ESPN Layoffs, U.S. Open Rights

Tony Manfred looks at ESPN's layoffs and the likelihood that overpaying rights fees may portend strength from its competitors, though as the first link notes, it's also about bringing in younger, cheapter labor.

Still, if Manfred's case is to be believed, this is of note considering that NBC's USGA contract expires in 2014 and the two networks are expected to bid on the next contract.

In the last 24 months, ESPN has agreed to huge rights deals with a bunch of leagues and events. Some of the highlights:

    •    $15.2 billion over 10 years for Monday Night football (73% higher annually than the previous deal).

    •    $7.3 billion over 12 years for the new college football playoff (480% higher annually than what it was previously paying for BCS bowls).

    •    $5.6 billion over 8 years for MLB (100% higher annually than the previous deal).

    •    $825 million over 11 years US Open tennis (400% higher annually than the previous deal).

That doesn't include smaller deals with specific college sports conferences, golf tournaments, and NASCAR.

Good News For George O'Grady: Expert Says "Colored" Used These Days Only By The Old, Ignorant, Lazy & Uneducated

From Ewan Murray's wrap up of the George O'Grady boondoggle and BMW first round.

Paul Kearns, the deputy chief executive of Show Racism the Red Card, said: "Black people prefer to be referred to as black, because historically the term coloured has carried particularly negative connotations. It is certainly something we would like to see disappear – it is old fashioned and lazy, but more importantly it has an offensive undertone.

"I do think that anyone using that term these days does so probably through ignorance or lack of education rather than through malice. But we would actively discourage people from using the word coloured when they mean black."

Derek Lawrenson also reports on the O'Grady comments and even has a comment from Sergio, commenting on O'Grady who was commenting on Sergio.

Regarding O’Grady’s gaffe,  Garcia added: ‘Obviously I was playing so I didn’t hear him say it but I have heard about it, and I think it’s unfortunate.’

As for the tournament itself, South African James Kingston leads after a 66.

None of the 11 Ryder Cup  heroes who starred at Medinah last  year on view managed to break 70 on a difficult day, with world  No 2 Rory McIlroy shooting 74  and defending champion Donald a 78 — his worst ever score at Wentworth.

12-Hole Golf To Get High Profile Debut

The LPGA's Bahamas Classic will open as a 12hole first round due to flooding in the Bahamas, reports Doug Ferguson.

There is a chance, depending on drainage, that the rounds will expand to 18 for Saturday's third round.

Steiny Gives Garcia Clearance To Move Forward With His Life

From Ewan Murray's Guardian game story at the BMW PGA.

Sergio talking after his round about his call with Tiger ten-percenter Mark Steinberg:

"I talked to [Woods's agent] Mark Steinberg and he said to move forward," Garcia said. "But hopefully I will get the chance to talk to Tiger in person and, if not, I hope to see him at the US Open and we can talk face to face there."

Euro Tour Chief: "Most of Sergio’s friends happen to be very, er, are coloured athletes in the United States.”

James Corrigan on the latest embarrassment for golf's leadership, European Tour chief George O'Grady responding to Sky Sports questions about the tour's view of Sergio Garcia's fried chicken remark.

Amazingly, O'Grady used his own blissfully ignorant phrasing straight out of the the middle of last century.

O’Grady said: “We accept all races on the European Tour, we take it very strongly; most of Sergio’s friends happen to be very, er, are coloured athletes in the United States.”

Paul Mahoney Tweeted the apology by O'Grady soon after:

O'Grady: "I deeply regret using an inappropriate word in a live interview for Sky Sports for which I unreservedly apologise."

Video: The Mood For Merion, 1st Hole Flyover

To kick off the countdown to Merion and the 2013 U.S. Open, I'll be posting one flyover a day of the holes and offering some analysis right up to the Sunday prior to tournament week.

The 350-yard par-4 first features the unusual look of a sizeable swath of rough between fairway edge and fairway bunkers, which hasn't been necessary to this extent in previous U.S. Opens at Merion. The contours all hug the bunkers nicely on the last 80 or so yards of this legendary opener that has often listed as one of the game's great opening holes. However, I wonder if that has to do more with the setting, where it'll be as much fun watching to see if anyone pulls out driver as it will be looking to see who gets the coveted patio seats closely abutting the first tee.

In the June, 2013 Golf Digest, Lee Trevino's My Shot features extensive discussion of the infamous first tee snake moment from the 1971 U.S. Open. And thanks to YouTube, we can watch it:

One More Instant Poll: What Should Rulemakers Tackle Next?

Thanks for all of the votes on the two post-anchoring polls (here and here). Both provided telling results, with a slight edge going to the PGA Tour expediting the ban to the start of the 2013-14 season over the 2016 date (42% to 40%).

Even more fascinating was the overwhelming 59% viewing the governing bodies more favorably after the ban, with 36 viewing them in the same or less flattering light.

So with that in mind, one more question in the post-anchoring world...what next?

What should the USGA and R&A tackle next?
	Distance
	Caddies lining up players
	Simplifying the rule book
	All of the above
	Nothing
pollcode.com free polls

"The only thing the Spaniard has achieved in the last 24 hours was to make a sympathetic character out of Woods"

Tom English with a super assessment of the Sergio Garcia mea culpa.

By the time he had finished his mea culpa you almost started to feel some pity for him. Woods is not only trouncing him on the golf course but he’s also trouncing him off it. Woods has the career that Garcia always wanted. At one time, many years ago now, these two looked like they were going to form the rivalry of 
the age but Garcia has been a profound disappointment on that score.

The only thing the Spaniard has achieved in the last 24 hours was to make a sympathetic character out of Woods – a hell of a feat beyond the ken of so many who are paid to do it, but now achieved, ironically, by the man who dislikes him more than most.

John Huggan reminds us that there are others who have made mistaken comments who still populate the airwaves.

An off-the-cuff comment regarding fried chicken -- while brainless almost beyond belief -- wasn't as damaging or hurtful as Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman saying Woods' nearest pursuers should "lynch him in a back alley." And, last time I looked, Ms. Tilghman was still on the air.

While Garcia is clearly guilty of crass stupidity, to condemn and categorize him solely on the basis of a single phrase uttered during an adrenaline-charged interview alongside his 2012 Ryder Cup teammates would be wrong. Just as no sensible assessment of a golfer's worth can be made after only one shot or one round or one tournament, the same criteria must surely apply to any assessment of a man's character.

And the Daily Mail's Derek Lawrenson suggests that Sergio's £5 million-a-year deal with
TaylorMade may be in jeopardy.  Even better is the photo that ran with it of Tim Finchem doing his best somber executive look.

Meanwhile In More Civil Spat News…Rory & GMac Edition

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have patched things up. I didn't know they were rowing. As the golf world turns.

Martin Dempster with the details of the two Northern Irishman (except in 2016) clearing the air after McDowell confirmed reports Rory was dumping the agent they share.

And Brian Keogh has more on the re-pairing on the eve of their BMW PGA pairing Thursday, with Rory's dad denying speculation to a passerby that he'll become Rory's management. How am I going to sleep tonight wondering if the lad will get proper representation?

Tim Clark Having Sleepless Nights Over Losing Anchor Option

Tim Clark is still trying to suggest his physical condition requires him to anchor, even though he only has to move his putter half an inch away from his torso.

Stephen Hawkins with the increasingly desperate anchorer's complaint in the wake of Tuesday's anchoring ban.

"There's been a lot of sleepless nights," Clark said. "A year ago, my future in the game, I could see it. I planned to play until I physically no longer could play. Now it's a case of I've been told no, hang on, that might change. You're going to change the way you putt here in a few years' time and now my future is uncertain."

Clark contends that his method of putting has been an option since the game was invented and that changing the rule now makes no sense.

For people who talk about anchored putting going against golf tradition, Clark counters, "Well, why aren't we playing hickory shafts and a feathery golf ball and having a goat carry our golf bag. I mean, the game has evolved, every generation of players has involved."

Update on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 03:26 AM by Geoff

**And thanks to reader PG for noting this pathetic analogy from Clark, told to Rex Hoggard.

“A year ago, I thought I’d play well into my 40s,” Clark told the magazine. “You plan on stuff like, ‘Do you buy a house? Do you add an extension to your house?’ Then a year later they’re telling you, ‘No, the way you’re making a living isn’t going to be around.’ It changes your whole future.”

Belmont Goes Bushwood: Tale Of An Overbudget Clubhouse Redo

Thanks to reader Bud for this Callum Borchers story of a Belmont Country Club's members feuding over an $18 million clubhouse redo swelling to over $30 million.

Add this one to the files of, why do people spend millions on a place where they will spend 15 minutes and skimp on the golf course they'll spend 5 hours on, and think it'll turn out well?

Backslapping has been replaced by back stabbing, and successful business people are doing “things that we would never do in our professional lives,” according to one message from the clubhouse building committee.

“Welcome to Belmonts very own - ‘Big Apple Circus’!!!,” Robert A. Schlager, president of Bulfinch Cos., wrote in an e-mail­ to club leaders last year.

Schlager had been asked by a friend on the building committee to offer advice on utility work and concluded that the club had a “team of misfits” handling the project.

Tiger Responds: "It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate..."

Steve DiMeglio with Tiger's Twitter rebuttal to Sergio's fried chicken remark. There's a sentence circa 2005 that would have gotten me sent to the funny farm.

The Tweets:

The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate...

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

Sergio's impromptu press conference, aired on Golf Channel and courtesy of them. Love that he was caught off guard by the question from Steve Sands.

And Taylor Made has distanced itself from Sergio.

“Sergio Garcia’s recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s values and corporate culture,” the company said in a statement. “We have spoken with Sergio directly and he clearly has regret for his statement and we believe he is sincere. We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter.”

Instant Poll: Do You View The USGA and R&A More Or Less Favorably After The Anchoring Ban?

A simple question, but an important one since opinions have varied so much about their intent in the anchoring ban discussion.

You can only vote once, just in case area residents of surrounding Far Hills townships and greater St. Andrews were contemplating a constant refresh of the site.

Do you view the USGA and R&A more or less favorably after the anchoring ban?
	More favorably
	Less favorably
	About the same
	Don't care
pollcode.com free polls

Tim Clark: "We’re not going to just roll over and accept this.”

Jim McCabe talks to anchorer Tim Clark and he's issued fighting words in response to the announced anchoring ban.

And remember, he did win a Players, which has a first place prize of $8.9 million I think. So he can afford the attorney.

“If there really was a ‘comment period,’ we all know it was all smoke and mirrors," said Clark, standing on the putting green at Colonial Country Club, site of this week's Crowne Plaza Invitational. "Their minds were made up.”

Clark confirmed news that probably won’t come as a surprise to officials at the PGA Tour, U.S. Golf Association and R&A.

“We do have legal counsel,” he said. “We’re going to explore our options. We’re not going to just roll over and accept this.”

Video: Rickie Does Dallas

Under dark and blustery Dallas skies Rickie Fowler and Colt Knost plugged sponsor Red Bull and launched Crowne Plaza Invitational week while attempting to make a hole in one to a Texas-shaped green.

Take that...guys over playing the Open Championship qualifier.

The name of the game was to see who could hit it closest to the pin, while egged on by special guests and former Dallas Stars hockey player Marty Turco and Kip Brennan.  The two contestants strolled out to the sidewalk and warmed up with an 80-yard lob wedge, followed by 115-yard gap wedge from across the street and onto the AT&T Plaza green. Fowler started off slowly in these practice rounds, while Knost consistently landed on the green.

Then the two players jumped into a golf cart and drove around the block to an adjacent 3rd floor parking structure for the main round.  From there, they attempted blind shots from 140+ yards that to had fly over a 6-story building or be sliced left-to-right to land softly on the Victory Plaza green.  With golf balls flying over the heads of hundreds of spectators, Fowler first jumped on the MIC to let the fans know they “should probably duck.”

The video.

Officials Will Be Staying On The Course For Now

Doug Ferguson talks to the PGA Tour's Tyler Dennis who says it's still more productive for the PGA Tour to have one more official on the course instead of in the booth.

Of course, if the tour wasn't being so stingy with what is obviously such an important role (no contract for rules officials since January 1!), they could just hire another official to be in the booth or in a Ponte Vedra TV room and not take one of the officials off the course.

Rory Too Coy On Management Shakeup?

He's giving strange answers to the adoring UK press and questions about his trademark honesty even pop up in Derek Lawrenson's column asking why Rory McIlroy is struggling to answer questions about his second agent change in two years.

Is it true or not? So far we’ve heard nothing more from Rory and nothing more from Horizon. McDowell is such an open man that you can only think it is true, but, in turn, where would that leave Rory’s reputation for honesty? And why is no-one prepared to offer some semblance of an explanation as to what is actually going on?

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."