"That would eat away at any benefit many buyers would see if they bought just part of the company."

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Besides the potential anti-trust question that reader Del noted in the comments on a possible Fortune Brands breakup leading to the sale of Acushnet, Fortune's Jessica Hall and Martinnne Geller pointed out a few weeks ago that a massive capital gains tax tab--excuse me, "tax leakage" problem--facing Fortune might prove a deal killer.
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"Who's next? Tiger Woods and Yani Tseng? Phil Mickelson and Paula Creamer?"

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Just be reassured that if your boss or spouse was a little hard on you today, imagine the phone call Gary Van Sickle and Jim Herre will get from Ty Votaw for ripping golf in the Olympics and the "contrived" architectural pairings vying to design the Olympic course in Rio. Regarding the design race that currently has Nicklaus-Sorenstam competing (in the press) against Norman-Ochoa.

Herre: Guess the Tour feels it needs star power for marketing purposes, but both choices feel like contrived, made-up alliances of convenience.

Reiterman: Agreed. Who's next? Tiger Woods and Yani Tseng? Phil Mickelson and Paula Creamer?

Van Sickle: Andy North and Jan Stephenson?

Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Jack and Annika, no question. Nicklaus has done more to grow the game internationally than anyone, and Annika's position in the women's game is unmatched. We're not going to pretend this commission is about the quality of the golf course, right?

Van Sickle: Silly us.

"See The Best Golf In L.A."

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This isn't of interest to most of you, but here in Los Angeles there's a sense that Tiger's tournament at Sherwood has undermined the Northern Trust Open (formerly LA Open) because they fall within 10 or so weeks of each other. 

The Sherwood event certainly has become Tiger's lone stop in the market and there's no reason to think that will change anytime soon given his non-answers on the subject.

The tour put this event on its fall silly season schedule and mans the event with its scoreboards and field staff. This happened at a time Tiger could dictate terms to Tim Finchem even though any commissioner would tell you it's bad business to be in a market twice in such a short timespan, especially this commissioner who is typically sensitive to tournament needs. I'm sure a suit in Ponte Vedra would counter that Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles are different markets and I'm just bitter because the LA stop doesn't figure to see Tiger anytime soon.

Yet I just find this year's Chevron ad campaign, oh, how do I put this nicely...unseemly.

"Golf can deliver new technology as fast as any other business sector."

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In John Paul Newport's column on Callaway and Lamborgini using the same material to sucker more rich guys into overpaying for some privileged cocktail party banter, Taylor Made CEO Mark King reiterates his assertion that there is plenty of room for manufacturers to innovate. Something to remember should the governing bodies decide to enact real regulation and CEO's (or golf writers) start howling about the lack of room to innovate within the current rules.
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