Bookies Drop Darren Clarke To Even Money!

Paul Mahoney tweeted the new William Hill 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy odds and even better, Clarke Tweeted a Montyesque "the rumors are not entirely true but I really hope they are."

The decision will be made in January. Supposedly.

To clarify..I have not been offered the Ryder Cup captaincy.It's not decided by the committee until January.Would be a huge honour if asked.

— Darren Clarke (@DarrenClarke60) October 10, 2012

The Re-Match Of The Match That Was Tweeted

Alan Shipnuck's tweets of the First Tee Special Boosters exhibition match, where Fred Couples was replaced at the last minute by Nick Watney, can be read here.

While Shipnuck was clearly holding back to prevent one of Tim Finchem's henchmen from marching him to a watery Pacific Ocean grave, there are some photos showing how sweet Cypress Point is looking.

Alec Baldwin Liked To Honk His Horn At The Top Of Backswings And Other Wacky Tales From East Hampton

The NY Posts' Kate Briquelet talks to looper Scott Werner about his new self-published tell-all, Caddie Tales ($1.99 on Amazon for Kindle readers).

The 48-year-old former financier turned caddie tells stories about the Hamptons elite at East Hampton Golf Club, a $400,000-to-join Coore-Crenshaw course.

Werner recalls one morning when a mogul just couldn’t take losing to his financial adviser. He threw his putter in the air, upbraided the golf ball, and stomped around the fairway in anger.

Then he lined up next to a wad of foam he thought was a ball and swung so hard, he collapsed.

“These are people controlling the financial world, and it’s amazing, the things they say,” said Werner, who travels as a caddy-trainer and once carried for Tiger Woods and Jack Nicholson.

And my favorite because it's so believable, so perfect for Alec and is just plain funny to imagine:

When the club first opened years ago, Alec Baldwin would terrorize CEOs by driving up to the course in a blue car and park with a cup of coffee, Werner recalled.

Anytime someone would take a swing, he’d honk his horn to faze them. It’s rumored he loathed the club for environmental reasons.

Shorts-Wearers Win Three Of Four Matches In Turkey Final

Derek Lawrenson in the Daily Mail, reporting on day one of the Turkey Final cash grab, which included of pro football pro-am participants...errr...golfers Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel in shorts.

The other thing of note was the fact, for the first time in a leading professional event, the players were allowed to wear shorts if they chose. Four of the eight-man field took up the option.

Intriguingly, all four matches featured one man wearing long trousers and his opponent wearing shorts.

The result of that little game-within-a-game was three to one in favour of the men trying something new.

"153 Golf Organisations unite to focus on sustainability as a core priority"

The International Golf Federation that spearheaded golf's return to the Olympics is broadening its scope by issuing a statement today announcing sustainability as its "core priority." You can read the statement in PDF form here.

"The future will present many challenged but the IGF and its member organizations are working to ensure that many more generations will enjoy golf and the facilities on which it is played."

A couple of screen grabs of the fine print:

We were doing so well until the last jargon dump of an item. Go on...

It's pretty exciting to read this kind of focus on the future and desire to shrink the footprint of golf courses. But this is all utter nonsense if the distance the ball travels is not reduced via some form of regulation. Otherwise, the game will continue to spend money on new tees, more rough, faster greens and bigger properties.

Update on 2012-10-09 21:16 by Geoff

**There was also apparently a USGA press release on this but I didn't get it. Cybergolf thankfully posted it.

The pertinent quotes...

"Sustainable management practices are critically important to the future of the game and need to be encouraged throughout the world," said USGA President Glen D. Nager.

"Here in the United States, sustainability principles have been embraced by the golf community for some time, but we can still do even more, especially in promoting solutions-based planning and management strategies. 

"Environmental and economic sustainability are central to the USGA's mission and are primary components of our long-term commitment to the game," Nager continued. "We have invested significant time and resources over many years to ensure that we are basing decisions and recommendations on sound scientific and economic principles that will foster the future health of the game."

"The future ramifications of a more proactive approach to sustainability will be far-reaching," said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. "From the golf course operator who can more effectively allocate his maintenance budget, to the player who benefits from firm course conditions, every part of the game can benefit from this global industry-wide commitment."

Scotland's First Minister Got The Donald's Golf Course Approved, Then Asked For A Pretty Sleazy Favor

We're getting a better picture about the complex relationship between Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond--distinguished guest speaker at the Ryder Cup closing ceremony--and his former friend Donald Trump.

Magnus Gardham explains in the Scotland Herald that Salmond asked Trump "to back the Scottish Government's controversial decision to release the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds."

Mr Trump, who is now in dispute with the Government over a proposed offshore wind farm within sight of his golf course, said he declined to put his name to the statement.

Labour said the approach suggested the First Minister believed he was owed a favour by the tycoon, although the Government insisted it was "perfectly entitled" to seek support.

The statement was drafted by Geoff Aberdein, then a special adviser and now the First Minister's chief of staff, in the days after Megrahi's release in August 2009.

The story goes on to quote the draft statement by Salmond's office that The Donald declined to put his name on. Salmond rivals are howling.

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said: "Alex Salmond needs to tell the Scottish people why he thought it was appropriate to use his political and personal relationship with Donald Trump to gain support for such a controversial decision.

"It would appear the First Minister thought Mr Trump had a favour to return, even if the US tycoon didn't agree."