Wie Allowed To Finish Round Before Being DQ'd

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This just looks awful for the LPGA more than Michelle Wie or the Rules of Golf.

How do not have an official from the Tour doing scorecards and preventing this?

Sue Witters, the LPGA's director of tournament competitions, disqualified Wie in a small office in an LPGA trailer at the golf course after asking her what had happened.

"She was like a little kid after you tell them there's no Santa Claus," Witters said.

Wie said that after she finished her round on Friday, she left the tent where players sign their scorecards and was chased down by some of the tournament volunteers working in the tent who pointed out she hadn't signed.

Wie returned to the tent and signed the card.

"I thought it would be OK," she said.

But Wie, according to Witters, had already walked outside the roped-off area around the tent. At that point, the mistake was final.
Are you kidding me? No...

According to the LPGA statement, LPGA rules dictate that the scoring area is the roped area defining the boundary of the scoring tent.

The area may also be marked by a white line, which has the effect of decreasing the size of the scoring area. At the State Farm Classic, the white line wasn't deemed necessary and as a result, the scoring area was the tent.

Witters said she and other tour officials didn't learn about the error from volunteers until well after Wie teed off Saturday. They let her finish the round, then took her to the office where she and her caddy, Tim Vickers, were informed of the ruling.

Wie, who is playing a part-time schedule while attending Stanford, opened with a 5-under 67 and followed with rounds of 65 and 67 -- though the last two won't count.

Open Championship Clippings, Saturday Edition

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openlogo.jpgThere's a story book feel about this one, so why not go to the tabloids for our top game story? Dave Armitage of the Daily Star sums up the wild possibilities unfolding at Birkdale and like any good rag reporter, focuses on the Norman-Evert pairing.

And speaking of tabloid fodder, check out ESPN.com's photo gallery. Image one is Chrissy greeting Greg at 18 and you can get a nice look at the rock on her left hand. It looks heavier than the Claret Jug.

Lawrence Donegan noted that after the round, Norman sounded "like a love-struck teenager" and can you blame him after hearing this comment to television:

“It’s hard to find her (in the crowd), everybody either wears black raingear or navy raingear.  She’s a competitor, she really feels every shot, she plays every shot with me and she walks every shot.  I think she’s blended in well.  I think she’s accepted that this is different grass, it’s not Wimbledon grass underneath (her feet), it’s British Open grass and it’s an adjustment for her and she’s handled it very, very well.”

53125_1.jpgNeil Squires talks to Norman caddy and grizzled vet of looping lore Linn Strickler.

Strickler, having seen all of Norman’s 140 shots so far, including the delicious curving putt from off the green at the last which secured another level-par 70 and brought the house down, had only one explanation.

“I caddied for him a couple of times in the Eighties and nothing seems to have changed. He has still got it. This is HG Wells,” said Strickler.

Steve Elling on Norman:

Which might, or might not, include being on parade before the world golf press for the first time in a while. Norman brought down the house when he was jokingly asked whether he was trying to make up ground on Evert, who collected 16 more major championships in women's tennis than he has in golf.

Friday felt like old times in so many ways, Norman had to laugh. He was even asked if, given his admittedly low expectations entering the tournament, if he had made "alternate plans" for the weekend, since few in the media fancied his chances of surviving the cut.
"Boy, I missed you guys," he cracked.

Bob Harig cuts through all the Greg and Chrissy talk and asks the tough questions.

Can he really pull this off?

Conventional wisdom and a dose of common sense suggest the task is impossible. Debating England's aversion to ice might make for a better discussion than the ridiculous notion of Norman's contending again.

The man has more scar tissue in major championships than any player, dead or alive, with playoff losses in each of the four Grand Slam events being just the beginning. But here he is, after a second straight 70 at Royal Birkdale, a shot out of the lead at the Open Championship through 36 holes.

At age 53.

Nine years removed from the last time he threatened at a major championship.

Eleven years after his last PGA Tour victory.

I'd say that's a big no.

Tim Rosaforte writes of Greg and Camillo's bond, one of Greg's many mentoring relationships with young players.

36-hole leader K.J. Choi is going to be patient, reports Mark-Lamport Stokes. Meanwhile, punters beware, John Hopkins says put your money on Choi. And speaking of patient and flying under the radar, David Dusek profiles Jim Furyk quietly lurking at +2 despite 66 putts over the first two rounds.

Golfweek's Jeff Babineau looks at Rocco:

He is enjoying the sudden rocket boost in his career thanks to the timely work of two people: Instructor Jimmy Ballard, a master of bad backs and the golf swing, and physio Cindi Hilfman, who is a master of the body and has been pivotal in helping him with his ailing back. Any time Mediate feels healthy and gets to a place where par carries great value, like at Birkdale, where winds have gusted past 25 mph the last two days and could reach gale-force levels on Saturday, he likes his chances. Certainly his mind is in a good, comfortable place.

Even if looking back at Torrey Pines leaves him a tad dizzy.

“I still don’t even know what the hell happened,” he said. “I haven’t sat down and thought about it yet. I can’t believe that that was me who was the other guy. I really can’t believe it. Hard to believe. It was the coolest moment. I’d like to have another one of those soon.”

Jaime Diaz offers an interesting analysis of Phil Mickelson's struggle to put together four great rounds on a links but doesn't seem to rule him out as a possible contender this weekend, particularly if he gets a break with the weather Saturday.

James Corrigan looks at Camillo Villegas and his inability to return to his homeland.

Villegas was understandably guarded when, in the wake of the 65 that hauled him high up the leaderboard, he was asked about his homeland's troubles. "I love my country," he repeated several times, before saying: "I miss my home." The truth is, Villegas has not been back to Medellin, a city renowned for the activities of a certain Pablo Escobar, anywhere near as often as he would like. And one of the reasons for his absence seems a million miles from this genteel setting on England's north-west coast.

The better the 26-year-old becomes known, the greater the danger of his being kidnapped. It is a simple equation that most prominent Latin American sportsmen must come to recognise. So Villegas, a flamboyant figure who has put golf on the front pages in Colombia, has had to cancel trips home. "Because things have changed a lot," he said earlier this year. "There has been a lot of commotion and reaction. Newspapers and the internet make it available for people to see how much money I make. It's not the most secure place. I'm just hoping people value what I do and that I'm trying to do the best for my country."

John Huggan on amateur Chris Wood's amazing finish on 18.

Mike O'Malley encapsulates day 2 player "observations."

Steve Elling on David Duval, the first man to ever have a child.

Could be because his world ranking has fallen to No. 1,087. For those looking for a little perspective on that figure, it's never a good sign when there's a comma in your ranking.

For the past five years, Duval has been piecing his game back together as his family life has taken shape. He's now married with five kids, including two young children of his own. He's flattered, but slightly confused, that everybody keeps asking about the latter. But for a guy who always seemed a bit of a lonely figure, it's nice to hear that he has found roots and stability.

"The difficulty now lies in actually leaving and going and playing. You know, I've become a very good country club golfer, and I enjoy carts and 2½-hour rounds and going back home."

Bill Fields declares winners and losers from Friday

Michael Bamberger on Tom Watson grinding to make the cut (he didn't):

Watson would never say this, but the pace of his playing partners, Justin Rose and Aaron Baddeley, nice and respectful men though they are, had to be tormenting to him. Badds spends more time over the line of his missed putts than Watson would need to read and make three putts. He did say he thought they play better when they play faster.

Doug Ferguson's notes include a John Daly wrap-up, Jack Nicklaus supporting the Olympic movement and the tragic passing of Fran Pruitt, wife of Dillard Pruitt and sister in law of Scott Verplank.

sgnick119.jpgMartin Johnson on Jack's brief RBS related appearance at Birkdale.

He hardly plays now, as social golf was never likely to be high on his agenda, and clearing the hips on the downswing is a little trickier when one is artificial. Hard though it is to believe, though, he remains - at 68 - the only serious rival to Tiger Woods.

Nicklaus was forever involved in duels, firstly with Arnold Palmer, then Gary Player, then Lee Trevino, and, perhaps most of all, with Tom Watson. Woods, though, is duelling with no one but himself, and without any serious contenders for his No 1 ranking, his sole motivation remains Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships.

"I suppose you could say that Tiger's main rivalry is me and my record," he said. "That's his motivation, and he's so strong he doesn't really need anything else. But it would be so good for the game if he had one or two guys coming along to really push him."

So is Nicklaus at all happy that Woods, who has 14 majors, will make no further inroads towards Jack's tally this year? Apparently not. "I would never be pleased to see Tiger not go after my record because of health issues. I even gave him the name of a real top hip specialist who worked with me many years ago, because his knee problems are related to his right hip, though whether he ever called him up I don't know."

Nicklaus' main business now is course design, and he raised an eyebrow not only when I told him that John Daly was constructing one in Missouri - "Daly's designing a golf course?" - but that it would be well over 8,000 yards in length. The great man could barely suppress a snort.

"Heck, Birkdale has had eight previous Opens, but for this one they've had to change 16 of the holes simply because technology was making it obsolete. Specifically the golf ball. Between 1935 and 1995 the ball advanced maybe 15 yards. Since then you can add on another 50 to 60 yards.

''This is why I'm sad when I see what's happened at St Andrews. How can you take one of the world's great courses, change it by building half a dozen new tees, and call it an improvement?"

Jack's not sucking up to the R&A!

Finally, Mike Aitken profiles Peter Alliss and wisely let's him talk...

"It's different now," he replied. "Of course, it's very easy to say things are either so much better now or worse. I try and equate it with other things – motor racing or film making or athletics. Jesse Owens was once the fastest thing on two legs and now your granny could run as fast. Perhaps we shouldn't try and compare, because everything is so different – the equipment, the courses and so on. It's only in fairly recent times they've put rakes in the bunkers. Once, you scraped the sand over with your foot.

"The conditioning of the links has added something to the championship, but also taken something away. The players today require everything to be nearly perfect. If they land a ball in the bunker and it's plugged, they want to know why. Whereas Peter (Thomson], who could be very whimsical, would say, 'They're called hazards, and you're supposed to stay out of them. If you go in one, it's supposed to cost you, unless you play a very good recovery shot."

Allis didn't replace Henry Longhurst as the BBC's main golf commentator until 1978. But he was behind the microphone on a part-time basis when Palmer won in 1961. He also played that summer and racked up another ninth place finish.

"Birkdale is one of my favourites (on the rota]," he said. "It's flat and not that hard work for the players or caddies. It's also a reasonable walk for the spectators and a good viewing course. Because of its position in the country, it's an easy place to get to and the crowds are big. If they come on the railway, people don't even need a car.

"There is an underground water system which has ensured that seven or eight holes, no matter how dry the summer, the fairways are green. Birkdale has never really been a hard, bouncy, fiery course, like Hoylake. That was a good exercise (to go back] there, though I'm not sure we saw it at its best. It would have been nice to have a little bit of green. But then you marvel at the way Tiger Woods appraised the situation. There's no rule which says you have to use driver off the tee.


"Hard to keep track. Too many Kims and Parks."

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As K.J. Choi moves to the top of the Open Championship leaderboard, I have to post an item I missed while traveling. It's from Doug Ferguson's July 8 notebook that followed the U.S. Women's Open win by Inbee Park.

Se Ri Pak inspired a nation of golfers from South Korea when she won the U.S. Women's Open in 1998, with players such as Inbee Park and Birdie Kim among many who consider her their role model.

But what about the men?

K.J. Choi, whose seven victories make him the most prolific Asian winner on the PGA Tour, was asked if he recalled Pak winning in 1998. Choi said he was living in Seoul and watched Pak's playoff victory on television.

Asked if he paid close attention to the LPGA, however, Choi wore a look of confusion.

"Hard to keep track," he said. "Too many Kims and Parks."

The LPGA has 10 members with the last name Kim, and six with the last name Park. He didn't bother mentioning the six Lees.

"Treat it as a par-5. I don’t see it as an issue."

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I understand that the R&A headman and part-time golf architect will be busy Saturday with the intense storm that Kevin Eason predicts should be epic, but something is just a bit off in his rather haughty defense of the long tee shot carries and unreachable par-4s. 

You may recall that the morning players Thursday noted (well, loudly complained) about the unreachable nature and tough carries on three par-4s. Now, in his defense, I can understand and even agree with Peter Dawson's response, covered here by Steve Elling:

Others specifically singled out par-4 hole Nos. 6, 11 and 16, which were playing into the wind. As for the sixth, Dawson shrugged.

"Six is 499 into the wind," he said. "It was a par-5 today, clearly. Treat it as a par-5. I don’t see it as an issue."

And he later said...

"There's nothing wrong with the course," he said.

Here's the twist. The extremes only work one way for Dawson and the R&A, who are clearly obsessed with scoring.

He says treat the sixth hole as a par-5 when it's playing into an extreme wind. Fine, he's right.

But why can't things swing the other way and be chalked up to seaside golf?

Why can't a par-5 play "easy" downwind just be treated as a par-4 by the R&A? After all, the 17th was determined to need "stiffening" and a new green constructed expressly for this championship because it played like a par-4 last time around.

What was wrong with the old one? Why it yielded too many birdies!

So an excess of bogies and double bogies appears to be fine with the R&A. But an excess of birdies or eagles? Fire up the dozers!

Friday Open Championship Clippings

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openlogo.jpgA lively opening round with so many (retro) storylines means the scribes turned in some great writing and reporting. Here we go...

Lawrence Donegan's lede says it all:

Golf was never meant to be fair but sometimes the game takes liberties with the fragile souls of those who would seek to write their name in history. Yesterday's opening round of the 2008 Open championship was one such occasion, a day which began with players battling to make par as wind and rain swept across the Royal Birkdale links and ended with a pair of in-form - and lucky - players at the top of the leaderboard.

James Corrigan reminds us that there was another guy shooting 69 besides Rocco:

For the second time in three years Graeme McDowell held the clubhouse lead in the first round of the Open Championship yesterday; yet this time around the Ulsterman appears so much more likely to retain this coveted position. Last week's Scottish Open victor is in the form of his golfing life and playing in the conditions that formulated his golfing life. McDowell is clearly partial to a bit of wind. Almost as partial as Royal Birkdale.

Martin Johnson earns special marks for following Monty around and then filing this epic lede:

Only two things qualified yesterday for the description of wild, large, Scottish and dripping wet - The Loch Ness Monster, and Colin Montgomerie. Actually, it's sometimes difficult to tell them apart, and if they ever acquire the technology to brighten up those fuzzy photographs, the mysterious denizen of the deep might turn out to be nothing more than Monty taking an afternoon dip.

Oh, this was fun too:

When Montgomerie leaves the scene of a double bogey, anxious parents wrap protective arms around their children and remove them to the kind of distance required of police by pedestrians when they've cordoned off an area suspected of containing an explosive package. And yet here he was, rattling up an ugly six with just the hint of a shoulder shrug, and whistling, at least metaphorically, que sera sera.

There were, of course, some Monty moments, the best of which came at the par three eighth, when his duffed tee shot buried itself into a ghastly lie short and right of the green. Up until then it had been a little odd watching him playing in a sun visor, but at this point Monty removed it. Not because he had finally realised that it was not exactly the Costa del Sol out there, but because it was required to deliver a savage thrashing to his golf bag.

17brit.2.600.jpgLarry Dorman focuses his game story on Rocco Mediate's stellar opening round.

And Steve Elling notes that as great a story as Greg Norman's 70 was, U.S. Open hero Rocco is even bigger.

Speaking of the Shark, Paul Kelso features Norman talking at length about this state of mind and Chrissy's influence along with her meteorological prowess.

John Garrity writes about Rocco's back troubles.

His body is so creaky that a full-time therapist has to follow him around, picking up any pieces of cartilage and bone that fall off. Today, after 11 holes, Rocco had to stretch out on a patch of marron grass behind the eleventh green while the therapist — her name is Cindy Hilfman — helped him snap his sacroiliac back into place.

"Just normal stuff," Rocco says from the platform, making light of a procedure that produces a cracking noise you can hear from across the fairway. "It just keeps it loose."

Tim Rosaforte reports that Rocco spent last week in Los Angeles watching a TiVo'd recording of the U.S. Open.

sport-mcdowell_370712a.jpgPaul Mahoney on Graeme McDowell staying hot and opening with a 69:

"There's no doubt that the links short game is so different to what most people are used to," he noted. "Especially for the Americans. You can be chipping with lob wedges or hybrids or even 3-woods. The wind made a three-club difference, but I am pretty good at understanding the gusts. At the par three fourth in practice yesterday I aimed a 4-iron 20 yards left trying to hit a hard pull hook into a 30 miles-per-hour gusting crosswind. I thought, Wow, this course is tough."

Mike O'Malley compiles the best of player comments on the morning conditions and setup.

Kevin Eason reports that more such quotes could be coming with an ominous weather forecast for Friday and Saturday.

In writing about Lee Westwood, Tim Glover shares one of the wilder weather-related incidents:

The sixth is an intimidating par four a few feet shy of 500 yards, although in the conditions most of the fours were playing like fives. His second shot landed on a bank near the green and, from an awkward stance, he almost lost his footing as he dunked the ball into a bunker. From the sand he came out to within 18 feet of the flag. Westwood marked it, cleaned it, replaced it and had walked to the other side of the green to study the line of his putt. What happened next?

A gust of wind blew his ball off the green and down a slope. Enter rule 20-3d: If a ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies. Given the unreliability of his putting yesterday, the freak event might actually have done him a favour.

Having faced a putt to salvage a bogey five, Westwood now faced a tricky chip and, lo and behold, the ball disappeared into the cup. "That was a very big moment," he said later. "That's the first time I've faced a putt that turned out to be a 30-yard chip."

John Huggan says Thursday was another example of Tiger-proofing proving disastrous for the game, especially when Mother Nature does her thing.

Clair Middleton offers this note on the setup:

If you enjoy a rant, have a listen to Andrew Coltart on Radio Five. Soaked through and working as a commentator after failing to qualify as a player, he was asked about the course. The former Ryder Cup player promptly let rip. "A 490-yard par four that you can't reach in two, what's that about? When athletes start running the 100 metres too quickly, they don't suddenly make it 102 metres."

Bob Verdi looks at David Duval and his open 73 and as usual, gets an odd quote from Duval:

Duval's vision of the big picture, though, is hampered by lack of opportunities to perform. To play well again, he must play often.

"I'd like to play more than once in the next eight weeks," he said, "but all I've got on my schedule is Greensboro (Wyndham Championship in mid-August.) I could play Reno (two weeks prior) but that's my daughter's (Sienna) first birthday."

justinrosediary_pa__370599a.jpgKevin Eason covers Justin Rose and Tom Watson, who played together and carded matching 74s.

Rose said: “I asked him if he had played these conditions before and he said, ‘Yes, at Muirfield in 1980' - and he shot a 68 there. I couldn't believe it. He is awesome. I can see exactly how he won the Open Championship. The way he reads the wind, the ball flight - it's incredible. There was a lot to take from his game to add to mine for the future.”

Rose also writes about the round in his online Times diary where he takes us through his day.

Mike Aitken's Scotsman game story highlighted Sandy Lyle's early WD while John Huggan in the Guardian says the ramifications of Lyle quitting will be huge.

Among Lyle's various adventures were leaving a ball in a bunker at the short 7th then having to play out backwards, seeing his approach shot to the 8th ricochet off the ball of his playing partner, Graeme Storm, and finish 30 yards off the green in deep rough, and making a final-straw triple bogey at the 414-yard 9th.

"There will be other times in the future," he said. "I'll survive." But, perhaps more pertinently, will his reputation?

A letter writer to the Herald is even more blunt: "Sandy has wasted a tee-off time that any number of up-and-coming youngsters would have killed for. One can now scratch his name off the Ryder Cup captains list."

Even worse for Lyle, The Times ran this headline: "Sandy Lyle's captaincy ambitions disappear after he quits." Then again, they declared the 2014 job Monty's last week, so they clearly know things we don't.

Cameron Morfit on Tom Lehman and his opening round 74:

The beauty of a tournament like the Open, a melting pot of golfing excellence, is the vast contrasts — of nationalities, body types, playing styles and, as the example of Lehman's group so colorfully illustrated, ages.

"I still play on Tour, and over in Europe, so I know most of these guys," said Lehman, who shot a four-over 74, five shots off the lead. "Here's what I know about the young guys: If you call them they'll never answer their phone, and they'll never call you back. If you text-message them, they'll answer in 20 seconds."

Mike Aitken files a note on Mark Calcaveccia's wife WD'ing from caddying in round one, sending Calc on a mad dash to find a last minute looper, who turned out to never have walked the course.

Wrapping up with the odds and ends, Jason Sobel at ESPN.com and Bill Fields at GolfDigest.com do the winners/losers up/down thing

Eamon Lynch files an anecdote about Anthony Wall's nickname. His mother had better not read this one.

The live blogging duo of Shipnuck and Van Sickle will be at it again from their respective home towns. I'm not sure what's more amazing, that Shipnuck is going to get up at 4 a.m. to do it, or that two of SI's top writers are not at Royal Birkdale.

Doug Ferguson offers notes on Jerry Kelly's complaints, a reminder that all 19 rounds in the 80s came in the morning and this from Lucas Glover:

"You know you're at the British Open when you come inside to change rain suits," he said.

And finally, summing up the brutality of the morning weather, Cameron Morfit notes that the first 15 groups averaged 77.34.

"Par at 70 is slightly ridiculous but that is the modern trend, knock a couple strokes off so nobody makes our course look foolish. And nobody has." **

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Ah, I like sleeping in and leaving the live blogging to Van Sickle and Shipnuck. Here I was about to transcribe Peter Alliss' little rant about par-70s and they already have it up...

11:15: TNT is pretty much proving that eight hours of golf coverage is way too much. Paul Azinger provided some spark, and so did venerable Peter Alliss when he signed on after 11. Azinger and Alliss make a difference because they actually have things to say. Allis came on the air and immediately said, "Par at 70 is slightly ridiculous but that is the modern trend, knock a couple strokes off so nobody makes our course look foolish. And nobody has." Alliss is a gem. 

"I couldn't reach four fairways. You have to use common sense and they didn't. They put themselves in the league of the USGA at Shinnecock."

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Steve Elling on the early massacre at Birkdale:
Despite assurances that the weather would be taken into account during the setup, the tees on several key holes playing into the wind weren't adjusted, causing as many complaints as bogeys. Specifically, players said that the par-4 Nos. 6, 11 and 16 were not reachable in regulation, even with 3-wood approach shots.

It used to be that the U.S. Golf Association was reputed as the most sadistic organization in golf, though their reputation has softened in the past couple of years. Not to worry, because the Royal & Ancient rushed to the fore to fill the Draconian, dunderheaded void.

American veteran Jerry Kelly called it the biggest gaffe he'd seen at a major, including the controversial 2005 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where play had to be suspended after a green became sun-scorched and unplayable.

"Worst course setup I've ever seen," said Kelly after finishing with an 83. "I couldn't reach four fairways. You have to use common sense and they didn't. They put themselves in the league of the USGA at Shinnecock."

Hey, is there an echo in the room?

"If it had been run by the European Tour, the tees would have been pushed forward a little bit," said overseas veteran Graeme Storm, who shot 76. "It's hard enough to hit the fairway, much less reach them."

"Tiger's drives were worse than Phil's, yet finished in better spots."

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James Corrigan talks to Dave Pelz about Phil Mickelson's performance at Torrey Pines and the short game guru offers an interesting theory on the difference between Phil and Tiger's, uh, luck.
"I give Tiger all the credit in the world but I'm a stats guy," Pelz said at the opening of one of his renowned short-game schools at Killeen Castle in Co Meath. "I look at Mickelson's worst three drives and he made two doubles and a bogey and then I look at Tiger's worst three drives and he made eagle, birdie, par. Tiger's three-under, Phil's five-over. Tiger's drives were worse than Phil's, yet finished in better spots.

"When Phil hit his bad three woods they went in the deep six-inch rough; when Tiger hit his bad ones they went into the next fairway or the trampled-down dry dirt. So if you're going to miss, miss big and have a unique set of circumstances when your knee hurts so bad before the tournament that all you do in the build-up is putt all day, every day and go on to make 75 footers, 50 footers, 40 footers...

"That actually might not be a bad way to do it," he adds. "I mentioned it to Phil. Of course, it's not just luck. It is lucky when a 75-footer hits the hole and goes in, but it's not lucky that he hits it so near to the hole. It might have gone eight foot past but he probably wouldn't have three-putted as he was putting so fine.

Thursday Open Championship Clippings

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openlogo.jpgLawrence Donegan sets the table for Thursday's opening round:

An unseasonably wet spring has rendered the thick stuff thicker than it should be; a recent dry spell means fairways harder and faster than anyone would wish them when the rough is this harsh; and a golf course architect with a misplaced sense of humour has disfigured this jewel of a links with one green - the 17th - with all the features required for crazy golf save a miniature windmill. The R&A's stated intention over the next four days is to identify the champion golfer of the year but, come Sunday evening, the gentlemen in blazers could be handing the trophy to the last man standing.
Bob Harig says Mother Nature is going to play a big role in this one. pga_g_windyday_200.jpg
More than a few players limited their time on the course to just nine holes, figuring it was no use. Better to spend time putting and chipping -- facets of the game that will be put to the test -- instead of battling the elements.

"If it stays like this, the winning score could be double digits over par," said Ron Levin, who is caddying for Fredrik Jacobsen.
"Yeah, this is all you would want," said Masters champion Trevor Immelman. "In my opinion this is the toughest golf course I've played on the Open rota. It's very demanding off the tee. ... This is going to be a great test this week, especially with some of the weather that's been forecast. The guy who wins this tournament on Sunday is going to be very deserving of it."
James Corrigan quotes Padraig Harrington about the state of his wrist and the state of the course, which Harrington predicts will deliver "absolute carnage" while Corrigan drops the first '99 Carnoustie suggestion.

Steve Elling considers Lefty's chances and Gene Wojciechowski believes Tiger's absence puts more pressure on Mickelson.

sgjohn117.jpgJohn Daly was brought into the press tent Wednesday and a controversy erupted (I know, stunning). Seems Butch Harmon is now to blame for Long John's inability to get sponsor's exemptions.

Martin Johnson summarizes.

Bob Harig's take is accompanied by video of the press conference.

John Hawkins raises this fine point about the whole affair:
What boggles my mind is why Daly was even invited to the media center. The guy hasn't had a top-10 finish since October 2005 and has made just three cuts in 12 starts in '08. Apparently, the British press requested his presence, surely aware that when Long John Scapegoat gets anywhere near a live microphone, the ensuing maelstrom of unaccountability will produce several pages of tabloid-friendly grist.
Ewan Murray reports:
Daly was due to tee off at 9.42 today against doctor's orders, having suffered tendinitis in his left elbow and recently had a cyst removed from his right hand. "It's an Open and it is very special to me," said the Californian. "I told him [the doctor] I'm going to play, no matter what."
Californian? The piece also includes "Four things other than an outspoken coach that might have 'destroyed' John Daly's life 'for a bit'."

Richard Williams says the Open provides us a chance to imagine what the game would be like if Tiger was never invented. Well that's certainly a unique way of looking at things.

Regarding the other hot player not in attendance, he grew a little cranky today in Milwaukee. And not because he's in Milwaukee.
“I just don’t understand it. I don’t know why they’re ripping me,” Perry said before the pro-am Wednesday.
Claire Middleton tells us how much tennis Greg and Chrissy have been playing and asks him what he thinks of the 17th green.
A prolific course architect, Norman also had a view on the controversial 17th green here. "They could have done a better job," he said.
Warning! This could be great or a total disaster: Gary Van Sickle and Alan Shipnuck will be live blogging round 1.

Golfweek staff picks are in, too late I'm afraid.

Golf Digest's Mike O'Malley has been culling Birkdale related nuggets at GolfDigest.com (including today's quote above). They make for nice contextual setters in case you are still struggling to get in the mood for the Open. You can read them here, here and here.

And finally, Bob Verdi is one of the few to report on the golf-in-the-Olympics press conference today and writes:
Also, there are other sports vying for those two slots, including baseball and softball, which will be part of next month's Olympics in Beijing but are dropping out for 2012 and reapplying. The other candidates for 2016 are karate, roller sports, squash and rugby seven.

I asked Juan Antonio Votaw to explain rugby sevens, and he said, "It's a quicker version of the sport, which usually has 15 players per side, instead of seven." I guess it would be like having a basketball game of three-on-three instead of five-on-five. Votaw assured me, however, that if golf makes it, each match will last the regulation 18 holes, not nine, or six. Votaw concluded that he is honored to accept his new position, which does not mean he is severing any ties with the PGA Tour or moving to China.

 

Wait, and one more finally...the Principal is back, just in time for the Open. Look out Monty and the BBC!

Birkdale Clubhouse Description Watch, Vol. 2

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Lynne Truss likes the clubhouse and jumps ahead of the previous entries with this enjoyable bit of fiction:

This great white ship supposedly “cruises through the sand hills” of the championship course, carving through the grassy waves despite its rounded front and emphatically lateral orientation — both of which features are historically disapproved of in the design of boats of all sizes.

Imagine the announcement: “I am creating a revolutionary ocean liner,” Samuel Cunard tells his shareholders. “It will have a rounded front and be wider than it is long. It will also have a tall clock tower, a bar, changing rooms and strict policies on spiked shoes, denim clothing and the admittance of people with two X chromosomes.”

“Sounds more like a clubhouse,” mutters a chap at the back, who is immediately ejected from the meeting. 

"I think you can expect to see something about this in the next three to four weeks."

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DownloadFile.dwnPeter Dawson did double duty Wednesday, first sitting down for a joint Olympic bid press conference followed by an R&A Open press conference that was about as tense as a post-Oscar win Q&A session.

My eyes and ears report that this question was not asked by one of the wannabe R&A members writing for the British press:

Q. Unrelated to this week, how are you guys doing on the U grooves, V grooves thing? There's a perception in the States that it's the R & A that's dragging its feet on that implementation. Fairly or not, maybe you can address that and tell us when you see that coming on-line, if at all, and what the hold-ups and hurdles might be.

PETER DAWSON: Well, the current status of that is that there's been some additional testing conducted just in the last few weeks in the women's game, at LPGA Tour events, and the results of that are just coming through now, which I don't think has changed anything. And I think you can expect to see something about this in the next three to four weeks.

Q. A firm date for implementation?

PETER DAWSON: No, that was an announcement in three to four weeks. I'm not going to preempt what that says.
Well that's news, right? Until 3-4 weeks from now when we don't hear a thing.
Q. Peter, there's been one or two criticisms about the 17th green. I just wondered what your thoughts were on that.

PETER DAWSON: I think I flagged up very early on this year that the 17th green might attract some comment, and it has, very eloquent comment from some, not so eloquent from others (smiling).

The green is undeniably different from many others on the golf course. I've spent with others quite a long time on it in the last couple of weeks. With the pin positions we have in mind I'm quite happy it's perfectly playable, and we know the score; I'm sure the green will be reviewed after the championship to decide what its future is. But as far as this week is concerned, it's going to be perfectly playable.
Yes, he flagged it. Of course, having helped design it that's a bit odd.

 

"We have been in constant touch with WADA since the beginning of our effort and WADA has been very supportive of the construct of our programme."

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Still waiting on Peter Dawson's transcript to appear to determine what kind of softballs were lobbed by the wannabe and current R&A members in attendance,  but in the meantime we learned that Ty Votaw has the unenviable task of trying to package and sell the IOC on what golf does not need: another 72-hole stroke play event once every four years.

In the first wire story that went out on this with Olympics-related comments from Peter Dawson, I couldn't help but notice this little nugget:

Potential stumbling blocks include the need to move the date of the USPGA Championship to avoid a clash in dates, and the difference between golf's newly-introduced drug-testing programme and the requirements of the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

"The distinctions between our policies and full WADA compliance are not significant," added PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

"We have been in constant touch with WADA since the beginning of our effort and WADA has been very supportive of the construct of our programme.

"There will probably be some issues, but we don't see any major hurdles in terms of reaching an understanding about what changes need to be made to bring us into total compliance."

Now, as you may recall it was pointed out here that Dr. Gary Wadler of the WADA was quite blunt in a recent New York Daily News story by Andy Martino that analyzed deficiencies in the PGA Tour's testing program.

For example, the drug salbutamol, found in asthma inhalers, is anabolic and can build muscle. Salbutamol is banned in the Olympics, but allowed in golf. Also, though human growth hormone is prohibited, neither tour administers the blood tests that would possibly detect it. All 33 WADA labs worldwide test for HGH, although the efficacy of the tests are in question.

Wadler also takes issue with the language used to describe the testing process. The PGA Tour manual says: "Once notified, you should report to the designated testing area as soon as possible. The collector may allow you to delay reporting ... however, you may be monitored."

"What do you mean, 'should' and 'may?'" asks Wadler. "These things have to be required. What if the player goes to the bathroom after being told to report? That's no good."

And here's where one can see this getting ugly...

In terms of public disclosure, the policy states that "the PGA Tour will, at a minimum, publish the name of the player, the anti-doping rule violation, and the sanction imposed" - a statement that is contingent on Finchem having sanctioned a player in the first place. Clearly, if a star player were to test positive for steroids, that player "may" face a punishment and public embarrassment - or he may not. Wadler also points out that amphetamines, commonly used as performance enhancers, are classified under the tour's policy as drugs of abuse, meaning that players, if caught using these PEDs, could be quietly sent to rehab. All of these shortcomings, Wadler says, could be cleared up if both professional golf tours would cede control of their programs to WADA.

I wonder how many PGA Tour players will be willing to see the drug testing program turned over to the much tougher WADA so that three Americans can play 72 holes of stroke play every four years? I'm guessing not many.

Ty, Will Ye No' Call Back Again?

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Does this mean PGA Tour exec Ty Votaw won't have time to call editors, writers and bloggers to set us straight that, in fact, the FedEx Cup is exciting?

Say it ain't so Ty!

International Golf Federation Creates
 Olympic Golf Committee to Enhance Drive for 2016


PGA TOUR’s Votaw Selected To Coordinate Olympic Golf Initiative

The International Golf Federation, recognized as the representative body for golf by the International Olympic Committee, today announced the creation of an Olympic Golf Committee to drive its effort for the sport’s inclusion in the 2016 Games. Organizations that will be represented on the committee are The R&A, PGA European Tour, USGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, LPGA and Augusta National Golf Club.

During a press conference at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, the IGF also introduced PGA TOUR executive Ty Votaw as the person who will coordinate the Olympic golf movement on behalf of the IGF’s Olympic Golf Committee and other golf organizations around the world. Votaw will serve in a newly created position as Executive Director, IGF Olympic Golf Committee and will work closely with the organizations involved.

Votaw, who will continue as PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Communications and International Affairs, will lead the Olympic effort until October 2009, when the International Olympic Committee votes on which, if any, sports to add.

“Considering his vast experience in dealing with international golf organizations and issues as a member of the PGA TOUR executive staff and as a former commissioner of the LPGA, Ty is uniquely qualified to lead this effort on behalf of the International Golf Federation,” said Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A. “Having someone of Ty’s reputation and expertise serve in this capacity certainly enhances our efforts to add golf as an Olympic sport.”

“There is a significant amount of work to be done between now and next October, when the IOC makes its decision,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “As the PGA TOUR considers this a very important initiative on behalf of the international golf community, we are pleased to provide Ty and the majority of his time to coordinate this effort.”
And now a word from the poor lad stuck who has to sell this mess man of the hour...
“Without question, golf’s international popularity has grown significantly over the past couple of decades and the sport continues to expand and develop in new countries,” Votaw said. “So the time is right to champion golf as an Olympic sport. It’s wonderful that this has become such a united effort among golf’s leading organizations. I’m excited about this opportunity and very much look forward to the challenge and, hopefully, reward of bringing golf back to the Olympics.”