Scotland Upping Size Of Wind Turbines Off Donald's Coast!

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Frank Urquhart reports that Swedish electricity giant Vattenfall, has submitted proposals to raise the maximum height of the turbines and the radius of the blades of the wind turbines off the coast from Trump International Golf Links.

Needless to say, The Donald is not pleased.

He said: “My project is a far greater development in terms of jobs, pounds spent and potential revenues to the area than the ugly, inefficient turbines contemplated in the Vattenfall proposal.

“Alex Salmond must have a death wish. Other countries throughout the world are abandoning wind turbine projects and not building previously approved structures because the economics just don’t work. Without subsidies from England, Scotland would not be able to sustain his folly.”

Hank On Tiger Catching Jack: Odds "Probably" Not Favoring Woods

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Robert Lusetich on Tiger's presser today and his former coach's assessment of catching or surpassing Jack Nicklaus' 18 major wins.

“Remember, Jack won only four majors after the age of 36,” Haney says.

“The last one at 46 — the 1986 Masters — was a miracle even to Jack, so it seems like giving Tiger 40 more chances is generous.

“You also have to assume that Tiger is able to stay healthy and avoid any other kind of personal turmoil that could derail his pursuit of Jack's record.”

Ryan Lavner with the highlights from Tiger's press conference Tuesday at Kiawah, including compliments for Pete Dye and this about joining Phil Mickelson as a pro sports team owner:

• On whether he would consider becoming a co-owner of his favorite sports team in the future: “Absolutely. I just need a lot more money. My teams are the Lakers, Dodgers and Raiders, so I’ve got to play really well.”

The video:

Expected Kiawah Media Whinging Starts Early As Downpour And General Misery Kick Off Glory's Last Shot!

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With a 75-minute bus ride, 96 degree heat index, thunderstorms in the forecast and the advent of Twitter since the last "what were they thinking" major in 1987, experts have long felt the 2012 Glory's Last Visit To Kiawah PGA Championship could provide some of the finest whinging, moaning and outright media crankiness of the modern era.
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Monty Now Openly Campaigning For 2014 Ryder Cup Captaincy!

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The winning 2010 European captain has always said it's not for him to nominate himself for the 2014 gig at Gleneagles near his home, and he said he would "not be promoting myself in that way."

But as Jim Black reports, Colin Montgomerie is promoting himself in that way...

“I was on the last one, so I know how it works. About 15 to 20 players, including a few ex-captains and potential captains, decide and their recommendation goes before George O’Grady, the chief executive of the European Tour, for approval. He has never opposed their recommendation in the past, as far as I am aware.

“This year was as easy as it could possibly be. Jose Maria Olazabal is two years younger than me and the transition was seamless. 2014 is more of an issue and there are a number of candidates – Clarke, Bjorn and McGinley, three of my vice-captains for a start, and then me.

Oh and then you? It used to be just the first three. Nice to see you've come around to the merits of your candidacy!

Please, go on...

“If you go back to the days of Jacklin and Gallacher – and I don’t believe the rules have changed – yes, there is an opportunity to do it again and I know for a fact that Ian Woosnam’s name was mentioned for Wales.

“So there is a possibility that might happen, but I won’t be putting my name forward. It is up to someone on the committee to say and I’ll leave the room again, as I did last time.

Oh Monty, you are such the gentleman!

Kiawah Preview: Shaped By Dye And Hugo

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Bill Pennington looks at Kiawah's Ocean Course and focuses on how Pete Dye was able to make the design better thanks to hurricane Hugo moving things around and freeing him from environmental rules.

From the New York Times story:

When the hurricane hit, several people in the Ocean Course work crew were stranded on the island and remained there until access roads were cleared. The day after Hugo headed inland, Dye rented a barge in a nearby town to take him to Kiawah.

He started up the bulldozers.

“Hugo had obliterated the work we had already done on some holes, but it had also knocked down trees and moved around a lot of things that we wouldn’t have been able to move or be allowed to move,” Dye said.

Also, Bradley Klein offers a hole-by-hole look at the course.

Other than pesky ads before each video, Frank Nobilo's video look at key holes (with aerial footage) can be accessed on this page.

Two of particular note, include the par-3 14th (I forgot how severe it is!) and Nobilo's look at the paspalum at Kiawah.

The 14th:



Paspalum:

Is Golf One Of The Sports Keeping Weed On WADA's Banned List?

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In light of the judo Olympian expelled after innocently eating a marijuana brownie, Kate Kelland talks to scientists and others wondering why marijuana is banned by the World Anti Doping Agency when it seemingly would not help athletes in most sports.

But archery and golf were cited as reasons why it might be handy. Commissioner Mr. Rogers, of course, never believed in any kind of testing because no golfer would ever cheat. So glad he (was forced) to come around.

While it is generally accepted that cannabis is unlikely to give athletes any advantage in fast-paced sports, some experts say it could prove helpful in sports like shooting or golf where a steady hand is needed.

Under WADA's rules, athletes face a two-year ban if cannabis is found in their system while they are in competition.

But the anti-doping body does not sanction those who test positive for marijuana outside of competition times, while they are in training camps or during rest periods.

Scientists say this smacks of double standards and suggests WADA bans cannabis for political rather than scientific reasons.

"The problem is the elite athletes should be seen as role models for young kids, and so they ban cannabis because they don't want to have the image of gold medallists smoking joints," said one British-based sports scientist who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Monty Blasts Tiger's Austerity Approach

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Jim Black reports on Colin Montgomerie's critical account of Tiger's play at Lytham in the wake of Andy Murray's aggressive play in the Olympic tennis.

As usual, Monty almost got it right.

"The Olympic title isn't a grand slam event but, at the same time, for Murray to go back to the court where he lost to Federer a month before and produce such an amazing win took a lot of doing. He tried to attack in their previous match, but Federer forced him on to the defence, while Woods always looked like he was playing for a place in the Open and third is what he got. You've got to bring out the driver and attack at some point, not constantly hit 3-irons and end up two-putting from 40 feet. Using your driver is part of the game, surely.

"I don't think Tiger is confident using his driver, having watched him spend two and a half minutes deciding which club to hit on the 11th tee at Lytham and, when he did make up his mind, he almost lost his ball.

"Murray showed that the way to win is by being aggressive and attacking. He beat the two best players in the world, Federer and Djokovic, to prove that he is as good as anyone in the game."

Now I know you've all committed my Golf World story about Tiger's week at Lytham to memory, but in case you didn't read it yet, I focused on the moment at the 11th tee because I was sitting there listening to the conversation between Tiger and LaCava thanks to intimate spectator roping.

It was a key moment and he did eventually hit driver. Instead of hitting a slight draw, which was necessary to offset the left-to-right wind, Tiger did hit the slight cut he'd been hitting and the wind took it about 30 yards right of the fairway in a mashed down rough area. So Monty got part of it right. 

That said, we will find out this week if it was a confidence situation or simply his strategic approach to Lytham, which, as I wrote in the story, kept him in contention but when the time came to shake the reins and make a move at 13 and 14, he stuck to the plan. At 7,767 yards and soft, Tiger won't have a choice this week.

European Ryder Cup Team Shaping Up Nicely

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I had not looked at the standings in a while but GolfChannel.com's Will Gray took the two points lists and merged them into the current European Ryder Cup team's likely ten with a couple of nominations for possible Captain's picks. 

Nice group of names, though Sergio better play well the next few weeks because he's being pursued by up-and-comers Colsaerts and Cabrera-Bello.

Els On Going It Alone, Giving Up Drinking

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Good read from Doug Ferguson on Ernie Els after winning the Open and some of the sacrifices/changes he made leading up to the victory that might have made a difference, starting with going solo during Open week.

His family stayed in Skibo Castle during the Scottish Open, and then Els sent them home. He knew deep down he was getting close, especially after his tie for ninth in the U.S. Open. He wanted to treat the British Open like a work week, as it was when he was just starting his career. He went to the golf course and worked. He went to the hotel to sleep. It was all business.

''Tony Jacklin stayed in that hotel when he won in 1969 - I was born in 1969,'' Els said, grinning at the coincidence.

And this about giving up drinking.

One night at dinner about a month before the Open, he decided to stop drinking. Els doesn't remember the night, and when pressed for the motive behind it, he waved his hand and said, ''Accch,'' a guttural sound in Afrikaans to suggest it was no big deal or not worth discussing.

''I just didn't feel like anymore,'' he said. ''I'm probably going to give it another three months now. I feel really into what I'm doing.''

Tiger First Off At Kiawah, And Have You Heard, It's Bloody Hot!

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The Post Courier's Jeff Hartsell is the local man on the spot this week (Twitter link here) and reports that Tiger was first out at Kiawah this morning for the PGA Championship and besides the dying winds today, players are noticing that it's a tad warm.  (At least the T-storm chance drops to 40% starting Thursday.)

But Tiger's "start lines" are good, so we can all relax now.

“I putted well the last two days, which was good,” he said. “I made some putts. And more importantly, I hit the ball on my start lines, and that’s something I did not do the first couple days. I misread a couple, but that’s just the way it goes. But at least every putt was starting on the right line, and that’s something that I’m very excited about going into next week.”