Did you catch the golf over the weekend? Liar, there wasn't any...None, nada, zilch, nil zip. But we still have a few items for you...
Ryder Reax - I've been appropriately tough on the Ryder Cup venue selection process, but the Beeb's Iain Carter takes what seems to be even a harder line:
The decisive factor in Italy's successful fight to stage the 2022 Ryder Cup was theusual one in these circumstances - money.
This may seem a cynical assessment, especially when bid documents are laced with words like "legacy", "integration" and "participation". But the European Tour came clean when it acknowledged that Italian golf's financial pledge was "hugely significant".
While Spain and Germany were considered front runners to become hosts for the third Ryder Cup to be staged in continental Europe, the successful bid team ruthlessly capitalised on the ambitions of Keith Pelley, the Tour's chief executive.
Ruthless? Well that's certainly colorful... But I actually find the following to be somewhat mitigating:
Now, though, Pelley wants to stem the flow. He wants to create a schedule for Europe's leading golfers that is a viable alternative to the PGA Tour.For that to happen, the Wentworth-based circuit needs more big money tournaments. Italy's bid team seized on this as they sought to bring the Ryder Cup to the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.
The Italian Open currently provides a modest 1.5m euro prize fund. That pot is set to double and from 2017 the tournament will be worth 7m euros for the next 11 years.
Using the Ryder Cup home games to pump up the volume of Euro Tour events is at the very least a worthy objective. I'll confess to being relived that there's at least some kind of strategy involved...whether it's a viable strategy is, of course, TBD. Of course, the cynic in me reads this and the eyes roll uncontrollably:
Where the money is coming from remains to be seen. It is a mammoth commitment that will propel an event that has been in existence since 1925 to a new level.
"We have exciting plans for the development of the European Tour," Pelley stated. "Italy shares this ambition. "Their commitment to the Italian Open will provide an inspiring benchmark."
Keith, Italy is a good-sized country and I do hope, when you say that Italy shares your ambition, that there's a specific entity or individual that can make good on these commitments. The Tour Confidential panel kicks this issue around, and aside from the amusing typo in the question (Macro Simone, is that CTR-12?), they've all given up hope of a Ryder Cup contested on a suitably memorable track.
You Think I'm a Tough Critic? - Remember the Lebron-Ellie Day story? Well, she's OK and has even tweeted Lebron that "We're good," i.e., all is forgiven. But you know who hasn't been forgiven apparently? Jason....at least on Twitter:
It turns out that he took lots of heat for not protecting his lad, though exactly what he could have done escapes me. But those twitteratis do suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency, so let's hope this from the lady herself silences the mob:
She took to Twitter to silence the haters, saying in part, "To the crazies that think Jason should have protected me -- if he had had time to react, so would have I. Also, I would have not liked both dudes landing on me."
That last bit is a good point.
Wie Under Expectations - Beth Ann Nichols has an interesting piece on the increasingly fragile Michelle Wie. It covers the familiar:
The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst was supposed to be a springboard for Wiesy, catapulting her into the same conversation at Ko and Park. Instead, 2015 began with strep throat and rolled into hip and ankle issues. The woman who wore a boot over the summer was ready to give this season the boot.
Things you knew but didn't KNOW:
It’s head-scratching for those who have followed Wie’s talent from the beginning to know that Ko won more LPGA events in 2015 (five) than Wie has won in her entire career (four).
But the interest lies in the comments of David Ledbetter, her instructor:
Leadbetter said, with only slight exaggeration, that he could look at Wie’s swing, walk down the range and come back to find something totally different. Wie, he said, is a consummate tinkerer.
“She’ll go from a wide stance to a narrow stance, to a long backswing, to a short backswing, to a flat backswing, to an upright backswing, to a cupped wrist, to a bowed wrist, to more rotating hip action ...” said Leadbetter before taking a breath.
“I said listen, in my experience of all the great players that I’ve had the good fortune to coach, they don’t move too far off their base.”
And this telling anecdote:
Take for example the Solheim Cup, where Leadbetter showed up on Sunday and gave Wie a technical tip on the range. She birdied six of seven holes in a 6-and-4 drumming of Caroline Hedwall.
Whatever you do, Leadbetter told Wie, don’t change a thing in the Asian swing. Wie’s father, B.J., messaged to say that version of her swing lasted until the pro-am round of the first event.
Seems to have lasted the plane ride...
Back To The Future - Funny, we were just discussing the Solheim Cup the other day.... Now comes this:
How can Juli Inkster possibly top 2015? That will be the question many will pose after itwas announced Dec. 18 that Inkster will return in ’17 to captain Team USA at the 15th Solheim Cup in Des Moines, Iowa. Seems risky to lead another team after accomplishing the great comeback in Solheim Cup history.
My answer to that: Doesn’t matter.
To have any other player at the helm in Des Moines would’ve been a disappointment. The players want more of Inkster, as do the media and fans. And regardless of how it plays out in two years against Europe, it seems only right that Inkster leads the team – and possibly ends her Solheim career – on American soil.
Anything that adds buzz to the event is worth doing, though it's always hard to recapture the magic. But as I noted contemporaneously, I thought Juli handled herself quite well, especially when her team was stinking up the joint. And I especially liked her Thanksgiving comments in response to the little mini-controversy that arose from Anika exceeding her authority as a cart driver.
Why not, I say? But she's gonna need some players to step up.
He Should Have Called - Guess who's in Park City with your humble correspondent? No, not Tiger, but a good guess....enough back surgery for now.
But Ian Poulter is here and posted this video... I didn't realize what an accomplished skier he is:
I've cut out the bad language. I could help him with that. On the other hand, I'd like our guys to win at Hazeltine...
What Will Kooch Play at The Open Championship? - This is kind of a surprise, no?
Bridgestone Golf, based in Japan, will stop selling in the United Kingdom and Ireland this March. A somewhat shocking announcement as, according to joint findings from Golf Datatech and Yano Research, the UK is the fourth-largest golf market in the world at a 5.2 percent share.
“Despite having lifted market share in the ball sector in the last three years, it has been determined that any future investment was unsustainable,” said Bridgestone UK managing director Steve Kettlewell.
They make good balls, but it's a brutally competitive part of the market. Unless, of course, you're Titleist....
The Nine Days, Continued - Shacks been pumping out the gift self-indulgence suggestions, and they're all interesting. First was an opportunity for a trip down memory lane:
Longtime readers know I'm a huge fan of Lee Wybranski's commemorative posters that are available at three of the four majors). Wybranski's pieces combine the atmospheric 1930's railway art vibe while adding necessary modern touches to provide us the ideal keepsake from major championships.Lee's 2013 Open Championship poster from Muirfieldhas been a favorite in my office, aided in part by the special week that unfolded.
As we all know, some majors are better than others, which is why this is a great time to go through Lee's page of past major posters for weeks that were special to you or a friend (there are also some fun surprises in the form of course maps and select amateur events like the 2005 Walker Cup).
I too love those old British Railway posters, and these can be quite good as well. And Shack shows off his vast personal influence by offering a discount at checkout using the code GEOFF. That's a pretty good sign you've made it, when you have your own personal discount code.
I didn't see this one coming, as Geoff ventures back into the apparel realm:
Back in February a golfer friend told me of his love for teeing up in Lululemon's ABC Pant. Like most, I only barely knew of the company as female and yoga-centric. Then I found out the price of the ABC Pant and laughed. His reply? No dry cleaning, no ironing, lots of durability and you can wear one pair three times on a trip and they'll never smell or feel dirty.Pre-millennials are saying right now: this is what they used to say about Sansabelts.
For any millennials that happened onto this site in error, Geoff gives a tutorial on Sansabelt slacks. I know, wasn't that a time? But these are $128.00 pants and no discount code, eponymous or otherwise, available here. That's certainly rich for the Unplayable Lies pay scale.
Geoff's last thought (for now) is perhaps the most interesting yet:
But if tournment golf isn't your thing, why not just have favorite golf photo of your ownenlarged? After all, with apps like Snapseed, there is almost no excuse now to have a bad photo. Even better, most smart phones now take a photo that can be enlarged to sites like Photobucket. Which is why this excellent service comes in to the picture.
For years I've been waiting for someone to offer photos printed on canvas at an affordable price. The look is cool and the extra cost more palatable than framing photo. Canvas-printed photos should also age better.
Having uploaded a few golf course images to Photobucket for printing on canvas, I can wholeheartedly recommend them for quality, service and consistency with the original image.
That's a really cool idea and is obviously not limited to golf photos. There's a substantial discount offer available and, well, I'm thinking....
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