Prepare To Hear About "The Bear Trap" For Another Four Years...

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For Immediate Release...

HONDA CLASSIC EXTENDS PGA NATIONAL SITE AGREEMENT

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - The Honda Classic has extended its contract with PGA National Resort & Spa to keep the PGA TOUR event at its current home for at least the next four years.
 
The Honda / PGA National marriage has been a win-win relationship for both parties as The Honda has blossomed into one of the elite events on the PGA TOUR in its six years at PGA National and the Champion course has become known as one of the most challenging layouts in tournament golf. The Bear Trap, comprised of Holes 15-17, is considered one of the toughest stretches of golf on the PGA TOUR.
 
A world class field now plays The Honda each year and last year Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, dueled to the wire with Tiger Woods. The 2012 Honda raised a tournament record $1.85 million for South Florida Children's charities.
 
"We feel like we have the best venue on the PGA TOUR," Honda Classic Executive Director Kenneth R. Kennerly said.

Down boy!

"The move to PGA National has allowed The Honda Classic to emerge as one of the top events of the year. The players love the course and enjoy their time in Palm Beach County which is evidenced by the number of top players who continue to move to this area. We are excited that we will be able to stay at PGA National as we move into the future."

"Fitness, Family, Fast and Fun."

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Ron Sirak offers good common sense ideas about the state of the game and what needs to be emphasized to "grow" (really sustain at this point) the game. The question I have though as I read it is: which of the five families will have the desire to guide the sport to a healthier future?

Sirak says the emphasis should be on the four f's, fast, fitness, fun and family.

On fun:

We need to focus on the Fun in the game. My father was a 35-year-old steel mill worker when he took up golf. The factory had a nine-hole league -- inspired by our local working class hero, Palmer -- and that league got my Dad hooked on the game. He started playing nine holes on Tuesdays and eventually was playing 18 on Saturday and Sunday, and soon he had a club in my hands.

These sorts of fun, social/competitive events are also a way to get more women in the game. Only 18 percent of rounds played in the United States are by women. The growth potential there is enormous. How about courses encouraging that growth by having daycare centers or play areas so Moms can bring their kids to the course?

EA '14: Your Chance To "Take Down" A Cross-Eyed Bobby Jones, A Juiced Arnold Palmer & An Almost Anorexic Jack Nicklaus

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Besides getting to play legends using swings and physiques with which we are unfamiliar, the EA press info says they allow you to "tweak" courses on this edition.

Players, fill us in. Maybe there's a way to de-Fazio Augusta and Riviera? Reesnovate Torrey South? De-Dawson the Old Course?

Here's the preview for the March release of EA Sports' Tiger Woods '14:

Kapalua Is Pretty Much A Disaster But All Hope Is Not Lost: Ian Poulter And Johnny Miller Are Bickering Again!

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Another day at Kapalua meant more freakishly severe weather and aborting another round, the second time this week.

Doug Ferguson's game story recounts the various unfortunate lows in what is quickly going down as one of the more unfortunate freak weather events to ever hit the PGA Tour.

Matt Kuchar was mildly critical of Sunday's attempt to even play, reports Bailey Mosier.

"After we went through Friday and then having Saturday blown out, as well, we were kind of expecting that today," Matt Kuchar said.

"With the wind being as strong as it was this morning ... I think most guys pretty much could have told you what was going to happen in the locker room."

Sunday winds sustained 25-35 mph and PGA Tour officials registered gusts up to 48 mph.
"I'm not sure if that was the point to show that we're making every effort to play," Kuchar said.

The tour's Andy Padzur was questioned about the call and also asked about Golf Channel's obligation to next week's sponsor.

Q. Have you guys discussed with the Golf Channel, is there any issues with getting equipment to Oahu or the Sony broadcast on Thursday?

ANDY PAZDER: There is, yeah. The equipment that's here has to get barged over to Oahu, get set up and so forth. We have had conversations with Golf Channel, moving on into a Tuesday finish here, Golf Channel is indicating that they feel reasonably comfortable that they can produce or provide a show on Thursday from Sony.

Obviously we are sensitive to that. But right now our most important focus is on the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and that's what our decisions are being based upon, which is getting 54 holes in.

Q. If weather does not cooperate tomorrow, is it 36 on Tuesday or at what point do you call it all off?

ANDY PAZDER: Can we save that question for tomorrow? (Laughter).

Butch Harmon even predicted some WD's to protect swings. Ryan Lavner reports.

Golf Channel televises from 4-11 ET Monday. No word yet on Tuesday's plan.

But it's not all bad news!

Alex Miceli reports on the row redux between Ian Poulter and NBC's Johnny Miller after Mr. 63 essentially called the Ryder Cup hero a drama queen.

Poulter took a lot of time over his 20-foot birdie putt, just above the hole, wind whipping his pants as he looked it over. The Europeans' Ryder Cup hero continued to step in and out of his stance, refusing to ground his putter until finally hitting the ball.

Johnny Miller, the often-controversial color analyst for NBC Sports' golf coverage, commented about Poulter’s unwillingness to putt.

“You just can‘t stay over the putt that long. You've got to get in there, line it up and hit it,” Miller said initially about Poulter’s inaction. “He surely doesn’t have the Tom Watson attitude so far. He’s afraid he’s going to hurt himself, and that would probably set the game back 20 years.”

Poulter fired back on Twitter after hearing about Johnny's criticism:

“Johnny miller why don't you come interview me live and say that stuff straight to my face,” Poulter tweeted after the round. “Was you watching a different channel.”

Later in the evening, Poulter added another tweet about the commentary.

"Just watched coverage on @GolfChannel. Really sorry I took way to long on 11th.... Just trying to win a golf tournament. Trying to do my job"

The offending moment can be seen in this Golf Channel Golf Central highlight package. One minute in you get some great highlights of the wacky wind-induced activity, including Poulter considering his options. This package also includes Tim Rosaforte talking to the tour's Slugger White about Monday's forecast, which is expected to be have winds gusting 5 mph less than they did Sunday.

You can relive Johnny and Ian's past bickering (mostly Ian tweeting) here, here and here.

They also appeared to have a truce, but that turned out to be a Brad Faxon prank. A darn good one, if I may say so.

Trouble In Paradise: Pro Golf In Hawaii Edition

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It's hard to believe, I know. Apathy surrounds the season opener at Kapalua. The biggest names stay home and the new oversaturation era begins with the PGA Tour's constant loop of action already seemingly exhausting. And it hasn't even started yet!

GolfChannel.com's Jason Sobel says the Hyundai Tournament of Some Champions has been overshadowed by the missing "Magnificent Seven," a "who’s who list of special talents: Rory McIlroy; Luke Donald; Tiger Woods; Justin Rose; Sergio Garcia; Phil Mickelson; Ernie Els."

But just think, they didn't get to pre-tape NFL style introductions!

Meanwhile Ann Miller in the Honolulu Advertiser publishes several ominous quotes from Tim Finchem fishing buddy, Fred Funk favorite and all-things-Hawaii point man, Mark Rolfing. Since it's behind a paywall, SBD summarizes the key lines.

"I know the date is problematic. We've got guys skipping that never skipped before. ... The fact is, it should be one week later. Next year will be worse. New Year's Day is Wednesday of tournament week.” Miller noted the PGA Tour Sony Open, the “first full-field event of the year, is next week at Waialae Country Club.”

It's not great news for the Sony either.

Sony's commitment as title sponsor extends through ‘14, though Rolfing “worries weaker fields and the date's conflict with the International Consumer Electronics Show could mortally wound a tour stop that goes back nearly 50 years.” Meanwhile, this is the final year of Hyundai's title sponsorship for the TOC, and the tournament’s “holiday date and diluted fields make it tough on extension talks.” Rolfing said, "I've talked to a whole lot of players, and I think one week would make a huge difference."

Fifty-shmifty. Sorry Mark, we've got WGC's and the all-important fall events taking priority! Oh and Asia too.

It's not all bad news, as Hyundai's front man sounds positive talking to Jim McCabe, even though they just can't quite seem to put ink to a new contract.

“We are very bullish,” Shannon said. “We don’t have anything to announce this week, particularly because we are so focused in executing another great event. But we’ve had discussions with the PGA Tour, but we just need to get this tournament behind us and then have some more discussions with them.”