Singh: Oh deer!

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced in a press conference at Quail Hollow Golf Club on Tuesday that Vijay Singh would not be suspended for using deer antler spray and the case against Singh has now been dropped.

In a Sports Illustrated article earlier this year, Singh revealed he had taken the substance, which contains IGF-1,a banned substance on the PGA Tour and other major sports leagues as set forth by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Subsequently, he released a statement that expressed his shock and anger, along with his ignorance it was prohibited.

Singh admitted he had used deer antler spray unknowingly, but there wasn’t a positive drug test, so he is in the clear. Basically, while IGF-1 is illegal, it is not a violation unless you test positive — even though there is no way of detecting the substance through blood testing.

Here’s the full statement from the PGA Tour: (continue reading…)

“They’re going to make you do what!?”

In a move designed to placate critics of its current anti-doping regime, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has approved the immediate introduction of so-called “biological passport” programmes on each of the sport’s major professional tours.

The announcement, arriving as it does a mere three weeks after NBA commissioner David Stern reiterated his commitment to blood testing, only furthers golf’s isolation from the mainstream of world sport. (continue reading…)

O Canada!

Commissioner Tim Finchem announced on Thursday that the PGA Tour is assuming “operational control” of the Canadian Tour, which will become re-branded as PGA Tour Canada. The conversion process will begin on November 1st and PGA Tour Canada will be up and running for the 2013 season.

The takeover didn’t come as a surprise since the PGA Tour bailed out the floundering Canadian Professional Golf Tour in 2012, lending its strategic and financial support to the dwindling mini-tour circuit.

The kicker of the deal: Similar to the partnership made last year with Tour de las Américas to form PGA Tour Latinoamérica, PGA Tour Canada will serve as a pathway to the Web.com Tour.  The top-five finishers on the money list will earn playing privileges to the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit (the no. 1 player would have full exempt status and the other four would have conditional status, but “reasonable access”), and the next five will be exempt to the finals of Web.com Q-school. (continue reading…)

Q-school grad Harris English receiving his 2012 PGA Tour card

I’ve gotta catch a flight to Atlanta for the Tour Championship (PLAYOFF FEVER!), so this is going to be quick (sorry I feel like I’ve been more on the run than usual these days, which seems strange since I’ve been home). The PGA Tour announced details — and lots of them; in fact almost all — for the tournaments, sites and dates for three of the events in 2013 that will comprise the newly-contrived Web.com Tour Finals, which will decide the 50 players who earn Tour “playing privileges” for the 2013-14 season and their “eligibility positions” under the Tour’s “enhanced qualifying system.”

That’s a nice way of saying: It’s been real, but see you later, Q-school. RIP. (I might cry at the end of the last one ever in December.) (continue reading…)

Meh-heh-heh

Here we go. The PGA Tour has found a new umbrella sponsor for its developmental tour: Web.com — which, effective immediately, will replace the Nationwide Tour as the title sponsor. Yes, that means you will now call it the Web.com Tour.

All parties insist the Q-school format change had nothing to do with inking the deal. So then, let’s just keep the status quo, right?

Check out the company’s homepage (kinda weird, no?)…and here’s the media blast: (continue reading…)

This guy isn't complaining.

Like global warming, financial instability and ironic facial hair, it appears the FedEx Cup is a modern phenomenon we’ll just have to learn to tolerate. (continue reading…)

Donald en route to victory during this year's WGC-Accenture World Matchplay.

There were rumblings on Twitter that the PGA Tour cohort was having second thoughts about going through with the routine businesss of confirming Luke Donald as 2011′s Player of the Year this afternoon.

Fortunately, a miscarriage of justice to rival that of the 2000 election (too soon?) did not take place. (continue reading…)

It was a joke, guys!

Following the third round of the HSBC Champions, a day after the caddie awards dinner where Steve Williams made the controversial comment directed at former boss Tiger Woods in his acceptance speech, Adam Scott said he disagreed with those who thought he should sack Williams and suggested the remark was taken out of context. (continue reading…)

Clinton: Golf brings people together.

President Bill Clinton and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem gathered a hand-picked group of writers to discuss and promote the new Humana Challenge — or what we’ll continue to call it, the Bob Hope Classic — in Harlem.

Earlier this year Clinton’s foundation and Humana, the health insurance firm, swooped in to save the longtime tour stop. During the week of the tournament, the focus will be on welcoming the new (format), commemorating the old (legacy of Bob Hope), and to advocate good health habits, according to a USA Today report: (continue reading…)

Furyk: Give me my wheelbarrow of money!

Some words of wisdom: Don’t try to figure out every possible scenario for Player X to win the FedExCup. The PGA Tour has done a good job breaking it down, but the possibilities seem endless, so just wait ’til it matters — Sunday afternoon. But for FedExCup diehards, the Tour has posted a list of scenarios for each of the top 30 to win the $10 million prize: (continue reading…)