Price Tried To Get Presidents Cup Format Changed; Tim Said No!

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Nick Price was probably a little more blunt about his attempts get the Presidents Cup format changed, all but saying the event will struggle if something isn't done.

An unbylined SkySports report was one of the few to report Price's comments that might have had Commissioner Finchem longing for a Greg Norman captaincy.

"When you've only got four pairings and you've got 12 guys to choose from, that's a lot easier because you take your best players.

"The Europeans put out the eight best players they can. It would be really interesting to see if the Ryder Cup was played under the Presidents Cup points system what the outcome would be."

Price and Ernie Els put the idea of a change of format to PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who has opted to retain the 34-match schedule for this year's contest.

"Initially Tim was receptive and then he phoned me back three weeks later and said he wasn't prepared to change," added Price. "He didn't think it needed a change. Ernie and I were really disappointed with the outcome.

Can Rory Turn It Around At Firestone Like Last Year?

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Maybe the only intriguing storyline at the WGC Bridgestone is Rory McIlroy's attempt to kickstart his season as he did last year.

Derek Lawrenson in the Daily Mail wonders if it's simply a matter of losing focus while noting an alarming number for the European Tour: McIlroy is 84th in the Race to Dubai where only 60 qualify. McIlroy has four starts to get into the top 60.

Kevin Garside in The Independent makes a case that "McIlroy’s problem is every player’s problem. It’s called form. And no game demands more of body and mind than golf."

I'm just still worried about his dental pain.

"Park arrives at St. Andrews with destiny oddly intertwined with her name."

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Installed as a 5-1 favorite from our good friends at Ladbrokes according to Randall Mell, Inbee Park has karma on her side based on her distant namesake relatives, the Parks of Musselburgh!

Mell writes:

Yes, she’s South Korean, but the name Park is revered in Scottish golf. Willie Park Sr. won the very first British Open ever played back at Prestwick Golf Club in 1860, beating the favored Old Tom Morris by two shots. Park won four British Opens overall. His brother, Mungo, won the Open in 1874. Willie’s son, Willie Park Jr., won two Open titles.

As for the whole Grand Slam debate, David Fay ended the debate on Morning Drive today, reminding us during his hit in between a visit from the latest Big Break winner that Grand Slam was taken from baseball's four-bag home run. Four.

And in our poll here, it's clear you all (69%) agree that she's going for a Grand Slam this week.

As for her game, Ron Sirak says the beauty of her performance to date has been in her "lack of distinctive quality."

Here is how Inbee gets it done: She keeps her ball out of trouble; she never loses her composure, at least not outwardly; and she can putt. All of those are skills that anyone can master with discipline and focus.

In the 216 holes Park as played in winning three consecutive majors she has only had one hole higher than bogey, a double on No. 18 in the first round of the LPGA Championship.

She has done that in large part because she hit 126 of 168 fairways -- 75 percent -- including a remarkable 51 of 56 in the U.S. Women's Open at Sebonack on Long Island.

Inbee has also averaged 28.08 putts for the 12 rounds of her triple.

In Play With Jimmy Roberts Tackling Water Usage

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The preview clip--with an unfortunate ad fronting the ad--for the latest episode of In Play With Jimmy Roberts focuses on pro golfers going to Israel and another talking about their "signature" wines, but the segment of real interest appears to be on water usage. Stone Phillips gets the call to handle one of the most pressing issues in the game.

In Play airs Tuesday, July 30 at 10:30 ET, 7:30 PT. The preview:

•    Golf Course Water Usage and Conservation Concerns – One of the bigger concerns in the golf course industry today is water usage. Whether driven by higher costs, the lower availability of municipal water, or environmental conservation, golf course superintendents and architects around the country are stepping up their efforts to manage water.  Former NBC journalist Stone Phillips examines the ways golf course architects are building courses with water usage and conservation heading into the future.

Olympic, Bandon, Winged Foot & Streamsong Hosting Inaugural USGA Four-Ball Championships

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Interesting that the men get the private club treatment while the women go to resorts, but otherwise an impressive start to the new four-ball championships that replace the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships in 2015.

For Immediate Release:

USGA ANNOUNCES HOST SITES FOR INAUGURAL

U.S. AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Olympic Club and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to Host in 2015; Winged Foot Golf Club and Streamsong Resort Selected as 2016 Venues

San Francisco, Calif. (July 29, 2013) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship sites for the 2015 and 2016 competitive calendars. In 2015, The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore., will host the men’s and women’s competitions, respectively. Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N.Y., will serve as the 2016 host site for the men, while Streamsong Resort, southeast of Tampa, Fla., will host the women in 2016.

The introduction of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships to the USGA’s competition roster was announced earlier this year. The new championships, which will be held annually between mid-March and late May, are the first to be added to the USGA championship schedule since 1995, when the USGA Men’s and Women’s State Team Championships were created to mark the Association’s centennial.

The announcement of the first two host sites for each championship was made during an event at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

“We’re thrilled to bring the first two years of Amateur Four-Ball Championships to historic clubs that have hosted a number of USGA championships, as well as to celebrated newer venues,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and chairman of Championship Committee. “As part of our ongoing commitment to support and advance amateur competition, the four-ball format, which is widely popular at the state and regional levels and at golf clubs around the U.S., is sure to produce a spirited team dynamic and provide enjoyment for both the players and spectators at some of the finest courses in the game.”

Instant Poll: When Is A Grand Slam A Grand Slam?

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When the LPGA designated the Evian Masters (now The Evian Championship) their fifth major starting in 2013, little could the tour have known that a player would go and win the first three majors of 2013, setting up a debate about what a Grand Slam actually constitutes.

LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan, who is to blame for this first world semantic mess, made his view clear last week on Morning Drive.

"I'll call her a 'Grand Slam' winner if she wins four," Whan explained during an interview on "Morning Drive" Thursday. "I think we've created the 'Super Slam' for five."

Oy. We, being the marketing team I'm guessing?

My vote: this is a Grand Slam. It's four majors in a row.

But let's get the silliness out of the way to focus on a historic week of golf at the Old Course: will Inbee Park be winning a "Grand Slam" this week if she is victorious at St. Andrews in the Ricoh Women's British Open?

Is Inbee Park winning a "Grand Slam" this week if she is victorious at St. Andrews?
  
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