Phil Mickelson's weekend wasn't terrible. He relaxed some, got invited to Scotland, and bought a stake in the Major League Baseball franchise he grew up rooting for. Not so bad.

Mickelson's group of investors -- fronted by former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley -- received news of its winning bid Saturday, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

The deal — valued at $800 million, including $200 million for a portion of the team’s equity stake in FOX Sports San Diego — is pending approval by baseball and completion of contractual terms within the next two weeks, the source said.

If all goes according to plan, the group will receive approval at the owners’ meetings in August and close the deal simultaneously, according to the source.

No word on how much of that is coming out of Lefty's pocket. Surely it's a small price to pay for a team that has made the playoffs five times in its 43 year history. But buying your childhood ball club? Probably a better way to spend the weekend than getting caught in a West Virginia heat wave.

Westwood hurt at French Open?
A bad step was to blame for Lee Westwood's rough third round at the French Open on Saturday. According to The Guardian, the World No. 3 slipped while walking to the first tee, "tweaking his knee and straining his groin":

It looked serious as he double-bogeyed the opening hole and bogeyed the next five but with the pain easing he managed to play the remaining 12 holes in two under. That still meant a five-over-par 76 – his worst score in Europe for more than three years – and he still had some concern when he spoke afterwards. "I was talking to Richard Sterne's caddie and not looking where I was going," Westwood told Sky Sports. "I slipped on wooden sleepers down the side of the cart path. My left foot went forward about two feet and my right foot stayed where it was.

Westwood did manage to shoot 70 on Sunday, so maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked. But the Englishman is no stranger to the ill-timed injury. He missed the 2010 PGA after rupturing a muscle in his calf. And knees seem to be in danger all across the Westwood camp: He's already without his regular caddy, Billy Foster, who hurt his knee while playing pickup soccer earlier this year.

Biggest Loser: Greenbrier
Legendary TrimSpa (and Hooters) spokesman John Daly announced his plan to team up with Tiger Woods to urge Greenbrier owner Jim Justice to drop some pounds, according to the Golf Channel's Jason Sobel.

At 6'7", Justice is indeed a humongous man. He's also very friendly with many players, who worry about his weight. As Sobel reports:

“I told him I’d give him $100 for every pound he loses, to any charity he wants,” Daly said after posting a final-round 65 at Justice’s own Greenbrier Classic. “Tiger said he’d do it, too. Because we care about him. He’s a big guy. If we could get him to lose some weight and add about 30-40 years to his life, he’ll be happy. It’s time somebody did something for him after him always doing something for everybody else.”

Daly added that he revealed the plan to Justice when they saw each other on the first tee Sunday morning.

“He’s just got the biggest heart of any man I’ve ever known,” Daly said. “I just want him to know that we all care about him. We want to add years to his life. The guy is 6-7. Every year I talk to him, his back is hurting him, and his knees are hurting him. I can get to my doctor and help him lose a ton of weight. He’ll feel better. We just want to help him.”

Maybe Daly will suggest the innovative "cigarettes-popcorn-whiskey diet" Long John used to shed 65 pounds in college. (He was hospitalized twice in the process.) TrimSpa, Baby!

Tweet of the Day:

Pay-for-Play on the PGA?
An interesting article by Steve Elling over at CBS Sports breaks down the expanding hidden market for teasing big names to play Tour stops. According to Elling, tournaments with big budgets are smashing the proverbial piggy to draw top players in the guise of "service" contracts and "ambassador" programs.

Welcome to July 4 week at the Greenbrier Classic, a third-year event that has become the living, breathing embodiment of the American way. Which is to say, when in doubt, throw a wheelbarrow of cash out there on the table and hope somebody takes the bait.

Indeed, Greenbacksbrier this week has a field that includes the two biggest draws on the tour, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who seemingly stand to make a healthy chunk of change by doing little more than showing up -- regardless of how they play.

Granted, the contract particulars are as hazy as the air during a Civil War battle, but the smoke surrounding the Woods and Mickelson appearances has been hard to avoid. While the deals and dollar figures remain unconfirmed -- and it will likely stay that way -- multiple sources have repeatedly cited the same numbers: Woods is drawing $1.5 million and Mickelson is getting $1 million.

While legal in much of the golfing world, the PGA Tour outlawed appearance fees. Which, of course, isn't what these are. Of course. Players are required to do other, high-wage activities, ranging from running junior clinics, to attending corporate dinners, to, in the case of the Zurich Classic, playing an old-timey, hickory-shafted exhibition before the tournament (which, actually, sounds pretty great to me).

The problem, judging from the number of anonymous tournament directors willing to gush to Elling, is that small stops can't keep up. Big names tend to play a limited schedule. That schedule is influenced by where they get the highest "incentive" to play. If you can't provide equivalent incentives, they won't show. And fans won't either.

The fear here is that fees will exacerbate the existing tournament caste system the Tour has been working to mitigate for the last few years. But is it fair for top guns to get something sweet in order to compete? Well, we just pass along the rumors. If you're so inclined, drop your thoughts in the comments section below.

A Really Big Break
The 18th installment of the Golf Channel's The Big Break, held at the Greenbrier, will have stakes the show hasn't seen in years: a spot in an actual PGA Tour event.

According to a press release issued by the Golf Channel, the winner will get a spot in next year's Greenbrier Classic. And get to spend a bunch of time at the Greenbrier, which anyone watching this week's Tour stop probably wants to do.

The show was produced in June, and is due to air October second. Somebody already knows where they'll be this time next year. We'll just have to wait to see who.

LeDuff-ing his way through Detroit
About 12 miles Southeast of Oakland Hills Country Club, the close-cropped host of nine major championships, an abandonded fairground goes to seed on Detroit's North Side. That's where Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie LeDuff, reporting for FOX 2 of Detroit, teed off to commence the 18-mile par 3,168 he mapped out to span the city of Detroit.

LeDuff golfed his way through the Motor City for the mythic "I Heart the D Open." He shot a 2,525. As the ten-ish minute video shows, that's not the point:

Put aside the stunts and staging, LeDuff's gallows humor is as startling as golf's spectacle in Detroit's fields of ruin. A great piece on a good walk, spoiled.

Back to the Future
But this is T&R, and we couldn't send you into the weekend on a note like that. To make ammends: According to Nerd Reactor, a website I implicitly trust on the subject, Nintendo is re-releasing NES Open, it's 1991 classic golf title! If you've forgotten just how monumental that game was -- and just how versatile an individual Mario continues to be -- watch the video below for a refresher.



That chimey 8-bit choir still rings in my head when I stand over big putts. I have no idea what the game can be played on, but I'm sure Nintendo's website will tell you all about that.

Tweet of the Day:

Marketing gurus throw around term called ROI (return on investment). Looking like Greenbacksbriar paid Phil $7K per shot to miss cut. Ouch.

— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) July 6, 2012

Golf.com live blogged Tiger Woods's second round at the Greenbrier Classic.

LEADERBOARD | PHOTOS: Classic pics of Tiger Woods

Golf Magazine's Mike Walker is live blogging Tiger Woods's opening round at the Greenbrier Classic.

Mobile users, copy and paste this link in your browser, http://bit.ly/PiR2vb

LEADERBOARD | PHOTOS: Classic pics of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods may join the likes of Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald this coming October in Turkey. You read that correctly, according to reports from Derek Lawrenson of The Telegraph over in the UK, the country with exactly zero golfers on the PGA Tour is set to host some of the world’s elite in a lucrative match-play event where the purse will be $5.3 million and this year’s winner is slated to take home $1.5 million! Hunter Mahan, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood round out the field.

Naturally, attracting those eight to the first Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals does not come cheap. Last place will be worth $300,000 (£191,000), while the winner will take home $1.5million (£957,000). Next year, they intend to hike the amounts to a $2.5m (£1,595,000) first prize, the richest in golf.

Intriguingly, Woods will receive an extra fee. I understand a tie-up for the next three years will be announced with Turkish Airlines, with the American clearly seen as a key component of the country’s Olympic bid.

Istanbul is vying for the 2020 Summer Olympics against Tokyo and Madrid.

But Robert Lusetich at Foxsports.com tweeted that Woods playing in Turkey was not a done deal.

Mark Steinberg says still in discussions with Turks. Event week of Frys.com. "Tiger endeavors to get back to Frys in the future"

— Robert Lusetich (@RobertLusetich) July 3, 2012

No Summer Trip to the Cape for the Golfer-in-Chief
Martha’s Vineyard golfers can take a sigh of relief. President Obama and his Secret Service convoys will not be cluttering the links this year as the President will forgo his usual summer vacation to spend more time focusing on his re-election campaign, according to a report from The Boston Globe's Brian Macquarrie.

The first family has spent time at a 28-acre estate in Chilmark, Mass. each of the past three summers and the President, a reported novice who played his 100th round of golf since taking office on Father’s Day, has in the past been spotted at Vineyard Golf Club, Farm Neck Golf Club as well as Mink Meadow Golf Club.

There’s no word on whether money normally spent to replace all of the President’s missing golf balls will be redirected to his Super PACs.

Introducing Slammin’ Sam Beer

Although not quite in time for the actual Fourth of July festivities, golf fans and beer aficionados can come together this weekend at the Greenbrier where a new premium lager inspired by the late Sam Snead is set to make a splash onto beer lists at 19th holes everywhere.

Debuting this week at The Greenbrier Resort in conjunction with the centennial of Snead’s birth, Slammin’ Sam features a refreshing taste with an exceptionally balanced finish that makes it the Smoothest Beer in Golf. It showcases a proprietary recipe developed by Ray Klimovitz, recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Life Service Award from the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

“Mr. Snead is an international sports icon, and our first priority was to create an amazing beer that honors his legacy,” says Casey Bierer, Founder and CEO of Slammin’ Sam Beer Company and a former producer-reporter with Golf Channel. “Through the assistance of a beer industry legend and remarkable craft brewery, we’re proud to present a thirst-quenching premium lager that golfers and all active lifestyle consumers will truly enjoy.”

Toast responsibly.

Cell Phones Permitted at U.S. Women’s Open
Somewhere Phil Mickelson is cringing. Lefty, who you might remember is suspected of withdrawing from the Memorial due to frustration with fans using cell phones, cannot be pleased by news that cell phones will be permitted on the grounds of Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisc., this weekend where the 66th U.S. Women’s Open is set to take place.

Although LPGA events typically allow spectators to have phones on the grounds, this is the first time they will be permitted at a USGA event leading to the suspicion that this might be a trial run for a similar allowance at next year’s men’s championship.

According to the tournament website, while there will be designated areas for calls, text messaging is permissible everywhere. Volume must be maintained at silent or vibrate, and photos are only allowed during the practice rounds.

Tweet of the Day

@DeronWilliams how did those meetings go? Do we need a couple more rounds of golf?

— Jason Kidd (@RealJasonKidd) July 3, 2012

We all knew this was coming. When the European Tour’s leading bon vivant wins the major championship he wants the most, he’s going to throw a great party.

Here’s a report from Clarke’s manager Chubby Chandler from after 1 a.m. Sandwich, England, time:

The party continued straight through until morning, according to the European Tour’s web site. Here's the post-celebration report from a bleary-eyed Clarke posing with the claret jug Monday morning:

"I probably won't get any sleep until tomorrow at some stage. Have to enjoy it when you can.

"I had quite a few pints and quite a few glasses of red wine and it all continued until about 30 minutes ago.

"It's been a very good night."

Nothing, though, had been poured into the trophy.

"I'm a little bit of a traditionalist. I feel a bit funny about putting stuff in the Claret Jug that shouldn't be in there. "There's nothing in it as yet. That may not be the case as the week goes by!"

We’ll give Rory McIlroy the final word.

Tom Watson visited D-Day sites before playing British Open  

Before traveling to Royal St. George’s in Sandwich for the British Open, Tom Watson made an emotional visit to the World War II battlefields and graveyards of Normandy in northern France. Watson talked about the experience after his round on Sunday.

TOM WATSON: I visited the British military grave site at Ranville first and then I went on to Sword Beach, which was the eastern flank, and then we overnighted in Caen, and then the next day we went to the U.S. cemetery and Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach. It was very emotional.

Q. You've been here, seen it, done it. There must be few things that can move you, but that must have been...

TOM WATSON: Oh, there are a lot of things that can move me. There are a lot of things. That certainly is -- you know, that particular turning point in World War II certainly was a -- it was a feat extraordinaire.

Q. Describe your emotions around a place like that.

TOM WATSON: Well, the visuals there are -- I wanted to see, first of all, Pointe du Hoc. It was man against man and gun against gun. Talk about a disadvantage. It was like me playing Phil Mickelson on this golf course. The Rangers, the Second Battalion Rangers, had to go up 115 feet in the air, straight up, and the Germans were up there shooting at them. And they managed to do it. Omaha Beach was a disaster in a lot of different ways. The weather forecast was not exactly right, and the seas were really, really big, and they lost a lot of men before they even got to shore. They couldn't get to shore. To see the cemetery there and the 9,000-plus marble crosses is a striking reminder of what the human condition can do. I was very emotional, very emotional seeing that.

Jack Wagner takes down Tony Romo in celeb tournament

Darren Clarke’s win at the British Open was drama-free after Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson flamed out on the back nine, but that wasn’t the case for soap star and celebrity golf stick Jack Wagner, who had to shake a charging Tony Romo down the stretch at the American Century Championship in Reno, Nev., according to Dan Hinxman of The Reno Gazette-Journal.

By the time the two reached the par-3 17th, Wagner's lead was down to two. He sank a 10-footer for birdie right after Romo missed his 12-foot birdie try, and then both players hit their second shot on 18 into Lake Laimbeer. Romo needed to make about a 30-footer to force Wagner to get up and down in three shots, but he missed and Wagner claimed his second ACC title in five years.

It put the finishing touches on a day of quality golf, with Wagner shooting a three-under 69 and Romo shooting a 66. Wagner finished with 80 points, the second-highest total in the tournament's modified Stableford scoring history (since 2003).

Good thing it didn't go to a playoff. Cowboys fans know how that would end.

When is Tiger Woods returning to the PGA Tour?

In case you missed it, Tiger Woods is planning to play Stanford bud Notah Begay’s charity tournament on Aug. 31 in Upstate New York. However, the CEO of the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia said that rumors of a Tiger return at the Greenbrier Classic on July 28 are just that, according to Dave Morrison of The (Beckley, W. Va.) Register-Herald.

“There is absolutely nothing to the Tiger rumor, absolutely nothing,” Justice said, without even being asked. “That means I have heard nothing (from Woods’ camp),” Justice said. “Surely to goodness, I would have been the first to know that. It would be great news, and we would love to have Tiger. But as far as Tiger committing, there is nothing to it.”

In other Tiger news, Woods texted his pal Darren Clarke some final-round advice before, but Clarke declined to say what it was. (Via The Associated Press). Also, Palm Beach Realtor Jeff Lichtenstein does the math and figures that – in addition to his mortgage -- Tiger has about $5.4 million in monthly taxes and expenses on his Jupiter Island, Fla., mansion. No wonder he might come back soon! 

Sports Photo of the Year

If the average picture is worth a thousand words, this one posted on Twitter by Brian Keogh of IrishGolfDesk is worth 10,000.

Tiger Woods is currently 111th in FedEx Cup points, which isn't good enough to make the 100-player field at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event. The tournament, held at the TPC Boston on Labor Day weekend since 2003, has enjoyed a close relationship with Woods over the years and contributes to Woods's charitable foundation.  Emily Kay of Examiner.com explains that the star of the show may be missing for what has become a Labor Day tradition:

The Deutsche Bank Championship and Tiger Woods’ appearance at the tourney that benefits his charitable foundation have been staples of Boston's Labor Day weekend golf scene since 2003, but that run could be in jeopardy after this year.

Woods, who has played in each DB Championship except 2008, when he was recovering from knee surgery, will have to pick up his game if he hopes to tee it up at TPC Boston in September. The event is the second of four FedEx Cup playoffs, and Woods was ranked 111th in FedEx Cup points, not good enough to make the 100-player field.

Deutsche Bank's original sponsorship agreement was for four years, which has since been renewed with an option for two more years. However, according to Kay, Seth Waugh, chief executive of Deutsche Bank Americas, said that while the bank would like to continue sponsoring the tournament, nothing is definite as of now. 

"If it comes down to jobs at the bank or us sponsoring the golf tournament, it's not a fair fight," Waugh said. “[In this economy], you can’t take anything for granted anymore.”

Editors' Note: An earlier version of this post said that Woods was in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. As of Aug. 3, he would make the 125-man field for the first playoff event, the Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., which starts August 26.

Greenbrier Classic is success for iconic resort

The recent Greenbrier Classic wasn't just great for Stuart Appleby's bank account and his world ranking, it was a major stepping-stone for West Virginia's iconic Greenbrier resort as well. Bought out of bankruptcy just last year by local millionaire Jim Justice, the Greenbrier, originally opened in 1858, got high marks from players and fans alike. Once the site of Ryder Cups and major championships, the West Virginia resort had lost some of its luster in recent years, but Justice is determined to return the Greenbrier to its former glory. 

Over the last year, the resort added an underground casino (costing a reported $80 million), upscale retail stores and celebrity chefs. Justice, who grew up playing golf at the resort, arranged tournament performances by Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood, and offered $250,000 to any PGA Tour player who made a hole-in-one on par-3 18th hole, plus $100 to every spectator in the stands who witnessed it. His six-year agreement with the PGA Tour ensures that the tournament and The Greenbrier will continue to grow together for quite some time. That's good news all around.

R.I.P. Caddyshack's Dr. Beeper

Actor Dan Resin, who played Dr. Beeper in Caddyshack, died this weekend from Parkinson's complications. Resin, who was 79, also appeared in such films as Wise Guys, The Sunshine Boys and The Man With One Red Shoe. He was also known for his Ty-D-Bol commercials in the early 1970s. 

How would you like to get paid to be a golf spectator? Don't laugh. It could happen thanks to an innovative -- some might say crazy or desperate -- idea for this week's inaugural Greenbrier Classic.

The tournament is being played at the famed Greenbrier Resort, which is in a remote location 90 minutes from Roanoke, Va., and two hours from Charleston, W.Va.

Here's the deal: The 18th hole is a par 3 and if any player during the tournament makes an ace there, Greenbrier owner Jim Justice will pay $1 million to the pro and his favorite charities ($250,000 to the player, $750,000 to charity) and give everyone sitting in the stands at the 18th $100. A second ace the same day will generate another $1 million bonus and fans will get $500. A third ace will pay $1,000 to the fans.

"I hope we have a lot of fun with it," Justice told the media.

Golfweek.com explained how the bonus will work:

Fans seated in the 18th hole grandstand will receive a card. If they leave, even to go to the bathroom, they have to relinquish their card.

"What I'm worried about is giving everybody in the stands a thousand bucks," Justice said. "You give everybody in the stands a thousand bucks three times for four days, that's $6.8 million to go into the stands. You know, you would have to have an armed guard out there."

Justice agreed to pay for as many as three aces per day. The 162-yard closing hole with its horseshoe contoured green is where Sam Snead recorded his 35th and final hole-in-one in 1995.

CEO: "Count Me In!"

We have a winner for the Bad Idea of the Year. The honoree is Ray Halbritter CEO of the Oneida Nation Enterprises and the man responsible for landing the Turning Stone Resort Championship on the PGA Tour schedule. It was a second-tier Fall Series event last year, and now it's a second-tier regular tour event because it will be played opposite the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational next week.

Halbritter's bad idea? He decided to give himself one of the tournament's four sponsor exemptions. Never mind that he's 60 and that he claims to be a 2 handicap. Never mind that this idea wasn't approved by some committee. Halbritter is the man who calls the shots. He unapologetically decided to award himself the exemption.

Former NFL star Jerry Rice, who claimed to be a 0 handicap, teed it up in two Nationwide Tour events this year. One was in the Bay Area, where his celebrity legitimately may have sold some tickets. Rice shot 83-76 and missed the cut by a mile. Then Rice used his fame to wrangle an invite for a second Nationwide event, where he shot an embarrassing 92 and then was disqualified for using a range-finder, an even more humiliating gaffe. Rice seemed to be a lock for Bad Idea of the Year. Until now.

Apparently, the media in upstate New York isn't going to call out Halbritter for wasting space in a field where players are battling for position on the money list to keep their jobs for 2011. The Post-Standard's Bud Poliquin columnized on the topic and not only didn't criticize Halbritter, but also showed he just doesn't get it, either:

You know Ray. He's the exalted CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises and ... also the guy who embraces the notion of "I can ... and I shall."

That he's likely to shoot in the 80s and miss the cut is not the point. Troy Merritt missed seven cuts in a row earlier this season and he's in the TSR field. And nobody's beefing about that.

No, at issue is Ray's chutzpah, which would fill a fair-sized wheelbarrow. Fact is, because Halbritter, a self-proclaimed 2-handicapper (cough, cough) will be among those 144 in pursuit of a slice of the $4 million purse, some put-upon card-carrying pro won't be.

Let's do the arithmetic here. The Bridgestone Invitational should attract the top 80 players in the world to Akron. The next 140-ish best players will descend upon Verona. So if my ciphering is correct, Halbritter's gift to himself would come at the expense of that poor soul ranked around No. 221 in the world. With all the real problems in golf -- like, for instance, John Daly's pants -- how is it that people have to worry about this, um, outrage?

Halbritter isn't going to make the cut. A 2-handicapper is about seven shots worse than the worst player in the field, and that's if he's a legit 2 and not a vanity 2 because of the CEO rule --"That one's good, boss, pick it up" -- or because of mulligans, breakfast balls and gimmes. The only question is whether this 60-year-old will break 90 and not be such a big distraction that he gets in the way of his playing partners. 

Sometimes a celebrity sideshow can spark interest in a tournament. Michelle Wie as a 13-year-old played in the Hawaiian Open. Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien teed it up in a tour event and did every bit as badly as Rice, but generated attention for the old Kemper Open.

Maybe Halbritter will succeed in that. It's his tourney. He's not going to be competitive. And one more thing, sir:  Range finders aren't allowed.

Back in the Limelight

Erin Hills is back in the news again. First, this little-known and still relatively new course in Wisconsin was awarded the 2017 U.S. Open, which was announced during Open week at Pebble Beach.

And after another round of renovations and improvements, the course will reopen Saturday, reports Gary D'Amato in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. D'Amato has frequently chronicled the course's short but troubled history and the good news is that finally, apparently, the owners got it right and the course is good to go:

Erin Hills is barely four years old and already has been closed twice for renovations. It's had more plucking and tucking than an aging Hollywood starlet yet has emerged looking more stunning than ever. Along with Whistling Straits, which hosts the 92nd PGA Championship in two weeks, the "new" Erin Hills gives Wisconsin a one-two punch of championship golf unmatched in the Midwest.

To walk Erin Hills today is to understand why the USGA is so enamored of the inland links... Some 300 trees have been removed; it's the perfect example of less is more. Wide, emerald fairways framed by huge, jagged-edged bunkers create jaw-dropping views from almost every tee. The greens are, in a word, perfect. The best in Wisconsin? With apologies to Milwaukee Country Club, perhaps.

Erin Hills still is a bit rough around the edges. The recent rains washed away some seed and exposed a couple of drainage problems. The practice area, still under construction, will be among the nation's finest, highlighted by an enormous 360-degree range... and a short-game area.

Construction is just starting on a second clubhouse and three cottages and owner Andy Ziegler is at least contemplating a second 18-hole course. He's a hands-on owner for whom money is no object and excellence is the lowest acceptable standard. In my opinion, it won't be long before Erin Hills is a top-20 course in the United States. It's that good.

One interesting thing about Erin Hills is that it will be a walking-only course. No carts. Caddies will be available.