"What sponsor would walk away from a tournament that has produced champions like Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr and Ochoa in the past four years, all the while attracting record crowds?"

In noting the sponsor loss at the seemingly healthy Safeway LPGA event in Phoenix, Bill Huffman says it's time to get "a little bit scared" if you're, say, The Brand Lady.

Four tournaments into the 2008 season and already two of those four events are on the endangered list and need sponsors if they are to return in 2009.

For those keeping track, the Fields Open in Hawaii — the second tournament of the season won by Paula Creamer — reportedly is not only searching for a new title sponsor, it also needs a new course to host the tournament.

Closer to home, the Safeway International announced last week that its title sponsor — America’s third-largest grocery store chain — is bagging it after next week’s tournament at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, which is willing to hang around if a new sponsor can be secured.

The Safeway International had made record-breaking crowds on the LPGA its calling card, much like its big brother, the FBR Open, does on the PGA Tour. Granted, the numbers were dramatically smaller, but 151,000 fans came out last year to watch Lorena Ochoa win the tournament, and that’s about double the average galleries on the LPGA.

What sponsor would walk away from a tournament that has produced champions like Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr and Ochoa in the past four years, all the while attracting record crowds? And what about Superstition Mountain, voted as the “best-conditioned course on the LPGA’’ the past three years by the players?

Speaking of the Safeway, reader Phil noted that the reason for Michelle Wie's latest WD is going to prompt more questions. 

Wie's agent, Jill Smoller of the William Morris Agency, said the Stanford freshman reinjured her left wrist when she accidentally hit a ball that was embedded in thick rough on the driving range at Stanford on March 13. 

Thick rough on the range? 

Robert Hunter On Book TV

CSPAN Book TV Programming note for fans of Robert Hunter, co-architect of Cypress Point and Valley Club and author of The Links:

Speaking Out for America's Poor: A Millionaire Socialist in the Progressive Era
      
Author: Edward Allan Brawley
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, March 22, at 3:00 PM
Sunday, March 23, at 4:45 AM

"The best golfer of all time and the best gallery-puller of all time."

Geoff Ogilvy's post round press conference at Doral is worth a read.

Steve Elling condenses the best lines in this blog post.

"The imagined sounds of Berman on the telecasts - 'K.J. Choi To The World, for par' - have made people tense as a mousetrap."

Phil Mushnick appears to be the first media critic to note that ESPN is not letting Chris Berman get anywhere near Augusta National. I know, I know. What took so long to celebrate?

But wouldn't you love to see something like this in Butler Cabin?

"Are you by any chance a member of the media?"

Got to give Bob Carney credit for posting an entertaining but not particularly flattering letter from a Golf Digest reader.

Palmer To Host 50th Hope Classic; Will Finally Get To See The Classic Club In Person

Oh I'm sure he's been there many times. Probably slaved over the details of each hole. Anyway, the news that will not improve the field unless The King trades Bay Hill exemptions for appearances at the Hope, but which will ensure several hours of bantering with Kelly Tilghman and Nick Faldo: 

ARNOLD PALMER NAMED HOST OF 2009 BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
 
The man who won the event five times will host its 50th anniversary next year
 
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Golf and Palm Springs icon Arnold Palmer will host the 50th anniversary of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, to be played Jan. 19-25, 2009.
 
Palmer has not only played the tournament 42 of its 50 years, he also won five of his 62 PGA TOUR titles there, including his last, and he’s as much a staple of the Coachella Valley as the tournament itself.
 
“We can’t think of a more appropriate person to help us celebrate our 50th year of this wonderful event,” said Bob Hope Chrysler Classic President Dave Erwin. “In addition to his success as a player here, Arnold’s classic style and unmatched connection to his adoring fans helped us reach such an honorable milestone. We feel privileged to have him as our host for this special year and know that Bob would agree.”
 
“It was very special to me when I was asked to serve as the host of next year’s 50th anniversary Bob Hope Chrysler Classic,” said Palmer, who won the inaugural event in 1960. “I enjoyed some of my greatest success in the Hope in the early years and have loved the Palm Springs area ever since I first went there. I consider it a great honor to follow in the footsteps of Bob Hope as host of this wonderful tournament, which has been a mainstay on the PGA Tour for so many years. I thought the world of Bob Hope and spent many priceless hours with him on and off the golf course.”
 
Palmer’s 62 career wins – seven majors – rank him fifth on the all-time wins list, but it was his go-for-broke style and approachable, charismatic personality that made him a fan favorite.

"The Tour, however, has set a normal level at 250."

Rex Hoggard offers an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at Shaun Micheel's issues with drug testing and changes he is making to accomodate the tour's mandated "normal" testosterone level.

When Micheel was originally diagnosed, his testosterone levels were 279. A recent test recorded his testosterone levels at 537, which his doctor, Tour-approved endocrinologist Dr. Adrian Dobs, said was perfect.

According to Dobs, normal testosterone levels range from 300 to 800. The Tour, however, has set a normal level at 250.

“If people are sick, they deserve to get the medications they need,” said Richard Young, the Colorado-based lawyer who helped create the Tour’s anti-doping program. “You don’t get in the door unless you need something. But if a doctor says this is good for you, you don’t necessarily get a (therapeutic-use exemption).”

The first drug testing isn’t scheduled until early July. But make no mistake, the policy’s first exam is already under way.

“Just a habit"

Doug Ferguson answers a question some readers had about Steve Williams's typical move of discarding his caddie bib before the final putt dropped. In the case of Bay Hill, was it because he knew Tiger was going to make the putt, or because Stevie was just being Stevie the hall of fame luggage toter that he is.

According to his caddie, Tiger Woods had about a 1-in-15 chance of making that downhill, 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win at Bay Hill last week.

But upon further review, Steve Williams must have been confident it was going in.

Look at a replay of Woods standing over the putt, and Williams is in the background with his caddie bib already removed. If Woods had missed, there would have been a playoff with Bart Bryant.

This was brought to Williams’ attention Thursday. He thought about it, then smiled.

“Just a habit,” he said.

One can only assume the “habit” was taking off his bib on the 18th green. It had been seven years since Woods was in the final group and made a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win.

Change To No. 7 At Augusta

Thomas Bonk gets this from Adam Scott after a practice round at Augusta National:

"[The] green is significantly different and you can see the difference, and I think they did a nice job of it," Scott said. "It's very subtle. But there's a new [pin] location now on 7."

And Jim Moriarty on GolfDigest.com shares this from Phil Mickelson: 

While Augusta's 17th seemed like an even tighter driving hole than it had been and there was some minor softening of the ledges on the ninth green, the biggest change was the room added to the back of the seventh green. "It changes the hole because now long is OK," says Mickelson. "You can go over the green and get up and down possibly. Whereas before that wasn't really realistic."

This ought to be an interesting change. Taking away the fear of going long is certainly a nice compensation for the added length and narrowness. Though I'm not really sure what was wrong with the old drive and pitch Maxwell hole where the fear of hitting approach shots long made for so many unusual situations. 

"The Masters is always on the second weekend in April and it has been that way for 400,000 years"

The WSJ's Jeffrey Trachtenberg reports a book title bogey (depending on your interpretation).

"I have a little bit of a problem with criticizing somebody when you're on time."

Steve Elling reports on Sean O'Hair's reaction to Johnny Miller's criticism of slow play and in particular, O'Hair's pace at Bay Hill.

"As far as last week, I actually heard that I was criticized a little bit more than Tampa. The thing I don't understand is that we played the front nine in 1:42. We waited on every single shot on the back nine. So when you're watching the telecast, is he sitting there saying that? No.

"I mean, to me what does it matter if I take two practice swings or eight practice swings? I do what I have to do to play well. Obviously what I'm doing right now is right. But I think it's a little unfair to criticize somebody about their routine and talk about how slow they are when basically you're waiting on every single shot.

"We waited for almost ten minutes on the 16th tee, and I took eight practice swings because obviously we were just standing there not doing anything. If I walked up to the 16th tee and the fairway was clear, I might have taken two or three practice swings. You know, he can say what he wants to say. I can't control that. But I have a little bit of a problem with criticizing somebody when you're on time."

So if you are waiting on schedule you can take over a minute and a half to play a shot? That's just not going to fly. Now, maybe once in a while I can understand a 90 second grind if it's an absurdly difficult shot, but just to go through too many practice swings after not being ready when the green cleared?

Penalty shots really do need to be assessed. O'Hair's thinking speaks to the mentality of too many players better than just about any rationalization I can recall.

"And fun, at least to me, is golf played in a natural setting with shots calling on feel more than a scientific approach."

Golfweek.com finally got around to posting Gil Hanse's promised-in-print piece on designing in the technology era.

Hope Classic Puts Dollar Figure On George Lopez's Humiliation and Pro-Am Suffering: $60,000

Wow, guess they didn't think the press was that negative if they only coughed up $60k: 

BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC TO DONATE $60,000 TO THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE NAME OF GEORGE AND ANN LOPEZ
 
Charitable contribution will cover expenses for three Kidney Early Evaluation Program screenings in the Coachella Valley, accommodating 300 participants
 
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic announced it will make a $60,000 donation to the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California in the name of 2007 and 2008 tournament host George Lopez and his wife, Ann – the foundation’s national spokespeople.
 
The contribution, taken from the tournament’s Special Grants Fund, will go towards the foundation’s Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) – designed to screen those at increased risk for kidney disease because of high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of kidney disease – and will fit the bill for three screenings in the Coachella Valley, accommodating 300 participants.
 
Since the inception of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1960, the tournament has donated over $45.5 million to charities throughout the Coachella Valley. In 2007, over $1.6 million was raised for charity, and at least as much charitable contribution is expected for 2008.
 
“Our chief mission is to give back to the community that hosts and supports the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic,” tournament President Dave Erwin said. “We are proud to be in a position to help the National Kidney Foundation with their endeavors. We thought it fitting that this gesture comes from George and Ann Lopez, who serve the National Kidney Foundation, and served our tournament, with such a high regard for excellence.”
 
“I have enjoyed hosting the tournament for the past two years and I am grateful for the Classic’s donation to the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California,” George Lopez added. “Many lives will benefit as a result of their generosity.”

Well, 300 to be exact.

The National Kidney Foundation of Southern California, based in Encino, serves 10 counties from San Diego County to San Luis Obispo County and seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. Most people at risk are unaware of the symptoms or causes of kidney disease.
 
“We’re so grateful for the donation, which will enable us to launch our first three KEEP screenings in the Coachella Valley,” said Linda Small, Executive Director of the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. “There are two million people in Southern California with kidney disease and another two million people at risk. I know this is close to the heart of our spokespeople, George and Ann Lopez.”

In this week's Golf World (not posted), there's a strongly-worded piece by Jaime Diaz explaining that Lopez's departure had more to do with his edgy humor than Arnold Palmer. Diaz sums up the item by recalling the committee's various boondoggles and what the series of missteps means for the seemingly doomed event. 

"Proposed new slogan: These guys are ballers."

From Alan Shipnuck's golf.com Hot List:

5. The Bay Hill parking lot. With so many players making their homes in Orlando, it's a chance to celebrate conspicuous consumption: two Lamborghinis, a Ford GTO, and too many Escalades, AMG'd Mercedes and Motorsports BMWs to count. Plus enough rims and tinted windows to supply a half dozen rap videos. Proposed new slogan: These guys are ballers.

"The testing said it was 25 yards driver and 25 yards ball."

Golf World's E. Michael Johnson talks to players about the last time they used a persimmon driver. Some of the answers are pretty interesting.

Phil Mickelson says he last used persimmon during practice for the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, conducting an experiment of sorts. "It was an old Wood Brothers," said Mickelson. "Callaway did some tests three years ago with a persimmon driver and a ball from the 1990s, comparing it to an HX Tour ball and modern driver. There was a 50-yard difference. The testing said it was 25 yards driver and 25 yards ball. So I tested it, and that turned out to be about right. I couldn't believe how different the launch conditions were -- and that was a driver I used to play with."