Vijay Is Entered Into The AT&T National Pro-Am

Big limb here, I would not put Vijay Singh in your fantasy lineup next week at Pebble Beach.

He is currently entered according to this unbylined report.

Bamberger On PGA Prez Bishop: "Along the way, he’ll either help make the USGA stronger or be part of its demise."

Michael Bamberger clearly spent a lot of time with new PGA President Ted Bishop and filed a lengthy story for SI Golf Plus that is worth your time. Mostly because there is some great behind the scenes info on Bishop and the battles being fought behind closed doors by the five families, along with some fun commentary by Bamberger thrown in. This is the kind of thing that should win a GWAA writing award, but won't.

Again, hit the link or read your print copy this week, I'm just documenting some of the highlights for the archives here...

Bishop and Bevacqua were having ­dinner at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines when Davis and Glen Nager, the USGA president, asked if they could join them. The four talked for the better part of an hour about their many shared interests: speeding up play, increasing junior participation, making golf more accessible to disabled players, water usage, the many people they know in common. Henry Kissinger likes to say that history is dictated by personality, and it’s possible this amicable hour of golf chat will prove to be significant. But not likely. Two days later, when referring to a Golf World story about Davis and Nager that ran under the headline Trail ­Blazers, Bishop was almost smirking. He doesn’t think they are trailblazers. Of course, Nager and Davis don’t see themselves as trailblazers, either. They are trying to defend challenge as an essential golfing value. And for Bishop, that’s where the conflict arises.

Bishop is not a fan of a distance rollback...

The real issue in the debate goes much deeper than whether the butt end of the putter depresses human flesh. Bishop believes that if the ban goes through without a major hitch, it will empower and embolden the USGA. “I think their next step will be to try to slow down the golf ball,” Bishop said last month in his pro shop at Legends.

While we'll slap Bishop a two-stroke penalty for point-missing a possible distance rollback, but he gets points for this. Brace yourselves, this may be the last time you read the words "Glory's Last Shot."

For the PGA, and maybe for everybody, the secret weapon in this whole thing is Bevacqua, who joined the PGA of America in November, hired by a committee on which Bishop sat. (Bishop also was instrumental in recruiting Dottie Pepper to the PGA board of directors; eliminating the catchphrase “Glory’s Last Shot” from the PGA Championship marketing playbook; and initiating a thorough examination of the PGA’s TV contracts.)

Let's hope they are looking at the language that lets CBS show a promo for every shot shown on television.

This, regarding the PGA's State of the Game panel at the show, where the USGA did not participate despite efforts to get someone on the stage.

He decided the best answer would come from the USGA itself. Julius Mason, a PGA of America communications official, contacted Goode, who sent this response by e-mail: “The USGA has a number of senior leaders in attendance at this year’s show. Mike Davis, however, is preparing for the Association’s Annual Meeting.” During the proceedings, Mason wrote Goode’s response in a reporter’s notebook, ripped out the page and handed it to the panel’s moderator, Damon Hack of Golf Channel. Nobody asked about the USGA’s absence, and the statement was never read. A lost opportunity all the way around.

And in the "Where's Inga Hammond" files, you have your answer and it sounds like she's doing some sound work based on what's gone on so far in the Bishop era.

Your neighborhood PGA professional is not typically a modernist. Bishop—­married to Cindy for 36 years with two daughters in the golf ­business—is. Before assuming the PGA presidency he hired Inga Hammond, the former Golf Channel broadcaster, for intense media training, paying for it himself. Before Watson was named Ryder Cup captain, Bishop again hired Hammond to work with Watson, himself and Bevacqua. When Watson was asked about his relationship with Tiger Woods, he had a canned answer all teed up. The basic message of Hammond’s coaching is to encourage her clients to be open. It seems to come naturally to Bishop.

Richest Event In World Is Not Rich Enough Apparently

The inaugural non-WGC Tournament of Hope in South Africa has been "postponed" due to "economic climate."

For Immediate Friday News Dump Release:

February 1, 2013 - The International Federation of PGA Tours and the Sunshine Tour announced today that the Tournament of Hope, scheduled for the week of November 18, 2013, has been postponed.

The Tournament of Hope is an event to be contested in South Africa with a primary eligibility category of the top 50 players in the world, supplemented by the individual money lists and Orders of Merit of the various Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours.  The Tournament of Hope is also to be the centerpiece of a proposed worldwide AIDS awareness effort, to be coordinated by the Sunshine Tour.

“We are confident that the initial enthusiasm for the Tournament of Hope remains in South Africa and among other potential international sponsors,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, speaking on behalf of the Sunshine Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours.  “We are hopeful that, with an improvement in the economic climate, we will be able to conclude all arrangements for a successful staging of the Tournament of Hope at a future date.”

Further announcements concerning the Tournament of Hope will be made periodically.

The entire thing was a bit complicated from day one and up until last February when its status was finally decided.

It all started with a Presidents Cup scheduling brouhaha when the European Tour scheduled the 2011 South African Open the week of the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

State Of The Game Podcast 16: Bifurcation Madness

Rod Morri, Michael Clayton and I discuss the recent events related to the state of the game and Clayts also fills us in on Gil Hanse's visit to the sandbelt. Vijay, slow play and all of the bifurcation talk make appearances.

Have a listen below or as always, subscribe on itunes.

Torrey Slow Play: What Can Contractless Rules Officials Do?

Jason Sobel talked to Brad Fritsch this week about his group holding up Tiger Woods during the final two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open. Fritsch had this to say:

At the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Tuesday, Fritsch maintained that not only was the threesome never put on the clock, they were never even warned by a PGA Tour rules official.

“Nobody ever even approached us,” he said. “I tell you what, all we ever heard on the Web.com Tour was, ‘We’re doing this to you guys now, because it’s worse out there in terms of them getting on you and staying on you.’ We didn’t see anybody all day.”

As you may recall, the rules staff has been working without a contract since the start of the year. And you may also recall Commissioner Tim Finchem gets the willies just thinking about a penalty for slow play, something that has not happened under his reign.

He infamously told John Feinstein:

"Slow play is a legitimate issue," he said, "but not to the point where I think we need to do something like that."

Considering that he's giving himself and his senior executives lavish bonuses and can't afford to take care of the people (outside of the players) most important to running a successful event, the contract situation is embarrassing.

But I also wonder if it's neutering the rules officials to the point that they don't want to upset the apple cart has created a situation where the Commissioner's attitude means they no longer feel empowered to get tough on slow play? I hope not, but it is a danger of letting such a silly contract situation linger, especially as Rules of Golf and slow play issues are such hot topics. Another danger of letting this linger is that the officials could be accused of doing nothing on purpose as a negotiation ploy.

Or as Finchem calls these things, "distractions."

Video: Phil Fires 60 With Power Lipout On Last Hole

Fighting through the painful emotions of seeing old sparring partner Vijay Singh overcome some seriously bad press, Phil Mickelson fired an 11-under 60 in the opening round of 2013 Waste Management Open play.

As of now, the PGA Tour's YouTube page has posted Phil's birdie putt on the 8th hole, his 17th, which he left short. Why, I have no idea.

Thankfully, the putt we actually want to see was posted by a fan is now posted by the tour. Note the multiple cameras and great work by NBC's crew to capture the moment.

Update on 2013-01-31 23:19 by Geoff

**Sam Weinman says this one already ranks in the top 5 of all time lipouts.

Update on 2013-02-01 02:38 by Geoff

**Phil's post round interview with Mark Rolfing is fun...if you can handle the plugs for his new Callaway driver. Phil gets to see the lipout for the first time on video:

Update on 2013-02-01 02:37 by Geoff

**A wise reader who wished to remain nameless notes that some golfers shoot their age, with this 60 Phil shot his tax bracket.

Update on 2013-02-01 02:47 by Geoff

**Michael Collins caught up with Jim "Bones" Mackay in the parking lot to talk about the round.

Update on 2013-02-01 05:13 by Geoff

**Nice roundup of the 60 and player comments by Gary Van Sickle.

Ugh: Time Inc. Layoffs Hit SI, golf.com

It pains me to see comrades at Sports Illustrated/golf.com losing their jobs as part of Time Inc's 6% global work force reduction. Some very talented people were let go today, and while this Keith Kelly story doesn't name names, it won't get them their jobs back to point out who is suffering today.

This IBTimes.com story cites the layoff numbers, advertising issues and quotes the new CEO, Laura Lang, in a memo to staff:

In a memo obtained by Bloomberg News Wednesday, Laura Lang, the company’s CEO, spoke of a new normal in which magazine companies have to learn how to do more with less. “With the significant and ongoing changes in our industry, we must continue to transform our company into one that is leaner, more nimble and more innately multi-platform,” Lang wrote.

Innately multi-platform. As opposed to multi-platform.

“To make this change, we need to operate as smartly and efficiently as possible to create room for critical investments and new initiatives. These reductions are part of this important transformation process.”

Vijay WD's To Spend More Time WIth His Lawyer

AP's John Nicholson reports, though it's light on details. Not that anyone really is shocked following the admission that he violated the PGA Tour's doping policy.

Update on 2013-01-31 16:02 by Geoff

**Steve Elkington's latest editorial cartoon. The Vijay edition.

Update on 2013-01-31 16:07 by Geoff

**The official reason for the WD is "back soreness." Oy vey.