching this item from The Australian (newspaper, that is) about The Australian (Golf Club).  First, some background from the piece:

The Golden Bear stayed at Packer’s Bellevue Hill home during the 1975 open and they became firm friends. It was on a fishing trip after the ’76 open that the pair discussed Nicklaus redesigning the old Kensington layout – and to have it in play for the ’77 championship.

So they fast-tracked it and Jack won three of his Australian Opens on the course, which recently consulted him about re-doing the greens.  Here's where the plot thickens:

“Jack absolutely jumped at the chance. His designers were on the ground in late 2010 working on what would be best to do. When the course was built in 1977 there were a lot of spectator mounds, now they’ve basically gone and the course looks much more natural.” 

The fairways were redone. Around 12,500 cubic metres of top soil was taken off back to the sand base. And, Jack sent his top green shaper Jerame Miller, one of the highest paid in the business, here for six weeks to supervise work on the greens.

“His work with his big D6 bulldozer was like an artist at work,” Selley says.

Chicks dig a guy who's good with a D6...  But this is the little nugget that screamed my name:

It’s almost four years to the day since the Nicklaus team hit the ground. It has cost $5 million with $1 million of that used on cart paths and it also has Nicklaus’ fee included. 

“Jack made three (inspection) visits during the construction. He doesn’t get on a plane for less than $250,000 to go to most parts of the world, but he threw those visits in at no extra costs,” Selley said.

 Well, if you want Jack Nicklaus Signature Cart Paths, it's gonna cost.  

Most Anticipated, Been-There, Done-That Division - The current edition of Met Golfer, the here.  

magazine of the NYC area MGA, carries a long article on Ferry Point which can be found

It's worth a read if only for the long account of the tortured history of the project, though he stays away from the absurd amount of money (the lowball number is $130 million) that the city has sunk into it.  Jeff Neuman, the writer, had a bit of a different take on how linksy the course will play, but we can agree to disagree for now until it grows in and we see how firm and fast they get it.

Dispatches From Tigerworld

My sense is that Tiger's new swing coach consultant is receiving generally positive notices, based upon the sens that a.) He's just not comfortable going it alone and, b.) He needs to find a way to swing the golf club without destroying what's left of certain important body parts (see knee, left).  But kudos to Alex Myers for finding this year-old video of Como teaching....well, perhaps you can help me here:

Ground force reaction, huh?  I see mandatory reductions for his position at entry, but otherwise it's hard to see how that helps a fellow unless and until you get that invite to play at zero gravity.

Meanwhile, Alex Miceli notwithstanding, Jenkinsgate is meandering towards the Recycle Bin, with only a spattering of loose ends to clean up.  One of those is Alan Bastable's interview with Players' Tribune editorial director Gary Hoenig, who explained how the Tiger hissy fit response came to the site:

“They were aware that we were encouraging athletes to speak their mind,” Tribune

editorial director Gary Hoenig told Golf.com in an e-mail. “I think they felt we were reaching a broader audience than their site.” 

Since the Tribune launched in October, several high-profile athletes have contributed first-person stories. NBA star Blake Griffin wrote a revealing piece about his experiences with disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Another NBA player, Jason Collins, announced his retirement on the Tribune. 

Woods is the first golfer to grab a byline. He and Jeter are friends. Both endorse the swoosh. And both are represented by Excel Sports Management. But, according to Hoenig, Jeter did not influence Woods' decision to write for the site. “Derek didn’t solicit the piece and only knew about it when we got it,” Hoenig says.

We know they're fiends because it was famously at Chez Jeter that Tiger met celebrity-handler extraordinaire Rachel Uchitel, and the rest is fire hydrant history.  But I thought that friends don't let friens write drunk, which he must have been to act like such a....what am I looking for here?  Oh yeah, to act like such a little girl!  OK, I'll never be President of the PGA of America, but that's a small price to pay for speaking truth to Tiger.

But credit Shackelford for the tip-in with this clarification of that "Broader audience" comment:

According to Quantcast TigerWoods.com is currently enjoying 634,000 monthly unique visitors. ThePlayersTribune.com is at 54,000.

Their appeal is just more, you know, selective (how's that for two Spinal tap references in a week?).

We'll give Gary Van Sickle the final word on this from his weekly Van Cynical Mailbag feature:

Well, the Golf Digest piece written by Jenkins, My Fake Interview With Tiger, wasn’t his funniest parody. But Tiger apparently didn’t get the fake part. Or the humor. And if Tiger doesn’t speak up, the article gets ignored and floats quietly away. Tiger and his management have been stunningly unaware of how media relations work throughout his career and this was another poor decision. It’s one thing for Tiger to think the story wasn’t funny. It’s another to call it “below the belt.” It was a parody, one that never would’ve happened if Tiger would’ve found time ONCE during the last 20 years to talk to the best American sportswriter of the 20th century. Jenkins was on a best-buddy basis with Arnie, Jack and even Hogan, to name a few. Take a hint, Tiger.

True that, and I do mean all of that.  If you're Tiger Woods you've had to put up with a million meaningless interviews with the Tom Rinaldi's of the world, just a part of the job.  But the one writer that's more interesting than the interview subject and since 1996 Tiger hasn't found the time to have even an off-the-record beer with the man?  It's just inexplicably shameful and shamefully inexplicable.  No doubt it's much more satisfying to swap stories of the good old days with Rachel Uchitel...

Como Ça va?

Opinions are like....well, the discriminating reader will know how that one goes.  So let's check in on everyone's opinion of Tigers new swing coach consultant.  Hank Gola, writing in the Daily News, had this note of concern:

But according to a veteran caddie familiar with Como’s teaching methods, Woods, who

many feel got too technical and complicated under Foley, is headed down a similar path with Como. 

Como, said the caddie, is “way worse than Foley, way too technical. This guy will try to get Tiger a putting coach, a statistician, a green reading guy, etc. It’s his worse choice ever. He can turn a guy from an athlete into a golf geek.”

Hey buddy, I resemble that last remark!  And later in the piece, there was this:

Como, 37, two years younger than Woods, coaches Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman and Jamie Lovemark. Baddeley, who credited Como with turning his game around in 2014, was the only one of the three to retain his PGA Tour card last year. Immelman is the only one of those who has a major, although he wasn’t working with Como when he won the Masters in 2008.

I guess that Baddely went to him after the Stack-and-Tilt nonsense didn't work out.  But the Immelman link is perfect, since they both, you know, last won a major in 2008.  I'll be here all week, folks...please don't forget to tip your waitress.  

James Corrigan digs a little deeper, though first gives us this telling tidbit:

Como is relatively unknown within the trade as shown by the fact that when Woods announced on Twitter that “Chris will consult and work with me during the year”, the rush to discover more about the 36-year-old from Texas caused his personal website to crash.

I hat when that happens...(if only).  But this is what I found of interest:

However, the most interesting aspect concerning Como is the master’s degree he is in process of completing and the identity of his teacher. According to Golf Digest, Dr Young-Hoo Kwon “is widely considered the foremost expert in golf biomechanics and ‘sport injury mechanism’.” 

Woods has suffered a catalogue of injuries over the years, the most recent being the back injury on which he required surgery in March and which has caused 2014 to be a write-off in his quest to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors. It would be a huge positive to Woods and his chances of a prolonged career, if he could develop a swing which would not only win tournaments but also prevent stress to his back and knees. Woods turns 39 in December.

To say the least... Old buddy Tim Rosaforte files this profile of Como.  Here's the soft and fuzzy bit:

It wasn't long ago that Como was building his lesson book at Gleneagles CC in Plano, Texas, and taking night courses at Texas Women's University in North Dallas. Driving an old Chevy Trail Blazer, he was talking to Zambri at a light when the old SUV started smoking. When we spoke, Como laughed about driving a vehicle worth $1,000 with a $25,000 Track- Man in the back seat that he took out a loan to buy.

A sense of humor and perspective can't be a bad thing...necessary, certainly, though not necessarily sufficient.  

As for working with a rock star like Tiger, Como admitted to being nervous when they

started working together three weeks ago. After some meditation, he asked himself if he felt like the best person to help Tiger. He came away feeling, "I do." 

"I would say once we got in the mode of talking golf swing, that's my Zen, that's my world," Como said. "When I'm into that world, on the range, teaching, talking golf swings, that's sort of what I do."

To Como, it's all about using the science, using the teaching and always searching for ways to make the golfer autonomous. "The idea of having a person rely on a teacher is bad," Como said. "You have to know about yourself, rely on yourself."

I guess he's still a rock star.  Though one that for whom, pace Spinal Tap, his appeal has become increasingly selective.  Shack also had these comments from the Knights of the SI Roundtable:

SHIPNUCK: I wish Tiger would have resisted the temptation. He's maybe the most naturally gifted player ever; he doesn't need a coach -- especially one who's into biomechanics and neuroscience -- he needs to find it on his own. Success will be to win a couple of Tour events and contend at one or two majors. Anything beyond that is a home run. 

BAMBERGER: Woods doesn't have a new swing coach. He has, he said, a swing "consultant." I don't know a thing about Chris Como. But I find the language of this latest development, like the language of Woods' response to Jenkins, so needlessly self-important and pretentious, and for that I blame Woods. He's signing off on it.

For me, I just hope he can get his reps in so he can regain his golf feels, as well as his explosiveness.  Aw heck, by now you guys can play Tiger Woods Ad-Libs as well as I can... 

Lydia, Oh Lydia

Wise beyond her years and preternaturally calm, girlfriend Lydia Ko becomes the wealthiest seventeen year-old in New Zealand:

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko ended her rookie year on the LPGA Tour with the

The trophies are no more impressive than those for 2nd place at The Ridge.

biggest payoff in women's golf. 

Ko won the $1 million bonus from the inaugural "Race to CME Globe" on Sunday by getting into a three-way playoff. Then, the 17-year-old added an extra $500,000 when she defeated Carlota Ciganda of Spain on the fourth extra hole at Tiburon Golf Club to win the CME Group Tour Championship. 

Ko made par all five times she played the 18th hole on Sunday, and the last one paid handsomely. 

"It's been an awesome week, and a week that I'll never forget," Ko said. "When I saw that $1 million in the box, I was like, 'Wow, I wonder who the winner of that will be?' It's amazing. I've never seen that much cash in one place before."

The LPGA had a great year by any measure, though the finish seemed quite anti-climactic to this viewer.  It quite predictably suffered from many of the same defects as the FedEx Cup, not surprising given that they copied liberally from Commissioner Ratched's playbook.  

Does the PayPal generation know how to use cash?

The threshold problem occurs when you can't decide what you want your year-end event to be.  Interestingly, the Euro season-long Race to Dubai finished on the same weekend and illuminates the choices to be made.  In Dubai the Race was effectively decided weeks before the coda, allowing Rory the luxury of spending some quality time with his barristers... But at least the winner is deserving, and the tournament stands on its own as a big-money event with a reasonably strong field.

In the LPGA's case, the season-long winner was no better than the third best player of the year, though she did end up winning the event.  But the presence of Julieta Granada reminds of the other alternative, last utilized in 2006 when the young Paraguayan with Mom on the bag won the cool mil in an unapologetic shootout.  

A couple of other random thoughts...  Unfortunately for the ladies, much as they repeat it ad infinitum, but doesn't the million (or even the $1.5 million) seem quaintly retro?  I guess if slaves could be counted as 1/3 of a white man in the U.S., women can be considered 1/10 of a man?  I think we've clearly said farewell to our last women reader.... hopefully Elsie, the Scottish housewife, is too busy traveling to New York to be reading the blog.

Secondly, the Tiburon course on which they played the event seems fine, at least given the geographic limitations of late November.  But could you find a worse playoff hole to play over and over again?  There were like four birdies there all week and that's with a fairway as wide as the State of Florida...can you say BORING?  You'd think Mike Whan and the Tour would want to show his players at their best, making birdies... Instead, we got to wake up each fifteen minutes to see if any of the girls missed a four-footer.  Oh, the excitement!

Unfortunately for the Tour, it became increasingly painful to watch Carlota Ciganda fight her putting stroke down the stretch, a problem for which there is no remedy.  She's quite the young talent and will hopefully benefit from the experience, but also highlights how bad the commentary was.  All Judy Rankin and her consorts could talk about was how important a win could be for the non-Lydias, thereby advantage to the Kiwi.  But guys, it was a long difficult Par-4 for the gals...did you happen to notice that Ciganda was hitting 7 and 8-irons in, while the other two were debating which of seven head covers to remove?  Kind of an advantage, no?  And she did finally stuff one, but then the putting stroke failed her.

But I do want to comment on the scenes of Ciganda's Spanish teammates behind the 18th green, living and dying with each twist and turn.  We need more of that in golf...  Same with Michelle Wie on the 18th green last week to congratulate her bestie Christina Kim.  I'm just an old sap for that kind of stuff...  

As for Granada, she drives it on average 220-something yards...Amazing that she can compete out there.  Lastly, are we allowed to note that all three girls in the playoff had names ending in a vowel?  I'm sure that's somehow racist, which makes it all the more important to highlight.

 

Loose Threads

Some doings amongst the ruins you might have missed...

Our Favorite Gretzky In-Law - Being DJ doesn't suck, even on forced hiatus.  We've seen him deal with his setbacks by playing golf in desirable locales, announce impending fatherhood and set the course record at his father-in-law-to-be's place.  Now comes more news from my old buddy Tim Rosaforte:

Dustin Johnson's "personal challenges," now involve how many miles he is going to

cycle, how many balls he's going to hit, what it's going to be like as a father, and how many days before his return to professional golf. 

The date he's talking about for his "leave of absence" to end is Feb. 5-8 for the Farmers Insurance Open. That would coincide not only with the birth of his child to be delivered by fiancee Paulina Gretzky, but also a six-month suspension reported by Golf.com that Johnson was serving for failing a drug test.

Now, Tim, you're wise in the ways of this journalism thing... The PGA Tour denied that DJ was "on suspension," so that couldn't possibly be true...  And then, this has me slapping my forehead over the missed opportunity:

The LA Times reported Johnson sold his Jupiter, Fla., mansion for $5.2 million in an off-market deal. The 7,860-square foot Mediterranean-styled home was built in 2007 and was bought by Johnson in 2011 for $3.7 million.

Of course...they're a growing family and the shack was barely over 7,000 square feet.  But you know what's missing from all these Dustin rehab stories?  Yeah, that "R-word" hasn't made an appearance in any of them...

Our Favorite Litigant -  We've been focused like a laser on Rory's legal to-do to the detriment of our old friend Vijay.  A bit of news in that case, as the Tour is seeking (and apparently Vijay's team has not opposed) documents from management company IMG:

In an unopposed discovery motion filed before the New York Supreme Court on Nov.

12, the Tour asserts that IMG, which represents Singh, "possesses documents and information relevant to this action, including documents and communications related to IMG’s discussions with potential sponsors on behalf of Mr. Singh." 

Marc Edelman, an associate professor of law at the City University of New York who specializes in sports law and business, says the burden is on Singh to show how much money he lost, so the Tour hopes these documents will show that Singh's marketability was on the decline before the suspension took place. At 51, Singh is in the twilight of his career. The three-time major winner and former World No. 1 hasn't won a Tour event since 2008. 

"Any document from IMG that shows it would be difficult for Singh to renew current sponsorships or suggests sponsors were losing interest in him anyway may show that it was not primarily based on his suspension that sponsors decided to drop him, or at least that the value would have been lower even without the suspension from the Tour," said Edelman.

No question that Dear-Antler-Spray-Gate hit as the Veej's career was in it's inevitable decline phase, though even the casual reader will notice that Singh was treated quite differently than, oh say, Dustin Johnson.  The Tour appears to have gone to great lengths to protect DJ's reputation, especially since cocaine ruins lives whereas Dear Antler Spray provides comic material fro bloggers.

Our Favorite Thin-Skinned Golfer - I'm kind of hoping that, Alex Miceli notwithstanding, that the Jenkins story has run its course, but Tiger made news yesterday by announcing Chris Como as his new swing coach:

Tiger Woods leaned on one of his oldest friends,Notah Begay III, to find his newest

Are we sure he's not there to consult in the Jenkins matter?

swing coach, Chris Como. 

Though to be honest, Woods on his Twitter account didn’t call the 37-year-old Texan his “swing coach.” Instead, Woods announced that he was “happy to have Chris Como consulting and working with me on my swing.” 

Como is based out of Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas, and has worked with Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman and Jamie Lovemark. He also is working on a masters degree in biomechanics. He replaces Sean Foley, who coached Woods for four years before the two split in August. Woods also has worked with Butch Harmon (1997-2003) and Hank Haney (2004-10). 

According to a statement by Woods, he has been working with Como for about a month.

Shack's on the case as relates to the most pressing issue:

Anyone want to speculate on Como's inevitable Tiger knickname? Comosy? Comesy? Chrissy? Eh...need to keep thinking about this one.

Neither Jenko or Steiny could be reached for comment.

Our Favorite Affirmative Action Hire -  Suzy Whaley apparently summoned her strength sufficiently to leave her fainting couch:

This has a creepy feel to it, no?

The PGA of America has elected its first female officer in the organization's history. Suzy Whaley, a former LPGA golfer, will likely become the first female president of the PGA in 2018. 

The PGA elected Whaley during the PGA's annual meeting in Indianapolis. Whaley received 52.63 percent of the vote, Russ Libby got 33.33 percent and Michael Haywood 14.04 percent in the secretary's race. 

"It's an incredibly special day for me, my family, the Connecticut section and our members," Whaley said. "Our association has a long-term strategic plan and I'm excited to part of implementing that plan. We have so many opportunities to bring diverse groups into the game, that's what I'm excited about."

For any new readers, the snark above relates to Whaley's overwrought comments in reaction to Ted Bishop's ill-considered tweet.  She simply couldn't bring herself to live in a world where men call each other little girls, because, you know, sexism...  But she has certainly parlayed Bishopsgate into an opportunity for personal advancement, so all's well that ends well...

Our Favorite Golf Course Construction Project - When last we checked in on Rio Loco Golf Club,  a local judge gave the developers an ultimatum, the legal justification of which seemed vague.  Per the Shackmeister, here's that background:

You may recall that 23 days ago the Associated Press in Rio reported that developers of the Olympic Golf Course had five days to comply with a judge's order to move three holes of the 2016 course. This was news to the parties building the course and remains so (full disclosure, as you know I've worked with architect Gil Hanse who has had to sadly watch this war on Rio golf).

Not surprisingly, the five days passed and the judge's order never was actually published, an event that went unnoticed by reporters in Rio

Now comes this from the PGA of America's website:

Construction work on the golf course for the 2016 Olympics could be halted under a

filing made by state prosecutors suing the city of Rio de Janeiro and the developer over environmental rules.

In a 27-page legal brief made public late Wednesday, prosecutors termed "laughable" proposals by the city and the course developer to modify the layout to reduce environmental impact.

A Rio judge began hearing the lawsuit two months ago. It was still not clear when he might make his decision.

Dogs, fleas.  This might be a good time to remind the reader that in Rio raw sewage is dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, but rather than go find that link I'm going to go tee it up.

Woods v. Jenkins, Days 3 and 4

Doing my best impression of a stray dog with an ankle between my teeth...

Let's see, first we have Alex Miceli, in the midst of a no-good, awful week, telling us that the dispute will linger:

Woods, who will be 39 next month and is six-plus years removed from the most recent

of his 14 major championships, remains an enigma. He seems to have remade himself after the sex scandal and resultant divorce of a few years ago, but few people see it now because he and his handlers restrict media access. 

The first time the media likely will see Woods in an interview setting since the Digest parody will be in two weeks in Orlando, Fla., before the Dec. 4-7 Hero World Challenge that benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. 

It’s unlikely that Jenkins, a World Golf Hall of Fame member who will be 85 in two weeks and no longer travels, will be there. Thus, the feud between one of the game’s most accomplished writers and its iconic player will linger. 

Is this how Shakespeare would have written it?

Alex most recently was trying to tell us that Brooks Koepka's win in Turkey highlighted a major issue in the Ryder Cup selection process.  Alex, I'll try to speak slowly...the problem isn't with how the players are selected, the problem is, you know, the players.

Again, mouthing the words agonizingly slowly, Mr. Jenkins is not skipping the Hero World Challenge because he's old and infirm.  he's skipping the Hero World Challenge because it's the Hero World Challenge.  Any questions so far?

The "dispute" sparked interest because Team Tiger threw a hissy-fit and made us focus on an article that would otherwise already be down the memory hole.  It didn't hurt that it hit during the golf vacuum of November, but there is no reason for it to linger, unless of course Tiger wants to ensure that we reread it.

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, Shack reminds us of when Fuzzy stepped in it at the 1997 Masters, Tiger's coming out party, and of his ill-advised lawsuit thereafter, from this 1998 account:

Now, five months after the 1998 Masters, the issue again is Zoeller and poorly chosen words. But this time, there's a twist. Zoeller didn't say any of them. The quotes were the creation of Florida Today sports columnist Peter Kerasotis, who put a grand total of 293 words into Zoeller's mouth in an April 12 column titled, "Fuzzy speaks with forked tongue." 

That column now is at the center of a lawsuit brought by Zoeller against Kerasotis and his newspaper in U.S. District Court in Orlando. The golfer seeks unspecified damages from the defendants, claiming the column was an invasion of privacy and has harmed his "character, reputation, friendships, emotional state and financial interests." Lawyers for Zoeller and the newspaper did not return phone calls last week. 

In court documents, Kerasotis and the Florida newspaper, who have asked the court to dismiss the suit, acknowledge that the columnist didn't interview Zoeller and that the golfer never uttered the quotes attributed to him. They include observations about amateur phenom Matt Kuchar ("You talking about the kid with the Howdy Doody smile?"), veteran Gay Brewer ("What kinda name is Gay for a man?") and Mark Calcavecchia ("Maybe if he won ...we can have spaghetti and meat balls at the Champions dinner next year.")

Shack includes an addendum indicating that the matter was resolved fifteen months later, no doubt when Fuzzy got tired of writing checks to his lawyer.  I must admit that the Fuzzy item seems particularly lame,  as Fuzzy trashing Gay Brewer won't, you know, sell too many newspapers.  But public figures don't get much sympathy from the courts, as they shouldn't.  

Lastly, Tiger has garnered sympathy from one predictable source, David Feherty:

David Feherty said Wednesday that it’s “always been open season” on Tiger Woods but that Hall of Fame writer Dan Jenkins and Golf Digest crossed the line with the satirical piece that touched on Woods’ failed marriage, fired employees and reputation as a bad tipper.

“I think I would be upset,” Feherty said on the “Dan Patrick Show”. “It was mean-spirited and not particularly funny.”

We all like Feherty and I encourage you to watch the video to which Ryan Lavner is referring, which can be found here at Shack's place.   He makes an emotional defense of Tiger that is worth a listen, specifically citing his appearances at his event to benefit wounded warriors.  But he does admit that Tiger does a horrible job at presenting himself, and isn't that really the issue?

But to me the story remains Team Tiger's botched PR response to the Jenkins faux-interview, an effort that only served to increase the visibility of the piece.  

Spanning the Globe...

... to bring you the Wide World of Golf.  The thrill of victory, yada, yada, yada...

Distaff Doings - As I've previously confessed, I have a soft spot for the ladies Tour, which seems to be recovering nicely from the Carolyn Bivens self-immolation:

The LPGA announced its 2015 schedule at the season-ending CME Group Tour

Championship in Naples, Fla. Next year’s schedule will include 33 events, an increase of more than $4 million in prize money and more than 410 hours of television coverage. 

“I’m excited that our team has achieved our target number of events to fill our schedule over the past few years,” said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan. “We are focused on elevating and enhancing the playing opportunities for our players, viewing experiences for our fans and corporate involvement for our partners.”

All-Nippon Airlines has stepped in as the sponsor of the event formerly known as the Kraft Nabisco, though most of us still refer to it as the Dinah Shore.  Good news as Mike Whan has proved to be a good steward for their tour, and they're blessed with an attractive cast of good young players, a few of whom are even American.

And from this it appears that I'm not the only one watching:

In Golf Datatech's most recent study of serious golfers (16-plus rounds played per year), the LPGA rated the second-most-watched pro golf tour, passing the Champions Tour for the first time since spring 2010.

And do you know how to boost that further?  More Lydia...

The Sheep Ranch - Alan Bastable files this report about this mysterious golf course, loosely defined, next door to Bandon Dunes Resort:

Is that enough club to reach Hawaii?

Ah, the mysterious Sheep Ranch. Twelve years after its low-wattage debut, the seemingly half-finished layout with 13 greens on a raw, rolling plot not quite roomy enough for 18 holes remains one of the game’s buried treasures. How? Why? There are at least five reasons, and probably more. First, let’s just say you won’t find Sheep Ranch tee times on GolfNow. The course intentionally maintains a J.D. Salinger-like profile, relying on word of mouth to fill its one-or-two-groups-per-day tee sheet. Interested? Call Bandon Golf Supply, a golf retail shop in town. They’ll connect you with caretaker Greg Harless, who, assuming your desired date is available, will pencil you in.

It's wild and whacky and something the bride and I must do on our next Hadj to this golf Mecca.  Do give this a read if only to see the scorecard.

Koepka's Komplishment -  My golf predictions are notoriously off the mark, so forgive a short victory lap.  At the strat of the year I pointed to Victor Dubuisson and Brooks Koepka as my picks for breakout stars, so how about a quick round of applause for Koepka's win last week in Turkey?  OK, that was maybe a little too quick...

Alex Miceli celebrated this win by offering a solution to a problem that doesn't exist:

When Brooks Koepka talked about his goals after his Turkish Airlines Open victory, his

first career win on the European Tour, they consisted mainly of earning spots on the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams in 2015 and 2016. 

Koepka, one of four Americans who played in the Turkish Airlines Open, moved to No. 35 in the Official World Golf Ranking with the victory. However, neither Koepka nor his compatriots received points for their finishes in Turkey that could count toward next year’s Presidents Cup because the PGA Tour and PGA of America only allow points to be earned at overseas events that are majors or World Golf Championships.

So?  C'mon Alex, I know you needed a column but this is a stretch.  Yes a few Americans play the Euro Tour, but it's invariably young guys or retreads that don't have playing privileges for a good reason.   And there's these things called Captain's picks...

The Euro Beat - Poor Rory....so beaten down by preparations for testifying in his lawsuit with his former managers...that he's tied for the lead in Dubai.  But the Euros seem to enjoy themselves more than the Yanks, for reasons about which I'm not clear.  Submitted for your approval...

First, Rory posts on Twitter a shot of his workout regimen, so Justin Rose shows that he's no piker himself:

We like funny, especially the self-deprecating genre thereof.  And when in Dubai, do like the ....oh, whatever.  Here Rory, Justin and Henrik have good fun recreating each others' epic Race to Dubai (oxymoron alert) shots:

Yanno, these guys really are pretty good.

Year End Awards - Golf.com has put their year-end awards into a slideshow here, and who would have ever guessed Rory is their Player of the Year?  Didn't see that one coming, and shouldn't they have waited for the Father-Son and Skills Challenge?

Some cute stuff (see Horschel, Billy), as well as items sure to engender a nasty letter from Steiny.  I'll just give you one and let you explore on your own:

SHOT OF THE YEAR
Rory McIlroy's closing 5-iron on Saturday at the British Open Sometimes a single swing sends a resounding signal. Though it was only Saturday, Rory's flushed approach from 237 yards, to 11 feet from the pin, rang out like a rifle shot. It not only set up a closing eagle that stretched his lead to six with just 18 holes to play, it announced a new chapter in the Boy King's reign.

Quite the photo as well...

What a Game - We never tire of these stories, do we?  It's just a maddening, frustrating game that we love:

In the latest example of golf being, well, golf, John Hahn shot 78 at European Tour Q School. You may be saying, "so what?" and "who the heck is John Hahn?"

We remind you this is the same John Hahn who shot 58, yes, 58 the day before. To be fair, Hahn's higher score came on a different course (Stadium) at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain and it was unclear if preferred lies were in effect again, but still. Twenty shots?

Here's a screenshot of his technicolor scorecards:

I don't care if it's a putt-putt course, a 58 is just sick.

I'm out of time, but hope to be back later.

Jenkinsgate - Day Two

The Golf Bloggers Full Employment Act of 2014 has hit Day Two, and continues to amuse...

I'll let Shack play tour guide.  Batting lead-off (bonus points for those that recognized the oblique Derek Jeter reference), USA Today's Christine Brennan:

Woods' tirade is not the length of a tweet, or even a paragraph. Rather, it's a nearly 600-

word pout, self-absorbed and clueless, starting out with the hope that none of us has read the fake Q-and-A – but ensuring that all of us now will. 

Congratulations, Tiger. You've done it. You've achieved the media equivalent of hitting the fire hydrant. I cannot wait to see what you're planning for the 10th anniversary in November 2019. 

The four-page spread that Tiger just had to tell us all about appears three pages from the very back of the golf magazine's December issue, which is just about as buried as a sports article can ever be. It was certain to go unread by 99 percent of the population – including me. I get Golf Digest and I hadn't noticed the headline, nor had I cracked open that issue, until Tiger told me to.

OK, that might leave a mark... but her experience, specifically the magazine unopened until Team Tiger called attention to it, mirrors my own.  Here's how she closes the piece:

Fake Jenkins: "After you'd won three U.S. (Amateurs), your father said you were going to have a greater impact on the world than Gandhi. I laughed out loud. What was your reaction?" 

Fake Woods: "I looked for Gandy in the record book and couldn't find him. But I didn't go as far back as Middlecoff, Demaret and those guys." 

In the mid-1990s, Earl Woods really did compare his son to Gandhi, which I always thought was quite unfair because Gandhi never could break 80. 

But I digress. Tiger could have and should have laughed it all off. That he didn't speaks volumes about just how true some of those "fake" answers really are.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Tiger.

Batting second, and this gag works better if the reader is hearing it in Bob Sheppard's voice complete with echo effect, is Bob Harig at ESPN.   Shack use this curious excerpt:

"We understood that we would possibly draw more attention to the piece, but there are times you have to take a stand," said Glenn Greenspan, vice president of communications for Woods' ETW Corporation. "Malicious attacks and the abandonment of any journalistic standards sometimes forces that. People also forget that the magazines are already in circulation. What about them? Those won't be ignored."

I don't know what he was thinking, either, as it's hard to imagine a magazine with a greater propensity to lie unread than Golf Digest.   Unless, of course, it's Golf Digest in November.  But we do appreciate your calling attention to it...  But I'm more interested in how the two developed such animus for each other:

But he's never been big on Tiger, for various reasons, including Woods' lack of accessibility. Attempts to reach Jenkins were unsuccessful, but in 2010 he wrote: "I covered Tiger winning his 14 professional majors, but I can't say I know him. I knew the smile he put on for TV. I knew the orchestrated remarks he granted us in the press-room interviews. I knew the air he punched when another outrageous putt went in the cup. That's it."

In a 2012 interview with ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski, Jenkins did not rank the 14-time major champion among his top five of all time, arguably a large omission. He had it, in order: Hogan, Nicklaus, Snead, Nelson and Bobby Jones.

That last bit might have been it for Tiger.  But Harig also had this "giving the devil his due" bit:

He has given Woods his due, predicting in 2001 that Woods would win 24 majors, but also offering an ominous forecast.

"I never thought I'd see a greater shot-maker than Hogan or a greater winner than Nicklaus, but I have. It's Tiger," Jenkins said. "Not that I still wouldn't want Ben to get the drive in the fairway for me for my life. But Tiger makes all those slugs out there today look like they don't even know how to play. We're talking about a truly remarkable athlete here. Something the game has never seen.

"Only two things can stop Tiger -- injury or a bad marriage."

Or both. 

Batting third, the irascible James Corrigan in The Telegraph, with this tutorial for Lindsey Vonn:

But Lindsey Vonn is worried. Woods's girlfriend took time off her World Cup skiing training to tell USA Today why he decided to pen his, by now, already infamous riposte to the Golf Digest article. "It was like a fabricated interview, like what [the writer] thinks Tiger would say," Vonn said. Yes, thanks for that Lindsey. That is what parodies are. They imitate with the intention to lampoon. The target is not supposed to find them amusing. Other people are.

Lindsey, please direct any follow-up questions to James at the Telegraph.  James also had this literary criticism of Tiger's piece:

I'm sure they do encourage him, but it is not because of any voluntary behaviour on Woods's behalf. In the same magazine, Johnny Manziel, the Cleveland quarter-back, tells a story of when he was nine and Woods cruelly turned him down for an autograph. In a deserted car-park at the Dubai Desert Classic a few years ago, I watched Woods wave off a few children waiting with their pens and caps when there was nobody else, apart from myself and, of course, Steinberg, within 50 yards. When it comes to crowd interaction he is right up there with Howard Hughes.

Fair enough, that is his right. But then, it is Jenkins's right to send him up as a fallen icon. Woods's response was pathetic, the self-pitying cries of an arrogant and yes, ignorant billionaire. You couldn't have made it up, even if you tried.

James, can I ask you to please not sugar-coat it in the future?  But by the way, do we think Tiger is actually a billionaire?  'Cause it wasn't too long ago that as sponsors were dropping him there were rumors of, at the very least, cash flow problems...

Batting cleanup, is Matt Yoder from Awful Announcing (I know, we repeat ourselves) fills in some more of the background, quoting from the same 2010 Jenkins column above:

I once made an effort to get to know the old silicone collector. Tried to arrange dinners with him for a little Q&A, on or off the record, his choice. But the closest I ever got was this word from his agent: “We have nothing to gain.”

Silicone collector?  I'm going to need a moment to collect myself after spitting out my coffee...  Can you see where Dan Jenkins is that last guy on this planet with whom you want to pick a fight?   he's legendary (started his career covering Hogan and Nelson back in Fort Worth), fearless, funny and with a huge platform and following.  

But amusement aside, this is what caught Shack's and my attention:

What’s unique in this regard is Woods coming to Jeter’s website to issue a public response. Woods could have easily used his own website or Twitter page or numerous other platforms to accomplish his goal here, but he chose to go to The Players’ Tribune. The site promises that the Woods column is only the beginning of hearing from more players fighting back against the media, saying “This is the first in a series of columns we’re calling ‘Straight Up.’ It’s a place where athletes can offer their side on something that has been written or said about them.” 

The Woods-Jenkins feud is going to reverberate throughout the sport as it pits the Tiger

Woods of golf media versus… well, the Tiger Woods of golf. But there may be even bigger implications if The Players’ Tribune is going to be a consistent source for athletes to sound off against members of the press and fight fire with fire in the future.

I didn't pay much attention when Jeter announced this venture, but is that really what he has in mind?  If so, it's passing strange since it's hard to imagine a prominent athlete that enjoyed better media coverage.  Now, it must be remarked that he did an amazing job of keeping his personal life, you know, personal, especially since he was such a notorious hound.  But he was also known for not taking the bait the few times he appeared on Page Six, such as the notorious gift basket story.

So that concludes our Day Two tour.  Please remember to mention us to your friends and to generously tip your waitress.  OK, one more tidbit, this tweet from Rick Reilly about his book, Tiger Meet My Sister: And Other Things I Probably Shouldn't Have Said:

 

Rick ReillyVerified account‏@ReillyRick

Hey @TigerWoods, please hate my book next!

• RETWEETS29
• FAVORITES70
• 

6:05 PM - 18 Nov 2014

Oh, and for those of you that like this sort of thing, Shack also links to a Deadspin faux-interview that is quite graphically explicit and, as Shack notes, not for the faint of heart.  Go there via the Shack link if you must, though I find Jenkins (even third-rate Jenkins) far more amusing...