Tiger In Japan

If golf were more popular, we could just watch this on YouTube...

Tiger Woods endured an embarrassing incident in the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix Thursday, when he drove to the green on the dogleg 332-yard, par-4 13th hole with the previous threesome still putting.

The gaffe notwithstanding, Woods overcame a slow start and shot a 3-under 67 to sit two strokes behind leader Shingo Katayama after the first round.

Katayama, who was on the green at the time, described the incident as "dangerous."

The green is not visible from the tee, blocked by a thick forest of stunted pines, and Woods said he didn't see the caddie's yellow flag warning that the green was still occupied.

"We saw no flag so I went ahead," Woods said. "I thought they were off the green and they weren't, so I had to apologize when I got up there."

To Be Successful...

For those of you in the business world, here's a bit of advice from Carolyn Bivens, talking to the Sun-Sentinel's Randell Mell:

"To be successful, you have to figure out how to maximize the product when it is at its strongest and most competitive,'' Bivens said.

Translation: we need to new screw up this opportunity.

I know I ask this all the time, but does this kind of tortured MBAspeak talk actually impress anyone? 

The Axis of Eagle

Amir A. Daftari at CNN.com writes about the emergence of golf in, yes that's right, Iran.

Due to the disdain and antipathy towards the sport, Iran has only ever had one single 18-hole grass course. The Imperial Country Club, as it was once known, is now the Enghelab (Enghelab means "revolution" in Farsi) Sports Complex.

It is the antithesis of immaculately kept upper class courses so commonly seen around the world. Only 12 holes remain (the Iranian Revolutionary Guard commandeered most of the back nine to use as a parking lot for its tanks) and the clubhouse is a decrepit prefabricated cabin. But what really sets it apart is that nearly half of its 300-plus members are women.

Thanks to financial help from the government, the club has made efforts to get ordinary Iranians on to the fairways by running mini-golf courses in the city's public parks and offering free tuition to beginners.

Green fees are reasonable -- roughly $10 for locals, against $60 for foreigners -- and the dress code is relaxed by Iranian standards: Men don't have to wear a collar, although women must cover up in accordance with the Iran's Islamic laws.

So naturally they are looking to grow the game with some more affordable courses...

A $2.2 billion golf resort, dubbed "The Flower of The East," is under constuction on the Iranian island of Kish in the Persian Gulf. Backed by German and Swiss investors the resort is set to be the biggest golf course in the Middle East.

"Just to ensure the honor of the game"

Steve Elling quotes a pair of LPGA greats on the drug testing, and miraculously, they do not whip out the we call penalties on ourselves so therefore testing isn't necessary card:

"As long as they don't test for wine, I think I'm all right," Kerr said, laughing. "I think it's great that we have a policy now, just to ensure the honor of the game, the way it was meant to be played. If you got nothing to hide, you got nothing to worry about."

Said world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam: "I don't really think we are going to see anything out here, so it might be a waste of time. But if it gives peace of mind for people, and if we need to prove to them that the LPGA is clean, then let's do it."

"These girls have really rocked out on the field"

You don't need to get me a Christmas gift, just more press conferences with the Commissioners. Here's Ms. Bivens speaking at the ADT Championship, played at Trump International...

CAROLYN BIVENS: Thanks, Paul. Good morning. As Paul said, this is a very special week for us. I want to start it off by seeing some folks in the back of the room that need to be thanked. I want to thank the ADT people for making this possible. Thank you. All right. I know that you are looking forward to a fantastic tournament and so are we.

The ADT Championship is the culmination of a lot of hard work and planning by a lot of people. And I think we just lost electricity. I wasn't so much worried about the lights I was worried about the air conditioning. (Laughter.)

Actually, that was Tim Finchem pulling the plug because he heard you were announcing a drug testing program.

It's been a remarkable season on the LPGA Tour and these girls have really rocked out on the field.

Remember, I merely copy and paste this stuff.

Cultural icon and inspiration to the entire nation of Mexico, Lorena Ochoa ended the Webb Sorenstam stranglehold of the Rolex Player of the Year honors by securing the title on Sunday.

Cultural icon?

All of these dramatic finishes, and incredible performances have translated to more fans watching the LPGA and its stars than ever before.

Our cable viewership is up 59 percent from 2005. Let me say that one more time, 59 percent from 2005.

Nice touch repeating that. Really strong on the emphasis. Gosh she's good.

So you combine the financial gains with our increases in popularity, the LPGA.com traffic, attendance numbers and television viewership, and it's easy to see that the LPGA has made incredible strides and we're all celebrating those successes. I'm very proud of what has been accomplished by the members of the staff of the LPGA year over year. The road wasn't without some bumps. That's one way to characterize them, along the way. But we came into this knowing that change wasn't easy. So we kept our eyes straight ahead, and we kept our direction.

Work those metaphors!

But the LPGA senior staff and I have spent a great majority of the last two months working into 2008, 2009 and 2010. What we will be in three years is not what we were last season. And not what we're going to look like this time next year. But that's the point. We have to continue to evolve.

To that end, I want to announce that with the beginning of the 2008 season, the LPGA will institute a drug testing policy for participants in the LPGA Tour.

Talk about a rally killer!

Over the next year we'll work to establish the LPGA's policy with the National Center for Drug Free Sport. This is going to be an aim to implement the program at the beginning of the season in 2008.

Oooo...a partnership. Not only is she doing testing, but joining up with a fully branded feel good organization. Take that Tim!

We have the most talented and marketable trend setting group of athletes that a sport could ask for. And we're providing value for the rest of the world, and we're beginning to benefit from a product that's turning in a great return on investment and the best is yet to come.

Wow, not a single paragraph of MBAspeak and then that. She was doing so well too!

I want to thank you for your time and attention, and I'm going to turn the podium over to Zayra, and then we are going to go to Chris for the 2007 schedule. Zayra, CEO, Duramed Futures Tour.

ZAYRA CALDERON: I don't have to adjust the mic. I think I'm about an inch taller than Carolyn, that's about it.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for the opportunity. Have you thought about what happened to that All American collegiate player before you saw her again after college who played on the LPGA? Where was she?

Not really.

I have the answer of course. She was playing one or two seasons maybe even three on the Duramed Futures Tour, getting ready to win, getting ready to kick in the door of the LPGA. Our mission has remained the same for over 25 years, to provide the best professional women golfers from around the world, the optimum environment to get ready to move on for a career on the LPGA.

That's great. Time to hit the fast forward button.

The strategic plan basically aims at aligning the Duramed Futures Tour, in all aspects of our business, with the LPGA.

We realize that we must have shared values and objectives so that we can make the transition for our players onto the LPGA seem less. We also realize that collaborating with one another will only reinforce our position in professional women's golf and it will help both organizations increase our market share. We want more fans. We want more tournaments. We want more sponsors. We want more money and together we can do that better. Aligning with the LPGA will also allow the two organizations to capitalize on the synergies that are obvious to both organizations. So we have a plan that begins 2007.

Hmmmm...what's it going to be? A move to bigger markets? Maybe a fourball event with LPGAers and Futures players?

Oh what was I thinking. It's been a while since we've talked about you know what...

We will embark on the National Branding Campaign.

Nice touch putting it in caps. Okay, time for Chris Higgs to talk about the schedule... 

We will see the debut of three previously announced tournaments. The NW Arkansas LPGA Classic, the Navistar LPGA Classic, and the Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika Sorenstam.

Women's professional golf will enjoy a history making stop at St. Andrews when the Weetabix Women's British Open is held on the old course.

As many of you will recall, this was announced at the inaugural World Congress of Women's golf. And since that time, this day and this event has been eagerly anticipated by all of the players, the fans and the media. I think all eyes will be on those who have seen the history of the old course and wondering what will they do on the Road Hole. Will they make the failed mistake and use the wedge when they should have used the putter?

Jeese I know the gals are hitting it a long way, but wedges and putters into the Road green? Maybe that drug testing needs to start sooner.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you, Chris. I would like to welcome back Commissioner Bivens to the podium for any questions you might have for her or any of our speakers.

Q. Carolyn, what's your biggest achievement you think this your first full year and biggest regret, if there is one thing you can change? Is the ShopRite (LPGA Classic) still a possibility for that May 17th through 20th?

CAROLYN BIVENS: No, the ShopRite (LPGA Classic) is not a possibility for May 17th.

The biggest accomplishment? The biggest accomplishment is that we put a really good foundation on top of this great organization to be able to conduct business as business going forward. It wasn't easy. And as I said earlier, the road wasn't always smooth. But we now are positioned to being able to do business with title sponsors existing as well as new. So we made some major moves there.

I think you will begin to see some of the things that the staff, and the board of directors, particularly the Executive Committee. Heather, the out going president of the Executive Committee and member of the board of directors. Heather and the Executive Committee have been terrific this year.

Oh boy, starting to get a little fragmented here. Is that air conditioning on?

One of our goals that I feel very good about is we opened things up in every one of the player meetings. What we've tried to do, this is a member owned association. We want the members to understand more about this business that they own. I talk about them as being our shareholders. So where the money comes from, how it's made, where it goes, what are the priorities, all players, but beginning with the Executive Committee but with the help of the staff we made great progress in that this year. I feel terrific about that.

What do I regret? I regret having to call my mom and dad so many times and say don't open the newspaper today, you're not going to like it. (Laughter). And I'm going to leave it there.

Nice, a little family values touch there.

As you all know, I come from a business background. We do a lot of scenario planning going forward. I'm used to that. We also do a lot of critiquing. After every event that I've been part of in my career, part of the process is to sit down soon after and look back and say, what could you have done differently? If you knew then what you knew now, what would you do differently? And I have yet to participate in anything that was perfect, or anything that I wouldn't have done differently based on the learning that I got going through it. And I put this year under that heading as well.

Based on the learning that I got going through it? Hmmm...looks like someone needs to ask if maybe skipping English 101 wasn't such a hot idea.

Q. Carolyn, I want to ask you, there were issues with the Tournament Owners Association, I know you met with them Monday or Tuesday earlier this week, and there were issues over sanctioning fees. If I look at this right, outside of the four tournaments that you lost, it would appear that everybody renewed, so there must have been some resolution with the sanctioning fees. Can you address the sanctioning fee issue and how that was resolved?

CAROLYN BIVENS: The sanctioning fee was actually resolved back in January, you wouldn't have necessarily known it from the media reports.

I think that was a zinger! 

Q. How fitting is it that the first million dollar paycheck is on Donald Trump's course?CAROLYN BIVENS: It makes it a lot more fun, doesn't it?

Oh it does, especially if one of the inmates at the nearby prison can be heard heckling a player coming down the stretch.

 I don't know if you were out there. We got buzzed by the Donald Trump's airplane. Donald has been terrific for the LPGA. He has been a long time supporter. He is very supportive of women overall, and we're very appreciative of the support that he's given to the LPGA.

Yes he is a supporter of women. Ivana, Marla and...right.

Q. How badly do you want the final putt on 18 to be for a million bucks?

CAROLYN BIVENS: How bad do I want the final putt? I'd love to see a playoff.

You go!

It's Still Not A Playoff, And Will It Ever Be?

On the FedEx Cup change that reduces fields each week, John Hawkins blogs over at GolfDigest.com:

It’s also fair to think the cuts will bring a healthy dose of credibility to a format roundly criticized for not being a “playoff” at all. Without a process of elimination from week to week, the Fed-Ex postseason only seemed to cater to the tour’s rank-and-file for the very reason Love mentioned. Admitting 144 players into the big dance was bad enough—a blatant concession to the middle class. To let 60 or 70 guys stick around for three weeks just because they had nowhere to play, so they could pick up paychecks despite having no shot at the grand prize, clearly defeated the purpose.

Okay, the 144 number was ridiculous and this addresses that to some extent. However, the players will be seeded going in and therefore the eliminations will not be happening from week to week based on poor play, but instead, where you fall on the seeding chart.

The key line on this issue of seeding came from a Jerry Potter story in the USA Today, who quotes Ric Clarson of the tour: 

"We've run hundreds of computer models," Clarson says, "and no player came from lower than 13th seed to win the Cup. If you're not in the top 15 going into the playoff, your chances of winning aren't great."

So with this seeding structure still controlling who gets to the Tour Championship and who wins there, it will (A) be nearly impossible to track who is getting eliminated each week (B) not very interesting because the top players will be secure (C) still not a true playoff.

This all boils down to Tiger and ensuring that and other names make it to the final week. So until they let go of the seeding process that protects the top players in these playoffs, they won't really be playoffs.

Of course, that means the regular season points are useless, and therefore tracking the FedEx Cup as it goes becomes a meaningless exercise.

In other words, the whole thing probably will never work.

But as Steve Elling notes and we (well, I) noted last week here, this week's ADT Championship offers something that the PGA Tour ought to be considering for the Tour Championship. Elling writes of this week's event compared to the Tour's faux playoff:

...we get to witness a true playoff structure.

The LPGA's revamped ADT Championship this week in West Palm Beach is limited to 32 top players who will be culled, collated and killed off as the week progresses. You know, eliminated. Kicked off the island green.

A true playoff. Here's where you can read more about how the ADT is going to work.

LPGA Drug Testing

From AP:

The LPGA Tour will start testing players for drugs in 2008, making it the first major golf tour to announce a drug-testing program.  Specifics of the testing plan have not been developed and will be worked on over the next six to nine months, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said Wednesday.

"While we have no evidence to date that any of our players are using performance-enhancing drugs, we need to have a very clear policy and a program in place," Bivens said. "We want to take a proactive role."

Clayton On Australian Open

You can read his preview here...

0.9...

Doug Ferguson in a column writing off the FedEx Cup before it even starts, slipped this in:

A year ago at the Tour Championship, the rating was 1.9, and that was with Woods in the field (albeit six shots behind Bart Bryant). The rating plunged to a paltry 0.9 this year when Woods skipped for the first time in his career.

It's A Playoff...Sort Of

Wow, maybe Tom Pernice ought to speak out more often. Here's his rant from two weeks ago, and now this from PGATour.com:

Specifically, the fields in the 2007 Playoff events will be reduced from week-to-week as follows:
Barclays Classic -- 144 players
Deutsche Bank Championship -- 120 players
BMW Championship -- 70 players
THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola -- 30 players

The release then included this from the Commissioner, who naturally is delighted to have his public statements from a week ago contradicted.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said, “I’m delighted with this direction, and believe it represents an important improvement in our Playoff structure. I had recently indicated we would not be recommending any changes in our Playoff structure given that we had preliminarily announced the format earlier this year. However, the TOUR and a number of our players had heard from several sponsors and tournaments that going in the direction of a field size reduction was the right thing to do for the success of the FedExCup. The Player Directors and the full Policy Board were in unanimous agreement.

“Not only am I pleased but am impressed that our sponsors and television partners felt strongly enough to communicate their views on making the FedExCup as good as it can be,” Finchem said.

“We are now well positioned to offer PGA TOUR players, along with other important TOUR constituents, a more compelling finish to our season,” Finchem said. “With this step, PGA TOUR players, sponsors and fans can look forward to the inaugural FedExCup Season and the exciting drama of the 2007 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.”

Now keep in mind that this is going to be one confusing playoff, because the season points race along with your play in these events will determine if you move. How on earth anyone will keep track of that is beyond me. But it's a start. 

"It all makes for a truly impacting statement"

Dave Shedloski talks to Dave Pillsbury about the reopening of, of, of, well, that course Pete Dye designed for Deane Beman in some Florida swamp wetland. I don't even know what it's called anymore. So much for the brand.

Anyway, Pillsbury offers several insights into the project and only gets bogged down in Finchemspeak once:

The clubhouse simply adds a dimension of presence and magnificence that was not there before. You can see the new structure from 12 holes. We will now have an iconic golf course with an iconic clubhouse. It all makes for a truly impacting statement.

One other thing. In the story, they refer to it as THE PLAYERS Championship. I thought it was not just going to be The PLAYERS now?  No caps on the The.

SOMEONE please HELP with this BRANDING clarification. I can't sleep.

"Holding onto...the Old Course as tests for elite players out of an obligation to the past is sheer folly."

It's time for another interesting tirade by Bollocks and Garbage Bomb and Gouge who put shopping above even the most sacred traditions. This time a reader wonders at what point the game breaks after sigificant advances render courses obsolete or pocketbooks empty and the Belch and Gulpers joined forces for this gem:

When does the game break? When it refuses to move forward by mindlessly clinging to the past. Amazing how Dr. Naismith let his game advance beyond the peach basket.

The USGA has changed its ball regulations as recently as 2004, and if you read the rule carefully, it may have even been more restrictive. But to your concern over the great venues, I can only offer this:

Myopia Hunt
Newport CC
Garden City
Prestwick
Musselburgh
Chicago GC

Oh but here's where it gets good.

We've had the courage to move past these venues as sites for major championships because for reasons of length, and sometimes more importantly, infrastructure, they stopped being relevant as a site.

Courage? Well, I guess placing consumption over Chicago Golf Club does take courage.

They didn't stop being relevant as significant golf courses. Are their places in history any less secure for not being part of any major championship rota today. No. But holding onto the Winged Foots, the Augusta Nationals and Merions and even the Old Course as tests for elite players out of an obligation to the past is sheer folly. Let's remember that Merion didn't host a U.S. Open until 1934, nearly 40 years after the U.S. Open began. They had the courage to do new and different things back then. Where is the courage to do the same today?

True, it does take courage to move golf's most historic events to lousy new 8,000 yard courses in order to preserve the right to buy a new driver every year. It takes even more courage to put such a thought in print.

"They will say it was a major turning point for us."

Craig Dolch talks to Carolyn Bivens about her eventful year and she offers a few keepers...

"We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and be certain it's not an oncoming train," Bivens said during a phone conversation last week. "A few months ago, we weren't so sure."

Nice metaphor usage, I give it 6 on the Finchem scale. No, make it an 8 for the first show of humility by the Commissioner.

"The way we operated before isn't going to get us where we want to go," Bivens said. "A lot of major, successful companies are finding out their business models are no longer working. The LPGA was in the same situation the PGA Tour was 20 years ago and the NBA was 10 years ago - we have a good slate of stars, and we have a chance to maximize our product and turn it into a business. That's never easy."

Eh, not very fresh, make that a 5.

"Some of the media and our partners tried to make this year about me, but it really wasn't about me," Bivens said. "I hope our partners, supporters and detractors understand we're not being capricious or arrogant or cocky in what we do. What we are is confident.

"I hope when people look back on this year, they will say it was a major turning point for us."

Capricious gives that a 7.

Meanwhile Adam Shupak at Golfweek analyzes the 2007 schedule, which produces this discussion of Bivens' uh, confidence.

 "We agree with what she's trying to do to change the business model of the LPGA," says TOA chairman Jack Benjamin. "It's the tactics that we are concerned about."

 Counters Bivens: "We're trying to operate more as a 2006 business, which means we operate with signed contracts. That's the way title sponsors like to operate. Frankly, that's the way most businesses operate."

"As I look to build my brand"

Craig Dolch writes about Annika's boyfriend taking over her business empire the Annika brand.

For more than a year, Sorenstam has been dating Mike McGee, a golf agent and the son of PGA Tour golfer Jerry McGee. The relationship has grown to the point that McGee on Monday announced his plans to leave International Golf Properties to help handle the business affairs of Sorenstam, who wants to transition from star golfer to corporate executive with her company, ANNIKA.

"I think the timing is right as I look to build my brand," said Sorenstam, 36, who hasn't said much about her personal life since her divorce from David Esch in 2005.

"Mike is a wonderful guy, and I appreciate that he can understand what I go through. He has an upbringing and background in sports, especially golf, so he is able to relate to my life. ... It's great to know he has my best interests at heart."

Sorenstam said she will continue to have International Management Group handle her endorsements, but McGee will work on her businesses. Plans include a golf academy, a foundation, several golf-course design projects, a fitness DVD, clothing and jewelry lines and two tournaments she hosts.

"Annika has so much going on from a business standpoint," said McGee, 32. "Since I'm in the business and she knows how much I care about her, she knows I will work my tail off for her. I understand the business end and what it means to her. That's her office. The time constraints that go with it can be overwhelming for someone who doesn't understand it."

"The whole marketing theme is, 'Play the Stadium before the players do'"

Garry Smits on the TPC Sawgrass  TPC Stadium Course Players Stadium Course  PLAYERS Stadium(C) Course reopening:

The first ceremonial shot will be hit at 7:30 this morning by Truett Ewton, an original member of the TPC at Sawgrass and one of the first to play the Stadium Course when it opened in November 1980.

As of late last week, TPC general manager Billy Dettlaff said only about 10 tee times were available today. The club anticipates that bookings will be higher than normal for this time of year.

"The whole marketing theme is, 'Play the Stadium before the players do,' " Detlaff said, referring to the date change of The Players Championship to May 10-13 next year. "I think a lot of people are going to want to see it before then."

So much for a subtle marketing approach.

This surprised me...

The biggest change above ground will likely be noticed only by the competitors in The Players Championship. The entire course is about 200 yards longer from the back tees (stretching up to 7,200 yards), with the increased distance more pronounced at Nos. 1, 11, 14, 16 and 18.

200? That sounds like a bit more than they had advertised going in. I still haven't noticed any talk of widening out some of the corridors to bring the trees and pine straw more into play.