Neighbors Rejoice Over Minor Damage To Trump Scotland

Simon Murphy reports on the damaged to the burn on the fourth hole, which overflowed during last month's storms.

Last night, Suzanne Kelly, a local resident who discovered the damage, said it was ‘beautifully ironic’.

She added: ‘The amount I know about golf would fit into a teaspoon. However, I do know when I’m walking on a pathway and come to a big chasm, that’s not the best.

‘I’m just glad the light hadn’t gone by the time I got to that point on the course otherwise I’d be talking from a hospital bed with a broken leg.

‘There’s no fence, no sign, no warning you’re about to fall into a hole, just a few traffic cones.’

Clinton Meets His Match! Finchem Eventually Lets Former Prez Take Humana Mic

You can watch about 7 minutes of former President Bill Clinton talking about a range of topics to the press at the Humana Challenge, his last appearance there before heading back for the inaugural events this weekend.

You'll have to sit through 5 minutes of Commissioner Platform first. Sorry.

And sorry about the iPod mini player window, it's not my call.



You can read the transcript here and see if the Commish out-platforms the Humana board chair.

Lanny Lands Champions Lead Analyst Gig

Lanny gets the call.

And don't even think of asking me who was the lead analyst before him.

Known as one of the fiercest competitors on Tour during his playing career, Wadkins will be in the booth this week for the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, one of 22 Champions Tour events on Golf Channel in 2013. He will also appear on news and instructional programming throughout the year.

"Lanny was one of the greatest golfers of his generation, and we are thrilled to have him as a member of our Golf Channel family," said executive producer Molly Solomon. "I have been a fan of Lanny's for many years, and we look forward to his return to television and hearing his familiar voice each week on the Champions Tour."

Video: Rory's Duck Hook

Who says you can't hit a duck hook with modern equipment?

The good news? No one was there to see Rory McIllroy show off his new equipment en route to an opening 75 in the HSBC at Abu Dhabi.

The bad news? Television was there.

Who would have guessed it's January?

Update on 2013-01-17 18:40 by Geoff

**Bob Harig addresses Rory's club change and short transition period in light of the opening round.

Although indications are that McIlroy knew he'd be making the switch as far back as September, the transition period has not been that long.

It is hard to imagine McIlroy working with the new clubs much when he still had tournaments to play and was contractually obligated to use the old ones. He visited Nike's testing center in Forth Worth, Texas, and got hooked up with all manner of apparatus to lock in launch angles and swing speeds and all the other technical stuff professional golfers endure to try and get their equipment just right.

Video: Even Tiger Cold Tops One Now And Then...

Thanks to reader Brian for the video link to this shot during first round play at Abu Dhabi. The shot was hit from the first tee (his tenth hole) during opening round play in the 2013 HSBC Golf Championship.

According to Golf Channel's Tiger Tracker it went 200 yards.

Watch it before the inevitable copyright claim.

Update on 2013-01-17 16:43 by Geoff

**Alistair Tait was there and documents the rusty start for both Tiger and Rory. His description of the above shot for the days after the video is scrubbed.

I think we can all relate to this feeling:

Woods hit a drive that would have embarrassed many high-handicappers. He hit an inch behind the ball and watched as it fell short of the fairway. The ball traveled only about 150 yards. Woods’ fairway metal approach still came up 20 yards short, and he failed to get up-and-down for par. “My whole game plan was to hit 3-iron or 5-wood on that hole,” Woods said. “I changed my game plan and wasn’t committed to the shot. I didn’t want to hit it. I was really fighting over that tee shot and should have backed off it.”

Debating The Walker Cup Mid-Amateur Quota

Ron Balicki looks at the new mid-amateur quota for the U.S. Walker Cup team. Just the use of the word quota should give free marketeers reason to pause, but if that doesn't, then Rickie Fowler's criticism might.

“Actually, I’m really surprised they made this adjustment,” Fowler said. “I definitely feel like a deserving young player could get left out. I always thought the Walker Cup is meant to be the best amateurs from the U.S. against the best amateurs from GB&I. There shouldn’t be an age requirement or certain number of mid-ams that have to be on the team.”

That said, Fowler added, “If the two mid-ams are guys who have played on Walker Cups, then, yes, it could be very helpful to the team. But if you take a mid-am who is playing in his first Walker Cup, it would be the same as taking a kid right out of high school (who is) rearing to play.”

Balicki quotes several prominent mid-amateurs who praise the decision and also addresses the notion of whether sportsmanship has been placed above winning, something USGA Championship committee chair Tom O'Toole acknowledges is secondary to the spirit of the matches as established by George Herbert Walker.

Golfweek's Sean Martin, who covers amateur golf and the Walker Cup pursuit, tweeted that this "ridiculous" decision cheapens the Walker Cup. And regarding the mid-ams eligible for this year:

The race for Walker Cup spots is too tight to designate two in January. Not another deserving mid-am after Nathan Smith.

Not surprisingly Global Golf Post, which is sent to USGA members and therefore had the story in its Monday edition before the press release went public, went the house organ route in its lede:

"In a surprising move that will be well received throughout the U.S. amateur golf community."

And John Peterson, infamously snubbed the last time the Cup was played, Tweeted this:

World Class Amateurs- Turn Pro and make money, or spend all of it trying to make the Walker Cup just to leave it to politics. #StillHurts

"Mickelson's Torrey Pines Vision Taking Shape"

Tod Leonard on the unveiling of Torrey Pines North's first three holes as Phil Mickelson would like to update them.

Most of it sounds solid, but some of this type of earth moving in the wrong hands could backfire:

Most significantly, three bunkers that guard the front of the first green would become one smaller bunker to the right-middle, while Angus said a bank on the left side would kick balls toward the hole. There is a swale to the short right of the green that golfers might find if they go for the hole in two shots.

• At the par-5 first, current fairway bunkers that are closer to the white tees will be eliminated, with new bunkers requiring carries of 278 and 310 yards for the pros. Where most amateurs would land, the fairway would be widened and raised to provide better views of the ocean. The green would be lowered by 8 feet to show off more water.

Forget The Tiger-Visiting-Lindsey-Vonn-In-Salzburg-Business, What's With The Yankees Cap?

If you are really bored you can translate this Salzburger Nachrichten story (with photos) of Tiger Woods arriving in Salzburg Sunday to (A) visit Mozart's birthplace (B) continue his ongoing tour to visit all of the filming locations for The Sound of Music or (C) visit the sister of his kids' ski instructor and Olympic skiier, Lindsey Vonn.

All of the explanations work for me. I guess you could throw in the beautiful weather this time of year, too.

What doesn't work, as a Dodgers fan who was under the impression that Tiger was a devoted Dodgerphile, is the Yankees cap.

Update on 2013-01-16 20:34 by Geoff

***Ahhh…those were the days. Manny at the plate, Tiger in the owners box with the not-beloved Jamie and Frank McCourt.

From a golf.com gallery showing a Jeff Gross Getty Image.

Update on 2013-01-16 23:44 by Geoff

**Meanwhile FoxSports.com reports on a new National Enquirer story reporting on Tiger's attempts to reconcile with Elin.

Did I miss a meeting?

EA's Absurdly Cool "Masters Historic Edition"

Electronic Arts announced a special edition of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 and for those of us fascinated by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones' original Augusta National design, the attention to detail looks amazing.

For Immediate Release:

Electronic Arts Inc., announced today that fans will be able to step back in time with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition. For the first time ever, users will experience Augusta National Golf Club as it was when the course played host to the very first Masters Tournament - what was known in 1934 as the Inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament.

The development of this exclusive feature was researched with meticulous detail in an effort to re-create the original 1931 design of world-renowned golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie and legendary golfer Bobby Jones.

"From the very beginning, our relationship with the Masters Tournament has been built around our ability to bring a unique and authentic experience to a new and younger demographic of potential golfers," Mike Taramykin, Vice President of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR said. "From unprecedented access to the Augusta National archives, to in-depth discussions with golf historians - and even our own internal research into the sport in the 1930s - The Masters Historic Edition is the next step in bringing gamers an exciting and distinctive glimpse into the game of golf."

Game play will place players in a 1934 environment, which takes into account everything from the clothing to the equipment. On the golf course, users will discover a new way to enjoy the timeless layout, and as it would have played when the first Tournament field competed in the Club's inaugural invitational. This includes everything from the golf course's nines being reversed to its original green contours and speeds.

In addition to this unique feature, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will also include:

    •    A complete copy of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14
    •    A walk through of the original 1934 layout of Augusta National
    •    The present-day Augusta National Golf Club course
    •    Augusta National's world-class Tournament Practice Facility
    •    Augusta National's Par 3 course
    •    Green Jacket ceremony
    •    Augusta, the Song, as heard during the Masters Tournament television broadcast

In total, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will include all 20 courses available in the standard edition and the four additional championship courses: Royal County Down, Royal Melbourne, Sheshan and TPC Blue Monster at Doral.

The preview video: