USC Women Win Seventh-In-A-Row

We've been spoiled a bit by Cal's amazing run of tournament wins last year, but it looks like the USC women are going to reset the standards in women's college golf.

The defending national champions just won the Pac-12 Preview, an amazing 7th tournament win-in-a-row dating to the end of the 2012-13 season.

From a Golfweek.com report on USC edging rival UCLA.

The Bruins entered the tournament ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings while USC was No. 2. USC has now beat UCLA in both tournaments in which they’ve gone head to head.

USC won its previous three fall tournaments with three different lineups. The Pac-12 Preview marks the first time this fall the team that won last year's NCAA Championship has come together.

“I am so proud of our team,” head coach Andrea Gaston said. “To win four events this year with four different lineups is a testament to the depth and talent of our team. As their coach, I appreciate how hard they work, and how they just keep fighting on! This is truly a special group of young ladies.”

Rory McIlroy Claims Oakley Is Harrassing Him

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.”

Phase Two Of Old Course Destruction Commences

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:

Grey Goose Named Official Favorite Vodka Of PGA Tour VP's

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.

But there were two buried ledes...

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.”