TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - BEACH RACING AT CAP CANA

—AP PHOTO

One of my favourite stretches of sand in the Caribbean, Juanillo Beach at Cap Cana resort in the Dominican Republic, was used for a little drag racing on Tuesday. While 200,000 were on hand in the capital of Santo Domingo to watch the Red Bull Racing team run on asphalt on Sunday, the next day the Red Bull car reached over 180 kilometers per hour on sand on Juanillo Beach Cap Cana, a feat never seen before in the sport.

The driver was Jaime Alguersuari, the youngest F1 pilot. “I am very happy and excited,” said the 20-year-old Spaniard minutes after racing down 400 metres of the beach coast.

He didn’t mention whether he ran over any beach loungers along the way.

 BURIED ELEPHANT - LUNCH AT ST. GEORGE’S - A CANADIAN OPEN PREVIEW 

My Grandfather was a member at St. George’s for years when I was a boy.  I used to caddy for him once in a while and afterward he would invite me into the dining room (caddies weren’t allowed but family was) for a Coke float or a ginger beer.  I also remember going to the occasional family movie night at the club house.  Such are the vivid memories I have of St. George’s but I haven’t been inside the clubhouse for 35 years or more - until today.

Today I was invited to a luncheon held by St. George’s. It was one of at least three they plan leading up to the RBC Canadian Open in July, the first held at this course since 1968.  Mostly in attendance where members and their guests.  The speakers today were three of Canada’s most influential golf power brokers;

(left to right: Jim Little RBC Chief Brand & Communications Officer, Chris Armstrong VP Golf at IMG, and Scott Simmonds Exec. Dir. of Golf Canada)

The trio talked about the plans leading up to the Canadian Open, the need and plans to grow golf in Canada and the re-branding of the RCGA into Golf Canada.  While details were lacking (there is a separate press announcement on Tuesday announcing players who have committed to come to this year’s open) all three panelists hinted at a very strong field at this year’s RBC Canadian Open.

Simmons shared his vision for a successful tournament which includes the best venues in Canada, a strong charitable component, the best field possible and a great event experience for the fans.  Simmons boasted that all these factors come together nicely at this event thanks to all the stakeholders, particularly the community and the city.

Armstrong talked from the players perspective and said that aside from the date of the event the most important factor determining which events a player participates in is the venue saying most players “would rather play a great course for a smaller purse than play a mediocre course for a larger purse”.  Everyone at the table agreed that St. George’s will attract quality players.

One topic that came up repeatedly was the charitable component of the RBC Canadian Open.  When RBC became the title sponsor and partnered with Mike Weir their goal was to raise $5 million for local organizations in 5 years.  According to Jim Little the inaugural celebrity pro-am charity event last year was a great start and they are well on their way ot reaching that goal.

As always at these events there was also talk about growing the game of golf in Canada and in particular the moderator Bob Weeks (of Score Golf) asked about the effect of golf an Olympic sport in 2016.  “It will be a huge huge step for our sport” said Simmons referring to the added funding that will be available as an Olympic Sport.  The RCGA is also working with other organizations around the globe to have golf added to both the Pan-Am Games and the Commonwealth Games.  Armstrong, of IMG, thinks that world class players will show up to represent their country because there is no bigger honour than to represent your country on the worlds biggest sporting stage.

Lunch was held at the St. George’s Clubhouse. After 35 years the building still has that special feel and an air of majesty but like so many other things in life the building seem much smaller to my adult eyes. 

 (lunch at St. George’s Country Club)

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - CANADIAN OPEN AT DEVIL’S PULPIT IN 2015

The inside word is that Devil’s Pulpit will celebrate its 25th anniversary by hosting the RBC Canadian Open in 2015. The 2014 date, meanwhile, may be reserved for Hamilton Golf & Country Club, although George Pinches, the club’s GM and COO, tells the Hamilton Spectator that “the board believes that the earliest time we might be in a position to host would be 2015.”

That’s also a big date for the Hamilton club, since it would mark the 100th anniversary of its move to its current home in Ancaster. But my source tells me the Pulpit has the 2015 date all but nailed down.

The Pulpit’s sister course, Devil’s Paintbrush, doesn’t have the clubhouse facilities to host such an event, but it is an intriguing concept to think of players tackling both courses in each of the opening two rounds as well as weekend play.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - HOW DID ERICA BLASBERG DIE?

—AP PHOTO

About the same time as the news about Hank Haney’s resignation as Tiger Woods’ swing coach was making its way around golf channels, there came the tragic news of the death of 25-year-old LPGA Tour player Erica Blasberg, who was found dead about 3 p.m. Sunday after police responded to a 911 call from the two-story, three-bedroom home she bought for $281,000 in November 2007. Blasberg’s agent, Chase Callahan, said yesterday that his client had her bags packed for a tournament in Alabama when she died suddenly at her home in suburban Henderson, Nevada. Although suicide is still suspected, police aren’t yet indicating how they believe she died.

Blasberg was apparently scheduled to fly to Mobile, Alabama and tee off on Monday in qualifying rounds at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. During yesterday’s Titleist golf ball function at Eagles Nest GC in Maple, I met a Titleist staff member who has caddied on the LPGA Tour and apparently knew Blasberg. He said she was physically abusive to herself on the course—even punching herself in the arm over errant shots. There were also rumours about her dealings with her father as not being the perfect father-daughter relationship portrayed in the media over the past 24 hours by her dad, Mel, who was also her swing coach.

Blasberg, a Southern California native, was in her sixth season on the LPGA Tour. A former junior golf standout, the 25-year-old was a two-time All-American from 2003-04, 2003 NCAA Freshman of the Year and 2003 Pac-10 Player of the Year while at University of Arizona.

She turned professional in June of 2004 and won once on the Duramed FUTURES Tour before qualifying for the LPGA Tour in 2005. Her best year on Tour was 2008 when she earned a career-best tie for eighth at the SBS Open in Hawaii and over $113,000 in winnings. This season, Blasberg had played in one event, the Tres Marias Championship, where she tied for 44th.

It’s horrible to hear of anyone taking their life, but Blasberg was a young, beautiful talent, although she had not fulfilled her potential. Hopefully that wasn’t responsible for whatever happened in her home last weekend.

On the LPGA Tour’s website, there’s a “Quick 18″ Q&A with Erica that includes a couple questions that show her more tender side:

Tell us something that most people might not know about you?
I love sleeping…I really really want a small dog probably a shitzu…I like running in pretty neighborhoods…I really like drawing hearts and stars…I snack a lot…I’m obsessed with CSI and Newlyweds…I think I am addicted to shopping…I love reading Tabloids…I can’t sing or dance…I like to cook and bake…I love my I-pod…I really like the beach at night…I think that’s a good amount of stuff most people don’t know about me, but I am sure there’s more…

What is one of the best presents you have ever given or received?
A friend of mine for my birthday one year bought me my own star…like an actual star. I even got to see it in a telescope.

Blasberg is among those stars now. A sad, sad ending.

BURIED ELEPHANT - MOVE OVER HANK - IT LOOKS LIKE TED WAS RIGHT 

USA Today is reporting that Hank Haney has stepped down as Tiger Woods swing coach.  Haney says that this was his decision and that he and Tiger will always be friends.

It looks like Ted McIntyre may have been right on the money.  In Ted’s blog earlier this week Ted speculated that Ontario Golf’s Instruction Editor Sean Foley is setup to be Tiger Woods’ next swing coach.  For the record Foley has denied rumours as recently as last week that he is in discussions with Tiger Woods to become his next swing coach.

Foley has seen much success with PGA Tour players lately and was recently featured on the front cover of Ontario Golf Magazine. Take a look at the online issue to read Sean’s story.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - TIGER WOODS AND SEAN FOLEY TO BE WED?

Well, the rumours are flying that Sean Foley will be announced as Tiger Woods’ next swing coach. The Burlington, Ont. native’s reply to the inquiry is “No comment,” which admittedly opens the door to the possibility. Woods played a practice round at TPC Sawgrass yesterday with ball-striking purists Sean O’Hair and Hunter Mahan, who, coincidentally, are both Foley students. Maybe that was part of the final interview process—Tiger talking to Foley’s two most famous players (with all due respect to Stephen Ames and Justin Rose).

While it obviously would be a career boost for Foley, he’d have to change his stripes, you’d think. Sean is a very media-friendly and quotable individual because of his brutal honesty. But Tiger has a lifetime of guarded secrets and has dismissed some in the past who sought fame from their mutual association (like former caddie Mike “Fluff” Cowan). And how much time would such a bond take away from Foley’s existing clients, and how would they react to that?

Golf pundits all over the place have commented about Tiger’s inconsistency of late and how his present Hank Haney-groomed swing doesn’t work for the world’s top player (although I don’t really know how anyone that good forgets how to swing a golf club.) But as office associate Doug notes from my recent feature interview with Foley (it’ll be on the website tomorrow), that maybe “Lama” is the perfect guy for Tiger considering how all Foley’s players talk about how good Sean is at instilling balance in their lives.

If the offer is on the table (and you know Nike hopes it is, considering that Foley is already a Swoosh-endorsed dude), I wonder if Sean and his wife Kate have discussed the possibility of saying no? I mean, on the one hand, how does anyone say no to that kind of career opportunity? But I also know how much more time and stress that would entail, and know how hard Foley and Kate already work, and how they long to spend time with their son, Quinn in the near future.

Anyway, if and when it happens (I’m thinking Tuesday, if it’s a go), expect it to come through official channels—that is, an IMG press release with quotes from Tiger and Haney about how it was time to move on and how much respect they have for each other’s abilities and friendship.)
(By the way, noticing how well he’s playing in Round One today, I wonder if Sean’s already working with Woods? If any announcement is forthcoming, they would obviously have already been spending time somewhere talking and working on Tiger’s swing.)

I’ll definitely be paying close attention to the Golf Channel tonight.

BURIED ELEPHANT - NOTHING IS OUT OF REACH

Butch Lumpkin is a father, a motivational speaker and a competitor;  he loves to golf, he carries a 9 handicap and he has no arms.

Butch was born with a birth defect most likely caused by Thalidomide.  Despite his challenges Butch plays soccer, tennis and golf and he plays them well.  Butch isn’t looking for sympathy in fact he says “the cool part is I’m also getting your best because I know if you and me go play today you don’t want to get beat by a man with no arms”.

For more on Butch check out his website where his tag line is Beyond Limits.

Butch was featured on The Golf Channel. Click on the image below to see the video. Butch is an inspiration and I know the next time I’m struggling with my game I’m going to think of Butch and realize that nothing is out of reach.