"IMG is so deeply involved with Stanford that it has a one-man office in Memphis to assist with the local Tour stop."

Alex Miceli shares all sorts of fun tidbits about the Stanford situation, the PGA Tour and IMG. First, regarding the state of the Memphis stop:

The Tour could attempt to find another sponsor or draw upon its sizable financial reserves – about $200 million, sources said – to underwrite the event on its own.

There is a precedent for such intervention: In 2000, the first year of the Tampa Bay Classic, the Tour contributed a part of the $2.4 million purse.

It was unclear whether the Tour or the event has received any monies from Stanford for the 2009 sponsorship. Finchem would not discuss payment details, but sources familiar with sponsorship deals say such agreements typically are handled in one of two ways: a large, usually 50 percent payment up front, and the balance paid before the event week – or nearly a complete payment just weeks before the event.

“Payment schedules are a function of a lot of different things with companies,” Finchem said. “A lot of companies account differently; they want to pay differently. There is no rhyme or reason to it.”

And on IMG:

The firm manages the Stanford St. Jude Championship; and sponsorship contracts to IMG clients Villegas, Pressel and Singh. Stanford also is affiliated with IMG’s prized client, Tiger Woods, with a three-year founding sponsorship of AT&T National, a Tiger Woods Foundation event.

IMG is so deeply involved with Stanford that it has a one-man office in Memphis to assist with the local Tour stop.

"Since 1974, Ms Wade has benefited from financial advice from her management company, International Management Group"

A reader took exception to IMG's Mark Steinberg and insistence that IMG does not provide financial advice to its clients and therefore, could not have been intertwined with Stanford Financial, as the New York Post is claiming. I'm really not sure how the reader drew this conclusion because...wait, what was it that tennis great Virginia Wade said in a 2005 Telegraph story?

Since 1974, Ms Wade has benefited from financial advice from her management company, International Management Group "We are in touch regularly, maybe once a month. If you are interfering all the time it gets hard for them."

Hilariously, the article details how she owned a building with the late Mark McCormack, invested in a Cleveland based insurance company where IMG hapens to be located, and well, there's that quote. 

"IMG does not give investment advice to our clients...period."

Thanks to reader Andrew for this Darren Rovell story quoting Mark Steinberg on IMG's relationship with the troubled Stanford Financial.

"The suggestion conveniently made by "unnamed sources" about IMG's business affairs involving our clients in today's New York Post is complete fiction, designed to benefit the people making the claims, and is completely irresponsible.

"IMG's 50-year history of success is built upon staunchly protecting the professional interests of our clients. IMG does not give investment advice to our clients...period. Our agreement with Stanford is only to provide consulting services in the area of sponsorships and activation in golf. We do not now, nor have we ever had, a 'quid pro quo' agreement with Stanford or anyone else where IMG would be compensated in exchange for directing our clients to invest with them. We could not have maintained our near half century lead in the industry if we had done anything else. For 'unnamed sources" to imply otherwise is simply reprehensible."

Did IMG Steer Clients To Stanford Financial?

Thanks to reader Tuco for Peter Lauria and Kaja Whitehouse's New York Post story claiming that IMG directed its clients to Stanford Financial. IMG is vehemently denying...

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, IMG and Stanford have a quid-pro-quo agreement under which Stanford Financial pays IMG a low- to mid-seven-figure consulting fee in exchange for IMG advising its clients - which include golfers Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, David Toms, Sergio Garcia and others - to have their money managed by Stanford.

The backroom bargaining has exposed IMG to charges of double-dealing, and is raising questions about where the firm's allegiances lay: with Stanford Financial or its athlete clients.

"It's certainly a conflict of interest," said one source. "IMG is trading on its athletes' names to make money for themselves and then turning around and telling them to invest money with Stanford."

Stanford Financial Clippings

Steve Elling labels the Stanford Financial charges a disaster and Bob Harig manages to wrangle a quote out of the LPGA spokesman who says they are monitoring the situation.

Geoff Caulkins talks to a FedEx briefcase and it sure sounds like the air freight giant is already in talks to rescue the Memphis stop they once sponsored.

Martha Graybow of Reuters says the case raises new questions about the SEC. But I found some of the timing mentioned interesting considering the LPGA just recently signed up (Nov. 19) Stanford for its Tour Championship despite this:

A complaint filed last year against Stanford's firm by two former employees contended they were aware of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into the firm's sales practices while they worked there.

The employees, Mark Tidwell and Charles Rawl, said in their Texas state court lawsuit that they left rather than participate in unlawful business practices. They departed in late 2007.

A Guardian blog post by Andy Bull examines the likelihood of poor due diligence performed by the England and Wales Cricket Board before taking Stanford's sponsorship money. So will questions will be raised about the due dilligence carried out by the PGA and LPGA Tours who are so visibly leaning on Stanford?

More immediately, the Stanford Financial "Eagles for St. Jude" spots should prove to be uncomfortable for the Golf Channel anchor who has to note the program. As should future airings of these ads:

What Kind Of Club Is Natalie Holding?

Alright, behave yourselves please, my mother reads this site!.

Here is an email query going around wondering what kind of club shaft that Natalie Gulbis, current Celebrity Apprentice star, is holding? Here's the email:

"She seems to have the rhythm back in her swing."

Ron Sirak finds plenty of positives in Michelle Wie's near-win at Turtle Bay, and at least to this television viewer, I would agree that this was the most noticeable improvement in her game:

She seems to have the rhythm back in her swing. That wonderful "Big Wiesy" tempo some think was lost because she was trying to hit it too hard to keep up with the men is back now that she is concentrating on the women.

For the first time in a long, long time I was in awe of her swing again.

And for those of you suggesting that too much attention is being paid to Wie at the expense of the other players, I'm sure Angela Stanford has plenty of new fans after the third win in her last seven starts.

Wie Does Not Win; LPGA Still Reinforces Its Price Value

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who recorded the LPGA event Saturday and watched it, albeit flipping through the same four promos the Golf Channel runs. The Brand Lady, who made a brief appearance during the telecast and talked about the great "price value" her tour delivers, can point to the many fans who otherwise would not be watching. All thanks to Michelle Wie.

Here's the AP story on Angela Stanford's impressive win in the rain and wind at Turtle Bay. Granted, Wie hasn't won since she was 13, but her swing looks great and overall game appears closer to greatness than ever before.

By the way, does anyone else think that the LPGA should end more events on a Saturday to avoid competing with the regular tour? I thought it was nice to see a winner crowned tonight.

LPGA's L.A. Options

Reader Ha asked what my venue of choice would be for the LPGA in L.A. now that they will be returning. Amazingly, Carolyn Bivens has still not called, but just in case she's reading, I offer my recommendations.

I honestly believe each of these venues could work, assuming an improvements in maintenance and cooperation from their management (in the case of the public courses). Sure, that's a big if since I'm naming some notoriously difficult places to deal with. However, the LPGA has played at a number of private venues and upscale daily fees, with minimal fan interest while the Champions Tour drew well here when they played at Rancho. In other words, the daily fee golfers are your friends, CB. (That's assuming you want fans and volunteers).

13th hole bunker, captured yesterday (click to enlarge)Rustic Canyon - my obvious bias notwithstanding... Pros: parking at nearby Moorpark College, easy freeway access, interesting design with ground game emphasis, would look attractive on TV. Cons: attendance could be an issue in less populated area, though still within short distance of major population base, small clubhouse, management may not appreciate benefits of hosting LPGA.

Santa Anita - Pros: parking at Santa Anita race track next door and at large park nearby, great freeway access, fun/playable design that just needs a little sprucing up to become something truly special, solid population base nearby likely to be engaged (see Rose Parade), easy spectator walk; Cons: would not be visually dramatic on television, small clubhouse).Santa Anita's 14th hole. Wild fairway contours would create challenge for the world's best female golfers. (Click to enlarge)

Griffith Park (composite course of Harding/Wilson) Pros: plenty of parking at LA Zoo with great freeway access; Cons: designs rundown, maintenance needs major work, clubhouse run down, horrible range, dealing with city of LA...okay it's a total mess but I can dream can't I?

Rancho Park Pros: only existing course on the planet to have hosted LPGA, PGA and Champions, quirky design great for spectating, unique location in city center; Cons: conditioning, traffic, lack of tent space, horrible range, dealing with city of LA.

Wilshire CC Pros: excellent venue that has hosted LA Opens and Champions Tour and will be unveiling new Kyle Phillips restoration/renovation of bunkers in 2010, newly renovated clubhouse, great location in city center and near heart of primary Korean population base; Cons: does membership want the hassle? Parking and traffic a pain.

LPGA Returning To LA In 2010

Beth Harris reports. CB, call me and we'll talk possible venues.

LPGA Downplaying Wie's Debut As Card Carrying Rookie

I know her English isn't, you know, like perfect, but come on, she's the biggest thing to happen to women's golf since Annika.

Jon Show tries to figure out what the LPGA Tour could be thinking by handling her like every other rookie, minus the blog posts and other news that might actually draw in more fans.

Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, in an e-mail, wrote that Wie and other rookies will be promoted through “varied media outreach,” primarily consisting of stories in local print media.

Wie, by choice, is not taking part in the rookie editorial features at LPGA.com. Other players are participating in Q&As and writing blogs on the Web site.

Anna Rawson Does Her Part To Build LPGA Brand **

What was that I said about loving Anna Rawson's brutal honesty? Apparently she took it to heart and touted the progressive heterosexuality of the LPGA Tour and used the "d" word. Oh dear...

She came under fire for her poorly chosen comments aired by NOVA 5AA in Adelaide on Wednesday.

"The tour has got so much better with so many young stars and great players," Rawson told the radio station in an interview arranged by her father Jim.

"But the mentality unfortunately amongst the media and the industry hasn't changed.

"They still think we're at 25 years ago when the tour was full of, you know, a lot of dykes and unattractive females nobody wanted to watch."

The rest of the article reviews her previous remarks on "penis envy." She has that in common with Woody Allen.

Update on 2009-02-07 04:16 by Geoff

Patrick Smith pretty much says it all in criticizing Rawson:

It was an offensive remark showing little respect for the women who toiled here in Australia and internationally so the likes of Rawson could make a comfortable living playing the sport professionally.

And...

Asked whether she needed to apologise to the women who built the tour on which she now hoped to prosper, Rawson replied: "Well, it wasn't my opinion that I was talking about so I don't know. I was just referring to what society is. It wasn't my opinion. I don't believe that. I don't even know what it was." And thus Rawson took a pick axe to her own credibility.

She blamed the remark on the fact that her interviewers asked her questions, which is a little quirky. "Radio is fast and they were asking questions," she said. Later Rawson said she normally got her questions in advance. Not a bad idea.

"But she knows that’s simply not true for players like Lee, who had to leave the game to find out she loved it."

Beth Ann Baldry with an enjoyable look at LPGA rookie Jeehae Lee, a Yale grad who wisely gave up a career in banking to give the LPGA Tour a shot...and secured her card. Oh and her English is impeccable.

The economics major spent a summer working for Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong after her junior year. She accepted a job with Australia’s Macquarie Bank her senior year and planned to return to Hong Kong after graduation. Starting salary: $60,000, plus bonuses.

Then a new coach came to town, and convinced Lee to give it one more try for her last semester of school. She had a light class load and not much to worry about. Surprisingly, her game showed little rust.

To the shock of her family, and herself, Lee backed out of her bank job and joined the Futures Tour, where she and countless others, lost money.

There were many occasions when Lee stood in the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A. and said to herself, “I could be living so easy. What am I doing?”

"Drawing lines in the sand is not going to solve problems, it's going to create problems." **

I doubt anyone was surprised by the news Ginn was pulling out of its two LPGA and one Champions event since word of their bankruptcy hasn't exactly been a state secret. Wait, what was that Ty?

"We were involved in discussions to address whatever issues there may have been in their ability to perform their contract," Votaw said Thursday. "We were disappointed and surprised with the suddenness of the announcement without any forewarning."

Can you believe it? Problems are arising from the PGA Tour legal department's fantasy insistence that their "ironclad" contracts will carry the day even as a company is literally going up in smoke!

Steve Elling reports on Ginn pulling out, the PGA Tour's reaction and he talks to Ginn's man, Robert Gidel, who explains the crux of the problem:

"What gets frustrating at times is that people who are not at the epicenter of the financial and economic crisis lose sight of what's happening to everyone. We're all in the same soup.

"Drawing lines in the sand is not going to solve problems, it's going to create problems."

As reader Chris, who sent the Elling story in notes, it would appear that "Commission Finchem & Company have had the hammer for years, the other side of the table has it now." 

Update on 2009-01-30 15:19 by Geoff

** I posted the incorrect link above in referencing Ginn bankruptcies. Here it is.

"I played with so-and-so, and he said four words to us the entire round.'"

The L.A. Daily News is down to five sports writers but they still let Jill Painter file a golf column from time to time, so you can imagine my joy when I got around to my copy last night and read this from new LPGA Tour card holder Anna Rawson, who draws attention for her looks but more importantly, provides interesting fodder with her occasional blog posts at Yahoo and honest assessments like this:

"I was out at Sherwood, and I was disgusted with how the PGA Tour players acted toward fans," Rawson said. "They didn't sign autographs or they'd sign four and walk off. I watched Paula Creamer sign autographs for two hours in Korea.

"Some (PGA) players walked straight past (fans). I couldn't believe it."

And...

Rawson is a model on the side, and if her game continues to flourish, she might be standing for hours signing photographs, autographs and programs, as well as mingling with sponsors at cocktail parties and chatting up pro-am partners more often.

"God, they make so much money (on the PGA Tour). It's disgusting how much more they make than us," said Rawson, who played at USC. "I've heard countless times from people that played in a PGA Tour pro-am and they said, `Wow, you're going to have a conversation? I played with so-and-so, and he said four words to us the entire round."'