"The resulting litigation and subsequent out-of-court settlement in 1990 had a far greater impact on the game than any performance enhancement offered by grooves."

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Adam Schupak saw Frank Hannigan's Voices item in the May 23, 2011 issue of Golf World (not online) in which the former USGA Executive Director comments on the recent New York Times story about the Polara ball. John Strege recently reminded us of the settlement the USGA paid, but as Schupak notes based on his study of Hannigan's oral history stored in the USGA Museum, that $1.4 million also permanently changed the way the USGA regulates equipment.
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Match Play Sunday, Colonial Open Thread

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Poulter and Donald are in the finale in Spain, they've a nice final foursome at the Sybase and Colonial has gotten more interesting. And I'm sure the only thing anyone will want to talk about is Ian Poulter falling and losing his diamond encrusted ball marker.

Me, I'm just forwarding through the telecast to see...if we can figure out what happened to the marker. Ian declared himself "alright," but only after checking to see if his pants had been stained. We wouldn't have him any other way.

“Shackleford is hot and wound up. I don’t like anything I’m seeing.”

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Before you got all, "but he spells it 'le'" do keep in mind that my name has been spelled Shackleford more often than the correct way. It even appeared that way in a magazine I write for recently, which, along with a jockey named Jesus on Rapture day should have been your cue to bet on Shackleford to win the Preakness. And he did, as Jay Privman reports. Or Joe Drape if you want the NY Times perspective and photo gallery.
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USGA Embracing Alternatives To Golf...Sort Of

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John Paul Newport looks at the attempts to attract new players and retain longtime golfers through twists on the way most play golf. Interesting to see how the USGA is not resisting. Seems like a wise approach.

You might think that the USGA, as official keeper of the rules of golf, would be appalled at these newfangled notions. Not so. "Our job is to protect the traditional game as people know it," Mike Davis, the USGA's new executive director, told me. "But if people like Flogton come up with different kinds of games that relate to golf, we are fine with that." The scramble format commonly used in outings is not USGA-legal, he pointed out. Neither are gimmes or mulligans. But all are part of the fabric of golf as it is actually played.

"Was it worth it for them to win it? No."

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William Weinbaum previews ESPN's Sunday morning Outside the Lines episode by recapping the PGA Tour-Casey Martin battle that ended up in the Supreme Court. It makes for a nice recap of one of the real low points in PGA Tour history. And in light of this sidebar, you realize what a failure of common sense the fight to keep Martin out of a cart the saga proved to be.

A PGA Tour spokesman said that in the 10 years since the Supreme Court decision, the tour has reviewed a few applications for golf carts, almost exclusively in qualifying competitions. Other than Casey Martin, only Erik Compton -- twice a heart transplant recipient -- has used a cart in an actual PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour event. He was granted the use of a cart for a six-month period during his recovery phase. He now plays without one.

Jeff Bradley profiles the former Stanford golfer and now Oregon golf coach.

The preview:

"Should Woods, rather than pushing himself to play more in order to get stronger, follow the Hogan option and play less to conserve strength?"

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Last week I asked if Tiger should/could be following the Hogan '53 route for his future scheduling and Larry Dorman uses Colonial weekend to tackle that question.

In 1953, Hogan played only six times, winning five events, including the three majors in which he played, and was given a ticker-tape parade in New York.

Before ardent Hogan disciples erupt in outrage, no one is suggesting here that Woods’s injuries are comparable to Hogan’s in severity. But consider this: Should Woods, rather than pushing himself to play more in order to get stronger, follow the Hogan option and play less to conserve strength?

Hogan was 36 when his car had a head-on collision with a bus on a foggy morning outside Van Horn, Tex. His injuries included two fractures to his pelvis, a fractured collarbone and left ankle, and life-threatening blood clots. Time away from competitive golf: 11 months.

Meanwhile, Robert Lusetich questions the likelihood of a Tiger return and shares some interesting comments from Kenny Perry about Tiger's physique.

“Tiger goes over the top when he does stuff,” Perry said. “When he works out, he works out religiously; whatever he does, he’s gung-ho. It’s amazing because that’s what made him such a great player, but maybe he’s overdone it.

“When he was playing great golf, he was wiry, thin, loose and quick; he had a lot of speed. Now he’s so thick, he looks like a defensive back in the NFL, but his legs are still little.

“So is his lower body struggling to support his heavier, muscular upper body? I don’t know, maybe it is.”

Wally: "Companies that are going to be U.S. centric, they will be roadkill on tomorrow's scorecard."

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Mike Johnson posts a very interesting Q&A with Wally Uihlein following today's announced sale of Acushnet to Fila Korea. While his comments about globalization are interesting, what really stood out for me was his interest in the middle class of Korea. I get the sense that the demise of the American middle class must be making Wally wonder about the future of the business here.
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