Ryder Cup Defined: Unravelling the Language

For those of you who agree with Mark Twain that 'Golf is a good walk spoiled' you may want to look away now. The Ryder cup is back in the British Isles.

Four years ago my late father was recovering from aa round of radiotherapy when the even came to Ireland for the first time, this year it is in Wales. But there are some strange terminoligies that get used in this biennial event so here is a quick glossary.

Fourballs: As the name suggests the players go out in two teams of pairs playing a ball each. The lowest score for each pair counts for that team, if it is lower than the opposition they gain the hole. If they are equal the hole is tied. (in Ryder Cup there are 2 Fourball round with 4 teams in each)

Foursomes: Again is played in pairs but they only have one ball between them with the same scoring system (in Ryder Cup there are 2 Foursome round with 4 teams in each)

Singles: As the name suggests in man against man. This is the final set of matches on Sunday and will be the only round to feature all twelve players from both teams on the course at the same time. It is also possible for a player not to have taken part in any of the Fourballs or Foursomes to make their only appearance in the Singles.

Gimme: An opponent lifts your ball meaning that you have the next shot taken for granted to hole out and added to your score for the hole without having to play it.

Dormie: A player or team is the same number of holes ahead as there are holes left to play. Any tied hole or won hole by them ensures they win the match.

Scoring: While on the course this is indicated by the leading team being up. Winning a hole no matter by how many shots only counts as one. The final score in a match will be indicated as either:

A & B (Where A is the number of shots ahead and B is the number of holes that did not need to be played)

1 or 2 shots (this only happens if the game gets to the last green (18th in Ryder Cup) obviously a single shot lead and winning the last hole is the only way to win by a score of 2 shots)

Halved (indicates that both teams have won an equal number of hole over the match in Ryder cup this adds ½ to the score of both teams)

Scoring is 1 point for a win or ½ for a tie.

I'm sure there are probably more, but these are the essentials, enjoy the weekend.

Grouchy Demons, Selfish Tiger

Why oh, why has Tiger Woods chosen this Friday to break his long silence, since November, to make a public announcement? Indeed why has he chosen a Friday at all?

Thursday through to Sunday are the competition days in a golfer's life, Woods may have forgotten this is his short absence from the game, or maybe not. As Ernie Els has said:

"It's selfish. This takes a lot away from the tournament.

"I feel sorry for the sponsor. Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday."

Just who is the sponsor of this week's match play event in Arizona? Well it is Accenture who until last November were a sponsor of one T. Woods of Orlando, Florida.

Brit Oliver Wilson joins the condemnation of Woods' timing:

"It just seems very poor from everyone involved to have it organised. You have a brilliant event here and the sponsors are owed more to that.

"And for the Tour to be setting up on their own headquarters, I don't think it's very good."

Sergio Garcia who is also taking part in Arizona added:

"The timing of it is not the best, but he has to do what's best for him, I guess."

So I guess all the world's a stage but the spotlight will be on US PGA Tour at the Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra, Florida and not at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Swiss Currently Have No Time for Tiger

As a former horologist the latest sponsor to drop from the time being the imagery of Tiger Wood with their products is an interesting one.

The Swiss Watch manufacturer Tag Heuer used to run this advert of Tiger with the slogan "What are you made of?". I guess recent events means that such a slogan attached to the golfer is not the best image.

Gillette have already 'cut' back on their use of Tiger. Their slogans which featured him included "The Best a man can get" and "Go ahead. Make yourself more comfortable". Both while advertising the razor that is the only make that touches my face are pretty good, but the double entendre of recent events make both of these a little out of kilter.

Accenture are another company that have scaled back on the Tiger brand. Their Tiger featuring slogans included "To accomplish more, sometimes you need to see less".

All three are currently only announcing a reigning back in their connection to the World Number One golfer, but this may well be only the tip of the iceberg as far as Tiger is concerned. Instead of being what Accenture wanted their customers to be (a Tiger), maybe Tiger is going to have to go back to them a little bit sheepish.

It's Friday....So......(Tiger Woods Special)

Hurrah. Yeah it is that time on a Friday to down tools and enjoy your weekend. As has become a regular feature in recent weeks I'm going to help those of you with hair to let it down, for the rest of you like me who are hirsuitely challenged at least I hope to bring a smile to you face.


First off here is that nice family picture from the front of a Christmas card from a nice family living in suburban Orlando, Florida.




Some used to think he could walk on water.



However, what really went on last weekend. I just guess it was said in better English than this, but hey it is fun (parental advisory on the language score).

Trump Gains Right to Stabilise Nature

The European Policy for Coastal Dunes states:

"Management towards dynamic dunes should be promoted. A dynamic dune system is more resistant to erosion processes, is cheaper to maintain, has higher natural values and is more sustainable than fixated dunes."

Later today however work begins to stabilise part of the fifth largest dune system in the UK (pictured) after a decision by the Formantine area committee to give the green light to work to go ahead to stabilise them. When Donald Trump first saw the Menie Estate he thought:

"As soon as I saw it there was no question about it. I looked at 211 fantastic sites all over Europe, but here it is - the dune size and the ocean front. There is no piece of land that I have ever seen that is comparable to this."

Sadly soon not even Balmedie will be comparable with what he first saw. The prime example of a dynamic dune system cited after the above quote from EU policy is the Slowinski National Park in Poland (pictured right) which has had a dynamic dune system for thousands of years.

The Balmedie Dune system stretches for 14 miles and Trump's golf complex along 2.5 miles of that length will seriously affect the eco systems of the other, by removing the dynamacism of the dune system. It may even led to serious erosion and dame to the system in other locales. While the EU is aware of the need to protect dunes, the fact that from today work will start to lead to the loss of one of the few remaining dynamic dune systems in the EU is a sad day.

Golf Week Says Trump Not Playing the Game

There is an article in this week's Golf Week (hattip to Two Doctors) which remonstrates Trump's two headed move into Scottish golf.

First they are very strong about the recent decision of Aberdeenshire Council not ruling out compulsory nature. While there is nothing in the Royal and Ancient's Rules of Golf condemning it Golf Week says:

"The prospect of four families being turned out of their homes for the sake of a golf course does not bear thinking about. I’m sure whole villages have been shifted in other parts of the world to make room for golf courses, but we’re supposed to be civilized over here. Imagine what the families feel like not knowing if they are going to continue living in their own home."

Yes we are supposed to be civilised. The Rules of Golf rely on the competitor marking his own score card. Being honest about a muffed hit if it contacts the ball etc. the rules are very much gentlemanly. Trump may swing a club, but is he really playing the game in his approach to his Menie estate project.

Trump and his lawyers will be saying that they are scanning the full essence of the law, others will argue otherwise, however let's assume for a moment that they are. That may be the case but surely there is some room for the spirit of the laws and fair play as all golfers will tell you is as much part of the game as words in the little book in their bag.

But Trump will argue his he the saviour of the Aberdeenshire economy. This appears to be a line that many on Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Executive are taking as a written. Alistair Tait in Golf Week is prepared to stand up to the entrepreneur, better than many of his 'apprentices' and say that isn't necessarily so. He points to other Golf Leisure resorts including Open venue Turnberry where a recent £85 million investment from Leisurecorp is going to take a long time to recoup.

He goes on to say why an upstart should get going any better than an historic course like Turnberry, especially as the property developers mantra of location, location, location is somewhat against it. Turnberry down in Ayrshire has a longer season than Aberdeen, and longer late autumnal days as well.

But there are other financial reasons that Trump is facing, there are already a number of high-end golf resorts in Scotland. Many courses where you can spend £150 to play 18 holes, when they are many gems that are a lot cheaper to indulge in.

But then it goes on to the battle Trump has entered into at the home of golf St. Andrew's to try and acquire the old university residence of Hamilton 'Hammy' Hall. Townsfolk there are already upset that preferential tee times are being given to the wealthy patron of the Old Course Hotel and fear that the acquisition by Trump or Herb Kohler who owns the Old Course Hotel. However, there is a local hope in a consortium fronted by Richard Wax. The former course designer is concerned that another part of St. Andrews heritage would fall into the hands of only the wealthy elite, severing further the ancient message of accessibility for all. He says:

"The town’s core message is 'golf for all' but increasingly 'Private/Keep Out' signals are being generated to the detriment of the image of the town"

"Our project is conceived to regenerate the economic life of St. Andrews and Fife. It would bring quality business into town on a year-round basis for the benefit of hotels, bed and breakfasts and the commercial activity across the board."

We've yet to see how this second front of wealth seeping into golf turns out. But the fact that a top golfing publication is challenging the Trump project may well make the entrepreneur shank his opening drive out on the tee box this morning.

Glorious Sunday for British Sport

It was quite a magnificent Sunday of British sport yesterday. It all started in Sepang Malaysia where Jenson Button after a poor start from pole battled up through the field from fourth and put in a couple of 'storming' laps after his nearest rivals had pitted for that first change of tires to come out well up the track.



However, when the rain came down Timo Glock made the audacious and in the end correct decision to go out on intermediate tyres while the rest of the field put on full wets and start to gain 6 seconds a lap. By the time they pulled Button in for Intermediates as well Glock was passing him as he sat in the pit lane.



Then just after all the field had changed to the Intermediates and Button had just regained P1 Glock dove back into the pits to start the move unto full wets first again to go to what was to prove to be the right tyre. When Jenson followed suit he had again to overtake the German but the race had become a power boat race by lap 32 and was red flagged. The drivers sitting on the grid in a thunderstorm waiting to see if they would restart. So it was that Jenson Button won his second Grand Prix of the season while sat on the grid under a brolly, he only needed a bowler hat instead of his helmet to make the British image complete.



Later in the day over in Miami rain wasn't going to be Andy Murray's worry. Storming to a 4-0 lead in the first set of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami against the man whose position in the rankings he is chasing down, Novak Djokovic, he eased to a 6-2 first set. And then at 1-0, a break up, in the first set he watched his opponent call for the trainer, it seemed to unsettle the Scot as he lost the next 5 games on the trot. But then found the flow of the first set to take six in succession to take the title dubbed the 'fifth grand slam' 6-2, 7-5. In doing so he equalled Tim Henman's career titles at an age when Henman only dreamed of being that good. He also now with three wins this season is the most successful champion on the mans tour as we head into the clay season.



The day was rounded up by Paul Casey over in Houston, where he didn't have a problem despite dropping his one shot led on the eighteenth and bogeying the play-off hole. It was still enough to secure him the Houston Open, his first win on the US Tour where he now plies his trade. An ideal built up to the US Masters later this month at Augusta.

RBS Cut's Back Sports Sponsorship

A few weeks ago, before the whole debacle over their bonuses, the Royal Bank of Scotland had extended their sponsorship of the RBS Six Nations to 2013. After the fall out from that today's news that they are to scale back their sponsorship substantially.

What it entails is the end of their sponsorship of the Williams Formula 1 team when the current contract expires in 2010. Also a reduction of the contribution to their sports ambassadors including Andy Murray, Zara Philips and Jack Nicholas as well as other lesser deals. The net effect is a 50% reduction of their tens of millions in sponsorship.

Dr Andrew McLaughlin, RBS group director said:

"We recognise that we are now operating in a very different economic
environment and have been reviewing all of our activities since
October.

"It is imperative that we respond to the reality of the situation we face
and that we do so in an orderly way that respects the commercial agreements we
have in place and the implications for our partners and the jobs they support."

As a sportsman in my past I well recognise the benefits that sponsorship can bring to events and individuals. But as an Economics graduate I also realise that investment in sponsorship does not have a direct impact on the money making potential of a company and when times get tough will be seen as needless luxury that is hard to justify. Therefore RBS are making a sound business decision for themselves. Those they have sponsored will have to get on the treadmill and find out if anyone(s) else will take up the slack and the hole left in their budgeting.

Although Williams will have to replace their £10m per annum deal Sir Jackie Stewart is beleived to he holding out for his £4m deal, unlike Andy Murray who is happy to renegotiate his deal.

If Only the Economy Were a Game of Golf

image from The Times

Well there have long been concerns about the black holes in the SNP's budget, especially as their leader is an Economics graduate from St. Andrews. Well we now know why that isn't such a good recommendation as yesterday the First Minister himself said, "I was a student here at St. Andrews. I spent a great deal more time studying golf than economics."

Well that may have been £40 over 4 years idly spent but what does it mean for our economy. If like the Old Course we'll be constantly buffeted by the wind and go from bunker to bunker (as my mother says the best way to see a golf course) before facing a tough putt over an uneven surface to hole out we'd be fine; or so it would seem. However, the First Minster plays off 18 so we have to handicap him a shot per hole, which may be fine in golf but not advisable in economics where there are no gimmes.

One does however wonder what the Nats handicap would be in Economics as they seem to want to play on a different course than that set out by the tournament committee. Instead of playing on the old course they seem to want to play on Jubilee or maybe even are trying to play on the Castle Course before it is ready and cleared for play.