Justice? Tiger And Phil Won't Get To Experience A Greenbrier July Weekend

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A few of you emailed to ask if Greenbrier founder Jim Justice gets a break on the purported appearance fees he paid to lure Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to the West Virginia resort (which looked incredible in the late evening light during Golf Channel's rain delay bonus coverage).

We'll never know what the arrangement was, but both legends have gone home early. Tom Watson, Geezer, has made the cut.

First, Steve Elling on Phil Mickelson's mini-slump heading into the Open Championship, where he nearly won last year.

Mickelson several times this year has admitted to being unable to shake himself from a lethargic state on the course, which certainly seems to be reflected in his play. He was looking for answers Friday, too.

For the second year in a row.

“I don't get it,” Mickelson said. “I certainly struggled a little bit on the greens both years, but nothing that should have led to these scores.”

Mickelson three-putted his first hole from 15 feet, missed another short one later in his front nine, and never really recovered. He also absorbed a one-shot penalty early when he dropped his ball on his marker, dislodging the coin.

"It doesn't feel like the parts are that far off," he said, "but I'm not putting them together."

It didn't help that Mickelson had a one-shot penalty for a fluke incident where he dropped his marker and it hit his ball. Jonathan Wall with the details.

Meanwhile a Golfweek.com staff report explains Tiger's woes: the putter.

Despite a shaky start, Tiger got it going over his final nine holes, but missed birdie putts at Nos. 13 and 15 proved costly as he fired a 1-under 69 to miss the cut at the Greenbrier Classic by a single shot.

"I didn't quite have it," Woods said. "I drove it really good today and I just did not have the feel for the distances. The ball was just going forever. I know we're at altitude, but I just couldn't get the ball hit pin high no matter what I did, and subsequently, I made some bogeys."

The second round highlights:

"Golf's been very good to me. It's the least I could do. There was karma for me in this."

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Mark Magnier of the Los Angeles Times files a wonderful A1 story on golf instructor Indrajit Bhalotia's efforts to improve fortunes for select youth in India, with an assist from local benefactors along with members of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. I'm not sure if this one is behind the Times paywall, because it's a pretty special story and a nice reminder that there are people doing great stuff without teaching the ten core values.

Magnier opens and closes with the story of fourteen-year-old Mohan Sardar who lives with his sister and parents in a one-room shanty but is an emerging talent who got into golf via caddying.

One day Mohan befriended a golfer, asking whether he needed a caddy. He earned $1.50 the first day, gave most of it to his mother, and they ate fish that night. "It was brilliant," he said.

The golfer's coach started giving Mohan pointers and he was soon playing the occasional round of a sport that enjoys a particularly elite status in India, especially among nouveau riche Indians clamoring to mark their arrival.

Today, Mohan, a lanky boy with short hair and deep-set eyes, has a golf handicap of three and is among India's top five junior players.

Big Break Greenbrier Winner To Get Exemption Into 2013 Event, No Word On Size Of Possible Appearance Fee

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For Immediate Release, but no word on possible enticements offered to the winner of golf's most cerebral television show after reports surfaced Thursday that the Greenbrier is offering appearance fees to star players:

Winner to Receive Exemption to 2013 Greenbrier Classic on the PGA TOUR
Big Break Greenbrier to Premiere Oct. 2
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 5, 2012) –Golf Channel’s popular Big Break reality competition series returns for its 18th season this fall at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia – the historic retreat known as “America’s Resort” – providing the opportunity for the winner to compete alongside the PGA TOUR’s best at The Greenbrier Classic in July 2013.

Big Break Greenbrier, produced at The Greenbrier in June and scheduled to premiere Oct. 2, will feature a cast of 12 male professional golfers competing against each other in an attempt to make their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the world’s top golfers a reality. The ultimate winner will receive an exemption to The Greenbrier Classic in July 2013, cash and other prizes.

Big Break Greenbrier will unfold on the resort’s four golf courses: The Old White TPC Course – home to The Greenbrier Classic; The Greenbrier Course – a Jack Nicklaus design and home to the 1979 Ryder Cup and the 1994 Solheim Cup; The Meadows Course – a Dick Wilson and Bob Cupp design that is often referred to as the most scenic of The Greenbrier courses; and The Snead Course – the private residents’ course and a Tom Fazio design that showcases a remarkable test of strategic tee shots, precision approaches and undulating fast greens.

During the series, the competitors will reside in two deluxe, 3,000-square-foot timber-framed homes in The Greenbrier Sporting Club luxury residential community, located 3,300 feet atop Greenbrier Mountain.

“We are excited about hosting our newest Big Break season at The Greenbrier and offering the winner the opportunity to compete in the 2013 Greenbrier Classic,” said Tom Knapp, Golf Channel senior vice president of programming. “Big Break is one of the longest-running series on television and one of our most important original series franchises, and we strive to give our competitors tough tests on the golf course while showcasing a picturesque location. We accomplished both with Big Break Greenbrier.”

"This week marks a change. Appearance money [is being paid in the] U.S. but not in Europe."

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Steve Elling looks at the possibility that appearance money is being paid in clever ways at the Greenbrier Classic and at events like the Zurich Classic.

He gets several tournament directors and agents to talk, and they are not pleased to see what's going on.

The tour uses a very narrow, if not convenient, definition of "appearance fee." If a player has deeper business dealings with a corporate entity beyond taking cash to play, then he's generally free to ink a personal-services deal for whatever dollar figure he can command. If this sounds mostly like semantics, well, the line forms here.

As one very high-profile international player put it on Tuesday, "This week marks a change. Appearance money [is being paid in the] U.S. but not in Europe."

After arriving Tuesday, Woods was not specifically asked if he was being compensated by Justice this week, though a local reporter did ask if Justice resorted to “pulling his arm” to get him there.

"What sold it to me was watching it on TV and seeing how players enjoyed it," Woods said unblinkingly.

Um, did he say "sold?"

Mickelson played at Greenbrier last year -- for two days. He missed the cut.

"I know for a fact that Phil got $1 million last year," one top-tier agent insisted, citing a figure that was echoed by two other tour-related sources.

Phil "Crushed" By Diamond's Resignation

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Jason Sobel on Phil Mickelson's comments about Barclays CEO Bob Diamond's resignation while Diamond testified before Parliament.

Following the news conference, Mickelson told one Golf Channel insider that he felt Diamond was being made a “scapegoat” for the Libor scandal that surfaced four years ago. He did not disclose whether he has been in touch with Diamond since his resignation.

“Personally I’m crushed because I have really enjoyed my time with Bob,” Mickelson continued in the news conference. “I think the world of him as a person, as a CEO, and I think that these last 5-6 years that I’ve been associated with the bank, the time I’ve spent with him, I’ve really enjoyed and I’ve cherished and it’s been one of the most interesting parts of my career.”

Unfortunately, Diamond put things in writing that may prove problematic.

The good news?

Barclays no longer sponsors next week's Scottish Open. Boy would that have been awkward.

#FirstWorldProblems To The Extreme: Tiger Admits The Constant Questions About Hitting Small White Ball Can Sometimes Be A Little Annoying

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David Dusek on Tiger's press conference today at the Greenbrier:

"I have to deal with it in every single press conference," he said. "I have to answer it in post-round interviews—whether it's with your guys or in a live shot [on TV]. You do that for a couple of years, sometimes you guys can be a little annoying."

Meanwhile, Notah says the annoying has been movtivating Tiger. Who to believe?

Steiny: Turkey Still In The Embryonic Stages

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Jason Sobel with the confirmation and hedging by Tiger Woods agent Mark Steinberg on this fall's planned event in Turkey opposite the Frys.com Open.

Rumors have also circulated that Turkish Airlines would serve as a sponsor for Woods himself, but Steinberg maintained that is premature.

“That’s in its very embryonic stages right now,” he said. “I think Turkish Airlines is a very substantial event sponsor. Have there been some discussions? Yes, but it’s in the early stages.”

Greenbrier Classic Extended To 2021

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For Immediate Release, a pretty amazing commitment from such a new event that had so many question marks going in. And doing it all without a major corporate sponsor.

The Greenbrier Classic Extends PGA TOUR Agreement by Six Years

Added to current contract, third-year tournament now secured through 2021

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR and The Greenbrier announced today that they have signed a six-year extension that carries The Greenbrier Classic agreement through 2021.

By extending the original six-year contract, which runs through 2015, The Greenbrier Classic now becomes the longest tournament commitment on the PGA TOUR. It also extends through the length of the TOUR’s television agreements with CBS, NBC and Golf Channel. The Greenbrier Classic, which begins Thursday at The Greenbrier’s The Old White TPC Course, is televised by Golf Channel through the first two rounds and by CBS during the weekend.

“The first three years of our contract with the PGA TOUR have been a thrilling ride,” said Jim Justice, Chairman and Owner of The Greenbrier. “The TOUR is a fantastic partner and we’re so proud and excited to announce that The Greenbrier Classic will remain a bright light on the landscape of the PGA TOUR and continue to give our fans heart-pounding tournament action for years to come. The entire state of West Virginia and the region as a whole have embraced the tournament from the very beginning. Without the passion and support of our local and regional communities The Greenbrier Classic could not have grown so quickly into one of the premiere events on TOUR.”

A West Virginian who was born and raised near The Greenbrier, Justice wanted to bring a PGA TOUR tournament to The Greenbrier from the time he purchased the resort in May 2009, believing a top-tier tournament would help restore The Greenbrier’s reputation as a five-star resort.

In just its second year, The Greenbrier Classic received several awards from the PGA TOUR at last year’s Annual PGA TOUR Tournament Meeting in December, including the coveted Best in Class among all tournaments.

“Jim Justice has shown genuine passion and commitment to not only host a PGA TOUR event, but to build one into a premier stop on the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Through his dedicated efforts, Jim has managed to achieve his goal in just two years, as evidenced by last year’s Best in Class Award. He has turned The Greenbrier Classic into a true celebratory event during Fourth of July week. We’re obviously thrilled that Jim had a desire to move forward and extend beyond his original commitment after just three years.”