Your Friday Frisson

Tough time of year as those last few grains of sand descend to the bottom of the hourglass.  Our place is closed next week for aeration, so I guess winter is on for real....

The Shadow Game - Lots of public bloviation on the subject, we'll get to a bit of that below.  But do you remember your President going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and fist-bumping the Crown Prince?  Yes, apparently Americans still use carbon-based energy products, and our Prez begged for the equivalent of a payday loan.

His doltish press secretary assured us that the trip wasn't about oil..... though you might wonder what one talks about with the Saudis if oil isn't on the agenda.... perhaps golf?  Concurrent with this trip, the Biden Justice Department took precious time away from their core responsibilities of designating parents domestic terrorists and and hold January 6th trespassers in solitary confinement to open an antitrust investigation into the PGA Tour, which reasonable people understood to be merely coincidental. In that, "Who ya gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes" kind of way.

You might think that going hat-in-hand to the Wahabis is a bad look, though I was reliably informed to the contrary, as POTUS put down his ice cream cone and beat his chest:

President Biden: “No one fucks with a Biden.”

If by no one you mean everyone....

SAUDIS SOUGHT OIL PRODUCTION CUT SO DEEP IT SURPRISED EVEN RUSSIA

OPEC+ slashed oil production following a Saudi pressure campaign that experts say aims to hurt Democrats in the midterms.

To review the bidding, the Saudis had announced production cuts of 1 million barrels per day.  Based upon Biden's request to prop up his tottering regime by opening the spigot, MBS increased the production cuts to 2 million barrels.  Remember Obama's warning about Joe?

Of course, I'm sure it wasn't personal:

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman mocked Biden in private questioned mental state: report

People inside the Saudi government said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was unimpressed with Biden and favored former President Trump

So, why the deep dive on this subject?  Silly me, having been publicly humiliated by guys wearing towels on their head, I assumed that that Justice Department investigation would quietly close up shop.  Because, while Biden is no stranger to corrupt bargains with foreign governments (you do remember that Ukrainian prosecutor investigating Hunter that Joe got fired, right?) the big guy gets his 10% or there's no deal.  

 So, imagine my surprise when this broke:

I totally get it... they've been using predatory pricing to corner the pimento-cheese sandwich market for decades....

But is Augusta National "under investigation"?  This is where things get kind of interesting, especially if you're among those that naively think the Wall Street Journal is much different than Pravda.... Geoff does good work here (and we need him in this case, because the WSJ item is behind a paywall):

In another Wall Street Journal story featuring an exaggerated headline, the outlet cites “people familiar with the matter” claiming Augusta National Golf Club is “under investigation” in a Department of Justice antitrust probe of the PGA Tour (another story originally revealed by the Journal).

The latest piece is filed by Louise Radnofsky and Andrew Beaton and never uses the same tone as the headline. Nor is it very substantive. The lede:

The Justice Department’s antitrust investigation into professional golf includes the powerhouse bodies Augusta National Golf Club and the United States Golf Association, in addition to the PGA Tour, according to people familiar with the matter.

This seems much different than “under investigation.” Particularly given court proceedings in Northern California where LIV Golf is aggressively trying to draw in the major championship organizations (more below). Yet the Journal casts the “under investigation” net over the other organizations as part of a possible anti-trust case against the PGA Tour.

Yeah, this is a recurring phenomenon in our lame media, where the headlines seem utterly disconnected  from the article they head.  

The DOJ investigation, however, is wider than was previously known, extending to some of the other most important bodies in golf. People familiar with the matter said those groups include Augusta National, which oversees the iconic Masters tournament each spring. The famously secretive club has produced documents for the Justice Department probe, these people said.

Producing documents seems quite a bit different than under investigation.

Yes, but those incendiary headlines unsupported by the reporting is just another form of journalistic malpractice.  They do it because the header will be picked up by other outlets which will tell their readers that the WSJ has reported that Augusta National is under investigation, whereas it has in reality done nothing more than write an unsubstantiated header.  This si what they now teach in J-School, kids....

It's really very curious in two aspects, but first this reminder from Geoff that the WSJ has taken potshots at the Tour previously:

As noted here, the Wall Street Journal has taken an interest of late in all things LIV and the PGA Tour. They posted a thorough deep dive into Jay Monahan’s jet usage, published a silly Greg Norman op-ed and shared a very straightforward primer on the official world rankings headlined, “The Secretive Body at the Center of the Fight for Golf’s Future.”

Fact is that the Journal's news pages are indistinguishable form those at the NY Times or WaPo, and should not be trusted to accurately convey the correct day of the week.

But it raises two quite obvious questions:

1. Why is the news operation of the WSJ carrying water for the Saudis?
2. Perhaps more importantly, why is the Justice Department carrying water for the Saudis?

Stay Tuned.

Reality Bites - Wow, the guys can be so surprisingly touchy.  I mean, guys try to destroy the Tour on which they earned their fortunes and reputations, and those left behind have harsh words.  Really, who could have seen that coming?

As noted earlier in the week, I think Rory would benefit from some message discipline, but I don't think there was much surprise in these comments:

“It’s a weird thing,” McIlroy says. “I think it is the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal, in a way. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to me. You build bonds with these people through Ryder Cups

and other things. Them knowing that what they are about to do is going to jeopardise them from being a part of that ever again? There was a great opportunity for GMac to maybe be the captain at Adare in 2027. Most of Sergio’s legacy is Ryder Cup-based, same with Poulter, Westwood.

“I feel like the place where they have been able to build their legacy and build their brand, they have just left behind. You could make the same argument about me, I started in Europe and went to America but I have always been supportive of the traditional system. If people felt so aggrieved about some things, I’d rather be trying to make those changes from inside the walls than trying to go outside and be disruptive.”

Disruptive?  That's an awfully polite word for their actions, no?

Ian Poulter isn't taking this lying down:

“We can still qualify for the team as far as I am aware,” he said ahead of the rebel tour’s Team Championship in Miami.

“Unless we have been told we can’t qualify I am still ready to play as much as I can and try and make that team.

“My commitment to the Ryder Cup goes before me. I don’t think that should ever come into question.

You've also been told that Jay Monahan can't suspend you.... How's that working out?

But what does that "goes before me" comment even mean?  Your commitment to the Ryder Cup goes before you, but does not survive contact with a large check....  Noted.

Also bloviating is our former POTUS, and likely not to any great effect.  Here I think he gets his cause-and-effect backwards:

Trump spoke with reporters beside the 18th green at the Blue Monster course, which from 1962 to 2016 hosted a PGA Tour event won by the likes LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, Tiger Woods

and Phil Mickelson. The tour left Trump’s Doral property in 2017 for a new venue and sponsor in Mexico, which the former president viewed as an insult. This is the second LIV event hosted by a Trump-owned course; the first came at Trump National Bedminster in July.

“The tour mishandled it so badly,” Trump said. “The people at the top … something should happen with them. They mishandled it so badly. They not only had an advantage, they are dealing with very good people [Saudi investors] with unlimited money. They’re good people with unlimited money. And something could have been worked out very easily.”

On the one hand, I completely understood why the Tour and other golfing organizations didn't want Trump hogging the limelight.  But the flip side was that they unnecessarily discarded a Tour legacy (1962) and created an enemy that is now returning the favor.  

That said, the failure to cut a deal falls mostly on the Saudis, it seems evident to this observer.  They seem to have thought they could drink Jay's milkshake without a strong response, though that's not Trump's fault.

This mornings e-mail included a link to this from John Coupland:

Donald Trump has claimed The Open's organisers want to bring the tournament back to his

Turnberry course on the Ayrshire coast.

The championship, organised by the R&A, has not been staged there since Stewart Cink's victory over Tom Watson in 2009.

The former US president bought the resort in 2014 and invested hundreds of millions of pounds renovating the hotel and redesigning the course.

"I can tell you they want to come back," Trump told reporters after playing the pro-am at the LIV Golf Team Championship being held at the Trump Doral resort here in Miami.

"The Open wants to come back. I think this will have to be sorted out first," he added, referring to the ongoing disputes over the breakaway LIV Golf tour.

"It is rated the number one course in Europe now. We did a big surgery on Turnberry and it has gotten great reviews, even from people who hate me.

Shockingly, much of that is true, though with an asterisk the size of the state of Texas.  The renovation of Turnberry has garnered great reviews, and it's our misfortune to not have a chance to see it. But you don't need me to tell you that the R&A isn't headed back there as long as it's under its current ownership.

But Trump is no different than everyone else to whom I speak on this subject.  Each and every person is certain that a deal must be and will be struck, though none have been able to furnish even a cursory outline of what said deal might look like.

As longs as we're on Trump, there's one other open tab of relevance:

Golfweek's Best 2021: Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain and Ireland

This is its own interesting subject, because the purist's love of links is typically tied to their longevity and the manner in which they fit into their surroundings.   The reason I mention this list now is because the medalist will have heads exploding:

1. Trump International Scotland 7.90

Balmedie, Scotland; Martin Hawtree (2012)

2. Kingsbarns 7.86

St. Andrews, Scotland; Kyle Phillips (2000)

3. Loch Lomond 7.66

Dunbartonshire, Scotland; Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf (1993)

4. Castle Stuart 7.64

Inverness, Scotland; Gil Hanse, Mark Parsinen (2009)

5. Waterville 7.53

Waterville, Ireland; Eddie Hackett (1973)

6. Old Head of Kinsale 7.41

Kinsale, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins (1997)

7. Queenwood 7.28

Ottershaw, England; David McLay Kidd (2001)

8. Renaissance Club at Archerfield 7.25

Dirleton, Scotland; Tom Doak (2008)

9. Hogs Head 7.19

Waterville, Ireland; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2018)

10. The European Club 7.18

Brittas Bay, Ireland; Pat Ruddy (1992)

In a perfect world I'd link you to my review of the course, but a quick Google search came up empty.  It's a fascinating golf course he built, but no one will confuse it with a traditional links.  Like Trump himself, it's just so over-the-top, not least because of the wide range of tees available to the player.

To me, much as I respect places like Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns, which are both well conceived and execute, I would have Waterville topping my list, just because it feels like it's been there forever.  

 The second ten includes some really fine links that are far more characteristic:

11. Tralee 7.01

Tralee, Ireland; Arnold Palmer (1984)

12. Enniscrone 6.90

Enniscrone, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Donald Steel (1974)

T13. Hillside 6.80

Southport, England; Fred Hawtree (1967)

T13. Carne 6.80

Belmullet, Ireland; Eddie Hackett (1992)

All worthy creations, with that back nine at Hillside being perhaps the best nine holes in linksdom....at the very least, the most underrated.

Also good to see thos eplaces we've hunkered down get a mention:

17. Ballyliffin (Glashedy) 6.68

Ballyliffin, Ireland; Pat Ruddy, Tom Craddock (1995)32. Crail (Craighead) 6.20

Crail, Scotland; Gil Hanse (1998)

Crail, Scotland; Gil Hanse (1998)

Good stuff.

Alas, that will be as far as I can go today.  Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.