Midweek Musings

Just a few droppings for you this morning, though check back because I may surprise you with a second item....

It's Official - This will come as no surprise to the astute reader:

It's official: Tiger Woods has withdrawn from next week's PGA Championship and will

not play in all four majors for the first time since 1994.

Woods has been rehabbing from multiple back surgeries all season and has not played an event in 2016. His last tournament was the Wyndham Championship in August 2015, where he finished tied for 10th. Replacing Woods at Baltusrol next week will be Harold Varner III.

I for one am relieved that the PGA will still manage to meet its diversity goals.... 

Steiny gives us an extensive update on Tiger's progress and future schedule:

In an email to GolfChannel.com, Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said: "Continuing to make progress, but simply not ready for PGA. Will not play in the '15/'16 season and will continue to rehab and work hard to then assess when he starts play for the '16/'17 season."

Or not.  It is what it is, he just needs more reps so he can get back his golf feels and.... eh, at this point what difference does it make?

The hope of course is that he's taking enough time to let himself heal fully, and that when he returns his body will be up to the rigors of tournament play.... that is, if he returns.

But, like a tenacious bulldog, I can't help myself from piling on....  Despite Commissioner Colossus bestriding the calendar and leaving no weekend bereft of an event, there's not a single tourney between July and April for Tiger to give a second thought to....

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda... - How did I miss this obvious parlay?

Henrik Stenson had never won a major championship before Sunday. Aaron Baddeley hadn't won a PGA Tour event in more than five years. And yet one brilliant (crazy?) golf fan decided to bet on both of them last week. Before their tournaments started. As part of the same wager. 

Of course, Stenson won the Open Championship in Scotland on Sunday and Baddeley was victorious at the Barbasol Championship in Alabama. And on Tuesday, Australian golf broadcaster Luke Elvy shared this copy of the most incredible winning betting slip you'll ever see:

Here's an explanation for those of you that don't punt on golf:

In this case, the mysterious gambler paired Stenson (at 34-to-1 odds) with Baddeley (at 51-to-1 odds). Both golfers had to win their respective tournaments or it would be a lost wager. The result was a "price" of $1,734, meaning for every dollar bet, the bettor would win that much. Since the bettor wagered $50, his overall return was $86,700. Not too shabby. 

According to Elvy, the ticket didn't belong to him, but rather "a renowned golf punter in Australia." If anyone knows his identity -- or more importantly, who he's betting on at the PGA Championship -- please let us know. Thanks.

Fair enough, though the payout doesn't strike me as that favorable for the improbability of the outcome....  I mean Aaron Baddeley?

Be Careful Out There -  We had one of these last summer from a golf course near the Slat Lake City airport.  But you know that lightning stuff that they tell us to avoid on the golf course?  Turns out, and I didn't see this coming, that it's really dangerous, as per this photo from a Des Moines golf course:

Apparently that cup at ground zero melted.... Be careful out there.

The State of the Rota - Shack takes a look at the SOTR, and finds it uncertain... the threshhold issue, is Turnberry still in the rota:

Still, Turnberry faces an uphill battle to host the Open because of the R&A’s aversion to the New York real-estate magnate’s inflammatory campaign-trail rhetoric and his potential for upstaging an event. Few in Scotland have forgotten the then-new candidate’s helicopter entrance and appearance at the Women’s British Open at Turnberry last July, or his premature mention of Trump International Links in Aberdeen landing a three-year deal to host the Scottish Open. (That deal is dead after Aberdeen Asset Management’s head man, Martin Gilbert, signaled his company was looking at other venues for the event.) 

Last December, the Independent on Sunday reported that Trump Turnberry was out of the Open rota over various incendiary comments by the candidate. However, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers denied that during the 145th Open at Royal Troon.

Is that Ivanka in the high heels?

Geoff's basic premise is that the Ailsa course is much improved, as it was notoriously overrated due to the spectacular vistas and epic Open Championships held there.  he has a full review in the works, but it would be a shame if we lose it because of you-know-who....

I thought Peter Dawson played this well last summer, asking the seemingly relevant question of why he would base his venue decisions on comments of the owner....But it's criminal naivete to suggest that the blue bloods of the R&A want any part of The Donald.

The Muirfield issue is to me a McGuffin, as there's little doubt that thier membership policy will be changed sufficiently soon to have no impact on the R&A's awarding of venues.  Royal Portrush always seemed to me a wise insurance policy, and the fact that it's such a great links is a bonus..... you'll see in 2019.

Back at his blog, Geoff had this about another venue:

Troon? Very fine venue and every dozen years, is just right for The Open. Shoot, 12 years from now the R&A media hotel suggestion, the Adams Family House, may even have internet and fire extinguishers attached to the walls! 

More disconcerting is a likely return to Royal St. George's in 2020 without some restoration and softening of bad modern era tweaks (when the superior Deal/Royal Cinque Ports is available). Throw in possible pouting over The Donald's comments, eliminating Turnberry from the rota, and the R&A will suddenly have a much weaker rota if they avoid Turnberry (and have Muirfield on the outside looking in).

Internet?  What a diva...

Royal St. George's is the one current rota course that I've never played, but it's also clearly the most reviled.  I'm surprised that he thinks Deal and Royal Cinque Ports are capable of holding Opens, as it's been many decades since either held the big show.

Bubba, Ready for Rio - Why is Bubba about the only guy excited about the Olympics?  Because he's got a solution for the ground transportation issues.... 

Making it quite curious, as per Alex Myers, as to why he looked like any other schlub at Newark Airport:

Please tell me that he didn't check his clubs, especially that precious pink driver?