"We definitely want to set the record straight."

Mark Hayes reminds us that this week's Australian Masters host Victoria, which looks sensational and is ready to go, was home to a green speed debacle the last time it hosted in '02.

As the famous Cheltenham Sandbelt club puts the finishing touches on preparations for next week's Masters, Victoria general manager Peter Stackpole said it was the perfect time to exorcise the demons of the 2002 Australian Open debacle.

The Australian Golf Union's push to quicken the course's greens backfired when they became too crusty and unplayable midway through the first round.

After a player revolt, the round was cancelled in a major embarrassment for Australian golf. While the club was not to blame, Stackpole said the Masters was redemption time.

"In 50 years' time, history will look back on that and make its judgment," he said.

"All we can do is make sure that the 2010 Masters is looked on favourably.

"We definitely want to set the record straight."

Westwood Affirms #1 Ranking With Runner-Up Finish

Jason Sobel on the HSBC results and Westwood solidifying his spot at the top:

For now, though, all accolades and celebration should be heaped upon Westwood, who emerged from his first week atop the world ranking by putting greater distance between himself and the competition. That he failed to triumph at the HSBC should only serve as a symbol for his career: He might not always be good enough to win, but he is indeed good enough to be the best.

Sure, it sounds like a bizarre conundrum, but in a week that began with the world's best players brandishing swords in one another's company, bizarre might very well now be the norm anyway.

The SI guys weren't so kind.

Morfit: It is a bit odd that Westwood is winning so infrequently. On the other hand, he's played golf pretty infrequently, so maybe finishing second this week isn't so bad. I'm a lot more worried about a few other players who got a lot of publicity coming into the week.

Shipnuck: I'm way past the point of getting excited about Lee Westwood racking up another lucrative top-5 finish. To paraphrase "Glengarry Glen Ross," he needs to put down the coffee. Coffee is for closers.

Hack: Second place, a set of steak knives.

Shipnuck: Third place, you're fired. That means you, Luke Donald.

Rolfing Has Even More Reason To Rave About All Things Hawaii

Ann Miller reports on announcer Mark Rolfing's charity becoming the beneficiary of the renamed Hyundai Tournament of Champions. It pays to go fishing with the Commissioner!

Note how Miller puts the current PGA Tour buzzwords in quotes. Underpin! New energy! Energize!

Now SBS will "underpin" the tournament through 2019, according to the tour. That will include hospitality and other on-site activities. The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation became the non-profit host organization, required by the tour, in August.

Back then Rolfing, an NBC golf analyst from Kapalua, characterized his involvement as a "last-gasp" effort to keep the tournament in Hawaii. Hyundai's sponsorship gives the event room to breathe.

Rolfing's vision is to bring "new energy" to the tournament, which he considers vital for its future. Starting in 2011, there will be no admission charge -- a first for the PGA Tour. Rolfing plans to turn the TOC into a weeklong event that will attract people from the whole state and "energize" the world about the start of the golf season.

There will be a Hawaii Junior Golf Festival the Sunday before the tournament and three days of special events similar to baseball's all-star week, with a long-drive contest and pros interacting with amateurs, juniors and celebrities. The night before the tour tees off (Jan. 5), Golf Channel will have a 2-hour prime-time special from the first tee.

"I felt if we could create energy for the tournament by doing different things it would make it more attractive to a new sponsor and, lo and behold, it did," Rolfing said. "I don't think anybody imagined we'd get a new sponsor two months out, but this is going to continue because the new sponsor basically bought into the concept."

And don't you know we'll hear all about from Rolfing during the telecast.

Sirak: Obama Should Get Boehner On The Golf Course**

Ron Sirak wants to see them make deals over a round of golf. Somehow I don't see that ending well.

Boehner is well known for using the golf course to conduct business. Federal Election Commission filings obtained by the Reuters news agency showed that Boehner's political action committee spent $82,998 on golf outings in 2009, including events at Robert Trent Jones GC in Virginia, Muirfield Village near Columbus, Ohio and the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla. "If you're going to ask people to give you money, why not let them enjoy themselves," Boehner told Golf Digest in 2005. Boehner said he doesn't discriminate against lobbyists who don't play golf, but added, "If someone I've gotten to know on the golf course comes into my office with a good argument, I tend to want to listen."

Update on 2010-11-05 02:27 by Geoff

**Russell Berman of The Hill makes it sound like the chances are slim.

Boehner has said their Oval Office chit-chat is mostly focused on golf, a sport that the Ohio Republican is better at than the president.

“First thing that happens is, you know, I come in and he’ll say, ‘Boehner, you’re almost as dark as me,’ ” Boehner told Fox News host Sean Hannity last month. “You know, I listen. We talk about golf. We’ll talk about our skin color.”

“There’s no animosity, but there’s not much of a personal relationship or a working relationship,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said on Wednesday.

"Bad dates doomed Turning Stone tourney"

Eventually the details behind the Turning Stone event's abrupt departure would be revealed and Chris Wagner reports on CEO Ray Halbritter's stance.

Halbritter hinted as much Friday when he explained the reasons he was opting out of the tournament contract after four years. Saddled with sketchy fall-weather dates the first three years and an opposite-field, time-share date this year, Turning Stone’s CEO spelled out his requirements to the PGA Tour: Provide a stand-alone date in either June, July or August — two weeks before or after a major — or the contract was over.

That made it essentially a choice between Greenbrier or Turning Stone and the tour went with Greenbrier, seemingly a great idea at the time. However, the more we read about Jim Justice's lawsuit issues, including the latest news of Lester George adding to his complaint, the less glamorous the place looks.

Buzz Taylor, RIP

Here's a nice obituary by Kathie Bassett on the former USGA President.