Adam Scott Apologizes To Aussies For New Calendar Year Schedule

This Ben Everill story is just the kind of thing that hurts Viagra sales in greater Ponte Vedra, but mostly it makes me sad that the PGA Tour's "calendar year" schedule welcomed by no one but the four fall events, has this kind of residule effect.

The gist? Adam Scott is essentially apologizing for the PGA Tour taking quality Australian golfers away from visits to their home country events so they can play early fall PGA Tour events.

'Playing the PGA Tour is very tough, it's a fine line week to week and it's players' careers at stake,' Scott said.

'You can easily be off the tour and it would be unfair for these guys to jeopardise their careers for a couple of events at home.

'It is too much to ask.

'I am in a fortunate position where I can play and I am happy about that.'

'13 World Cup Headed To Royal Melbourne

We first learned of the possibility last month from Mark Hayes and now it's official: Royal Melbourne will be hosting the 2013 WGC World Cup a week after hosting the Australian Masters.

Bruce Young is understandably excited:

The likely scenario of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast, the Australian Masters and the World Cup of Golf back to back at Royal Melbourne and the Australian Open at Royal Sydney all being held in the month of November could mean Australian golf has a summer along the lines we saw here two years ago when the Australian Open and PGA Championship benefited from the Presidents Cup ’being in town.’

Update on 2013-05-12 03:49 by Geoff

**The press release which details the retro format that should be the Olympic golf format:

World Cup of Golf returns to Melbourne, Australia, in 2013

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club to host event week after Australian Masters

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., USA, and MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia (May 11/12, 2013) – The International Federation of PGA Tours, an organization of the top professional golf tours in the world that sanctions the World Golf Championships and the World Cup of Golf, is proud to join the State of Victoria and the International Golf Association in announcing that the 2013 World Cup of Golf will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and will be played November 21-24.

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosted The Presidents Cup 2011, will host back-to-back events in November.  The World Cup will be preceded on the calendar by the Australian Masters, which boasts Adam Scott as the defending champion.

The World Cup has been played three previous times in Australia, each at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The event was last played in Australia in 1988 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations when the U.S. team of Ben Crenshaw and Mark McCumber defeated the Japanese team of Masashi (Jumbo) and Tateo Ozaki to win the tournament.

“It is an honour to host the World Cup and welcome another international golf event to Melbourne, home of great sporting events and, of course, the incredible Sandbelt region,” said Victorian Premier Dr. Denis Napthine.  “Melbourne is the pride of Australia when it comes to major events, and we would argue rivals any city in the world in that regard.  Today’s announcement is another exciting chapter for Melbourne, and we eagerly anticipate the World Cup in November, when we can once again showcase all that Victoria has to offer to the event’s players and fans.”

As part of the move, the event boasts an $8 million total purse and returns to an individual, stroke-play competition for $7 million, with a team component (adding the total scores of two-man teams) for $1 million.  The qualification system for the event is similar to that which will be used in the Olympic Games, when golf returns to the program in 2016.  The field will include 60 players (no cut), with eligibility taken from the Official World Golf Ranking.  Up to four players can qualify, per country, if they are in the top 15 of the OWGR.  Beyond No. 15, up to a maximum of two players per country can qualify.
If two or more players from a country qualify, then the country is eligible for team competition, with the top-two players comprising the qualified team.

The major difference between the World Cup qualification model and that of the Olympic golf competition is that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will each be considered a separate country (for the purpose of the Olympics, those four countries compete as Great Britain). Further, the Olympic Games golf competition will not feature a team component.

Yes we know.

Barnbougle Dunes On Landline

If you have fifteen minutes and are dreaming of the trip to Tasmania, thank reader Daniel for sending this link to Landline's feature on the amazing Barnbougle Dunes and developer Richard Sattler.

(Landline is an Australian national rural issues television program broadcast on ABC1 and hosted by Pip Courtney.)

Hayes: World Cup May Be Coming To The Sandbelt

Currently listed as date TBD, the World Cup was to debut a mirror image of the 2016 Olympic golf format this year at Mission Hills.

But without a sponsor Mark Hayes says the PGA Tour has approached its Australian counterpart about hosting the week after the Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne. Thanks to the Aussie Golfer for the tip.

Guy Who Erected Dinosaurs: "I would prefer to have Peter Senior than Tiger Woods."

The dinosaur thing was cute as was the locking out of tournament officials on the eve of the tournament, but now resort owner Clive Palmer tells Brent Read in a wide-ranging and completely disastrous Q&A that even if he gets the Australian PGA back next year (he won't), Tiger would not be his first choice.

But at least he lays the groundwork for Tiger to entertain the idea….

"Tiger Woods isn't the No 1 golfer in the world any more," Palmer said. "We don't want to look backwards, we want to look forwards. So why would you get Tiger Woods here? I would prefer to have Peter Senior than Tiger Woods.

"I am sure Peter Senior could beat Tiger Woods on a good day. I am sure he could.

"Tiger Woods has improved a lot but he's an emotional wreck and he's not a good example for kids, anyway."

As for McIlroy, Palmer said: "If you rang him now he would probably tell you unless it's at Palmer Coolum Resort, I won't come.

"We can be sure he won't come if it goes somewhere else."

Reminder: The (Moving?) Dinosaur Debuts At Aus PGA

I had no idea the dinosaurs at Clive Palmer's Coolum Resort move, but it seems from this News 10 footage that the "mechanical monstrosity" makes sounds too.

I think I'm getting a better feel for why the Australian PGA--locked out last weekend by the resort owner--is leaving after this week. Golf Channel has the feed starting at 9:00 ET.

Peter Senior (53!) Wins Australian Open!

Absolutely amazing story Down Under at the Emirates Australian Open: Martin Blake reports on the wacky, windy final day from The Lakes where Peter Senior held off Justin Rose and Brendan Jones to become the oldest winner of the historic tournament.

Senior’s two Australian Open wins – he also won at Kingston Heath in 1989 – came 23 years apart, another record. He is the oldest winner of any top-level Australian tour event, having set the previous record himself when he won the Australian PGA at Coolum in 2010 at 51.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,’’ said Senior, a profoundly popular figure in the Australian golf industry over three decades.

He paid tribute to his son, who has carried the bag on the Champions Tour in the United States including two playoff losses. “We finally did it mate,’’ he said. “Mitch’s one percent (cut) is looking pretty good.’’

The tournament website's live blog covered the day beautifully, including posting some photos of the wind damage. The tournament replay on Golf Channel is at 1 ET.