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Fleischer Hired to Help Tiger Strategize Return

by Annie Latham on March 12, 2010 in News with No comments

Seems like the New York Post has the inside scoop on Tiger’s return to golf.

A story posted on Thursday and referenced by other media organizations, stated “Ari Fleischer, the former presidential advisor to George W. Bush and the man who was brought in to help repair the steroid-shattered image of Mark McGwire, has been huddling with Woods, plotting a strategy for his return to golf — at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25 at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fl.”  The sources were two people from “the golf community.”

The date of the return is encouraging.  His choice of advisor isn’t.

The man who claims on his website to be able to “help you handle the bad news and take advantage of the good” which includes sharpening messages and improving images,” did not exactly hit it out of the ballpark with McGuire.

Ari FleischerIn the San Francisco Chronicle, John Shea wrote a story talking about how McGwire’s admission became a denial.  He called out Fleischer, saying:

How could a former White House press secretary not see it coming? How could he miss on prepping McGwire on the benefits of steroids? Having worked under President George W. Bush, he should have known to cover all the basics. Like, what if someone, say Bob Costas, asks McGwire if he would have hit all those home runs without juicing.

When McGwire said “absolutely,” it reminded everyone he hit home runs as far back as Little League and legion ball, and talked about his “gift (from) the man upstairs,” his admission suddenly became a denial. McGwire wasn’t apologizing as much as justifying.”

In commenting on today’s news, Gene Wojciechowski, the senior national columnist for ESPN.com remarked,

“The best Tiger Woods could do is hire the guy who orchestrated Mark McGwire’s bungled re-entry into baseball? The guy who shills for the galactically stupid and indefensible BCS? The guy who counseled the Green Bay Packers on how to deal with their Brett Favre divorce proceedings?”

“Woods doesn’t need to be managed, especially by someone who appears to think the BCS is a brilliant idea. He doesn’t require advice from the same person who signed off on McGwire’s delusional steroids-didn’t-help-me-hit-home-runs explanation.”

Looks like the crisis/reputation management guy needs a crisis/reputation manager.

Circling back to the alleged return to golf, Bay Hill is a short drive from Tiger’s home and he has been a six-time winner on that course (including being the defending champion).

Crenshaw and Coore Tapped to Restore Strategic and Aesthetic Character at Pinehurst No. 2

by James on March 11, 2010 in News, Courses with No comments

Pinehurst No. 2

Looks like the design team of Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore have been hired to do some restoration work on the classic Donald Ross design at Pinehurst No. 2. The work is being commissioned with the 2014 US Open and US Women’s Open in mind. The two major events will hit No. 2 in consecutive weeks, four years from now. Time to make the changes, and in a few years, all will be ready for the big events!

The goal of the course changes will revolve around restoring the strategic and aesthetic feel that Donald Ross so aptly built into the original design. That being said, Coore commented on the task at hand:

‘It is not our intent to radically change this golf course. We’re trying to uncover it, not recover it.’

Sounds like Coore knows what he’s talking about. Taking a dozer to a classic like Pinehurst No. 2 would be tragic. Revealing and slowly chipping away at some of the finer details would be clearly the way to go. Look for Coore and Crenshaw to restore sandy waste areas, widen some of the fairways, and bring some of the native wiregrass and natural bunker edges. I can already see it now. No. 2 is going to look great.

[Via: GolfWeek]

Puma Acquires Cobra, Acushnet to Focus on Titleist and FootJoy Brands

by James on March 10, 2010 in News, Cobra with 1 Comment

Now this is big news. The latest out of GolfWeek has the Cobra brand (owned and run by the Acushnet Co.) sold off to the rising stars at Puma AG. Of course, no terms of the deal have been disclosed as of yet, but this could be a great win/win for both sides. Let me explain why.

Ricky Fowler in Puma GearPuma has been making strides in the last year or so, making more and more of an effort to penetrate the North American golf market. Chances are you’ve seen the young gun Ricky Fowler out on the course in his colorful gear. Well, you guessed it, Fowler has an apparel deal with Puma, and I have a feeling more deals are to come.

For the Acushnet Company, the deal will allow them to focus on their core competencies, or in this case, their core offerings from Titleist and FootJoy. Wally Uihlein, chairman and CEO of Acushnet commented on the deal:

“With the sale of Cobra, we have the opportunity to devote all of our resources to the global growth of (the two brands).”

So there you have it. Cobra is sold off to Puma, and Acushnet is now focusing their efforts 100% behind the FootJoy and Titleist brands. Sounds like a winning formula on both sides. I wonder how long it will take until we see Ricky Fowler hitting some Cobra blades? Oh, and I just thought of this… David Feherty is always out and about promoting Cobra gear. Maybe he’ll be a key face for their marketing efforts in North America (and around the world)? And what about Ian Poulter? So many marketable Cobra staffers are on-board. Big things are surely on the horizon for Puma!

We’re Pantsing John Daly: LOUDMOUTH Pants Contest Winner!

by James on March 7, 2010 in Contests, Style & Fashion with No comments

We have a winner! Earlier this morning at just past midnight, I randomly made the selection for our ‘We’re Pantsing John Daly‘ LOUDMOUTH contest winner… and the winner is…. LISA HORNE!

Congratulations to Lisa! We have already reached out to her to sort out the details. Lisa has won a pair of LOUDMOUTH pants, courtesy of GolfCrunch.com. She can feel free to browse and pick any pair she likes, and we’ll arrange to have them shipped right to her front door 🙂

Regarding the other portion of our contest, I’ve spoken (well, actually ‘Tweeted’) with John Daly, and he has agreed to wear the Shagadelic-Black pants on Thursday’s round in Puerto Rico. As a close runner up (based on your comments/votes), the Margarita pants almost made the cut. I mentioned to John that if he wanted to wear another pair for us on Friday, the Margarita’s would be the ones to wear 🙂

The top 3 LOUDMOUTH pants based on your votes were the following:

  1. Shagadelic Black
  2. Margarita
  3. Evel Jeans
LOUDMOUTH Pants

The Top 3 (L-R): Shagadelic Black, Margarita and Evel Jeans

Keep an eye out for John on the course this upcoming Thursday and Friday at the Puerto Rico Open. Based on YOUR votes, he’ll be wearing the pants of your choosing. Fun stuff, for sure… I hope you all enjoyed the contest!

A big THANK YOU to all that entered, and stay tuned for more fun and awesome golf giveaways here at GolfCrunch. We’re just getting started in this overwhelmingly HUGE golf blogosphere, but we’re nowhere near done yet. Lots of great stuff to come 🙂

Note: For more information on LOUDMOUTH, check out their official website.

Help Beatriz Recari Make the Mojo 6

by James on March 4, 2010 in News, Contests, Players with No comments

OK GolfCrunchers (or is it GolfCrunchies?), it’s time to do good by doing good again. The other day I was contacted by up-and-coming LPGA player Beatriz Recari, asking for a little help. Turns out she needs ALL of our help, which is ultimately the reason for this post. The deal? She’s trying to get as many votes as she can to qualify for the last spot in the Mojo 6.

What is the Mojo 6?

In a nutshell, it’s an event being held in Jamaica in which a field of 16 women golfers will battle it out for a cool $1,000,000. 15 of the 16 spots are already filled, and the last slot comes down to fan voting.

So how do you vote? Head on over to the Mojo 6 site, click ‘vote for me’ and enter your email address. I believe only one entry is allowed per day, so come back each day to cast your vote for Beatriz or any of the other players!

For more information follow Beatriz on Twitter @BeatrizRecari, hit up her Facebook Page, or visit her official site at BeatrizRecari.com.

Good luck, Beatriz!

Beatriz Recari

Harbour Town Searching for Sponsor… Could Woods Be the Key?

by James on March 3, 2010 in News, Courses, Players with No comments

This is a shame…and a situation that I sincerely hope works out for the best!

News out of Hilton Head South Carolina notes that while there will be a Heritage Classic in 2011, the event may run without a title sponsor. Tournament director Steve Wilmot has commented that enough funds have been saved to run the event in 2011, and 2012 is looking doubtful at best. Last fall Verizon announced it would end sponsorship of the event, which it had been sponsoring since 1987 (when they were known as MCI). In a nutshell, a new title sponsor is needed!

If Wilmot fails to secure sponsorship, the 2012 event at the Harbour Town Golf Links could be a non-starter. Which, as I said a moment ago would be a huge shame. Harbour Town is an iconic track, with it’s small greens, wood-planked bunker faces and hazards, and of course, who could forget the harbour with the red and white lighthouse overlooking the 18th. What a track.

In my humble opinion a huge part of securing sponsorship could sit with Tiger Woods, should he choose to step up. While ratings are way down with the absence of Woods on the tour, if he were to commit to the Heritage Classic… I highly suspect title sponsors would line up to throw down their money. Forget all the troubles he’s had over the past little while. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s the #1 player in the world, and the #1 draw on tour. Just sayin’.

Your thoughts?

[Via: TheGolfChannel]

Buy a Set of Wilson Staff Di9 Irons, Walk Augusta This April

by James on March 1, 2010 in Contests, Golf Equipment, Irons with No comments
Wilson Staff Di9 Irons

Wilson Golf has started up a new contest that will intrigue anyone that has a bag full of Wilson gear. The deal? To start, you’ll need to pick up a set of Di9 irons. Once the sticks are in your bag, you can enter to win the following:

  • Roundtrip airfare for 2
  • 2 days/1 night local accommodations
  • 2 weekend golf tournament passes
  • Food and beverage
  • Exclusive Wilson Staff VIP Gifts

The contest is open to all in the US and Canada. For more details, head on over to Wilson.com.

Key specs on the Wilson Di9 Irons:

Powerful Head Design
The club head offers a low profile and wide sole that inspires confidence at address. A lower center of gravity produces higher ball flight, while the wide sole moves weight away from the face for greater stability.

Wilson Di9 IronsHot Face
A thin, ultra-hot face delivers a competitive ball speed advantage for greater distance.

Patented Wide-Tip Shaft
The latest evolution of Wilson’s patented wide-tip technology is the softest ever produced. While the wide tip controls twisting on off-center hits, the lightweight shafts from True-Temper and UST reduce overall weight for maximum clubhead speed.

Vibration Dampening
A vibration-dampening urethane medallion expands the sweet spot the entire length of the face. It also serves as a shock trap that reduces vibration that travels through the hosel and into the hands.

Note: I’ve got to say, the Wilson Di9’s are a sharp looking club. Although I prefer the look and feel of blades in my bag, the Di9 has a half-cavity look, which no doubt combines the forgiveness of a full-cavity and the shot-shaping and ‘feel’ of a full-out blade.

A few more images of the Di9’s are below for your viewing pleasure.

Wilson Di9 Iron Breakaway Look

Wilson Staff Di9 Irons

Former PGA Tour Caddie Greg ‘Boats’ Rita Dies

by James on March 1, 2010 in News with No comments

An unfortunate and sad bit of news to pass along today. Former PGA Tour Caddie Greg ‘Boats’ Rita passed away at 9PM on Saturday, February 27th. Back in 2007, Rita was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Ever since the diagnosis he battled like a true champion.

During his career on the PGA Tour, Greg caddied back-to-back US Open wins for Curtis Strange, won an Open Championship with John Daly, and also had what it took to caddy for David Duval and Mark O’Meara.

He will be sadly missed. May he rest in peace.

Deepest condolences and sympathies to his family and friends from the team at GolfCrunch.

Gatorade Gives Tiger Woods the Boot

by James on February 27, 2010 in News, Players with No comments

So, it’s official. Gatorade has ended all endorsement deals with Tiger Woods. I’m sure none of you see this as a surprise. Gatorade discontinued the Tiger Woods branded drinks way back in November, long before any of the recent ‘issues’ arrived on the public scene. The formal announcement solidifies what we already knew was coming.

The Gatorade deal is just the latest major sponsor to drop Woods over the past little while. AT&T and Accenture have already given Eldrick the heave-ho.

A Gatorade spokeswoman commented on the developments:

“We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship…We wish him all the best.”

The good news here (if there is any), is that Gatorade is standing by their commitment and relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation. Good on ’em. The Foundation does a lot of good work, and taking sponsorship monies away from such a good cause would be a huge gaffe … at least in my opinion.

There’s no doubt that Gatorade wishes Woods the best, as he’s made them a lot of money… and vice versa. Still, one has to wonder if Woods will ever regain sponsorship contracts like this one in the future. If he can get his personal life back in order, and get his golf game up to the level we’re used to seeing, maybe Gatorade will give him another look, sign him, and release a new beverage:

Redemption.

[Via: PGATour]

I MISS the Old David Duval, But I LIKE The New One Much More

by James on February 25, 2010 in News, Players with No comments

Yeah, you heard me. I miss the old David Duval. The one that won 12 PGA titles and 1 major championship (2001 British Open). The thing is, while I MISS the old David Duval I LIKE the NEW David Duval much more.

Sure, he’s not winning like he used to, heck, is just trying as hard as he can to stick around on tour. But he seems grounded, humbled and most importantly you can really tell that beneath it all he’s always been a nice guy. When David was #1 in the world he was stoic, a rock of confidence that didn’t shed an ounce of emotion. That was his thing. He internalized and kept everything in-check to play his best.

After his fall from grace things have changed. If you watch him out on the course now you can almost ‘feel’ his effort. His desire to win. His emotions oozing out of him and his absolute desire to get back the game he lost.

Don’t get me wrong, I think David knows if he can’t work his way back to the game that put him on top of the world, the game that garnered a British Open title and even an amazing 59… He’ll be OK with it. Maybe that’s another thing I appreciate about the guy these days too. There seems to be that inner peace about him. And that’s why I’m pulling for him so much. The former #1 is now the underdog. He’s trailing by 4 with 9 holes to go. Can he do it? I don’t know, but I’m pulling for him.

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