Phil "Opts Out" Of Pro-Am; Has To Sit Through Corporate Drone Dinner Instead

Thanks to reader Mel for Rex Hoggard's post on Phil Mickelson's withdrawal from Thursday's Deutsche Bank Pro-Am.

Unlike Furyk, however, Mickelson’s withdrawal will not cost him a spot at the second playoff event because Lefty used a special option that allows top players to miss a pro-am. Instead the player must participate in an “alternative sponsor function.”

Translation: long dinner pretending to be interested.

Players who finished in the top 20 on the previous year’s money or FedEx Cup lists have two pro-am opt outs that are contingent on sponsor approval. Mickelson used his first opt out earlier this year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and instead had dinner with a handful of corporate clients.

According to Andy Pazder, the Tour’s senior vice president of tournament administration, this is the first year of the opt out provision and only about “a half dozen” players have used it.

“In a pro-am three or four amateurs are going to get five hours with Phil on the golf course, which is great, but maybe it’s better if you have a dinner with 20 executives and clients for two or three hours,” Pazder said. “Maybe that’s a better use of a player’s time.”

Update on 2010-09-01 23:34 by Geoff

Hoggard followed up with this Tweet:

Golf Takes The Blame For Everything Files: Brush Fire Edition

I can see it now, Rustic Canyon shut down in any Santa Ana wind for fear of someone's precious 4-iron skimming a rock and ingniting a spark.

Thanks to Brooks for catching Erika Ritchie and Peter Schelden's story on a brush fire breaking out next to Shady Canyon, home course to Tiger Woods and Mark McGwire when they are in the OC.

"If I had been a really dedicated person, and really worked hard, I think I could have accomplished more."

Jaime Diaz labels it a "startling confession" from Jack Nicklaus, and it's hard to disagree:

Addressing a number of topics during a 90-minute conversation, Nicklaus displays a new candor. He used to say, "My record is my record. I did all I could do." Today, he casts a more analytical and sometimes critical eye on the nuances of his career, starting with a self-effacing haymaker: "If I were to look back on my work, I think I accomplished probably about 70 to 75 percent of what I could have. Maybe 60 percent. Somewhere in that area; two-thirds of what I could have accomplished. If I had been a really dedicated person, and really worked hard, I think I could have accomplished more."

Deutsche Bank NOT Out As Boston Sponsor?

A statement from the bank...

Any report that Deutsche Bank has stepped aside as title sponsor of the Deutsche Bank Championship is false.  As announced during Media Day, Deutsche Bank is in discussions to exercise its two-year extension option for the title sponsorship.  Talks are ongoing, but we are optimistic we will reach an agreement and expect to make an announcement this week.  We deeply appreciate the tremendous support from our Founders Club partners, the players, and most of all the fans of New England for making the Deutsche Bank Championship a New England Labor Day tradition. We look forward to another fantastic event this week, and in the years to come.