"This looks like a dandy version of a 401 (k) plan, assuming the PGA Tour doesn’t go belly up and well-heeled folks don’t start hating golf."

Richard Sandomir looks at the FedEx Cup annuity concept and says it benefits the players.

This looks like a dandy version of a 401 (k) plan, assuming the PGA Tour doesn’t go belly up and well-heeled folks don’t start hating golf. And it is just the luck of pro golfers that in the privileged sanctum of the PGA Tour, such a retirement plan is possible and a sponsor like FedEx is financing it. The plan was approved last November by the Tour’s policy board, five months after the particulars of the FedEx Cup were announced.

“This was a decision made in the best interest of the vast majority of the players,” said Ty Votaw, an executive vice president of the PGA Tour. “But we recognize that some players would prefer to be paid upfront.”

He added, “Players were encouraged to speak to their accountants.”

But are accountants necessarily the best judges of what would add drama and interest to the FedEx Cup? 

First FedEx Cup Ratings...

Tod Leonard on the Barclay's television ratings...

Before the FedEx Cup can run with the big guns at the NFL and major league baseball, it's going to first have to crawl better than Little Leaguers.

On both Saturday and Sunday, the Woods-free Barclays on CBS was beaten by the Little League World Series on ABC. The World Series final Sunday between Georgia and Japan drew a 3.5 overnight rating, while the golf got a 2.1. On Saturday, both the International (1.8) and U.S. (2.2) finals bested The Barclays (1.7).

The Barclays did fare better than a tournament of few stars the week before, the Wyndham Championship. The Wyndham drew a 1.0 on Saturday and 1.3 on Sunday.

Greetings From Boston

Posting will be sporadic as I've landed in Boston and will be at the TPC the next few days soaking up playoff fever. WiFi willing I'll be posting some photos and other observations from the media center.

To whet your appetite, TPC Boston's pro Tom Ellis talks about the course changes and other issues surrounding the Deutsche Bank event, while Dave Shedloski previews the week in his Tour Insider column.

And over at Golf Digest a FedEx Cup gang bang broke out while I was flying cross country. Ron Sirak is lukewarm, John Hawkins offers less than encouraging reviews for the Cup and Westchester in his Golf World game story, while Bill Fields is hopeful that the playoffs will get interesting. Of course, he also quotes several prominent players saying that playoffs may have been a poor choice of words. Huh?

No, we like the idea of a playoff. It just has to act like one!

Re-branding The Re-branders

Sounds like a bad horror film, eh? Actually, it's just that wonderful world of advertising.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2007

PGA TOUR Helps Celebrate Ad Agency’s Rebranding

Commissioner Tim Finchem joins GSD&M’s announcement to become GSD&M’s Idea City and outlines new assignment

Fix the FedEx Cup?

AUSTIN, TX – The agency that helped develop the PGA TOUR’s two highest-profile advertising campaigns – These Guys Are Good and A New Era in Golf – has undergone a major re-branding campaign of its own.

In a celebration held today at its Austin headquarters that was attended by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, GSD&M Founder and President Roy Spence unveiled the agency’s new name: GSD&M’s Idea City.

“GSD&M’s Idea City preserves GSD&M’s core values and purpose while stimulating and accelerating progress and innovation in all that we do,” Spence said.  “GSD&M’s Idea City is a destination for visionary ideas that make a difference for our people, our clients, our country and the world.”

GSD&M's Idea City just rolls off the tongue, don't you think? Now I think I'm getting a better understanding of why these branding campaigns are so, uh, incredible.

Commissioner, since you burned up some private jet fuel to be here, would you like to add something?

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to one of the great branding agencies on the rebranding of itself to GSD&M’s Idea City,” Finchem said. “It’s very appropriate. Roy is one of the most creative people I know, and he has built a terrific team
that has done some outstanding work on behalf of the TOUR.”

Finchem indicated the TOUR’s involvement with GSD&M’s Idea City will grow moving forward.

“Not only will we continue our storied relationship but we look forward to expanding our association with GSD&M’s Idea City,” Finchem said.

Storied?

“This includes engaging their strategic expertise on activating, integrating and growing the charitable focus for our three Tours and our tournaments.”

Lots of ing'ing going on down there in Austin.

In addition to the PGA TOUR, the agency has helped create some of the most memorable ad campaigns for leading brands such as AT&T, BMW, NCL and the United States Air Force.

The TOUR and the agency have been partners since 1990. Together, they first introduced the award-winning These Guys Are Good ad campaign in 1997. It remains major pro sports’ longest-running ad campaign.

And they have Casey Martin to thank for it! 

Monday Morning Reviews

Brian Hewitt found drama in the first round of the playoffs, Rick Carpiniello loved the Barclay's but says the playoff excitement wasn't there yet and Gary Van Sickle found plenty of playoff-like drama...on his local NBC affiliate carrying the U.S. Amateur:

So here's the verdict on the FedEx Cup playoffs: The needle hasn't even moved yet. It's still on zero. It's been stuck on zero all year long as the race to the FedEx Cup never materialized, which is not a surprise since 144 players made the field. That's the whole all-exempt top 125 and another 19 bottom-feeders. No excitement there. The fact that Tiger Woods elected to skip the first of four tournaments didn't help either. Woods dropped to fourth in the FedEx Cup standings, by the way. I'm sure he's pretty worried. He really needs that $10 million in a deferred annuity to avoid ending up in a homeless shelter as an old man.

Give CBS credit for trying to paint a picture of the FedEx Cup race and make it exciting with graphics that showed how players' scores were affecting their projected position in the points standings. It just didn't work. And those graphics and assumptions quickly became annoying, especially early on the back nine during Saturday's round, when imagining where any player would finish was wistful, at best. What if Rory Sabbatini misses this putt and finishes fourth in the tournament? Who cares? What if Emma Peel traveled back in time to help the Mohawks fight off a Martian invasion?

"The golf course is D.O.A. Now, we're trying to see what to do with the body."

Thanks to reader Rob for this story of another golf course in danger of being paved over, this time a frequent host to U.S. Open qualifiers and other Georgia Golf Association events.

Walker Cup Captain's Picks

The U.S. Amateur finalist and British Amateur Champion were passed up for younger players...

FOWLER AND STANLEY COMPLETE USA TEAM
FOR WALKER CUP MATCH AT ROYAL COUNTY DOWN IN IRELAND
 
Far Hills, N.J. (Aug. 27) – Rickie Fowler, 18, of Murrieta, Calif., and Kyle Stanley, 19, of Gig Harbor, Wash., have been selected to complete the 10-man squad that will represent the United States of America for the 2007 Walker Cup Match. The Match is scheduled for Sept. 8-9 at Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.  
 
Chosen by the International Team Selection Committee of the United States Golf Association, the squad will face an amateur team representing Great Britain and Ireland.
 
The USGA had earlier announced eight members of the team. They are: Billy Horschel, 20, of Grant, Fla.; Dustin Johnson, 23, of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; and Chris Kirk, 22, of Woodstock, Ga.
 
Also previously named were 2007 U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost, 22, of Dallas, Texas; Trip Kuehne, 35, of Irving, Texas; Jamie Lovemark, 19, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Jonathan Moore, 22, of Vancouver, Wash.; and Webb Simpson, 21, of Raleigh, N.C. All but Kuehne are collegians or recent graduates, who are playing on their first Walker Cup team.
 
The alternates to the team, in rank order, are Michael Thompson, 22, of Tucson, Ariz.; Drew  Weaver, 20, of High Point, N.C., and Alex Prugh, 22, of Spokane, Wash.
 
The Walker Cup Match consists of 16 singles and eight foursomes (alternate shot) matches. The USA reclaimed the Cup with a one-point victory at Chicago (Ill.) Golf Club in 2005. Great Britain and Ireland’s team had won the three previous Matches, in 1999, 2001 and 2003, twice by scores of 15-9 and by 12½ -11½ in 2003. The USA leads the series overall, 32-7-1.
 
Fowler won the 2007 Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, Pa., by one stroke, finishing at 8-under-par 272 for his four rounds. He followed with a win at the 2007 Players Amateur in Bluffton, S.C., where he was 24 under par for 72 holes. He also was a quarterfinalist at the 2006 U.S. Amateur.
 
At the Sunnehanna, he was in the 60s for three of the four rounds. At the Players, his four rounds in the 60s included a 63 and 64.
 
He won the individual title at the 2007 Southern California High School Championship and the 2006 California State High School Championship. He is currently in his first year at Oklahoma State University.
 
Stanley won the 2006 Southern Amateur in Birmingham, Ala., as part of a resume that includes five top-10 finishes in highly regarded amateur events over the past two summers. In winning the Southern Amateur, he posted a 9-under-par total of 275 for 72 holes to win by a single stroke. He reached the second round of match play at the 2007 U.S. Amateur.
 
He was individual runner-up at the 2007 NCAA Championship, where he had a 65 in the third round. He was invited to play in the PGA Tour’s 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
 
Stanley, a sophomore year at Clemson University, will be playing in his first Walker Cup Match.
George “Buddy” Marucci, 55, of Villanova, Pa., who played on the USA Walker Cup teams of 1995 and 1997 and was runner-up to Tiger Woods at the 1995 U.S. Amateur, will serve as team captain.
 
“I couldn’t be more pleased to lead this Walker Cup squad to Ireland,” said Marucci. “It is an honor to be involved with this competition and these fine young men who will represent the USA. I appreciate the commitment on the part of our players who were chosen and those who were considered.”

Anyone who follows amateur golf closely care to weigh in? On paper, it seems odd to pass up the first American to win the British Amateur in ages when you will be playing links golf. 

U.S. Amateur Final Stories

I think outgoing USGA President Walter Driver--exhausted from a week hammering away at his Blackberry while being shuttled around Olympic Club (it's tough to type in that damp air)--really needs to look into a TV career. Did you see how Jimmy Roberts set him up for the winner's on-air trophy presentation, "and now here to present the trophy to Colt Knost, USGA President Walter Driver."

And in that uncanny Hord Hardin way of bungling the television spotlight, Driver then introduced himself. "I'm Walter Driver and I'm president of the USGA."

Slick! I'm telling you, this man was made to be on television. 

Meanwhile they had a wild final match and Beth Murrison sums up Colt Knost's win.

Ken Klavon's "Here's To All The Non-Believers" was not targeted at those astounded that Knost could walk 37 holes at Olympic Club without an oxygen tank, but instead is a look at this late starter's unlikely rise to the top of amateur golf.

Alex Miceli looks at the incredibly gracious runner up, Michael Thompson. And the official site publishes some beautiful photos from John Mummert. I can't wait to see how they look blown up in Golf Jour...oops.

"We're trying to make the course more available to more people."

Thanks to readers John and Scott for this Frank Eltman story on the trend of municipal and public courses mandating cart use.

Nassau County officials argued that Eisenhower Red is so popular that carts are necessary to keep up the pace of play. They contend that anyone who wants to walk can still use the county's two adjacent 18-hole courses at the park named in honor of one of the country's best-known presidential duffers.

Of course, the added income from golfers paying up to $29 each to rent a cart won't hurt the bottom line in a county that only several years ago teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.

"We're not doing it for the money," Deputy County Executive Peter Gerbasi said after the policy went into effect. "We're trying to make the course more available to more people."

I'm assuming he is claiming that either (A) carts will help keep the course in business or (B) carts will speed up play and therefore allow more people to play?

Either way...frightening.

And I thought I was the only one driven to self publishing... 

Dan Zurla, a retiree from Port Orange, Fla., wrote a self-published book, called, "A Civil Right: The Freedom to Walk a Public Golf Course," and has filed lawsuits with little success against the municipalities of Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange, which have mandatory cart policies.

He argues that his constitutional right to liberty has been infringed by policies that prevent him from walking the links. He wrote an opinion piece that appeared in Sports Illustrated last year, supporting the rights of walkers.

"Requiring golf carts changes the basic nature of the game and deprives people of their liberty to choose," he said. "Governments cannot make walking illegal on public land without a good reason."

Steve Stricker's Emotional Win Overshadowed By Steve Allan's Early FedEx Cup Exit

Just remember, they weren't going to eliminate anyone after this first event until Tom Pernice sounded off last year to John Hawkins (I'd link it, but I think it's a goner). The tension it added was palpable, well at least the few times I flipped over from the U.S. Amateur.

Meanwhile, Rich Beem avoided elimination with his fine play, earning a spot in Deutsche Bank and reportedly forcing tournament officials to order an emergency print run of tickets,

Number of Champions Tour Playoff Participants Exceeds Gallery Size

...Denis Watson beats six other geezers in Seattle.

TPC Boston Before/After 4th Hole

This is the one TPC Boston hole that Hanse-Faxon-Wagner reworked most, shortening the 425-yard par-4 by over 100 yards to create a risk-reward, driveable short par-4. The new view facing players is seen in the below "after" photo.

I'll be able to say more about how the options work when I get out there and see it next week.
 

 

TPC Boston Before After 5th Hole

The TPC Boston's 475-yard par-4 5th hole, before and after the Hanse-Faxon-Wagner redo. I'll try to get a better look at that big boosting bank that has been created just to the right of the green to kick shots in. Looks interesting.

 

And after...

 

"Money games seem to have gone the way of the niblick and stymie."

Thanks to reader John for catching Jim McCabe's excellent overview of practice round gambling in pro golf:

"It's different out here. It's way too serious," said Brett Quigley, who isn't against tossing down his own money to back his game, except his colleagues seem to prefer the company of swing coaches, sports psychol ogists, and agents as they walk the fairways in practice rounds. A spirited Nassau? Not enough of his peers seem to go for that sort of thing anymore, "at least, not like when I was watching Dana grow up."

That would be his uncle, Dana Quigley, who at 60 is old enough to remember when money games during practice rounds were standard.

"I'm sure guys would still want to do it, but the fact is, they're all in their private planes, going home between tournaments, so they don't travel together," said Dana Quigley. "It's too bad, but there's no one around to have money games with."

Certainly not like the days when players such as Doug Ford and Bob Goalby were part of the traveling PGA Tour show.

"We had to play the money games," said Ford, a two-time major champion. "We made our money in the practice rounds."

To illustrate his contention, Ford recalled a practice round at the 1957 Masters when a colleague challenged him. Accepting the game and the stakes, Ford pocketed a sum of money that nearly matched what he made later in the week when he captured the coveted green jacket ($8,750).

OK, that pales in comparison to the gaudy sums that Mickelson and Huston took from Daly, but Goalby offers reminders of inflation and perspective.

"You'd probably have to play a $100 Nassau to match the $5 and $10 Nassaus we played for," said Goalby. "The only difference is, we didn't have the sort of money that these fellows do today, so the pressure was probably greater back then, because we couldn't afford to lose what little money we had."

Still, Goalby doesn't begrudge today's players for their treasures.

"They're so much better than we were, it's unbelievable," said the 1968 Masters champ. "They drive the ball better, they putt it better, they practice more."

But Goalby offers a disclaimer.

"But I think we had a better time playing golf in our day," he said. "We definitely had better times in our practice rounds. I'm sure of that."

U.S. Amateur Final Set

I was wrong when I posted that Colt Knost wants to be the next Tom Scherrer. He wants to be the next Chris Patton. Holy guacamole is he, well, uhhh...let's just say I hope they pad that U.S. Walker Cup budget so Buddy Marucci can meet Colt's dietary needs.

Ryan Herrington blogs about Colt's so-called Masters dilemma, and Colt says no matter what there is no chance he's remaining an amateur to the U.S. Open should he win Sunday.

Meanwhile there is this unbylined game story on Saturday's matches, while Dave Shedloski also looks at Knost, Ken Klavon writes about the other finalist Michael Thompson and Alex Miceli posts notes.