A Little of This....

Have you missed me?  I warned that it was going to be a busy week...

The Tiger Beat - Why are you asking me?  I have no idea why he would subject himself to that, but to say that he didn't look good at his Monday presser is an understatement.  Here's Shack's take:

There have been too many peculiar moments in the otherwise majestic career of Tiger

Woods to list. Monday's awful wedge shot performance at Congressional joins the list. But as I discussed with Gary Williams today on Morning Drive, the media member in me hoped he had an exact timeline for a return to golf. The fan in me says, please Tiger, stay far away from the game until you're ready.

Unfortunately, he is teasing us with appearances and suggestions that he's hungry to return. But after dropping three balls in the water on live TV to promote the Quicken Loans, and doing it with an obviously compromised follow-through the ball to protect his back, it is hard to not wonder: what is Tiger doing?

Is he just missing the spotlight? Wanting to remain in the spotlight to convince himself he's close? Bored sitting around at home? Eager to please sponsors?

That last bit explains why he was at Congressional, but doesn't scrape the surface of why he would allow himself to look that poor in public.  So much for the aura...  He gave a follow up to the WaPo, without much further clarification:

Last month, he played five holes in public to mark the opening of the back nine of Bluejack National, the club outside Houston he designed. He said he hasn’t played 18 consecutive holes at Medalist Golf Club, the course he calls home, just up U.S. 1 from his Jupiter Island, Fla., house, which is in the midst of its most heavily trafficked time of year.

“I just don’t have the patience,” Woods said, and he laughed. 

This doesn’t sound like a guy ready to tee it up at Oakmont next month at the U.S. Open.

That last bit is a relief to me, as we don't need to see him suffering at the beat that can be Oakmont, but he just looks sad hitting those water balls.... so why do it, and why talk about Jack's record?  I do hope that he'll give himself enough time to get healthy and he'd do himself some good to avoid the brutal venues (I'd include Troon as well if the wind is up, and it usually is) and play the Wyndhams of the world until he posts a couple of decent numbers there.

Tiger, you have my cellphone number...feel free to use it.

But my real reason for catching up on this story is....well, the header tells all:

"Woods intentionally found the water!" Meet the Tiger Truthers

No!  I don't want to meet the Tiger Truthers and you can't make me.  Donald Trump could not be reached for comment. 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes - Sawgrass is already under the knife, which we hope will be for the better.  In a short Golfworld item, Shack notes that the change in grasses is intended to allow them to keep the course firmer without risking the loss of control of the greens we saw on Saturday.  Here's an excerpt:

As part of an extensive renovation, additional hole locations at the first, fourth, eighth, ninth, 11th, 13th and 14th should help facilitate everyday guest play. Some additional pine needle and scrub areas off the fairways are being considered as well, and a completely re-imagined 12th hole will inject a drivable par 4 before the tough finishing stretch. Still, it’s unclear whether the Stadium Course (18th hole shown) will get the added length needed to intensify the visual fear factor that Pete Dye believes is required to sufficiently challenge the modern player—and which could hopefully end the temptation to push greens speeds to an absurd 14 feet on the Stimpmeter.

This came up in the lead in to the tourney, and I didn't have the time to show you what the place used to look like.  But Geoff reminds us of a wonderful webiste called GolfCourseHistories.com that offers images such as this:

On the left is the property in 2012, on the right is the similar aerial view in 1980.  It's got a gee-wiz feature that let's you scroll back and forth between the two images, which could amuse your humble correspondent for hours.

But which is more interesting?  And, dare I suggest, more intimidating....  Based upon his comments during the back-to-back Opens, I'm guessing that our next President won't like it, but that doesn't trouble me a bit....

But, dear reader, which one do you think you'd enjoy more?  Or, you know, we could just go back to 6" Bermuda....

Sandy Koufax, Call Your Office - Have you seen the Golf Channel promos for the NCAA Golf Championships?  And really, how can you miss them if you watch any golf?  I greatly enjoyed them last season and, for what it's worth, I enjoyed the women's more than the men's, but your mileage might vary.

But this about a very unique scheduling situation that we've not really seen before in high-caliber athletics, in the present case related to BYU:

BYU has a strict no-competition policy for its student-athletes on Sundays, as the university, affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Provo, Utah, cites the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” in explaining the no-Sunday mandate. For BYU, Sunday is a day of rest, and, according to NCAA bylaws, the governing body must accommodate the Sunday exception – even if it means altering an NCAA Championship schedule. 

That never had been an issue for the men’s or women’s national championship in Division I golf. Both competitions used to be stroke-play-only, a setup that allowed the action to finish before Sunday. That changed with the move to a stroke-play-match-play combination, but no BYU individual or team had qualified for either NCAA Championship since that alteration. (The change emerged for women last year, and the BYU women hadn’t made it to nationals since 2007. The men’s format changed in 2009, but the BYU men last got to nationals in 2006.)

Hmmm....I hear you mumbling, how can you get around this?  I'm pleased to report that no babies were torn in half in settling this issue in a Solomonic manner:

In order to accommodate the Cougars’ Sunday restriction, the NCAA will have BYU play its first round on Thursday, May 19 – the practice-round day for every other team. The Cougars will play in third-round conditions, i.e. Sunday hole locations, in order to simulate conditions on the day they will miss. The Cougars then will play Friday and Saturday with the rest of the field, sit out Sunday, and then play Monday if they survive the 54-hole cut. On Thursday, the group will go out in singles, with other teams and coaches able to watch BYU’s progress. You can go here for the NCAA’s full list of adjustments.

Obviously what can't be replicated is the weather and related course conditions, but it's a clever compromise and I'm glad to see religious convictions accommodated.   And these beliefs are real, as I can tell you from my time in Salt Lake City which can seem a a ghost town on a Sunday.

I Saw It On TV - Sports Business Daily has an interesting item speculating about the Tour's planning as relates to its television contracts:

The PGA Tour can opt out of its media deals with CBS and NBC in 2018, and tour executives already have reached out to several media companies to gauge their interest in bidding for a package of rights or, potentially, helping the tour launch its own channel. 

The tour’s deals with CBS and NBC run through 2021, but both allow the tour to open the contracts in 2018 to modify some of the terms or to end the deals early, at the end of that year. The tour is locked in its deal with the Golf Channel through 2021 with no opt-out provision.

Hmmm...is this about that billion dollars they left on the table?  Next you know, they'll be scouring the sofa cushions for loose change...

Now I do feel compelled to note that businesses look at a wide range of possibilities and have an infinite amount of conversations, so I'm not convinced that anything along these lines will happen.   That caveat notwithstanding, though, this doesn't strike one as inconsistent with Comrade Stalin's view of the world.

Shack sets his phasers on "Rant", so let's see what he thinks:

But this impending network TV opt-out means Monahan might not have the chance to fully shape the next TV deal and use his skills to re-imagine, where necessary, ways to improve the television "product" going forward.

There is a sense that retiring Commissioner Tim Finchem, who loves to make deals and is obviously quite good at it, is consumed with filling his coffers and solidifying the FedExCup/calendar-year model. He wants one more big bonus that will conveniently be voted on by a PGA Tour Policy Board he has stacked with lemmings. Shoot, he's even turned thePGA of America president, who holds a seat on the board for a little while longer, into aPGA Tour employee. So he's got the votes when it comes time to sell the board on the opt-out. 

While I respect Finchem's ability to make money for his partners and coral corporate titans into writing big checks, what fascinates me at this point is the sense that the PGA Tour group is bitter that its partners are doing well. The opt-out seems driven by a desire to pursue more profit, which is very much their right, but as a fan, I don't know how many of these leveraging plays are really thinking of the best outcome for a healthier long-term PGA Tour. My sense is that this is more about Finchem's legacy and retirement savings than returning to the negotiating table with the goal of improving televised golf or securing the health of the tour over the long haul.

I agree with most of Geoff's reactions, though I don't think he does himself any favors with the allegation that it's all about Tim's bonus....  But's he's spot on that the Commish is a deal-maker, and it's completely fair game to speculate as to whether that's in the best interests of the Tour and the game.  And it's entirely believable that a deal-maker wants one big score to secure his legacy, and it's easy to see where such a deal could go bad.

But I don't get the sense this can go very far for a number of reasons....  First, there's no mention of the Tour's contract with FedEx, which I believe expires at the end of the 2017 season.  It seems to this observer that you'd have to have that renewal in place before one could logically discuss broadcast arrangements.  

Secondly, the parties that the Tour is reportedly speaking with, specifically Fox, ESPN and Turner, don't appear to be particularly promising targets.  The former is losing its shirt on its USGA contract and the latter names have exited stage left....  I suppose ESPN is always going to be a possibility, given their insatiable need for sports content, but I'd guess that the monster trucks draw as large an audience as golf.

But I think Shack is on the mark when he speaks of the Ponte Vedra family's bitterness that its TV partners are doing well.  One thing I learned in my business career is that every business looks better from a distance, and that fact explains many bad acquisitions.  The Tour is in a very good position as we speak, and would be better served, as Geoff notes, in focusing on the quality of the broadcasts.  

How's That Moat Coming? - We've had our fun over the years over the stodgy British golf clubs being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century....  It's not an issue that I care all that much about, as the admission of a few well-connect folks with indoor plumbing doesn't change much.  I agree that symbolism can matter, as to its effect in these cases, I'll leave that to the reader...

But with the admission of women to the R & A, I've made one point several times....that if there is to be a holdout, it will inevitably be The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, d/b/a Muirfield, where the blood runs bluest. I was not previously aware that there was a pending initiative to change those membership policies, but now comes word from Martin Dempster that there's trouble on The Firth of Forth:

But the letter sent out by a 33-strong ‘no’ group is believed to have had a bigger impact on a postal vote that closes today than the club’s board had anticipated, leaving it anything but confident about securing sufficient support. 

Sent to The Scotsman, the letter was issued by members who believe the proposal to admit women members “should not be approved at this time” and have urged fellow members to give the matter “very careful thought” before voting due to it being a “very major change and will involve inevitable risk”. 

The letter states: “It is recognised that it is a very sensitive matter and the club is in a difficult position, but associations like ours with a very long and venerable history have strengths which are derived from that history.

But here's where it strikes me that they're over-played their hand:

The ‘no’ group say they are confident that Muirfield wouldn’t be dropped by the R&A from its rota for The Open, though that remains to seen, of course. 

“On the balance of issues, would the R&A actually remove HCEG from The Open circuit given the economic benefit to the national and local economy and the lack of suitable supply of alternative venues?” the latter asks. “Their position should be researched and made clear and in particular the timescale whereunder we may attempt to satisfactorily address or dispense with the issues. 

“It is accepted that we may have to change, but we should not do so now on the basis suggested. We have had a lengthy process, but it is felt that there is time to pause and consider further options to develop the club and it is hoped retain The Open.

I think this translates roughly as, "We'll be dead and gone soon enough.  Can't you please wait until then to let Lady Bonalack in."

But telling the R & A publicly that they have nowhere else to go seems to rather ensure that they show who's boss in this matter, no?  And the reader will hopefully recall that I always believed that Peter Dawson's rather substantial effort to return Royal Portrush to the Open Rota was conceived as an insurance policy for just this set of circumstances.... Perhaps also for Trump, but in the "We Don't Want to Share the Stage with This Buffoon" context, not in the "How Can We Take The Open to a Course Owned By The U.S. President" mode.

I is a great golf course and an iconic club, but political correctness rules the day....  So, good sirs, you might as well just admit a few women and, while you're at it, where are you going to put that transgender bathroom?

Pity The Lad - Rory is frustrated, and who can blame the young man?  The putting is dreadful, the wedge play amateurish, so of course he's felling it....  What, that's not his frustration?  Do tell:

Questions are being asked about McIlroy’s game. The former World No. 1 isn’t too

concerned about his game, just how it’s being portrayed. 

“I’m relaxed about it,” McIlroy said. “It frustrates me, the negative spin that’s being put on it. I know expectations for myself are higher than other players, but you look at my record this year with a third in Abu Dhabi, a fifth in Dubai, a third at Doral, fourth in the Match Play. My bad weeks are top 10s, basically. 

“So it frustrates me that the narrative is, There’s something missing in Rory’s game or, What’s wrong with Rory? I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong. It’s very close. It’s not as far away as I feel some people think. 

“I know that if I go out and play my best or close to my best, that I’m going to have a great chance to win this week, next week, basically all season, because I’m in a really good place with where my game is.

Rory, no doubt you've perfect the art of the back door Top Ten, so if you're happy with your early weekend tee times, who am I to quibble?  And really, who is this guy to quibble?

To many, it's McIlroy's short game -- particularly his putter and wedge approaches -- that are causing erraticism. Yet McGinley thinks McIlroy's problems are rooted deeper. 

“You wouldn’t question his bottle, that’s for sure," McGinley remarked. "He has proved that at the very highest level. I think he is just lacking a little bit of confidence because he hasn’t won for a while. And he is lacking a little bit of focus. 

“It is not his game. It is not his putting or his chipping. And it’s not his balls because we know he can handle the big occasions."

OK, so we can rule out his balls (that's quite the relief) and his bottle, but his problems are rooted deeper though Paul thinks he's close.  I'm satisified, how about you:

That's The Ticket - Ever wonder why your Congress has approval ratings slightly below those of Charles Manson?  Of course you don't, as it's blindingly obvious....

Your faith in that venerable institution will be confirmed by this item related to National Golf Day:

This year's event, taking place Wednesday in the nation's capital, is no different as the lobbying efforts home in on reinforcing the game's economic impact ($70 billion annually), as well as explain to government officials the industry's positions on labor and environmental issues, and, perhaps most importantly, the PHIT (Personal Health Investment Today) Act. 

PHIT expands the IRS definition of a medical expense to allow for medical-care tax treatment of qualified fitness and sports expenses. 

Why is that important to golfers? 

Because if the PHIT Act passes as currently constituted it would, along with several other physical-fitness expenses, make golf camps and clinics, lessons and training aids, green fees and driving-range fees, tournament fees and, wait for it . . . golf balls and golf clubs tax deductible up to $1,000 for an individual or $2,000 for a head of household or family.

That sound you hear is my fist making contact with my computer monitor....  They've abdicated the bulk of their Article One responsibilities, but they've noticed that I've put on a pound or two....I need to move on, and quickly!

63 In Perspective - With Oakmont on the horizon, you'll want to read this trip down memory lane:

The short answer is yes.... especially since it hadn't been done previously.  The article is structured as a refutation  of the various myths that have arisen about Johnny's feat, so to ensure that you read it I'm not even going to provide an excerpt.  Just this image of the epic scorecard:

The one myth that the authors don't address is that Miller's pyrotechnics caused the USGA to overreact in setting up their course the following year resulting in The Massacre at Winged Foot.

Note To Readers - I have an interesting golf outing tomorrow morning that will preclude blogging.