Els, Westwood Vie For Center Spot On Tim Finchem's Dartboard

You be the judge of whose picture is going to be placed in the center for the Commissioner's daily C-level dart throwing and general male bonding shindig.

Ernie Els, talking to Doug Ferguson about missing the Presidents Cup (possibly). The problem rests with the European Tour's scheduling of the South African Open.

"It doesn't make sense," Els said. "This is my national open. I don't get a chance to play there often. I don't know about the timing of this, but I'm sure the U.S. tour had the date set already for the Presidents Cup. Then the European Tour comes in and ... why are they trying to (mess) with myself and Retief and Tim? Don't they have any regard for the Presidents Cup?"

Apparently not!

As for Lee Westwood, you may recall the PGA Tour changing their rules to exempt The Players from non-member tournament tallies, but as James Corrigan reports, Westwood is not planning to travel to Ponte Vedra.

The world No 1, who two years ago resigned his American card, would play the $9.5m (£5.9m) spectacular, but feels the rigid rules are stopping him when put alongside his own scheduling demands. "I'd go over for the Players if I could play in the tournament the week before, but I don't want to pitch up at the Players cold, having not played for four weeks since Augusta," said Westwood. "So I'll play a couple of tournaments on the European Tour instead."

The news prompted this from Westwood's ten-percenter, Chubby Chandler:

"This sums up what's wrong with golf at the moment," said Westwood's manager, Chubby Chandler. "There are too many people in power thinking only about their own interests rather than what's good for the game. It does my head in to think the world No 1 in his sport can't play in a tournament he wants to play in, and which the sponsor wants him to play in.