Yet Another Reason Paul Azinger Won't Be Ryder Cup Captain Again: Tragicomic Twitter Tiff No. 1,032!

I'm not entirely sure what the context was or care but something to do with Sunday's jump from space by Felix Baumgartner

But I do think this could be just the kind of thing that makes a David Toms Captaincy appealing to the PGA of America.

This apparently has been patched up, but was precipitated by this ranting and raving. Such leadership!

Deadspin previously noted one of Azinger's raging stream of Tweets. And ESPN reprimanded him previously for a Tweet violating company policy.

Video: Mark Wiebe's Land-And-Run Ace

Judging by his reaction the Champions Tour's Mark Wiebe wasn't expecting this one to go in or, because it's the geezer tour, they just didn't see it. Either way, it's hard to believe this one went in when you see where it lands.

Wiebe is four back heading into the final round of the Greater Hickory Classic.

"Mini-golf may be the closest most of us get to really understanding Sisyphus."

Michael Tortorello files a New York Times Home and Garden section story on Bruce Stillman's 13-hole Big Stone Mini Golf Course and sculpture garden in Minnetrista, Minnesota.

The second hole, a stiff par 3, breaks a wobbly six feet from left to right. Mr. Stillman calls it “Banking on Mound.” If there’s any place in America left to pun, it’s a mini-golf course: Mound is the name of the nearby lakeside suburb, on the western edge of the Minneapolis metro, where Mr. Stillman banked his fate.

It’s a landscape of country clubs, hobby farms and marinas, with “some of the most expensive real estate in Minnesota,” said Heidi Hoy, a sculptor who has lived intermittently at Big Stone as Mr. Stillman’s companion.

When he first bought an old dairy farm here in 1991, he wanted to try his hand at landscape and environmental art: something in the spirit of the British site-sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. Another influence was a piece of popular American cinema called “Overboard,” in which reluctant lovers played by Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell create a Putt-Putt Seven Wonders of the World.

There is also a 25-image gallery accompanying the story online.

Bloomberg TV On Hanse, Rio

A Bloomberg TV feature on Gil Hanse following the awarding of the Olympic design contract for Rio 2016:

Meanwhile, the AP branch in Rio's Tales Azzoni continues his steadfast interest in the land dispute which will not hold up construction, says the IGF's Ty Votaw.

Votaw said the land dispute is “not a concern at this time,” and reiterated that the federation has been reassured by 2016 organizers that all issues are close to being resolved.

“There are some final discussions between the land owner and the organizing committee, and the mayor’s office that are just being finalized,” Votaw said. “We are working closely with Rio 2016 and the land owner to resolve the issues that need to be resolved so we could move forward.”

Votaw acknowledges there is a need to make planning changes for every day that goes by without construction starting, but said it doesn’t mean that current delays will affect the final project or the test events.

“There is some flexibility,” Votaw said. “We could be ready as early as March of 2015 or as late as August of 2015. You could have the test events in 2016 as well.”

The AP story ends by suggesting (yet again) that a different site may still be necessary for the 2016 course, even though a court has ruled that the construction can go ahead regardless of the ultimate decision on the land dispute that may be years away. We also know that from the AP's Azzoni.

The Real Best Field In Golf...

I'm always so impressed with the legends that are lured to play the PNC Father-Son Challenge, and the December 13-16 field announced Thursday remains the only event in golf that still lures The King and The Bear.

1. Steve Elkington/Sam Elkington (son)
2. Nick Faldo/Matthew Faldo (son)
3. Raymond Floyd/Robert Floyd (son)
4. Hale Irwin/Steve Irwin (son)
5. Lee Janzen/Connor Janzen (son)
6. Bernhard Langer/Christina Langer (daughter)
7. Davis Love III/Davis Love IV (Dru Love) (son)
8. Sandy Lyle/James Lyle (son)
9. Larry Nelson (Defending Champion)/John Nelson (son)
10. Jack Nicklaus/Gary Nicklaus (son)
11. Mark O'Meara/Shaun O'Meara (son)
12. Arnold Palmer/Will Wears (grandson)
13. Vijay Singh/Qass Singh (son)
14. Dave Stockton/David Stockton (son)
15. Curtis Strange/Tom Strange (son)
16. Lee Trevino/Daniel Trevino (son)
17. Lanny Wadkins/Tucker Wadkins (son)
18. Fuzzy Zoeller/Gretchen Zoeller (daughter)

PGA Tour Ratings '12: NBC Pulls Well Ahead Of CBS

Sports Business Daily's Austin Karp sums up the PGA Tour's numbers rising in 2012, with NBC showing a 45% increase (3.43 avg viewers) and CBS a 20% spike (2.75 million). Golf Channel was up 23% with a average of 847,000 viewers.

But check out the chart with Karp's item. It includes 2011 numbers, where NBC and CBS posted nearly identical average viewer numbers (2.3 million for NBC to 2.2 million for CBS).

I'd be curious to see if this lead in 2012 is the product of CBS having more telecasts and a few rainouts, or perhaps the NBC-Golf Channel synergy providing better promotion and telecast lead-ins?