"There in the back of the fridge lies the US PGA Championship, pumped full of water and vitamins and preservatives, but still rotting away."

Mark Reason helps set up what will be the second post PGA question with this lethal look at what the PGA Championship has morphed into: "a competition to find 'the world's khakiest man.'"

And that is true on so many levels. But before we pick apart the PGA, here's Reason's take on what could replace the PGA ala the Evian Masters buying a place in the LPGA major rota. Though I'm not sure about the use of Oriental Open...

If a combination of Asian TV networks and corporate interests like HSBC and Sony could come up with enough dosh, surely a new Oriental Open could replace the moribund US PGA.

America's influence is waning on and off the course as Tiger and Wall Street crash together.

Yes, Asia would be buying a major, but that is the way of professional sport. It is how the US PGA started and the Ryder Cup and many of golf's premier events.

And as Asia is already joined with New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the President's Cup, maybe the fourth major could also come to these shores every now and again.

It is anachronistic for America still to stage three of the game's majors. We could build a statue to the 'unknown golfer' and place it in a square in Middle America to commemorate the passing of the US PGA and American heroes like David.

Toms, Larry Nelson and Keegan Bradley, khaki Confederates who all won glory's last shot in Atlanta.

This year's US PGA was the first major to be won by a belly putter. Uggh.

It's time to move on. It's time to make golf the global game it pretends to be.

"As soon as I woke up and looked at the trophy I started laughing."

Very nice work by Helen Ross detailing "the day after" for PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley.

Bradley seemed amazed, as well as personally gratified, by all the attention he has received. "Crazy stuff," he called it. The 25-year-old has gone from about 3,000 Twitter followers to 10 times as many, and he's had more than 1,000 friend requests on Facebook. He estimated he's gotten between 250-300 text messages, only about a third of which he's been able to read so far.

Phil Mickelson, Bradley's frequent practice round and toughen-up partner, said "some very nice things" in his text while Lefty's caddy Bones Mackay left a more traditional voice mail. The text Bradley received from his good buddy Chris Kirk "probably meant the most of anybody," he said, adding "It's amazing to have people so genuinely happy for you."

"Mickelson has a point."

Bob Carney of Golf Digest supports Phil Mickelson's PGA rant about modern design and makes me wonder if it's time for long-needed change to Golf Digest's influential course ranking criteria. (Full disclosure, I've only been lobbying for this change for, oh, ever.)

Owners or club boards wanted to put their course on the map. Suddenly course and slope rating became the measure of greatness. We've heard people say, "It's got a slope rating of 155!" as if that were a good thing.  Ask Pete Dye about it and he'll tell you that if you want to excite golfers about your course, you make it tough, and he's been told by developers to do just that.  

But that's from the back tees, and Dye and most architects offer plenty of shorter options. Which is why, we think, the Tee it Forward initiative supported by the USGA and the PGA is so important. Based on Barney Adams contention that if the average golfer were playing "tour-equivalent" tees (based on their distance off the tee) most would be moving up a set.

The popularity of places such as Bandon Dunes, and of more "playable" architecture by the designers like Tom Doak and Ben Crenshaw (with partner Bill Coore), prove that not all of us are masochists. And those designs have done very well on rankings like Golf Digest's, that emphasize shot values over resistance to scoring. 

Ah but maybe this would be the right time to drop "Resistance to Scoring" altogether? Or change the wording, call it Resistance To Fun, and deduct the points from the course's overall score?

Meanwhile in this week's Pond Scrum wrap up of the PGA, Huggan and Elling discuss Phil's "point" and conclude as I did that he needs to think through his attacks on certain styles of modern design.

Elling: I have very mixed feelings when hearing Mickelson belittle Jones. It's become rather catty to me. Phil is hugely pro-technology and went on a reasoned rant last year against another favorite target, Dick Rugge of the USGA, about rule changes designed to keep players from inhaling golf courses whole in a single breath. Mickelson fails to acknowledge that with players flying drives 300 yards in the air, changes to courses are a necessity. So while Jones and his ilk might not get it right every time, they have to add teeth to keep scores from becoming laughable. Keegan Bradley birdied two of the last three holes in regulation. Somebody managed to avoid the carnage.

Huggan: You are right. That is where Phil's argument breaks down. Of course, he is being well compensated for his support of turbo-charged balls and clubs. I suspect, deep down, he is just as hacked off as I am. After all, it would be to his advantage if shaping shots returned to the pro game. He is one of the best when it comes to that.

Rosie: Tiger Needs AAA Rehab Assignment

Tim Rosaforte suggested on Golf Channel's excellent post game coverage last week from Atlanta (amazing what they can do when not ensconced in Orlando or the basement of Augusta Country Club) that Tiger needs to get in those "reps" at Pawtucket. Or in golf's case, Las Vegas.

And now he puts it in writing for Golf World Monday: Tiger needs to play, and both for his game and image, needs to turn up in some unfamiliar places better known as the Fall Finish.

Tigerista's will also not want to miss Jaime Diaz and Bill Fields talking to Sam Weinman about the state of Tiger's game.

Update on 2011-08-15 22:47 by Geoff

**** Steve Elkington Tweeted his expectation of this happening.