"I think with the testing, it's only enhanced that respectability throughout all of sport."

There wasn't much in the way of coherent questioning from Tiger's Malaysia press conference to launch whatever event it is they're playing this week the CIMB Classic.

Anyway, there was this:

Q.  It's been a difficult week for sports in some respects with the Lance Armstrong scandal.  Just wondered to what extent you thought golf has any similar problems?

TIGER WOODS:  Could you repeat the last part of it?

Q.  I just wondered if you thought to what extent golf has similar problems, and are the authorities doing enough to catch people who are taking the wrong things?

TIGER WOODS:  Yeah, we just implemented testing probably three years ago I think it is, three years now.  I know we don't do any blood work like some of the other sports do.  Right now is just urine samples, but that's certainly a positive step in the right direction to try and validate our sport.  I mean, this is a sport where we turn ourselves in on mistakes.  A ball moves in the tree, and the guy calls a penalty on himself.  Golf is a different sport.  I think that's one of the neat things about our great game, and I think with the testing, it's only enhanced that respectability throughout all of sport.

It's always worth remembering that if not for Tiger raising the issue, as Steve Elling noted here, the folks in Ponte Vedra might be resisting drug testing. 

For a fun flashback, here's one of Commissioner We Don't Need No Stinkin' Testing's many tortured answers on the topic before he saw the light.

Misquoted? Rory's Unofficial Olympic Flagbearing Invite

Tom Degun talks exclusively with Olympic Council of Ireland head Pat Hickey who famously said Rory McIlroy would be Ireland's 2016 Rio opening ceremony flagbearer if he committed to representing Ireland. Hickey is now saying he was misquoted and is claiming the writer in question has apologized to him.

"When he asked if Rory would be considered to carry the flag at the Olympic Opening Ceremony if he choose Ireland I answered: 'Of course he would, at the level he is at, he would be a strong contender.'

"But I explained that particular decision is never made until about a week before the Games.

"He then sold that story straight to the Daily Telegraph and the Irish Independent but with false comments.

"It spread from there.

"I never used the expression pole position that he used and I certainly never used that ridiculous line that this would make McIlroy more famous."

And...

"I contacted the journalist, who apologised to me, but it is terrible to be treated like that."

Degun does not include any comment from the Telegraph or writer Justin Doyle.

Scott: "It makes going out on the course less stressful, knowing you're going to putt alright all the time."

AAP's Darren Walton reported these comments from anchorer Adam Scott which, while earnest, probably will be added to the USGA/R&A's circumstantial evidence file.

Long regarded as one of the world's premier ball-strikers and the winner of 18 tournaments globally, Scott admitted during his Open charge at Royal Lytham that his old putting "ups and downs were horrible".

"It eats you up," he told AAP.

"It's such a mental part of the game and for me walking out there feeling really solid with it for the last 18 months, I feel like I'm not ever going to shoot a bad score.

"It makes going out on the course less stressful, knowing you're going to putt alright all the time."

He makes it sound like a drug.

Sean Foley On Tiger, Nelson Mandela And Johnny Miller

From part one of Brian Wacker's "exclusive" Sean Foley Q&A at PGATour.com. It's exclusive because PGATour.com is acknowledging someone in golf who is not a member of the PGA Tour.

Nonetheless, as with any Foley interview, it's not short on engaging topics including Johnny Miller's recent comments about passing on the chance to teach Tiger, and this...

Q: I want to go back to that day about 10 years ago when you were sitting in a bar in Canada with Sean Casey, who's now the director of golf at Glen Abbey, and you saw Tiger Woods on television and you said "I'm going to coach him one day." What made you think you could?

SEAN FOLEY: I used to say it and then be met with a phase of ridicule. There are some things that are difficult to explain. It's like asking anyone about ideas like God or destiny. It's really difficult to put into terms and into words and to quantify. I can tell you that there probably weren't many people who ever thought [I would coach him]. But I've seen people like Nelson Mandela get thrown in jail and stay in jail for 27 years and then come out and become the president of the country. It's not just that he became president, but he came out forgiving his oppressors.

Even though that has nothing to do with my situation, to me as a kid, it was like, OK, if he's capable of that, what am I capable of? I always wanted to teach golf. There were a lot of things I wanted to do, and that's the benefit of being so young. And I just thought it would be cool.

Darren Clarke On His Former Life Of Shopping Excess

An excerpt from Darren Clarke's autobiography provides a glimpse into his life of excess, and a possible warning side for a clothes fetish that could prove ugly when he gets his way and becomes 2014 Ryder Cup captain.

One thing that has been a constant throughout my career and for most of my life is that when it comes to shopping and spending, I have few rivals. My excesses often have to be seen to be believed.

If I said I once bought 60 pairs of Calvin Klein underpants, would you believe me? Didn’t think so, but I did. Or 40 pairs of trousers on the same day from the same shop? Yes, I did. Or thirty belts? Yes, that’s me. I’ve had 15 Ferraris, three Lamborghinis and an assortment of Jags, Bentleys, Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches. The most cars I’ve ever had at once was seven and I’ll admit that was a little excessive. I’m more sensible now.

Golf Illustrated UK Now On The iPad

The fourth edition of Golf Illustrated is out and while the print edition is another beautiful journal full of wonderful photography that makes a great gift, there is a solution for non-UK buyers who were scared by the high price: an iPad edition for $13.99. The app is free and a one-year subscription is $49.99.

Included in the latest issue are profiles of David McLay Kidd, Archie Baird and Lee Trevino interview. Features include a look at Royal St. George's, a story on five club secretaries and a fantastic Dale Concannon story about the first Ryder Cup.

Tiger's Interview With Maria

When a third person sent in Tiger's CNBC interview with Maria Bartiromo I figured I better watch knowing that I was risking five minutes I'll never get back.

I'm not sure what to call this other than awkward. From the questions about Lance Armstrong "coming back" to her persistence in learning Tiger's stake in FUSE to the FUSE guy reeling off a series of amazing bits of scientific jargon, it's a wacky five minutes.

**GolfChannel.com has since posted it.

Rory Downplays Rumors Of Switch To Nike

From an unbylined AFP story, Rory McIlroy downplays but does not deny. At least, unlike his agent, he's heard the rumors.

"These rumours have been going around for years and it seems to always come up at this time of the year," McIlroy said at Lake Malaren Golf Club.

"I leave it up to Conor (Ridge, McIlroy's manager) to sort out as it leaves me to concentrate on my golf."

Webb Still Hasn't Heard Sound Reason For Anchoring Ban

From an unbylined AP story quoting Webb Simpson at the Grand Slam of Golf, and while the language wasn't perfect, he seems to be suggesting that banning anchoring of the putter will be more problematic if it's the USGA doing the banning instead of the PGA Tour. Not that Commissioner No-Controversy would ever do something to protect the game.

"If the USGA bans it, I think it's going to be a whole other ballgame if the PGA Tour bans it," Simpson said.

"It's going to be tough if they do ban it. It's going to be tough for a lot of people. Not players, I think it's going to be tough for the committees to really have their stance on it. If you look at the facts, last year there was no one in the top 20 of strokes gained category that anchored a putter."

"So the argument of, 'It's an advantage', you have to throw that out there," he said. "There's a bunch of arguments going around but I haven't heard a good one yet."

And he continued to point out a bigger change in the game and he continues to be correct.

"We all know that the R&A and USGA love to keep golf as original as possible," he said. "But I think with the changes in the grooves, the golf balls, the drivers — you've got a little persimmon head 20 years ago the size of a fist, and now a titanium head 460 cc. In 1980, the long drive guy was hitting it 285, and now if you hit it 285, you're one of the shortest guys on the Tour. To me, it's a bigger change to go from that size head to what we play now than the putter."

Take That Geezer Golf Architects: Tiger Raises The Bar On Blueprint-Holding Site Photos

I just saw this Diamante-supplied image on the golf.com homepage leading us to Eamon Lynch's exclusive on Tiger's new Cabo design.

Have to say, I don't see Jack or Arnie climbing walls to stare at blueprints!

Padraig's G-III Can Be Had, VCR Included

From Brian Keogh's Irish Golf Desk blog.  And the ad for those of you in the market...

It’s fitted with five single cabin seats “in cappuccino leather”, two double club seats and a four-seater divan that doubles as a bed.

The interior features cream leather, suede and wool carpets in “camel and blue” as well as “new, richly detailed, high gloss teak woodwork.” 

Harrington regularly used the jet to travel with his family and enjoyed every luxury in the book.

The plane has a Sony DVD Player and VCR, a top of the range sound system, two flat screen TV monitors, satellite internet, a Nordskog convection oven, an Omni Fax/Copier, a Braun coffee maker and dual, eight-man life rafts.

While Harrington is believed to have loved his toy, which made it easy to travel with his family and helped him overcome the effects of jetlag, it was costing him a fortune in fuel and maintenance costs and just had to go.

Golf Channel Pausing Big Break Greenbrier Reruns To Re-Air The Best Of Tommy Gainey On Big Break IV & VII

Not to worry, the infomercials for Tommie Copper (hosted by Montel Williams!) and Total Gym Challenge (with Chuck and Christie!) will air in their traditional Tuesday time slots. Your DVR season passes or well-planned afternoon siestas remain intact.

However, Big Break Greenbrier reruns will be tabled to bring back PGA Tour winner Tommy Gainey's appearances on the fourth and seventh editions.

I know you've all seen these, but just in case you forgot, the recap:

Tuesday
4-5 p.m. ET – Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe (Episode six)– The fourth installment of Golf Channel’s reality competition series pitted teams of six golfers representing the United States and Europe.  In this episode, the contestants take a surprise field trip to the home of golf – St. Andrews – with challenges including hitting out of the infamous “Road Hole Bunker” on the 17th hole and putting out of the “Valley of Sin” on the 18th hole.  The episode also includes one of the more dramatic elimination challenges in series history on the 18th hole, when Tommy Gainey executed an unconventional bogey that featured a ricochet off of a van and a complete miss from the rough to stay alive on the series before ultimately being eliminated in a sudden-death playoff.  Big Break IV: USA vs. Europe was filmed at Carnoustie Golf Links and aired on Golf Channel in 2005.
 
5-6 p.m. ET – Big Break VII: Reunion (Finale) – The seventh installment of Golf Channel’s reality competition series featured the first-ever reunion show, bringing back 16 competitors from the series’ first six seasons.  The finale of Big Break VII: Reunion featured Tommy Gainey defeating Ashley Gomes in a nine-hole match to be crowned series champion and the recipient of a tournament exemption to the 2007 Cox Classic, $70,000 in cash and prizes and a new Chrysler Aspen.  Big Break VII: Reunion was filmed at Reunion Resort near Orlando, Fla., and aired on Golf Channel in 2007.