Record Scoring at The Greenbrier? Amazingly, No!

Saturday's scoring at The Greenbrier makes for astonishing leaderboard viewing since you have to get to Matt Every at T69 to see a score not in the 60s. Naturally, that means Saturday was a tour record of some kind. It wasn't even a record for 2010 according to PGATour.com's notes:

• Saturday's 66.965 is the third-lowest single-round average of the season in relation to par, falling shy of the first- (69.857) and second-round (69.179) averages at the season-opening SBS Championship at the par-73 Plantation Course.

I hope the low scoring isn't in any way allowed to taint the course's reputation because it looks sensational. The geometric bunkering isn't usually my thing, but the whole place looks great on television.

Woods Commits To 2011 Dubai Tourney; Still No Official Commitment To 2010's PGA Tour Playoffs

I wonder what allows him to commit to a 2011 event versus the ones he's playing in a few weeks? I know it's out there, just can't put a finger on what the difference is.

"The amount of people who owe Tiger Woods something - people on TV stations, sports stations that probably wouldn't have a job if it weren't for Tiger Woods - are complaining he's not giving them the information that they need."

Terry Vandrovec of ArgusLeader.com questions David Feherty about an array of topics, and as usual Feherty is all over the map except when it comes to his creepy unrequited love for Tiger Woods. There's also the lingering animosity slight hostility toward the media for daring to probe into players personal lives. He also thinks that players need to open up more and become more engaging for television.

Q. Speaking of not winning, Tiger Woods - whose video games you lend your voice to -

Ah, thanks for reminding us that Mr. Feherty stands to gain financially from the success of the Woods empire. Go on...

has struggled since taking a break to deal with his much-publicized personal problems. What's your take on how the media covered that situation?

A. It was more of a British tabloid feel. Having gone through a British tabloid divorce myself, it was predictable at first and then just became sickening after a while. The amount of people who owe Tiger Woods something - people on TV stations, sports stations that probably wouldn't have a job if it weren't for Tiger Woods - are complaining he's not giving them the information that they need. I don't know where that sense of entitlement came from where we have to know everything about everybody and what happened. He said, 'Hey, look at the police report and that's it.' That should have done it.

Yes, because it was so rich in detail and answered so many questions about such a straightforward non-driving-under-the-influence DUI.

But that didn't satisfy the TMZ crew or the entertainment faction and it kind of infected the sports journalists, as well, where I think a bunch of them kind of forgot just what he's done for the game.

That's right, as a reporter you are supposed to calculate what one has done for the game before deciding whether to report on Clouseau-like driving, or, say, a player's relationship with the shadiest doctor in all of sports medicine.

I've been lucky to have been around him the last 14 years since I became a broadcaster, and look at what he's done for golf. The evolution of the sport - it was moving along at a normal pace until he showed up, but it took a quantum leap. Because these youngsters grew up with him, to them, that's the way golf should be played, that's the way golf's possible to be played. Apparently, there's a lot more possible now.

There is, well, except now the ratings are in the toilet, sponsors are fleeing and maybe he really didn't have the impact you're suggesting should be the barometer for media coverage?

Q. That said, is Tiger struggling because of the personal strife or are physical ailments and age taking a toll?

A. There's nothing wrong with his swing, there's nothing wrong with anything except the head full of slamming doors that you have when you go through a divorce - especially when there's children involved.

Hate to interrupt, but uh, no one that I know of in the golf writing world has declared Tiger to be in the middle of a divorce. Only tabloids and on-course reporters for CBS. Just saying. Guess when you're on the payroll you have inside knowledge!

It affects everybody. I think he'll recover from it faster than most people because he's so mentally strong, but golf is a game that's played with long periods of time between shots - it's not a reaction sport. That's a lot of time for your mind to wander and anytime you get children involved it's a rough time in your life.

Exactly, it's the children. Not the humiliation of becoming an international punchline.

Q. The game seems to have settled down after spiking in terms of popularity during Tiger's dominating run. What do you see as the next exciting mark?

A. It all depends on one thing and that's the TV number. That's what drives every sport. Anybody who thinks different is kidding themselves. So players have to be more fan friendly. The game will continue to fascinate and continue to drive people berserk at every level. I'm hoping over the next few years - there's a new TV contract that will be negotiated shortly - that we will see more interaction, we learn a bit more about who these players are, that they're encouraged to show a little more emotion. There's been a long period of time now where players have been encouraged to kind of do the opposite. 'This is a civil sport, it's a gentlemen's game.' Nobody loses their temper, nobody throws clubs anymore. Frankly, that's not good TV. People like to see people losing their minds, being real people.

You mean like Tiger?

I'm out there and I'm walking for five hours sometimes with the players and I have great conversations with them. There's stuff that could be on (the air). We could make that decision. You wouldn't put stuff on that's going to burn anybody, but just allow the viewer to know these players a little bit more. It boils down to who's watching golf and how many people are watching golf. We need to make sure that kids continue to be interested in the sport.

Uh, the young people aren't big fans of "You wouldn't put stuff on that's going to burn anybody, but just allow the viewer to know these players a little bit more." I think the kids call that fluff. 

"It is a confidential agreement. We can't give any details of it."

Karl Gilbert reports that the Browns have signed a non-disclosure agreement and settlement with the Duramed Futures Tour.


Erin Hills Set For Saturday Grand Re-Re-Re-Opening

Gary D'Amato on high hopes that the third time around will have Erin Hills looking like a 2017 U.S. Open course.

Some 300 trees have been removed; it's the perfect example of less is more, because 20 specimen oaks now stand out on the horizon. Seas of 18-inch golden fescue wave in the ever-present breeze. Wide, emerald fairways framed by huge, jagged-edged bunkers create jaw-dropping views from almost every tee.

From the elevated tee box on No. 4, Tock pointed out that flagsticks on nine holes were visible. From almost any point on the course, golfers can face east and see Holy Hill looming in the distance, a beacon guiding them home to the Irish manor clubhouse.

In terms of the U.S. Open, there is so much room for spectators and corporate hospitality, the '17 Open most likely will set attendance records.

"This has the potential to be the No. 1 spectator course in the 117-year history of the U.S. Open," Tock said. "There's no other course that has the ease of moving people around and the natural amphitheaters for viewing. We could accommodate 65,000 to 75,000 spectators here."

Where would all of those people stay? Just asking.

The story includes a nice gallery of images as well.

"The governing body did not adequately prepare the world of golf for the changeover from old grooves to new grooves."

Jim Achenbach isn't exonerating the Duramed rules officials, but he says blame for the Sarah Brown DQ should start with the USGA.

What the USGA needed was, for lack of a better name, a School of Grooves. It should have been open to one and all. Golf associations, organizations and players should have been invited to attend.

Frankly, the situation has become terribly confusing. Many rules officials are not prepared to deal with the ramifications of the changeover in grooves. Most pros are blindly taking the word of someone else (usually a manufacturer or tour rep) that their wedges are permissible for competition. Most amateurs don’t understand whether their wedges are conforming or not.

"The buzz is in their court right now."

Jaime Diaz on the "guru war" that has broken out within the stable of short game specialists, led by Dave Stockton and sons:

None of the great putters of the last 50 years -- Bob Charles, Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, et al. -- had a regular coach to help them on the greens. The same goes for today's acknowledged best: Woods, Steve Stricker, Brad Faxon and Brian Gay. For that matter, Stockton and Utley had no putting coach besides their boyhood teachers. The resistance is evident in the fact that the most recent partnerships were not initiated by the player. Stockton was suggested to Mickelson by his caddie, Jim Mackay, as Utley was to Garcia by Billy Foster. Stockton, at the behest of Mickelson, offered his services to Scott.

But when Stockton seemed to be the pivotal figure in Mickelson's immediate improvement, and when Scott and Justin Rose won soon after receiving a lesson from Dave Jr., it became a powerful narrative. "I highly respect what the Stocktons are doing," Utley says. "The buzz is in their court right now."

Long Before Dick Cheney Had A Secret Undisclosed Location...

...The Greenbrier was home to a top secret bunker, not of the golfing kind. Helen Ross writes about it in entertaining detail for PGATour.com, including the story of the writers who revealed its existence:

That was during the height of the Cold War, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the leaders of Congress wanted a safe place where the U.S. government could continue to function in the event of a national emergency. Eisenhower's affection for the resort, where he recuperated during World War II and was a frequent visitor, coupled with its secluded location in the Allegheny Mountains and relative proximity to Washington, D.C., made The Greenbrier a perfect fit.

So the top-secret, two-story facility was built 720 feet in the hillside under the West Virginia Wing of The Greenbrier. When it was finished, there was room for 1,100 people -- all the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as key staff -- with a self-sustaining infrastructure and enough provisions for up to 60 days.

The bunker was maintained, fully functional, for the next 30 years until a May, 1992 story in the Washington Post revealed its existence. Since the facility had been compromised, it was no longer useful to the government and the lease with The Greenbrier ended three years later.

Update on Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 08:31 AM by Geoff

**Thanks to reader Neal for the original Washington Post story that revealed the bunker.

“I went through a lot that day."

Sean Martin with the update on Sarah Brown rejecting the Duramed compensation offer for her nightmarishly handled DQ. Why do I see Gloria Allred in someone's future? Not that I blame her.

The Browns are asking for:

• $5,638, the amount Sarah Brown would’ve earned had she finished The International at Concord at 8-under 208. She was 3 under par for the event when she was removed from the golf course with nine holes remaining.

• A waiver of the entry fee to 2010 LPGA Q-School, a $5,000 value. Brown advanced to the finals last year, finishing 84th.

• An annual seminar for Duramed Futures Tour rules official outlining how to handle difficult situations. “I’d like it to be called the Sarah Brown Seminar,” Keith Brown said.

“I went through a lot that day,” said Sarah Brown, who began the day at 5 under par, three shots off the lead, but was 2 over at the turn. “It was upsetting and humiliating for me to be in that situation.”

"That makes this week's event an easy one to skip, which should not reflect on a sponsor or organizers whose hands are tied by their place on the schedule."

In the likelihood that you tune into tomorrow's inaugural Greenbrier Classic and wonder why a Nationwide Tour stop broke out, Bob Harig explains that the event is another victim of the FedEx Cup. So don't expect a decent field for the next few years.

This time of year, any other result would be a huge shock, unfortunately. That remains the fallout from the FedEx Cup schedule that is now in its fourth year and leaves many tournaments without a fighting chance when it comes to securing a field.

Undoubtedly, the tour put some pressure on the big names to show up this week -- you can bet that is why Furyk is taking one for the team -- but it is difficult to criticize the players on this one. The way the schedule falls, there's a ton of golf to be played in the next two months.

57!

Dan Mirocha has the details on Bobby Wyatt's incredible stupefying 57 in the Alabama Junior.

Wyatt made 12 birdies and an eagle at the par-71, 6,638-yard Country Club of Mobile, a course where his family has held membership since Wyatt started playing golf at age 4.

His front-nine 26 included seven birdies and an eagle. He birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to get to 11 under through 11 holes, and closed with birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17 before making par on the 410-yard, par-4 18th.

And this is amazing:

“When I was standing on No. 8 tee, it hit me that I was 7 under through seven,” Wyatt said. “I told myself, ‘Just play 5 under from here.’ I tried not to think about my score. But then I birdied No. 8 and 9 and that gave me 26 on the front.”

That’s when a small group started to follow Wyatt’s group, including some of his father’s friends who congratulated him as he made his way to the 10th tee box. Wyatt said he had to consciously regroup mentally and stop focusing on his incredible score.

Haven't those friends of dad ever watched a no-hitter? You don't say anything you morons!

Now here's something you don't normally expect to hear:

“I’ve really been working hard with my psychologist about staying patient,” Wyatt said. “It came together for me today.”

Get us that shrink's name, now!

"I hope they make a beaucoup of hole in ones"

First, there was the news of experimenting with a common-sense cell phone policy and now this great Greenbrier Classic idea, which surely couldn't have originated in Ponte Vedra. I just wonder how it got past all of the VP's and legal minds. It makes way too much sense!

Any ace at the par-3 18th hole is worth $1 million -- with $250,000 going to the lucky pro and $750,000 to the tournament's charities. But there's more. Every fan sitting in the stands around the unique finishing hole receives $100.

Should there be a second or third ace on the 162-yard par 3 that day, each would result in the same $1 million payout and distribution. But the fans will receive $500 and $1,000, respectively, for the second and third hole-in-one.

The promotion starts over each day so there is a potential maximum payout of $12 million for the actual aces and about half that much for the fans.

"I hope that will generate some real live excitement," said Jim Justice, who owns the Greenbrier. "There will be a lot of cheering going on for the pros and everything, and I hope they make a beaucoup of hole in ones, and I hope we have a lot of fun with it."