Els: "I was lucky ... I got the breaks in life and won at the right time."

That was Ernie Els accepting his Hall of Fame induction, according to Garry Smits who does a nice job wrapping up the evenings activities from St. Augustine.

As for the no-shows Jumbo Ozaki and George Bush, Smits writes:

Ozaki, who was elected through the international ballot, is the most prolific winner in the history of Japanese golf, with 113 worldwide titles. Unable to travel because of back problems and the recent natural disasters in his country, his brother Joe Ozaki accepted on his behalf.

And as for the former President, who had no business being inducted except for his willingness to put up with Tim Finchem, the official line was that 41 was busy.

President Bush was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts.

"It's not going to happen with this commissioner. A new commissioner might see otherwise."

Steve DiMeglio looks at the PGA Tour's insistence on keeping disciplinary actions private and gets this from Joe Ogilvie:

"I think you use your head on what should be announced. There are certain things that need to be kept within the Tour and there are certain things that can be made public. You guys are going to find out anyway. So, you can either control it, or you let (the media) control it. And I'd rather control it."

Ogilvie also said announcements could be a deterrent. But Ogilvie said he doesn't see the Tour changing it's current policy of keeping quiet.

"It's not going to happen with this commissioner. A new commissioner might see otherwise," Ogilvie said. "I'm not saying Tim is wrong, I'm just saying I'd look at it a little differently from a player's perspective. Maybe if I was in his position I'd think of the way he thinks of it.

"But Tim's not going to change his mind."

No Republicans Or Democrats Land In Top 10 Golf Digest's Washington Golfer Ranking!

Just the people who stuff their pockets! Want more proof that lobbyists rule the world? Look at them clog up Golf Digest's list of best political world golfers.

Boehner lands at T-43 while Obama is listed as a 17, landing him at No. 108.

New Golf Channel Feherty Show Declared "Ground-Breaking" By Golf Channel

For Immediate Release...

GOLF CHANNEL ANNOUNCES GROUND-BREAKING ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING IRREPRESSIBLE SPORTS PERSONALITY DAVID FEHERTY
 
FEHERTY
 
12-Part Series Features Personal Stories, Clever Observations and Captivating Interviews with the Man Known for his Inimitable Style and Witty Golf Commentary
 
Feherty Premieres Week of June 20
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 9, 2011) – One of the most recognizable and unique personalities in sports, David Feherty – a 14-year veteran of CBS Sports – is bringing his unmistakable wit to Golf Channel with the all-new, prime-time series Feherty, currently in production and debuting the week of June 20, following the playing of the U.S. Open near the nation’s capitol.
 
Feherty is the first original Golf Channel series created since the golf cable network became a member of the NBC Sports Group following the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction in January.
 
No topic is off limits in this 12-part series which will share revealing interviews with well-known personalities from all walks of life – from sports to entertainment to politics – along with unique stories and anecdotes from the brilliant yet zany mind of David Feherty.

And skipping through the bio stuff:

“This show is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I'm glad it’s found a home at Golf Channel,” Feherty said.  “I’m really overjoyed, so much so that I may have to cheer down, rather than up.  I think I'm tri-polar.”
 
Surrounding the interview in each 30-minute episode, Feherty will share never-before-heard stories about the sport and the personalities that play it as well as poignant and humorous observations on the peculiarities of life. The series is being shot both in studio and on location with interviews taking place across the country.

Meet The New WGHOF Inductees...

There hasn't been much buzz about this year's golf Hall class for a few reasons, most notably that an active player (Ernie Els) is the headliner while two others (Jumbo Ozaki and George Bush) are less than ideal inductees who are not appearing to accept their place in golf's impressive shrine. Here is the entire group courtesy of a nice PGATour.com synopsis page.

Also, Deane Beman (with Adam Schupak's help) pens a My Shot this week for SI on inductee Frank Chirkinian, writing this about the legendary CBS producers' skill:

If you watched the Masters on CBS this year you saw Frank's artistic legacy. Tiger's tournament hinged on his putter at the 12th on Sunday. CBS got that. It wasn't that he had to make his birdie putt, it was that he couldn't miss the second putt, for par, which is what he did. He needed to step on the 13th tee feeling confident, make the birdie there, on the short par-5, and he didn't do that either. CBS showed all of that. A good broadcast paints the picture of how a player builds a round, or dismantles it for that matter. That's why Chirkinian showed fewer players making more shots. When golf is good on TV now, it's when producers follow Chirkinian's example.

Photographers Remember Seve

It's not often when we lose a golfing great that you hear photographers speaking out about their affection for the person, but that's just how powerful a presence Seve exuded.

Matthew Harris, who captured several memorable images of Seve and whose work can now be seen at The Golf Picture Library, shares the image (left) and following words about Seve:

"All any golf photographer ever wanted to do was to photograph Seve,he gave us some extraordinary moments. He will never be forgotten as long as golf is played, as he made the impossible shots, possible.It was a privilege being there for many of his triumphant wins, in an illustrious career and an honor we became friends ".

"One of my most cherished memories was going to dinner with him, and my friend Koji Aoki, to a small Japanese noodle  house, sitting on tatami mats,in the middle of the Hakone Highlands in Japan; laughter,chop sticks and a priceless evening ".

"Seve was the pied piper, not only of European golf,but why even non sports fans would tune in when he was rampaging across a golf course bubbling charisma with every swashbuckling swipe of his clubs; there never was a finer sight in my experience in golf ".

David Cannon also penned these thoughts for golf.com:

Whether it was a smile, a scowl, a serious moment or a great action image, it did not matter. The eyes told the story — the unrivalled passion for the game of golf. It's a passion I share every day of my life, and I very much miss Seve's being around as a person, let alone as a subject.

"I don’t know how long it will take to sink in. Eight months? Nine months? A couple days? I don’t know. I’ve never done this before."

I've been hearing from reader Rob Matre about amateur Russell Henley, winner of Sunday's Stadion Classic on the Nationwide Tour over his home course at the University of Georgia.  Rob posted a gallery of images from Sunday's round.

From an unbylined AP story on the win:

“I can’t even feel my arms,” Henley said. “I was nervous all day. I don’t know how long it will take to sink in. Eight months? Nine months? A couple days? I don’t know. I’ve never done this before.”

The three-time All-America selection finished at 12-under 272 on the University of Georgia Golf Course.

If you want to experience what golf highlights were like in the silent era, here's a B-roll with graphics of the final round in Athens.

Cool Nike Commercial During Derby

I was mostly to nervous for my man Shackleford to notice the pre-race commercials, but it was hard not to be glued to one that ran during the Kentucky Derby and turned out to be for...Nike golf balls!

Pretty impressive piece of work here, with some golf course damage thrown in. Anyone know what course this is? Looks like something Northern California.

Amateur Leading Nationwide Event

Russell Henley is tied for the lead with Troy Kelly on his home college course in Athens, Georgia.