PGA Statement On Tackily-Timed USGA TV Announcement

A statement from the PGA of America at the request of this website on the stunningly disrespectful and classless move by the USGA to announce their new television contract on the eve of the PGA Championship:

"On a night when we honored Lee Trevino with our PGA Distinguished Service Award and on the eve of the PGA Championship, we would hope that the attention of the entire golf world would be on the season's final major."

So not only does the USGA trip up, the PGA of America scores more points for taking the higher ground. And gets in a plug for Trevino's Distinguished Service Award!

Johnny: "I feel bad for the USGA in a way that money was more important than basically a good golf crew."

From Doug Ferguson's story on the new USGA TV deal.

"It was a big bummer," Miller told The Associated Press from his home in Utah. "For some reason, I told Dan Hicks at the U.S. Open this year, 'I don't think we're going to keep the U.S. Open.' I just had a hunch it would be ESPN or Fox that stepped in and made a high bid. I know we tried.

"I feel bad for the USGA in a way that money was more important than basically a good golf crew."

Not April Fools: USGA Announces New TV Deal With FOX Sports On Eve Of PGA Championship

Let's forget for the moment that Fox Sports has NEVER televised golf other than some local team play golf shows.

Let's forget that the USGA is a non-profit organization with a "For The Good Of The Game" slogan currently airing their early round telecasts on ESPN with weekday and weekend coverage from NBC, and a major partnership with Golf Channel.

Let's forget that the USGA does not need any more money than it currently brings in.

No, let's just focus on the unprecedently tacky decision by the USGA (not Fox) to announce a major shake-up in how the USGA does business on the eve of the PGA Championship.

For Immediate Release...

 USGA AND FOX SPORTS  TEE-UP LANDMARK PARTNERSHIP

Tee up? Golf puns? Really?

12-Year Multi-Media Agreement Brings Major Championship Golf to FOX Sports Platforms for First Time Ever, Beginning in 2015

Expands Coverage for U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open & U.S. Senior Open Championships

Elevates USGA’s Amateur Championships with Significant Coverage

Far Hills, N.J., and New York (August 7, 2013) – The United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body of the game of golf in the United States, and FOX Sports, the No.1 network for sports television since 1997,

Excuse me, did I miss a memo? Did ESPN establish itself in 1998?

today announced a comprehensive multi-media agreement that makes the FOX network and FOX Sports 1 the principal domestic media partner of the USGA and the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open Championships, as well as the USGA’s national amateur championships and other live content, beginning in 2015. The landmark, 12-year agreement, which runs through 2026, brings premier major championship golf for the first time ever to the FOX broadcast network, home to the country’s greatest sports events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, Daytona 500 and World Cup.

The agreement was announced today

...today, in an utterly low class, ungentlemanly fashion on the eve of the PGA Championship which happens to be run by the organization that did not support us on the anchoring ban. Coincidence?

by USGA President Glen D. Nager and USGA Executive Director Mike Davis and FOX Sports Co-Presidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks.

“This is an exciting and remarkable day for the USGA, as our partnership with the FOX Sports is a game-changer for our organization and for the game of golf,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager.

Game-changer. Define please.

“The game is evolving and requires bold and unique approaches on many levels, and FOX shares our vision to seek fresh thinking and innovative ideas to deliver championship golf.

Translation: NBC and ESPN were not up to snuff.

This partnership will help us to better lead and serve the game in new and exciting ways.”

And based on Fox's extensive work in golf...oh forget it.

Under terms of the newly executed agreement, the USGA and FOX Sports will deliver a total of 146 hours of championship golf, including a minimum of 70 cumulative hours of live event coverage of the three Opens, making the game compelling, dramatic and fun for an expanded audience. In addition to the rights to the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open Championships, FOX Sports will also be home to the USGA’s national amateur championships and international team competitions, delivering a minimum of 76 hours of live broadcast coverage across its sports platforms, including FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network, launching August 17.

A twelve-year commitment in part to a network that hasn't even launched yet. Wish I thought of that.

“It’s with tremendous excitement and pride that we’ve added events with the prestige and magnitude of the USGA’s U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open to the big events FOX Sports is set to cover for years to come,” said FOX Sports Co-President and COO, Randy Freer.

“We’re looking forward to FOX Sports becoming home to the preeminent golf championship in the world,” added fellow FOX Sports Co-President and COO Eric Shanks.  “We’re committed to elevating coverage of USGA events on every level, infusing them with a new energy and innovation that will make every championship the best golf event on television.”

This new partnership with FOX Sports also includes strategic elements to help the USGA strengthen its support of the game, including:

Integrating FOX Sport’s wide array of multi-platform assets, including its soon to launch mobile app FOX Sports GO, and innovative production capabilities to establish the U.S. Open Championship as the world’s best golf telecast;

Elevating the visibility of the USGA’s amateur championships and delivering unique storytelling to celebrate the amateur game;

Transforming U.S. Open Week into a powerful showcase and entertaining celebration of the game of golf;

Developing unique initiatives to enhance the USGA Member experience and help grow the Association’s membership community; and

Providing significant promotional support to showcase and advance the USGA’s core services to the game, including the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, Equipment Standards, Handicapping, the USGA Green Section and the USGA Museum.

“We are thrilled with the commitment that FOX Sports has made to the USGA, our national championships, the strategic growth of our organization and to the game,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “This partnership represents a promising new future for both organizations that will be marked by broadcast innovation, new approaches and fresh thinking. We could not be more energized by what we will be able to accomplish together to make golf better, both now and for future generations of players and fans who love the game.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Translation: we took a huge amount of money because are about the good of the almighty dollar.

Most astounding of all, the USGA has just entered an era in which it has streamlined and refined how it announces initiatives. Credit who you like for this improved messaging--Mike Davis, Glen Nager, Joe Goode--it doesn't matter. They did a nice job rolling out the anchoring ban announcement and other "news." And now this?

So forgetting the idea of committing to a network for 12-years that has never televised golf, how does that same non-profit organization pull this stunt on the eve of the PGA Championship.

A dark day for the United States Golf Association and for the game.

PGA On West Coast Venues: "It's certainly a priority"

From today's PGA of America press conference, answering a question from Doug Ferguson about Torrey Pines as a possible PGA Championship venue:

Q. Secondly, for Pete, there's been some talk over the last couple of years whether Torrey would be interested in a PGA Championship. Just curious if you could say whether they have asked to host, and where that stands if they have.

PETE BEVACQUA: Yeah, Doug, I would tell you, part of our strategy is to look at locations and potential locations, obviously for both the PGA Championship and The Ryder Cup.

We don't have any definitive answers regarding the West Coast, other than we think being on the West Coast makes a lot of sense at some point in the future. So we certainly have our eye on different venues on the West Coast. We think it's important to bring the PGA Championship to that part of the country, as well as The Ryder Cup at some point, and it's certainly a priority of the organizations.

Beetroot? Rory Gets Past Champions Their Daily Manganese

Nice to see defending champion Rory McIlroy introducing the past PGA Champions to a some healthy food at Tuesday's dinner for former winners of "the season's final major which is no longer Glory's Last Shot."

From Tuesday's press conference:

Q. Can you just tell us, what was on the menu last night, and what do you think's on the menu for you this week? What do you think your chances are?

RORY McILROY: Menu last night was a goat's cheese and beet root salad for a starter and Irish tenderloin for the main course and then sticky toffee pudding for dessert. So it was good. It was nice. Everyone definitely enjoyed the last two courses; I don't know how the appetizer went down.

Video: Micheel Is Hanging On To The Epic 7-iron

Shaun Micheel visited the media center Tuesday at Oak Hill and talked about his win ten years ago, his struggles with low T and Tiger.

Regarding his famous 7-iron shot, he had this to say:

KELLY ELBIN: Have they seen the shot from 2003? Do they have a sense of that part of history.

SHAUN MICHEEL: I think so. The biggest question that I get from my son is, you know, he's watched the video over and over of me kind of embracing Stephanie, and she was wearing that bright pink blouse and he was kissing her on the belly and the first question from him was, How did I get out of there? He's nine, so I'm not quite ready for that quite yet. He'll figure that out on his own probably.

Just to go back to your question, I do look forward to kind of sharing that with him. Of course, Stephanie was walking the golf course, and of course my father and in laws to get out there and see the place where I hit that shot.

Q. Where is the 7 iron?

SHAUN MICHEEL: I have it in an old just beat up, unassuming box in my golf/guitar room. It's back home. I've been asked for it several times, but if I had done this more than once, you might have been inclined to give it to somebody. But you never know; I'm going to hold on to that one.

Watching the video of the shot (thanks Shane Bacon for posting), I'm struck by how much more shaded the course is and how much the attire has changed in ten years.

The Donald Honored, Not Thrilled With Ranking Debut

He also tells Josh Sens that Pine Hill is better than Pine Valley and that he settled on architect Martin Hawtree because R&A Chief Inspector Peter Dawson ranked him first, second and third when recommending architects.

Hawtree, you may recall, carries out Dawson's Open venue "Treatments" to mask regulatory abstinence.

DT: I got Dr. Martin Hawtree to design it. I went to Peter Dawson of the R&A and I asked him who his top architect choices were. He said his first was Martin Hawtree, and that after that he’d go with Martin Hawtree, and Martin Hawtree. He’s just been incredible. When you see the work he did there, you can’t believe it. It’s set in these giant dunes, but the course is very easy to walk, which is difficult to do in land like this. There are beautiful footpaths that wind through the dunes and they’re surrounded by these incredible high grasses, but you don’t have to go up and down a lot of hills. The purpose of the dunes is to protect you from the weather, so when you’re playing the course, it can feel still even though there are 50 mph winds swirling just above you.

Punters Beware: Plodders May Thrive At Oak Hill

Steve DiMeglio goes out on the course Monday and returns to file a story suggesting the rough will be the story at this week's PGA Championship.

And not just because it's thick and tall. Keegan Bradley warned:

"Look at this. The ball is 6 inches off the ground," Bradley said Monday as he placed his 60-degree wedge near the ball in the thick rough. "You're going to see a lot of whiffs this week. Guys are going to go straight under the ball."

Of course, the ball also could end up all the way at the bottom of the thick grass.

And this from Phil:

"I'm sure they're going to cut some of it, but it was extremely thick, and so therefore the key to that course is going to be two things," Mickelson said "One is the fairway; you've got to hit fairways. You can leave yourself further back, but you've got to hit fairways. And two is Donald Ross courses, the greens tend to be a little bit more severe back to front, and I think you're going to have to leave it underneath the hole. Chipping from behind the greens it's almost impossible to get it close."

Sounds exiting!

Update on 2013-08-06 19:18 by Geoff

**I've just toured six holes, have 12 more to go and while the rough is dense and mean, there is plenty of forgiveness in the greens and landing areas for scoring. More later with some great insights from Tiger and Phil.