No Respect For 55-1 Defending Champ Keegan!

/

I don't know who is behind these odds posted on Golfweek.com before Sunday's WGC win and credited to AP, but I love Matt Kuchar at 35-1.

But I can't believe the defending champion, who was already playing well at Firestone, is at 55-1, has the length likely necessary to contend at Kiawak and has one more major than a lot of people ahead of him.

• Tiger Woods, 7-1
• Luke Donald, 15-1
• Lee Westwood, 15-1
• Rory McIlroy, 20-1
• Phil Mickelson, 20-1
• Adam Scott, 25-1
• Jason Dufner, 30-1
• Dustin Johnson, 30-1
• Graeme McDowell, 30-1
• Matt Kuchar, 35-1
• Hunter Mahan, 35-1
• Webb Simpson, 35-1
• Bubba Watson, 35-1
• Jason Day, 40-1
• Ernie Els, 40-1
• Rickie Fowler, 40-1
• Padraig Harrington, 40-1
• Zach Johnson, 40-1
• Louis Oosthuizen, 40-1
• Justin Rose, 40-1
• Steve Stricker, 45-1
• Jim Furyk, 50-1
• Sergio Garcia, 50-1
• Martin Kaymer, 50-1
• Charl Schwartzel, 50-1
• Keegan Bradley, 55-1
• Brandt Snedeker, 65-1
• Bo Van Pelt, 65-1
• Nick Watney, 65-1
• Francesco Molinari, 75-1
• Ian Poulter, 75-1
• Bill Haas, 80-1
• Peter Hanson, 80-1
• Geoff Ogilvy, 80-1
• Field (All Others), 3-1

NY Post: Tam O'Shanter Club Home To Strippers, Cheap Booze Passed Off As Premium And Oh So Much More!

/

Should be a livelier than normal mixed couples Sunday at New York's Tam O'Shanter, as Jamie Schram and Jeane MacIntosh report on shenanigans exposed after a wrongful termination complaint was filed by former bartender Justin Williams.

Regarding the reciprocal guests...

The flesh-fests took place during the country club’s men-only August outings attended by about 100 to 150 members and their guests, said Williams, who this week filed a wrongful termination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The day began with scantily clad local strippers parading around the golf course at each of the tees — and ended with prostitutes having sex with the men in members-only showers and massage rooms, he said.

“The members would play a round of golf, and while they were out there, they would have strippers on the course, and drinks,” said Williams, 33.

The girls came in for cocktail hour but would eventually leave — and “the actual prostitutes would come in,” said Williams.

“There were about 10 prostitutes. I don’t know where they came from.”

During cocktail hour, club general manager Maureen Hollenbach and food manager Carl O’Boyle “would send most of the female staff home. At that point, whoever wanted to solicit would just walk up to the hooker, and things were negotiated during cocktails.”

Reno-Tahoe Combatants Excited About Olympic Golf; Have No Idea How It Will Work

/
Granted, most of the people playing the Reno-Tahoe Open this week have little chance of making the 2016 Games in Rio, but it still must be somewhat alarming to the IGF that a pair of former Open Champions--Todd Hamilton and John Daly--have no idea how players will qualify or what the format will be.
Read More

Budding Bromance: Branden Grace Unabashedly Declares For Tiger

/

The quote in Randall Mell's item on Grace's third day in a row paired with Tiger reads like Grace is being held at gun point...and no I looked, he's not represented by Steiny. Yet.

“I hadn’t played with him before, but now, to have played with him three days in a row, has been unreal,” Grace said. “I've learned a hell of a lot from playing with him. The way he plays shots, the way he handles himself and things like that, has been great.  He's there because he is the best in the world. I've seen it now, and I think people really criticize him, that is wrong.  He's one hell of a guy, and he's pretty much the nicest guy I've ever played with.”

There is something wrong if Tiger is this agreeable to play with. Mercifully, they are not paired together again tomorrow.

Getting In The Mood For Kiawah: '91 Ryder Cup Oral History

/

I've just started it but the chatter regarding Guy Yocom and John Huggan's Golf Digest oral history of the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah--host of next week's PGA--has been incredible.

Everyone who has read it has raved, so if you are looking for some good weekend beach reading this may be your choice. Of course, I know you all subscribe and read in print or on the iPad, but just a reminder not to miss this.

Tour Arrives At Firestone So Talk Naturally Shifts To Kiawah Next Week

/

What is there to say? It's Firestone...a small no-cut field the week before a major, so to avoid talking about a tree-lined back-and-forth layout, Adam Scott was asked about PGA Championship host Kiawah, where he just visited.

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah, it was interesting, it wasn't quite what I expected, although I didn't‑‑ I'd only seen the pictures in magazines, which obviously are quite stunning.  Yeah, it's two different nine holes.  The front nine is a really nice, playable golf course, and then the back nine is not.  (Laughter.)


The back nine is very severe, and it's going to really‑‑ it's going to be interesting down there.  Look, it rained a lot while I was there the last two days, and it's playing very soft and very long.  You know, it's going to be very weather dependent.  There's good scores out there in good weather, but if the wind blows, it's just going to be very difficult, even if they move tees forward and stuff like that.  Green complexes are very severe on some holes, and there is‑‑ it's just extreme penalty for a miss.  There's water one side and big waste bunkers the other.  It's certainly going to need some ball‑striking.

Tiger offered a similar scouting report.

TIGER WOODS:  It was really soft.  I don't think it's going to be like that during the tournament.  It rained almost two inches the night before.  It's going to be long.  I mean, I think it's going to be close to 7,700 yards, and that's a big ballpark.  A lot of the holes are crosswind holes.  It's different than what‑‑ and Joey has been there a couple times, but he hasn't seen it like this.  Having paspalum greens is different.  I've only played on paspalum greens one time.  But they drain great.  They're going to be firm.

Right now when I played it was slow, but it's going to be a great test.  It's going to be‑‑ I don't know how the spectators are going to get around this place.  First of all, I don't know how they're going to get to it.  But once they're there, it's going to be a great environment.

Gosh, it just sounds like it's going to be a super week!