"Taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize sports organizations already benefiting widely from willing fans and turning a profit"

Reader David passed along Tom Coburn's (R-Oklahoma) "Waste Book," released just before the election where the senator outlined wasteful spending by the United States government. Coburn's full quote:

"Taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize sports organizations already benefiting widely from willing fans and turning a profit, while claiming to be non-profit organizations."

Among the examples of waste cited by Coburn? The non-profit, 501(c) status of professional sports leagues, namely the NFL and PGA Tour.

Unfortunately, whoever wrote the report for Coburn (A) does not know the difference between the PGA Tour and PGA of America, and (B) he neglects to mention the PGA Tour's charitable donations, especially compared to the other leagues.

PGA Tour events have raised more for charity than all other pro sports leagues combined.

As evidence of for-profit activities, Coburn's Waste Book cites "PGA" commissioner Tim Finchem's $5.2 million salary in 2010 and "over $900 million in revenue, mostly through television rights, tournament earnings and sponsorships, and royalties."

From a Fox News report after the release of Coburn's book (PDF):

In all, the 2012 Waste Book report details 100 examples totaling nearly $19 billion. Coburn acknowledges that's a drop in the bucket in contrast to the overall federal deficit, which tops $16 trillion, but he says the items are snapshots of the bigger problem.

"Would you agree with Washington that these represent national priorities, or would you conclude these reflect the out-of-touch and out-of-control spending threatening to bankrupt our nation’s future?" he said.

The PGA Tour part of the report, screen-captured because I'm too lazy to transcribe:

In light of many professional golfers lamenting the election results and in particular, government debt, no doubt the PGA Tour's finest will agree with Coburn that the PGA Tour's tax status needs to be changed?

Who Wants To Re-grass Harding Park's Greens!?

As if the old regime at PGA Tour Design Service's bloated renovation price tag ($23 million) wasn't already tragic enough, conversations are taking place about Harding Park's greens needing re-grassing in advance of a 2016 "playoff" event at the San Francisco muni.

Ron Kroichick reports.

The project, if it happens, figures to occur after next year’s Schwab Cup. That still would allow time for the new greens to round into shape before Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Co. come to Harding in ’16.

City officials also must find a way to pay for any renovation of the greens, no small obstacle given ever-present budget constraints.

“Resources are always going to be an issue, so we need to figure out the smartest way to do it,” Ginsburg said.

Considering that the city is struggling to fend off suggestions that the other city courses be closed due to budget constraints and that $23 million bought an uninspired design that in a more ideal economy should be renovated, maybe the PGA Tour can pick up the tab on this one since it's their precious members who have to have things absolutely perfect? 

HSBC Suit Slams Tiger And Rory For No-Show, Claims To Speak On Behalf Of "The Industry"

James Corrigan with a nice unleashing of misery by Giles Morgan, "group head of sponsorship" at HSBC, who sponsors the soulless $7 million WGC event this week in China.

“On one hand we are delighted to have 13 of the world’s top 20 here, but of course we’re disappointed not to have the two top players in the world,” said Morgan. “Both have sent me apologies but this is an event which should be regarded by all players as it is by the tours and the media as one of the top events in the world.

Well that was thoughtful of them!

This next part was interesting. Especially if you set it to some particularly depressing Schubert's Ave Maria.

“Therefore I feel strongly that the top players should be here. I believe that golfers have a responsibility to their sponsors. Without the sponsors there isn’t professional golf. I speak on behalf of the industry.”

Speaking of thoughtful...

Morgan has been contacted by other sponsors who share his concerns that they will not be able to justify the huge outlays without the top names. “I feel very strongly, as I know a number of sponsors do particularly, in a downturn, particularly when there are financial difficulties around the world, that golf cannot be immune either,” he said.

I hate to break it to the sponsors, but with Commissioner Growth Is My Mantra's "calendar year" schedule, no downtime, and plenty of folks willing to pay appearance fees, the stars will not play more less and will gear their schedule around who pays. I think they call this market forces, no?

"The development of elite players is one of the major functions of this TOUR, and we're all excited about when the next Mike Weir will emerge."

That's Commissioner Canuck Thursday talking about the PGA Tour saving the Canadian Tour from extinction and providing a feeder tour to the Web.com Tour.  Someone asked the Commish about money. Big no no!

Q.  I know that the PGA TOUR had lent both strategic and financial support this past year.  Can you elaborate on how much financial assistance was given to the Canadian Tour?

COMMISSIONER FINCHEM:  It wasn't an extreme amount.  I don't see any reason to talk about that publicly.  We wanted to be of assistance, and we certainly wanted to make sure that every opportunity was available to look at the future here, both from the standpoint of what it wound up to be, but also from the standpoint of if it didn't go this direction, our assistance allowed other options maybe to come on the table.  It developed, and it is going to go this direction.  Now we're past all of that and moving forward.

Ian Hutchinson with the details from the Canadian perspective, including the loan amount, which turns out is nothing more than a low level PV VP salary.

The tour floated the struggling Canadian Tour an operating loan last year believed to be in the $750,000 range. Over the years, the Canadian Tour has faced limited fan support and rapidly changing sponsors.

“This is the logical next step for the tour’s sustainability and growth,” said Pierre Blouin, chairman of the Canadian Tour board of directors.

''I can be miserable, play fast all day and wait, or I can slow down a bit, which can't hurt.''

Doug Ferguson tackles a subject that speaks to the absurdity of Commissioner Brand Image's bizarre determination to not even consider the penalization of players for slow play as a solution: fast players are openly talking about learning to play slower.

Dustin Johnson:

''Guys out here play really slow, and they're not going to speed up,'' Johnson said. ''I can be miserable, play fast all day and wait, or I can slow down a bit, which can't hurt.''

Johnson is still quick and much quicker than most. He takes a little more time when he gets to the ball, waits a few seconds to pull the club from the bag. And he's taking more time on the green, looking at putts from multiple sides of the hole.

But that's what golf has come to in this generation. Instead of the faster players bringing everyone else up to speed, they have to downshift.

''It can be painful if you play quick,'' Fowler said. ''You're going to be spending a lot of time standing there. It almost starts hurting your legs and feet when you're just standing there. I learned quickly that you have to be patient.''

More Photos From The Match Re-Match

GolfDigest.com posted more of Stan Badz and Chris Condon's PGA Tour shots from the Fowler/Watson vs. Love/Watney match for First Tee fatcats last week and it's always fun to look at different views of Cypress Point. But in particular I loved this rear-view of the 9th hole for totally wonky reasons.

Superintendent Jeff Markow has been gradually removing non-native invasive grasses and other junky stuff like iceplant to reveal the dunes again. That's not only better for the environment but also returns a temptation to drive the green lost when the overgrown dunes became an automatic lost ball.

The Real Best Field In Golf...

I'm always so impressed with the legends that are lured to play the PNC Father-Son Challenge, and the December 13-16 field announced Thursday remains the only event in golf that still lures The King and The Bear.

1. Steve Elkington/Sam Elkington (son)
2. Nick Faldo/Matthew Faldo (son)
3. Raymond Floyd/Robert Floyd (son)
4. Hale Irwin/Steve Irwin (son)
5. Lee Janzen/Connor Janzen (son)
6. Bernhard Langer/Christina Langer (daughter)
7. Davis Love III/Davis Love IV (Dru Love) (son)
8. Sandy Lyle/James Lyle (son)
9. Larry Nelson (Defending Champion)/John Nelson (son)
10. Jack Nicklaus/Gary Nicklaus (son)
11. Mark O'Meara/Shaun O'Meara (son)
12. Arnold Palmer/Will Wears (grandson)
13. Vijay Singh/Qass Singh (son)
14. Dave Stockton/David Stockton (son)
15. Curtis Strange/Tom Strange (son)
16. Lee Trevino/Daniel Trevino (son)
17. Lanny Wadkins/Tucker Wadkins (son)
18. Fuzzy Zoeller/Gretchen Zoeller (daughter)

Why Tiger Joining The European Tour Would Have An Impact

I saw the news out of the Turkey Final about Tiger suggesting he might take up European Tour membership if the rules are changed to include the various Cups as appearances. And I yawned, then moved right along.

But Bob Harig explains that such a membership requirement change, coupled with a few other factor$, makes the scenario increasingly likely and would certainly mean fewer appearances in the U.S. Perhaps as many as 3-4 events shaved off his PGA Tour schedule.

Because he is formalizing an endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines, it would make sense that Woods add a new Turkish European Tour event to his schedule -- which will be played in November 2013, just a week prior to the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

So four majors, four WGCs, Abu Dhabi (or something similar early in the year), Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup, Turkey and the season-ending Dubai event would bring the total to 12. He could, possibly, add the European Tour event in China prior to the WGC; or he could play another event around the time of Abu Dhabi during the tour's Gulf Coast Swing.

Update on 2012-10-11 03:25 by Geoff

**Rex Hoggard says there is another dynamic at play here where Commissioner Calendar Year holds one trump card over Tiger even if he joins the European Tour.

Yet according to PGA Tour guidelines Woods would only be allowed three competing-event releases to go play in Europe unless he plays more than 20 events in the United States or is given special dispensation by commissioner Tim Finchem.

Woods hasn’t played more than 20 Tour events in a season since 2005 and he currently has 19 starts with no additional U.S. stops scheduled in 2012, which leaves the ball in Finchem’s court.

And if recent history is any indication Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., may not completely embrace Woods’ newfound globetrotting ways. Just this week, for example, the Tour granted competing-event releases for all eight players at the Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals based on a quid pro quo to play the Frys.com Open, this week’s Tour stop, at least once over the next three years according to multiple sources.

Shriners Cut Ties With Timberlake In Less Than Classy Fashion

Steve Carp on an unseamly ending to the relationship between Shriners Hospital and Justin Timberlake on the eve of this year's PGA Tour stop in Las Vegas.

The event chairman, tournament chairman Raoul Frevel, who probably a few chilly calls from Ponte Vedra over these remarks. And deservedly so.

"We're a world-class organization," Frevel said. "At the time we got involved with golf, we were told by the Tour we needed a big name, and that's how our relationship with Justin came about.

"Justin's a wonderful person. But we tried everything we could to get him more involved with our kids and the hospitals. But it seemed that when the TV cameras weren't on, he disappeared."

I'm not sure if Las Vegas is just spoiled by all of the celebrities or the parties involved just don't like Timberlake, but I noted last year after visiting the event how impressed I was with Timberlake's energy during the Wednesday pro-am, but that didn't stop some pretty tough criticism in the Las Vegas press. Apparently these events never saw how tour stops went with Andy Williams and Glen Campbell who couldn't put on the kind of fundraising concert that Timberlake did in Vegas.

They also have the tour's best tournament logo.