Vijay Wins On Eve Of PGA; Can't Wait To Try Out His Yips On Oakland Hills Greens

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I did eventually fast forward through the final round at Firestone to watch poor Vijay (yep, it was that painful to watch him putt) stab it around the back nine. But only after I had watched, rewound, watched, rewound and watched yet again Commissioner Finchem and Jim Nantz's state-of-the-WGC's interview. I noticed Faldo wasn't included in on that one?

Anyway, Steve Elling on Vijay's win:

It's no stretch to assert that Singh essentially won the $1.35 million prize with 13 clubs, and despite the bane of his existence, which he holds cross-handed and anchored in his abdomen. At times, in that pose, he looks like a guy who is considering committing hari-kari.
Meanwhile this note from Doug Ferguson ought to have the numbers crunchers filing multiple reports on the 2.5 inch rough cut experiment:

A year after only one person (winner Tiger Woods) finished under par, there were 26 subpar scores.



“To be honest, I don’t think to this day I will ever in my life do an interview with her"

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And you think the men are overly-sensitive when it comes to Johnny Miller's comments, check out the Laura Diaz-Dottie Pepper spat over the "chokin freakin dogs" comment from nearly a year ago. Beth Ann Baldry reports:

The row between Pepper, Diaz and the rest of Team USA started during last year’s Solheim Cup when Pepper referred to U.S. players as “chokin’ freakin’ dogs” on air Saturday afternoon when she thought the broadcast had gone to commercial break.
“To be honest, I don’t think to this day I will ever in my life do an interview with her,” said Diaz, who sits two shots off the lead midway through the second round. “It really affected me, and Solheim wasn’t a time to talk about it.”
Oy...
“The way Laura has chosen to handle the situation publicly is really disappointing,” Pepper said via e-mail Aug. 1. “I hope her heart will at some point recognize the comment was not personal, highly emotional and certainly never meant to be heard over the air. I have made myself available to her, but she has chosen not to talk, scream at me or whatever else she feels she needs to do for her peace of mind.”
Diaz said Pepper bruised her heart more than anything else. Pepper dated Diaz’s older brother, Ron, for two years in college. This was personal.
“Dottie was a family member to me,” Diaz said, “and I don’t even see her as a friend anymore.”
Double oy...get over it Laura.

Classic Club, R.I.P.

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Larry Bohannan reports The Classic Club's role as a now-former Bob Hope Classic venue. About that name...oh, sorry:

The change in courses was necessary given PGA Tour pros' increasing and sometimes vocal criticism that Classic Club could be too windy during the event's January dates.
“For the good of the tournament, to protect the field, we felt like we ought to react,” said John Foster, longtime board member of the Hope tournament.
The course changes help to centralize the Hope as a La Quinta tournament. In addition to the Nicklaus course, the Palmer Private Course at PGA West will again be used and will serve as the site of the Sunday-only pros round.
The Nicklaus Private will be a real player favorite too! Wait until they bounce a shot off the rocks Jack put in front of the greens.

Love this doublespeak:

“The Berger Foundation understands the rotation adjustment for the 50th anniversary tournament and is anticipating added events for the Classic Club that will add financial support for valley charities along with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic event,” said Ron Auen of the Berger Foundation in a statement announcing the course changes.
For a good chuckle, you might want to go back and relive some of the finer moments in Classic Club lore.

There was Bohannan's claim that the wind there wasn't any different than at Harbour Town and that everyone was just nutty not to love the place.

Tim Finchem praised the place for providing the facilities to "effectively market the tournament." Yep that was some marketing centerpiece. Good call Tim!

And there was Tod Leonard quoting Hope Tournament Director Mike Milthorpe at length about how wind was no different at the Classic Club than the other courses

Then there was the $500,000 they sunk into this ship and the PGA-qualified course debate.

And finally, there was this today from Bohannan which belongs on The Classic Club's tombstone:
Know this about Classic Club. It's a very good golf course. From tee to green, the course flows well, challenges golfers with hills and lakes and bunkers and has features like pine straw that aren't duplicated on any course in the desert.