Monty's Ex Testifying Against News International Chief

Lisa O'Carroll and Caroline Davies report on Eimar Cook's lively testimony in the Rebekah Brooks hacking trial.

Cook was accused of lying under oath about a lunch where Brooks bragged about News International's voice mail hacking skills.

Cook, who was married to the former European Ryder Cup team captain for 14 years from 1990, met Brooks at the suggestion of friends after finding herself the subject of press intrusion following the break up of her marriage, she said.

Describing the private lunch, which took place at the Knightsbridge home of mutual friends, Cook told the jury the four had enjoyed lighthearted conversation about celebrities.

"We discussed a lot of public figures, people in the media in a gossipy fun way. I think I remember we were laughing because she had been in her own newspaper because she had a domestic row with her husband and that it had made her newspaper and we were laughing at the irony of it."

Three years ago Monty was said to have sued to keep something out of the Daily Mail which is not part of the News International empire.

USGA XC Member: "We're losing our client base"

Global Golf Posts' Len Shapiro talks to Sheila Johnson about holding a seat on the USGA Executive Committee and in particular, what the group feels is a necessary mission to grow the game.

"The USGA is shedding the skin of the way it's been operating forever," she said. "Golf is losing ground. We're losing our client base and we're looking internally to see what we need to do in terms of a governing body to fix that. We want to be all inclusive and we're developing a strategic plan on what we can do."

Thinking of golfers, potential golfers or former golfers as the "client base" suggests a certain corporatization of the USGA that probably doesn't bode well for their chances of separating the pursuit of pennies from common sense initiatives. Especially "far more media outreach" under the new Fox Sports deal is now available according to Johnson, who obviously hasn't been looking at the FSN1 ratings.

"We want to send a message that we are the new USGA and really paying attention to these issues," she said. "That's my specific job."

The client base eagerly awaits.

Stevie Still Wants To Have A Sitdown With Tiger

Paul Lewis of the New Zealand Herald talks to Stevie Williams about cutting back on his caddying schedule to spend more time with his cars.

And it seems that contrary to the post-Open Championship coverage of a Tiger-Stevie reconciliation because they shook hands on the last green, well…that's not enough for Stevie.

"I think Tiger and I need to sit down and have a conversation," Williams said. "That opportunity hasn't arisen yet, but that's something I'd like to do."

Price Slashed! Ailsa Craig Can Be Yours For Just $2.4 Million

Thanks to reader Tim for John Burns' NY Times story on the Marquess of Ailsa still trying to sell the famous Ailsa Craig just 10 miles off the coast of Turnberry, now for $2.4 million.

The 220 acres are the source "of the distinctive, water-resistant microgranite used to make most of the world’s curling stones" but also has no fresh water, electricity or any other great purpose other than to provide a backdrop for Open Championship television leaderboards.

Was A Kennedy Motorcade Lincoln Once Ben Hogan's?

There has been extensive coverage of the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination and while the ties to golf are slim, there are still a couple of items worth checking out.

Art Spander, who has covered a little of everything including a whole bunch of golf, recalls his duties that day for Santa Monica's Evening Outlook.

And Bob Ray Sanders of the Star-Telegram attempts to figure out the mystery of the 1963 white Lincoln that proved to be President Kennedy's final safe ride in Fort Worth earlier that horrible day: it was a borrowed vehicle that may have once belonged to Ben Hogan.

Dallas resident Don Bressman, in charge of the pre-delivery inspection for Trinity Lincoln-Mercury dealership, explains how the car became part of history.

Bressman, 23 at the time, said he pulled a new Lincoln from the dealership’s stock, placed that car and the loaner vehicle on adjacent lifts and swapped the tires. When the agents returned they swarmed the car, using wands and probes to search underneath and inside to make sure it was safe before taking it away.

That was the last time Bressman saw it, he said. But he remembers hearing that when the vehicle was returned to Golightly, the sheet metal above the two front wheel wells had marks from the thumbscrews that had been used to fasten an American flag and one bearing the presidential seal.

Because of the president’s death, he said, Golightly never had the marks removed. He sold the car, which stayed in private hands for years.

The question I had was, why was a new 1963 Lincoln Continental on a used car lot? Barker, with the help of a friend, reminded me that the new Lincolns came out in September of the preceding year. And Bressman says his dealership every year gave a brand-new loaner car to Ben Hogan for his use.

Could this be the Hogan connection? And did the new car dealership divest of the car so quickly because it already had been driven for a year?

That mystery remains.

Video: Aces Are Wild! Stuart Manley Follows One With An 11

From an unbylined BBC report on Stuart Manley's third hole ace Saturday in the World Cup, which he followed by making 11 on the 4th.

And then there was the Mercedes behind the tee which the Welshman thought was his:

"I thought the car was mine, and with the crowd, all the hype, I was just buzzing. The adrenaline was pumping so much, I could have flown to the green.

"Then I found out about the car and go and have an 11. I kept asking my caddie: 'How many shots is that now?' I actually thought it was a 10 but I was not going to argue because my head was pretty fried.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that point, but you've just got to pick yourself up and get on with it."

Even with the 11 on his card, Manley posted a 72 and sits at 2-under, seven back of Jason Day.

The video courtesy of PGA Tour Entertainment: