And Now Hyundai Is Officially In At Riviera

Tod Leonard reports the expected news following yesterday's announcement of Northern Trust heading east for a playoff event, Hyundai is moving in on Riviera's annual February stop.

The length of the deal was not specified, though sources close to Hyundai say its a 10-year agreement. Having a local company invested for that long and one that is thriving should inject more life right off the bat. And as Nissan proved with its successful tenure here, LA is a car town. So the fit could not be better. Throw in the occasional hole-in-one at 16, and a Rich Beem reaction, and the partnership should be a home run.

Note in the press release that Hyundai's CEO mentions CBS in his engineered quote. For Immediate Release:

Hyundai Announces PGA TOUR Tournament Sponsorship in Los Angeles

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (January 20, 2016) – The PGA TOUR and Hyundai announced today an agreement commencing in 2017 that will make Hyundai the new title sponsor of the TOUR’s longstanding tournament at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Hyundai, which has its U.S. headquarters in nearby Fountain Valley, Calif., will be shifting its previous sponsorship from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii to what currently is the Northern Trust Open.

Yesterday, it was announced that Northern Trust will replace Barclays as title sponsor of the first FedExCup Playoff tournament held annually in the New York/New Jersey area, also beginning in 2017.

“Considering that Hyundai Motor America is headquartered and heavily invested in the greater Los Angeles area, this is a perfect fit for Hyundai’s long-term vision and goals as a tournament sponsor,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Hyundai is a terrific partner that has actively promoted the Hyundai Tournament of Champions since becoming title sponsor in 2011 and used the event to broaden awareness of its brand and products. We are very excited to continue our relationship with Hyundai and look forward to helping with the transition to Riviera Country Club for 2017.”

“The PGA TOUR’s Los Angeles tournament is the signature golf event in the country’s second-biggest market, is broadcast nationally on CBS and is located in the backyard of Hyundai’s headquarters in Orange County,” said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “During the past six years, we’ve continued to expand our relationship with the game of golf and there is no better tournament for us to be associated with. We can’t wait to showcase Hyundai vehicles to the millions of Los Angeles golf fans and those watching on TV and, most importantly, continuing the event’s long history of charitable activities.”

“It’s worth adding that Hyundai had a tremendous six years as title sponsor of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and helped elevate the stature of the tournament, while making a significant impact on numerous local organizations in Hawaii,” said Zuchowski. “The tournament is in a position of strength and we look forward to watching its continued success.”

An important aspect of Hyundai’s sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions has been its charitable work through Hyundai Hope On Wheels, a national independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping kids fight cancer. The program is supported by Hyundai Motor America and its more than 830 dealers nationwide. In association with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, more than $550,000 has been donated to the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

NoTrust Bails On LA For Playoff Event Known As The Barclays

Barclays is out and Northern Trust takes over New York's playoff event, ending almost eight years as sponsor of the former Los Angeles/Nissan Open.

It was a rocky road, with some attendance disasters and bad PR when entertaining after the '08 market crash. Mostly it was an odd pairing for a Chicago company coming west to sponsor an event in February. So much so that there were annual rumors they were looking to get out. After several years of investing in the championship's infrastructure there was a noticeable leveling off of investment.

Doug Ferguson reports there is good news in this on many fronts: Hyundai, a proud and thriving Southern California company, is likely the replacement.

Also, this may be setting up a scenario where a likely non-renewal by Deutsche Bank could mean the end of one playoff event, reducing the bloated August/September schedule by a week. Though certainly not ideal for Boston fans or "growing" purses (if your bonus depends on it).

But first things first, no more Barclays, new LA sponsor. The full press release:

Northern Trust to Sponsor Lead FedExCup Playoffs Event in 2017

PGA TOUR’s New York/New Jersey-area tournament
 to be renamed THE NORTHERN TRUST

CHICAGO and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (January 19, 2016) – The PGA TOUR and Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) announced today that beginning in 2017, the Chicago-based global bank will become title sponsor of the FedExCup Playoffs tournament held annually in the New York/New Jersey area.

Northern Trust will replace Barclays as sponsor through a five-year agreement that renames the tournament THE NORTHERN TRUST and maintains its position as the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs.

With this move, Northern Trust will not renew its sponsorship of the Northern Trust Open at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles once the current contract expires after the 2016 tournament (February 15-21). It has sponsored the Northern Trust Open since 2008. An announcement regarding that tournament’s future will be made in the near future.

“We are thrilled that Northern Trust will become title sponsor of the lead FedExCup Playoffs event beginning in 2017,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Over the past eight years, Northern Trust’s dedication and passion as title sponsor has reinvigorated the Northern Trust Open, elevated its status as a premier event on the PGA TOUR and significantly increased its charitable giving. We know Northern Trust’s executive team will carry that same leadership and enthusiasm cross-country and continue to build upon the impressive foundation established in the New York/New Jersey market by Barclays.”

This year’s Barclays will be held at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale (Long Island), N.Y.  When the tournament becomes THE NORTHERN TRUST, it will rotate through some of the best courses in the greater New York area beginning with Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury (Long Island), N.Y., continuing a fantastic rotation throughout the greater New York/New Jersey area:

2018 The Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, N.J.
2019 Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, N.J.
2020 Plainfield Country Club, Edison, N.J.
2021 Black Course at Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale (Long Island), N.Y.
2022 Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, N.J.

When Northern Trust became title sponsor in 2008, the Northern Trust Open immediately raised its purse by $1 million and its charitable contributions increased, with more than $2 million going to non-profit organizations in the greater Los Angeles area in 2015. Since Northern Trust became involved, the event has contributed nearly $12 million to charity, raising the tournament’s all-time total to more than $60 million since its inception in 1926.

“From the beginning, we are proud to have worked with the PGA TOUR to enhance the Northern Trust Open for all constituents from patrons to players to the Los Angeles community.  Over the past eight years attendance has more than doubled, fan enhancements such as food trucks and kids’ clinics have been added, military appreciation has expanded and importantly, contributions to local charitable organizations doubled,” Northern Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frederick H. Waddell said. “Now as we deepen our investments on the East Coast, we are excited to continue our partnership with the PGA TOUR by sponsoring a world class playoff event that supports our growing business and continued commitment to the communities we serve.”

Barclays became title sponsor of what is now The Barclays in 2005. Two years later, the tournament was elevated to become the lead FedExCup Playoffs event. In 2015, The Barclays generated more than $1.45 million for Metropolitan-area charities, raising the tournament’s all-time total to nearly $44.7 million since 1967.

“We sincerely thank Barclays for all it has done for The Barclays, particularly since its transition to become a FedExCup Playoffs event in 2007,” Finchem said. “We look forward to working with the Barclays’ team to make this year’s event the most successful ever when it returns to Bethpage Black in August (22-28).”     

Did Boo Weekley's Beard Earn Him A Special Visit?

Boo Weekley appears to be trying to outdo Graham Delaet in the Lost-At-Sea beard race, or maybe wants a cameo on Duck Dynasty. Yet only Boo got a visit from Mark Russell of the PGA Tour this week on the range, which he viewed with little concern but maybe as the tour's version of a Sicilian message.

Golfweek's Alex Miceli reports from Waialae on the latest Boo v. Tour saga, which he suggests may be a response to Boo's wraparound schedule comments last fall.

“They ain’t said nothing, just asked when hunting season was over with,” Weekley said of a conversation he had with Mark Russell, PGA Tour vice president of rules and competition, on Thursday at the Sony Open. “It’s all good. I still got awhile. We hunt year round; we hunt pigs year round.”

After missing the cut by a shot on Friday, Weekley seemed unfazed by the earlier conversation and said he is unwilling to make any facial-hair changes immediately unless required by the Tour.

“They ain’t point blank told me I need to shave it, but until they do I’m going to let it keep growing,” Weekley said. “And if they do? Then I’ll trim it up a little.”

Now, knowing Mark Russell that's a fair normal chat to have with a player so it may not have been a targeted visit ordered by headquarters. However, you may recall the Commissioner has a criteria for facial hair. It's a bit Justice Potter Stewart-ish, but I'm pretty sure Boo's not passing the Finchem Facial Hair Test.

"What I say to the players is no secret," Finchem said. "Look in the mirror and ask yourself or your significant other if [you] look good. If the answer is no, you should shave. Lucas is wearing a beard, that's a given. Not shaving that day is different. You're not wearing a beard. To some people it would connote a lack of respect, so there's a little bit of that concern. On the other hand, some guys, such as Jose Maria Olazabal, show up at a tournament with a three day growth and it looks good. Some guys are like that. There isn't a formula."

PGA Of America President Goes To Work For PGA Tour!

Perhaps most interesting in the fine print here is the PGA Tour advancing an "expanded operational relationship" with Liberty National, the oft-reviled design which hosted a few redesigns, two Barclays and will be site of the 2017 Presidents Cup.

Derek Sprague, far rightThe management deal, following the 25-year partnership anounced last August, would seem to move the budding Tim Finchem-Paul Fireman bromance to engaged status.

Derek Sprague Named Managing Director of Liberty National Golf Club

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (January 12, 2016) –Paul and Dan Fireman, co-founders, today announced that Derek Sprague, current President of the PGA of America, has been named as Managing Director of Liberty National Golf Club.  Sprague will be employed by the PGA TOUR as part of an expanded operational relationship between Liberty National and the TOUR.

Sprague, 48, comes to Liberty National from Malone (N.Y.) Golf Club, where he has served as General Manager/Director of Golf for 27 years. In addition to his duties at Malone, Sprague was elected in November 2014 for a two-year term as the 39th President of the PGA, which represents more than 28,000 PGA professionals across the United States. Sprague has received numerous awards and has served in a number of leadership roles at the PGA Section and national levels.

“We believe that this new management agreement will provide the expertise and resources that will continue to enhance the Liberty experience into the future. We welcome Derek and look forward to this unprecedented partnership,” said Dan Fireman.

“Liberty National is an iconic facility and under the Firemans’ leadership has established an impressive legacy in a short period of time and has an exciting future,” said Sprague.  “I am thrilled to be joining the PGA TOUR team and look forward to serving the Liberty National members and guests as we look ahead to The Presidents Cup 2017. I will always cherish my time at Malone Golf Club and would like to express my gratitude to the Malone Golf Club’s Board of Directors, members and staff.”

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem joined Paul and Dan Fireman in August 2014 to announce a 25-year partnership while confirming Liberty National would serve as host site for The Presidents Cup in 2017. This long-term agreement calls for Liberty National to host up to 10 PGA TOUR tournaments, including the first of the four FedExCup Playoff events in 2019.

“We are excited to have someone as highly regarded as Derek to serve the Club’s membership and their guests, as well as handle preparations for future high-profile events,” Finchem said.

“We offer our sincere congratulations to Derek on landing this wonderful opportunity at Liberty National – further proof that the most qualified person to manage a golf property is a PGA professional,” said Pete Bevacqua, CEO of PGA of America. “Derek playing a major role at a highly visible championship venue is an extremely positive development for the PGA of America as we are dedicated to growing the game at all levels.”

This also means Sprague recently visited Atlanta for several days with Dr. Conformity, Finchem's handpicked specialist who puts PGA Tour job candidates through a rigorous, multi-point, indoctrination boot camp. Congrats on passing Derek!

'15: PGA Tour Drums Euro Tour In Average World Ranking Points

It's about the least interesting topic imaginable to a golf fan, but to insiders, players and their agents, world ranking points rank right there with Wheels Up credits and free courtesy cars.

Doug Ferguson reports that the PGA Tour widened the gap between their tour and the European Tour in 2015 average World Ranking points to tournaments.

The gap continues to widen in the average ranking points for PGA Tour events compared with Europe - up an average of one point this year, two points from 2012.

Including the four majors and the four World Golf Championships, the PGA Tour averaged 56.4 points for the winner compared with 42.2 points for the European Tour. That's a difference of 14.2 points, up from 13.3 points a year ago.

Not Going Anywhere: Finchem Calls His Future "Ill-defined"

Commissioner Tim Finchem tells AP's Doug Ferguson that his retirement schedule is still on hold as he works on "a couple of three major kind of projects" he'd like to get "pushed a little bit."

This was a startling revelation for an organization that allowed Finchem to put numerous executives out to pasture when they turned 60:

Finchem turns 69 next year, though the PGA Tour policy board recently extended the age limit of board members to 75. So that's not an issue.

Hilariously, another massive amount of cash is set to be put into The Players and Stadium Course, and there is the inevitable effort to re-up FedEx for the Reset Cup beyond 2017.

There was also this:

An early start on the next round of TV negotiations. The contracts are up in 2021, though it's never too early to start.

If the tour was going to invoke an out clause in their current network deal, it would need to happen very soon. But with ESPN getting out of golf and Fox not showing much sign of interest outside its USGA contract, the leverage to pick up more money seems gone. As does the cord-cutting momentum that now makes some TV rights deals look bloated.    

Finchem: Appearance Fees Can Go To A Player's Head?!

Commissioner Timmy Fallon is fresh off his year-end employee summit where he actually put on a wig to look like Jimmy Fallon and delivered a, gulp, humor skit (thanks for the blog shoutout "Timmy"!).

So apparently emboldened by his effort last week in Ponte Vedra, the Commish was asked about the prospects of a bleak start to the 2016 as top stars chase appearance fees.

The question prompted a strange response. From Rex Hoggard's GolfChannel.com report:

“There isn't anything happening out there that would say the guidelines are starting to get pushed by players in typically unique situations,” Finchem said. “Certain places have a fair amount of appearance money and it can in turn go to the player's head.”

Good thing money never goes to Timmy's head!

Meanwhile the Commish was cracking jokes about the reaction to Tiger's press conference, reports Jim McCabe at Golfweek.com.

“I saw Tiger. It was good,” Finchem said. “It was fun. He seemed fine to me. I kidded him, because based on the media reports I read before I came down this morning, I thought he had actually died. I said, ‘Tiger, you’re supposed to be dead.”

Finchem chuckled, then confirmed, “he’s alive.”

Maybe if the narrative was not to Finchem's liking, he can always rely on the TigerWoods.com account which noted how the injury time is allowing Woods to improve "his already proficient skills in video games."

PGA Tour's "Strength Of Field Regulation" Does What, Exactly?

Maybe I'm missing something, but the PGA Tour's new "strength of field regulation" for 2016 and beyond reported on by Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com is not really going to terrify a top player with a threat of a $20,000 fine or suspension.

After all, it's well known the PGA Tour doesn't want to invoke slow play penalty strokes, so how would a $422 milllion net-worth player lke Rory McIlroy believe they'd suspended him for not mixing in a new tournament every five years? Or care about a $20,000 fine?

Perhaps there is some fine print that makes this meaningful to sponsors who are the intended beneficiaries. I suppose we'll find out about when players are publicly complaining about the regulation?

Hoggard's report.

Update on 2015-12-03 05:43 by Geoff

**Todd Lewis explains the new policy and sees some positives. Assuing of course that it has a meaningful impact.

Conduct Unbecoming: PGA Tour Players Playing Daily Fantasy

SI/golf.com's Pete Madden reports that PGA Tour players were advised way back on September 24th that daily fantasy sports sites were illegal in some states and any use of them would fall under the conduct unbecoming category.

Madden writes:

The Tour’s memo, however, raises questions about its own relationship with daily fantasy sports. In March, the Tiger Woods Foundation announced a partnership with DraftKings in which the company would be designated the “Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner” of the Quicken Loans National and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

“DraftKings will bring the action to the next level,” said Rick Singer, Tiger Woods Foundation president and CEO, at the time.

When reached for comment, Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said there are no plans to further review that relationship.

"We did not find any issue with DraftKings’ sponsorship of those events that conflicts with the ban on sponsorships of our players," Votaw said. "That sponsorship does not give DraftKings any rights over what Tiger Woods can wear on his body or on his bag."

While I'm no fan of Commissioner Finchem's aversion to gambling, which has put the PGA Tour behind in the fantasy sports world, it's pretty clear that the efforts of the current daily fantasy sites is almost entirely rigged against the customer and a scam.

John Oliver's Last Week Tonight segment on them does a nice job of pointing that out:

Stunner: Happy Gilmore Shot Earns John Peterson No Fine!

Happy ending to the Happy Gilmore!

Rex Hoggard reports the swell news (not so good for the charity of John Peterson's choice): the former LSU star was not fined for his running tee shot in Malaysia, as lovingly recorded from a grassy knoll by Jason Dufner.

From Hoggard's enjoyable report:

“I spoke with [Andy Pazder, the Tour’s executive vice president and chief of operations] twice and explained I was just trying to get 20 more yards [out of the tee shot],” Peterson said.

He missed his calling as a defense attorney!

Even better, the Dufner shot clip still lives on Peterson's Twitter account, even though Dufner's posted version sleeps with the fishes.

Let it be known if you Gilmore it off the first on Sunday you shoot 6 under. @drewsteckel pic.twitter.com/eFjaVxWdVe

— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonLSU) November 1, 2015

Stevie: Vijay "Should Have Been Banned From Golf Completely"

Golf World's Jaime Diaz tries to understand why Vijay Singh is still all-in on his suit against the PGA Tour over his use of deer antler spray and thinks he may have found what's fueling the fight.

Diaz asserts that Singh is still haunted by accusations of cheating that led to a two-year suspension from the Asian Tour. One prominent view arises in a new book that is the premise for Diaz's argument.

Clearly he resented inquiries about being suspended from the Asian Tour for two years after allegedly changing his scorecard at the 1985 Indonesian Open. Singh has disputed the charge, but never in any depth, and it hovers over him unresolved.

In his recent book, veteran caddie Steve Williams, who worked for Terry Gale in the Indonesia event in question, wrote: “I think you have to man up and admit your mistakes. Vijay has vehemently denied he did anything wrong, and I’m still angry to this day he hasn’t admitted his error.” Williams added that he believes Singh “should have been banned from golf completely.”

Playoffs In Golf Aren't Playoffs Files: Sergio Passing On Dubai

Ewan Murray's files a story on Sergio Garcia, currently 30th in the Race To Dubai and bound to move up thanks to a strong BMW Masters showing, deciding to pass on the European Tour's grand Dubai finale.

As Murray notes, Garcia has been positive about this latest format tweak, but instead has played in Asia the last two weeks and is passing up the chance to take an easy check just for showing up in Dubai.

García cited scheduling and tiredness issues when he was among a trio of players in 2013 who refused to meet the playing criteria required for the flagship Dubai tournament, in what was the inaugural year of the European Tour’s Final Series. The format for that has since been tweaked and will be again during an announcement by Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s chief executive, in Dubai on Tuesday. Pelley will also unveil new criteria for Tour membership, the template for which was revealed by the Observer last week.

At the time of the previous alteration to the Final Series, García said: “I’m very happy with the changes and I’m looking forward to the Final Series. At the end of the day, we are all working together. I’m very happy to see that we’ve reached a middle ground which should help make us all happy.”

This latest in a neverending list of player defections, WD's and overall mail-in jobs during playoff season got me thinking: have any of these golf "playoffs" on the major tours ever generated an onslaught of positive press?  Or just mostly negative stories about player apathy, fatigue, boredom or nonchalance?

Different Reactions To Boo's "It Sucks" Commentary

Boo Weekley isn't a fan of the wraparound schedule and said so last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship, a.k.a Mississippi's major.

Weekley's contention, at least after I ran it through a few Google translators, is that Commissioner Tim Finchem adds tournaments because he's incentivized to do so. And Weekley misses the old system of the fall events being about the hungry up-and-comers and veterans holding onto their cards.

"It ain't doing nothing, but it is what it is. It's supposed to be the players tour. It's Tim Finchem and them's tour is what it is."

Weekley has certainly benefitted from fall golf, as Jim McCabe points out in trying to put down Weekley for criticisms that almost assuredly earned the veterain tour player a fine.

During lean years, 2011 and 2012, Weekley was struggling and very much needed good play late in the year. The PGA Tour was there for him, offering fall events; Weekley played four of them in ’11 and four more in ’12.

Of course that was when tournaments were part of the same year's schedule and the events wrapped up the season on a very quiet, lowly rated note, not around it. But the difference is important: one is promising to be the start of a new year, the old system was merely wrapping up the season's business by dealing with the fates of the second tier player and offering sponsorship opportunities at a lower price for companies unwilling to pay the huge tab a standard tour event demands.

McCabe rebuts Weekley this way:

In 1980 the PGA Tour season consisted of 44 tournaments. In 2014-15 there were 47 tournaments. It’s still a lot of golf, only it’s packaged differently with the wraparound season, a concept that marquee names clearly don’t like. They’ve come to the realization that they might need to play two or three times in the fall, to avoid giving young and hungry players a massive head start, unless they want to roll the dice that they play extraordinary well in 15-19 tournaments starting in January or February.

At least this year. That's because 2016's schedule is a mess. Whether it's a trend or a one-off to compensate for next year's madness remains to be seen.

Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com considers the Weekley comments and says that world ranking points available for fall events are up this year, confirming McCabe's point. But Hoggard also notes this in reaction to Boo's comments about the reduced time for fishing due to the need to play some fall golf even after having secured his card:

With apologies to the man from Milton (Fla.), cutting into Weekley’s extracurricular outdoor activities is the least of the Tour's problems. Instead, rest and recovery are in short supply at the highest level and more than one Tour swing coach has lamented that the slim offseason window has made it virtually impossible to institute any meaningful changes to a player’s game.

It’s the Tour’s mandate to create playing opportunities for every member, but as is the case in most businesses, quantity doesn’t always equate to quality.

While I enjoy the different philosophic approach, the numbers are not lying. While the ratings about to be about the same as they were last year and maybe up just a tiny bit since the PGA Tour's fall events became leadoff events, the buzz simply isn't there. Fans are speaking with their remotes.

SportsTVRatings lists Saturday's live WGC-HSBC from Shanghai, with McIlroy, Spieth and other impressive names in the TV window, drawing a 94,000 viewer average over five hours. Granted, those are late hours for half of America, but the Presidents Cup was recently on in the middle of the night and drew big numbers because the "product" is different and compelling.

While it was noble (and maybe a contractual obligation), Monday afternoon's rain delay finish of the Sanderson Farms drew an average of 69,000 viewers. I could go on and on listing examples of fall events which are not showing the uptick suggesting these start-of-the-season events have been legitimized in the eyes of the most hardcore fans.

The fans do matter to the PGA Tour, right?

Vijay! "Singh's battle against the Tour comes into focus"

The lawyers are racking up big billable hours right now in Vijay vs The People Who Helped Make Me Rich, with the PGA Tour and the legendary golfer filing motions for a voluntary, non-binding dispute resolution hearing with a mediator.

As Rex Hoggard reports for GolfChannel.com, "the lawsuit reached a milestone last week with a flurry of filings," with over 130 filings posted to the public record with no shortage of redactions. Still, Hoggard was able to go through the filings to find some intriguing elements to the messy case brought by Singh.

There was this:

Some of the discovery offers a glimpse into the nuanced world of anti-doping, like an email exchange between Ty Votaw, the Tour’s executive vice president of communications, and a golf writer from the Associated Press who asked, among other things, if deer antler spray was on the Tour’s list of banned substances.

Votaw responded that, yes, deer antler spray is on the Tour’s banned substances list, when in fact it is not. The substance IGF-1, an ingredient found in the spray, is on the banned list, but not the product itself. It’s a nuanced distinction but central to Singh’s claim that the Tour was negligent in its handling of his case.

And then in the TMI HOF files, there was this image of Jason Dufner in the men's room reading the tour's warning regarding use of deer antler spray.

“[Dufner] said it was accidental how he read it,” Singh said in the deposition. “He was sitting in a can having a you-know-what and it was laying on the floor so he picked it up, and he was surprised that it was on it.

“He said if he hadn’t been in the can at that moment in time, he’d have never known that it was [on the banned list].”

Many items were redacted according to Hoggard. Just not that one.

Not So Happy Gilmore: Peterson's Bold Shot Vanishes

Maybe this will just make the shot that much more legendary?

Either way, John Peterson's Happy Gilmore moment last week in Malaysia has vanished from Jason Dufner's Instagram account.

One witness who refused to go on the record says men clad in pleated pants, light blue Oxford shirts (extra starch) and Footjoy Classics rolled up to Dufner's home in black BMW X5's in the wee hours this week. After having found Dufner's cell phone believed to be the same one used to record the Peterson video, the agents were heard yelling "Geronimo secure, Geronimo secure!"

The account matches previous stories from tour players and caddies, hinting that the raid was conducted by the PGA Tour Fun Police, a super-secret outfit headquartered in the basement of TPC Sawgrass' 198,000 square foot clubhouse.

Dufner was not immediately available for comment.

There is good news, however. It's called YouTube!  **The Fun Police are more nimble these days!