McGinley Quiet On Ryder Cup Captaincy: "It's best if I just step away now and let things evolve."

For a long time the presumed favorite and still so with the bookies, Paul McGinley is going to go silent on the topic even as various well-known, full-bodied individuals plot their way to the job.

From an unbylined BBC report:

"My caddie is a wily old Scot and he has a great saying: 'whatever's for you, won't pass you by', so I'll just stand back and wait until January."

Presidential Debate As Match Play

Thomas Friedman, well-known golf nut, in his Sunday New York Times column:

For weeks, Romney had performed so badly and had fallen so far behind in swing states that if this campaign were a Ryder Cup singles match, you’d have said the president felt he had the match in the bag with just a few holes left to play. So he did the worst thing you can do in match play golf: he started playing not to lose. He continued with an uninspired, vague and cautious campaign and just waited for Romney to keep hitting balls out of bounds. Romney, his back to the wall, had no choice but to start aggressively playing to win.

Trump's Wind Farm Vista And International Golf Links To Get Its "Best In Europe" Hotel

Alistair Munro quotes The Donald as saying it'll be the best of its kind, etc...and that his previous vows to not build until the offshore windfarm situation is settled won't stop his lawyers from having a good year.

The celebrity businessman also warned he was planning a “massive lawsuit” in relation to the wind farm – which he claims would ruin the view for golfers at his course, which saw a lavish opening ceremony in July.

Mr Trump, who flew in by private jet to Aberdeen Airport, said: “I’m ready to build a hotel. It will be the best hotel in Scotland and one of the best hotels in Europe. Everybody wants to be near our course.”

By the way, for those of you wondering why Trump International didn't land the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open either of the next two years, heavily supported by the First Minister of Scotland, it's possible that The Donald's charm may have played a role with repeated quotes like this.

He said: “This will end up looking like a poor man’s Disney Land. We want to do something to help Scotland.

“We will fight it. We have good lawyers. There is a really terrible thing going on and it’s all because Alex Salmond has a death wish for Scotland.”

I have to say that considering the views, the sense of having landed in a remote location and the lack of smog, my sense was that the wind farm would be visible from the course. And not a pretty sight.

Golf's Unsolved Mysteries Files: Why Does John Daly Keep Getting Sponsor Invites?

After his 63-86 in Las Vegas, the inevitable questions arose in the local papers that John Daly had given up during his round, prompting John Strege to solve a golf riddle right up there with why does anyone watch The Big Break?

Daly was nine shots better on Sunday, though a 77 is more fodder for the argument that he doesn't warrant the sponsor exemptions that continue unabated. The attraction is what, bad golf or bad behavior? He has finished in the top 10 only twice in the last seven years and has withdrawn from tournaments 12 times in the same period, while playing almost exclusively on the benevolence of sponsors.

Paul Casey's Four-Legged Stalker Attacks Mid-Round!

From an AP report, accompanied by a Ross Kinnaird Getty Image:

"It's the weirdest thing I've ever had happen on a golf course," said Casey, who was playing at Kingsbarns. "I noticed the dog on the 12th tee and he sort of followed us down the fairway before taking a real liking to my golf ball."

Casey, who is partnered with Olympic great Michael Phelps in the pro-am event, was ready to play with another ball but a spectator stopped the pooch near the 13th tee and recovered the original.

A European Tour rules official inspected both and Casey was allowed to play his original ball. He ended up with a birdie to get to 1 under.

You can see the entire reel of images at Getty.

State Of The Game Podcast 14: Ryder Cup In Review

I'm told by our engineering staff that my eloquent, brilliant and groundbreaking observations suggesting the ending of the Ryder Cup wasn't kosher ended up drowned out by a mysterious buzzing sound (Huggan strikes!) and therefore were relegated to the cutting room floor.

But I can say the rest of the show was super and all about the 2012 Ryder Cup, comprising of Rod Morri, Mike Clayton, John Huggan and I talking all things cup.

As always, you can subscribe or listen below.