"We have excellent relations with Setanta"

Lawrence Donegan reports that the demise of sports network Setanta means that the UK rights holder to PGA Tour coverage may be leave the Tour as "the hardest hit sports league."

Where will the PGA tour go now? Sky, which used to hold the rights and bid around £5m-a-year when they came up for auction in 2006, may be interested. But it will not be interested at a price anywhere near that paid by Setanta - especially as it was miffed to lose the contract in the first place.

And this...

It is hard to know for certain because we don't know how the deal with Setanta was structured. But let's say the $103 million was spread evenly over the reported five years; that's $20.6 million a year. Two years have already elapsed, which leaves three years at $20.6 million - a total of $61.8 million. Ouch!

"The European Tour's chief executive George O'Grady insists the deal with Leisurecorp is secure. Maybe it is - but at what terms?"

On his new Guardian golf blog, Lawrence Donegan adds to the growing list of evidentiary items suggesting that LeisureCorp's troubles will inevitably impact their massive European Tour sponsorship deal.

Improved Lie?

Thanks to reader Aleid for pointing out that the replay of Richie Ramsay's incident during Saturday's Wales Open is now posted. 

Update on 2009-06-10 17:01 by Geoff

Reader Manny wrote in to point out that they were playing lift, clean and place, so for those of you who subscribe to that as a form of cheating, then perhaps your take on Ramsay might be more lenient.

"Truth is, we would love to apply a one-stroke penalty if the opportunity arises because the message this sends out is very powerful."

Mark Garrod talks to the European Tour's Andy McFee about why Christian Cevaer was not assessed a slow play penalty during the recent European Open.

This McFee comment was interesting in light of the PGA Tour's hasn't doled out a penalty in 17 years.

"Truth is, we would love to apply a one-stroke penalty if the opportunity arises because the message this sends out is very powerful.

"But we will always treat all players fairly and we will not seek to penalise when the circumstances don't warrant it.

"Incidentally, 17 one-stroke penalties have been earned (and I use that word deliberately] since 1997 - hardly inaction.

"True, most of the penalties fall to those who don't know the system, but you have to be either naive or dim to have a second bad time after a ref has told you that you already have one bad time and one more will be an instant penalty of one stroke.

"Most hard-nosed pros then manage to get business done inside the limits, meaning they either get back in position or we have no opportunity to act further."

"What I saw was very strange, very strange indeed."

Since there was so much complaining about coverage of Kenny Perry's FBR Open pre-shot routine, and since there is no video posted (yet), I've held off posting something on Richie Ramsay's rules incident Saturday. I had hoped video would be posted now, but we'll just have to rely on the accounts until someone at Sky puts it up on YouTube.

Here's a straightforward AP story, a more titillating tabloid report from Jim Black quoting rules official John Paramor.

Also, Mike Aitken reminds us that Ramsay has had other run-ins with the rules.

And I don't quite understand Douglas Lowe's logic here.

Let's make one thing clear: Richie Ramsay's integrity is not under question. He is an honest broker of the fairways and, yes, I would buy a second-hand car from him. A question mark, however, does hang over his knowledge of the rules of golf and, as they say in the best of legal circles, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

This Norman Dabell story recounts how the day after the incident in question, Ramsay did receive a one shot penalty for another violation.

"I happen to think that a course is up to Ryder Cup standard if the ninth green comes back somewhere close to the clubhouse."

John Huggan examines why Europe puts their Ryder Cup venue selection "up for sale to the highest bidder" and obtains this beautiful quote from European Tour head George O'Grady.

"I don't think the Ryder Cup has to be played on the greatest course in the world," says O'Grady, only a little defensively. "Look at the Belfry, where there have been some great Ryder Cup matches. I happen to think that a course is up to Ryder Cup standard if the ninth green comes back somewhere close to the clubhouse."

"This would be just another tale of housing woes were it not for the fact Leisurecorp’s money is funding the European Tour’s Race to Dubai"

In this Richard Gillis look at the recession and high-end developments, he focuses on the places that have chased a "championship" course and "signature" architect. The Leisurecorp part is interesting:

Leisurecorp’s business model is focused on selling expensive houses around its golf courses and so is very exposed to the downturn. For example, it is currently building 1,000 houses around its Earth course, a Greg Norman-designed lay-out, which forms the first of four such projects planned in the city.

According to new chief executive Colin Smith, a former Uefa executive, 90 per cent of the homes have been sold, with final payments due when the houses are completed, “sometime after the first quarter of next year”.

However, many of these people are likely to be “flippers”, speculators who bought off plan and intended to re-sell the house as it comes to market. With property prices down, there is a real risk that they will write off their down payments and join those whose cars are at the airport.

“The housing market in Dubai has taken a major hit,” says Sartori. “There has been an oversupply of residential property and too many speculators as a proportion of the houses that are being sold, rather than people buying their houses to live in them. Now there is a huge stock of property which they all want to put on the market at the very discounted price. It will take some time before demand and supply balance off.”

This would be just another tale of housing woes were it not for the fact Leisurecorp’s money is funding the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and Dubai World Championship.

"The tortoise backed off a chip so often you felt your life flashing before you"

Don't miss Derek Lawrenson's entertaining European Open game story on Christian Cevaer's painfully slow win on an even painfully worse setup.

What a curious event this was, where the seven-under par winning score was exactly the same as the leading figure on day one, despite the fact the last three rounds were played out in glorious sunshine; where the winner returned a score of 74 and had one birdie on his card.

Why? With the fairways narrowed, they became just too hard and bouncy for anyone to hold in the testing breeze, with the consequence that the day’s proceedings became something of a lottery.

"The question Nakheel executives will be asking: Why is the deal worth $170 million?"

Alistair Tait stays on the story of Nakheel, the construction arm of the government in Dubai, and the fine folks who brought the world the giant palm islands off the Dubai coast. They've inherited the Leisurecorp mess at Turnberry (at least they can sell that, says Tait), and the European Tour's Race to Dubai:

George O’Grady, the European Tour’s chief executive, is adamant that the sponsorship deal is secure. Aaron Richardson, a senior media-relations manager with Leisurecorp, said the money to back the Race to Dubai already is in the bank.

The question Nakheel executives will be asking: Why is the deal worth $170 million?

You can bet that the European Tour would have jumped for joy had Leisurecorp offered, say, $75 million.

Intent And The Rules Of Golf

In writing about the Kenny Perry dust-up over his FBR Open playoff actions, Lawrence Donegan quotes the European Tour's top rules referee, John Paramor:

"The fact is the player is allowed to put his club behind the ball, otherwise he would never be allowed to address his ball in any circumstance. As soon as any player puts his club on the grass behind the ball, then the grass will be flattened," he says. "The issue is, is there excessive pressing down with the club?" In other words, was there intent? "Looking at this, I don't think Kenny Perry did use excessive pressure when he put his club behind the ball. It does look bad, it does look like the lie was improved but, as long as there was no intent to do so, and I don't think there was, then it is not a penalty."

To our rules gurus out there, I'm curious, is this intent concept used commonly in the rules of golf?

After all, Roberto de Vicenzo did not intend to sign an incorrect scorecard...

After Long And Distinguished Career, Rory Hands Torch To Next Irish Golfing Great

There is no truth to the rumors that Rory sustained injuries when burly agent Chubby Chandler sidearmed his young, in-need-of-a-haircut prodigy to slip a card in the pocket of Shane Lowry, amateur and shocking Irish Open winner.

Actually, not entirely shocking considering his topsy-turvy backstory as laid out by Brian Keogh.

Peter Dixon in the Times:

Among those on hand to congratulate Lowry was Rory McIlroy, who put his arm around him after he had missed the “winning” putt in regulation play and told him, “Hang in there. You are still going to win.” And at the end it was McIlroy who led the celebrations by spraying the victor with champagne and whispering in his ear that it was time to turn pro. “He's got nothing left to prove and will learn much more out here than in the amateur ranks,” he said.

Bill Elliott in the Guardian:

For Lowry, there is much to savour. His first European Tour victory came in his first European Tour event, as only the third amateur ever to win on tour and the first to win on his debut.

Unbylined in the Belfast Telegraph:

As Lowry stood on the 72nd hole over a five foot putt for birdie and victory, the title was at his mercy. Yet he couldn’t resist a look, pulling the putt left of the hole.

“Obviously the nerves got to me and I just pulled it. I was just shaking over that putt,” said the 22-year-old, who buried his head in his hands.

In the massive crowd surrounding the green, his mother Briget did the same.

But McIlroy made sure to put his arm around his former Irish amateur teammate’s shoulder as he left the green, saying: “You’ve still got this. You are still going to win this.”

These vital words and the calm assurance of his caddie, David Reynolds, helped Lowry (pictured right) regain his composure for the playoff and later he’d pay due regard to McIlroy.  “I’ve known Rory for a few years now and I’d wondered if he’d wait around for the finish. I actually thought about that for some reason, I don’t know why,” said Lowry. “It was great to see him there.”

Suddenly The FedEx Cup Isn't Looking So Bad

In the most strongly worded piece yet, John Hopkins questions the state of the Race To Dubai and the health of the European Tour as Leisurecorp is overtaken by the government.

Hopkins also files this Spike Bar column on the shift in duties for David Spencer, the primary force behind Leisurecorp's forays into golf.

"On one hole, we had a ball blown off the tee four times, but other than that there was no problem."

Sounds like a good time was had by all at the Ballantine's Championship. This could be a first for press releases:

McGINLEY FULL OF PRAISE FOR ‘WONDERFUL’ OFFICIALS

Paul McGinley led the tributes to tournament officials and workers after the 2009 Ballantine’s Championship was completed amid some of the toughest conditions ever seen at a European Tour event.

Howling winds and unseasonal plunging temperatures had threatened to derail last week’s €2.1 million showpiece at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju in Korea.

But the show went on – with players, officials and volunteers alike braving the elements to ensure all four rounds were successfully completed before Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee emerged triumphant in a three-way playoff.

McGinley, who finished joint 46th after battling through some of the most trying conditions he could remember, was full of praise for tournament directors David Williams and David Parkin and chief referee John Paramor.

“They did a wonderful job in extremely difficult conditions and they should be commended for that,” said the Irish star. “I thought the golf course was very difficult, but it was playable.”

While some players – faced with hitting into fierce winds and contending with balls moving on the greens – felt the third round might have been halted, McGinley believed the decision to continue was correct.

“It’s all about opinion. Yes, it was very difficult, but there wasn’t a par three that wasn’t reachable, there wasn’t a par four that you couldn’t reach in two shots and there wasn’t a par five that wasn’t reachable in three shots,” he said.

“I can’t speak for other guys who maybe said their ball moved a few times, but nobody in our group had a ball move. On one hole, we had a ball blown off the tee four times, but other than that there was no problem."

Sounds like a blast!