Tiger And Kid Rock Dazzle On The Red Carpet

Robin Leach is outraged...outraged!...that Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn weren't photographed together for Saturday's Tiger Woods Foundation's Tiger Jam fundraiser in Las Vegas.

And frankly, having to look at Kid Rock instead of Vonn, I concur. Then again, there's Rock with Tiger on the golf course with Chris Paul. Open at your peril.

Leach tried to take his complaint a step further by suggesting the rumors of engagement--Tiger and Lindsey that is--kept Vonn off the red carpet because she was hiding a ring.

Bae Can Avoid Military Service With A Major Or Medal

Reading John Strege's account of Sunday's HP Byron Nelson and the CBS telecast, there was this:

Faldo also predicted that Bae won't be "a flash in the pan." Bae is banking on that as well, aiming as he is to represent South Korea in the Olympics in 2016. Military service is mandatory in South Korea and he has yet to fulfill his obligation, but an Olympic medal or a major championship would exempt him from service.

How about a Players Championship?

The final round highlights:

Guan Lands Memorial Exemption

Well at least the 14-year-old Masters cut-maker Tianlang Guan won't be missing any school for this one. Right?

For Immediate Release...

Chinese Amateur teen sensation Tianlang Guan to compete in the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance  
 
Dublin, Ohio – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance announced today that 14-year-old Chinese amateur sensation Tianlang Guan has accepted an exemption to compete in the 38th edition of the Memorial, May 27 – Jun 2 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
 
Tianlang last month became the youngest player to make a cut in a major championship in PGA TOUR history when he finished 58th at The Masters Tournament with a 12-over-par 300 aggregate total. His invitation to the first major of the season came by way of his victory at the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. A native of Guangzhou, China, Tianlang followed up his performance at Augusta National Golf Club by making the cut two weeks later at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he finished 71st at 4-over 292. Last week he missed the cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship after rounds of 70 and 77.
 
“I am very excited to accept the invitation to play at the Memorial Tournament,” Tianlang said. “It is Jack Nicklaus’ event, and the same as all the golf fans out there I have very high respect to Mr. Nicklaus, not just as a golf legend, but also as a great person. He has been actively involved in the development of golf in China, and junior golf development worldwide, and as a junior golfer myself I appreciate what he has done to help us grow. My parents and I got the chance to meet him in person at the Masters, and that was one of the highlights of my week at Augusta National. I appreciate a lot the Memorial Tournament for having me there, and it is going to be a great week.”
 
Tianlang is ranked No. 78 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“The Memorial Tournament has been a strong supporter of amateur golf since its inception, and each year the winners of both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur are always invited to participate,” said Memorial Tournament Founder and Host Jack Nicklaus. “With the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship becoming such an important event in the game of golf, and with the winner earning an invitation to The Masters Tournament and a spot in International Final Qualifying for the British Open, the Captains Club thought it was only appropriate to offer an invitation to the Memorial Tournament. We hope that in the future, we can make this a standard policy with our exemptions.

Video: Golf Ball Sized Hail…On A Golf Course

As seen on the GCSAA Twitter account, a hail storm at de Cordova Bend CC in Granbury, Texas. The Saturday, May 18, 2013 storm was shot by GCSAA field staff rep Brian Cloud.

Bill Geist Video: "Mini golf course designers? Who knew?"

Bill Geist's Sunday Morning segment featured a wonderful visit to the Jersey Shore to meet mini-golf architect Glenn Lynn. He is resurrecting Hurricane Sandy victim Barnacle Bill's miniature golf course, a community centerpiece.



The show also featured a segment on Thomas Burke's birdhouses, one of which is the Augusta National Clubhouse.

Video: New Definition Of Taking Relief

Nicolas Colsaerts is in deep doodoo, the game has gone down the toilet and, well, the list goes on and on.

Thanks to reader Ruediger for the link to this video from the Volvo World Match Play showing Colsaerts taking relief from a 10th hole restroom. (Graeme McDowell won the match play over Thongchai Jaidee Sunday.)

Must See Video: "Amazingly Professional Office Golf Putt"

The YouTube description says this is Logan Fondren, "custom club manager at Callaway Golf taking some time at the Callaway office to attempt a putt that looked just about impossible."

The description says this happened on the eighth take.

Remembering The Life & Times Of Ken Venturi

Ron Kroichick's obituary for Ken Venturi's hometown San Francisco Chronicle.

Doug Ferguson with the Associated Press obituary.

John Strege for GolfDigest.com.

Adam Schupak for Golfweek.com.

Bob Harig for ESPN.com.

Richard Goldstein files the New York Times obituary.

Jaime Diaz's column on Venturi's golfing genius prior to the Venturi WGHOF induction.

His Golf Digest My Shot.

From reader Gene, Michael Bamberger's SI story on Venturi's farewell to broadcasting.

Venturi's World Golf Hall of Fame page.

A PGA Tour video with Venturi's induction video from the WGHOF ceremony.

A USGA film of Venturi returning to Congressional to discuss his U.S. Open win.



Venturi on Feherty, the entire episode:

Update on 2013-05-19 18:18 by Geoff

**Golf Channel calls an audible and will re-broadcast Feherty's episode with Venturi on Monday, May 20th.

ORLANDO, Fla., May 19, 2013 – Monday at 10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will air a special encore presentation of FEHERTY with Ken Venturi, the 2013 World Golf Hall-of-Fame Inductee who passed away Friday at the age of 82.  Monday’s episode (which premiered in April, 2012) features Feherty traveling to Los Angeles for a stroll down memory lane with Venturi.  Their engaging conversation covers the gamut of Venturi’s seven decades in golf that began in 1941, including friendships with golf legends Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, becoming America’s finest amateur in the mid-1950s, freak injuries that led to his retirement; and how, despite dealing with an incurable stutter, destiny led him to be a commentator and analyst for CBS Sports.
 
Programming Note: Monday’s originally scheduled new episode of FEHERTY with LPGA professional Stacy Lewis will now premiere July 1 at 10 p.m. ET.

Rory Making Another Agent Change?

Karl MacGinty breaks the surprising news that even fresh off signing huge endorsement deals with Nike, Bose and Omega, Rory McIlroy wants out of his deal with Horizon Sports. Horizon had taken over for Chubby Chandler's ISM at the end of 2011 after McIlroy fired the agent in an airport lounge.

From MacGinty's Irish Independent story:

McIlroy's father Gerry is expected to play a prominent role in the new operation. Just over 18 months ago, McIlroy, one of world sport's hottest properties, stunned golf by quitting the giant International Sports Management, run by Chubby Chandler, and joining Horizon, a Dublin firm with global ambitions.

Brian Keogh analyzes what apparently has been rumored for weeks and suggests that McIlroy has become more isolated in recent months.

What is clear is that McIlroy has always been regarded as headstrong by those who have worked closely with him since he burst on the scene in 2007.

As Ridge told The New York Times’s Karen Krouse earlier this year, in a piece headlined “The Branding of Rory McIlroy”, “he’s the boss.”

McIlroy’s comments in the media have generated plenty of controversy and his stance on who he might represent in the 2016 Olympic Games has arguably reduced his fanbase in the Republic of Ireland.

Close friends contacted by me recently confirmed that they have not been in touch with McIlroy for weeks, “unfortunately”, said one.