"The two parties love to squalk about each other"

The Journal News' Sam Weinman has a good feel for the Westchester CC-PGA Tour situation, and blogs about it and about being slightly scooped by Damon Hack in the New York Times:

I’ve been following the tour’s tenuous relationship with Westchester pretty much since I started writing about golf in the late 90s, and the same fundamentals still apply. The two parties love to squalk about each other—Westchester members lamenting the inconvenience of the event, the tour lamenting Westchester’s high-maintenance membership—and yet they can’t seem to live without each other.

In some ways, this deal is a match made in heaven. Westchester still has the prestige of hosting a PGA Tour event (a FedEx Cup playoff event no less!), but doesn’t have to do it on an annual basis. Meanwhile the tour can try to capitalize on other pockets of the New York market—I haven’t been to Liberty National but I’ve only heard good things—but can also consistently return to a traditional venue that many of its players still revere.

It seems the Tour's strategy is not to get away from Westchester or the Western but to give the playoffs more excitement by injecting fresh venues. I like the idea of placing an emphasis on architecture and varying setups, though I could also see the merits of returning to the same courses each year too in order to build "tradition." Thoughts?

"Tiger will love this--absolutely love it"

From John Hawkins' Golf World Players game story:

"Tiger will love this--absolutely love it," Harmon said of Lefty's success at Sawgrass. "It's going to motivate him to get better, and that will be fun to see."

Stack and Tilt

Which one is Stack and which one is Tilt? Oh wait, that's the method they're teaching. I was thinking of Bored and Grouchy over at GolfDigest.com.

I'm curious what you all think of the hottest teachers in the game, Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett, and their "Stack and Tilt" method that Golf Digest is humping the daylights out of in the June issue.  And Bob Carney followed up in the editor's blog.

It seems (to me) anyway that someone has finally taken what Mac O'Grady has been teaching for years, tweaked it a bit and simplified the message? No?

Players Ratings Up

Good to see the May date was validated...

NBC reported an overnight rating of 3.7 and a 9 share for Sunday's final round, in which Phil Mickelson won his first Players with a closing 69. Mickelson and Sean O'Hair were locked in a battle for the lead until Mickelson took a two-shot lead on the 11th hole, and O'Hair hit two balls in the water at the par-3 17th hole.

The network estimated that the rating equated to more than 4 million households tuned into the telecast at some point during the final round, and more than 8.6 million viewers.

"We're very pleased, especially since there was some unexpected competition from NASCAR, when their race was rained out Saturday. That won't happen every year," said Edward L. Moorhouse, co-chief operating officer of the PGA Tour.

"We also got a big break on the weather, and we had one of our marquee players in a very exciting finish. And some of our other players, such as Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal, playing very well down the stretch. We think all of the changes we made contributed to the high ratings." 

Now Ed, I don't think the Taj Mahal clubhouse added viewers. Then again there were a lot of flatscreens in there tuned to the golf.

"It's been a long time, but it's been a short time at the same time"

Thanks to reader Steve for picking up the highlights of Seve's pre-Champions Tour debut conference call:

I will do my best, but I don't want you guys to have too much expectations from me. Obviously from time to time there will be one great shot here, one great shot there, but nothing that you haven't seen before.
 
It's been a long time. It's been a long time, but it's been a short time at the same time (laughing) because it's unbelievable how quickly the time goes by, you know? They say that it's like you're going to bed -- it's like a dream. Life is like a dream. You go to bed and you wake up with age. I don't know if that's a good translation, but we say that in Spain. Life is a dream. You know, you go to bed and you wake up with age. That's exactly what happened.

In one way it looks like it's been many, many years, and on the other hand it looks like it was yesterday when I joined the TOUR, you know? Time goes by very quickly for everybody. For everybody.
 
Q. You look like you're in the same shape you were when you were winning the British Open and The Masters. What have you done to prepare for this tournament and to get ready to come out here?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: (Laughing) well, thank you for that compliment. I wish you were right (laughter).

And on Sergio...

As you say, his putting is not very consistent. He's very young, you know, and he nearly won the TPC last week. You know, he has plenty of time ahead to win a major. But remember, to win a major, there's only four per year, and it's not easy. In fact, neither have the Europeans; they haven't won a major championship for the last four years. I'm wondering what the hell is going on there (laughter).

You know, we've been beating the Americans quite easily, but when they compete in the majors, they -- I don't know. They can't win. Something is not right there. I don't know what.

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).