Presidents Cup Eve

Yes it starts on Thursday, part of the Tour's quest to not be like the Ryder Cup (well, and get another TV day). As for previews, Steve Keating of Reuters has the pairings. The Mickelson-DiMarco v. O'Hern-Clark match looks like it could be good one, though everyone will be watching Woods-Couples v. Scott-Goosen.  Meanwhile, Golf World's Brett Avery previews the teams.  And Doug Ferguson offers notes following Wednesday's practice round and press conference.

As for the to-autograph-or-not-to-autograph spat, no one asked the Captains to clarify as far as I can tell. Instead lots of dreary questions asking for comparisons between the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup and other boring stuff. By having the players do joint press conferences, it turns into one big rally killer session.

Let The Bickering Begin

Hey, this Presidents Cup match may get interesting after all. Captain Jack and Captain Gary are already bickering like a couple of old ladies.

Nicklaus, the captain of the United States team, confronted Player, the International team captain, and accused him of breaking an agreement forbidding players to sign autographs at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Members of the International team were seen signing autographs throughout the day, and some United States team members also signed.

After talking with Player, Nicklaus told fans - as he was signing autographs - that some of his players thought the International team had made them look like "jerks."

RTJ Golf Club Map

Golf World has another excellent course map, this time of Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. (It would be even better if they used that rubbery glue stuff instead of the staples that force you to tear it up. Not that this helps you online map viewers.)

Surrounding bestapproach.com's rendering are anecdotes provided by Brett Avery:

The course, which Jones called "my masterpiece," originally played to 7,238 yards. In subsequent years the layout has become a veritable laboratory for the tour's course design and construction division, with 13 holes changed in various redesign projects.

Ouch. Trent Jones being remodeled by PGA Tour Design Services. There's a recipe for blandness.

Avery provides the lowdown on the new look, corporate hospitality friendly Presidents Cup routing:

When is an 18th hole not an 18th? When the PGA Tour bows to corporate hospitality skyboxes and begins matches at the club's third tee. Of the 96 matches played here since the 1994 inaugural, only 30 have reached the home hole (and seven in 2000). That meant anyone there hoofed it to the action or watched TV and listened for distant gallery roars. When the club shifted its practice area from uneven terrain near the clubhouse to the other side of several "cottages," event officials moved to No. 3. That means any match going 17 holes--and 56 have in three playings here--will parade before the skyboxes. It also means crucial points could be decided at the club's opening two holes, decidedly weaker challenges than its closing two.

The back nine at RTJ's masterpiece is checking in this week at 3,895 yards, thank you very much.

Clayton On Presidents Cup

Golfobserver's Mike Clayton looks at the Presidents Cup and questions Gary Player's selection of Trevor Immelman. He, like many others, wonders why Geoff Ogilvy and his stellar season in the majors was not rewarded with a selection. Well, he doesn't wonder, he just comes out and says what many have felt:

Immelman was fifth at Augusta but Ogilvy has played all over him this year and if he had been a South African one has to suspect he would have got the last place.  

Presidents Cup Excitement

At least a few writers seem excited about the Presidents Cup. If you are trying to get up for it, click here and here for some inspiration.

Hard to get up for an event that has yet another different format, along with a course re-route in the interest of better corporate hospitality viewing. And as Brett Avery reported in Golf World this week (yes, my postman got through the issue fast), Robert Trent Jones's self-declared masterpiece has seen numerous revisions by PGA Tour Design Services.

Tiger's New Caddy

Lawrence Donegan writes about Tiger's choice for his one-week replacement caddy for the Presidents Cup and the reaction among the caddy ranks.

Lupica On Presidents Cup

Mike Lupica says the Presidents Cup is better than the Ryder Cup.

I know, I know, even the suggestion that what was invented as another made-for-TV special event is better than the event it blatantly ripped off is something that is supposed to make old Ryder spin in his grave—though probably not the kind of spin you'd get with modern technology.

But I'm right about this.

Ah, the humility.

He goes on to present two utterly ridiculous reasons: the star power of the International team, starting with Ernie Els (oops). And the star power of captains Nicklaus and Player.

President's Picks

Do the President's Cup Captain's picks make a statement about the depth of American golf?

Mind you, these are all great players. But U.S. Captain Jack Nicklaus basically had this group of players to choose from (Captain's picks in italics):

Justin Leonard
Zach Johnson
Chad Campbell
Ted Purdy
Fred Couples
Joe Ogilvie
Bart Bryant

Again, all fine players, great patriots, devoted husbands, wonderful humanitarians, etc.  But consider Gary Player's options:

Peter Lonard
Shigeki Maruyama
K.J. Choi
Stephen Ames
Geoff Ogilvy
Steve Elkington
Rory Sabbatini
Trevor Immelman

Based on recent play, Ogilvy and Sabbatini would be tough to pass up, while Elkington's record in the Cup would have made him a fine choice. Lonard and Immelman aren't exactly slouches, though Immelman was way down the points list.

Truth be told, the only reason I post this is to generate some enthusiasm for the President's Cup. Right now, it's tough to even think about sitting down and watching Robert Trent Jones Golf Club for more than ten minutes.