When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Besides going to trial next year against his now-former agent Conor Ridge, Rory McIlory also faces a claim from Oakley over the end of his arrangement with the apparel manufacturer and has filed his own documents suggesting the company has been harrassing him over the end of their deal. 
And it gets better. Brian Keogh summarizes the utterly bizarre situation, working off Colm Keena's Irish Times story:
When the case first came to light last December, it appeared that it would be quickly resolved in McIlroy’s favour after his then-agent, Conor Ridge, produced an email exchange he’d had with a sports marketing executive at Oakley named Pat McIlvain.
According to reports of the initial case last December 14, McIlvain sent an email to Ridge that said: “Understood. We are out of the mix. No contract for 2013. Pat Mac.”
Now it appears that McIlroy’s best defence against Oakley is the credibility of Ridge and Horizon, the people he has accused of tricking him into “an improvident and unconscionable bargain” and lack of “fiduciary duty of responsibility.”
Graylyn Loomis has photos of the vehicles moving into place and executioner Martin Hawtree overseeing the Old Course at St. Andrews' Phase 2 destruction slated to include new bunkers and most pathetic of all, removing the "acute spur formation" that has guarded the fourth green for centuries.
Even though the spur is integral to the strategy, the R&A, reluctant to change it, agreed because today's greenkeepers can't figure out how to mow what's been around for centuries. 
You may recall that last year in late November, distracted by the anchoring ban, the word dropped late on a Friday (when else?) that changes were being made to the Old Course to help the links prevent a 59 from being shot keep up with the modern game, under the supervision of the R&A's Chief Inspector Architect, Peter Dawson, with help from golf architect Hawtree and from a Links Trust proudly abdicating its responsibility to defend the Home of Golf from vandals.
As you may also recall, the reviews were not good, especially from those pesky Australians (here and here).
Dawson went on a PR swing of sorts to the few outlets that wouldn't press him about his past comments suggesting that any tampering with the Old Course would be akin to putting a moustache on the Mona Lisa and just not a wise thing to do.
There had been indications that support was eroding for elements of Phase 2.
You can relive the entire saga here in the archives. And there was this to be dusted off, courtesy of the art department:
I'll spare you the entire press release announcing Grey Goose as the official hooch of the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Web.com and assorted PGA Tour-operated facilities. 
As part of the marketing sponsorship, GREY GOOSE will be featured in all PGA TOUR Grills, a new premium restaurant concept focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, which is launching during the spring of 2014 in select airports around the United States.
When I think PGA Tour, I think locally sourced ingredients at the airport.
And it appears platform has run its course as must-use press release jargon, as activate shoots to the front of herd. This is evident when one of the class acts in the VP ranks and a possible future commissioner is even using the "a" word...
“GREY GOOSE is a premier, internationally recognized brand that has a long-standing involvement with golf,” said Jay Monahan, Chief Marketing Officer of the PGA TOUR. “We are very pleased to partner with such a respected brand and look forward to working with the GREY GOOSE team to activate on the three Tours, as well as at our TPCs and special events.”
I'm always fascinated by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem's theories on growing the game as the mastermind of The First Tee designed to teach life lessons and now a grow-the-game initiative.
Not sure I buy the view he expressed in China Sunday while launching the developmental tour PGA Tour China, which should be a hit with the Australians.
Fourth, we know from looking at the history of golf, that the growth of the game is driven first and foremost by the development of elite players who perform at a unique level. Having the opportunity to grow elite players; thus, accelerate the development of elite players in China, will also translate into the acceleration of the growth of the game in China, which is in all of our interests.
In addition to all of those reasons, I think in summary, it's clear that today's announcement is a milestone to benefit China golf, PGA TOUR, global golf, certainly growth in China, and as a consequence, it is an important day for all of us in the game.
We've got some pretty elite players in the Tiger Woods era, starting with Tiger Woods, and the game hasn't really grown has it? In fact, most barometers suggest it's contracting.
Yet Finchem expanded on his view a few moments later in the press conference:
Q. And for Commissioner Finchem, what do you see as the No. 1 benefit to the PGA TOUR, and what will be your investment?
COMMISSIONER FINCHEM: Well, I think the overall fundamental situation is that the faster the growth, the faster we have growth of the game, impacts every aspect of the sport; certainly the professional side.
And because participation in the game drives, it drives viewership, it drives support for events, etc., etc., and they go hand in hand. Historically, the elite player comes first; strong growth comes second, and certainly that's been the case in the United States since Arnold Palmer came along in 1960 and it's been 40, 50 years of continuous growth.
Continuous? It must be so nice to live on Planet Tim where the flowers are always in bloom and everyone doesn't smoke, shaves hourly and takes their hats off before shaking hands.
So anything we can do to assist the expedition and acceleration of growth is very much in the interest of the professional game, but also golf as a whole.
I'm thinking speeding up play, shrinking the footprint of courses and figuring out ways to create fun, affordable facilities might be more, uh, impactful than developing pro golfers. I know, how absurd.
Peter Baker files a New York Times profile (thanks reader Tim) of President George W. Bush that offers rare insights into the former president's life in Dallas, including his fundraising work for wounded warriors, his concerns about the Tea Party and what appears to now be the same obsession with golf shared by his father.
From Baker's profile that is accompanied by the president in a Presidents Cup hat as Tim Finchem is deep in thought:
But Mr. Bush is most worried about what he sees as a growing isolationism, a retreat from the tough-minded national security policies and assertive American role in the world that he championed. “That’s his main concern about the Tea Party,” Mr. Glassman said. In that vein, Mr. Bush contributed $5,000 to Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish South Carolina Republican who is facing a challenge from the right.
His main passions these days, though, are elsewhere. Mr. Bush, who is 67, spent Halloween with his new granddaughter, who was dressed as an astronaut. He has a regular seat near the dugout at Texas Rangers games and gave the coin toss at a recent Southern Methodist University football game. He hosted a charity golf tournament, and after having a stent inserted to open a clogged artery, he is back on his bicycle.
“I would sum it up as library work, speeches, painting, golfing and mountain-bike riding,” said Mark McKinnon, a friend and former political consultant. “The most consistent characteristic about President Bush is that he truly loves and relishes life.”
After giving up golf while in office out of deference to troops at war, Mr. Bush has taken it up again. He sometimes plays with the first few people who happen to show up at courses like the Brook Hollow Golf Club or the Las Colinas Country Club, and he built a putting green at home. “He’s a golf-aholic now,” said his friend Charlie Younger.
Strong stuff from Tom English as usual, this time coming to Brandel Chamblee's defense and in a bad sign for Rory McIlroy, a strong UK press attack on the young lad's rationale for exempting Tiger from criticism.
English writes:
He questioned Chamblee’s “authority” to say “anything like that” about his pal. Then this: “People wouldn’t know who Brandel Chamblee was if it wasn’t for Tiger Woods.”
At that point, you’d have to administer the slap.
Is Rory saying that anybody with reservations about Woods’ on-course behaviour this year should hush their noise because, well, he made us all and we should be eternally grateful? Is that it? Is every golf analyst to turn a blind eye because, hey, they’d be irrelevant without him? Such a lot of nonsense from McIlroy. It’s not less scrutiny that Woods needs. Quite obviously, it is more.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
