Too Bad PGA Tour Doesn't Depend On Ratings: Farmers UP 54%!

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Before you read this release from CBS, take 32 minutes and visualize the end of a blowout game between Duke and St. Johns, then proceed.

RATINGS RISE FOR CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF PGA TOUR’S “FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN” FINAL ROUND WITH 54% INCREASE
 
CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the PGA TOUR’s FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN on Sunday, January 30 (3:30-6:30 PM, ET), which saw Bubba Watson beat Phil Mickelson by one stroke and Jhonattan Vegas and Dustin Johnson by three strokes, scored an average overnight household rating/share..

Wednesday night marks the return of Blue Bloods! See Tom Selleck play the first openly blue collar member of the USGA Executive Committee battling a super-secret group of Walter Driver lackeys disputing the importance of returning to the New York market every seven years. That's 9:30 Wednesday, only on CBS.

of 3.7/7, up +54% from last year’s 2.4/5 in the metered markets.
 
Sunday’s final-round rating peaked at a 4.8/9 (6:00-6:30 PM, ET).  In addition,

Tonight on 60 Minutes, Julian Assange reveals whether WikiLeaks really has all PGA Tour Vice Presidential emails from the last 13 years and whether he will post them online. Steve Kroft reports, only on CBS.

Sunday’s 3.7/7 was the highest overnight rating for the final round of the FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN since 2008 (4.6/9).
 
CBS Sports' third-round coverage of the FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN on Saturday, January 29 (3:15-6:00 PM, ET) earned an average overnight household rating/share of 2.5/6, up +47% from last year's third round 1.7/4 in the metered markets. Saturday’s 2.5/6 was the highest-rated third round for this event since 2008 (3.2/7).

Shock: Tiger's Dubai Project "Suspended"**

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Guess they had to get this out of the way so that he wouldn't have to pretend during his visit in a couple of weeks like things were progressing, even though we already knew from this Donegan report last November that this one wasn't happening.

Thanks to reader Peter for this Reuters story:

The developer, a unit of Dubahi Holding [DUBAHC.UL], had planned the resort with Woods, a former world number one, who was to have designed the golf course.

"Tiger Woods Dubai can confirm it has suspended the project," Dubai Properties said in a statement on Monday.

"This decision was based on current market conditions that do not support high-end luxury real estate. These conditions will continue to be monitored and a decision will be made in the future when to restart the project." The golf resort was slated to have 292 residential plots for palaces, mansions, luxury villas and golf villas, according to the development's website. It also includes an 18 hole golf course.

Bubba: "So I'm probably going to cry all day, just like I did last time."

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Mick Elliott on Bubba Watson's impressive win at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open.

"It means a lot," Watson said of the victory. "You know, everyone is special. We do not know if we are going to have them or not. So I'm probably going to cry all day, just like I did last time."

The long-hitting left-hander was 13 under on the par-5s for the week, birdieing all four on Sunday. He led the field in greens in regulation -- 59 of 72. He also led the field in driving distance, averaging 308 yards.

Helen Ross explains why the normally fidgety Bubba displayed a new calm:

Watson's wife, Angie, saw a calmness in her husband on Sunday that was different than the way he handled himself at TPC River Highlands in June. At the same time, though, his success in San Diego probably could be directly traced to the trust he gained in his abilities as he beat Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin in that playoff.

"We had a lot on our plate at that point in the season," Angie said as she thought back to the win in Hartford. "He just had that kind of go-for-it feeling today. That it didn't matter to him what happened. He was going to go down fighting. So I think there was a look of extra confidence."

Phil Mickelson's Hagen-esque move to have Jim Mackay on 18 was summed up by Bob Harig:

In 2011, such a move has the potential for coming off poorly, although there was most definitely a method to the madness Sunday at Torrey Pines.

A few minutes later -- after Mickelson's approach landed behind the pin, spun back toward the cup but came up short of dropping for the eagle he needed to tie Bubba Watson and send the Farmers Insurance Open to a playoff -- Mackay said to suggest theatrics is to not understand the game.

"Pleeeeassse. ... I take offense at that word," Mickelson's longtime caddie said, smirking. "If you knew how many times in a year inside 100 yards he hits the flag, you'd understand ... that was a no brainer.

"We'd be feeling pretty disgusted right now if it hit the flag and went back in the soup."

Sean Martin also has this from Phil about the move:

“About 10, 12, 14 times a year I end up hitting the pin with a wedge and it ricochets all over the place, and I didn’t want that to happen,” Mickelson said. “I wanted to fly it in, possibly, or I wanted to skip it past and maybe bring it back in.”

Mickelson’s tee shot into the rough on 18 prevented him from going for the green in two. He played well this week despite a wayward driver, but it finally cost him on the final hole. Mickelson ranked 64th (out of the 79 players who made the cut) in driving accuracy, but tied for second in greens in regulation.

Steve Elling says that second place for Mickelson at Torrey Pines bodes well for the year, especially in light of 2010's struggles.

You are not going to hear it from him, or anybody else in the Mickelson camp, but there was a lot more going on in terms of drama last year than anybody wants to address publicly.

"He is so resilient," Amy Mickelson said this weekend of her famous husband. "He is such a glass-is-half-full guy. He always has been."

With his wife and mom already battling breast cancer, Lefty pretty much got his glass kicked, though despite repeated arm twisting, he politely declined to discuss it on the record.

His bout with arthritis he experienced last summer, which he predictably shrugged off with nary a complaint, was far more difficult than he let on. Mickelson said he wouldn’t discuss his medical issues because it would sound like he was making excuses for a sub-standard second half.

The final round highlights, and there were many:

"It all goes back to this central pillar of the game, that you must sign properly for your own score."

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John Huggan's chat with the R&A's Peter Dawson about the likelihood of a rules re-write yielded the revelation that the R&A already has a re-write draft on disqualification about ready to go. Though I'm still not sure about the delineation between the Camilo and Padraig incidents.
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Taylor CEO Calls For Bifurcating Pro And Amateur Rules

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Friday we learned that Taylor Made's Mark King, who just eight years ago couldn't see the makings of trouble down the road now wants a re-write of the rules because the game is not growing.

Now in an online video interview posted Saturday at Golfweek.com he goes further, calling for all-out bifurcation that manufacturers have steadfastly refused to even consider as an alternative best suiting the game (skip to the two minute mark unless you want to hear him hump the new white driver).

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Comment Posting Issues

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I've heard from you a few of you about making posts and filling out the security letters and still having posts not appear. My apologies. I've put in the word with the good folks at Squarespace. If the steps were different than mentioned here, please post (if you can!) what went wrong. I'm also looking into upgrading to the next level once and for all to introduce a registration option so that you don't have to fill out security forms and other nonsense.