'12 Tournament Of Champions To End On Monday
/Sean Martin with the news that sounds like it was as much a product of the PGA Tour making a wise move as NBC promising to plug the event during its wild card NFL coverage.
Read MoreWhen you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Sneak Peak At The U.S. Open Course...Next Year
/I'm trying not to jump ahead to next year and really, the next decade of U.S. Open courses once we get through this week. Still there were some fun bits on Ron Kroichick's look at what's going on at Olympic to be ready a year from now:
Read MoreQ&A With Dan Jenkins, Vol. 4
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This has become an annual tradition of sorts, checking in with the Ancient Twitterer, inevitable World Golf Hall Of Famer and still the only golf writer to have his own bobblehead. You can read the past Q&A's here, here and here and during next week's U.S. Open, you can follow him on Twitter here. As a friend of mine said yesterday when discussing the marvels of Twitter: "It's like having Dan Jenkins in my living room watching the Open with me."Sunday's Final Round Open Comment Threads
/Robert Karlson is peaking at the right time for the U.S. Open, leading in Memphis.
Yani Tseng (who else) is leading the LPGA event in Springfield.
And Bob Tway is trying to win on the Champions Tour for the first time.
Oh and the U.S. Open week fun starts Monday. I'll be reporting to you live from there with some first impressions of the course Monday afternoon and evening.
"I buried my dad on my birthday."
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I finally got around to Steve Elling's story on former high school teammates Christo Greyling and Ty Tryon qualifying for the U.S. Open Monday and it is well worth your time. Warning though, it's emotional and upsetting at times (Greyling's father committed suicide), and downright bizarre whe reading about the effects the acne drug Accutane had on their golf games.Stevie Only On Loan To Adam Scott; Not That This Will Stop The Reckless Speculation!
/Bob Harig quotes Tiger ten-percenter business partner Mark Steinberg as saying that Steve Williams' appearance on Adam Scott's bag at the U.S. Open is only temporary.
Yes, The Planned Green Speed Is 14.5
/I've been caught up in other things related to the U.S. Open setup, but in reading Rex Hoggard's look at Mike Davis's first Open as Executive Director, I just couldn't get past the projected green speed number for next week.
Read More"Tiger Woods became 'cool' without ever knowing how to be cool."
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Tiger chronicler Bob Smiley takes a serious look at what ultimately may have created some of Tiger's personal and physical issues in light of Congressman Anthony Weiner's similar downfall (and blue curtain backdrop, nice juxtaposition by ESPN editorial).
"I'm not worried about Shackleford."
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Kevin Van Valkenburg previews the Belmont Stakes and the chances of my (almost) namesake horse. He also answers questions about the race dynamics and why Woody would pick Shackleford.Commence The Search For Deep Hidden Meaning: 2011 U.S. Open Groupings
/Far Hills, N.J. – Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open Thursday (June 16) and Friday (June 17) at the par 36-35--71, 7,574-yard, Congressional Country Club Blue Course in Bethesda, Md. (A=amateur)
All Times EDT
Thursday (June 16), hole #1; Friday (June 17), hole #10
7 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. - Daehyun Kim, Korea; Chez Reavie, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Shane Lowry, Ireland
7:11 a.m. - 12:51 p.m. - Greg Chalmers, Australia; Kirk Triplett, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Tbd
7:22 a.m. - 1:02 p.m. - Marc Leishman, Australia; Alex Cejka, Czech Republic; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.
7:33 a.m. - 1:13 p.m. - Fred Funk, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; A-David Chung, Fayetteville, N.C.; Michael Campbell, New Zealand
7:44 a.m. - 1:24 p.m. - Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England; K.J. Choi, Korea
7:55 a.m. – 1:35 p.m. - Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; A-Peter Uihlein, Orlando, Fla.; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa
8:06 a.m. - 1:46 p.m. - Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Johan Edfors, Sweden; Fredrik Jacobson, Sweden
8:17 a.m. - 1:57 p.m. - Ernie Els, South Africa; Davis Love III, Sea Island, Ga.; Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
8:28 a.m. - 2:08 p.m. - Justin Rose, England; Tim Clark, South Africa; Jason Day, Australia
8:39 a.m. - 2:19 p.m. - Jeff Overton, Bloomington, Ind.; Ryan Palmer, Amarillo, Texas; Tbd
8:50 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Brandt Jobe, Westlake, Texas; Nick O'Hern, Australia; D.A. Points, Windermere, Fla.
9:01 a.m. – 2:41 p.m. - Christo Greyling, South Africa; Adam Hadwin, Canada; Joey Lamielle, Sarasota, Fla.
9:12 a.m. - 2:52 p.m. - Michael Tobiason Jr., Wilmington, Del.; Jesse Hutchins, Cincinnati, Ohio; Michael Smith, Lafayette, La.
Thursday (June 16), hole #10; Friday (June 17), hole #1
7 a.m - 12:40 p.m. - Chad Campbell, Andrews, Texas; Harrison Frazar, Dallas, Texas; Marc Turnesa, Jupiter, Fla.
7:11 a.m. - 12:51 p.m. - Justin Hicks, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; Marcel Siem, Germany; Sunghoon Kang, Korea
7:22 a.m. - 1:02 p.m. - Thomas Levet, France; Brian Gay, Windemere, Fla.; Gregory Havret, France
7:33 a.m. - 1:13 p.m. - Heath Slocum, Alpharetta, Ga.; A-Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.; Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium
7:44 a.m. - 1:24 p.m. - Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.
7:55 a.m. – 1:35 p.m. - Ryo Ishikawa, Japan; Anthony Kim, Los Angeles, Calif.; Y.E. Yang, Korea
8:06 a.m. - 1:46 p.m. - Luke Donald, England; Lee Westwood, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany
8:17 a.m. - 1:57 p.m. - Jonathan Byrd, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.; Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.
8:28 a.m. - 2:08 p.m. - Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Robert Karlsson, Sweden
8:39 a.m. – 2:19 p.m. - Sam Saunders, Orlando, Fla.; Tim Petrovic, Austin, Texas; Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.
8:50 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. - Matthew Edwards, Las Cruces, N.M.; A-Brad Benjamin, Rockford, Ill.; TBD
9:01 a.m. – 2:41 p.m. - Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla.; Adam Long, St. Louis, Mo.; A-Michael Barbosa, St. Petersburg, Fla.
9:12 a.m. - 2:52 p.m. - Michael Whitehead, Sugar Land, Texas; Will Wilcox, Ashville, Ala.; John Ellis, San Jose, Calif.
Thursday (June 16), hole #1; Friday (June 17), hole #10
12:40 p.m. – 7 a.m. - Ty Tryon, Orlando, Fla.; Maarten Lafeber, Netherlands; Scott Barr, Australia
12:51 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Geoffrey Sisk, Marshfield, Mass.; A-Cheng-Tsung Pan, Chinese Taipei; Matt Richardson, England
1:02 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - Bo Van Pelt, Jenks, Okla.; Kyung-Tae Kim, Korea; Ben Crane, Beaverton, Ore.
1:13 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - Mark Wilson, Elmhurst, Ill.; Martin Laird, Scotland; Peter Hanson, Sweden
1:24 p.m. - 7:44 a.m. - Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Alvaro Quiros, Spain
1:35 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Francesco Molinari, Italy; Matteo Manassero, Italy; Edoardo Molinari, Italy
1:46 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Hiroyuki Fujita, Japan; Todd Hamilton, Westlake, Texas; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.
1:57 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.; Ian Poulter, England; Hunter Mahan, Colleyville, Texas
2:08 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Camilo Villegas, Colombia; Aaron Baddeley, Australia; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.
2:19 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - Kevin Chappell, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dohoon Kim, Korea; Robert Rock, England
2:30 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Jon Mills, Canada; Andreas Harto, Denmark; A-Scott Pinckney, Scottsdale, Ariz.
2:41 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - A-Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo.; Ryan Nelson, Dickinson, Texas; Elliot Gealy, Salisbury, N.C.
2:52 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Christopher Deforest, Cottekill, N.Y.; A-Chris Williams, Moscow, Idaho; Wes Heffernan, Canada
Thursday (June 16), hole #10; Friday (June 17), hole #1
12:40 p.m. – 7 a.m. - Alexandre Rocha, Windermere, Fla.; Andres Gonzales, Olympia, Wash.; Bubba Dickerson, Hilliard, Fla.
12:51 p.m. - 7:11 a.m. - Michael Putnam, Lakewood, Wash.; A-Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif.; Robert Dinwiddie, England
1:02 p.m. - 7:22 a.m. - John Senden, Australia; Robert Garrigus, Charleston, S.C.; Scott Hend, Australia
1:13 p.m. - 7:33 a.m. - Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Stephen Gallacher, Scotland; Seung Yul Noh, Korea
1:24 p.m. - 7:44 a.m.- Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Retief Goosen, South Africa; David Toms, Shreveport, La.
1:35 p.m. – 7:55 a.m.- Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
1:46 p.m. - 8:06 a.m. - Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Trevor Immelman, South Africa; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1:57 p.m. - 8:17 a.m. - Nick Watney, Henderson, Nev.; Lucas Glover, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia
2:08 p.m. - 8:28 a.m. - Ryan Moore, Tacoma, Wash.; Robert Allenby, Australia; Rory Sabbatini, South Africa
2:19 p.m. - 8:39 a.m. - David Howell, England; Kenichi Kuboya, Japan; Briny Baird, Palm City, Fla.
2:30 p.m. - 8:50 a.m. - Charley Hoffman, Las Vegas, Nev.; Alexander Noren, Sweden; Sangmoon Bae, Korea
2:41 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - A-Brett Patterson, McMinnville, Tenn.; Bennett Blakeman, Burr Ridge, Ill.; Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif.
2:52 p.m. - 9:12 a.m. - Chris Wilson, Dublin, Ohio; David May, Auburn, N.Y.; A-Beau Hossler, Rncho Snta Margarita, Calif.
Update on 2011-06-11 05:18 by Geoff
**Jason Sobel analyzes the pairings and also offered this explanation of the alternate process.
Garry Smits also looks at the groupings and notes some "head-scratchers" as well as the placements of the Jacksonville players.
Nicklaus Sued For Course That Was Never Built
/Thanks to Pete Finch for Tweeting this Courthouse News report that Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club LLC have been sued for his involvement in a project that was never built.
Read MoreCongressional Survives Record Heat
/GCM's Scott Hollister traded messages with Congressional super Mike Giuffre yesterday afternoon when th heat index was hitting 106 in Washington DC and the club's 2-year-old Penn A-1/A-4 putting surfaces were doing fine.
Read MoreMajor International Scandal Will Make It Hard To Look At Ryo The Same Ever Again...
/Driving with an international driver's license that wasn't valid in Japan. I just want to know if this apology is enough for all the Ryo haters out there?
"I want to apologize to all the fans and sponsors who have supported me," Ishikawa said at Narita Airport. "There is no excuse for this."
The 19-year-old Ishikawa drove in Japan without knowing the international permit he received in the United States wasn't valid in Japan because his U.S. stay was not long enough. Ishikawa was questioned by local police over the driving license incident on Thursday.
Report: Olympic Course Site Announced
/Thanks to reader Rob for this ATR report (subscription required) that Rio Olympic officials made it official: the 2016 course to be used for the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 will be a new one on a site in the city. This hasn't been much of a secret, but still the first official acknowledgement from the organizers of the direction and location.
Organizers also chose the occasion to announce the stage for golf’s first Olympic tournament since 1904, a new course rather than one of the two private 18-hole courses already in existence in Rio.
“Now the masterplan of the different sports competitions is finalized, so we know where every sport will be for the Games in 2016,” Felli told ATR.
“We believe the course is going to be a key legacy for Rio as it’s going to be in the middle of the Barra zone like most of the Olympic Village.”
