Even Insomniacs Won't Rejoice: Four More Years Of Firestone

But hey, it may seem pretty depressing that the WORLD Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational will be locked into Ohio's least interesting famous course for the next four years, but just think, in that time, failing the intervention of a agressive tree trimmer, we may actually get to see the first PGA Tour course where players can't hit greens from the center of the fairways!

For Immediate Release...and do note the goose-bump inducing news that Bridgestone is now the official tire of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.

Bridgestone Extends Title Sponsorship of World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club

Recommits to Role as Official Tire of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour
 
AKRON, Ohio – PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, representing the International Federation of PGA Tours; Masaaki Tsuya, Bridgestone Global CEO and Chairman of the Board; and Gary Garfield, CEO and President, Bridgestone Americas, announced today that the International Federation of PGA Tours and Bridgestone have reached an agreement to extend Bridgestone’s title sponsorship of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club through 2018. Finchem, Tsuya and Garfield made the announcement during a press conference prior to the leaders teeing off for the final round of the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational.
 
Bridgestone, a world leader in tire innovation and technology, first began sponsoring the Bridgestone Invitational in 2006, and the current title sponsorship agreement runs through 2014.  The Bridgestone Invitational is played at the famed Firestone Country Club’s South Course in Akron, Ohio.
 
Bridgestone also extended its Official Marketing Partner relationship with the PGA TOUR through 2018 and will remain as the “Official Tire of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.”  The agreement gives Bridgestone opportunities to introduce a distinguished consumer demographic to high-performance Bridgestone tire technology equal to that which they have come to know from its products on the golf course.

Rusty Miller on Tiger's eighth win in the WGC Bridgestone, which actually included some fun revelations about his children peppering dad with the tougher questions than the media.

As he walked to the scorer's trailer to finalize his score, he scooped up 4-year-old son Charlie, who hugged him tightly as his father strode past the large gallery wildly cheering his landslide victory.

"This is the first win he's ever been at," Woods said. "That's what makes it special for both of us."

Daughter Sam was on hand when Woods, won the U.S. Open in 2008, before his personal life imploded. Now Charlie will have some memories of dad in the winner's circle.

"They always say, `Daddy, when are you going to win the tournament?' It was a few years there, or a couple years, I hadn't won anything," Woods said, smiling. "`Are you leading or not? That's a stock question. `Not leading.' `Well, are you going to start leading?' `Well, I'm trying.'"

As for the PGA, Bob Harig addresses Woods' chances heading into the final major.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "As far as wanting it more than any other, no. It's the same. Those [are] the events that we try and peak for and try and win. There's four of them a year.

"It's important for me to get some rest come Monday and Tuesday and do some light work. Come Thursday, I've got a great pairing with Keegan and Davis [Love]. Basically just try and get a feel for the golf course and how it's playing. Do I want it any more? Each and every major, I always want them. I've been successful 14 times, and, hopefully, next week will be 15."

The highlights:

Busy Day In Golf Final Round Open Comment Thread

Mickelson tries to catch Stenson in the Scottish Open.

Geezer Michael Allen tries to hold off Perry and Funk the U.S. Senior Open.

Daniel Summerhays leads the John Deere Classic.

Hee Young Park leads the LPGA Manulife Financial Classic with Inbee trailing by 7.

I'll be stopping in at Muirfield for a look around and then making sure that North Berwick is as good as I remember it. Ta-ta!

Vijay Dismissing Tour Dismissal Of Dismissed Doping Violation

I think it's safe to say based on Rex Hoggard's report of the latest legal wrangling, the lawyers are winning.

USGA "Pleased" PGA Tour And PGA Of America Saw The Light

A statement released today after the PGA Tour and PGA of America came on board with the anchoring ban. No acknowledgement of the suggested extension for the amateur game. 

“The United States Golf Association is pleased with the decision by the PGA Tour and The PGA of America to follow Rule 14-1b, when it goes into effect in January 2016, for their respective competitions. As set forth in our report, “Explanation of Decision to Adopt Rule 14-1b,” the game benefits from having a single set of rules worldwide, applicable to all levels of play, and the acceptance of Rule 14-1b by the PGA Tour and The PGA of America supports the game in this regard.”

 Translation: as it should have been all along until you guys decided to get all independent minded...

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.