VOLUME 1, NUMBER 136

Web Street Golf Daily Pulse

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 136

Wednesday July 14, 2010

ANY IDEA WHO SAID THIS? “I have an overall philosophy and belief that we on Tour should make the hard holes harder and the easy holes easier. I like it when we make the challenging holes more challenging.”

ST. ANDREWS FACT: In 1764, the Old Course consisted of 22 holes, 11 out and 11 back, with golfers playing to the same hole going out and in, except for the 11th and 22nd holes. The golfers decided that the first four holes, and therefore also the last four holes, were too short and that they should be made into two holes instead of four. This reduced the number of holes in the round from 22 to 18, and that is how today’s standard round of golf was created.

In the 1850s, as golf started to become more popular at St Andrews in the middle 19th century, the course became increasingly crowded. The result was that golfers playing out began to meet golfers playing in, at the same hole. Not surprisingly, this led to difficulties and disputes. To solve the problem, the decision was made to cut two holes on each green, with white flags for the outward holes and red flags for the inward holes. This was the origin of the famous double greens.

WHAT THEY’VE SAID: “It will always be the greatest because nowhere else is there the turf that you have here.” Peter Thomson

NOTHING TO GET EXCITED OVER: Tiger Woods caused a stir when he revealed yesterday his plans to go with a different putter in advance of the Open Championship. His closest rival, Phil Mickelson, doesn’t think its that big of deal. “As far as changing putters, I change all the time. I have 25 different putters of the same model,” he admitted. “I have two models that I switch back and forth from, and I don't anticipate really adding a third. But I'm always changing, it might be loft, might be the grip, might be the length, might be the lie, all these little things. But the model itself, I have two models that I've stayed pretty constant with the last six or eight years.”

HOW’S A BIZ? Even those who many would have thought were untouchable even by the economy are feeling its effects. Case in point, the world’s #1 player acknowledged his first course design is going slower than expected.

“Our Dubai project is on slow-down right now,” said Woods. “We've got I think six holes grassed and working on the others as of right now.” Despite the time it’s taking to complete his first project, he said there is still demand for his services. “We've had numerous opportunities to do things around the world, and we're still exploring that. Right now it's -- granted, the economy is tough around the world, but we're still getting quite a few opportunities, and we're looking for the right fit.”

DESIGNATED DRIVER: Tom Watson’s love affair with the bonnie banks of Scotland has been well documented. Old Tom, as he might be known by some nowadays, was spotted having a cold one with the locals in the grey auld toon earlier this week. However, he or perhaps his generation is the exception to that rule when it comes to imbibing in the nightlife. “I have nothing against having a pint, I just don't care for the taste. I haven't had a beer since college,” said Phil Mickelson. “It's not my thing. But I like to go out and hear the stories. The problem is as people have more and more pints, I can't understand them, so I find that like 7:00 to 8:30 is like my optimum time to grab -- I usually grab a soda or something.”

ROOM TO SPARE? The Open Championship is the equivalent of an economic stimulus package for some in the town of St. Andrews. With 260,000 to 280,000 visitors expected to descend on the town for the 150th Open that starts Thursday, the three main streets and surrounding estates are struggling to accommodate everyone. READ MORE>>>

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: The BBC has agreed to another five years with the R&A for the broadcast rights for the Open Championship. The new deal extends BBC Sport’s current contract as exclusive live television broadcaster, and also covers radio, online, interactive and iPlayer. This year’s event will be the first ever to be broadcast in High Definition (HD).

The R&A have donated the Open Champions Challenge prize fund of £50,000 to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.  The prize was due to be awarded to the winning team in the Champions Challenge but the event was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

Last night, at the Champions Dinner, the Past Champions who were due to compete in today’s event agreed that the winning team would award the prize money to Seve’s charity.  The R&A had made the sum available for the team of Champions that won the Challenge to give to a charity of their choice.

The Foundation aims to channel funds into ongoing research, particularly into brain cancer, the condition with which Ballesteros was diagnosed in October 2008.  It also aims to support young golfers with limited economic resources to develop their career in the game.

HOW’S THE WEATHER LOOK? Associated Press golf writer, Doug Ferguson tweeted: “If the forecast if right, Tiger and the early-late players get the best end of the draw. Forecast? Scotland? That's a big if.”

WEB GEMS:

THAT’S RACIN’: "Look at the U.S. Open last month at Pebble Beach," he said. "It was like a NASCAR race that had a wreck in the final lap. Everything, smoke and oil -- it was a mess. Then all of a sudden here comes the car that kind of winds its way through that, and bingo, Graeme (McDowell) comes through as the winner. That's the type of pressure people are under in a major championship and that's what causes those types of wrecks." The Open Championship offers the element so weather into the mix as well. "The beautiful thing about playing golf over here is the weather so dictates the scores and I can assure you when the weather gets bad and the wind gets blowing those wrecks are going to happen with frequency." READ MORE>>>

IGNORANCE IS BLISS: Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa feels he is now far better equipped to compete in the majors after wilting under pressure in the US Open last month. READ MORE>>>

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW: Justin Rose is arguably the world's hottest golfer but he insists that will count for little around St Andrews this week. “I really don't feel necessarily that all those good weeks are going to help me all that much. Thursday is about a new challenge, a new week, a new golf course.” READ MORE>>>

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ANSWER: Phil Mickelson, who also said he was in favor of the changes made to the Road Hole, 17th on the Old Course.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IS BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, BUT IT IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE OPINION EXPRESSED IS THAT OF TERRY MCANDREW AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION TO BUY OR SELL SECURITIES IN ANY OF THE COMPANIES DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS NEWSLETTER. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER MAY NOT BE REPRINTED OR REBROADCAST WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMAC GOLF