Not So Pat Question and Pat-hetic Answer

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Kudos to Peter Kostis for slipping in the "where will we see you next" question of Tiger in his post-final round Buick interview. Word has been quietly filtering out that he's likely not going to play at Riviera, and this was seemingly confirmed by Tiger's absurd answer about the long trip to Dubai and needing time to rest (though it did set up a nice zinger from Faldo about the trevails of traveling on a G5!).

Look Tiger, whether it's the traffic, the lousy weather, the poa greens, the lousy threadcount on the sheets at the Malibu beach house you rented, it doesn't matter. But don't claim fatigue with a week off after Dubai. You are more creative than that! 

But it also seems one of the writers (who!?) was pretty skeptical of Tiger's reasoning for likely skipping Riviera, and judging by the answer he received, the question hit a little too close to home...

 Q. If you don't play Nissan for whatever reason, if you're not ready or what-have-you, there will probably be some speculation like at East Lake where you're now at a point where you're trying to protect your streak, especially at a place like Riviera where you've never come close to winning; what would your answer be to that?

TIGER WOODS: People can say whatever they want. That's their opinion. They are entitled to it.

Open Letter To Tiger

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Golfweek has finally posted Brad Klein's open letter to Tiger, which is the column I wish I would have written had I had the courage to upset the game's most powerful figure!

 Will everything be there right in front of the golfer to see, as with Firestone? Or will you build in the quirky, odd and occasionally arbitrary (perhaps even unfair) element just to test a golfer's patience, as is the case at St. Andrews? In the past you've expressed admiration for both courses, yet their basic design styles are wildly divergent. Not that you need to resolve the tension or opt for one style over another.

 

As The Woods Camp Requested...

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File this Tim Rosaforte paragraph in the buried-lead file. He's writing about Tiger not appearing at Kapalua:

In truth, this could have been averted. Had the Target World Challenge been scheduled the week after Thanksgiving, as the Woods Camp requested, instead of two weeks from Christmas, it would have given Tiger almost a month of downtime before getting back to business at Kapalua. Instead, The Target was given Dec. 14-17, and Mercedes/Kapalua takes the hit.

Hmmmm...do we have a Commissioner-Tiger spat in the making here?

Tiger and The Commish

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Well the new year is off to a roaring start, as my NSA sources picked up this Monday night IM exchange between what appears to be Commissioner Tim Finchem and Tiger Woods, chatting on the eve of golf's new era commencing this Thursday at Kapalua.  

twfPGATOUR©: Tiger, is that you?

TWPrivacy:  who is this?

twfPGATOUR©: Commissioner Timothy B. Finchem

twfPGATOUR©: Tiger, you there?

TWPrivacy: how did you get this IM address?

twfPGATOUR©: Oh, uh, uh through Mark Steinberg.

TWPrivacy: sure you did. sup?

twfPGATOUR©: Just wanted to say hi from Kapalua where it's lovely. Thought I saw your preferred Citation X next to our Falcons but I guess it was just wishful thinking.

TWPrivacy: yep, spending time with my family in the mountains.

twfPGATOUR©: Well, wish you were here at Kap to see how the Ritz Carlton people have leveraged their brand. Inspiring how they have vertically and horizontally integrated their platforms to elevate the resort experience.

TWPrivacy: that's great tim

twfPGATOUR©: Anyway, I also wanted to congratulate you on the new project in Dubai.

TWPrivacy: thanks

twfPGATOUR©: Maybe you could talk the Sheiks into adding a First Tee facility with the project?

TWPrivacy: uh, i don't think there are many kids over there in need.

twfPGATOUR©: Yes, point taken.

twfPGATOUR©: You still there?

twfPGATOUR©: Hello?

TWPrivacy: yeah, just in the middle of something

twfPGATOUR©: Oh, Ric Clarson is here in our secure meeting operations center with me overlooking the bay. 

TWPrivacy: who?

twfPGATOUR©: I also wanted to congratulate you on Elin's pregnancy. It's wonderful that you'll be further platforming the Woods brand while finally conjoining with the PGA Tour's core values of family and charity.

twfPGATOUR©:  Tiger, you there?

TWPrivacy: yes tim. thanks on the pregnancy. elin says thanks too.

twfPGATOUR©: Is she there?

TWPrivacy: no, she's out skiing.

twfPGATOUR©: So our marketing people were wondering if you've decided how you are going about branding this?

TWPrivacy: what? having a kid?

twfPGATOUR©: Yes, how are you going to brand it. You know, how are you going name the child.

TWPrivacy: we haven't gotten that far tim.

twfPGATOUR©: Well we have a Vice Presidents here who specializes in name gentrification as well as all forms of cross platforming who I'm sure would be happy do a lot of post 5 o'clock brainstorming with your branding people, maybe even work up some metrics on how the various brands play out.

TWPrivacy: thanks tim, but we'll be okay.  is there something else?

twfPGATOUR©: Yes one last thing. What's the due date?

TWPrivacy: can't say

twfPGATOUR©: We're hearing July here, which of course is great because that will allow you to play in The PLAYERS.

TWPrivacy: yeah, i can't wait

twfPGATOUR©: I'm just wondering if you've thought about how much time you'll want to spend with the new baby in say, August and September when the PGA TOUR Playoffs begin?

TWPrivacy: probably a lot of time
TWPrivacy: tim, you there?
TWPrivacy: tim?

twfPGATOUR© signed off at 08:19:34 PM EST

Tiger's Absences

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This column ought to make Doug Ferguson's next encounter with Tiger at the Buick interesting...

So here's how it shakes out. Woods can either take two weeks off to ski and then practice for the Mercedes-Benz Championship, or he can take five weeks off and return at Torrey Pines to defend his title in the Buick Invitational.

Should he play? Yes.

Woods was largely responsible for PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem revamping the regular season to make it shorter and more compelling. And while the world's No. 1 player is singularly responsible for a $6 million purse considered routine, he needs the PGA Tour as a platform for his worldwide success.

In other words, it's time to give back.

Tiger And Mercedes, Vol. 2

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Tiger's latest non-denial denial on Kapalua:

Q. How much can we expect you to play this coming season? Can we expect to see you in the Mercedes? Can we expect to see you in all those events that are playoff events and leading up to it?

TIGER WOODS: Jerry, I'm going to play every event next year (laughter). I'm not taking any weeks off (laughter).

You know me, I'm going to sit back here in the next week and start playing out my entire schedule for next year. I wanted to get this tournament over and done with and get on vacation and enjoy skiing, having a great time, and then I'll get the entire itinerary for next year and start planning the schedule, what I need to do and when I need to do it.

Tiger And Mercedes

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In yesterday's Target press conference, The Golf Channel's Brian Hewitt asked Tiger Woods:

Q.  Any decisions yet or even leanings towards Mercedes and in early January?  I know you don't have to commit until the week before.

TIGER WOODS:  I haven't really looked forward to that.  I'm just looking forward to actually playing this event and then going skiing and just getting away and actually having some time off and then basically evaluate. 

Uh, that's 18 days away. Haven't really looked forward to that? That's Tigerspeak for "I'm not playing." 

Target Practice

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Tuesday's practice round at Sherwood was well attended by media eager to hear Tiger Woods address their questions in advance of the Target World Challenge.

I have to say it was the most boring Tiger press conference I've sat through, though there was one bizarre-bordering-on-awkward moment when Golf Magazine's Cameron Morfit asked a question and Tiger either didn't understand it, or just didn't like it.

Q.  You mentioned your skiing; are you a Black Diamond skier these days?  Black Diamond, the hardest?

TIGER WOODS:  It's not the hardest.

Q.  Double Black?
   
TIGER WOODS:  Mmhmm.  (Laughter).

Well it was more like (lots of long silence), mhm and (awkward laughter) at the strangeness of it all.

Naturally, I would not drive all the way out there with asking something, so here was my softball that actually seemed to stump him before he launched into his standard (and wonderful) diatribe on modern setup and design. Forgive my lousy phrasing...

Q.  Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus both when they did their design work, built dream courses or home clubs that hosted tournaments, do you see yourself taking on some sort of a project like that that's maybe your own concept for a course, and maybe it's a club just for your friends; and if so, what kind of course and place would it be?

TIGER WOODS:  Yes, and hopefully one day.  Obviously you have to get the right situation where you can do that, you can go ahead and design what you think is how golf should be played.  For me, I always believe in golf should have open front.  You should be able to utilize the ground and don't take away the short game.  I play golf courses on Tour and we all see it, miss the green, automatic lobwedge, hack it out of the rough.  That to me is not fun golf.  Fun golf is Pinehurst.  Fun golf is playing links golf.  Fun golf is learning to how to maneuver the ball on the ground and give yourself options.  One of the hardest up and downs is when you have options.  You have so many different ways to play and you see a lot of pros really mess up easy shots because they have so many different options.  I think that's taken away from the game of golf now, and ridiculous at how the modern golf courses are designed, that's how they are designed is they have taken that option away and that's too bad.

Tiger Talking About Al Ruwaya

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Here's a clip of Tiger answering boring questions about his Dubai project. If anyone has seen the video presentation that was sent out to the press and which appeared on my local newscast, please let me see the link. Naturally, the footage of Tiger and entourage looking at the property (complete with massive power lines) is worth seeing.

First Ever Name Translation Contest!

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You all leave so many great comments on posts, but now it's time to test your creativity...and knowledge of Arabic in the first ever site translation contest.

I'm not sure what the winner will get, probably a signed copy of Masters of the Links since I can see a stack of those from where I'm sitting.

But here's the contest: translate Al Ruwaya, the name of Tiger Woods's first design in Dubai.

For bonus points, include the actual translation of Al Ruwaya. And please, have fun with this! Don't worry about insulting him. He's got 40 million reasons to not care.

PS - I see there's a novel named Al Ruwaya. That poor bastard of a writer will probably get sued any day now! 

Dubai, Here Comes Tiger!

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I really don't even know where to start...

Tiger Woods –in Dubai-Unveils His First-Ever Signature Golf Course

“The Tiger Woods – Dubai” a Residential Golf Course Development Designed by Tiger Woods and Developed by Tatweer

Dubai: December 3, 2006 –Tiger Woods, the world’s number one golfer and chairman of Tiger Woods Design, and Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holding a leading UAE holding Company, announced today plans for ‘Al Ruwaya’, the first-ever course designed by Woods in “The Tiger Woods – Dubai”.

“The Tiger Woods - Dubai” will be an exclusive golf community that will include ‘Al Ruwaya’, a Tiger Woods designed Golf Course, professionally-staffed golf academy; a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse with the latest amenities and comforts; an 80-suite boutique hotel for VIP guests; 300 luxury villas; 20 mansions and a community retail area.

‘Al Ruwaya’ will be a 7,700 yards, par 72 championship-quality course, embodying Woods’ vision of the ideal course design. The course will include dramatic elevation changes, lush landscaping, stunning water features and an overall design program that will challenge and entertain golfers of all playing abilities.

“Why Dubai? Because I am excited about the challenge of transforming a desert terrain into a world-class golf course,” said Tiger Woods. “I have a vision of creating something that is uniquely mine – from the detailed layout of each hole to the Mediterranean architecture to the top-line gym equipment in the clubhouse - unlike anything else. And through my partnership with Tatweer, I want to realize this vision in Dubai.”

Okay, I was wrong. I do know where to start. Yes, he just said he has a vision that includes top-line gym equipment in the clubhouse. Sign me up!

The landmark golf course community is scheduled for completion in late 2009 over an area of 25.3 million sq ft at ‘Dubailand’, the region’s largest tourism and leisure project along Emirates Road, an outer by-pass road in Dubai.

H.E. Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Executive Chairman of Dubai Holding said: “This initiative reinforces the great development pace that Dubai has achieved within diverse domains to become one of the most recognized cities in the world.”

Woods, who launched Tiger Woods Design in early November 2006, made a dedicated trip to Dubaito showcase his first golf project and to continue his hands-on involvement in the design of the golf course.

And...

About Tatweer

Launched in December 2005 Tatweer is one the region’s most promising enterprises and a Member of Dubai Holding. It owns nine market-leading companies and managing an ambitious business development plan.

Its current portfolio is divided into Energy & Healthcare, Tourism & Entertainment, Industry & Knowledge. Its entities are Dubai Healthcare City, the region's hub for world-class quality healthcare services; Mizin, one of the most advanced real estate companies in the region; Dubailand, one of the biggest leisure, entertainment and tourism destinations in the Middle East region; Dubai Industrial City, an industrial township to develop Dubai as a leading manufacturing hub; Bawadi, the world’s leading hospitality and entertainment project bringing 31 hotels and more than 29,000 hotel rooms; Dubai Energy, investing in regional and global energy opportunities and building a diversified investment portfolio; Dubai Mercantile Exchange, the first commodity futures exchange in the Middle
East; Global Village, which brings together 160 different countries showcasing myriad cultures; and Moutamarat, the first Arab initiative organizing research-based conferences and exhibitions.

A Member of Dubai Holding, Tatweer and its entities will continue to consolidate a group of life-improving industries. In addition, it has pioneered the market with joint venture initiatives with leading companies such as the New York Mercantile Exchange or the Saudi Research and
Publishing Company.

Tatweer will continuously strive for world-class performance implementing leadership development to drive and sustain business excellence, quality and high performance.

About Tiger Woods Design

The philosophy of Tiger Woods Design is to further elevate the standards of golf course design and create enjoyable, challenging courses worldwide.  At the heart of this vision is Woods’ desire to apply his first-hand knowledge and personal experience to the design of each golf course.  For more
information on Tiger Woods Design, visit www.tigerwoodsdesign.com.