Sunday Morning: Morning Drive Airs David Feherty Interview With President Barack Obama

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If you watched the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Games you know there was a short conversation with President Barack Obama about the Olympics.

David Feherty's full chat is set to air on Golf Channel's Morning Drive from 7:30 to 9 am ET.

No preview clip is available. Among the purported topics: golf entering the Olympics and Obama's game.

This latest "get" means Feherty has interviewed all of the living golfing presidents.

In other Obama news, Kathy Bergen and Katherine Skiba report that the decision to bring his Presidential Library to the South Shore could help expedite the hoped-for renovation of Jackson Park.

The long-shot vision to build an expansive 18-hole course worthy of a spot on the PGA Tour, which has been hovering on the radar, gained momentum last week with the announcement that Obama's library and museum would be built in historic Jackson Park, said Mark Rolfing, an NBC/Golf Channel analyst who is advising the Chicago Park District on the idea.

Roundup: Nike Golf Ending Its Equipment Business

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There were signs this was coming, namely a staff departure and a seemingly strange equipment change by Charl Schwartzel prior to The Open, but still

Mike Stachura's report at GolfDigest.com notes the sale figures which sound great, until they are placed into the context of market share.

Nike, which reported flat to down annual sales in its overall golf business the last two years at just north of $700 million in annual sales (which includes shoes and apparel), has been in the golf business since 1984, but only introduced its first clubs in 2002 with the Pro Combo set of irons. Its sales in 2013 and 2014 were nearly $800 million.

The company has struggled to become a leading player in the equipment business, with market shares in woods and irons that were routinely one-tenth those of leaders Callaway and TaylorMade.

Stachura also recounts some of the products Nike made over the years and features quotes from Tony Finau, who recently moved to Nike and was surprised by the news. There is also a telling quote from a player who noted he never saw Nike's equipment in the bags of his pro-am partners.

Jason Lusk at Golfweek.com assesses the news and notes this on sales:

In its 10-K report for fiscal year 2015, Nike announced a 2-percent decrease in its golf business revenues from 2014. Revenues had dropped to $771 million in 2015, down from $789 million in 2014 and $792 million in 2013.

Will Gray at GolfChannel.com gets this quote from Mark Steinberg about Tiger's status. They have known about the end of Nike's equipment business for a few days.

"Clearly he and I need to be thinking about a change on the hard goods side," Steinberg told GolfChannel.com via phone. "He and I have discussed at length the plan for that, and feel comfortable with what we're going to do going forward. But clearly, there's likely to be a change."

Jeff Ritter at Golf.com also talked to Steinberg and got this regarding Tiger's clothing:

Steinberg declined to reveal which clubmaker he'd first approach, but added: "He's been a longtime icon of Nike Golf and that's not going to change one ounce. He'll remain a loyal and enthusiastic icon of Nike."

Steve Pike at the A Position says Nike never made equipment up to the levels and notes the timing.

Nike decision to cut bait on the equipment side comes at an interesting time in the golf industry. adidas Group has been trying for the better part of the past year to sell TaylorMade; and the Acushnet Company, parent of the Titleist and FootJoy brands, is in the midst of preparing for an Initial Public Offering. Nike’s exit from the equipment business likely won’t have any impact on either of those deals, but it likely will be seen as another black eye for a struggling industry.

Video: Rio Olympic Golf Course 7th, 8th and 9th Holes

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The closing three holes of the front nine return to the upper shelf of the property where the sandy influence is stronger. The long par-4 7th plays493/407 yards into the wind with a strong false front green.

Gil Hanse narrates the flyover for Golf Digest. Here is his final rendering.

The par-3 eighth (172/154) certainly exudes ties to the Redan and given the terrain it was set on, the fit was not forced. The rendering and the flyover:

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The par-4 ninth hole brings a little blindness and weirdness to close out the front nine, playing 369 yards for the men and 324 yards for the women. The rendering.

Oops: Kuchar Is Now Aware Of The Actual Olympic Golf Format

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In the better late than never files, Matt Kuchar found out during his Travelers Championship media session that there is no team format in the 2016 Olympic golf.

Joel Beall at GolfDigest.com details the awkward exchange just three days out from the opening ceremony.

"There is no combined? No team event whatsoever?" Kuchar continued. "Just an individual. We did the same thing at World Cup: 72 hole stroke play. I played with Kevin Streelman. We never played together but we did represent the United States in a team format.

"That was my initial impression of what was happening with the Olympics, but I'm incorrect on that."

ESPN's Jason Sobel helped clarify the situation for Kuchar, remarking, "If Bubba wins you don't get a medal."

And it's at that point we came to the collective realization: Kuchar legitimately didn't know the Olympic tournament's configuration.

How Jimmy Walker Got To The Next Level

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Alan Shipnuck's SI/Golf.com story is a nice recap of Jimmy Walker's rise from solid journeyman to major winner.

This was also noteworthy. Someone has made a quick impact...

A month ago he began working with Julie Elion, Mickelson's former sports psychologist. (Jimmy and Phil are frequent practice-round foils.) At Baltusrol part of the plan was for Walker to carry himself with more cowboy swagger. When a reporter noted during the champion's press conference that he had seemed surprisingly calm during the tense finish, Walker said, "That's huge, because that's what I was going for."