When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Sent in a by a reader an an unidentified construction site approximately 30 minutes from Golf House in Far Hills, New Jersey. **Apparently some of you had trouble understanding the above. This is not at Golf House, but approximately 30 minutes from Golf House. Got it?
It's been fascinating to follow the political saga that is Donald Trump's fight against the proposed wind farm off the Aberdeen coast which could taint the views from Trump International Scotland (I happen to agree with The Donald that they will, if you are playing the back tees where the views are spectacular...and so are the force carries).
This has led to his row with former bud First Minister Alex Salmond, and now there is the fallout from the BBC's airing of You've Been Trumped, where local police actually come off as poorly as some of The Donald's workers who pettily cut water supplies to residents and engaged in other unnecessary acts of boorish behavior, all documented in this shocking scene captured by filmmaker Anthony Baxter.
Interestingly, the post-You've Been Trumped ramifications have transitioned from a mere spat between filmmaker and developer (passport application bounty offerer that he is), to appropriate questions about the role of police arresting the filmmaker for seemingly no good reason.
First Minister Salmond, the independence movement's biggest backer, has now asked for an inquiry into the episode, captured and included in the film, after previously ignoring the known incident for nearly two years, reports Neil Drysdale:
Mr Salmond wrote in a letter to his constituents: "The film raises issues which have caused concern to a number of my constituents, specifically the strong suggestion that Grampian Police acted in a partial and unacceptable manner, for example the arrest of filmmakers which took place in 2010.
“With that in mind, I have written to the chief constable of Grampian Police, Colin McKerracher, to allow the police the opportunity to explain their actions and what steps have been taken in response to previous complaints.”
The "breach of peace" arrest came after the filmmaker made a visit to Trump's greenkeeper and interviewed him at the golf course construction offices.
Is it possible that The Donald's project could inadvertently influence the Scottish independence referendum?
Anthony Baxter, the filmmaker who was arrested, writing in The Guardian on Salmond's sudden interest:
Why has it taken more than two years to do so? The only logical answer is that Salmond and his government have been hoping that, in their silence, the truth would not be revealed. To the residents who have had to deal with the Bond villain Trump and his cronies, Salmond's response – or the lack of one – is deeply insulting and they are right to call it a cover-up.
And to the many people who have been shocked, dazed and saddened by what they have witnessed on the small screen this week, the implications for Scottish independence could never have been more pressing.
Throw in Salmond's recently revealed request of The Donald and, well, it does seem possible that the whole indepedence thing could be undermined by the building of Trump International links.
There wasn't much in the way of coherent questioning from Tiger's Malaysia press conference to launch whatever event it is they're playing this week the CIMB Classic.
Anyway, there was this:
Q. It's been a difficult week for sports in some respects with the Lance Armstrong scandal. Just wondered to what extent you thought golf has any similar problems?
TIGER WOODS: Could you repeat the last part of it?
Q. I just wondered if you thought to what extent golf has similar problems, and are the authorities doing enough to catch people who are taking the wrong things?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, we just implemented testing probably three years ago I think it is, three years now. I know we don't do any blood work like some of the other sports do. Right now is just urine samples, but that's certainly a positive step in the right direction to try and validate our sport. I mean, this is a sport where we turn ourselves in on mistakes. A ball moves in the tree, and the guy calls a penalty on himself. Golf is a different sport. I think that's one of the neat things about our great game, and I think with the testing, it's only enhanced that respectability throughout all of sport.
It's always worth remembering that if not for Tiger raising the issue, as Steve Elling noted here, the folks in Ponte Vedra might be resisting drug testing.
For a fun flashback, here's one of Commissioner We Don't Need No Stinkin' Testing's many tortured answers on the topic before he saw the light.
Tom Degun talks exclusively with Olympic Council of Ireland head Pat Hickey who famously said Rory McIlroy would be Ireland's 2016 Rio opening ceremony flagbearer if he committed to representing Ireland. Hickey is now saying he was misquoted and is claiming the writer in question has apologized to him.
"When he asked if Rory would be considered to carry the flag at the Olympic Opening Ceremony if he choose Ireland I answered: 'Of course he would, at the level he is at, he would be a strong contender.'
"But I explained that particular decision is never made until about a week before the Games.
"He then sold that story straight to the Daily Telegraph and the Irish Independent but with false comments.
"It spread from there.
"I never used the expression pole position that he used and I certainly never used that ridiculous line that this would make McIlroy more famous."
And...
"I contacted the journalist, who apologised to me, but it is terrible to be treated like that."
Degun does not include any comment from the Telegraph or writer Justin Doyle.
AAP's Darren Walton reported these comments from anchorer Adam Scott which, while earnest, probably will be added to the USGA/R&A's circumstantial evidence file.
Long regarded as one of the world's premier ball-strikers and the winner of 18 tournaments globally, Scott admitted during his Open charge at Royal Lytham that his old putting "ups and downs were horrible".
"It eats you up," he told AAP.
"It's such a mental part of the game and for me walking out there feeling really solid with it for the last 18 months, I feel like I'm not ever going to shoot a bad score.
"It makes going out on the course less stressful, knowing you're going to putt alright all the time."
He makes it sound like a drug.
From part one of Brian Wacker's "exclusive" Sean Foley Q&A at PGATour.com. It's exclusive because PGATour.com is acknowledging someone in golf who is not a member of the PGA Tour.
Nonetheless, as with any Foley interview, it's not short on engaging topics including Johnny Miller's recent comments about passing on the chance to teach Tiger, and this...
Q: I want to go back to that day about 10 years ago when you were sitting in a bar in Canada with Sean Casey, who's now the director of golf at Glen Abbey, and you saw Tiger Woods on television and you said "I'm going to coach him one day." What made you think you could?
SEAN FOLEY: I used to say it and then be met with a phase of ridicule. There are some things that are difficult to explain. It's like asking anyone about ideas like God or destiny. It's really difficult to put into terms and into words and to quantify. I can tell you that there probably weren't many people who ever thought [I would coach him]. But I've seen people like Nelson Mandela get thrown in jail and stay in jail for 27 years and then come out and become the president of the country. It's not just that he became president, but he came out forgiving his oppressors.
Even though that has nothing to do with my situation, to me as a kid, it was like, OK, if he's capable of that, what am I capable of? I always wanted to teach golf. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, and that's the benefit of being so young. And I just thought it would be cool.
An excerpt from Darren Clarke's autobiography provides a glimpse into his life of excess, and a possible warning side for a clothes fetish that could prove ugly when he gets his way and becomes 2014 Ryder Cup captain.
One thing that has been a constant throughout my career and for most of my life is that when it comes to shopping and spending, I have few rivals. My excesses often have to be seen to be believed.
If I said I once bought 60 pairs of Calvin Klein underpants, would you believe me? Didn’t think so, but I did. Or 40 pairs of trousers on the same day from the same shop? Yes, I did. Or thirty belts? Yes, that’s me. I’ve had 15 Ferraris, three Lamborghinis and an assortment of Jags, Bentleys, Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches. The most cars I’ve ever had at once was seven and I’ll admit that was a little excessive. I’m more sensible now.
The fourth edition of Golf Illustrated is out and while the print edition is another beautiful journal full of wonderful photography that makes a great gift, there is a solution for non-UK buyers who were scared by the high price: an iPad edition for $13.99. The app is free and a one-year subscription is $49.99.
Included in the latest issue are profiles of David McLay Kidd, Archie Baird and Lee Trevino interview. Features include a look at Royal St. George's, a story on five club secretaries and a fantastic Dale Concannon story about the first Ryder Cup.
When a third person sent in Tiger's CNBC interview with Maria Bartiromo I figured I better watch knowing that I was risking five minutes I'll never get back.
I'm not sure what to call this other than awkward. From the questions about Lance Armstrong "coming back" to her persistence in learning Tiger's stake in FUSE to the FUSE guy reeling off a series of amazing bits of scientific jargon, it's a wacky five minutes.
**GolfChannel.com has since posted it.
From an unbylined AFP story, Rory McIlroy downplays but does not deny. At least, unlike his agent, he's heard the rumors.
"These rumours have been going around for years and it seems to always come up at this time of the year," McIlroy said at Lake Malaren Golf Club.
"I leave it up to Conor (Ridge, McIlroy's manager) to sort out as it leaves me to concentrate on my golf."
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
