"The saturation point came when it opted to serve as title sponsor for the AT&T National, the event hosted by Tiger Woods."

Stan Awtrey details AT&T's decision to opt of the Atlanta tour stop after 2008 and includes this:

The saturation point came when it opted to serve as title sponsor for the AT&T National, the event hosted by Tiger Woods.

And when the decision was made to dump a tournament, the Atlanta tournament — not the one affiliated with Woods — drew the short straw. AT&T officials notified Kaplan that it was invoking an escape clause, which allowed the corporation to withdraw upon giving a six-month notification.

It's amazing what havoc the Tour's decision to abandon the Chicago/Western July 4 date has wreaked: the demise of the International, horrible press and fan relations in Chicago that the Tour is trying to remedy, and now one less sponsor for Atlanta. I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting.

Sweet Home Chicago**

Essentially, it appears the PGA Tour is admitting in its own special way that it made a mistake taking the Western BMW out of Chicago:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2007

       BMW CHAMPIONSHIP TO MAKE THREE-YEAR CHICAGO RUN (2009-2011)

     Crooked Stick Golf Club to host PGA TOUR Playoff event in 2012

(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL) — The PGA TOUR, Western Golf Association (WGA) and BMW of North America today announced that the BMW Championship, the third event in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, will play three consecutive years in the Chicago area beginning in 2009.

Crooked Stick Golf Club, outside Indianapolis, originally scheduled to host the BMW Championship in 2010, will now host the event in 2012. The previously announced 2008 schedule remains unchanged as the event will be played Sept. 1-7 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

The  Dubsdread  Course  at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, located 30 miles southwest  of  Chicago and the site of the 2007 BMW Championship, is set to undergo  a  re-design by Rees Jones in 2008. The tournament is scheduled to return to Cog Hill G&CC in 2009.

BMW entered a six-year partnership agreement in June 2006 with the PGA TOUR and  the  WGA  to sponsor the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events for the FedExCup.  Tiger Woods won the BMW Championship at Cog Hill G&CC in 2007 en route to capturing the inaugural FedExCup. Woods is a four-time champion of the BMW Championship.

“The  PGA  TOUR is delighted with the support of Crooked Stick, the WGA and BMW  for  this  schedule  change.  We believe this new sequence for the BMW Championship  will only enhance the tremendous appeal of this great event,” said  PGA  TOUR  Commissioner  Tim  Finchem.  “The BMW Championship will be exceptional  next  year  at  Bellerive  Country Club in St. Louis, and then Chicago-area  golf  fans  will  enjoy  four  straight years of watching the world's  best  players  through  three  consecutive  playings  of  the  BMW Championship followed by the 2012 Ryder Cup.”

“The  new  schedule  for  the  BMW  Championship  is  a  plus for everyone, especially  the  golf  fans  of  Chicago and Indianapolis,” said Tournament Director  John  Kaczkowski  of the Western Golf Association. “We’re looking forward to playing three consecutive years in Chicago beginning in 2009. It also makes sense to move the BMW Championship to Crooked Stick in 2012 with Chicago  set  to  host the Ryder Cup that year at Medinah Country Club. Our partnership  with  BMW  and  the PGA TOUR allows us to generate significant funds for the tournament’s sole beneficiary, the Evans Scholars Foundation, and this schedule will enhance that commitment.”

“Chicago  is a tremendous sports town, and 2007 marked an outstanding debut for  the  BMW Championship at Cog Hill,” said Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO, BMW (US) Holding Corp. “We look forward to returning to Chicago for another three  years  and  are  already  working on ways to further enhance the BMW Championship experience for fans over the coming years.”

“We’ve  been  looking  forward  to  the  arrival of the BMW Championship in Indianapolis,  but with our club already hosting the 2009 U.S. Senior Open, the  2010  date  would have presented some challenges in preparation,” said Doug  Cook, Crooked Stick Golf Club president. “With the club now scheduled to  host  the  BMW Championship in 2012, we have some breathing room to get ready.  We’re  expecting  great  support from Indiana golf fans for the BMW Championship,  and with the extra time to prepare, that support should only grow.”

Update on 2007-11-21 14:56 by Geoff

**Thanks to reader Al for Ed Sherman's Chicago Tribune story where it's even more clear that they know they goofed:

Beyond 2012, indications are that the tour intends to keep the BMW anchored in Chicago. Bob Combs, the tour's senior vice president of communications, wouldn't speculate because current television and sponsor contracts only run through 2012.

However, Combs did say, "It's clear from the tour perspective that Chicago is the home of this golf tournament. We hope this change makes clear that's the case."

Combs acknowledged public reaction played a big part in this decision. The PGA Tour received a strong backlash with the tour's original plan to rotate the BMW out of Chicago every other year.

Players, led by Tiger Woods, thought it was ludicrous for the PGA Tour to abandon the nation's third-largest market, especially because fan support always has been strong at Cog Hill.

"The public and media response was a factor," BMW Executive Director John Kaczkowski said. "This is something we wanted to address and we can. From our standpoint, the Western Golf Association is Chicago-based. This is a big victory for the golf fans in Chicago."

"Keep trying seemed to be the consensus."

Ken Klavon at the USGA blog reports on the PGA Tour's now-annual excuse to gather everyone in Ponte Vedra to try out the latest MBASpeak they've picked up in Forbes (and yes attendees, I'm still awaiting a transcript in my email box...chop, chop!).

Judging by the tone of Klavon's piece, not much progress was made in improving media access to players. Then again, PGA Tour players are pretty accessible one on one. Dealing with their agents is another story.

More interesting was the context in which Klavon put the decline of newspapers as compared to Internet numbers. Granted, I still wonder if these U.S. Open and PGATour.com page views include those automatic leaderboard refreshes, but even cutting the numbers, the are staggering.

In my humble opinion, online journalism still isn’t being fully embraced. For those of us who have made the transition from traditional media to the digital age, there is an element of credibility that has been brought along. But that wasn’t the crux of the question. It was based on the following: (and this is where I throw dazzling stats at you):

Consider that in 1990 the total U.S. newspaper circulation equated to roughly 60 million readers. Now chew on this: this year that figure is down to 40 million. Why is this significant? Because the advent of the Internet, with its slew of deliverable content platforms over the past 10 or so years, has overtaken this fossil. (And you’re talking to someone who worked in newspapers and continues to hold it dear to his heart).

Last year usopen.com gleaned 265 million page views. The year before the number came in around 112 million. The reach of the Internet seems limitless. Those figures are more than the entire newspaper circulation combined in the United States. Incredible. Yet some still are having a hard time embracing it. Hate to say it but the ship is sailing. Or has it sailed?

To get back on track, few of the panelists except for Bob Harig, a golf writer at ESPN.com, had much in the way of a solution to my question. Keep trying seemed to be the consensus.

"That (report) got some attention" **

The first reactions are in on the PGA Tour's Tuesday announcement and it's apparent there are a few questions that need to be raised.

Gary Van Sickle analyzes the changes (or lack thereof) to the FedEx Cup and notes the inclusion of marijuana and cocaine on the banned list. He also isn't too wild about the Tour's decision not to deal with FedEx Cup points.

Steve Elling asks what took so long to rejig the schedule. Of course, with not even a cosmetic change in the points structure and no decision on tweaks to the playoff points structure, you have to wonder if the particulars of a drug testing program have overwhelmed the boys in Ponte Vedra.

I find it inexplicable that the playoff points volatility was not addressed. Now, Elling points out in his piece that this will be revisited in February, as does Doug Ferguson in his recap, but a major sports organization of the Tour's caliber should not be tinkering with a playoff format midseason.

Buried late in Elling's column is this little shocker regarding the change in FedEx Cup payout and Finchem's gabfest with writers following the PGA Tour's media summit:

Finchem said governmental pressures contributed to the tour's decision to back away from giving the FedEx winner's bonus out in deferred payment. Instead, next year, the winner will receive $9 million in cash and $1 million in deferred payment. Elected representatives in Washington, D.C., are taking a long, dim look at large deferred payment plans, Finchem said.

One publication reported that if Woods won six FedExs Cup titles, he would have a $1 billion nest egg by the time he retired, based on earnings projections.

"That (report) got some attention," Finchem laughed.

Should be interesting to see if anyone pursues this angle.

I wonder if this hits at some of the complaints players like Sean Murphy have had about the deferred compensation? 

Update on 2007-11-14 17:29 by Geoff

** Looks like I'm not the only one who can't comprehend a mid-season playoff adjustment. Both Jason Sobel and Bob Harig at ESPN.com don't get it either.

Sobel, after suggesting a leaner look to the points system I hadn't seen mentioned before, writes:

February??? As in, three months from now? As in, during the season? The PAC and the Policy Board were in constant discussions about these matters -- which also, we believe, may include whether the number of players in each playoff field will remain the same -- from season's end until now, but still couldn't come up with a worthy decision.

What's the hold up? Why not work to finalize such decisions prior to Tuesday's announcement? Instead, it seems like the tour is taking a make-up-the-rules-as-we-go-along mentality. Call us old-fashioned, but we'd like to see everything in place prior to the schedule taking effect.

And Harig:

Apparently, the discussion didn't last too long, at least as it pertained to the FedEx Cup. Other than the Tour Championship move -- a no-brainer, considering all the talk this year about the heavy late-season schedule that would have asked the top players to compete for five straight weeks in 2008 -- and a change in how the bonus money will be paid, we are left with the same points-earning system and qualification for the playoffs that was largely met with indifference this year.

And that is disappointing, given the healthy amount of opinions offered by players, fans and media that the system could use some tweaking.

"The biggest complaint we heard was that the system was too complex," Finchem said. "And we just didn't share that view."

It's not that the system was complex -- players are awarded points based on their finish in a tournament, with everyone who makes the cut getting something in a similar proportion to how prize money is paid at each event -- it's the fact that the compilation of points didn't create the kind of drama tour officials envisioned throughout the year. Despite incessant hype, few paid attention to the FedEx Cup standings until after the British Open, when the playoffs drew near. And with 144 making the playoffs and only a dozen or so players truly capable of winning the whole thing, the regular season remained more about the major championships and the individual tournaments, not something greater.

Finchem did leave open the possibility of change to the playoff events, but it won't be decided until the tour's policy board meets again in February. That smacks of changing the rules in the middle of the game, but with so many players qualifying for the playoffs, changing how they operate will hardly have any effect so early in the year.

Finchem Memo On Policy Board Actions

No surprises here based on the calculated previous leaks. Just thought you might be out of Lunesta and in need of a sleep aid... 

TO:        PGA TOUR Membership
FROM:    Tim Finchem    
RE:        Policy Board Actions
DATE:    November, 13, 2007

The PGA TOUR Policy Board met on Monday, Nov. 12, and took action on several key items.

But before I share the results of the meeting, I want to take a moment to thank you for your support in helping to make the inaugural FedExCup such a great success. The FedExCup absolutely accomplished what we envisioned it would by “connecting” the season and providing a strong, compelling conclusion with our first-ever PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. It delivered significant value to our players, sponsors, television partners, and added something new and attractive to our fans.

Moreover, the four Playoff events delivered record television viewership at a time when sports fans historically have watched the start of the NCAA football season and NFL pre-season and opening games. We certainly saw a change in the tone of coverage as media and fan interest grew through the season and Playoffs, keeping the focus on our sport through mid-September, and ultimately delivering a fitting conclusion.

So again, thank you for helping to make this happen.

The Policy Board’s objective is always to provide the best possible experience for fans, tournaments, sponsors, and, of course, our membership, and to present our sport in the best possible manner. With that as our focus, the Policy Board has approved the following actions:

Policy Board Actions

1) Policy Board Structure
I am very pleased to inform you that Vic Ganzi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hearst Corporation and a member of the TOUR Policy Board since 1994, has succeeded Dick Ferris as Chairman. As you know, Dick announced in August that he would be retiring at the end of 2007. He has been a tremendous leader in his 14 years as Chairman and has helped guide the PGA TOUR to unparalleled heights as a business. We all owe Dick our appreciation for his outstanding work on our behalf.

As we announced earlier, Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of AT&T Inc., will be joining the Policy Board as the fourth Independent Director effective January 1. Additionally, we welcome back Brad Faxon and David Toms to the Policy Board, replacing Davis Love III and Joe Durant. This will be Brad’s third term on the Policy Board and David’s second. We also want to thank Davis and Joe for their excellent service as Player Directors.

2) 2008 Schedule
The Policy Board has approved a schedule of 48 official events that will offer $278 million in official prize money. The 2008 schedule will offer 5,672 playing opportunities for members, up from 5,585 in 2007. The 2008 schedule is attached.

As you can see, no changes were made to the first three weeks of the Playoffs. In deference to the 2008 Ryder Cup, the Policy Board has approved THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola – the fourth and final PGA TOUR Playoff event – being moved back two weeks so that it will be played immediately following the Ryder Cup in 2008. This move provides a one-week gap between the third Playoff event, the BMW Championship, and the Ryder Cup, so as not to adversely affect either the Ryder Cup or THE TOUR Championship. We felt it was important to give those members of both the U.S. and European teams who will be competing in the Playoffs the ability to prepare for the Ryder Cup while also focusing on THE TOUR Championship the following week.

As a consequence of the move, all Fall Series events will be moved back one week. This situation is unique to next year and we do not anticipate the need to alter the Playoffs schedule beyond 2008. The tentative schedules for 2009-2012 have built-in gaps between THE TOUR Championship and the corresponding team event, either The Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

3) Potential Changes to the FedExCup
In evaluating the first year of the FedExCup, the Policy Board did not feel the need to make fundamental changes to the overall structure of the competition. Accordingly, no changes have been made in the points distribution in the PGA TOUR Regular Season.

The Policy Board will continue to assess the point structure as it relates to the reseeding and points distribution throughout the Playoffs, in order to consider ways we might create more volatility and keep more players in contention for the FedExCup at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.  We will be seeking more feedback from the PAC and the membership between now and making a final determination on these matters at the February meeting.

4) Tournament Cuts
The Policy Board also approved a change in the regulation pertaining to the 36-hole cut at tournaments.  Currently, the cut following the second round is to the low 70 professionals and ties.  Under the new regulation, the cut will continue to be to the low 70 professionals and ties, unless that results in a weekend field size of more than 78 players.  Under that circumstance, the cut would be made to the number closest to 70.

5) Retirement Plan/Deferred Compensation
The Board has approved a change to the distribution of the $35 million FedExCup bonus pool, whereby it no longer will be 100 percent deferred. Beginning in 2008, $16.5 million in cash will be paid to the top 10 finishers and the remaining $18.5 million will be paid on a tax-deferred basis into the Retirement Plans of the top 150 players. The maximum tax-deferred-payment amount will be $1 million to the winner of the FedExCup, who will also receive $9 million in cash, for a total first place payout of $10 million.

This decision was part of a comprehensive evaluation that was conducted in regard to the payout structure of the FedExCup. This new formula is consistent with the earning projections previously provided to our members under the Retirement Plan.  

6) PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program
The Policy Board has approved the PGA TOUR’s Anti-Doping Program.  The TOUR’s primary objective is to have a credible program that will aggressively deter the use of any prohibited substance.  The key elements of the program include extensive player outreach and education; a comprehensive list of prohibited substances and methods; therapeutic use exemptions; a testing protocol and procedure; and guidelines governing sanctions and program administration.  A summary of each of these significant elements follows.

Player Outreach and Education
The TOUR’s Anti-Doping Program will be implemented on all three Tours, on a phased-in basis.   On the PGA TOUR, player education and outreach will begin in December 2007 and extend through June 2008, with testing beginning no sooner than July 2008.  The education phase will commence on the Nationwide Tour in mid-2008, with testing to begin in late 2008.  On the Champions Tour, education will begin in January 2009 and testing will be implemented in mid-2009.

PGA TOUR players will receive an Anti-Doping Program Manual in early December 2007.  The manual will contain significant detail about all aspects of the Program.  Additionally, players will have 24-hour-a-day confidential access to medical and program advisors who can respond to any questions relating to specific substances, medications or testing procedures.

The player education process will include weekly player education sessions at tournament sites, beginning in January at the Sony Open in Hawaii.  Medical experts will also be available on a weekly basis for one-on-one meetings with players.  You may also include family members and support staff (managers, trainers, nutritionists, physicians, etc.) in any of the educational sessions offered.  A mandatory player meeting will also be scheduled at the 2008 Buick Invitational, at which time the Program will be covered in comprehensive detail.

Prohibited Substances
As previously announced in September, the PGA TOUR and the other member organizations of the World Golf Foundation have collaborated to create a Model Prohibited Substances and Methods List.

The list includes:
•    Anabolic Agents (e.g., steroids)
•    Hormones and Related Substances (e.g., human growth hormone, testosterone, EPO)
•    Agents with Anti-Estrogenic Activity (to artificially increase testosterone level)
•    Diuretics and Other Masking Agents
•    Stimulants (e.g., Ritalin)
•    Narcotics
•    Cannabinoids
•    Beta Blockers
•    Enhancement of Oxygen Transfer (blood doping)
•    Chemical and Physical Manipulation (tampering with a sample)

The Anti-Doping Program Manuel that will be delivered to players on December 1 will contain a comprehensive list of prohibited substances that fall under the categories listed above, as well as a list of those substances that will not be prohibited under the Program.

Therapeutic Use Exemptions
The TOUR’s Anti-Doping Program includes a process for players to apply to receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to use a banned substance if there is a legitimate medical need as determined by the PGA TOUR’s medical committee.

This TUE medical committee will be created and chaired by the TOUR’s anti-doping medical advisor, Tom Hospel, M.D.  Dr. Hospel is Board Certified in Sports Medicine, has served as the team physician for The Ohio State University, and shares a practice with the Medical Advisor for the NFL Anti-Doping Program.   The TUE medical committee will also include a number of other highly-regarded physicians from various medical disciplines.

Testing Protocol
As with the overall Anti-Doping Program, the PGA TOUR’s primary objective with its testing protocol is to have a credible process that will aggressively and effectively deter the use of any prohibited substance. Under the terms of the program, the TOUR has the authority to test players at any time or place.  All testing will be without prior notice. Testing done at tournament sites may be conducted both on practice/pro-am days and before or after competitive rounds. There are not a stated minimum or maximum number of times a year that an individual player may be tested.  

The TOUR is taking significant steps to ensure that the confidentiality, security and integrity of the entire process is preserved for the membership.  To implement the testing process, the TOUR has engaged the National Center for Drug Free Sport (Drug Free Sport).  Individuals employed by Drug Free Sport are specifically trained to ensure a confidential and secure testing experience for the player and the TOUR.  

Drug Free Sport will assist in the player education program in addition to conducting the actual testing.   Beyond its new relationship with the TOUR, Drug Free Sport also provides drug testing or education services for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA and hundreds of colleges and universities.

Sanctions
Players who have been tested will be notified of the results by the PGA TOUR Program Administrator (see next section).  If it is determined that a player committed a violation of the Anti-Doping Program, the player will be notified of the violation and the sanction.  Players will have an opportunity to appeal a sanction at a hearing to be held by the Commissioner or his designee.

Under the program, the TOUR has the authority to impose a variety of sanctions, which may include: disqualification; ineligibility for up to one year for a first violation, up to five years for a second violation, and up to a lifetime ban for multiple violations; and fines up to $500,000.

In addition, for drugs of abuse (marijuana, certain narcotics, cocaine), the Commissioner will have the discretion to require treatment and rehabilitation in lieu of or in addition to other sanctions.

For any player who fails a test and is issued sanctions, the PGA TOUR will disclose that the player violated the TOUR’s Anti-Doping Program and will report the penalty.

Program Administration
The Program will be handled through the PGA TOUR’s Office of the General Counsel led by Rick Anderson, EVP and Chief Legal Officer.  Allison Keller, Assistant General Counsel—Anti-Doping, will be the Program Administrator.

The PGA TOUR has engaged outside policy and medical experts to assist in the development and implementation of the program, including player education programs and the testing process.  In developing the program, the TOUR has worked closely with Richard Young, one of the world’s foremost anti-doping experts, and the principal draftsman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.  Mr. Young has served on the WADA Board since 2004.

I realize this is a significant amount of information on several very important areas that impact you and your fellow members. We firmly believe that these actions will enhance the overall position of the PGA TOUR for years to come and we will continue to communicate frequently with you on these key topics.

Again, I want to thank you for all that you do as a member of the PGA TOUR and for helping to make the 2007 season such a great success. I also want to extend the Board’s appreciation for the diligent work and feedback by the PAC on the members’ behalf. Player input is a highly valued component to the overall process of making these significant decisions.

And finally, if you have any questions about this information, please do not hesitate to contact me or our management team.  


Sincerely,


Tim Finchem

Timberlake Becomes First Non Has-Been To Lend Name To PGA Tour Event

Singer, songwriter, producer, director, raconteur and singer again (because he's just that good) Justin Timberlake has already conquered every demographic of importance, so why not go after golf's aging "decision maker" demo.

The PGA TOUR today announced that four-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, record producer and actor Justin Timberlake will become the host of the TOUR's Las Vegas event, which will be renamed the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Timberlake becomes the 14th celebrity in PGA TOUR history to host an event, joining the likes of Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. The agreement, among Timberlake, title sponsor Shriners Hospitals for Children and the PGA TOUR, is for five years, beginning in 2008.

The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, part of the TOUR's Fall Series, will be played October 13-19, 2008, at TPC Summerlin over 72 holes with an official Pro-Am on Wednesday. The event will be televised on GOLF CHANNEL. As part of his involvement, Timberlake will play in the Wednesday celebrity pro-am and host a concert during tournament week.

"I couldn't be more excited to host the upcoming 2008 Las Vegas tournament and to be involved with the Shriners Hospitals for Children," Timberlake said. "We will make sure to make this event unique and memorable, and we will raise money for charity while participating in the greatest game ever played. I thank the PGA TOUR and the Shriners Hospitals for Children this amazing opportunity. Raising money to better children's lives while playing golf? I can't think of a better way to pass the time."

"Predictable Courses That Dull The Drama"

Lorne Rubenstein considers why the PGA Tour plays so many drab courses. He quotes former Tour player and architect John Fought, who gets to the heart of the matter (at least in some cases):

"The golf courses they play on tour aren't as good [as they should be]," former PGA Tour player John Fought, now an architect, said in Toronto the other day. "They don't play wonderful old courses, generally. They play the latest development deal that a guy is trying to sell."

Hewitt Notes

Brian Hewitt has a couple of interesting tidbits in his GolfChannel.com column. The first relates to the Phoenix Open:

Meanwhile, also don’t be surprised if the TPC Champions course, located right next door to the Stadium course at the TPC Scottsdale, shares the venue for the FBR Open starting in 2009.
 
In the past the FBR Open, played in early February, has had to limit its field to 132 players due to frost delays in the mornings and dwindling daylight in the late afternoon.
 
Utilizing two courses, the first two days, it would enable the TOUR to better handle a 156-man field. The use of the two courses at Torrey Pines is why the field at the Buick Invitational is 156 players.
 
Under this plan, the weekend rounds for the FBR Open would remain solely at the TPC Scottsdale.

He also drops this item on Michelle Wie, the Sony Open and here recent WD from the Casio which I don't think I've seen elsewhere:

The question of whether Michelle Wie will play in the Sony Open in January is a complicated one and one without an answer at the moment.
 
Sony Open officials say they will announce their sponsor’s exemptions in November.
 
Meanwhile, Wie still represents Sony products. But she missed the cut there earlier this year by 14 shots. Casio World Open officials this week basically disinvited Wie to their November event, saying, according to one spokesman, “Basically, we have determined that she cannot play to her full potential because she has yet to recover from hand injuries suffered early in the season.” 

The PGA Tour Really, Really Loves America...

...so much so that they are willing to fight a Scottsdale city variance, all so their new "Superstore" can proudly display the stars and stripes. Peter Corbett reports in the Arizona Republic:

The PGA Tour Superstore plans to seek a variance from the city to allow the stars and stripes - 30 feet by 50 feet - to fly from a 100-foot flagpole, said Paul Rodriguez, district manager for the Atlanta-based company.

The 47,000-square-foot golf and tennis store northwest of Shea Boulevard and Loop 101, opened Oct. 11.

A new Chandler PGA Tour Superstore has a 30-foot-by-50-foot flag on a 100-foot pole, and other stores in the chain have even larger flags on poles of 135 feet.

"With the wind blowing, they are just plain awesome," Rodriguez said. "You can see them from a mile away."

Scottsdale's zoning code limits spires, which includes flagpoles, to no more than 65 feet, said Tim Curtis, a Scottsdale principal planner.

Has The USGA Got It's Groove Study Results Back?

...on the news that the PGA Tour is honing in on a drug testing program and penalties for violators.

Who would have ever thought, based on Commissioner Finchem's reluctance, that the PGA Tour would adopt a comprehensive policy and appear close to putting it in place before the USGA officially deemed U-grooves non-conforming or finished its golf ball study?

Things sure have been quiet on the groove front considering the USGA first announced this in February.

Might the R&A be getting cold feet? Has a manufacturer (other than the Ping dudes) threaten to sue after reading the USGA's documentation? Or did all of the manufacturers actually use their brains and realize that what seemed like a fun idea (new irons and wedges for everyone!) was actually setting a disastrous precedent by rolling back equipment and opening the door for the end-of-the-world scenario: a ball rollback?

Thoughts? 

Cialis Jokes and Lame Bathtub Ads No More; IBM Out Too

From Sports Business Journal:

After 10 years, IBM presses ‘escape’ on PGA Tour deal

Oh wouldn't you love to know the Cialis-inspired headlines that were considered?

The company has been the tour’s “official information technology partner” for 10 years and has wide-ranging rights. It is embedded deeply enough into the sport that it may still be involved with the tour or possibly provide products or services to its successor as the tour’s technology sponsor, sources said, but it won’t return as an official sponsor.

Darn, and I was hoping this meant no more lousy IBM laptops in press rooms.

IBM provides the ShotLink real-time scoring system and the TourCast application, which provides online graphical webcasts of tour stops on PGATour.com.

Other than pricing, sources said IBM was distressed that some competitors gained access to tour equity through affiliations with local events, like EDS’ title sponsorship of the Byron Nelson Championship.

Gained access to tour equity. That's a keeper.

Hey, but at least now we all know what business EDS is in.

IBM has been a Masters sponsor for more than 20 years, and with its official PGA Tour status winding down, it is looking at more tournament affiliations. However, the tour is asking its tournaments not to do any exclusive deals with IBM in deference to any future sponsorship it may cut with a technology partner. An e-mail this month from PGA Tour CMO Tom Wade to tournament directors, obtained by SportsBusiness Journal, stated, “A continued relationship with IBM beyond 2007 is uncertain.” It went on to say the tour is in discussions with “a few different technology partners” who would “invest significantly with many of our tournaments.” Wade asks event directors to contact the tour before granting IBM official or exclusive rights.

Fun times.

Meanwhile, Cialis will not renew its official marketing partnership with the tour. Eli Lilly signed the four-year deal late in 2003 as it prepared to go to market with the erectile dysfunction drug.

But their ad looked so good on the scoreboards. And think of all the fathers who will be deprived of the privilege of explaining Cialis to their sons and daughters.

Duval and The Family Crisis Rule...

As much as I understand the premise behind the new PGA Tour family crisis rule, and as much as we all wish this was never a topic for debate, something still bothered me about the announcement. It took all week, but I now know what it is.

First, here's Doug Ferguson's story on the announcement.

The result is "family crisis" being part of the medical extension regulations, and both Duval and Hart will be eligible.

"He's treated as if he had a back injury," said Andy Pazder, the tour's vice president of competition.

Duval returned to competition last week at the Viking Classic, where he tied for 44th, and he plans to play one more event in the Fall Series. His schedule next year will be based on the average number of starts among the top 125 on the money list this year.

"It's the right thing," Duval said last week. "I actually got thanked for bringing this up. I said to them a couple of months ago, whether they make it retroactive or not, it needs to be done."

As for other situations that might arise? Pazder said like any medical extension request, the decision lies with Finchem.

"It's got to be a serious family crisis," he said. "It's a hardship caused by the illness of immediate family."

As reader Chris noted, a litany of excuses will come up and it could be a nightmare for the Tour to sort through. Let's hope that's not the case. Because the Tour deserves credit for showing compassion and heading off a potentially awkward situation should, God forbid, there be another tragedy like Heather Clarke.

But something about this spoke to a larger question of reducing playing opportunities on the PGA Tour, as well as the top 125 rule gone slightly awry? Namely, why is David Duval getting yet another chance?

Just for some background, let's recall his comments about Ben Crenshaw in Golf Digest last year.

Duval: There were a few guys who felt they should be paid for playing a Ryder Cup, which is fine; that's their position. I didn't want to get paid, but I got beat up. I got a kick out of some of the other players who weren't on the team giving me crap for talking about Ryder Cup money when they actually got paid for doing stuff at the Ryder Cup, like clinics for companies during the matches. The only guys who don't get paid at the Ryder Cup are the players in the Ryder Cup. The captain makes money. That's a problem I had with Crenshaw in 1999.

Q. Explain.

Duval: Well, he talked about the purity of the Ryder Cup, and what he did with all that purity is make a bunch of money off the thing. He wrote a book about it; he had his clothing company involved. He kept saying how it burned his ass, us talking about charity dollars and hurting the sanctity of the event. But after he took his big stand and sold everybody else down the river, he did what we did with the charity money. I asked him point blank, "If you were so against this, why would you want anything to do with that charity money?" He took his $100,000 and sent it to the charity of his choice. Where's the purity in that?

Fine, fair point.

However, as someone who portrays himself as ferociously independent, strong-willed and "pure" --the PGA Tour's Howard Roark--he is now accepting his second less-than-pure exemption to play for essentially another year on the PGA Tour? One was entirely within the rules, one is a new rule created retroactively with Duval and Dudley Hart in mind.

It seems that if your actions in golf are all about purity, wouldn't you accept that your wife had a rough pregnancy and that's the tiny price to pay for having a large, wonderful family life?  Furthermore, thanks to the PGA Tour, he still has the chance to play Fall Finish events in hopes of keeping his card. And if not, he can head to Q-school like all of the other independent contractors?

No? Thoughts?

"Despite having recently signed a new five-year deal, they are still underpaid and overworked."

While doing my traditional power flip through October's Golf Magazine, I managed to slow down enough to avoid a paper cut and stumble on David Feherty's column celebrating the career of retiring PGA Tour rules offical George Boutrell.

While the column is classic Feherty, repleat with several plum fart and hemorroid jokes, he isn't too wild about the Tour's treatment of its officials.

One reason George retired early was his compassion for the people who sat beside him in coach after a week of dealing with prima donnas who wanted drops from lies where the grass wasn't growing in the right direction, viewers calling in with idiotic rulings, missing and presumed stolen courtesy cars, and frequent cavity searches at airport security.

After years of being seated next to hideously cheerful "Isn't flying fun? What do you do for a living?" nimrods, he knew that eventually he was going to kill and eat one of them. In an age during which professional golf is rolling in cash, Rules officials still have to fly in the back of the airplane.

The Tour is lucky to have such great officials. Despite having recently signed a new five-year deal, they are still underpaid and overworked. Now it seems the ones with the most experience are becoming an endangered species.

The Power Of The Swoosh?

What do these logos have in common? Why, it's a forward or upward moving swooshy kind of solid line. Can our graphics experts please fill us in if this is synonymous with a brand that's moving forward? Or just the same person designing logos for the PGA and LPGA Tour?

 

Update on 2007-10-04 05:17 by Geoff

Reader Rob reminds of a few more logos, and how I missed the mother of all swooshes...

  

Congressional To Redo Greens...Again!

Really, aren't they going to give Medinah a run soon for most renovations by a course miraculously beloved by the Golf Digest panel?

This time--like every other time in recent memory--the condition of the putting surfaces is the culprit. But hey, it gets them out of the 2009 U.S. Amateur, where they figured to lose money anyway.

Leonard Shapiro reports in the Washington Post:

The 2009 U.S. Amateur golf championship will not be played at Congressional Country Club as scheduled and will be moved to another site, most likely Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, according to sources at the Bethesda club and the United States Golf Association.

Concerns among PGA Tour players and club and USGA officials about the state of Congressional's putting surfaces during the inaugural AT&T National tournament in July prompted the decision.

The club plans to redo the greens on its championship Blue course and will begin the work in the summer of 2009, almost two full years before it is scheduled to host the U.S. Open in June 2011.

The USGA also wants to tweak some bunkers, fairways and tee boxes on the course before the 2011 Open, and the implementation of those fixes also will begin almost immediately after the 2009 AT&T National, Washington's PGA Tour stop hosted by Tiger Woods.

No need to tweak. Just rip the entire thing up and start over. No one will miss it.

Earlier this summer, Woods and several other PGA Tour players complained about the speed of the greens during tournament week. One source indicated that club members were not happy to read the criticism from the No. 1 player in the world and that some Congressional members and USGA officials were concerned about the greens even before the event.

The decision to move the Amateur also is expected to result in Woods's tournament remaining at Congressional in 2009. Last spring, club members overwhelmingly voted to approve a contract to host the event in 2007 and 2008. Woods has said he would like to play the tournament at the storied course off River Road every year, and the decision to reschedule the Amateur now clears the way for 2009, pending approval of the membership.

A club source also said last night that the PGA Tour had approached Congressional about playing Woods's event at the club in May 2009 instead of July, the better to give the course time to recover before the U.S. Amateur. But the club apparently had no interest in hosting two tournaments in the same year.