GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a shot on Monday at President Obama’s upcoming 17-day vacation in Hawaii. Romney said the president needs to focus on fixing the economy, not his golf game:

“I just think it’s time to have a president whose idea of being 'hands on' doesn’t mean getting a better grip on the golf club," Romney said.

You’d think a Republican candidate would be more concerned about the golf vote.

Don Draper, meet Arnold Palmer
At age 82, Arnold Palmer is still considered the coolest golfer on the planet. According to E.J. Shultz of Ad Age, Palmer and his Arnold Palmer Enterprises crew are taking steps to make sure his brand endures beyond Palmer, making plans for the next 20, 30 and even 40 years.

As it looks to the future, the group is culling nonstrategic licenses while seeking out new ones that dig deeper into Mr. Palmer's past, evoking a 1960s-era younger, stronger Arnie in hopes of capitalizing on the retro fever captured by the likes of the hit TV show "Mad Men." Among the projects in the pipeline are a new clothing line featuring styles Mr. Palmer wore decades ago that seek to recapture the spirit that this year vaulted him onto GQ magazine's list of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time." Mr. Palmer, GQ said, "marshaled his own army by uniting golf with charisma at a moment when the sport's most-popular fan was President Eisenhower."

Taiwanese animators recreate Tiger’s Chevron win
A new chapter in the Tiger Woods saga means a new Taiwanese animated video from Next Media. Enjoy…

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Arnold Palmer is among several sports luminaries who served as honorary board members of The Second Mile, the Pennsylvania-based charity founded by alleged pedophile and former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky. But Palmer’s spokesman says that the golfer had little if any involvement with the foundation.

“Mr. Palmer was involved with the Second Mile in name only as an honorary member and never attended or participated in any meetings or activities,” the spokesman, Doc Giffin, wrote in an e-mail to Golf.com.

It’s unclear how many years Palmer held the position, what exactly his role was, or if he knew Sandusky personally.

“I prefer not to respond to those questions,” Giffin said.

Other sports figures on the board included Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz and Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris. According to ESPN, both Ripken and Holtz contacted the Second Mile after Sandusky’s indictment and requested that their names be removed from the list of honorary board members posted on the foundation’s website. That list has since been removed entirely, and the honorary board itself has been dissolved.

Giffin declined to say whether Palmer has had any correspondence with the foundation in the wake of the scandal.

Lucky fan at the Presidents Cup (well, sort of)
When Aaron Baddeley stepped to the tee on the 17th hole Friday at Royal Melbourne, spectator Barry McCarthy had a prime vantage point along the fairway. A little too prime, according to The Age:

The 68-year-old from Mount Eliza was perched on a fold-out chair and was exchanging pleasantries with one of the Royal Melbourne marshals, when he cracked a joke that not long after did not seem so funny.

''I had just said that I was in the right position to get hit by a ball. I kid you not, about 30 seconds beforehand I said that, and then 'bang', I did,'' McCarthy said.

Baddeley's tee shot veered right, smashing McCarthy's sunglasses and splitting the ridge of his nose. ''I've been headhunted in business, but this is ridiculous,'' he joked.

On the upside, McCarthy wound up with a Badds-autographed ball.

Mickelson’s mysterious buggy ride
Was it Presidents Cup nerves? Or did Phil Mickelson eat some bad Vegemite? It's unclear, but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Lefty had an unexpected “emergency” before his fourball match on Friday:

Before the action started and the mercury began to rise, the media compound on Royal Melbourne's tennis courts was thrust into a frenzy. About 8:15 a.m. a U.S. team buggy raced to the back of the media centre, carrying Phil Mickelson. The buggy clipped the tennis court fence and back step of the media centre as it headed to the toilets at the side of the media tent.

Observers then saw the buggy emerge at the front of the centre, minus Mickelson. Whether it was a "toot emergency" or Mickelson stopping at the Getty Images hut beside the media tent, no one was quite sure. Only one thing was certain—Mickelson was desperate to get there.

The Arnold Palmer drink (half-lemonade, half-iced tea) has become almost as popular as its namesake. In its 10 years of being brewed by the AriZona Beverage Company, the Arnold Palmer Light Half and Half has reportedly reached $100 million in sales.

Now Palmer is releasing Arnold Palmer Hard, an alcoholic version of the drink, according to PR Newswire.

The unique combination of half tea and half lemonade was made famous by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. His namesake beverage is now available in a "spiked" version - Arnold Palmer Hard.

Arnold Palmer Hard is a malt beverage, produced by the Mississippi Brewing Company and distributed by Hornell Brewing Company - parent company of AriZona Beverages. It is made with AriZona brand iced tea and lemonade, and contains five percent alcohol by volume. Launching in 24 oz. cans from Rexam, this refreshing, non-carbonated beverage has 110 calories per 8 oz. serving.

Olazabal expects Sergio Garcia on Ryder Cup team in 2012

The strangest sight of the dramatic, rain-drenched 2010 Ryder Cup that didn’t involve Lisa Pavin’s team wardrobe choices had to be Sergio Garcia carting around the Celtic Manor course as an assistant captain instead of a player. Don’t expect to see Garcia in that role at Medinah in 2012. Team Europe Captain Jose Maria Olazabal said he has no doubt the resurgent Garcia will be playing for the team next year, according to Sky Sports.

"I am sure Sergio will be in the Ryder Cup, he's got a special charisma and a solid game," said Olazabal. "His best motivation is to know what it feels like to be in the Ryder Cup without playing."

Protesters occupy Rep. John Boehner’s golf game

There is no Wall Street to occupy in Orange County, Calif., so left-wing protesters settled for Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s visit to the Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach, according to Joseph Serna of The Daily Pilot newspaper.

A weekend of worldwide protest spilled over into Orange County on Monday morning as about 40 left-leaning activists protested House Speaker John Boehner's visit to the Pelican Hill Golf Club.

"He knows he can't go anywhere without the people going with him," said Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, a progressive group. "I hope that even while he's up there, raking in millions in cash, he knows there's people here and everywhere.

"We're going to make clear that this isn't a funny time anymore. This is a real time. It's time for him to get busy on jobs and not on his golf game."

Dave Stockton talks about Phil Mickelson’s putting

Tod Leonard of The San Diego Union-Tribune files an entertaining interview with Dave Stockton, whose putting tips helped Phil Mickelson win the 2010 Masters. Some highlights:

Q: I’ve heard around town lately that Phil’s been playing well with a short putter again. Do you think going to the belly putter was a mistake?

A: “Not really. Phil can putt with anything. I think you could give him a shovel and he could putt. I’m hoping on my short Christmas list that we have some time to work together this year.”

Q: At Rory McIlroy’s request, you worked with him before the U.S. Open, and then he wins on the same course, Congressional, where you won the 1976 PGA Championship. How great was that?

A: “Holy cow, that was so cool! Rory’s caddie (J.P. Fitzgerald) introduced us at Charlotte. We talked for 15 to 20 minutes and I told him what I thought he did at the Masters. I thought he had a very bad pairing (on Sunday, when he shot 80) with (Angel) Cabrera. Cabrera plays at the same pace as Rory; they hit their shots fast. And then they stand there and wait 10 minutes. It’s all rush and stop, rush and stop; there’s nothing consistent going on.

“So then we went out on the putting green and it did not take him more than 10 minutes to figure out what I was talking about.”

Peter Thomson says Tiger was wrong choice for Presidents Cup team

Add Australian golfing legend Peter Thomson to the list of people who think Fred Couples made a mistake picking the struggling Tiger Woods for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Thomson, who won five British Opens, said that Couples overlooked “better accomplished” players in favor of Woods, according to Robert Grant of the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It's a pretty wild guess, I think, on Couples' part, that he's going to suddenly play well and win points.

"Couples says that once you're a champion you're always a champion. He's working on that theory I think."

Thomson says he is also puzzled why several big-name American team members would opt to play in the Australian Open at The Lakes in Sydney the preceding week.

"I would have thought they would be better off down here in Melbourne," he said. "I don't think playing at The Lakes is going to help them at all."

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As if we weren’t already talking enough about Tiger Woods and his return at the Frys.com Open this week, he went out and shot a course-record 62 this weekend at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla., according to Golf World's Tim Rosaforte. He made 10 birdies, including seven on the back nine for a 29. It was almost even lower, according to Rosaforte.

Woods finished strong, missing a 15-footer for eagle on the course's 18th hole. Known for its difficulty, Medalist plays 7,157 yards from the tips with a course rating of 74.5 and a slope of 142.

Rory McIlroy World Tour off to Asia
Rory McIlroy is taking this “international sports icon” stuff seriously. Following his second-place finish at the Dunhill Links Championship, McIlroy recounted an upcoming travel schedule for the next month that would make Gary Player homesick.

Q. Just tell us what you're doing now for the rest of the season.

RORY McILROY: I'm flying to Korea tomorrow morning and playing the Korean Open, and the week after, I play an exhibition in China for seven days. And I go straight from China to Bermuda for the Grand Slam of Golf. Then I'm only in Bermuda for three days. And then I'm in Istanbul for four days watching some tennis. And then I'm in Shanghai for two weeks for two tournaments, and then I've got two weeks off, which will be nice. Then I'll spend those in the Middle East or I'll spend them somewhere. Then I've got the World Cup of Golf in China again, Hong Kong Open, Dubai World Championship and the Thai Golf Championship. I have a nice run of events coming up.

Should the Post Office honor Arnold Palmer with a stamp?
Larry Bohannan of The Desert Sun newspaper notes that the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service is considering stamps of living people for the first time, and he nominates Arnold Palmer for the honor.

The post office, which previously has honored only deceased people with stamps, is now thinking about honoring living people with stamps. And the USPS is asking people for suggestions on who in popular culture, entertainment, sports, politics or any aspect of society should be honored.

So before we let people start pushing to get the cast of “Jersey Shore” or Justin Bieber on a stamp, now would be a good time to let the USPS know that no athlete deserves a stamp more than Arnold Palmer.

Certainly no living golfer deserves the honor of a stamp more than Palmer. Sure, there is Jack Nicklaus, but Palmer was adding to the luster of the game and changing the game's demographics before Nicklaus won his first U.S. Amateur title.

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Don't touch that dial — I mean it!

A dispute over what to watch in the clubhouse at the Colorado National Golf Club in suburban Denver turned violent, according to The Boulder Daily Camera, and two men were arrested for assault, including an off-duty Denver police officer.

Erie police Lt. Lee Mathis said officers from his department were called to the golf course clubhouse around 9:30 p.m. June 28 on reports of a fight in progress.

According to witnesses, Mathis said, [Denver Police Officer Kevin] Carlile and [Christopher] Douglas were watching the Rockies game in the clubhouse bar when two other men picked up the remote and changed the channel to the final College World Series Championship game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Florida Gators.

Mathis said words were exchanged about the channel switch and eventually escalated to a physical confrontation, with Carlile and Douglas each punching a man in the face and causing minor injuries.

While we never endorse violence, there’s no question that if there’s only one TV in the clubhouse, then local professional sports trump out-of-town college sports, especially college baseball.

Here’s a helpful list to determine clubhouse TV disputes:

Clubhouse TV Priority Rankings:

1. Golf (Major)

2. Local Team in Playoffs (Any Sport)

3. Football (NFL and major college football)

4. Golf (regular Tour event)

5. Baseball

6. Basketball/Hockey (tie, first-come/first-served)

In the absence of live sports, a cable-sports or cable-news channel are acceptable.

CNN anchor grills Mickelson over blown putt at British Open

Phil Mickelson was on CNN’s American Morning program to promote the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, a week-long professional development program for teachers designed to inspire students in math and science. (Sometimes Mickelson really is just like his puppy-loving alter-ego Will Martinsen from Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck’s novel The Swinger.)

However, CNN anchor Kiran Chetry wasn’t going to let Mickelson off without a tough question. After Mickelson talked about the importance of science education, Chetry asked Mickelson about coming up short at the British Open after missing a short putt on the 11th hole.

Chetry: Is there any physics to bogeying a hole?

Mickelson: I was playing some of my best golf and I had a brain freeze. I started looking ahead to some holes I needed to birdie and I just froze there for a minute.

We need Chetry in the press tent at the PGA Championship.

Arnold Palmer never left the Pirates bandwagon

Thanks to Yahoo’s Big League Stew blog for pointing out this great shot of Arnold Palmer and his wife Kathleen Gawthrop waiting out a rain delay at PNC Park in Pittsburgh this week. [Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images] 

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From European golf report and Golf Magazine contributing writer Paul Mahoney:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At 81 years old, Arnold Palmer doesn't have the game that won him seven major championships. The fans at Quail Hollow on Wednesday afternoon weren't there to see his golf game, however. If they wanted to watch someone bash the ball 320 yards, there were plenty of other guys to follow.

"That's a legend right there," a man said as Palmer walked to the 15th green.

Yeah, you could say that.

Palmer played in the pro-am with his grandson, Sam Saunders, who's in the field this week on a sponsor's exemption, and John Harris, the president of the Quail Hollow Club. Palmer doesn't play very much anymore, but he convinced Harris they should still play the back tees, which stretch to 7,469 yards.

"If you're going to do it, do it right, so we did today. We played where we had no business playing," Palmer said with a laugh.

Palmer once owned a house on the 15th hole and everywhere he went on Wednesday he was mobbed by autograph seekers, young and old. Palmer signed Masters flags, old issues of golf magazines, hats, posters and even a can of beer.

"You are the man, Mr. Palmer," said the fan after Palmer signed his empty can of Stella Artois.

When he wasn't signing autographs, Palmer was giving his trademark smile and thumbs up to well-wishers in the gallery.

"He waved at me!" giggled one teenage girl as if Justin Bieber had just walked by.

As the grandson of "The King," Saunders is used to playing among the chaos. Not only has it helped him deal with the pressures of professional golf, but he's also seen how a smile and a signature can be just as important for his career as a big drive and a birdie.

"He's always handled it very well, and I just try to emulate that," Saunders said. "He takes the time and gives back to the crowds. They're out here wanting to watch us play, and it's the least we can do and go over shake somebody's hand, look them in the eye or sign an autograph. It's not that hard to do."

Palmer didn't play out all of the holes, but he did tee off and play the par 3s so everyone could get a glimpse of his famous swing. When he reached the 18th tee, Palmer was ready to call it a day.

"Oh, thank God," he sighed before lashing his tee shot down the left side.

Palmer ditched the cart and made the walk up 18 to a standing ovation. As he walked off the green, more fans continued to push and scream for his autograph. Palmer was ready to head in, but it was clear the fans weren't ready to see him go.

No one said being a legend was easy, but Palmer sure makes it look that way.

(Bob Leverone/AP)

It is unusual, to say the least, that a defending champion would need a sponsor's exemption to get into a tournament field. That is exactly what happened this week at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C.

McIlroy, the youngster from Northern Ireland who won last year's event with a scintillating final-round 62, dropped his PGA Tour membership at the end of the year. Thus, despite being the defending champ, he needed a sponsor's exemption to play this week. That was a no-brainer because he's probably been the most attention-getting golfer this year, thanks to his Masters lead and subsequent meltdown followed by a near-miss the next week in Malaysia.

Lee Westwood, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, has also used a pair of sponsors' exemptions to play on the U.S. tour this year. This is McIlroy's first exemption. Non-members are allowed a maximum of seven exemptions. There is no limit on how many exemptions PGA Tour members can receive.

That's good because Brad Faxon scored a turkey this week--he landed his third straight exemption. (Note: In bowling, three strikes in a row is known as a turkey. Just ask Carmen Salvino.) So did Sam Saunders, whose exemption coincided with grandfather Arnold Palmer agreeing to play in the Wells Fargo pro-am on Wednesday.

Faxon, who has yet to make a cut this year in the seven previous events in which he received exemptions, was unable to extend his lead in SI's Ex-Men Cup, our year-long standings that keep track of who gets sponsors' exemptions. Joe Ogilvie got his second straight exemption to stay one behind Faxon. Saunders, who is allowed only one more exemption, is tied for third with Scott McCarron at six.

The last three PGA Tour events haven't fared well with their sponsors' exemptions. Only four of 25 players who got exemptions made the cut. No player competing on an exemption has finished inside the top 25 since Scott Stallings placed third at the Transitions Championship in March.

The Transitions Championship was also the last time a Monday qualifier made the cut--Will Claxton, who finished 67th.

Sponsors' Exemptions Standings (Cuts made)
8 Brad Faxon (0)
7 Joe Ogilvie (2)
6 Scott McCarron (2)
6 Sam Saunders (2)
4 John Daly (1)
4 Charles Warren (0)
3 Lee Janzen (2)
3 Will MacKenzie (0)

Money Won by Players Playing on Exemption
$374,000 Scott Stallings
$251,600 John Cook
$222,650 Gary Woodland
$177,375 Shigeki Maruyama
$132,425 Sam Saunders
$126,680 Joe Ogilvie
$88,000 Peter Hanson
$82,650 Justin Hicks
$55,481 Martin Kaymer
$55,481 Matteo Manassero
$71,304 Lee Westwood
$34,965 Brett Quigley
$34,875 Dicky Pride
$34,432 Scott Piercy
$33,250 Jason Gore

AUGSUTA, Ga. — From a distance, shutters clicked madly as name placards reading "Arnold Palmer" and "Jack Nicklaus" were slid into a sign on the first tee box.

At a place teaming with VIPs, only green-jacketed members of Augusta National Golf Club like Hootie Johnson, the stoic former chairman, were allowed to stand near the tee. PGA TourCommissioner Tim Finchem and 1979 Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller had to sip their morning coffee alongside the media in a roped-off area near the clubhouse.

At precisely 7:30, cameramen, reporters and the thousands of fans who had been waiting at the gate for 30 minutes were allowed onto the course. Everyone made a beeline for the first tee in hopes of securing a good viewing spot to see Palmer and Nicklaus hit the ceremonial first tee shot to begin the 75th Masters.

"No running! No running please," shouted the security guards.

With the first yellow rays of sunlight washing over the green Georgia pines, applause rang out five minutes later when the two champions walked to the tee, trailed by Chairman Billy Payne.

From the clubhouse's veranda, Mark O'Meara, who won here in 1998, took in the scene. Vijay Singh, the 2000 Masters champ who was scheduled to play 81 minutes later, chose to continue his practice putting.

"I see they moved the tees forward this morning, huh," Nicklaus joked as he stretched his 71-year-old body. "I hope they'll move 'em back after we get out of here."

Looking down the fairway, Nicklaus said, "We aren't even going to be able to hit it out of our own shadow! Look at this hole."

But after being introduced by to the crowd by Payne, Palmer, 81, proceeded to hit his drive straight down the fairway and partially up the first fairway's hill. The shot brought a big smile to The King's face.

Moments later, Nicklaus teed up his ball. "Now let me get back up," he cracked.

But the Golden Bear put a great swing on the ball and hit a draw that went 30 yards past Palmer's shot. It rolled halfway up the hill and, like Palmer's, finished in the middle of the fairway. Nicklaus waved for the ball to keep rolling, and even Payne seemed pleasantly surprised by the quality of Jack's shot.

As tournament officials hustled to gather the golf balls from the fairway, Payne called out, "The 2011 Masters has officially begun."

And then the tees were, respectfully, moved back.

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(Photos: Al Tielemans/SI)

With all of the momentum heading into this week's championship, Phil Mickelson seems ready to dethrone Tiger Woods as the modern day ruler of Augusta National. Phil already has the crowd on his side, and with one more Masters win he'll be tied with Tiger and Arnie at four. But even if Lefty manages to eclipse Woods, does that make him the greatest to ever slip on the green jacket? We pose this question to you: Who is the real King of Augusta National? Is it the Golden Bear with his six victories, Arnie with his consistency, Tiger with his dominance, Phil with his masterful escapes or even a dark horse like Gary Player or Nick Faldo? Leave a comment below to tell us who you think has ruled the Masters like no other.

Tiger Woods, probably Orlando’s most famous resident after Mickey Mouse, is leaving town for Florida’s Atlantic coast, but his departure is barely causing a ripple, according to Beth Kassab of The Orlando Sentinel.

There was hardly a peep last week when Woods said his move from Isleworth to the new $50 million compound he built on Jupiter Island would come "pretty soon."

In some ways, Isleworth's loss of prestige by being associated with Woods happened more than a year ago, when the world's most publicized driveway fender bender led to the unraveling of golfer's image and game.

His name was once a big selling point for real estate agents and businesses touting the area as a hot neighborhood.

But that sentiment has cooled.

"We held him in really high regard," said Vic Miesel, who specializes in luxury home sales in the Windermere area at Maingate Real Estate. "The luster of his fame has definitely worn off on a lot of people."

Kassab adds that Orlando will also likely lose its exclusive hold on the Tavistock Cup, a two-day exhibition in which Woods and other top players compete.

Tavistock Cup, a see-and-be-seen event for local business people, has alternated between Lake Nona and Isleworth since it began seven years ago. As a result, Orlando has benefited from publicity from the all-day broadcasts on the Golf Channel.

But with the addition this year of Albany and another club, Queenwood in London, it's likely that it will begin to rotate out of town as well. The cup's agreement with the PGA is up in 2012 and after that the show could travel to the Bahamas, England or the hometowns of any other clubs that join the tournament.

Phi Mickelson adds Bay Hill to step up Masters preparation

It’s true that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson plan their seasons with the goal of peaking four times for the four majors. In the past, Mickelson has chosen to play fewer events in the buildup to the Masters, but after struggling since finishing second at Torrey Pines in January, Mickelson added next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill to his schedule, according to ESPN UK.

"I need a little bit more competitive golf - I've got some work to do," Mickelson, who has already played more events (seven) than usual this season, said. "If I'd had a little more success earlier I probably would have not played Bay Hill.

"I'm not shooting the scores I need to shoot. I'm not concerned with the way I'm hitting it or any particular element of my game, but I'm not shooting the scores."

Palmer helps put kibosh on Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail

Scott Maxwell of The Orlando Sentinel reported on a funny piece of Florida state legislation last week: A state senator proposed that Florida build golf courses in its state parks, and included a clause that the golf courses could only be built by Jack Nicklaus. Maxwell said the proposal was so ridiculous he almost couldn’t believe it.

It started March 5, when I got a text message from a legislator. "Did you see the bill from Thrasher to build golf courses on state park lands?" it asked. "The state wouldn't even sell off the land to make money (a bad idea also), but literally issue bonds to build golf course resorts (hotel, clubhouse, etc.) on park lands!"

It sounded so silly, it was hard to believe. And yet, when I returned home and looked it up, there it was: Senate Bill 1846. Veteran politician John Thrasher, former head of the Republican Party of Florida, wanted to develop golf resorts inside at least five state parks.

Never mind that Florida already has such a glut of courses that many have gone bankrupt. Never mind that others are struggling — and would've had to compete with these new ones.

The state senator from St. Augustine wanted more golf courses.

And he wanted his friend Jack Nicklaus to be the only one to design them.

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, including one of the coolest of all, Arnold Palmer, whose playing rivalry with Nicklaus has morphed into a course design rivalry over the years. Maxwell said that Palmer’s criticism of the bill might have been the fatal blow.

I called Palmer, and his design company issued a statement saying that, although it likes the idea of using golf to promote tourism, "there are alternative options than using our state parks for 'new' golf course development."

And even if the state did proceed, Palmer's company didn't think much of the state giving Nicklaus a monopoly, saying: "We also would hope that all the well-respected golf course architects who call Florida home are given an opportunity to bid on design …"

That statement was published late Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, the proposal was dead.

Point scored for Palmer in his design rivalry with Nicklaus, which has provided some fun stories over the years. In one story, Nicklaus and Palmer are arguing over the design of a course they are building together. At one point, Palmer asks someone on Nicklaus’ team, “Who’s buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?” When the guy can’t answer, Palmer says, “Go ask Jack. He knows everything.” In another story, Nicklaus is on a plane and notices a golf course below. He likes the design and asks an associate who designed it. The associate tells Jack that it is a Palmer course, and Nicklaus says, “Has Arnie seen it?”

Stray Shots: Things we saw while breaking out our Lake Nona blue shirts for the Tavistock Cup...

Jeff Overton and Anthony Kim completed their first-out round at Doral on Sunday in 2 hours and 6 minutes 2 hours and 40 minutes. Kim finished the tournament at 6-over and Overton was DFL at 10-over. (Via CBS Sports)

Despite what you may have read, Rory McIlroy said that he did not buy a $2 million car. (Via The Belfast Telegraph)

A golfer was shot and killed on the 17th tee of the Deerfield County Club in Florida’s Palm Beach County during an armed robbery by two masked gunmen. (Via The New York Times)