LPGA To Abandon "Female At Birth" Bylaw

This really isn't very much fun with the LPGA and Mike Whan having to make the announcement. Now, getting to see Tim Finchem address this would have been fun. Then again, if he can't even get designated tournaments to happen, a policy change involving the world transgender would never stand a chance in Ponte Vedra.

Randall Mell reports:

In a special “one-agenda item” meeting at the Hana Bank Championship in South Korea at the end of October, LPGA players were briefed on the upcoming vote and the vital nature of it. According to sources familiar with the meeting, LPGA players were told the “female at birth” provision was created “in a different time” and would be a significant challenge to defend legally today. Players were also informed that the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Golf Association, the Ladies European Tour and the British Ladies Golf Union are among sports organizations that have already amended their bylaws to allow transgender participation.

"Tiger's people asked we not ask him specifically about the details of his car accident of last Thanksgiving night."

Richard Deitsch shared the lone stipulation for Tiger's appearance on "Mike and Mike" Thursday, including this from an ESPN spokesperson:

"Tiger's people asked we not ask him specifically about the details of his car accident of last Thanksgiving night. Considering Tiger's been asked about the details of the accident many times during the past year at various press conferences, golf tournaments and by ESPN and has declined to answer each time, we agreed to that request."

4. Woods’s reps also asked that ESPN not ask how much time he spends with his former wife, Elin. (ESPN reps said they had no plans to address this topic, anyway)

Okay, make it two stipulations. So then the audience will get this:

5. ESPN will make an on-air disclaimer about the Thanksgiving content prior to the live interview as well as subsequent re-airs of the interview.

So instead of going into the interview with an open slate and answering any awkward questions by citing his right to privacy or the "it's all in the police report," Woods continues to put these stipulations out there.

Instead of sticking to his guns and making the interviewer look silly by bringing up year-old news, the stipulations just remind people that something very peculiar must have happened that night because he's scared of being asked about it.

Where's Ari Fleischer when you need him? Oh right, he quit.

"The so-called sure thing was first downgraded to a long shot, then was scratched from the race entirely." **

Steve Elling talks to several folks who are disappointed with the PGA Tour's abandonment of the designated tournament policy that had been in the works, including a tournament director who was not afraid of becoming designated.

After indicating earlier this year that the proposal seemed destined for passage, the tour has yet to formally explain its rationale for shooting down a notion that had been green-lighted by the Players Advisory Committee five months ago with, "really, zero negativity," Steve Stricker said at the time.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem all but guaranteed that the idea, designed to force top players to visit locales they hadn't played in years, if ever, would be added to the books in some form in 2011. Now it's morphed into a voluntary plan, which will be about as effective as you might expect.

I think the real giveaway is in this quote from Davis Love.

"Right now, we don't really need any controversy. We need things to keep moving along, because we have a TV contract coming along and everything is really going pretty well. When you look at our business vs. every other business in the country, we are really, really good."

I guess we'll find out this year just how good things are. I find it hard to believe that the PGA Tour is happy to rest on its laurels and sees no need to improve their position with the networks and fans. Or at least, is trying to give that impression to enhance their bargaining position.

Bob Harig also talks to a few people about the policy and notes this:

One problem that was not resolved was spreading out the top players among the designated events.

What if a designated event was not chosen by anyone? That certainly would have looked bad.

Then again, wasn't there a solution of some kind to be worked out, one that would be better than doing nothing at all?

Update on Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 08:32 AM by Geoff

**Garry Smits says "this was a 2-foot gimmee putt. And you just lipped it out."

Let's put it this way: if a method isn't found for more of the top players to play in just one or two more events a year, the problem will take care of itself. Some of those events may simply have to fold.

And that will hurt the rank-and-file of Tour players who do support those tournaments, by subtracting playing opportunities; to say nothing of the economic impact and charitable dollars realized in those communities as a result of the Tour stop.

Fortune Brand Suiters Announced By Anonymous Analysts!

I have a Google news alert on Fortune Brands (and therefore Acushnet/Titliest) now that the corporation is "in play," and it's fascinating to see what amounts to "news."

Today Reuters ran with an unnamed analyst predicting likely suitors for the booze component of the business if hedge fund activist William Ackman has his way and breaks the company up.

Activist shareholder William Ackman took an 10.9 percent stake in Fortune last month and press reports last week said it is now more likely to cooperate with him on a split of the group between spirits, golf equipment and home products.

"If Fortune's spirits become available, Diageo has to be the leading candidate. Fortune has one of the two big American whiskies in Jim Beam and one of the fastest growing in Maker's Mark," said one banking source with knowledge of the situation.

So far, nothing of the same kind of speculation from the golf press. After all, that would be reckless without having anything concrete to report, no? Apparently there are no such qualms in the financial reporting world!

Ackman, who wants to leverage, cut, run, squeegee and do whatever else hedge funders do to otherwise healthy companies like Fortune Brands, was involved in the collapse of Gotham Golf about seven years ago.

Based in New York, Gotham Partners has an ownership stake in both First Union Real Estate and Gotham Golf.

William Ackman, one of the founders of Gotham Partners, served as chairman of the First Union REIT before resigning late last year. The shareholder lawsuit argued that the merger was designed to benefit the firms involved, not shareholders. If the deal is completed, Gotham Golf would pay back a $21.6 million loan from the hedge fund.

Gotham Partners has garnered regulatory and investor scrutiny over the last two months. Most notably, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has asked the fund for information, including information related to Gotham Golf's merger, said Marc Violette, a spokesman for Spitzer. Violette declined to discuss the subpoenas further.

The hedge fund drew attention after publicizing research reports on bond insurer MBIA Inc. and other companies in which it held stock. Hedge funds generally keep a low profile and avoid the spotlight.

Oops, not this one!

If nothing else, this is going to be entertaining to watch.

"He wants to be a little more connected to the fans, and this is just one new addition."**

Doug Ferguson notes today's Tiger Twitter tornado is actually part of a broader plan to go on the offensive prior to Thanksgiving's expected one-year-anniversary coverage onslaught.

As always, Steiny put it in the most romantic terms possible:

"Tiger wants to do some things a little differently moving forward," Steinberg said. "He wants to be a little more connected to the fans, and this is just one new addition."

One "addition" would be Tiger's Newsweek guest column in which he talks about his healing process, making mac and cheese for the kids and the response he's received from fans. There was also this curious bit...

I have a lasting gratitude to those who stood by me in ways large and small. Unfortunately, opportunists are trying still to cash in on my troubles, no matter how irresponsible or ridiculous their claims may be. In many cases, I’ve never even met these people. But there’s no way I can dispute each lie without provoking more.

The piece ends with this eye-opening tagline that some flack likely wrote:

Woods, one of the winningest golfers of all time, is founder of the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has helped educate more than 10 million kids.

Update on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 08:28 PM by Geoff

**Okay maybe Tiger has a point when you see this artwork for sale sent in by a reader!

"Northern Trust Open announces more affordable ticket prices for 2011 event"

Last year's Northern Trust Open ticket price increase was documented ad nauseum here and the resulting attendance disaster was clearly noticed by the folks in Ponte Vedra, whose Championship Management took over last year and jacked up prices for an event that was already witnessing an attendance decline.

Therefore the Ponte Vedra press release writers deserve credit for today's notice noting "more affordable" prices since they don't seem to be hiding from last year's dreadful decision.

Northern Trust Open announces more affordable ticket prices for 2011 event

Tickets, on sale now, start at $20 for practice rounds; senior citizens and college students $20 during competition days; youth and military admitted free

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – As part of an effort to make the Northern Trust Open more accessible to the entire Los Angeles community, raise attendance and – ultimately – generate additional dollars for local charitable organizations, tournament officials have announced new, lower ticket prices for the 2011 Northern Trust Open, which will be held February 15-20 at the historic Riviera Country Club.  

Daily Grounds Access for practice rounds (Tuesday, Wednesday) are just $20 when purchased in advance or at the gate during tournament week.  Daily Grounds Access for tournament rounds (Thursday-Sunday) are $30 when purchased in advance, or $35 at the gate (compared to $50 for the 2010 event).

A Weekly Grounds Badge is $80 when purchased in advance and $100 at the gate (compared to $100 and $125, respectively, for 2010).  And new this year is a Weekender Ticket, which allows tournament access for both Saturday and Sunday for only $45.  The Weekender is only available in advance and cannot be purchased at the gate during tournament week.

Also available this year is an offer to senior citizens (55 and older) and college students, who can purchase Thursday-Sunday Daily Grounds Access for only $20, with proper ID at the gate during tournament week.  In addition, the tournament is continuing its policy of youth 18 and under being admitted free, as are members of the U.S. military, who can obtain tickets through their local MWR office beginning in January.

“We’re pleased to offer these more affordable ticket prices and new programs to golf fans for next year’s Northern Trust Open,” said Northern Trust Open Executive Director Jerry West.  “Our goal is to create an exciting atmosphere here at Riviera, where the community can come together to watch the best players in the world compete, and at the end of the day increase the amount of money that goes back to local charities.  To do that, we need to make sure the Northern Trust Open ticket is an exceptional value for a first-class experience.”

Parking at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA Hospital) is free, with regular shuttles running to and from Riviera Country Club.

"It's a very good indication to him, though, that if he keeps his hair that's how he's going to look when he's 45."

Rory McIlroy is carrying on the peculiar European Tour tradition (Poulter, Clarke, Westwood, Donald) of putting his hard earned millions toward regular visits to a high-priced hair salon where he was convinced life as a blond would be better. Maybe this is why he needs to stay closer to home next year?

"Northern Ireland celebrity hair dresser Paul Stafford wasn't kind in his initial review when talking to BBC NI.

"It's an absolute travesty of a hair style, it's a bad colour on the wrong type of hair," he said.

"It's a very good indication to him, though, that if he keeps his hair that's how he's going to look when he's 45."

He added that the fact the golfer usually sports a cap and is often playing in humid conditions also has an effect.

"The reality of it is he should really get his hair cut, it would look better and it would suit him to have a definite hair cut."

Hello World: Tiger Tweets!**

...let's hope he actually dictates his Twitter thoughts and goes beyond today's opening hello, unlike dear old Monty whose account seems to have been hijacked by a personal assistant.

Tiger does have a brief history on Twitter, as analyzed in September by Sean Martin.

Update on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 12:00 PM by Geoff

**A follow-up tweet already...

"The fact golf will be included at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2022 is bound to give the game a boost in a country that has more value for an Olympic gold medal than a Green Jacket from Georgia."

Literary looper Colin Byrne writes from Shanghai on the state of golf in China and among the many interesting observations, he reminds us that in China golf is still very much a niche sport for the rich, but there is hope that the Olympic movement will help expand interest beyond a select audience.

I spoke to Michael Wong, who is in charge of developing Chinese junior golf. One of the early initiatives was to get talented juniors to hit a shot to the 17th hole at Sheshan during the pro-am for the tournament. We were all impressed by most of the swings these youngsters made in front of the professionals. Their progress since its conception four years ago is already evident; the tee they were playing from was farther back this year and the hole is a long carry over water.

The chances are these young hopefuls come from a wealthy background. With a membership at the exclusive Sheshan Golf Club costing over 1.6 million yuan and with 500,000 yuan (€177,191) being a pretty normal membership fee, there are not too many citizens from the fields in the market for these clubs yet. But there are initiatives being made to reach out to the less well off.

Without it sounding like an altruistic effort on behalf of the developers in China, there are plenty of courses being built at personal expense. Even though there is a moratorium on course building, in true local fashion courses are still developing. There are 600-700 courses already built and that will double in the next five years. They somehow estimate by then 10 million Chinese will play the game.

“What we found was that having a laugh at your own expense can be the best way to move on from situations and get on with your life.”

Robert Lusetich writes about Tiger's week in Australia and claims that his sources say much of Tiger's current struggle remains a battle with shame over the events of a year ago.  And regarding the dinner he attended that include a joke about his nocturnal habits, and shares this priceless bit from that evening.

Not surprisingly, Mark Steinberg, the never-smiling agent for Woods and IMG’s head of golf, wasn’t amused by the tone of the session. And he’s part of the problem in the sense that his job is to monetize Tiger Woods, the brand.

But what about the human being?

At least one source within the Woods camp told me the pressure to be “Tiger Woods” took a heavy toll. So why not wish that cardboard cutout good riddance and move on with life?

Bobby Joins Rees, Dye, Nicklaus And Fazio In Elite Company...

...he too is getting to redo his own aging, substandard design work! It must be nice to have an annuity in the form of your own portfolio that developers will pay you to fix!

Jerry Stewart writes about Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s plan to undo most of the original Poppy Hills details as part of an NCGA plan to upgrade the course. A shortened version of Stewart's story appears online.

Mosaic Golf

Dave Seanor writes about The Mosaic Company's 36-hole complex in central Florida featuring a Coore-Crenshaw and a Renaissance Golf Design course set amidst an abandoned phosphate mine in Hardee County, Fla.

There is also a slideshow revealing the unusual site and some of the best architect-pointing photos ever.

On another note, Jeff Dawson posts two of the better images I've seen to day showing Coore and Crenshaw's work at Pinehurst. Looks sensational.