"Guess who's got fewer manners than a fifth-grader?"

From Gary Van Sickle's post-Presidents Cup wrap up:

The inconsiderate media moment of the week came during the International team's post-loss press conference when a nationally known columnist seated in the second row took a cell phone call while an International player was answering a question. Guess who's got fewer manners than a fifth-grader?

"Good thing they only hold the P-Cup every two years, because it's obviously a tremendous strain on the public-relations brain trust in Ponte Vedra."

In his Up and Down column, Steve Elling tries to figure out the Michael Jordan/Presidents Cup mini-drama:

The PGA Tour's handling of Michael Jordan's presence didn't get much play, but it was ham-handed, myopic and indicative of the blunders the tour has made with regard to publicity over the years. Argue if you want about whether Jordan should have been there as a "volunteer assistant," an invitee of Fred Couples, in the first place, but it's awfully hard to hide a 6-foot-6 Hall of Famer on a golf course once he shows up. The tour tried. Jordan told one print outlet that he had been asked by the tour not to conduct interviews. Yet the tour used Jordan's comments in an "exclusive" interview in Q & A posted on its website Monday. Nice double standard. The tour apparently didn't want Jordan to become a distraction and also barred him from participating in the opening ceremonies, causing complaints from players and caddies, who scribbled his old number, 23, on their hats. He represented the definition of a distraction, of course, and making him off-limits made it even more of a circus. Still, Jordan's presence gave the tour a rare chance to reach across golf's limited boundary ropes to snare a casual sports fan. The tour butchered the opportunity, then hosed the print media who spent the money to cover the event by making Jordan unavailable. Then they allowed him to participate in the closing ceremonies, where he sat on stage with the team. Good thing they only hold the P-Cup every two years, because it's obviously a tremendous strain on the public-relations brain trust in Ponte Vedra.
 

"The USGA is trying to figure out how to connect with Obama"

That's according to Michael Bamberger who certainly has been putting in the time listening to USGA Exec Committee types and reporting in this week's SI roundtable.

The subject was Obama and golf:

Bamberger: The USGA is trying to figure out how to connect with Obama, and if they could what a home run that could be.

Wouldn't you love to be in on those meeting discussions with Executive Director David Fay?

XC Member: David, since you're the only known Democrat associated with the USGA post Hannigan--well at least until we started paying you $700,000 a year--do you have any contacts in the upper reaches of the Democratic party? We are seeing Obama in a spot for the First Tee or maybe even an "I swing like a girl" piece. What do you think?

Fay: I think he's a little busy.

XC Member: Well, could you try please?

"If the tournament stinks, they may not get a chance to fix it."

Interesting debate between the SI guys on the Olympic format. For those of us who want to see golf in the Olympics succeed, it's Jim Gorant's point that really hits home about the importance of rethinking the current format.

Herre: I think all the criticism about the format is silly, can't-see-the-forest-for-the-trees kind of stuff. It will be fun for us to watch the development of Olympic golf.

Van Sickle: I don't think the criticism is silly at all. It's totally valid. Might as well just cut the field to 25, since that's already effectively done by bringing in players ranked outside the top 300 in the world. If this is supposed to be a world-class event, it should have a world-class field. But it won't, and it won't even come close. There's still plenty of time to address this and correct it.

Herre: If the format doesn't work, it will be changed. The bottom line is that there would be no Olympic golf without the blessing of Tiger Woods and possibly Phil Mickelson, and this is the format they want to play. We go forward from there.

Gorant: Agree with the realpolitik involved, but they do have to guard against a clunker of a competition, either because it's boring or a farce. Golf was only approved for 2016 and 2020, and even 2020 is subject to review in 2017. If the tournament stinks, they may not get a chance to fix it.

Jordan Crashes Presidents Cup Team Picture!

Or at least it looks that way...

But seriously, about that drama, that strategy and all of the second guessing taking place today? I mean it's one thing to walk an All-Star to get a Hall of Famer but Terry Francona...oh, sorry, wrong Sunday drama.

I didn't watch much and I know a lot of you enjoyed watching the world's best tackle that insipid bunkering and drama-free design, so I'll just leave it to the SI guys to actually agree with the PGA Tour brass who were trying to keep Michael Jordan away from official Presidents Cup events:

Gorant: Michael Jordan as an assistant captain also made an impression. It was both cool and ridiculous, and you'd never see that at the Ryder Cup. That says everything about why the Presidents Cup is both better and worse.

Shipnuck: Barf. Jordan was a circus sideshow, nothing more.

Van Sickle: Couldn't agree more, Alan. Honestly, what's this guy really doing hanging around with pros? Get a day job.

Lipsey: He has a day job: counting money, smoking cigars, chillin' in Vegas and playing golf with Tiger and his pals.

"He's been drinking it every morning since then"

Maybe this NY Daily News item explains why our 99 cent stores here in SoCal are loaded with aisles and aisles of Gatorade featuring Tiger's eyes, the word Focus, and all the high fructose corn syrup an athlete does not need:

Tiger Woods gets paid a rumored $100 million to drink Gatorade. But we hear he's been sneaking sips of Neuro1, the "focus drink" John McCain is said to have used during his debates with President Obama. Apparently, Tiger is getting better results. Former NFL star Bill Romanowski, who developed the stuff, tells us he sent the golf god a package during his slump after his father's death four years ago. "He's been drinking it every morning since then," says Romanowski. Romanowski says other customers include Alex Rodriguez, Owen Wilson, Charlize Theron and Adam Sandler. Woods' rep didn't respond to calls for comment.

Presidents Cup Day 3, How Was It?

I can say I didn't see a single shot, but I did happen to walk by a golf course starter who had it on and well, it was dark and we're in the same time zone so I can only conclude that pace of play was just sterling!

And is it true the NBC team referred to the Europeans on more than one occasion?

John Huggan compares the Presidents Cup with the Ryder Cup and finds the PGA Tour's event lacking.

OK, maybe a more low-key attitude towards the RC would be no bad thing in tabloid world, but, conversely, almost everyone has a hard time getting even a little worked up about the PC. Immediately after he and Adam Scott had closed out Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair by 2&1 on day one, Els seemingly couldn't be bothered to walk back and support his guys in the next match. Instead, the big South African teed off at the 18th and played quietly in by himself. Ho-hum.

Update on 2009-10-11 04:43 by Geoff

Woods v. Yang makes tomorrow watchable. Ryo v. Kenny isn't bad either. Ogilvy v. Stricker should be interesting. The rest? Zzzz...