Golf Gods' Existence Confirmed By Hellacious Bay Hill Storm: Tavistock Cup Forced To Take Back Seat

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I'm too distraught to type my emotions right now, so I'll just copy and paste the key times for a re-arranged schedule now that the storm-delayed Arnold Palmer Invitational is running into Monday. A day normally set aside for the absurd expression of conspicuous consumption known as the Tavistock Cup.

Golf Channel Monday Programming Schedule (all times Eastern)

10 a.m.-conclusion             Final Round Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Following API-5 p.m.          Day One Tavistock Cup Coverage

And then there is the Tavistock Cup, re-imagined without, oh, the golfers most  people want to see:

Tomorrow’s better ball competition will be as follows:

Group 1 - 12:20 p.m. Paul McGinley and Tom Lewis will play with Bob Tway and Scott Verplank.

Group 2 - 12:35 p.m. Brian Davis and D.A. Points will play with Peter Hanson and Webb Simpson.

Group 3 - 12:50 p.m. Tim Clark and Adam Scott will play with Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell.

Group 4 - 1:05 p.m. Fred Couples and Jay Haas will play with Bo Van Pelt and Bubba Watson.
Gate hours will remain the same.

Links Trust Head Says R&A Probably Never Expected To Get Its Way With Old Course Changes!

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Even better, St. Andrews Links Trust head honcho Euan London uses a baseball analogy in making a stunning comment about the extreme nature of Old Course changes that his organization ultimately approved.

From John Huggan's must-read dissection of the Old Course meddling:

“So I understand there are legitimate counter arguments, one that says ‘don’t ever tinker with the Old Course’, and another outlining the futility of trying to out-run technology.

“There was, however, no obligation on our part to go along with the R&A’s wishes. In fact, when they first came to us I don’t think there was any expectation in the minds of Peter and Jim that any of this was going to pass first base.”

As Huggan pieces together, the original stance of the parties involved turned out to be a fictional account. Or at the very least, one designed to mislead about the chain of events.

The original Friday news dump press release suggested the changes were dictated by recommendations from architect Martin Hawtree, but as a subsequent admission from R&A Chief Peter Dawson hinted and Loudon confirms to Huggan, the changes were entirely driven by the R&A and that Hawtree was hired by the Links Trust merely to implement the plan.

“From my perspective, the R&A came to us with what they saw as the ‘big picture’,” says Loudon. “Martin was the detail man.”

Why does this matter? Because we have a governing body making changes to a masterpiece--the masterpiece--for no apparent reason other than to try and elevate scores and mask their regulatory malfeasance.

Sadly, Loudon reveals that the approach to the work wasn't even that thorough in its cynical calculation.

Players like Tiger Woods have wondered how they could try to make the Road hole tougher considering its astronomical scoring average at every Open Championship. Huggan, in going through each of the changes with Loudon, wonders how a hole like the Road could average closer to bogey than par and still need to be made tougher with new greenside contouring.

“You make a good point,” acknowledges Loudon. “Those statistics were not part of our thinking. Maybe they should have been.”

Oh dear.

Phil: "I like playing in a tournament that's similar to what we'll be playing"

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It will be interesting to see what the players at the Valero Texas Open have to say about it as a pre-Masters venue this year due to a scheduling quirk that has put the Shell Houston Open--and its Augustaeque setup--next week on the schedule.

Phil Mickelson explained why he's not playing at the Valero, home to the reviled TPC San Antonio, even though it's not his preference. Bob Harig reports:

"For me personally, I like playing in a tournament that's similar to what we'll be playing," Mickelson said. "For a long time, we had a pretty good tournament before the U.S. Open. I don't remember what it was [Westchester] but now it's Memphis. It's so hot, I run out of energy and going to the Open, I'm drained so I don't play there anymore.

"This year, having a windy, tight course [in San Antonio] really isn't conducive to getting ready for Augusta. That makes it difficult for me personally so I'll end up going to Augusta a few days early and what have you. I've got to make some adjustments, just because the tournaments before the majors are not helping us at all get ready."

Mickelson is a man of his word, added the Scottish Open last year to his schedule. And with a return to Castle Stuart this year along with an NBC weekend telecast, chances are decent he'll do the same.

PGA Prez: USGA Needs An Anchoring Condition Of Competition

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In his latest column, PGA President Ted Bishop makes his case again against the anchoring ban.

Bishop is recommending a 12th condition of competition to allow leeway in the rules for anchoring if the governing bodies refuse to back down.

I maintain that the USGA and R&A have underestimated the ramifications a rule change banning anchoring. In my opinion, the next best thing to no ban would be the creation of a 12th condition of competition in USGA rules that deals with anchoring. Presently, the four major championships are not uniform to applying four conditions of competition (for example, the one-ball rule, practice putting at hole last played, embedded ball rule and removal of stones in bunkers are handled differently in the majors).

This way every stakeholder walks away with what they want and everybody plays by the same set of rules. Davis, though, disagrees with the idea saying the USGA doesn’t believe in such conditions for “real fundamental rules.”

Politically, I wonder if the PGA of America had started with this as their position if it would have allowed for more dialogue in hammering out a happier outcome to this battle. What that solution would be, I have no idea.