Brand Lady: Can You Spare $4 Million?

Jon Show reports that the LPGA is seeking a $4 million sponsor to oversee an 8-event run in the vein of the FedEx deal the PGA Tour inked, but as he buries in the last sentence:

Also complicating matters is the roughly $20 million in event sponsorships the LPGA already has on the market.

Another complication that also puts the, gulp, value of the LPGA sponsorships in perspective comes in this story (also by Show) on the PGA of America's attempts to lock up two more partners at a pretty hefty figure.

The PGA of America, one year after announcing American Express and RBS as its first official patron-level sponsors, is still trying to complete the final two remaining deals. The first two companies were signed to four-year agreements at an average of $7 million to $9 million annually,

"Play those courses today and you appreciate the craft and talent involved.”

Very nice story today by Bill Pennington on the impact of Van Kleek and Stiles in northeast U.S. golf architecture.

Some of the names that dominate this era are Ross, Alister MacKenzie and A. W. Tillinghast. You will rarely hear the names of their contemporaries Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek.

But the Boston-based Stiles was prolific, designing more than 140 courses from Maine to New Mexico. More than 70 remain, including many memorable layouts throughout New England. Van Kleek, his partner for several years, designed courses all over the world and in the mid-1930s was the supervising architect for a renovation of the New York City Park Department’s golf offerings.

Van Kleek put his stamp on golf courses throughout the city, from Split Rock in the Bronx to the Clearview layout in Queens — with Dyker Beach and Van Cortlandt Park in between.

“Stiles and Van Kleek weren’t splashy, self-promoting guys,” said Bob Labbance, who along with Kevin Mendik wrote “The Life and Work of Wayne Stiles” (Notown Communications), a book published earlier this year.

“They didn’t do many big, expensive projects,” Labbance said. “They pleased their clients and their communities with relatively low-cost golf. But play those courses today and you appreciate the craft and talent involved.”

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

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"

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.

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.