Latest Golf Digest Podcast: West Coast, Tiger, Phil

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Sam Weinman talks to me about a Golf World column this week on the dangers of the tour's proposed "fiscal year" calendar, the state of the West Coast Swing, Tiger and Phil, all set to the background noise of the Northern Trust Open media center. Give it a listen below, or subscribe to Golf Digest's podcasts on iTunes.

Listen to the podcast

Lehman In Long Putter Lash-Out: "What I do know is that the USGA and their testing with the ball...fell asleep at the wheel"

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Asked at the Ace Classic by Adam Schupak about the long putter and anchoring...nothing like a good rant!

TOM LEHMAN: My thought is they've picked the wrong thing to fight against and they've done it about 15 years too late. To make an issue about this when they should have made an issue about the balls or clubs 15, 20 years ago is ridiculous. That's my opinion. I think it's just fine.

If there were this method of putting where it was foolproof and you couldn't miss and it just turned this whole game into a joke because it was so simple and so foolproof, I would say, you know what, that's probably worth looking at. The long putter, the belly putter have helped guys who have struggled to keep their careers intact or bring them back from the depths, but it's not a foolproof way.

Q. Did you ever think you would see so many guys on the PGA TOUR, young guys, using it, the belly?

TOM LEHMAN: I hadn't really thought much about it. To me it's a nonissue. It really is. I don't think it's an issue at all. If I were the head of the USGA, I wouldn't even give it a second thought. I wouldn't. That's how strongly I feel about it.

But there are people who feel strongly the other way. I respect that. It's not traditional. Whether or not anchoring a club to your body in some way is breaking a rule, I don't think it is or else it would have been outlawed a long time ago. It's a matter of opinion. What I do know is that the USGA and their testing with the ball and that stuff a long time just completely fell asleep at the wheel and let it get out of control. There you have it.

Q. When you first started using a longer putter, what type of reaction did you get out here?

TOM LEHMAN: No reaction. You know, there was no big deal. I don't mean -- look, I don't know because I don't read the magazines, but I don't believe there's a whole bunch of players out there going crazy and hooting and hollering because some guy's using a belly putter. I don't think. I think it's more made up with maybe the press and the USGA or whoever, but I don't see a lot of players out there picketing, I'm not going to play if the belly putter's allowed this week. I don't see it. Maybe it's there, I just don't know. Maybe you can tell me. Are there a lot of players upset about it? Maybe there are. There aren't, are there?

Q. No, the guys who used the belly putter or long putter on the TOUR last year who won, the best (inaudible) was like 55th.

TOM LEHMAN: That's my whole point right there. This is such a nonissue in my opinion that it's almost comical to be debating.

2012 Northern Trust Open, Round 1 This And That

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First round leader Phil Mickelson (click image to enlarge)A fantastic day for watching golf, not so fun if you had to play Riviera in the steady 15 m.p.h winds that gusted to 30 at times until 2:45 p.m. Though Phil Mickelson's opening 66 was impressive on many levels, Jonathan Byrd's morning 68 during the worst winds stands out as the day's most impressive round.

Random observations from the day:

- Mickelson is on cruise control. He appears to be visualizing shots before pulling the trigger and looks fully engaged in the task at hand. He's putting beautifully and managing the course to perfection, with the only blemish a missed up-and-down opportunity from above the 16th hole. With the wind expected to be better Friday morning he's poised to take advantage of a favorable draw. His chip-in on 18 at dusk was nice but it was the driver off the deck at 11 that was most impressive. He talked about it after the round.

- It was a masterful course setup job by the PGA Tour rules staff and agronomist, who only ordered the greens to be single cut. Normally there is a double cut and roll. Had they pushed forward with normal preparation the greens would have become unputtable during the dry morning winds. Tees and holes were well located to take advantage of the non-prevailing wind, with only the 5th hole location standing out as questionable. But that may more a product of the abominable green complex renovation than it is a statement about setup.

The 10th green flag around 7:45 am (click image to enlarge)- Amateurs Patrick Cantlay (78) and Jordan Spieth (76) understandably struggled in the morning winds. But both exude supreme confidence that never comes across as cockiness. Spieth looked more confident in his game than playing partners Ryo Ishikawa and Danny Lee, who each appeared to be obsessing way too much over mechanics.

-Media Lunch Report: Spinach Salmon or Tandori Chicken, Spinach and Strawberry salad with a raspberry vinaigrette, white Jasmine Rice ("sounds like a Tiger mistress" as Strege so infamously branded it two years ago) and a home run mystery cake/almond topped bar that managed to top the already stellar cookies. We have it rough here.

- You never appreciate the value of standards bearers until they aren't there. Because of the high wind warning, tournament officials did not send the scoreboard holding volunteers during afternoon play. I will remember to hug one tomorrow.

Mickelson tees off at the 11th (click to enlarge)- The PGA Tour's finest will not, under any circumstance, lay up on the par-4 10th. No matter how windy, no matter how wise a play it was today playing downwind with the green on edge with the hole cut center-back-left, even though the percentages reward those laying up. For the record, here is the honor roll of those who layed-up short left to open up the best angle of attack, with their scores: Brandt Jobe (3), Justin Leonard (3), Tim Clark (4), John Merrick (4), Paul Goydos (4). Funny thing, no one had made 5 laying up left yet.

- The first groups out took five hours which not only guaranteed the round would not finish, but 30 have yet to finish the first round and will resume at 7 a.m. Friday. Sadly, a 144 player field is just no longer possible with today's pace of play.

From ShotLink (the grays have not finished the hole due to darkness):

And Phil driving the 10th today:

PGA Tour Offering Schwab Cups And Tourney To-Be-Named-Later To Remedy Ironclad Contract Nuisance

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Ron Kroichick reports that the pesky "ironclad" PGA Tour contract with the City of San Francisco for a 2013 or '14 penultimate playoff event at Harding Park is leading to a new offer so that Conway Farms can host the BMW Championship in 2013.

"We've told all the parties the same thing throughout this dialogue: Look, we have a contract with the city of San Francisco to bring the penultimate playoff event there in 2013 or '14," tour executive David Pillsbury said Wednesday. "Until we are able to secure approval from the city to do otherwise, we plan on honoring our contractual agreement.

"We're hopeful, but it's not done until it's done. ... I think ultimately (the revised agreement) is good for the game of golf, for San Francisco and for Harding Park."

Rec and Park general manager Phil Ginsburg plans to soon bring the proposal, which includes another marquee PGA Tour event in 2017, '18 or '19, to the commission.

"We are in the process of finalizing an amendment that would move a tour playoff event to 2016 but also add two Schwab Cups," Ginsburg said.

Above Riviera's 10th Before Greenside Bunkers Added

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One of my favorite images of Riviera is below, cropped to focus on the 10th hole circa 1927 before George Thomas and Billy Bell added the greenside bunkers which took the short par-4 to another level. It's followed by a view today with all of the tournament hoopla, cart paths, fairway lines, rough, Eucalyptus and the hideously re-shaped fairway bunker paying homage to Desmond Muirhead's spiral and mermaid years.
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