These Guys Are Not The Brightest Files: Kris Blanks Brings Gun And Ammo To TSA Edition

Thanks to WeiUnderPar for spotting Chris Alcantara's account of PGA Tour player Kris Blanks forgetting the loaded gun in his backpack as he went through security at Palm Beach International.

Just after 6 a.m. Sunday, Kristoffer Blanks, was on his way to catch a plane headed to Charlotte, N.C., when he entered an airport security checkpoint and placed his black backpack onto an X-ray conveyor belt.

As the bag went through screening, a Transportation Safety Administration officer found a .40-caliber Glock 27 with eight rounds in the magazine, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report said.

Deputies responded to the airport, took Blanks’ bag and arrested him on charges of carrying a concealed weapon.

During an interview with deputies, Blanks said he forgot to take his gun out of the bag after he returned home from a road trip the week before, the report said. He added he did not have a concealed weapons permit.

But other than that, everything was kosher!

Kris hasn't mentioned the incident on his Twitter account...yet.

Instant Poll: Should Governing Bodies Adopt PGA Tour's Advice And Extend Anchoring Ban For Amateurs To 2024?

In light of the PGA Tour's intriguing press release buried lede about taking a page from the groove rule change and adopting the anchored putting ban in 2024 for amateur play, what do you think?

Should the USGA/R&A extend the anchored putting ban to 2024 for amateur golfers?
	Yes
	No
	Unsure
pollcode.com free polls

PGA Tour Going Along With Anchoring Ban in 2016, Wants Extension For Amateurs

For Immediate Release and on a Monday too!

PGA TOUR Policy Board Allows USGA’s Ban on Anchored Strokes

Rule 14-1b will go into effect in PGA TOUR competition beginning January 1, 2016

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL (July 1, 2013) – The PGA TOUR Policy Board today acknowledged that the USGA’s ban on anchored strokes, known as Rule 14-1b, will apply to PGA TOUR competitions beginning on January 1, 2016. In making this acknowledgement, the Policy Board also passed a resolution strongly recommending, along with the PGA of America, that the USGA consider extending the time period in which amateurs would be permitted to utilize anchored strokes beyond January 1, 2016.

PGA TOUR competitions are conducted in accordance with the USGA Rules of Golf. However, the Policy Board reserves the right to make modifications for PGA TOUR competitions if it deems it appropriate.

“In making its decision, the Policy Board recognized that there are still varying opinions among our membership, but ultimately concluded that while it is an important issue, a ban on anchored strokes would not fundamentally affect a strong presentation of our competitions or the overall success of the PGA TOUR,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said.

"Would not affect a strong presentation of our competitions?" Nothing like a little authentic frontier gibberish!

“The Board also was of the opinion that having a single set of rules on acceptable strokes applicable to all professional competitions worldwide was desirable and would avoid confusion.”

The USGA and R&A jointly announced the proposed ban on anchored strokes in November 2012; then, following a “comment period,” the governing bodies announced on May 21, 2013 that the ban would go into effect on January 1, 2016.

With respect to golf at the recreational level, the Policy Board noted that the USGA followed a similar course with respect to groove configurations on golf clubs in 2008 where the new groove configurations rule became applicable for elite play in 2010, while the rule does not apply to recreational play until 2024.

“The Policy Board continues to believe that extending the time period the ban would go into effect for amateurs would be beneficial for golf participation and the overall health of the game,” Finchem added.

So nice they are concerned for the amateur game!

“Although the Board has elected to follow the USGA in this case at the elite level, it continues to be mindful of its responsibility to review future rule changes that might be adopted by the USGA in order to determine whether they should apply to PGA TOUR competitions,” Finchem said. “It is not inconceivable that there may come a time in the future when the Policy Board determines that a rule adopted by the USGA, including in the area of equipment, may not be in the best interests of the PGA TOUR and that a local rule eliminating or modifying such a USGA rule may be appropriate.

“Having said that, we have been assured by the USGA that as we move forward we will have an open and effective communication process on a number of levels with the decision makers at the USGA,” Finchem added. “Importantly, this will include a direct communication between the Commissioner’s Office of the PGA TOUR and the USGA Executive Committee. Such a process will ensure that our position is fully and carefully considered and addressed in future rule making.”

Officials Will Be Staying On The Course For Now

Doug Ferguson talks to the PGA Tour's Tyler Dennis who says it's still more productive for the PGA Tour to have one more official on the course instead of in the booth.

Of course, if the tour wasn't being so stingy with what is obviously such an important role (no contract for rules officials since January 1!), they could just hire another official to be in the booth or in a Ponte Vedra TV room and not take one of the officials off the course.

Forbes: Finchem Leaps Tall Buildings In Single A Bound!

Monte Burke looks at how Tim Finchem--all by himself!--saved the tour from ruin as the markets crashed and a fire hydrant jumped in front of Tiger's Escalade.

Thanks to all who sent what, despite the focus on Finchem with little mention of some of his hard-working lieutenants, lays out the business model for the PGA Tour in often impre$$ive detail. If the PGA Tour was a Jewish Tea Party group, the IRS would have a field day!

A few noteworthy parts in the interest of being able to hyperlink these in the future (the story is in the May 27 Forbes).

Under Finchem the tour has been able to stockpile investment assets that are now almost precisely $1 billion. *(Some $675 million of that money is in player retirement funds, which the tour lists as both an asset and a liability. Another $73 million is in cash.)

So when the perfect storm appeared, Finchem was negotiating from strength. He was able to assure nervous broadcasters that the game would be a risk-free investment. In a worst-case scenario the tour could use that money to fund its tournaments and keep the game on TV. “Even in the worst of the recession, we never missed a beat financially with the guarantees the tour gave us,” says CBS’s McManus.

The model stuff...

Here’s the model that continues to this day: A corporation–say, AT&T–signs up with the tour as a title sponsor of a tournament, usually paying between $8 million and $13 million for the honor (events that are televised only on the Golf Channel and do not have the final two rounds on either CBS or NBC pay a little less; a handful of sponsors pay more). Nearly half of that money goes directly to the event’s broadcaster, in the form of presold ads. The tour guarantees that between 60% and 65% of the broadcaster’s ads will be accounted for and traditionally delivers up to 85%. The remaining ad time is easy enough to fill: Unlike other sports, many viewers of tour events actually play the game, which gives endemic advertisers–like ball, clothing and club manufacturers–strong incentive to buy spots.

The rest of the title sponsorship money goes to a local tournament organizer, which is a nonprofit entity (the tour itself runs 16 events). These local groups use that money to put on the tournament–mainly with volunteers–and pay a share of the purse (the tour chips in as well). Revenues are generated through ticket sales, hospitality and local advertising. Any leftover money, after expenses, is donated to local charities.

Love this from the Shark...who is also quoted wanting to audit the tour in a sidebar for the story.

In 1999 the tour, along with four of the world’s other large professional golf tours, started what’s known as the World Golf Championships, a series of now four tournaments for only the top players in the world, with purses of close to $9 million. It was basically Norman’s idea. “It still irritates me, big time,” says Norman. “He cast me as a guy who was trying to ruin the game of golf, then he does this.”

And it seems Tim will be taking retirement in 2016...

Finchem expects to retire that year, and the Olympic debut provides him with a closing chapter. “My team here is mature and ready,” he says. His retirement challenge, he says, will be hiking to the summit of the 50-plus 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado. “I’ve done 16 so far,” says a man who knows a thing or two about peaks and valleys.

WADA Softening Stance On Mary Jane

Alex Miceli on the World Anti-Doping Agency raising the threshold for a positive marijuana test, reducing positive test results.

Under the Tour’s Anti-Doping Policy, enacted in 2008, cannabinoids – which include marijuana – is considered a recreational drug and not performance-enhancing. The Tour tests for the drug under an unknown threshold and holds players accountable, but a violation is considered as recreational, not performance-enhancing. Thus, any violation would not be publicly disclosed.

Tour spokesman Ty Votaw would not comment on WADA’s move, saying the Tour was made aware of the change Monday.

Maybe one of the players rumored to have been suspended for a positive test will sue the tour in the way Vijay has following WADA softening its stance on deer antler spray? Or maybe not.

Even Slugger White Anchors His Putter...

And Ken Willis found out after a recent round of golf with one of the PGA Tour's two Vice Presidents of Rules and Competitions that Slugger White would give up the game if a universal anchoring ban is enacted.

Slugger says he’d have to quit golf if a universal ban on anchoring comes down. He claims that if forced to use a conventional putter, his hands spasm and, in certain terms, begin to shake like a dog trying to pass a razor blade.

Vijay Acquitted, Share Your Resounding Joy Here

I'm out watching PAC 12 golf but I know you need an outlet to express your joy at the heartwarming news of Vijay's acquittal on admitting to having purchased a banned substance.

Update on 2013-04-30 22:50 by Geoff

**John Strege explains the decision.

And the statement...

PGA TOUR Statement Regarding Vijay Singh

The PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program, which has been in effect since July 2008, closely follows the International Anti-Doping Standard set forth by the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) particularly as it relates to the interpretation and application of the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.

In a January 28, 2013 article that appeared on SI.com, Vijay Singh was quoted as admitting to his use of a deer antler spray supplement.  Subsequently, Mr. Singh confirmed his use of deer antler spray in a statement he issued.  Deer antler spray contains IGF-1, a growth factor listed on both the WADA and PGA TOUR Prohibited Lists, which the TOUR warned players about in August 2011.  After the SI.com article came out, WADA also issued a warning about deer antler spray on February 5, 2013.

There is no test for IGF-1 currently available in routine blood testing.   However, the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Policy provides that an admission to the use of a prohibited substance is a violation of the policy even if there is no positive drug test.  After confirming the presence of IGF-1 in the deer antler spray product provided to the TOUR by Mr. Singh through tests at the WADA-approved UCLA laboratory, the TOUR proceeded with the matter as a violation of the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Policy, and a sanction was issued.   Mr. Singh subsequently appealed the sanction under the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program guidelines.  During the appeal process, PGA TOUR counsel contacted WADA to confirm a number of technical points.  At that time, WADA clarified that it no longer considers the use of deer antler spray to be prohibited unless a positive test results.  Indeed, on April 30, WADA subsequently provided written confirmation to the TOUR that:

“In relation to your pending IGF-1 matter, it is the position of WADA, in applying the Prohibited List, that the use of "deer antler spray" (which is known to contain small amounts of IGF-I) is not considered prohibited.

On the other hand it should be known that Deer Antler Spray contains small amounts of IGF-1 that may affect anti-doping tests.

Players should be warned that in the case of a positive test for IGF-1 or hGH, it would be considered an Adverse Analytical Finding.”

Based on this new information, and given WADA’s lead role in interpreting the Prohibited List, the TOUR deemed it only fair to no longer treat Mr. Singh’s use of deer antler spray as a violation of the TOUR’s anti-doping program.

Since his initial quote was made public, Mr. Singh has cooperated with the TOUR investigation and has been completely forthcoming and honest.  While there was no reason to believe that Mr. Singh knowingly took a prohibited substance, the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program clearly states that players are responsible for use of a prohibited substance regardless of intent.   In this regard, Mr. Singh should have contacted the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program Administrator or other resources readily available to players in order to verify that the product Mr. Singh was about to utilize did not contain any prohibited substances, especially in light of the warning issued in August 2011 in relation to deer antler spray.

Going forward, the PGA TOUR is committed to increasing its educational initiatives to remind players of the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program and the risk of utilizing any product without a full understanding of the ingredients contained in that product. Such educational initiatives will include reinforcing with its members the many resources available to them on a 24/7 basis to respond to any questions they may have concerning any product.

The PGA TOUR recognizes that the science of anti-doping is an ever evolving subject, and the TOUR will continue to work with its consultants and WADA to stay abreast of all current developments in this area. This will include staying abreast of developing policies and procedures, specifically with regard to testing for growth hormone and IGF-1.  When fully implemented tests for those substances become available in routine blood testing, the TOUR will continue to monitor the situation and make changes to the policy as necessary or appropriate.

Turns Out Al Geiberger's 59 Was Caught On Tape

In case there were any 59 Truthers out there, it seems In Play with Jimmy Roberts located unseen footage of the last few holes of Al Geiberger's historic 59 in Memphis and showed it to him for the first time in this week's episode.

Adam Schupak with the details:

“A 22-year-old rookie announcer – I’m sorry, but I don’t remember his name now – was sent to the tournament with a cameraman. He was ready to leave the course. He got Gary Player and whoever was there. It was hotter than hell. Well the guy had moved 12 times since then. The last time his wife said, ‘Get rid of those boxes in the attic.’ So he went through them and found one that said ‘Geiberger’ on it. Well, he was a real golf enthusiast. He said, ‘Oh, my goodness. It’s the tape.’ He thought it could be dust by now. He took it to the studio and had it put on a disc.”

The In Play trailer followed by the footage...

And the footage, including the putt for 59.

John Strege reports that Geiberger is auctioning the clubs from his 59 via Green Jacket Auctions.

Chairman Payne's Announcements: Cut Change, PGA Tour Winners

Ryan Herrington has the details on the main annoucements Wednesday from Masters Chairman Blly Payne, namely an increase in the number of players making it to the weekend (44 and ties to 50 and ties), exemptions for PGA Tour winners of fall events and modifying of other exemptions from the U.S. Open and PGA Tour money list.