"Tour should rethink its aversion to controversy"

I have a column in this week's Golf World that I just know Tim Finchem will be making copies of and distributing to his VP's with a big Post-It note attached, with the words "Maybe if you read this backwards it makes sense, Coterminously Yours, Tim."

Say It Ain't So: Lorena Ochoa Retiring

Wow.

Alan Shipnuck explains in a series of tweets what he's seen with Ochoa in the last year that makes this only a minor surprise to him.

Update on 2010-04-20 16:06 by Geoff

**Beth Ann Baldry talks to a friend of Lorena who says she hasn't been having much fun.

"We've settled down now to a glacier pace here on the 10th hole."

Thanks to John Strege for documenting Gary McCord's comment on the last group's slow play Sunday at Harbour Town. I heard it and swore I must have been wishfully thinking that an announcer just called out the leaders of a PGA Tour event!

When Davis and Furyk appeared to be dawdling on the 10th green on Sunday, CBS' Gary McCord said, "We've settled down now to a glacier pace here on the 10th hole."

They were playing twosomes on Sunday at the Verizon Heritage and it still took more than four hours to complete play.

Do you think that just maybe the networks are tired of the slow play and extended finishes caused by slow play? Finally?

Monty Running Up Tab To Make Celtic Manor Palatable

From an unbylined AP story:

The alterations, unveiled to the European golfing media on Monday, have been implemented despite the fact that the Celtic Manor course was built and opened for play for $8 million just two years ago.

Ah, another shining example for the game's well-being.

Montgomerie has had many of the course bunkers deepened, had the rough made consistently thicker than its had been for the Wales Open on the European Tour in 2008 and 2009, and has insisted the greens be firmer and less receptive to spin.

“All along, Colin has insisted that he was not interested in gaining a home advantage,” said Jim Mckenzie, Celtic Manor’s director of golf courses.

“If Europe do regain the Ryder Cup he wants it to be because they have played the better golf and not because the course has been tricked up.

“And in all my dealings with Colin since he was appointed Europe’s Ryder Cup captain I have to say he has not been over demanding.”

Not over demanding. Just demanding.