Seminole Brings The '13 Major Champs Together!

The Seminole Member-Pro--think Tavistock Cup without the helicopters but with no shortage of Tanqueray and a surprising number of grown men with names that sound like 19th Century book publishers wearing pastel shorts and loafers with no socks--was played Monday at the Donald Ross masterpiece and it marked the first and only gathering of 2013's four major champs: Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson and Jason Dufner.

Erik Matuszewski previewed the day for Bloomberg and said Mickelson teamed with Jimmy Dunne.

Rex Hoggard reports a good time was had by all, especially these men:

Rory Sabbatini, paired with amateur Hugh Kenworthy, won the gross division of the Seminole Member-Pro in a match of cards with Roberto Castro and Russell Ball, who claimed the net division title with a 59.

Golfweek.com rounds up the player Tweets from Seminole.

But way more exciting was the news from Tim Rosaforte on Golf Central that Arnold Palmer hit a grand opening tee shot. Rumored to have had a little health scare earlier this year, The King apparently looked awesome and hit a booming drive to get the proceedings under way. Best news I've heard all year.

Bamberger: We Need Elk's Tweets!

Funny, I was just talking to someone today about how golf continues to experience black eye moments in social media, but Michael Bamberger opines that Steve Elkington's homophobic Tweet this week provides a public service of sorts.

He writes:

That first handbag tweet, it’s crude. It’s stupid. It’s not funny. But it’s useful, because it reminds us again of what’s out there. And because it reminds us again that one of our most fundamental rights is to, on occasion, make an ass of ourselves by abusing our rights to free speech. I’m going to keep reading Steve Elk. He’s better than this sorry mini episode.

He is. But so far, he hasn't shown it.

Elkington Keeping PGA Tour Fines Department In Business!

Lost in the outrage over Steve Elkington's latest distasteful Tweet is the job-creating work he's doing by keeping someone at 100 PGA Tour Boulevard gainfully employed to read these missives and report to Commissioner Fine'em Up!

Luke Kerr-Dineen on Elkington's latest conduct unbecoming moment on Twitter, which is pretty sad even for Elkington's twisted sense of social media. Ryan Lavner with the roundup of past conducts unbecoming, all raising an undisclosed amount for charity because of course, the PGA Tour does not disclose fines. But Elkington is a PGA Tour member, however, and it's a safe bet he's getting some money deducted from the account for these Tweets.

The offending Tweet, since deleted:

 ESPN's Jeff MacGregor with the best comeback:

A handbag-throwing joke FROM A MAN WHO PAYS ANOTHER MAN TO LIFT HIS GOLF BAG.

— Jeff MacGregor (@MacGregorESPN) February 25, 2014

Update on 2014-02-25 20:26 by Geoff

**Elkington has since Tweeted an explanation of his issue with ESPN's coverage:

It goes back to "a ball hit an oriental spectator".There's no oriental spectators..There just spectators.."like m Sam...He's just an athlete

— Steve Elkington (@elkpga) February 25, 2014

Update on 2014-02-26 06:31 by Geoff

**Jason Sobel takes on Elkington and says Tweeting has tarnished the legacy of a major champion with one of the all-time great swings.

There’s a good chance that if Elkington had never clicked the button to sign up for a Twitter account years ago, he’d be remembered for that buttery golf swing that earned him the 1995 PGA Championship title and nine other PGA Tour victories in a career that spanned parts of four decades.
That’s the beauty – and ugliness – of social media.

There’s another beauty to this whole story, though. Unlike in a news conference setting at a tournament, we can all just choose to ignore him.