Latest Trump Bankruptcy Not Exactly Assuring The Scots

If they only knew how many times The Donald has been through this, they'd understand it's all part of doing business the Apprentice way.

He said the company "represents substantially less than 1% of my net worth, and has for some time".

"If I can't manage something, it's not for me," said Trump who holds 28% of the company's stock, according to a recent filing. "Now I will study and watch as the horrible and outrageous fees being paid to lawyers and consultants will suck the blood from the company."

Last night, Aberdeenshire councillor Paul Johnston, an opponent of the Menie golf development in its present form, said he believed events in America did have a bearing on the Menie development.

"He is a property developer at the riskiest time ever for property development and the questions is, will it ever get finished if he starts it? People are worried it will never happen and Mr Trump, by his resignation, is breeding uncertainty. I am not in high finance but this doesn't look good.

"Clearly he always has the option of making life easier for himself by scaling back the development here and still build the world's greatest golf course but without destroying the sand dunes. This whole development may be built on sand."

Bandon, Here They Come?

Matty G looks at the efforts to make Bandon Dunes more accessible via commercial aircraft and also quotes my cousin Tobin who has creating an innovative air service for those wanting to get around some of Oregon's better courses.

What Kind Of Club Is Natalie Holding?

Alright, behave yourselves please, my mother reads this site!.

Here is an email query going around wondering what kind of club shaft that Natalie Gulbis, current Celebrity Apprentice star, is holding? Here's the email:

Stanford Financial Raided By U.S. Marshalls**

Oops. Now this should test those ironclad PGA Tour contracts. And on the LPGA side, ADT must be looking better and better down at headquarters.

Update on 2009-02-17 22:32 by Geoff

**The Commissioner weighs in:

STATEMENT FROM PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM REGARDING ALLEN STANFORD

We have no comment regarding the situation with Allen Stanford and certain of his companies at this time.

However, we want to categorically state that the PGA TOUR event in Memphis will be played as scheduled this year.

Update on 2009-02-17 22:38 by Geoff

Thanks to reader Jim for this story which fleshes out the sports angle a bit more including Vijay Singh's possible exposure.

ZZZZZZZ: Olympic Golf Would Use 72-Hole Stroke Play Format

76 pages of questions?

IGF Submits Detailed Questionnaire to International Olympic Committee, Constituting Golf’s Formal Olympic Bid

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA (February 17, 2009) - The International Golf Federation announced today that a 76-page detailed questionnaire was submitted on Sunday to the International Olympic Committee Programme Commission, constituting the formal and technical bid to include golf in the 2016 Olympic Games.

The questionnaire sought specific information on various topics relevant to golf's bid, including how golf would be presented if it were part of the Olympic Games and information on golf's worldwide appeal and governance structure. The submission of the questionnaire was the next step in the process set forth by the IOC Programme Commission and followed a presentation in November to the Commission in Lausanne, Switzerland by Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R&A and joint secretary of the IGF, and PGA TOUR executive Ty Votaw, Executive Director of the IGF Olympic Golf Committee.

"We are pleased with the formal bid document, and now look forward to working with the Programme Commission on the preparation of the final report to the IOC Executive Board in advance of our presentation to the Board in June," Votaw said. "We worked diligently to solicit input from the world's leading players and golf organizations to address and finalize a number of key issues contained in the document, including the recommended format for competition."

Recognized as the representative body for golf by the IOC, the IGF is proposing 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women. Leading players expressed that this is the fairest and best way to identify a champion, mirroring the format used in golf's major championships. In case of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole playoff is recommended to determine the medal winner(s).

There's your buried lede of the week or maybe month.

Golf needs another 72-hole stroke play event like it needs another financial firm sponsoring a tour event.

Oh but it's fair! And it's just like the majors.

Example 90,702 demonstrating golf's lack of imagination rearing its ugly head yet again.

"Stanford Depositors Head to Antigua for Redemptions"

Thanks to a reader for this WSJ story on investors arriving in Antiqua to withdraw their money from offshore accounts of Stanford Financial. It doesn't sound good, and as the reader reminded me, Stanford's ties to the PGA Tour extend beyond the Memphis event and the LPGA's season ending Tour Championship, with major IMG endorsement deals and the eagles for St. Jude program on the PGA and LPGA Tours.

"Don't be surprised if an official announcement is made later this week regarding Woods' return in Tucson."

If you had match play in the pool, Jason Sobel says you are looking like a winner:

Though I've been saying for months, purely on a hunch, that I believed Tiger Woods would make his season debut at the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, I'm ready to concede defeat, as it seems like every day there are more and more signs pointing toward that comeback getting started at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship beginning Feb. 25. Don't be surprised if an official announcement is made later this week regarding Woods' return in Tucson.

And as Sal Johnson elaborates in a Golfobserver rant that also takes CBS to task for weak coverage, it's time. Other than a few bright spots, the tour is really suffering without Tiger.

Kim Jong Il Puts Jacqueline Gagne To Shame

We have a new serial hole-in-onester to replace Ms. Gagne seems, but in Kim Jong Il's case, he made his 11 holes-in-one in one round...and it was the first round he'd ever played!

Apparently it was Kim Jong Il Day and besides learning that his birthday improves the weather, various other wise tales were shared including this item leaked about His Wonderfulnesses golf game:

Kim, who avoids travelling on airplanes for his rare trips overseas, did learn to be a crack fighter pilot.

He goes through intensive memory training every day and can remember the phone numbers of workers, lines of computer code and the personal biographies of cadres.

And legend has it that the first time Kim played golf, he shot 11 holes-in-one and carded a score about 20 strokes lower than the best round ever for a professional event over 18 holes.

Greetings From L.A. Annual Monday 10th Hole Report

I toured Riviera today and as always it seems to have handled the rain well thanks in part to George Thomas and Billy Bell's ingenious surface drainage.

The last few years these Monday walks have given me the displeasure of reporting bizarre changes to the masterful 10th hole. Because, you know, it has always been such weak hole on an otherwise great course!

I'm pleased to report the restoration of the short grass area taken away and bemoaned about ad nauseum here and here!The restored short grass area includes a new swale that may collect balls, and therefore divots. (Click to enlarge)

Apparently there is a fear that this short grass next to the green encourages players to recklessly drive through the green into the area in front of the 11th tee, where they then face a terrifying wedge shot back. I blame that approach of players in recent years more on the ball than the hole itself. And even though the Shotlink data proved otherwise with regard to the impact of short grass, this area has been re-graded with a sea of newly installed mounds (not as horrible as it sounds, but not great either) and a new swale installed next to the green.

While it is true that players essentially treat the hole like a long par-3 now compared to just four years ago (thank you USGA and R&A!), I'm not sure if the various tinkering here really has made things more strategically interesting. But again, that's not the club's fault, that's a governing body issue.New mounds to penalize agressive drives blend in as well as can be expected. (click to enlarge)

This newly graded short grass area and swale is retaining water. But that's not a big deal. Though I'm guessing if water is collecting there, something else will too. Hint: they're little, white, dimpled and usually when PGA Tour players hit them, the boys tend to leave divots (yes, even next to a green). So we'll see if that becomes a problem this week. (The old short grass area on No. 10 was more gradual in slope, so balls finished in a variety of locations.)

Another change of the welcomed variety involves the 11th tee, where Ted Robinson's old propped-up monstrosity has been eliminated and a nice tee at grade constructed, with some needed length also added to the hole.

As for second year sponsor Northern Trust, there isn't much difference in the setup and the tournament remains a pretty uninspired operation compared to most PGA Tour events. The media tent is larger in response to an onslaught of Japanese media requests this year, while the spray painted Northern Trust logo off the tenth tee is infinitely tackier than last year thanks to the dark green backdrop added (see photo).The dark green paint strengthens the Northern Trust brand. (click to enlarge)

And despite my pleas, the pivotal 18th hole scoreboard remains missing.

Last year the old school manually-operated scoreboard was eliminated to make room for a dignitary seating area, but this year the seating is not present yet fans will still be deprived of following the leaders as they make their way to the great 18th.

I know, I know. They have the electronic board to remind them every five minutes who the host pro is and how the FedEx Cup race is playing out...I guess I just like the added touch of watching a number get changed and for players to come face to face with their situation as they make one of golf's great walks.

The 18th with scoreboard and without:

2006 with the old manual leaderboard greeting players and entertaining waiting fans (click to enlarge)

And 2009... (click to enlarge)

"How dreadful that they are all the same."

I'm not the only one who spotted the irony in Peter Dawson's justification of the R&A's membership practices, as Derek Lawrenson writes:

Quote of the Week: "Golf is a very broad church, and there is plenty of room for every sort of golf club. It would be dreadful if we were all the same."

Chief Executive Peter Dawson's hilarious defence of the men-only status of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

Coming in May: the announcement of the next captain of the R&A, who will be a white male, aged sixty-something, privately-educated, grey-haired, and an ex-CEO.

How dreadful that they are all the same.

"Congressional doesn't have a chance"

I was so taken by The Donald's uncharacteristic hubris that I failed to notice his declaration of intent to lure Tiger's AT&T event to Trump National Washington D.C.

As soon as word leaked that Trump was interested in Lowes, golf nuts in the Washington area started buzzing that he'll make a serious run at bringing all the big-name tournaments to his greens -- especially Tiger Woods, who holds a tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. "Congressional doesn't have a chance," Trump said yesterday.

Someone please tell The Donald that Congressional has the event signed through 2017.

"She seems to have the rhythm back in her swing."

Ron Sirak finds plenty of positives in Michelle Wie's near-win at Turtle Bay, and at least to this television viewer, I would agree that this was the most noticeable improvement in her game:

She seems to have the rhythm back in her swing. That wonderful "Big Wiesy" tempo some think was lost because she was trying to hit it too hard to keep up with the men is back now that she is concentrating on the women.

For the first time in a long, long time I was in awe of her swing again.

And for those of you suggesting that too much attention is being paid to Wie at the expense of the other players, I'm sure Angela Stanford has plenty of new fans after the third win in her last seven starts.

"What were the Northern Trust people thinking?"

In this week's potboiler, the SI/Golf Mag/golf.com/Entertainment Weekly/Time Inc. boys kick around the state of the LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie's game and the AT&T. They also talk about this week's event at Riviera, with Jim Herre planting this seed when the talk turned to Ryo Ishikawa:

I can't believe Ryo won't be joined by Rory McIlroy, who will be spending his week at the Titleist Performance Center in Carlsbad instead of at the Riv. What were the Northern Trust people thinking?

Van Sickle: Yeah, Rory has already proven he's the real deal. Bonehead move of the year was Northern Trust turning down Rory's request for a sponsor's exemption this week. He's ranked top 20 in the world. Not sure what the story is there. Free Rory.

Morfit: Agreed that was a major brain cramp, and it'll come back to bite 'em. The pros don't forget a thing like that. (Then again, post-exemption loyalty only goes so far, considering Tiger's recent record in Milwaukee.)

Shipnuck: Sponsors' exemptions are almost always used to repay burnt-out old pros who have, ahem, supported the tourney through the years. It would be nice if more were invested on promising youngsters, but sponsors would rather have a recognizable name who will come to a cocktail party and perform.

Van Sickle: Mike Van Sickle and I agree with Shipwreck. Billy Andrade doesn't sell any tickets for you.

For the record, Northern Trust's sponsor's invites are Ricky Barnes, Oliver Wilson, Shigeki Maruyama, Jeev Singh, Bryce Molder, Graeme McDowell and Vincent Johnson (Sifford exemption).

I called Tournament Director Tom Pulchinski for comment on the McIlroy situation as well as to discuss the likelihood that this is the final year the event will be managed by the L.A. Junior Chamber of Commerce before being turned over to PGA Tour Championship Management (ith the Junior Chamber still receiving the event's charitable contributions). The call was not returned.

IM'ing With The Commissioners, AT&T Pro-Am Edition

The NSA is really humming these days, offering up another insteant message exchange between Tim Finchem and Carolyn Bivens, our faithful PGA Tour and LPGA Tour Commissioners. Click on the image to read...

Joining The World Of Twitter

After seeing how tech-wiz Ryan Ballengee has incorporated Twitter into his blog and reading David Pogue's piece on the emergence of this social networking tool, I've decided to experiment with Twitter during this week's Loss-of-trust Open so that I can make observations (and perhaps a form of website post, technology permitting) without logging into my laptop. Of course PGA Tour regulations forbid me from posting from the course, so all of my profound thoughts will be filed from within the media center boundary fence. Now I know all of you are Twitterers, but if you aren't signed up, you can become a follower of my feed here (you can also find a permanent link in the righthand column). However, if you choose not to subscribe, my hope is to post my feed here on the site so you can enjoy the Loss-of-trust Open as I see it. Key word: hope. I still have some major tech issues to iron out.