"He's got the wrong swing coach, that's for sure."

It's always dangerous when otherwise excellent sports writers try to cover golf, but at least you can sympathize with their plight. And then there's Mike Lupica, who really isn't excellent and who is frequently paid to write about golf. And I'm always left wondering why.

Case in point, from his New York Daily News column, courtesty of reader Tuco:

It will be interesting to see how Tiger Woods does at the PGA in Tulsa next month, because there are smart, informed golf guys I know who say he is burned out right now.

He's got the wrong swing coach, that's for sure.

Yep, that's a given. No Grand Slam under Hank's watch!

His knee bothers him more than he lets on.

But this guy I talked to said that the biggest problem is that Tiger is simply a little burned out, after the long run he's had being ... Tiger!

Turns out it was Jerry Corzzinni, a runway technical supervisor at Teterboro who spotted Tiger rubbing his finger between his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose during a particularly nasty post-FedEx Cup ad campaign launch luncheon in New York City. 

Lupica gets all of the scoops.

Seriously, is must be nice to be burned out and still nearly win two majors! 

"I originally thought the piece was a parody out of The Onion."

Hey, I'm not the only one mystified by the USGA or Furman Bisher's swooning. Ryan Ballengee thought Bisher's column was produced by The Onion!

Caddying Column Genre Hits New Low

No golf writer's career is complete without a Plimpton School of Participatory Journalism degree-earning column on caddying. But Rob Oller may have hit rock bottom with the proverbial caddying-for-someone-famous piece on his day looping for the man who holds a Masters in caddying columns, Rick Reilly.

It turns out Reilly, who served as celebrity keynote speaker at a tournament dinner Sunday night, needed a caddie. I needed a column. Two plus two equals Fore!

New Look GolfDigest.com

GolfDigest.com debuted a new look yesterday and I must say that once my Firefox browser history cleared and the warped look was gone, it appears to be a huge improvement visually.


(click to enlarge)(Some of you might initially get a weird look if you use Firefox's browser as you can see on the left, but not to worry, a quick "History" clearing or a few clicks of the refresh button gives you the new setup. And believe me, you'll want to view the site in Firefox, because the pop-up subscription ads are relentless.)

Aesthetically, the site appears to be a ripoff loving homage to the New York Times web site, which is a good thing since that is one of the better looking sites on the web.

Howevever, the GolfDigest.com blog and article font sizes are ridiculously small while Times articles are much more readable. If you've seen The New York Times on the iphone, it looks amazing. I think GolfDigest.com would hard if not impossible to read on the iphone, which is an issue since either it or other web-friendly smart phones will be in most people's hands in the near future.

It's a bit surprising not to see Golf World get its own site, but I'm sure there are platform branding and upward cross pollination issues that I just don't understand.

Most promising is the Local Knowledge blog, which I skimmed after pulling out my magnifying glass. Here's what Editor in Chief, Jerry Tarde, had to say about it:

What's important that you need to know? What happened that was funny?

We think we're capable of doing this better than anyone else because Local Knowledge unleashes the combined resources of Golf Digest and Golf World. More than 50 writers, editors and contributors will be on this blog, seeking you out with the news you need to know.

Meanwhile the Editors Blog, Golf For Women, Campus Insider and Barf and Gag are behind a link that might cut down on their traffic. i'm not sure why they aren't linked on the home page instead of say, the Rule of the Day?

Perez Hilton Scoops The Golf Press?

Assuming it's real, the cheesy gossip site seems to be the first with the must see, life changing photo of Tiger and Elin's baby?

The best I could find was this odd golf.com photo spread of the parents, which really means it's just an excuse to show pictures of Elin.

Update on 2007-06-26 02:55 by Geoff

*GolfDigest.com posts a whole bunch of photos, dogs included!

ESPN Hires Seven VP's; Still Has Long Way To Go Before Catching PGA Tour

John Dempsey in Variety notes the VP hiring binge, which I think (seriously) speaks to where media is headed in the coming years with the iphone and other devices rendering print just that much more...ah you know.

ESPN, striving to stay ahead of the flooding of sports programming to Web sites, cell phones and iPods, has created a new brain trust of seven top content execs who'll report to the top dog John Skipper, ESPN's exec veep of content.

The seven, all of whom will be much more cognizant of burgeoning new-media platforms, are Norby Williamson, exec VP of production; John Wildhack , exec VP of program acquisitions & strategy; David Berson, exec VP of program planning & strategy; and John Walsh, exec VP and executive editor.

Also, Keith Clinkscales, senior VP of content development & enterprises; Marie Donoghue, senior VP of business affairs and business development; and John Kosner, senior VP and GM of digital media.

ESPN singled out Clinkscales because he'll take charge of the expansion of ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) into what the network calls "a multi-platform -- TV, Internet, print, wireless, broadband and radio -- creative-content-development unit."

Wow, that's a lot of hyphens and commas! 

Stu Schneider Family Fund

The good folks at Golf Digest have passed along information for those of you who asked about contributing something in Stu Schneider's memory. You may recall that our good pal Stu passed away unexpectedly May 29, leaving behind wife Linda and two young sons.

Stu was a great friend of the game and valuable contributor to Golf World who made many of us laugh every week. (Incidentally there are some great letters in this week's issue from readers touched by his work).  

For those of you who have kindly asked about contributing to the maintenance and operations of this web site, now's the time. Anything will help. Here's where you can contribute: 

Checks payable to Linda Schneider
Reference “Stu Schneider Family Fund” in the notes/memo line

Mail to:
Stu Schneider Family Fund
P.O. Box 670152
Coral Springs, FL 33067

The Dangers Of On-Site Blogging

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette questions the NCAA's concern$ over writers doing live game updates and mentions the USGA's policy on live blogging on site at Oakmont (don't even think of whipping out a PDA on the course...unless you are Walter Driver!).

USGA Press Conference: What They Asked Bud Selig

That's right, the inaccessible Bud Selig stopped in the US Open press center after the USGA press conference and here's what the assembled scribes peppered him with:

You must be so happy with the resurgence of the Milwaukee Brewers. Even though you are no longer their owner, how much of their great play do you believe is attributable to your wonderful leadership over the years? 

Have you had much of a negative reaction from fans about taking the 2008 All-Star Game to Yankee Stadium?

As a follow up, have you seen the plans for the new Yankee Stadium? We had Joe Torre in here earlier and he says it's going to be the best in America. Would you agree?

Joe also said the World Series is the one that most players really want to play in and win. What do you think of that assessment?

You must be excited about Barry Bonds and his chase of Hank Aaron's record? Will it be televised?

Okay, enough. You get the point. There's a USGA cover story in Golf World, injuries to two top players induced by course conditions, major questions about square grooves and USGA operations, even more major questions about next year's venue and the scribblers are asking David Fay, Walter Driver and Jim Hyler if they agree with new Lexus pitchman Johnny Miller about the brilliance of Oakmont?  

Mighty, might impressive! 

"...the editors made a quadruple bogey by not including Tiger on its 100 Most Influential People in The World list."

I should cut Tim Rosaforte some slack for his touching tribute to Stu Schneider in this week's column, but I know deep down that Stu wouldn't want me to let these Larry King-esque musings go by without some sort of comment!

Time is by far my favorite news magazine, but the editors made a quadruple bogey by not including Tiger on its 100 Most Influential People in The World list. And I'm not just talking about what he does on the golf course. Woods may be having a hard time attracting a Memorial-like field to his new tournament, but seeing how the tough Washington crowd is laying down the red carpet for him is an indication of his influence and power.

Sure, right behind a couple of interns at Powell-Tate who can probably influence on the workings of our fine government than our golfing hero.

Honoring Stu

Geoff Russell's Golf World tribute to Stu has been posted.

It was a really wet Sunday at the Mercedes. I heard they wouldn't let Charlie Rymer walk the fairways unless he observed the 90-degree rule. (Jan. 14, 2005)

A few years ago I hired Stu Schneider to be Golf World's television critic. Stu's golf journalism career started in 1995 when he became editor of GolfWeb, one of the Internet's first golf-only websites--and soon, under Stu's leadership, golf's best website. In an e-mail last week, GolfWeb founder Ed Pattermann wrote, "Stu grasped the potential of the Internet and its ability to cover every facet of golf on a global scale instantly. Stu pioneered common website components such as online polls, contributing writers, player diaries and interactive forums."

As many as a dozen golf writers working today owe their start to Stu. Unfortunately, his own career didn't progress as smoothly. When the Internet world went bust in the late 1990s, GolfWeb was sold a couple of times, and in 1999 Stu was replaced as editor. He dabbled in websites and real estate, but until I called him in 2004, he hadn't been able to get back into golf journalism.

I don't want to say Nick Faldo is spreading himself too thin, but last weekend he showed up to adjust my satellite dish. (Oct. 13, 2006)

Stu's column, "TV Rewind," quickly became one of Golf World's best-read departments, especially at the TV networks. It was a complicated assignment. TV officials--like pro golfers and, for that matter, magazine editors--don't take kindly to criticism, especially from an outsider. Also, my wife, Molly, happens to be a producer for NBC Sports. This put Stu in the unenviable position of both fending off charges of favoritism towards NBC and having his slightest mistakes (like confusing the roles of a director and producer) pointed out by the boss's wife. But Stu navigated the currents, skillfully and fairly.

Stu acquired another assignment. "Front 9," the snarky little column that usually appears on this page, had become stale under its previous writer--who happened to be me. His first week at Golf World, I sent him a draft of "Front 9" for a little "polishing." I did it again the second week. The third week, I fired myself and promoted him to the job.

He could even write funny from a hospital bed. Last month during the Players, Stu suffered a recurrence of the colitis that first felled him last November. Though in excruciating pain, he insisted on fulfilling his assignments for two more weeks (he said it gave him "something to do"). But during the final round of the Colonial, Stu asked for a week off. His recovery had stalled, and he was contemplating surgery to have his colon removed.

Two days later, he was stricken with an infection. He was rushed to intensive care, but went into cardiac arrest and died. He was 52. He leaves a wife, Linda, and two sons, Matthew, 8, and Ben, 4. His passing was as cruel as it was swift. Five days later as I type this, I still can't believe it.

This week, in honor of the Players, the Denny's in Ponte Vedra Beach will be serving a Grand Slam Breakfast with five items. (May 11, 2007).

When I arrived in Connecticut from California in 1986 to begin work at the Golf Digest Publications (Golf World's parent), I couldn't afford my own place. The human resources director put me in touch with a guy named Stu Schneider, Golf Digest's public relations director. After promising him I didn't smoke, he invited me to move in. We lived together for almost four years.

Stu, a native of Long Island, introduced me to Madison Square Garden, Bethpage Black, Albert Brooks movies--and a quirky sense of humor (when his teenaged niece had nose surgery, instead of a get-well card, Stu mailed her a pair of plastic Groucho Marx glasses). I'd like to say we lived a swinging existence, but mostly we played golf and basketball and fought over who hadn't cleaned the lint filter in the dryer. Our most outrageous stunt was probably the year we wore red Converse high-tops with our tuxedoes to the company holiday party.

We both wanted to be golf magazine writers, and despite the fact that I was succeeding at that dream and he wasn't, we became close friends. When Stu and Linda were married in 1995, I was his best man (that's a picture of us from that day; Stu is the fashionably bald guy on the right). Two months later when I married Molly, Stu was one of my groomsmen. Afterward, Stu moved to California to become the editor of GolfWeb.

I can think of no greater void on earth right now than the one in the lives of Linda, Matthew and Ben. Farther down the list of those impacted by Stu's death are his teammates at Golf World. Finding a new TV critic will be hard--who else wants to watch 20 hours of golf coverage every week? Meanwhile, I guess I'll go back to writing "Front 9."

I have big shoes to fill.

For more tributes to Stu, check out the original post where several more great remembrances have been added in recent days. Also, information about a June 14 memorial at Bethpage State Park has been posted by Stu's brother, Brian. 

More Stu

I kept looking for Stu to sign online this afternoon to discuss the unbelievable antics at the Ginn, and boy is NBC's crew (producing for Golf Channel) getting off the hook without Golf World's intrepid man-of-all-media to scrutinize the inevitable free pass granted the LPGA Tour and Michelle Wie's posse despite their pathetic behavior.

Anyway, on the original post there are some really wonderful remembrances of Stu Schneider from some of golf's media heavyweights and also a nice blog post from Bob Carney over at GolfDigest.com who tantalizingly tells us that Stu was going to be involved in their future website plans. It's just not getting any easier thinking of all the great things we will lose with Stu's passing, from his friendship to his singular sense of humor and to his love of the sport. Though all of that pales compared to what his boys and Linda have lost.

For his friends in the media, hopefully we'll have some details soon on services and where flowers/contributions be sent.

Update on 2007-06-01 04:33 by Geoff

Reader Four-putt shares this:

From GWAA.com: "Arrangements for funeral services for Stu Schneider have been made. All are welcome to attend.

Friday, June 1, at 2 p.m.
Kraeer Funeral Home
1655 University Drive,
Coral Springs, FL. 33071
954-753-8960

R.I.P. Stu Schneider

It is with profound and deep sadness that word comes of Stu Schneider's passing. In recent years Stu was a major contributor to Golf World, bringing new life to the magazine with his humorous and always thorough TV-Rewind column as well as through his epic one-liners in the magazine's "Front Nine." I know many people kept their subscriptions just for the laughs Stu brought them each week.

On a personal note, Stu was one of the first people to give me a chance in the writing world when he hired me while he was the editor at Golfweb. He was also tremendously influential in my recent writing work, particularly this blog. You may also recall that Stu was the first subject of an instant message interview here. And for me, though I hadn't actually talked to Stu on the phone in a couple of years or seen him in even longer, we "talked" almost daily via instant message. I leaned on Stu for his thoughts on whether I'd gone over the top with a post, and I'd like to think on occasion that a few of our always enjoyable exchanges inspired a few of his lines.

In recent weeks he'd suffered a relapse of the colitis bout he'd had over the holidays. During The Players Championship he was not online and I later learned from him that he pretty much watched the entire thing in the hospital and filed his column from bed. He did it for his family. I can't tell you how many times he had to cut short an IM conversation for "the best part of the day." Putting the kids to bed.

Having not seen him online the last few days I grew concerned and learned of the sad news from his editor and dear friend Geoff Russell, who he thought the world of and to whom he was incredibly loyal and grateful for giving Stu an opportunity to bring an edge to the otherwise staid world of golf coverage.

He will truly be missed. And as Stu would always say at the end of an IM, cya.  

Update on 2007-05-31 13:26 by Geoff

Phil Mushnick notes Stu's passing in the New York Post.

Update on 2007-05-31 20:24 by Geoff

Robert Thompson offers a remembrance of Stu on his blog.

NCAA Golf Photo Caption Fun

Now, these are not extras from Master and Commander nor the Danish chapter of Gay Men Who Love Pirates of the Caribbean (Would that be GMWPC?). Actually, these are Golfweek's writers doing the whole Williamsburg, Virginia thing to kick off their NCAA Men's Golf Championship coverage.

Please, your captions at their expense...

 

Newsflash: Tiger Might Play Dunhill Cup; Also Might Make Moon Trip

Apparently Euro Tour chief George O'Grady believes that since the FedEx Cup will be over by the time the Dunhill Cup is played at St. Andrews, Tiger might cherish the opportunity to bond with a friend during 5 hours of misery over the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns...without an appearance fee!

The only thing better than O'Grady throwing out this "maybe" scenario? It was reported as news! Twice (here and here).

From David McCarthy's piece:

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady believes it is only a matter of time before world No.1 Woods plays the Dunhill Links Championship over St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

With the American season finishing earlier that usual with the Û10million FedEx Cup, there is no Stateside clash with the Dunhill in October and O'Grady reckons it is inevitable Woods will play the event to satisfy sponsors in the near future.

He said: "The Dunhill is in an ideal situation. With the FedEx tournament being over by the time it takes place, everyone wants the best professional field it can have. You can see a day when Tiger Woods will play in it, because of who he could play with.

"I don't know if they are talking with Tiger or not but it wouldn't be beyond the bounds as long as he was playing with someone he enjoys playing with.

Exactly, why just hop on the Citation and bring a friend to play in Scotland when you can make that friend pay to play in a pro-am! 

"The tournament host, Johan Rupert, has stated he does not do appearance money but he gives a great welcome.

"It's the best pro-am in the world. For the amateur to get the chance to play these courses under championship conditions is fantastic."

And we know that's what Tiger's all about. Playing in pro-ams!