Good Times In Cleveland: IMG Taking Former Agents To Court, Tracking Them With Private Investigators

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Alex Miceli with a wildly entertaining story of ten-percenter sharks feasting on each other, with a legal battle breaking out between IMG and two former agents, Jon Wagner and Jon Heaston.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for July 10 in Cleveland regarding a contempt-of-court allegation by IMG against Wagner, possibly stemming from what IMG contends was inappropriate contact between Wagner and Immelman. During a sponsor day at CordeValle resort in San Martin, Calif., on the Monday after the U.S. Open, Wagner, Immelman and David Fry attended and were videotaped together by a private investigator whom sources say was hired by IMG.

Still pictures from the video were submitted to the court as evidence of Wagner’s violation of the temporary restraining order.

Wagner would not comment about the pre-trial conference, but Immelman was not pleased by the allegation and what he sees as a violation of his privacy.

“I was caught totally off guard when I heard about the pictures,” Immelman said via phone. “I’m trying to do my best efforts for one of my long-standing partners, Old Mutual and its guests, and pictures were being taken. I understand there are legal issues outstanding, but I felt like it was crossing the line.”

 All for a measly ten percent!

Westwood Injures Himself In On-Course Slip

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From an unbylined wire report, and just twelve days before the Open for the top title contender.

He was walking to the first tee in the third round of the Alstom French Open at Paris' Le Golf National.

"I was talking to Richard Sterne's caddie and not looking where I was going," Westwood told Sky Sports. "I slipped on wooden sleepers down the side of the cart path. My left foot went forward about two feet and my right foot stayed where it was.

"It left like I strained something at the top of my right leg and tweaked my right knee as well. I didn't really have much confidence in it and as the round went on I just kept stretching my groin out. It seems to have eased off but I am still a little bit wary of it. I felt if I stopped it might make it worse by seizing up, so I thought it was better to keep it moving.

The USGA Is Back! Twosomes Taking Over Five Hours; Excessive Setup And High Scores

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The U.S. Women's Open committee or the weatherman or someone blew it Saturday judging by Gary D'Amato's account. The setup was set in stone before Saturday's winds kicked up, but that also may have been the problem.

"I think Blackwolf is starting to snarl a little bit," said Ben Kimball, director of the Women's Open.

How Meeksian!

Paula Creamer was asked if the difficult setup was the USGA's response to the low scores and player comments after the first two rounds.

"One hundred percent," she said. "Yes. One hundred percent."

Kimball disagreed, saying it was determined during site visits weeks ago.

"The actual setup and strategy for the week was done in advance of when I even got here," he said. "We didn't go off course; we didn't have a knee-jerk reaction to anything any player said or try and do anything to try to dictate any particular score today."

The average round for the twosomes...twosomes was 4 hours, 50 minutes. Twosomes!

Stina Sternberg points that it took the final group of Pettersen and Wie 3:06 for...nine holes! But the USGA also seems to have suspended their station system that would have meant slow play penalties.

The tougher conditions, in addition to the already intimidating length of the Blackwolf Run layout, with flags teetering near the water's edge on many holes, resulted in rounds taking painfully long on Saturday. The final pairing of Wie and Pettersen made the turn in 3:06 after being forced to wait for up to three groups to tee off before them on some holes. Slow play has been a hot-button topic on the LPGA Tour this season, culminating in a much-disputed loss-of-hole penalty for Morgan Pressel in the semi-final of the Sybase Match Play Championship in May, but no penalties have been given out so far this week. As long as the sluggish pace is a result of the course setup, it's difficult to penalize the players.

Randall Mell quotes Kimball on the pace Saturday with optimism for improved pace Sunday.

“Tomorrow, we’re hoping for improvements,” Kimball said. “There are some things with the setup that will help.”

Na Yeon Choi opened up a six stroke lead, reports Dan Manoyan.

Kohler: “These Asians have done so well because they know the meaning of work."

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An unbylined AP story quotes Herb Kohler talking about Asian golfers knowing the meaning of work and that the "Americans have now seen what the Asians can do, and they’re starting to work.”

But this gave me a bigger laugh:

Kohler said his company has 11 manufacturing plants in China, which produce products mainly for sale to Chinese customers.

“We’re very successful in China because of the attitude of those people toward work,” Kohler said. “They love to work, they know how to work and they do what it takes. And they love to win.”

I'm sure they love making toilets at those lavish wages!

Source: Tiger ($1.8 Mil) Edges Phil ($1 Mil) In The Greenbrier Indirect Payment Cup

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Robert Lusetich on the two megastars missing the Greenbrier Classic cut, reveals what they were "indirectly" paid.

According to a source close to Justice, Tiger Woods was paid — indirectly, so as not to contravene PGA Tour rules that prohibit appearance fees — $1.8 million to sprinkle star dust on the Old White course this week.

For the second straight year, Justice indirectly paid Phil Mickelson $1 million and, for the second straight year, the Californian left the stately Greenbrier resort early after laying an egg.

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.”