golf.com's Story On Brandel's Writing "Resignation"

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It's a great read. It looks something like this:

 

 

 

 

 

Whew! Take that, Fergie!

Making matters worse is the headline reel story on Tiger putting the ball in Brandel's court from a few days ago.

Since then, Chamblee (sort of) took that ball, did his thing and said sayonara to his role at Golf/golf.com.

How do you ignore a national news story made so by your own website? Especially since Chamblee exonerated you from any kind of criticism for bad editing by saying he overruled his editor? I know the lawyers are running the show, but this is a bit much.

Here's the news reel the day after the on-air resignation, sort-of apology. ESPN hosts dressing as Lindsey and Tiger, but now Brandel having been dressed down by Tiger?

Dreaming Of The Woods V. Chamblee Trial

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At the websites Brandel Chamblee employers GolfChannel.com and golf.com, I had to look hard for a story on Team Tiger's reaction to Chamblee's golf.com column. Granted, the harsh rebuttal statement and comments by Mark Steinberg went out at about 6 pm ET on a Friday, a news window reserved only for USGA Presidency announcements and press releases on Old Course changes.

Eventually I found a (non-front page) story by that wily scribe his ownself, GolfChannel.com Digital. He's the first-born son of The Digitals of Key Biscayne, armed with a J-school degree that prepped him to take stories no one else will write.

And what about Golf.com, which stands to be sued if Steinberg finds a lawyer willing to sue over the insinuation that Tiger is a cheater? No story was posted as of 1 a.m. ET.  Here's guessing the on-call legal minds at Klapp, Lard and Doppleganger took an early weekend.

Now, before Chamblee apologizes or some lawyer advises Tiger that he can't win this battle, I want the folks involved to think about the merits of a televised trial. Planned creatively--scary words in the golf world-- this could be a ratings Godsend. Way better than the PGA Tour wraparound events. (Okay, that's a low bar to set, I know.)

But think of the possibilities. Sean Foley takes the stand to be grilled by Brandel's attorney over the pitch angle of Tiger's hips at impact.

Tiger testifies about how much Brandel's relentless criticism stings, at which point the judge rules with the defense that questions about the stinger are now permissible.

Outside the Jupiter courthouse, Alex Miceli and Nancy Grace host Golf Channel's daily coverage. Hank Haney, Tim Rosaforte and Frank Nobilo are called in to testify and plead the fifth, only to give exclusive post-courtroom interviews to Golf Channel.

What could be more American?

Tiger's Agent On Brandel Chamblee Column: "It's atrocious...I have to give some thought to legal action."

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Bob Harig reports on the statement issued by agent Mark Steinberg and also shares his over-the-phone reaction to Brandel Chamblee's Golf Magazine insinuation that Tiger Woods is cavalier in interpreting the rules of golf.

From the phone interview:

"There's nothing you can call a golfer worse than a cheater," Steinberg said. "This is the most deplorable thing I have seen. I'm not one for hyperbole, but this is absolutely disgusting. Calling him a cheater? I'll be shocked, stunned if something is not done about this. Something has to be done.

"There are certainly things that just don't go without response. It's atrocious. I'm not sure if there isn't legal action to be taken. I have to give some thought to legal action."

Oh now that would that be a great trial!

Q&A With Dan Jenkins, Vol. 6: Merion

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The U.S. Open's return to Merion marks Tweeter Supreme and mutiple-award winning writer Dan Jenkins' 60th U.S. Open, a milestone he marked in the June Golf Digest with his favorite players, courses, holes and even constructive criticism through the years. And for the sixth straight year, he answers my softballs in anticipation of America's national championship.

Previous U.S. Open Q&A's can be read in order, here, here, here, here and here.

GS: Big return to Merion, judging by your comments in the June Golf Digest, this is a favorite US Open venue of yours? How so?

DJ: I guess I like Merion a lot because of these things. History, "Merion lightning" (the greens). flag baskets, quarry holes. It's one of my three favorite courses to play and look at, the other two being Pine Valley and Cypress Point.

GS: Your man Hogan sealed his comeback at Merion. Was it his greatest performance?

DJ: Merion wasn't Hogan's best golf, just his timeliest and most historic. His best golf came in the last round at Oakland Hills in '51, and all week long at Oakmont in '53. Study his career and you find  his game at its best when his obstacles were the toughest.

GS: Did you ever talk to Hogan about Merion, the 1-iron or the Hy Peskin shot?

DJ: I do wish I'd been at Merion in '50---I didn't start covering the majors until '51---but I talked to him about it many times over the years. It wasn't a 1-iron, by the way. It was a 2-iron. That's what he always told me. Once in later years he even said it was a 3-iron. To get more of this you'll have to read my "journalism memoir" that's coming out from Doubleday sometime around the first of the year. The Mystery of the Stolen One-Iron at Merion is part of two long chapters on Ben.

GS: Does the book contain any words of wisdom about the state of journalism and the media industry in this time of "transition"?

DJ: Of course it does. But nothing to put in a scrapbook.

GS: Sergio, your sometimes Twitter alter ego, will be setting foot on American soil for the first time since his fried chicken remark. Will you be brokering peace settlement talks between he and Tiger and Tiger and Sergio and your ownself?

DJ: Knowing me, Geoff, surely you know I don't much care about Tiger or his feuds, even those with Sergio, except for the comedy involved. I love it that people ask me about Tiger all the time. I really don't know what I'm expected to say. I do say he's the greatest putter I've ever seen, and the greatest reader of greens. But ask me to place him somewhere in golf history, and I still have him behind a lot of players who did more for the game at the time of their peak years, those gentlemen being, not in any particular order, Hogan, Snead, Byron, Jones, Hagen, Arnold, Jack, Gary, and even Demaret, Trevino, and Seve. But of course I'm a geezer.

GS: Is the journalism book it in that mysterious phase where the publisher accepts it and then spends a year sitting on it? What's it called?

DJ: I was dragged kicking and screaming to the title of my book that the publisher has insisted on:  HIS OWNSELF----A Semi-Memoir. I was thinking A Farewell to Arms had a ring to it.

See you at Merion.

McGrath's NY Times Cabot Links Travel Story

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Charles McGrath's NY Times Travel story on golf at Cabot Links and elsewhere in the vicinity is one of the best travel stories I've read in a long time and is an absolute must read if you are considering a trip to Cabot. Not only are the observations and tips superv, but the overall presentation by the NY Times nearly makes up for the utterly ridiculous "Golfers are working out these days" cover story they posted earlier this week.

To match McGrath's insights, photographer Piotr Redlinski's images flesh out the presentation and he includes a video diary item as well with interviews of people like Cabot developer Ben Cowan-Dewar.

Besides the super information, this package is another one to add to the list of examples showing how the NY Times really getting this whole digital world thingy.

Philly Inquirer Lifts Paywall Restrictions For U.S. Open Week

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Jim Romenesko reports and explains that the venerable paper's strong U.S. Open web page and multimedia effort convinced the beancounters to lift paywall restrictions while millions turn their attention to Philadelphia golf this week.

As always, I love to take in the local coverage for events like this so give them a look and reward the Inquirer for unlocking their host city coverage.

2013 Masters, Iconic Photography Roundup

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The light and lens experts weren't given the best conditions Sunday on top of their already limited access yet they still came up with some amazing shots from the 2013 Masters.

Sam Weinman and Alex Myers pick the photos that defined the Masters, including Jewel Samadi's Getty shot of Scott's 18th hole putt.

golf.com posts SI's best stuff from round 4 including Robert Beck's wide shot of the winning playoff putt.


Golfweek features an Adam-only gallery, including an uncredited AP image from behind Scott's 18th hole putt in regulation.

Masters.co features an assortment of beautiful shots, including Scott Brown's amazing shot of Scott's outdoor green jacket ceremony that was also posted on Digg.


The Augusta Chronicle has several galleries, including Emily Rose Bennett's shots from the Green Jacket ceremony, Jon-Michael Sullivan's images of Scott, an Angel Cabrera gallery and a top 12 players gallery.

The Chronicle also sets their shots to a YouTube video set to Come On Aussie. There is also a mute option if you should so choose.

Report: 2013 Mercedes Benz GWAA Dinner Presented By Aberdeen Asset Management, USGA & PGA Of America

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The Golf Writers Association Of America held its 44th annual Mercedes Benz Awards dinner and a good time was had by a few. Evening highlights included host Tim Rosaforte’s opening dance number set to award winning ledes from 2013. Later, writer Alan Shipnuck taking time away from his studies abroad to give a heartfelt take on role Twitter-censoring plays at PGA Tour stops. And it was all capped off by PGA of America lifetime achievement award winner John Hopkins revealing the scourge of journalism today: bloggers who refuse confirm with multiple high-ranking sources what the conventional wisdom says before repeating the conventional wisdom in one's reporting.

With award winners accepting their plaques to the soundtrack outtakes from the Beverly Hills Cop 3, a crowd of 200 journalists, dignitaries and select active players recalled past Mercedes Benz Award dinners. Many regaled others with former Aberdeen Asset Management winners, clutched complimentary Scotch courtesy of the financial services sponsor, and even walked a green carpet into the dinner only marred by one fainter who passed out upon learning that Jason Sobel would not be accepting his prize in the Daily Columns division.

The reigning “Players of the year” Rory McIlroy, Stacy Lewis and Roger Chapman all appeared and spoke eloquently. McIlroy brought gal pal Caroline Wozniacki and almost made it to USGA Executive Director David Fay's speech, staying around longer than Tiger Woods ever has, prompting several knowing writers to check with one-another before re-affirming their belief that Woods is still a point-miser while their Rory is the future's great hope. But it was Hopkins’s resounding speech on the horror that is the modern blogosphere which culminated the marathon evening. A former Times writer, Hopkins thanked his "hero" Jim Nugent at Global Golf Post while lamenting the lost art of checking with as many as ten people to best understand what one should be thinking.

Bloggers, who file their views without confirming with others what opinions they should and should not hold most dearly, are threatening the art of journalistic conformity, explained Hopkins as the audience scrolled their Twitter feeds and deleted junk emails. So powerful was Hopkins’s message that I even contemplated making a few notes and checking with others to figure out what to think about his lecture. Then I recalled my role as a blogger, abstaining from taking notes and rattling off my impressions without regard for the opinions of the aristocracy. A most powerful message, indeed.