The King's State Of The Game: Do Not Credit Me For "Salvaging" The Open Championship, It Was Frank Stranahan

Arnold Palmer makes his once-a-year GolfChannel.com appearance to expand on the "State of the Game," and because so many he knew passed away in 2013, The King remembers friends, rivals and even those he had less than perfect relationships with.

While the disharmony with Ken Venturi was well known and Palmer's take here fascinating, I was even more interested in his views about the late Frank Stranahan and The Open Championship.

One last note about Frank. I am often given credit for “salvaging” the British Open in the early 1960s. We can argue whether the game’s most historic championship really was in danger of sinking, but it is safe to say that after World War II, many American competitors simply found it easy and more profitable to compete here in the United States. Frank never quit on the Open. He continued to compete there on a regular basis, and finished second in 1947 and 1953. His devotion to the Open Championship is what inspired me to go over in 1960. I won the following year, and I’ve been credited ever since with “saving” the Open, but it was Frank who paved the way.

Why Won't The PGA Tour Pay For Full Time Telecast Monitors?

As we put a wrap on 2013, it's impossible not to think back to all of the rules controversies that made things fascinating and slightly awkward at times.

So consider the following anecdotes and you tell me if the PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is earning his millions.

• The PGA Tour's biggest star was considered "cavalier" with the rules in 2013 and there is no sign that the governing bodies plan to change the rules in any serious way to prevent phone-in rules aficionados from calling in possible violations.
• The unionized PGA Tour rules staff worked for months without a contract, and even then, will have to work 15 years to receive the same pay and benefits package of a second-year PGA Tour agronomist. The difference between the two jobs? One is union-connected, one is not.
• The PGA Tour employs hundreds of people, including someone to monitor the networks (standing in the truck!), ShotLink experts to help the telecasts and plenty of other unknown by vital folks to helping the tour look as good as possible on television. Yet when it comes to the rules issue that is so obviously remedied by a full-time staffer monitoring things? No way Jose!
• Because of YouTube, DVR's and golf websites, players seen in a possible infraction will continue to be noticed no matter what rules are changed by the governing bodies to reduce the impact of outside agencies phoning in violations.

Yet Commissioner Bottom Line has steadfastly refused to hire a few additional rules staffers to monitor all of the PGA Tour telecasts. This is a man who gladly pays Vice Presidents CEO money and gets the Willies just thinking of any potential controversy that might taint the vaunted "brand." Yet he apparently despises union workers so much that he's willing set aside his primary predilections and put the sanctity of his product at the mercy of more phoned-in rules violations in 2014.

Thankfully, the drumbeat continues as very intelligent people are calling on the PGA Tour to expand its rules staff to include a full-time telecast monitor who saves players from penalty and embarrassment in the HD era. Considering what HD television is doing to make golf more compelling to watch, this is a small price to pay for the PGA Tour flush with cash.

Jack Ross in a special to ESPN.com, notes the reluctance by the USGA and R&A to add more pages to the Decisions book for what is essentially a PGA Tour financial decision.

So far, the USGA and R&A do not seem inclined to place restrictions on input from television viewers. The ruling bodies of golf have long maintained that, since most golf competition is not supervised by rules officials, the vigilance of players, caddies and spectators is necessary to maintain the integrity of the competition and protect the field. In fact, the reliance on input from spectators is well embedded in the Rules of Golf. Rules decisions say that testimony of spectators and television footage must be evaluated in resolving rules issues.

Former USGA Executive Director David Fay in the January Golf Digest lays out all of the particulars from 2013, the past attempts at telecast monitors (pre-HD and pre-DVR), and explains why it's time for the PGA Tour to have a full-time monitor.

And Fay, Feinstein and yours truly discussed this very topic on the season finale of Grey Goose 19th Hole.