"I guess presidential should be emphasized, the person who did the setup did the same things for President George W. Bush."

Reuters photographer Joe Skipper tells us all about the day of Tiger's statement reading and how the highly orchestrated event played out.

We gathered at the Marriott Sawgrass Convention Center, located about a mile from the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, where the event was held. We were ‘registered’ by PGA employees, our drivers licenses checked, and we received special credentials labeled ‘pool media’.

It had the feel of a Secret Service wrangling. Where the pool participants are identified, and then placed in a ‘holding room’ prior to a specifically timed and coordinated departure. Reporters from AP, Reuters and several other organizations joined us. The only thing missing was the checking of our gear and the presence of a four-footed friend.

Good to see the PGA Tour coordinating so much and on such short notice!

As we walked into the room, a look at the audience front row revealed Tiger’s mother, Kultida Woods. Further down was Tim Finchem, PGA Tour Commissioner, and Tiger’s college friend, PGA golfer Notah Begay. It was remarkably quiet in the room, the most notable sound coming from the television camera operators speaking with their director. Our group took particular interest in Tiger’s mother, who reacted to the camera sounds with an occasional annoyed look. We were given freedom to move in the back of the room and on the side with most of the TV lights on it. We waited for 11 a.m. surrounded by silence.

So, I guess it goes without saying that a good time wasn't had by all?

"The USGA, their heads will explode"

When we last heard from Rob O'Loughlin he was trying to speed up the game with Laser Link, now Gary D'Amato reports on his new gimmick to improve the game: increase the size of the hole.

"It will be worth three shots a nine," O'Loughlin said. "It takes me from 82 to 76 all the time. And let me tell you, that's fun. I've shot a million 82s in my life. It's fun to be in the 70s.

"You won't make many 25- or 30-footers, but you never did. But you virtually eliminate the three-putt. What happens is you're not missing the 3- and 4-footers because this makes them play like 1-footers."

Surely, The Big Cup will never be approved for play by the United States Golf Association. And that's OK with O'Loughlin, who battled the USGA for years over Laser Link before the governing body finally relented and allowed distance-measuring devices for everyday play.

"The USGA, their heads will explode," he said with a laugh. "They've got to understand it's a game, not a gauntlet. Their focus is on the top 300 players in the world. I think they are obsessed with those 300 players and they don't give a damn about the other 20 million.

"The truth is, a little easier is what we need."

"We'd be foolish not to consider it, although it is extremely controversial."

E. Michael Johnson raises all sorts of interesting questions in considering whether manufacturers should offer non-conforming lines of equipment. 

"We've looked extensively at possibilities in the nonconforming category," said Nate Radcliffe, metalwoods development manager for Cleveland Golf. "We'd be foolish not to consider it, although it is extremely controversial."

It's a category?

Now, 10 years later, might Callaway revisit nonconforming clubs? "Some think we may be likely to go down that path," said Dr. Alan Hocknell, Callaway's senior VP of research & development, "but one thing we hold highly at this company is authenticity. Playing by the rules is perhaps the most authentic part of golf. I'd say we're more likely to stay inside the rules than go outside them."

Which isn't to say Callaway hasn't looked at the landscape. Hocknell said the company has done consumer research and found golfers split on the topic. Then there's the business aspect. Any company entering the nonconforming arena is likely to be branded by its competition as making clubs for cheaters. "To have our brand positioned that way would be a huge risk," said Hocknell.

Two questions. Do you think this is a good idea for the game and would it be wise for manufacturers to go down this path?

It doesn't bother me much since the game is bifurcated with the groove rule change and if nothing else, just think, we wouldn't have to listen to the manufacturers whine about the big, bad USGA impacting quarterly profit margins!