Oh No He Didn't: Sergio Makes Fried Chicken Joke

Fuzzy, I have Sergio Garcia on line one, he wants to know what he's gotten himself into now.

Ewan Murray with what figures to escalate the Sergio-Tiger spat into a full-fledged controversy and some rough times for Sergio if Fuzzy Zoeller's past use of a similar joke is any barometer.

The Spaniard was on stage at the European Tour's gala players' awards dinner, where he was questioned by the Golf Channel's Steve Sands. García, who has been embroiled in verbal battles with Woods since the Players Championship at Sawgrass this month, was asked in jest if he would have the American round for dinner one night during the upcoming US Open. "We will have him round every night," García said. "We will serve fried chicken."

Update on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 06:48 PM by Geoff

**Sergio quickly issued a statement apologizing. From GolfChannel.com:

Garcia soon apologized for the off-color comment, saying in a statement: “I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”

Update on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 06:59 PM by Geoff

**Derek Lawrenson wrote up the incident for the Daily Mail and added this:

Several guests at last night’s awards dinner were clearly shocked by Garcia’s comment, while one leading Tour professional said: ‘You didn’t hear that’ as he walked past journalists present.

PGA Of America: "We are disappointed with this outcome."

The PGA of America is disappointed. PGA of America president Ted Bishop's statement:

Over the past few months The PGA of America has taken a vocal and active position which reflected the strong viewpoint of our PGA Professionals in opposing the USGA and R&A's proposed Rule 14-1b that would ban the anchored stroke. Today, the governing bodies indicated that they will proceed with the formal adoption of the rule.

We are disappointed with this outcome. As we have said publicly and repeatedly during the comment period, we do not believe 14-1b is in the best interest of recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game. Growing the game is one of the fundamental purposes of The PGA of America.

Although we do not agree with the decision, we applaud the USGA for its willingness to listen to our concerns and engage in meaningful discussions. In our opinion and based on our experience, the USGA treated the comment period for what it was intended to be -- a time to exchange opinions, concerns and potential solutions.

And a more supportive statement from the LPGA:

The LPGA has consistently conducted our official events in accordance with the Rules of Golf as established by the USGA and the R&A. We recognize the need for an independent governing body to maintain the rules of the game. We trust in the ability and expertise of both the USGA and R&A to make the decisions that are in the best interests of the game.
 
The USGA provided ample time and opportunity for us to not only educate our players, but also to solicit input, concerns and feedback surrounding Rule 14-1b. While we know that not every one of our members is in favor of the rule change, the LPGA will continue to respect and follow the Rules of Golf which includes the implementation of Rule 14-1b in January of 2016.

Golfweek has a roundup of player reactions, get your Kleenex box out.

Update on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 07:31 AM by Geoff

**Tom Lehman, playing Colonial this week, does not agree with the decision. Jason Sobel reports:

“I’m in support of the PGA of America and growing the game, making it more inclusive and fun for everybody,” Lehman said while preparing for this week’s Crowne Plaza Invitational. “This is a real issue, because I just can’t imagine that all the clubs around the United States, when they have their member-guests or their club championship, they’re going to have a local rule and say, ‘We’re not going to play by USGA rules.’ So I think the USGA and R&A are setting themselves up for a situation where people don’t follow their lead, which will diminish their credibility as ruling bodies, and I think there’s a potential problem with that.”

Manufacturer: "With this decision, bifurcation needs to be front and center in golf's conversations"

Jason Sobel shares comments from a few in the manufacturing community and John Solheim of PING was complimentary, while Bob Philion of Cobra Puma Golf apparently didn't get the memo that there is no law requiring him to make "game enjoyment" equipment conforming to USGA and R&A rules.

"Golf lost today,” he said. “This is not the direction we should be going; it will only continue to alienate people from golf. Cobra Puma Golf has been stressing the importance of game enjoyment since we formed in 2010; game enjoyment is how we are going to bring people back to golf. This decision is a giant leap back on that front. With this decision, bifurcation needs to be front and center in golf's conversations and we should be focusing on adapting the rules and the game to be inclusive and fun."

Instant Poll: Where Should The PGA Tour Go From Here?

The obvious sticking point in the anchoring ban discussion: what does the PGA Tour do?

Commissioner Tim Finchem sided with the anchorers and his suddenly empathy-laden membership and voiced opposition to the ban. He also seems to be thinking quite a bit about the Champions Tour where several top players anchor. (Farrell Evans looks at some of the top players and what they might do.)

With that in mind...

Anchoring ban: Where should the PGA Tour go from here?
	Go along with the 2016 ban
	Expedite the ban to October for 2013-14 season
	Adopt condition of competition, ignoring ban
pollcode.com free polls

Update on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 06:54 AM by Geoff

**The PGA Tour's statement, issued 25 minutes after the USGA press release went out (and an hour after the R&A). I don't think there's much question about Tim Finchem having helped write this one.

STATEMENT OF PGA TOUR ON ADOPTION OF RULE 14-1B

PGA TOUR acknowledges that the USGA has adopted Rule 14-1b which prohibits anchored putting as of January 1, 2016.

We would like to thank the USGA for providing the opportunity for input and suggestions relative to Rule 14-1b over the last several months. During that time, various questions were raised and issues discussed.

We will now begin our process to ascertain whether the various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions and, if so, examine the process for implementation.

In this regard, over the next month we will engage in discussions with our Player Advisory Council and Policy Board members.

We will announce our position regarding the application of Rule 14-1b to our competitions upon conclusion of our process and we will have no further comment on the matter until that time.

Anchoring Ban Official For 1-1-16: “The new Rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides"

Calling this a "great day" for the governing USGA and R&A might be a bit strong as I'm not sure anyone wins in a saga like this (well, except maybe if you have a blog about the state of the game). No matter what side you fall on, the ability to hold off a surprising lack of support from the PGA of America and PGA Tour makes for an impressive victory, speaks to the ironclad approach by the USGA and R&A to this rule change and reasserts the governing bodies strength as they face several other looming issues.

Every time there seemed like a loophole or mistake in approach to the proposed anchoring ban, a bit of deeper digging revealed why they approached things the way they did. The case seems to have been very carefully considered and many counter arguments thought about in ultimately leading to a very disciplined approach by the governing bodies.

Consider...

--The lack of data supplied to make their case, which warranted criticism and at first glance seemed absurd, turned out to be a wise approach. We later realized this would have only picked on certain anchorers, fueling the fire and singling out people who have been playing by the rules and perhaps even prompting lawsuits.

--The timing of January 1, 2016 is not perfect, it's probably the perfect compromise between a shocking immediacy and letting anchorers hang around too long. Whether the PGA Tour goes a different path is up to them, but considering the drop in anchoring this year and the ability of time to heal most wounds, they might be wise to simply let the issue fade away.

--Not simply banning putters of a certain length turned out to be a brilliant move to blunt the arguments of those who need a long putter because of back or grip issues. They can still use a long putter, they just can't anchor.

And without further ado, For Immediate Release:

USGA AND THE R&A ANNOUNCE FINAL APPROVAL OF RULE 14-1B  THAT PROHIBITS USE OF ANCHORED STROKES

Governing Bodies Issue Report Explaining Their Decision Following Comment Process New Rule to Take Effect on January 1, 2016, Allowing for Transitional Period Belly-Length and Long Putters Remain as Conforming Clubs

Far Hills, N.J., USA and St Andrews, Scotland (May 21, 2013) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A, golf’s governing bodies, today announced the adoption of Rule 14-1b of the Rules of Golf that prohibits anchoring the club in making a stroke. The new Rule will take effect on January 1, 2016, in accordance with the regular four-year cycle for changes to the Rules of Golf.

Rule 14-1b, which was proposed on November 28, 2012, has now been given final approval by the USGA and The R&A following an extensive review by both organizations. The decision to adopt the new Rule came after a comprehensive process in which comments and suggestions from across the golf community were collected and thoroughly considered.

The USGA and The R&A have prepared a detailed report to explain the reasons for the decision to adopt Rule 14-1b. The report explains the principles on which the Rules of Golf are founded, why freely swinging the entire club is the essence of the traditional method of stroke, and why anchoring is a substantially different form of stroke that may alter and diminish the fundamental challenges of the game. It points out that the Rule will still allow the use of belly-length and long putters and that a wide variety of types of strokes remain for players to use. The report concludes that the new Rule should not adversely affect participation in the game, that it is not too late or unfair to require players to comply with it and that it will remove concerns about any potential advantage that anchoring provides. It also makes clear that one set of Rules is essential to the future health of the game. The report, entitled Explanation of Decision to Adopt Rule 14-1b of the Rules of Golf, can be found at www.usga.org/anchoring or at www.RandA.org/anchoring.

“Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed Rule was announced, our best judgment is that Rule 14-1b is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game – that the player freely swing the entire club,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager. “The new Rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides, ensuring that players of all skill levels face the same challenge inherent in the game of golf.”

Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A said: “We took a great deal of time to consider this issue and received a variety of contributions from individuals and organisations at all levels of the game. The report published today gives a comprehensive account of the reasons for taking the decision to adopt the new Rule and addresses the concerns that have been raised. We recognise this has been a divisive issue but after thorough consideration we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf.”
 
The current Rule 14-1 of the Rules of Golf will be re-numbered as Rule 14-1a, and new Rule 14-1b will be established as follows:

14-1b Anchoring the Club
In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point.” 

Note 1:  The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.

Note 2:  An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.

Rule 14-1b will not alter current equipment rules and allows for the continued use of all conforming golf clubs, including belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke. The new Rule narrowly targets only a few types of strokes, while preserving a golfer’s ability to play a wide variety of strokes in his or her individual style.

The January 1, 2016, timetable for implementation also provides an extended period in which golfers may, if necessary, adapt their method of stroke to the requirements of the new Rule.

David Rickman, Executive Director of Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A, said: “This Rule change addresses the future and not the past. Everyone who has used an anchored stroke in the past, or who does so between now and January 1, 2016, will have played entirely within the Rules and their achievements will in no way be diminished.”

“The discussion around the Rule has been very helpful, and we appreciate that so many different perspectives were offered,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “We know that not everyone will agree with the new Rule, but it is our hope that all golfers will accept that this decision is reasoned and motivated by our best judgment in defining the sport and serving the best interests of the game.”

Nice Roundup Of Open Championship Qualifier In TX

Jim McCabe on Robert Karlson's playoff success that gets him back to the championship he's contended in and WD'd from last year with yip issues.

He also covers the other qualifiers, near misses and the brutal 17th hole at Gleneagles CC.

Finishing double-bogey, bogey left Karlsson at 4-under 136, tied with three others – Luke Guthrie, Bud Cauley and Andres Echavarria.

The only thing was, there was only room for three of them.
You certainly could tell, too, who was in and who was out as everyone bunched around the scoring board. Those who had posted 7 under (Josh Teater), 6 under (Johnson Wagner and Camilo Villegas), and 5 under (Scott Brown and Brian Davis), wore flip-flops, t-shirts, and even bounced their children on their laps (that would be Brown).

Their long and hot day had been completed in satisfying fashion, five guaranteed tickets punched to the Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland (July 18-21).

Full scores here, including the 18 WD's. Oy vey.

Sergio Nibbles Back: We Don't Make A Difference To Each Other!

If you didn't know they were grown men who whap a ball around manicured grounds and get paid lavishly to do so, you'd definitely have to wonder what happened on the first date with Sergio and Tiger. Actually we know, it was at Bighorn and it's been all downhill since.

Paul Mahoney with the full backstory in case you've been in a coma and Sergio's retort to Tiger's succinct "no" on any potential hatchet-burying. Someone please pair these two jilted golfers with Vijay, chop, chop!

"First of all, I don't have his number. And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don't have anything to say to him. And he wouldn't pick up the phone anyway. But that's OK; I don't need him as a friend. I don't need him in my life to be happy and that's fine. It's as simple as that. Like I have always said, I try to be as truthful as possible," Garcia said. "That's why I think sometimes most of the people love me and some hate me. I understand that but I'm not going to change. That's what makes me who I am and that's what makes me happy. And that's what makes the people I care about happy because they know they can trust me. Tiger doesn't make a difference to my life. And I know that I don't make a difference to his life."

Middle East Peace Sounds More Likely Than Tiger/Sergio Truce

Steve DiMeglio with Tiger's one-word answer and an exclusive follow up on whether he has thought to call Sergio and bury the hatchet after last month's Players Championship incident.

"Obviously, the matter has been put behind me. The truth came out," Woods told USA TODAY Sports about the incident with Garcia. "As I was saying the entire time, I told people what I had heard and what had happened."

More importantly, he reiterated his views on the proposed anchoring ban and suggested he'd like to see the a ban sped up for the PGA Tour.

" … And as far as the PGA Tour, I hope they do it as soon as possible to be honest with you. I've always said that. I've always felt that golf you should have to swing the club, control your nerves and swing all 14 clubs, not just 13."

Tiger And Kid Rock Dazzle On The Red Carpet

Robin Leach is outraged...outraged!...that Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn weren't photographed together for Saturday's Tiger Woods Foundation's Tiger Jam fundraiser in Las Vegas.

And frankly, having to look at Kid Rock instead of Vonn, I concur. Then again, there's Rock with Tiger on the golf course with Chris Paul. Open at your peril.

Leach tried to take his complaint a step further by suggesting the rumors of engagement--Tiger and Lindsey that is--kept Vonn off the red carpet because she was hiding a ring.

Bae Can Avoid Military Service With A Major Or Medal

Reading John Strege's account of Sunday's HP Byron Nelson and the CBS telecast, there was this:

Faldo also predicted that Bae won't be "a flash in the pan." Bae is banking on that as well, aiming as he is to represent South Korea in the Olympics in 2016. Military service is mandatory in South Korea and he has yet to fulfill his obligation, but an Olympic medal or a major championship would exempt him from service.

How about a Players Championship?

The final round highlights:

Guan Lands Memorial Exemption

Well at least the 14-year-old Masters cut-maker Tianlang Guan won't be missing any school for this one. Right?

For Immediate Release...

Chinese Amateur teen sensation Tianlang Guan to compete in the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance  
 
Dublin, Ohio – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance announced today that 14-year-old Chinese amateur sensation Tianlang Guan has accepted an exemption to compete in the 38th edition of the Memorial, May 27 – Jun 2 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
 
Tianlang last month became the youngest player to make a cut in a major championship in PGA TOUR history when he finished 58th at The Masters Tournament with a 12-over-par 300 aggregate total. His invitation to the first major of the season came by way of his victory at the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. A native of Guangzhou, China, Tianlang followed up his performance at Augusta National Golf Club by making the cut two weeks later at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he finished 71st at 4-over 292. Last week he missed the cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship after rounds of 70 and 77.
 
“I am very excited to accept the invitation to play at the Memorial Tournament,” Tianlang said. “It is Jack Nicklaus’ event, and the same as all the golf fans out there I have very high respect to Mr. Nicklaus, not just as a golf legend, but also as a great person. He has been actively involved in the development of golf in China, and junior golf development worldwide, and as a junior golfer myself I appreciate what he has done to help us grow. My parents and I got the chance to meet him in person at the Masters, and that was one of the highlights of my week at Augusta National. I appreciate a lot the Memorial Tournament for having me there, and it is going to be a great week.”
 
Tianlang is ranked No. 78 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“The Memorial Tournament has been a strong supporter of amateur golf since its inception, and each year the winners of both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur are always invited to participate,” said Memorial Tournament Founder and Host Jack Nicklaus. “With the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship becoming such an important event in the game of golf, and with the winner earning an invitation to The Masters Tournament and a spot in International Final Qualifying for the British Open, the Captains Club thought it was only appropriate to offer an invitation to the Memorial Tournament. We hope that in the future, we can make this a standard policy with our exemptions.

Video: Golf Ball Sized Hail…On A Golf Course

As seen on the GCSAA Twitter account, a hail storm at de Cordova Bend CC in Granbury, Texas. The Saturday, May 18, 2013 storm was shot by GCSAA field staff rep Brian Cloud.

Bill Geist Video: "Mini golf course designers? Who knew?"

Bill Geist's Sunday Morning segment featured a wonderful visit to the Jersey Shore to meet mini-golf architect Glenn Lynn. He is resurrecting Hurricane Sandy victim Barnacle Bill's miniature golf course, a community centerpiece.



The show also featured a segment on Thomas Burke's birdhouses, one of which is the Augusta National Clubhouse.

Kostis: Blame The Architects And Developers!

Thanks to everyone who forwarded Peter Kostis' latest piece of mindless drivel from the June Golf Magazine.

There is not even an ounce of wisdom to glean from it--unless you've been in a coma the last twenty years and want to see how far down the drain we are when folks like Kostis are given a place to write. But in defense of the folks at Golf Magazine, who regrettably give Kostis the space to peddle his views, the columns contradicting this latest doozy have disappeared.

And that, my friends, is why I copy, paste and archive!

Kostis' newest "How golf lost its way" premise is one that sadly has been popping up of late and is a convenient get around for those who don't want to upset certain manufactuers--maybe even the same once worked for--by suggesting that we never modify product and instead blame golf course builders for the game we have today.

Kostis says the architects and developers of the last fifty years, responding to a changing game, let us down with designs that were too hard.

Unfortunately, the reality of the game today is that it takes too long, costs too much and is generally way too difficult. How did we get here? The common perception is that this is a recent phenomenon brought on by modern equipment and the multi-piece ball, but in reality, this problem is nothing new. In fact, it's been slowly creeping up on us for more than 50 years.

Of course, Kostis wrote just seven years ago that golf had not lost its way, it was merely different and would survive just fine despite all of the cries that the game had lost its way.

Today's golf isn't better or worse than the golf played 20, 50 or even 100 years ago. It's just different, just as our lives and our world are different.

This concept of yearning for a return to better times has been around forever and coincides with a reluctance to accept change. Dismissing all change as bad is stupid.

So, lamenting this period of change, under Kostis' definition, makes him stupid?

Peter, Peter, don't be so hard on yourself.

Kostis then goes on an a whole anti-business creed about real estate developments, which should make for interesting fodder next time Peter sits down with the gang at Whisper Rock.

At PGA West, Pete Dye was asked to build the most difficult course possible. The developers wanted buzz, and Pete gave it to them. And all this happened before metal woods, graphite shafts, and the multi-piece ball. To blame golf's problems today on technology alone shows a lack of historical perspective. The real issue is that at some point we lost sight of what a course should be -- a fun, contiguous, walkable layout that can be played in a reasonable amount of time.

We! Nice that Kostis at least lumps himself into the mess, but the fact is the chase for difficulty is a product of the factors he mentioned, with technological changes expanding the bottom line yardage needed to keep a course relevant. That may not have been the problem alone, but it is a starting place for a solution.

Thankfully, John Paul Newport penned a cleansing piece in this week's WSJ that will make you feel much better should you choose to read Kostis.

On the eve of the proposed anchoring ban decision, Newport nails it in every respect about what matters in golf and how the pursuit of easy--whether via anchoring or the latest equipment--is not a cure for what ails golf.

One result of the huge advances in equipment in the 1990s and early 2000s, until the USGA and the R&A clamped down on further increases in distance, driver-club-head size (later than they should have) and club-head trampoline effect, was that courses got longer and more difficult (and thus more expensive) in response. They had to, in order to keep success and failure in equilibrium. There are many reasons golf has lost 30% of its avid players since 2000, but all those advances in technology, touted to make the game more fun, don't seemed to have helped.

Video: New Definition Of Taking Relief

Nicolas Colsaerts is in deep doodoo, the game has gone down the toilet and, well, the list goes on and on.

Thanks to reader Ruediger for the link to this video from the Volvo World Match Play showing Colsaerts taking relief from a 10th hole restroom. (Graeme McDowell won the match play over Thongchai Jaidee Sunday.)

Cal Men Win Record 11th Tournament

Julie Williams with the pertinent details, though they don't get much more self explanatory than this: 11 wins in 13 tournaments for the "unofficial" record and they did it by 20 shots.

This time it was the NCAA Regional and as the Cal athletics page notes, it's not just this year that makes it such an amazing run.

With the victory, Cal will advance to the 30-team field at the NCAA Championship hosted by Georgia Tech May 28 - June 2 at the Capital City Club in Alpharetta, Ga. Cal will be playing at the NCAA Championship for a school-record fourth consecutive season and the ninth time in school history. Cal will enter the NCAA Championship having won 17 of its last 27 tournaments overall dating back to the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign and having finished in the top five in all 27.

Must See Video: "Amazingly Professional Office Golf Putt"

The YouTube description says this is Logan Fondren, "custom club manager at Callaway Golf taking some time at the Callaway office to attempt a putt that looked just about impossible."

The description says this happened on the eighth take.

Remembering The Life & Times Of Ken Venturi

Ron Kroichick's obituary for Ken Venturi's hometown San Francisco Chronicle.

Doug Ferguson with the Associated Press obituary.

John Strege for GolfDigest.com.

Adam Schupak for Golfweek.com.

Bob Harig for ESPN.com.

Richard Goldstein files the New York Times obituary.

Jaime Diaz's column on Venturi's golfing genius prior to the Venturi WGHOF induction.

His Golf Digest My Shot.

From reader Gene, Michael Bamberger's SI story on Venturi's farewell to broadcasting.

Venturi's World Golf Hall of Fame page.

A PGA Tour video with Venturi's induction video from the WGHOF ceremony.

A USGA film of Venturi returning to Congressional to discuss his U.S. Open win.



Venturi on Feherty, the entire episode:

Update on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 11:18 AM by Geoff

**Golf Channel calls an audible and will re-broadcast Feherty's episode with Venturi on Monday, May 20th.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 19, 2013 – Monday at 10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will air a special encore presentation of FEHERTY with Ken Venturi, the 2013 World Golf Hall-of-Fame Inductee who passed away Friday at the age of 82.  Monday’s episode (which premiered in April, 2012) features Feherty traveling to Los Angeles for a stroll down memory lane with Venturi.  Their engaging conversation covers the gamut of Venturi’s seven decades in golf that began in 1941, including friendships with golf legends Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, becoming America’s finest amateur in the mid-1950s, freak injuries that led to his retirement; and how, despite dealing with an incurable stutter, destiny led him to be a commentator and analyst for CBS Sports.
 
Programming Note: Monday’s originally scheduled new episode of FEHERTY with LPGA professional Stacy Lewis will now premiere July 1 at 10 p.m. ET.

R.I.P. Ken Venturi

Ron Kroichick from Venturi's hometown paper reports the news of the 82-year-old former U.S. Open champion and Hall of Famer's passing.

Update on Friday, May 17, 2013 at 07:11 PM by Geoff

**A heartfelt statement from CBS's Jim Nantz:

“He was one of the finest gentlemen the world will ever know and one of the greatest friends you could ever have.  He was a deeply principled man with a dynamic presence. He just exuded class.  Through his competitive days and unequalled broadcasting career, Kenny became a human bridge connecting everyone from Sarazen, Nelson and Hogan to the greatest players of today's generation.  Kenny faced many adversities in his life and always found a way to win.  When I hear Frank Sinatra's "My Way," I will always believe that Ol’ Blue Eyes was singing that song for his close pal, Kenny Venturi. It makes me think of him every time.  On his farewell broadcast in 2002 I told him, ‘You will be, always by my side.'   Five years later I wrote a book about my Dad and father figures in my life. I named the book after that very moment.  I'm so happy he lived to know he was going to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. I will cherish my 17 years working with him.  But more than that, I will treasure the rich, personal, deep friendship that we shared for nearly 30 years.” – CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz

World Golf Hall of Fame statement regarding Venturi:

On behalf of the Members, staff and volunteers of the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum, we are saddened to learn of the passing of Ken Venturi. He was one of golf's iconic figures, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Ken's family.

Ken made an unforgettable imprint on the game we love. He was a fantastic player, and captivated the nation with his thrilling victory in the 1964 U.S. Open. For 35 years in the broadcast booth at CBS, he was the warm, friendly voice millions invited into their homes to share his unique insights.

To honor him, the United States flag at the Hall of Fame will be lowered to half-mast and a special tribute will be created in the Museum. When Ken learned he would be a part of the Class of 2013, he said, "The greatest reward in life is to be remembered." The Hall of Fame and golf fans everywhere will never forget the impact Ken had on the game.
-- Jack Peter, Chief Operating Officer, World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum

Friday Sensitive News Dump Files: No. Ireland Not In World Cup

With the 2013 World Cup headed to Royal Melbourne, players are looking at putting on their schedule and the potential for a Northern Ireland team was potentially enticing Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.

But now we learn that is not the case. Doug Ferguson reports.

The PGA Tour issued a statement late Friday afternoon that only England, Scotland and Wales will have separate teams for the World Cup. That's how it has always been for the World Cup. Players from Northern Ireland and Ireland will continue to compete as one team under the Irish flag.

The status quo likely will keep Rory McIlroy away from Royal Melbourne.

McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, had said he would not be playing in the World Cup. When told last week that Northern Ireland would have its own teams, McIlroy said, "That might change things a little bit."

But hey, they're still headed to Royal Melbourne.