Woodland On The Instructor Rebound, Lands With Butch

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I know many of you were lying awake at night worrying about the fate of Gary Woodland--he of the highly dysfunctional and extremely uncoordinated golf swing that produces mere drop kick drives--after his longtime instructor Randy Smith quit out of loyalty to his agent son after Woodland moved to Steiny Stables. Jeff Babineau reports that Woodland only managed a week as a single man before driving range instructor Butch Harmon agreed to take on this reclamation project.
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Bloomberg "Not Sure" The Donald Got A Good Deal

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Ray Rivera of the New York Times talks to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg about the sweetheart deal the city gave Donald Trump to manage its Jack Nicklaus-designed Ferry Point muni. Seems the Mayor is openly suggesting the city did not give the contractor a good deal in this case and he's basing this on the state of the golf industry.
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"The game at the top level has almost become one for bombers. You can’t survive out there if you are short by tour standards."

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You have to admire Andrew Coltart for not being ashamed to admit his game doesn't work with today's equipment and setups, but don't you also have to wonder if there's something wrong when the game becomes so blatantly one-dimensional? John Huggan profiles the professional, who discusses his "lack of competitiveness.
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Elin Lets Charity Loot Her Termite-Infested Tear-Me-Down

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Here I was about to call Habitat For Humanity to see if they wanted my old La-zy-Boy and somehow I feel like it won't amount to much after reading Bill DiPaolo's story about Elin Nordegren letting the charity outfit loot the to-be-demolished $12 million mansion in Florida. And I must say, a nice bit of ink to counter the demolition story. Taking notes Steiny?
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The Four-Day, Single Pro-Am Partner Event Not-Played-At-The-Classic-Club-Effect: Phil Returns To Desert

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Bones, get ready to remember a new pro-am partner's name every day! For Immediate Release:

Two-time event champion Phil Mickelson commits to play Humana Challenge
 
Immensely popular Southern California native and four-time major winner
 has an enviable record in the Coachella Valley
 
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner of the Humana Challenge and the leading all-time money winner in the event, has committed to play in an event where he has enjoyed immense success -- the 2012 Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
 
Set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May, Mickelson is the second Hall of Fame selection to enter the Humana Challenge field. Greg Norman, winner of two British Opens and captain of the International Team at the last two Presidents Cups, also committed to his first Humana Challenge since 1986.
 
“I’m honored to join President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the Humana Challenge,” Mickelson said. “I admire President Clinton and the charitable work of his Foundation, which helps millions of people around the world, and I applaud him for joining Humana in using the tournament to help promote health and wellness. Some of my best seasons have come after starting at this event and I’m really excited about coming back again.”

Stars From The Previous Century Aligning For Clinton Desert Initiative

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Still waiting for the big names to sign up for the Humana Challenge, as predicted expected when former President Bill Clinton signed up to help resuscitate the former Bob Hope Classic. (There's a fun Thomas Friedman interview with Clinton in the new Golf Digest, with some of the least interesting excerpts available here.)
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