Ogilvy: "The quality of the courses is so much more important than the powers-that-be seem to think."

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To accompany Golf World's PGA Tour course ranking project, contributor Geoff Ogilvy penned a column sharing his thoughts on the ranking, players as architecture critics and the important role good design plays in shaping our perception of tournament golf.
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Sergio's Sweaty Palm Syndrome Subsides: Able To Double Up In PokerStars Caribbean Adventure!

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Thanks to reader Mike for this account of Sergio Garcia's poker playing prowess.

David Peters made it 20,000 to go on the button before Sergio Garcia pulled out his driver from the big blind and mashed all of his chips into the middle. He was all in for 114,000 and Peters made the call.

The flop kept Garcia in the lead when the fell. No ace or jack came on the turn when the landed, but even that card helped Peters a little bit as it added him some outs to a gutshot. Needing an ace, jack or deuce, Peters couldn't find what he needed when the fell and Garcia was able to double up.

This should settle any questions about the health of his right wrist heading into 2012. As you may recall, Garcia recently set a record for longest one or two-handed club toss into a lake by a non-winner of a major. I think it deserves another look, don't you?

Woodland On The Instructor Rebound, Lands With Butch

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I know many of you were lying awake at night worrying about the fate of Gary Woodland--he of the highly dysfunctional and extremely uncoordinated golf swing that produces mere drop kick drives--after his longtime instructor Randy Smith quit out of loyalty to his agent son after Woodland moved to Steiny Stables. Jeff Babineau reports that Woodland only managed a week as a single man before driving range instructor Butch Harmon agreed to take on this reclamation project.
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"I think we are paid too much money – compared to police and teachers and nurses."

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Winner in Thailand and now the world No. 2, Lee Westwood talks to James Corrigan about becoming the first Briton to break through the £25 million barrier and sounds way too grounded. Thanks to reader Chris for this:

One of the charges he and his fellow multi-millionaire colleagues often face, however, does not concern the contents of his trophy cabinet, but instead his bank account. "We play for a staggering amount of money, no doubt about it and I've always stressed we are very very fortunate," he said. "I think we are paid too much money – compared to police and teachers and nurses. But then compare it to footballers. I think the only thing you can probably justify it by is that when golfers have a bad day, we don't get paid anything, but when we have a great day we get paid a lot. It's part of the pressure involved. There isn't a wage as such."

Golf Tiffs, Spats, Tussles, Snarls, Lovers' Quarrels, Brouhahas And Other Egomaniacal Battles Recounted

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The Ogilvy-Allenby fracas allowed two talented writers to open the history books and regale us with memories of golf's finest man and woman-spats. 

John Huggan writing in Scotland On Sunday:

Other examples are not hard to find. Not so very long ago, the late Dave Hill and his fellow Champions Tour player, JC Snead, were to be found rolling around on the ground at the end of a practice range in a physical effort to resolve their latest dispute. Former US Ryder Cup player Corey Pavin had an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Golf Channel reporter Jim Gray before last year’s Ryder Cup matches at Celtic Manor in Wales. And it can’t have failed to escape the attention of many golf fans that there is a definite edge to the relationship “enjoyed” by world number two Rory McIlroy and the man right behind him on the rankings, Lee Westwood.

Peter Stone downplays the Ogilvy-Allenby imbroglio, shares the not-very-well-known tale of Americans Henry Ransom and Frank Strazza having a row, but also drops this little anecdote about another run-in the same night as the Ogilvy-Allenby war of words.

Around midnight at Fraser's, blood was spilled. American Rickie Fowler's caddie, a gridiron enthusiast, became involved in a difference of opinion with a rugby league man over which code handed out the biggest hits. They decided to settle the argument physically. The league chap laid a tackle on the American and then it was the American's turn with what they do in gridiron. The league guy (not known to our reliable witness) decked the caddie as he charged, and the caddie fell to the ground, splitting his head open.