Things Are Going Well In Fresno

Avid Reader caught this local news story from Fresno where the PGA Tour is asking for tax dollars to supplement the purse of its new event there. Oh, and it sounds like they don't have a golf course to play yet! But otherwise the October 22-28 brainchild of the Commissioner is shaping up nicely.

Tuesday two council members asked that the city of Fresno pitch in $1.2 million to sponsor it.

The city council says 90 golfers have committed to coming to town for the tournament in October.

Monday night the City of Clovis pledged $24,000 for the tournament.

Council member Larry Westerlund says Fresno could see a $30 million economic impact from the event, a return That would far outweigh the investment.

The council admitted it's been hard to find sponsors since plans for the original location at Running Horse Golf Course began falling apart.

Council members are asking for a special meeting to address the $1.2 million pledge.

"The golf course was built with hospitality in mind"

Damon Hack, quoting Tim Finchem on the Barclay's "playoff" event moving from Westchester to Liberty National in 2009:

“With camera angles, 4,000 feet on the water and the Statue of Liberty very much a part of the landscape, it will look more like New York to the rest of the country when it’s on television. The golf course was built with hospitality in mind, and I think it will be a nice move in 2009.”

I've always said, strategy, greens, angles mean nothign if you don't build with hospitality in mind! And from Bob Cupp, with modesty:

“Players, deep down, love to compete on hard golf courses, and the Tour likes to see 30-mile-an-hour winds,” Cupp said. “The course has places to make birdies and places to make a bunch of ‘others.’ It’s a course that has every shot.”

Oh they're going to love this!

Thanks to reader Michael for this. 

"No one is talking it up"

The USA Today's Jerry Potter files this downer on the lack of interest in the FedEx Cup:

That's the problem PGA Tour executives have identified with the season-long points system that will set up a four-event season-ending playoff with a $10 million first-place prize: Neither the players nor the media are talking it up. No one, in fact, seems to be talking about the FedExCup except PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.

Ken Schanzer, president of NBC Sports, said Tuesday that was to be expected. He has seen this scenario before, notably with Major League Baseball and NASCAR. NBC will televise the final three events of the season, or three of the four events that make up the playoff that ends in mid-September with The Tour Championship in Atlanta.

"All of what we say now is speculation," he says. "We won't know about the Cup's impact until we get through the season, and we may not know then."

Schanzer and NBC were involved when baseball expanded to division playoffs, and they were involved when NASCAR went to the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the model for golf's system.

"I told Bud Selig (baseball's commissioner) and Brian France (NASCAR's president) to get ready for a lot of criticism," he says of the first year of changes in baseball and NASCAR. "I told them at the end of the first year it will either work or it won't work. There's no way to know. All you can know is that it makes a lot of sense."

Hmm...not sure about this baseball analogy.

Those changes have worked for baseball and NASCAR, creating more interest. The PGA Tour is different because it has long been driven by the four major championships. The Masters is past, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship come in June, July and August, respectively.

Ric Clarson, the Tour's senior vice president for brand development, says two big events played in consecutive weeks — the Aug. 2-5 Bridgestone Invitational and Aug. 9-12 PGA Championship — will heighten focus because combined they'll award 15% more points.

"We're positioning them as the 15th and 16th games of the NFL season," he said. "Those games determine who gets in the playoff and who has home-field advantage."

Oh dear Lord.

Last week at The Players Championship, Finchem repeated his refrain that the system is a plus for the Tour, its players, sponsors and tournaments.

"We have to get people engaged in the playoffs," he says.

One positive sign for Finchem came Tuesday.

Oh? Uh, not really...

Corey Pavin said the FedExCup might give a lift to the July 19-22 U.S. Bank Championship, which is played in Milwaukee opposite the British Open. Players who don't qualify for the Open, he suggested, might come to Milwaukee to play for positioning in the FedExCup standings instead of taking the weekend off.

"If they need to play some more, they're going to add more tournaments in to make sure they get up as high on that list as they can get," said Pavin, the defending champ.

Yes, a very positive sign. I take it today was U.S. Bank Media Day? 

Membership Has It's Privileges...

Trophy Club tickets available for AmEx cardholders...I know you all were dying to buy into the Trophy Club. Whatever that is. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS EXCLUSIVE TICKET SALES

FOR 2008 U.S. OPEN^® GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP AT TORREY PINES

New York, NY (May 14, 2007) – Beginning May 15 and only through June 17, American Express ^® Cardmembers will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase daily Trophy Club tickets to the 2008 U.S. Open ^® to be held June 9-15, 2008 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California. Traditionally sold in weekly packages and only available to USGA members or through a random drawing, American Express is providing its Cardmembers with unique access to one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments of the year. Each Trophy Club ticket gains access to the grounds at the Championship course and entry into the exclusive onsite Trophy Club facility. Tickets are available to purchase with the American Express Card or with Membership Rewards^® points. Beginning May 15, information on tickets can be found at www.americanexpress.com/entertainment.

In 2006, American Express became the first-ever corporate partner of the United States Golf Association, demonstrating its commitment to grow awareness of the sport and bring excitement to the game. American Express has been connected to the game of golf for more than 50 years and brings a premium level of customer service and unique benefits and experiences to its Cardmembers who are golf enthusiasts. Additionally, the company has an existing portfolio of contributions to the golf lifestyle, including specially-designed travel packages, equipment and apparel offers through the Membership Rewards program and a dedicated golf magazine.

For Immediate Release, Vol. 3,098

This sounds like a nice tradeout with equipment manufacturers doozy... 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2007

The PGA TOUR Brings You the Science of Golf, Presented by IBM
2-Part CBS Special Shares How Modern Technology Has Impacted the Game of Golf

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – A new two-part special, produced by PGA TOUR Productions in association with CBS Sports, will explore and explain the critical role science plays in the modern game of golf. Science of Golf, Presented by IBM will take you from the high-tech world of building equipment, to the unique teaching methods used by the game’s greatest teachers, to the importance of physical fitness during two one-hour programs.

Produced in High Definition, the Science of Golf, Presented by IBM will air Saturday, May 19^th from 2-3 p.m. and on Sunday, May 27^th from 2-3 p.m. on CBS. Part one of the series, Science of Golf – Power Game will put the full golf swing under the microscope. Utilizing computer animations as well as interviews from TOUR players, golf teachers and fitness instructors, you’ll see how the human body works in unison to complete the golf swing.

Eighty percent of the strokes golfers lose to par are determined by their play within 100 yards of the green. Unlike the power game, the short game has many more intricate components and variables which will cause golfers to fail. Part two of the series, Science of Golf – Short Game will delve into the force of the swing, impact of ball position and getting the ball to stop suddenly. How the body and mind work in unison to perform under pressure as well as the nuances which go into improving your short game will be examined.

“Shot exclusively in High Definition, the Science of Golf two-part series will show how the best players on the PGA TOUR utilize cutting edge technology to elevate their game to the highest level,” said Gil Kerr, Senior Vice President of Broadcasting, Programming & Production for the PGA TOUR. “This has never been done before.

And here's why...

“We went inside the laboratories of virtually every major golf equipment manufacturer,” Kerr continued. “We sat down with the best swing coaches in the game today – including Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Jim McClean, Jim Flick and Dave Pelz – and we have combined this with the best of the PGA TOUR archives and never before seen super slow motion footage to capture how the best players in the game utilize science and technology on and off the course. Anyone who wants to understand how the science of the game can help you add power off the tee, attack the pin or improve your short game, will really enjoy these two specials on CBS.”

A video preview of Science of Golf, Presented by IBM is available at http://www.pgatour.com/tv-times/

Oh yeah, the PGA Tour will take a stand on equipment regulation! 

"They couldn't be friggin' further apart"

Jack Nicklaus is now using friggin' while talking about equipment and the governing bodies, this time to ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski:

Nicklaus said he thinks Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has done "a great job." So I tell him he's been named Golf Czar and can change anything in the sport.

"Equipment," he said. "That would be one thing I would do. I would fix the friggin' equipment."

The problem is this: The difference between what a pro can do with the latest club technology compared to what an amateur can do with it continues to grow wider. Unless golf's two ruling bodies can figure out a way to even things up (a standardized golf ball?), the pros will continue to make courses obsolete and create a bigger disconnect with the amateur players.

"The whole idea of the R&A and the USGA is to try to play the same equipment for the average golfer and the pro, and they couldn't be friggin' further apart," Nicklaus said.

Players Pace Of Play

The only place I've seen any discussion of the Players final round pace of play was on golf.com, where Josh Sanburn noted the tepid final day (and check out what the readers think).

But I heard from a few current players that the four hour pace for twosomes was unfathomable just a few years ago. One even relayed this story to put things in perspective: 

Vijay jumped on me at Colonial in 1996 for playing slow. Par time was 3:30 and it was blowing 25 mph, my two-some finished in 3:18. Twelve minutes under par time. I took some heat from Vijay in the locker room after the round, told him to check with our scorer, then take it up with the rules officials, then make sure your scores on your card are accurate, don't be worring about me.

Should Gore-Tex Sue?

Don't know about you, but I didn't see a whole bunch of tee shots running furiously down the TPC Sawgrass fairways or bouncing high off of Pete Dye's greens thanks to that "layer of Gore-Tex" the PGA Tour spent millions to install.

So, has the definition of "fast and firm" simply changed? Or was it simply a failure?

Either way, I don't think the 2007 Players will be remembered for its fiery golf course.

Might this even be a setback for setback for sand-capping fairways? Is that such a bad thing? Have I asked enough questions?

"Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad."

Thanks to reader John for this nice perspective by the WSJ's Tim Carroll, who weaved his Monday-Augusta lottery luck into a column about the democracy of golf:

My first three rounds of golf in 2007 couldn't be more different. One round was royally high-end, to say the least. Another was at a friend's respectable, but not lavish, home course. The third took place on what some might describe as a cow pasture -- but that might be an insult to cows.

I'll remember all three with affection -- the last maybe even more than the other two. That crystallizes for me something special about golf: It's a great leveler. It doesn't matter where you play or how good you are. Sometimes when you return home to see the parents and eat a Mom-made dinner, it can be just as wonderful as a meal made by a four-star chef; maybe even more so. This sport that some consider elitist can be about as democratic as it gets.

As A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh and an oft-quoted sage in my household, once wrote: "Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad." A bad golfer can better his normal score by just a shot or two and be walking on air. Similarly, while it's a treat to play the name courses, sometimes an afternoon walking with a caddie down a perfectly manicured fairway isn't as fun as a casual evening carrying your own bag at a scruffy muni with your friends.

Phil, Butch, Tiger and Signing Flags

Reader Martin Del Vecchio raises an interesting question on a post below. I agree that it sounds very familiar. Perhaps someone in Wilton will dig up the story in question, or tell us that we are delusional.

This whole thing reminds me of an article I read years ago, back when Tiger was still working with Butch.

Phil visited Butch, and talked to him about working together. Phil sees the flags that Tiger has signed for Butch hanging on the wall, one for each major.

Phil politely declines to work with Butch.

Why can't I find it? I am pretty sure it was in one of the major golf magazines (Golf Digest, Golf Magazine).

Private Jet Travel Tax Increase?

John Hughes and Jonathan Salent report for Bloomberg on a possible Bush Administration-sponsored tax hike on corporate jet travel.

Not only would this have ramifications for the professional golf and courses in remote locations, but think of the burden this might place on USGA presidential jet travel?  Good thing they're cutting those USGA employee benefits!

Newsflash From The City: Golf Channel Viewers 31% More Likely To Be Republican...

The New York Times reports on Scarborough Research.

Not mentioned in the story is the rumored finding that 98% of all Big Break Reunion viewers are more likely to be in need of serious psychiatric care. 

"You are a cute little man, aren't you (laughter)?"

You can't say Phil's press conferences are dull...

 Q. Obviously this is a significant victory for you. Can you talk about how excited you are to be able to take this game and the new swing and all the changes into the majors next month?

PHIL MICKELSON: That's what's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started. This is only week No. 3. I feel like in three months how much am I going to progress? In three years where am I going to be? I've seen an immediate difference in three weeks, and I can't wait for another three weeks to go by and start getting ready for the U.S. Open. And another three or four weeks to go by and get ready for the British. I'm really excited about the direction I'm headed.

Q. Just to follow it up, how much better can you get?

PHIL MICKELSON: You are a cute little man, aren't you (laughter)? I don't know. That's such a good question from a brilliant individual. I don't know (laughter).

I could swear a I heard an "Alan" thrown in after "aren't you?" 

I can't fathom who he could be talking about!

Players Championship Final Round Photo Caption Help, Vol. 2

Courtesy of The Golf Channel, but minus what they're actually thinking. Any mind readers out there?

 

Players Final Round Photo Caption Help

What's the standard bearer thinking? Courtesy of golf.com: