Euro Writers Rejoice: McGinley Resigns As Vice Captain, First '08 Ryder Cup Controversy Will Prevent Having To Cover Seve Trophy

From Reuters, and almost assuredly, with excessive follow ups for weeks to come...

Paul McGinley has resigned as Europe's 2008 Ryder Cup vice-captain, team skipper Nick Faldo said on Wednesday.

Faldo denied the Irishman's decision had anything to do with him not being chosen as one of the Britain and Ireland Seve Trophy wildcards by Faldo, who is also the team's skipper this week in Ireland.

"I spoke to Paul last week and he said 'I've got a lot of events coming up'. I can sense the rumblings and then we spoke this morning and he decided to withdraw his position," Faldo told a news conference.

This is fun... 

"He told me he was really concerned about the workload that will be involved as vice-captain, because he wants to play himself into the team for Valhalla.

The workload?

"Good luck to him. The man holed a winning putt on the Ryder Cup and that's the sort of player I want on my team."

Asked if his decision to overlook McGinley for the match against Seve Ballesteros's Europeans might be linked to the Irishman's move, Faldo said: "No, not at all. Playing is his priority. We chatted well together."

There was no fistfight, no name calling. It's all good. Well, almost...

Faldo did admit McGinley had demurred when he asked the Irishman to accompany him this week at the Heritage, where the action gets underway on Thursday.

"When I said to him 'did you want to come?' he said 'No, I'm preparing to play' (in the Dunhill Links Championship).

And...

In a statement, McGinley said: "It was a great honour to be picked by Nick but, after careful consideration, I feel it is in my best interest to concentrate on playing myself into the team.

"I've played the last three matches and I want to play at Valhalla. I want to play for Nick and bring the Cup back to Europe again."

Faldo chose McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal as his vice-captains. Olazabal has indicated that he too wants to play at Valhalla.

"I might be on my own," Faldo joked. "But I've got big enough shoulders."

CEO Musical Chairs

Steve Mona is leaving the GCSAA to run the World Golf Federation and join the growing list of those in line to take on Tim Finchem's massive salary when the Commish finally decides to spend more time with his family. Meanwhile, David Fay will be the first "CEO" to head the World Golf Federation board and all of it makes for great Presidents Cup cocktail party talk.

And so nice to see Peter Dawson sounding like he just got his MBA:

"The World Golf Foundation is providing a platform to establish an open line of communication that is critical to effectuating meaningful change on a global basis," Dawson said. "It is important that the international golf community come together in a strategic manner to address issues that affect us all and the sport we love."

Except that annoying distance issue. 

Charity Is At The Heart Of The PGA Tour: Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony Not Televised!

It's hard to imagine the Golf Channel could pass up on Wednesday's festivities at Royal Montreal in favor of Playing Lessons with Arron Oberholser, but alas, you don't have to set your TiVo's for the big event where Vegas oddsmakers have posted 5-1 odds on a Kenny G cameo, 3-1 on a Celine Dion ear-piercing medley of O Canada and My Heart Will Go On, and 2-1 odds on either one headlining Sunday's Closing Ceremony/site evacuation session.

From The Golf Blogger:

This isn’t to say that even officials of major golf organizations will be welcome everywhere. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be host of a private dinner on Tuesday for the teams, their captains, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, and visiting dignitaries, including PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. Quebec Premier Jean Charest will attend the event.

Wednesday’s entertainment will be rather splashier. The lavish opening ceremony will take place at the Royal Montreal at 4 p.m. The event’s opening gala will occur that evening in the ballroom at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Harper and Charest will be on the stage during the opening ceremony, as will Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay and former U.S. president George Bush.

Ward & Ames, a Houston-based company, has choreographed the opening ceremony for the six previous Presidents Cup tournaments and will do so again. Area boys and girls choirs will sing the U.S. and Canadian anthems.

The national anthems of every country with a player will also be played. That evening, at the gala, called Celebration of Nations, food stations representing the cuisine of the various countries will be set up. This means stations representing the United States, Canada, South Africa, Fiji, Australia, Argentina and South Korea.

"I think it will be great if Mike Weir played Tiger this time. I think that would be a great match."

Shockingly, I did not pour through the Tuesday transcripts from Royal Montreal, but it's become apparent what the scribblers will be focusing on in Wednesday's editions. For a sample, check out The Golf Channel's Ian Hutchinson writing about the potential "dream match" between Tiger Woods and Mike Weir.

It’s a concept that American captain Jack Nicklaus finds intriguing, but needs the cooperation of his International counterpart Gary Player and Weir himself to pull it off.
 
“I think Gary and I will have to talk about it. I think it will be great if Mike Weir played Tiger this time. I think that would be a great match. I think it’s the logical thing to try to do, but Mike might not want to play him,” said Nicklaus.
 
“I have no idea if Gary wants to do that or not and I have no idea if Tiger wants to do that.”

The idea definitely does have its appeal from an entertainment point of view, something both Nicklaus and Player deem important. With 28,000 paid customers per day expected at Royal Montreal, the buzz would be electric, but attention on that one match could be overwhelming.

I don't know about you, but the dream match is Tiger Woods vs. Rory Sabbatini.  Oh, and playing right in front of Phil Mickelson vs. Vijay Singh.

"Golf is the most democratic of games. It should have no national boundaries and nor should it be used as collateral for anti-American, Canadian, European or Argentinian sentiments but that is what those who are new to golf want."

The Principal is mad as hell about all of this exploitation of nationalism at "cup" events and he pens an interesting take on the state of team events.

The President’s Cup is the biggest golfing event ever to be staged in Canada and while the wonderful Canadian Open struggles with scheduling and audience issues, the rah-rah men and politicians will be using this flag waving fest as an opportunity to make snide remarks while increasing political profiles.

Is this what golf has become in the 21st century? A season of three majors, the USPGA and repetitive annual team events that create the opportunity for dummies to shout and scream that your country (or in the case of really sad dummies, your continent) is the best in the world!

Golf is the most democratic of games. It should have no national boundaries and nor should it be used as collateral for anti-American, Canadian, European or Argentinian sentiments but that is what those who are new to golf want. These team games are meant to foster good relations but instead are often hi-jacked by those competing or watching as an opportunity to teach someone a lesson. Has it become so ugly that representing your country or continent or part of the world is more important than what the founders of our great game envisaged? The chance to test oneself and your inner demons, the opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy a beer or two, the gift of travelling the world and meeting other tortured souls who share your love of the game or simply enjoying a few holes on your own on piece of windswept linksland!

"Any golf course where you automatically pull out a driver ... that's a weakness in my book"

Robert Bell takes a peak at Kris Spence's restoration of Donald Ross's Sedgefield Country Club design. You may recall the course has been eyed recently as a new site for the Greensboro event and Bell seems to confirm that progress is being made on that front.

Sedgefield's $3 million renovation, which includes rebuilt greens, tees and fairways, as well as repositioned bunkers, began in November and was expected to be completed by August. But heavy spring rains followed by a hot, dry summer delayed the reopening by about a month.

Monday, three days after the course reopened, members said the wait was worth it. The gorgeous fairways with beautiful rolling contours and the smooth greens have members gushing over one of the area's most impressive golf course renovation projects.

"It's a new course, but it still has a Donald Ross feel to it," said member Mark Speckman, who played the course Monday. "Every shot makes you think, which I think is what Ross would want."

That's certainly what Greensboro golf architect Kris Spence was aiming for when he agreed to refurbish Sedgefield's aging course two years ago. Spence, whose specialty is renovating Ross-designed courses in North Carolina, spent the past 18 months bringing back many of the traits Ross created in 1926.

Greens have been expanded to their original size, allowing for pins to be tucked into corners. Rolling fairways slope from side to side, requiring every tee shot to be one of thought rather than mere brute strength.

And while the renovation was designed with club members in mind, Spence said the course would make a perfect venue for the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, which has been played in recent years at Forest Oaks Country Club.

Sources this week said Wyndham officials have begun discussing a buyout of their long-term contract at Forest Oaks with the intent of moving the tournament to Sedgefield. PGA Tour agronomy officials were at Sedgefield last week to look at the progress of the renovation.

Spence's renovation added another 400 yards to Sedgefield, bringing its length to 7,130 yards. Sedgefield's par is 71 for members. If the Wyndham were to move there, par would be 70, with the 505-yard, par-5 18th hole likely shaved to a par-4.

Sedgefield would be one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour, but Spence, like Ross, is not concerned with length.

"Any golf course where you automatically pull out a driver ... that's a weakness in my book," Spence said. "The twists and turns and the natural topography here make this course very special. I really believe that over time this is going to be one of the top courses in the country."

Presidents Cup Photo Caption Help

Wonder what Phil and Woody are trying to figure out? Courtesy of golf.com:

"It's not going to be set up like a Canadian Open, with deep rough."

Randy Phillips looks at the records of various President's Cup participants at Royal Montreal, and briefly explores the recent renovation. He also drops a very encouraging comment from Mike Weir about the PGA Tour's setup, which sounds much more promising than recent Ryder Cups and mini-majors where excessive rough seems to be a foregone conclusion.

The Blue course has changed since 2001, undergoing a major renovation by renowned course designer Rees Jones. In addition to being lengthened from 6,982 to 7,153 yards (it remains a par 70), the most significant change has been the reversal of the 12th and 13th holes, formerly a par 3 and par 5, respectively. The 12th is now a 570-yard par 5, while the 13th is a 224-yard par 3.

Weir, who is playing in his fourth Presidents Cup, played Royal Montreal a few weeks ago and liked what he saw.

''The driving areas are better now,'' the native of Bright's Grove, Ont., said. ''A few changes on the greens seem to be pretty good. It's not going to be set up like a Canadian Open, with deep rough. They want some scoring. So I think it's going to be a good golf course."

“By partnering with Colin and his brand, we are certain we will achieve that, and give the marketplace something it just hasn’t seen in this country to-date.”

Why satirize when you can just copy and paste...

Montgomerie-designed course taking shape along Central Coast

DA NANG, Viet Nam (25 September 2007) — Course construction is well underway here amid the tropical dunescape of Vietnam’s fastest growing resort destination, where a Colin Montgomerie design will soon stand as the area’s first 18-hole layout.

Located just off famed China Beach and minutes from Da Nang’s international airport, The Montgomerie Links Vietnam has been routed to capitalize on its close proximity to both the warm, tranquil South China Sea and striking Marble Mountains, which are clearly visible from various points on the course.

And where the morning Napalm smells so nice...

All-time European Tour money winner Montgomerie—better known as Monty to his worldwide fan base—has worked with this stunning setting of casuarina pines and scruffy dunes to create what will be a true links experience. The front nine opens for play next summer.

“The land is absolutely spectacular,” said Jeff Puchalski, Vice President of Golf Operations for Danao International Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Indochina Capital, developer of The Montgomerie Links Vietnam. “Hoi An is known for being a UNESCO World Heritage site but what people don’t know is that it has an amazing beachscape, which makes the perfect palette for a links style course. I believe it will give everyone who plays it the feeling of being in Ireland or Scotland—without the cold temperatures you find in the British Isles. It’s got the terrain golf purists dream about.”

It’s also got something very few courses can lay claim to: a pedigree bearing the words “The Montgomerie,” which is verbiage reserved for designs where the site and development partners were personally chosen by Monty himself. Only four other layouts in the world can boast these qualities.

“I am very selective about applying my special design brand,” Montgomerie explained. “Indochina’s The Montgomerie Links Vietnam has a spectacular site and I am proud to be doing my first and only Montgomerie in Vietnam with Indochina Capital.”

My first and only Montgomerie. Talking about ourselves in the third person now. Always a healthy sign.

Indochina Capital is familiar with grandly distinctive projects. In fact, it has already made a splash in the same vicinity, with The Nam Hai, Vietnam’s first super-luxury resort. This collection of 100 freestanding villas on nearby Ha My Beach opened on 1 December 2006 but has rapidly earned a prestigious reputation. Less than a year old, it’s already been recognized by some of the most influential magazines in the world in recent months, including Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.

“The whole idea with the golf course is to provide an experience that is right in line with The Nam Hai,” said Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital. “By partnering with Colin and his brand, we are certain we will achieve that, and give the marketplace something it just hasn’t seen in this country to-date.”

A product of Royal Troon in Scotland—a British Open rotation mainstay—Monty has implemented classic, Old World design elements into the Da Nang course, such as rolling, treeless fairways, thick rough,

Oh yeah, that's classical...sorry...

massive greens and tight chipping areas. Among the holes sure to be memorable are Nos. 7 and 13, a pair of par 4s with some of the deepest bunkers on the course.

How novel!

The only departure from tradition comes in the form of several lakes and streams, a must when considering the region’s seasonably high water table.

True true. And so linksy.

“Players will be amazed and, I believe, impressed with how we have routed this collection of holes through an incredibly natural formation of dunes and seaside vegetation,” said Montgomerie. “This is as close as you can get to true links golf in Vietnam. It will be a treat to experience.”

In addition to the course, the development will include 60 sleek residential units, a stylish clubhouse and a comprehensive driving range/practice facility, which is slated to open by the first of the year.

IMG is providing the design team, and managing course construction. IMG, also Montgomerie’s agent, is best known in Vietnam for its designs at Ocean Dunes, Dalat Palace and the newly-opened Tam Dao, just north of Hanoi.

“Until now, no course has been built in Vietnam outside the orbits of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,” said Ryder. “What golfers are going to find here is a course not to be missed, etched by one of the real legends of the game.”

IMG is a legend of the game?

Two Opens In A Row For England

Take that, Scotland...

ROYAL ST GEORGE’S AND ROYAL LYTHAM & ST ANNES TO HOST THE 2011 AND 2012 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
 
The R&A has named Royal St George’s and Royal Lytham & St Annes as the venues for the 2011 and 2012 Open Championships.
 
Royal St George’s last hosted The Open Championship in 2003, when Ben Curtis, from the United States, won after a final round 69 that was good enough to hold off Thomas Bjorn, who led for most of the final day, and Vijay Singh by 1 stroke.  This will be the fourteenth time that The Open has been staged at Sandwich, the southern-most venue on The Open rota.
 
On the two previous occasions when the Championship was played at Royal St George’s the Champions were Greg Norman in 1993 and Sandy Lyle in 1985, a victory that catalysed the most successful period in European golf.  Indeed, Open Championships at Royal St George’s are steeped in the history of the game with previous winners including J H Taylor, Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton and Bobby Locke.
 
Royal Lytham & St Annes most recently hosted The Open in 2001 when David Duval of the United States shot a closing round of 67 to record a three shot win over Sweden’s Niclas Fasth.
 
That was the tenth time The Open had been played over the testing Lancashire Links since the legendary amateur Bobby Jones won the first there, in 1926.  In the subsequent nine Opens at Lytham, Tony Jacklin, in 1969, remains the only British winner.
 
Over the years, both courses have been used extensively for R&A Championships, with Royal St George’s playing host to The Amateur Championship in 2006 and due to hold the Boys Amateur Championship in 2009, while Royal Lytham & St Annes was the venue for this year’s Amateur Championship in June.
 
Commenting on the announcement, David Hill, Director of Championships for The R&A said:
 
“We are delighted that The Open is returning to Sandwich and Lytham, both outstanding championship courses that have produced a succession of worthy champions.
 
“The Open is a huge undertaking for any club and The R&A would therefore like to thank both clubs for their cooperation, which has enabled the Championship to return to these two fine venues.”
 

Tiger Announces Target Field; Editors and Writers Plot Interview Possibilities

Tiger's event at Sherwood has become a media favorite, but surprisingly not because it brings them close to Rustic Canyon and one of their favorite public golf courses in the land. No, it's because it's the one week the players are jovial, the days are short and the is range incredibly close to the media room. In other words, it's an ideal opportunity for the monthlies to stock up on inanities for the upcoming year, so send out East Coast types already bitter about the onset of winter who will gladly ask Padraig Harrington about his favorite soccer football futbol team and grill Luke Donald about what he loves most about America.

Otherwise, no one else should really care who is playing. But in case you are wondering, Mark Lamport-Stokes breaks down the field.

"So why, oh, why, did I start now?"

Thanks to reader Lara for passing along Emily Yoffe's entertaining Slate.com piece on taking up golf. Usually these types of essays aren't particularly original, by Yoffe brings a fresh perspective to the table.

During my brief immersion in the world of golf, I determined that gloom is an essential golf component, as befitting a game that started on the moody moors of Scotland. When tennis players get thoroughly beaten, they come off the court sweaty and smiling. Their endorphins have shot up, and they look cute in their outfits. Even skiers being carried off the slope on a stretcher seem bizarrely thrilled about the elemental encounter between body and mountain. But golf induces despair. Take the observations in the book The Bluffer's Guide to Golf, by Peter Gammond, "The golfer [is] a miserable wretch at the best of times." "A golf match is designed to make as many people as possible unhappy." There are very few golf jokes, he writes, that do not mention "death and destruction."

Knost Chooses Q-School First Stage Over Masters, Wouldn't You?

Rex Hoggard has the details and repeated use of a quote nicely crafted by his handlers.

“Foregoing my invitations to their championships was a very hard decision. But I feel like now is the time to begin my professional career,” said Knost, who ends his amateur carrer [sp] No. 1 in the Golfweek/Titleist Amateur Rankings.

“I hope to play in many of their championships in the years to come.”

I guess it would have been tacky if he said toon-a-mint. 

Update on 2007-09-25 03:23 by Geoff

Reader Brian notes that Colt Knost could have remained an amateur all through Q-school, and on the off chance he didn't qualify, could have retained his amateur status through the Masters.

Tiger Already Easing Sam Into The Family Design Business

Jeese, even Jackie didn't get started this young.

From today' press conference to plug the Target World Challenge:

Q.  A question for both of your tournaments.  We had news last week about '09.  I wondered if you're getting closer to maybe anchoring your tournament to Congressional.  The other thought is, with two golf tournaments to play, and a golf course design business developing, how are you going to juggle all those things with time?

TIGER WOODS:  Well, as far as Congressional, we're still working on that.  We'll have a better idea for you probably towards the end of the year and early next year, what we're going to do.

As far as the two tournaments, then juggling the golf course design business, I think the golf course design part of it is something I'm really looking forward to, I'm really excited about.  It's been a lot of fun and eye‑opening to be involved in that.  Something I've always wanted to do.

As far as the time commitments, that's something that I've been trying to work.  Obviously some things are going to have to probably go away to make time for that.  My most important thing right now is my family, being around Sam as much as I possibly can.  The golf course design stuff, the reason why I like it so much, is I can hop in, hop back, still be at home.  A lot of stuff that we do, I can actually take her to these sites, walk the golf course with me, walk properties.  I think that's been a lot of fun for all of us.

Poor thing, having to stomp through the Dubai desert before her first birthday! 

Apathy Builds On Eve Of Presidents Cup

You can just sense the underwhelmed enthusiam in the various Presidents Cup preview pieces.

Lorne Rubenstein offers the Canadian perspective while Doug Ferguson previews the Cup by considering its recent history.

golf.com's Michael Walker says the world isn't watching and offers this interesting comment from Rubenstein about the future of the matches:

"The one problem I could see is if Tiger or Mickelson decided not to play," Rubenstein said. "They'll play as long as Nicklaus is captain because they're not going to snub Nicklaus. But if there's a new captain and Tiger decides not to play, then I think the Presidents Cup would have a real problem."

Gary Van Sickle says "few serious international golf competitions have received less buildup than this week's Presidents Cup, to be played in Montreal," then rants about the FedEx Cup ad saturation.
 

But as he notes in his entertaining look at the teams and possible scenarios, it may all be worth it if we can get this on Sunday...

1. Tiger Woods vs. Rory Sabbatini: The mouth of the south against the king of the hill.

If the Captain's have any heart at all, they will give us the pleasure of watching these lovebirds in singles play.