When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
He Worked Him Ridiculously Hard For The Money
/Farrell Evans interviews former Vijay Singh luggage toter Paul Tesori who now has to watch Sean O'Hair's tortuous pre-shot routine to make a living. Still, it sounds like a huge upgrade.
Read More"I've decided to help prevent Aberdeenshire folk from the harassment and threat of removal from their homes, merely to satisfy a private developer who asserts he now wants the land."
/Looks like The Donald is going to have quite a pricey and protracted fight on his hands thanks to a crafty move by celebrities and ordinary citizens hoping to block a "compulsory purchase" from resistant land owners in Aberdeenshire.
Read MoreTPC Harding Park?
/Ron Kroichick reports that the PGA Tour "is on track to officially take over operations of Harding this summer."
Read More“This is not necessarily a home run situation."
/An extensive piece was filed by Ron Green Jr. on the Pinehurst No. 2 redo, with some great quotes from the various parties involved. Some highlights, starting with this honest assessment from Bill Coore:
Read MoreTiger One-Ups Jack!
/So Tiger, who wouldn't be caught dead on the par-3 course before the Masters (and who can blame him after what it's turned into) because he's preparing for the tournament, will play the former champion challenge event on Wednesday of Open Championship week. That leaves Jack, Nick Price, and Johnny Miller as the only living absentees (along with 89-year-old Kel Nagle).
"Were the decision made to move the ceremony out of market, it would be done to heighten the profile of the World Golf Village and World Golf Hall of Fame..."
/Garry Smits talks to local businesses that wouldn't be happy about the World Golf Hall of Fame induction leaving St. Augustine. Since the state of Florida chipped in to get the place built, I'm guessing they won't be thrilled either.
Read More"I was surprised to hear for the first time that they might be going to refer projects to me in the future. I look forward to them coming."
/An Nick Tabokoff story on Greg Norman closing his course design office and opening one in China notes this from his spokesman.
Norman's spokesman Bart Collins said from the US that the company had "retrenched two or three executives" in Sydney.
Love the military terminology. So much more masculine that the B-school lingo. Or are they one and the same?
This was rather astounding:
Despite no longer playing golf regularly on the circuit, Norman remains Australia's highest-earning sportsman, with BRW estimating that he earned $15 million last year, largely because of his success in golf course design.
And now for the all out obfuscation (writer jargon for lies):
Mr Collins said Norman had the highest respect for his recently departed Australian course architects, Harrison and Kruse.
"If the project isn't appropriate to Greg Norman, we'll refer work to them," he said.
But Mr Harrison said last night: "I was surprised to hear for the first time that they might be going to refer projects to me in the future. I look forward to them coming."
Crenshaw's Fellow Player-Architects Compliment Colorado Golf Club...
/...but is it me, or does it sound like it's killing them to pay a compliment to this week's Senior PGA host site?
"It's a good test," said Watson, who also designs courses. "It has great variety to it. There's plenty of room (in landing areas), and yet there's some toughness that you have to worry about. . . . That's the way golf should be played."
After playing Colorado Golf Club for the first time, Tom Kite said it's worthy of hosting a major championship.
"The golf course is going to stand up very well to the players. It's very difficult," Kite said. "There's a lot to know. We're going to have to kind of fly by the seat of our pants to learn the golf course as we go."
With the thin air, and depending on the wind and slope of the terrain, a shot that normally would require 180 yards might be 220 or 130, said Bernhard Langer, who already has won twice on the 2010 Champions Tour.
"It's kind of crazy," he said, "and then you have to figure how much the ball is going to run when it hits. But it's a great golf course, great layout, beautiful scenery. And some interesting design work."
"I think at this point, it's getting a little late."
/Rough day for Corey Pavin. First, arch-media nemesis Alan Shipnuck compliments him, then Jack Nicklaus suggests the Ryder Cup captain needs "a brain scan" for suggesting that Tiger isn't a lock for the 2010 team, as he's been saying the last few months about all of the potential captain's picks.
Read More"That's a 'silent boycott' that's hard to measure."
/Thomas Dunne says there's early evidence of Arizona's new law targeting illegal immigration impacting the state's golf tourism business.
Read MoreThe Annual DNF, NR, SCR Watch
/
It was the Europeans who pioneered the art of difficulty in finishing the 36-hole international U.S. Open qualifier, but not to be outdone are the PGA Tour players handed an easy qualifying opportunity into the Open Championship, yet still just can't get through 36.
Stephanie Wei spotlights another reminder that even when you make it easy for the world's great golfers to qualify, they still show a little disrespect.
There were also nine WD's from yesterday's Japanese U.S. Open qualifier but zero listed for the European edition.
