If London 2012 Had Included Golf...

The fields would have looked like this, according to Ryan Ballengee in a Golf News Net post.

The men, with a whopping eight Americans and reaching to 334th in the world, and the woman going all the way to 446. Now the seeding in the match pool play would b...oh sorry, there I go again. 

Oakhurst Links Fetches $400K At Auction

Not much, but the owner supposedly wants to keep the hickory course as a golf course.

One Last Lytham Note: Narrowing

In Wednesday's R&A Presented By Polo press conference, Peter Dawson disagreed with a suggestion that Lytham had been narrowed since the last time they were there, which was then heightened by this year's denser-than-normal rough along with additional bunkers. He denied the course was narrower. "Not factual" I believe would be the precise wording.

The Art Department did a little research and found that aerials could prove otherwise. Since we don't want to belabor the point, here is just one example of the effort to take driver out of the hands of players.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

The World's Golfers Embracing The Olympics, Will America?

The rest of the world seems pretty excited about Olympic golf--thrilled in some cases like Wozilroy (as Derek Evers explains with an eye-opening quote from Graeme McDowell about Rory's struggles.

But Americans still seem averse to getting excited about 2016. Maybe this GolfDigest.com slideshow of past Olympic golf will get folks in the mood. Or maybe not.

Perhaps it's the format, perhaps it's the amount of time between now and then, or maybe they just haven't experienced the brilliance that is the Olympics. And now, there will be an added twist to get Americans excited: NBC's promotional efforts.

PGATour.com Flash: Goosen Pars, Video To Prove It

Nice catch by Bob Smiley. I haven't seen a second of the Canadian Open and won't, but if this is what amounts to a highlight...

Lytham Head Pro: "They threw the ball up in the air and that's just not how to play a seaside green."

Tom Pilcher talks to longtime Royal Lytham professional Eddie Birchenough and he was not impressed with the way the world's best played his links.

"The overall thing that surprised me was around the greens, the short shots, they threw the ball up in the air and that's just not how to play a seaside green," he said, shaking his head gently.

"You need to get the ball on the ground and I thought several of them were guilty of not doing that."

PGA On Kiawah Through The Green: "There is no clear definition of where such sandy areas stop and start."

I'm not surprised that the PGA of America is playing the sandy areas at Kiawah as "through the green" since it has done so in previous events there. But what did surprise me was the explanation since the issue at Whistling Straits was somewhat similar.

Jonathan Wall explains:

If you're wondering how a course could play all sandy areas as "through the green," it's because, as the PGA of America noted, "the sand is natural to the surrounding terrain and in many cases there is no clear definition of where such sandy areas stop and start."

Dustin Johnson sure wishes they'd thought of this a two years ago.

Phil's Been Lethargic, According To Phil

Interesting video clip from CBS This Morning of Phil Mickelson talking to Charlie Rose in the days after the Open and says he's come to the conclusion he has been lethargic. I couldn't see it at the Scottish Open where his energy levels seemed high until Sunday, whereas at the Open he definitely did seem to be slightly off.

He also has some interesting things to say about Bubba Watson's Masters recovery shot and spin and Augusta.

State Of The Game Podcast: Lorne Rubenstein

Due to technical issues I wasn't able to join Rod Morri and Lorne for this Canadian Open week episode that covers Moe Norman, the state of the game and Lorne's retirement from the Globe and Mail.

Give it a listen here or via iTunes where you can also listen to all previous episodes.

A Closer Look At Tiger's 2012 Open Championship Week

I had the task of tracking Tiger for Golf World and I was fascinated by his conservative approach, something detailed in my story. Reading it again after filing Monday morning I probably reported a little too much blow-by-blow of his final round, but he still had a chance to win after his unlucky triple bogey.

However, the inability to fight the wind with a draw at 11 and the stubbornness to play safe at 13 and 14 when he need to shake the reins and press the pedal, took him out of the tournament as much the triple did.

Anyway...here it is.

This Month's Slow Play Induced Violent Episode Involves A High School Vice Principal

David Ruiz reports on vice principal Robert Rappleye who lost it over slow play.

A husband and wife in the group ahead approached Rappleye to talk about the problem. Witnesses say the husband became angry when Rappleye used foul language directed to the husband's wife, according to the release.

The argument turned violent when Rappleye swung one of his golf clubs at the husband, the press release said. The husband tried to block the swing with his left arm, injuring him. Rappleye swung a second time with the husband turning his back to defend himself. Rappleye struck the husband's left shoulder blade, the press release said.