Battle Over Clubs, Testing Procedure in Full Swing
It was another great week for golf clubs--at least in the news-making category--with letters being fired off, lawsuits being filed and official appointments being made.
Why, it could take until fall to sort out this “spring-like effect” deal, maybe even longer, especially after the latest intriguing round of behind-the- scenes activity.
Let’s review:
News item 1: The Royal and Ancient Golf Club sends a letter to club makers, stating that extra distance is not in the best interests of the game and proposes the establishing of a testing procedure for drivers by Oct. 1 to measure the spring-like effect.
What it means: When the USGA announced its proposed test for spring-like effect at a highly charged press conference at the 1998 U.S. Open, it did so without first consulting the Royal and Ancient.
And the R&A; people were not happy about that. Since then, there has been some pressure on the R&A; to come up with its own test, which it has now moved toward.
The R&A; plan is to test the thickness of the “walls” of the driver--not just on the face, but also on the sole and the crown--to determine if the material is too thin and thereby produces more distance.
Unlike the USGA, the R&A; is asking for club makers’ input, which the manufacturers are interpreting as a good sign.
Plus, the Oct. 1 deadline and the fact that the R&A; permits the new Callaway ERC driver mean the forged titanium club will be permitted at the British Open in July, and perhaps for much longer than that, depending on the testing date.
News item 2: Callaway sues the Royal Canadian Golf Assn. after the RCGA lists the ERC driver on its nonconforming list for its sanctioned events.
What it means: Callaway officials said they were arbitrarily shut out, that they were not consulted and that the action may have been taken without testing or even seeing the driver.
Whereas the USGA listed the 11-degree loft ERC as noncomforming for USGA events, the RCGA banned the entire array of Callaway ERC drivers, which have lofts from seven degrees to 12.
Callaway isn’t unhappy with the USGA nonconforming ruling since the club maker has no plans to market the driver in the United States. The USGA sanctions events in the U.S. and Mexico.
News item 3: The USGA hires Dick Rugge to oversee all aspects of equipment testing.
What it means: Rugge is the former vice president of product creation at Taylor Made-Adidas, the only club maker to applaud the USGA’s controversial testing plan in 1998.
Club makers are skeptical about a pro-testing advocate from their own ranks acting as a liaison to manufacturers who have opposed the USGA’s position from the start.
GOLF 101
How to score: Tiger Woods, who shot a three-over 73 at the Byron Nelson in his first tournament since the Masters, is 75 under on the 111 par-five holes he has played this year.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Woods, at his youth clinic in Oklahoma City, after an 8-year-old took a swing and almost hit a photographer with a golf ball: “I’ve been trying to do that for years.”
EYE OPENER
Pete Dye, when asked what makes the Simi Valley site special at the Los Canyons Golf Club he designed: “Well, you must be blind.”
MORE PETE
Dye again, when asked if he is bothered by criticism that his courses are tough and somewhat unfair: “I think that golf courses should be unfair and very difficult.”
VAN DE FUMING
Who was the most upset when European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance named last year’s captain, Mark James, as his assistant?
That would be Jean Van de Velde, who along with Jarmo Sandelin and Andrew Coltart, was kept on the bench by James until the last day’s singles matches.
Said Van de Velde, “Don’t expect me to be pleased.”
THAT’S SEVE
Proving once again that he is one of the most entertaining players around, Seve Ballesteros shot a 16-over 87 Thursday in the first round of the Benson and Hedges International at the Belfry.
That’s Seve, the same guy who last week at the French Open hooked his tee shot about 100 yards off-line over a lake and onto another fairway.
But from there, Ballesteros hit a nine-iron to six feet and sank the putt for a birdie on his way to making his first cut this year.
WANT SOME NEW STUFF?
Dot.com note of the week: For those who have almost everything, a limited edition of 15 sets of Chipshot.com Tour Series clubs, just like the ones Nick Price uses, are available--but only at chipshot.com. The tab? It’s $2,500 a set.
There may be a higher price to pay--for chipshot.com, anyway. Nike filed suit Thursday in Oregon District Court, claiming the on-line retailer is illegally using Price’s name and likeness to endorse or promote apparel and footwear when Nike already has that deal with Price.
Price is wearing something other than Nike clothing and shoes in the on-line ads for the Chipshot.com irons.
Stay tuned.
WANT SOME OLD STUFF?
For what it’s worth--and it probably will turn out to be plenty--Mastro Fine Sports Auctions of Chicago is auctioning off a set of clubs and a bag used by Michael Jordan. Minimum opening bid: $10,000.
MARK O’MONEY
Why is Mark O’Meara skipping the Byron Nelson for the first time since 1987 so he can play in the Macau Open?
He likes Hong Kong? He likes those brightly colored birds? He got on the wrong plane?
Actually there’s a logical reason: an appearance fee believed to be $250,000.
By the way, total prize money at the Macau Open is $200,000.
GOOD TO BE BRUCE
In case you need to be reminded just how much fun the Senior PGA Tour is, consider this: Bruce Fleisher’s victory last week at the Home Depot was his 10th in less than two years. He won once in his PGA Tour career.
WEBB UPDATE
If you’re keeping score at home, Karrie Webb has six consecutive top-10 finishes this year--four of them victories--and another top 10 at the LPGA’s Electrolux USA Championship in Franklin, Tenn., would put her halfway to Pat Bradley’s record of 14 in a row.
HOW TO BE A NUT
Nobby Orens, 62, of Encino has been named the Golf Nut of the Year by the Golf Nuts Society. Orens, who owns a travel company, is a 16-handicapper.
Last year, Orens played 134 rounds on 36 courses in 27 cities, five states, six countries and two continents. One day, he played 18 holes at Stockley Park Golf Course in London beginning at 4:58 a.m., flew to New York and played 18 holes at Clearview Golf Course, then flew here and played 18 more at Braemar Country Club, finishing at 5 p.m.
YES, GOLF PAYS
Remember when a million dollars meant something? The promoters of the Million Dollar Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, do and that’s why they are doubling the winner’s check to
$2 million.
Tournament organizers of the 19-year-old event--now the Nedbank Golf Challenge--said there were so many others featuring $1-million winner’s shares that it had trouble attracting top players.
BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS
Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Smokey Robinson and Johnnie Cochran are among the celebrities who will play in the American Diabetes Assn.’s African American chapter tournament Monday at Cypress Golf Club in Los Alamitos. Details: (323) 966-2890, Ext. 334.
Del Harris, Kermit Alexander, Sammy Lee, LeRoy Irvin, Willie Banks, Ellis Valentine and Harland Svare are among the celebrities who will play in the Rancho Family YMCA celebrity tournament May 22 at Escondido Country Club. Details: (760) 632-7770.
The Toshiba Senior Classic raised $1,001,000 for charity, becoming the first Senior PGA Tour event to donate at least
$1 million in one year.
The second Stu Pike-Tak Kobayashi Memorial tournament will be played June 30 at Montebello Country Club. The event benefits Montebello High’s football program. Details: (562) 696-9896.
The Inland Empire Open on the buy.com Tour has new dates: Oct. 12-15, at Empire Lakes in Rancho Cucamonga. The $400,000 event, which had been scheduled for two weeks earlier, is the last tournament on the tour schedule.
The American Junior Golf Assn.’s Dockers-Golf Design Junior Classic will be played July 24-27 at La Purisima in Lompoc.
An American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles tournament will be played June 19 at Valencia Country Club. Details: (213) 739-5267.
The Australian Ladies Masters agreed to a three-year deal with Internet company Virtual World of Sports for naming rights.
The LPGA event is now the VWOS Ladies Masters. You’ll just have to know it’s in Australia.