5. Dark possibilities!
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard on the potential downside to legalized betting in golf.
- “It can become problematic. It became a problem in cricket how they started fixing games,” Ernie Els said this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “They have to watch that very carefully. In golf I don’t know. I would say we still play by the honor of the game. I still feel like guys give their best.”
- “Cricket has been scandalized by several gambling and match fixing allegations in recent years, including a case involving South African cricketer Hansie Cronje in the 1990s that led to a World Cup investigation in 2007.”
- “The Tour is well aware of the hazards of gambling and the circuit’s integrity regulations cover nine pages and is published in English, French and Spanish. The program covers players, anyone affiliated with players [caddies, managers, trainers] and even tournament volunteers, and addresses everything from “contriving an outcome” to “providing insider information.”
- “I want to stress protecting our brand and our competition is paramount. We must all remain vigilant in this area. Our brand is 100 percent linked to our reputation,” Monahan reiterated to players at last week’s meeting.”
6. Day’s bad back is back
PGATour.com’s Cameron Morfit on Jason Day’s WD from the API with a back injury (which puts his status for next week’s Players in jeopardy)
- “Day, 31, started his round on the back nine and informed playing partners Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter on the 16th hole that he would not be continuing. Day was 2 over at the time.”
- “I (aggravated) it last Sunday,” he said, “and then got an MRI Monday, which came back that I had an annular tear in my disc, and then I’ve got facet problems as well. My back was sore when I was practicing from Tuesday to Saturday, and I was going to practice on Sunday, but I woke up and couldn’t really walk or sit in the car.
- “I was on a dose pack to try get the inflammation out of it,” he added, “and that didn’t get any better. I saw a physio here (in Orlando) and tried to do as much work as I possibly could to get ready for this week. I couldn’t play at 100 percent today, so I just wanted to see if I could get out here and (my back) may have loosened up. But, unfortunately, it didn’t, so I had to pull out.”
Full piece.
7. Remember this?
Jenkins fake interview with Tiger Woods? (“Steiny” and Tiger sure do!)
A bit of it…
Why did you turn down previous interview requests with me?
Like Steiny said: We had nothing to gain.
So why now?
Steiny says we have to rebuild my brand.
Why? TV still loves you.The print press still loves you. The average fans still love you. Of course the average fans still love the Kardashians, too, but I feel sure America will find a cure for this someday.
I just do what Steiny says.
Why haven’t you fired Steiny, by the way? You’ve fired everybody else. Three gurus, Butch, Hank and Sean Foley. Two caddies, Fluff and Stevie. Your first agent, Hughes Norton, who made you rich before you’d won anything. Other minions.
I’ll probably get around to it.
I like to fire people. It gives me something to do when I’m not shaping my shots.
Full piece.
8. The walk of shame
Rough stuff for Mark Leishman!
- From the AAP…”It’s the walk of shame, cruising back to the tee with the tail between the legs. Phil Mickelson [in the group behind] had already teed it up,” Leishman said.
- After a double-bogey seven, even children were sledging the 35-year-old Victorian.
- “Walking to seventh tee I had a kid say to me, ‘How’s the water, Leishman?’ That caught me off guard,” said Leishman, who was then four over after six holes.
- However, he composed himself following a stern talking to from caddie and childhood friend Matthew Kelly and rattled off four back-nine birdies to sign for an even-par 72.
9. The most unenthusiastic hole-in-one reaction you’ll ever see
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Playing in this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, Points hit a weak tee shot on Bay Hill’s par-3 seventh. Or at least what Points perceived to be a poor shot, telling his ball to “Get up!” and “Go!” in an indignant tone. His stance` conveyed a similar thought, as the veteran crossed his legs and angled his arm on his waist as if his dog had just soiled himself on the kitchen floor.”
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