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Ken Venturi, who overcame dehydration to win the 1964 U.S. Open and spent 35 years in the booth for CBS Sports, died Friday afternoon. He was 82. "The PGA TOUR joins the world of golf in mourning the loss of one of its most treasured champions and ambassadors, Ken Venturi," PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. "His impact on the TOUR and the game itself cannot be overstated. His tremendous accomplishments on the golf course were certainly Hall of Fame worthy on their own, but in Ken one finds a rare example of a golfer whose second career, in television,...

Obama takes Cabinet secretaries out to play golf Associated Press – 30 mins ago WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has taken two Cabinet secretaries out for a round of golf — in the rain. The White House said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL'-yuhs) and outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined the president Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base. LaHood is running the Transportation Department until the Senate confirms Obama's choice of Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx as successor. Reporters saw Sebelius climb into the president's SUV before the motorcade left the White House. She's overseeing the...

Ken Venturi, who overcame dehydration to win the 1964 U.S. Open and spent 35 years in the booth for CBS Sports, died Friday afternoon. He was 82. His son, Matt Venturi, said he died in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Venturi had been hospitalized the past two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia and then an intestinal infection that he could no longer fight.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama took his congressional outreach effort to the green on Monday, playing a round of golf with a bipartisan trio of senators. Democrat Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado and Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Bob Corker of Tennessee joined Obama for a round at Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base, where Obama frequently plays golf on weekends with aides and friends. Under overcast skies, the three chatted casually with Obama, wearing a windbreaker and baseball cap. They putted on the first green before leaving the view of reporters on a pair of golf carts....

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss is joining President Barack Obama for a round of golf today, with Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., rounding out the foursome.

Golfer Bubba Watson said he supported Christian ESPN analyst Chris Broussard's statement that NBA player Jason Collins' announcement about being gay is open rebellion against God. At the same time, he respects "anybody that's gay" while believing that homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible. "The Bible says you're not supposed to be gay, and so I never downed Jason," Watson told Golfweek, referring to his tweet this week, which said "Thanks @Chris_Broussard for sharing your faith & the bible!! #GodIsGood." During a segment on "Outside the Lines," Broussard said Tuesday that as a Christian he does not agree...

There would be no backing into the title on Sunday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. With no wind and lift, clean and place in effect, players were taking dead aim and going low. Billy Horschel got his first PGA Tour win in style, when he drained a 27-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to hold off D.A. Points. Here is the skinny on the final round at TPC Louisiana ...

Report: Obama Spent Twice as Much Time on Vacation/Golf as Economy by Wynton Hall 28 Apr 2013, 4:00 PM PDT According to a new report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Institute (GAI), President Barack Obama has spent over twice as many hours on vacation and golf (976 hours) as he has in economic meetings of any kind (474.4 hours). The report, “Presidential Calendar: A Time-Based Analysis,” used the official White House calendar, Politico’s comprehensive presidential calendar, and media reports through March 31, 2013 to calculate its results. GAI’s findings may actually understate Obama’s recreational hours. Last year, Obama told CBS...

A report released by the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), has concluded that President Barack Obama has spent twice as much time on vacation and golf as he has in economic meetings throughout his entire term in office. That may come as no surprise to some, but the nonpartisan GAI actually conducted an analysis which found Obama spent ...read more here.

Police say a New Jersey golfer is dead after a tree fell on him while he tried to retrieve an errant ball from the backyard of a home adjacent to an exclusive country club. Alpine police identified the man as 60-year-old Sung Paik of Union City.

I hadn't noticed this before, but why is it that golfers sometimes (or is it all the time) when their ball is near the hole pick up their ball, then mark the spot with a quarter(?), then place the ball back down then take their shot? Why not just proceed with their shot from the get-go?

Tiger Woods was three strokes off the lead in the Masters when he completed the second round at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday. But he began his third round five strokes behind the leader Jason Day after being assessed a two-stroke penalty on Saturday for an illegal drop on the 15th hole of the second round.

Did Tiger Woods' actions after he drenched his third shot on No. 15 Friday at Augusta result in him signing an incorrect scorecard, which would result in his automatic disqualification from the Masters? There was no definitive answer and a lot of speculation late Friday. So, while a conclusion has yet to be reached, let's walk through the events in question. After his round Woods said about his shot into the water on No. 15: "I went down to the drop area, that wasn't going to be a good spot, because obviously it's into the grain and it was a...

Don't Drop the Ball, Augusta On a day that so much attention was given to a rules infraction, it’s another rules infraction that everyone should be talking about. We all know that 14 year old Guan Tianlang, competing at a level far beyond his age, was assessed a 1-stroke penalty for slow play. While basically nobody liked this ruling or agreed with it, it was technically correct. USGA Rule 26 governs drops when a ball is in a water hazard. Per this rule, a player can replay the shot from “as nearly as possible from the spot from which the...

To put this performance into perspective, consider that Guan finished his first career Masters round tied with five major champions and two strokes ahead of the defending champion, Bubba Watson. He should have been a nervous wreck, a golfing shambles. The sheer length of Augusta National was supposed to overwhelm Tianlang Guan, remind him that he is 14 years old, an eighth grader, a thin reed in a forest of pines. Instead, Guan rolled a 20-foot, pin-high putt into the cup on the 18th hole for a final birdie, giving him an impressive 1-over 73 in the first round Thursday....

The intelligent punter's guide to the 2013 US Masters golf How to spot a winner - or at least a top five finisher - in the 93-strong field about to tee off at Augusta BY Neil Clark LAST UPDATED AT 11:26 ON Thu 11 Apr 2013 IF YOU thought last weekend's Grand National with 40 runners was a baffling enough puzzle to solve, then what about the US Masters, with a field of 93 golfers?The first golfing major of the year, which starts soon after midday (UK time) in Augusta, Georgia today and finishes on Sunday night, has proved a...

Glide over any terrain, including grass, sand, and water. Golf carts haven't changed much over the years. They look and feel the same. What if there was a way to improve the traditional golf cart concept and take away some of the limitations?

Obama Booed at Elite 8 Game... After Golf Outing by John Pudner 30 Mar 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nearly half of the crowd at Saturday's Elite 8 game between Syracuse and Marquette at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. booed President Barack Obama when he was shown on the big screen with just over ten minutes to play in the first half. After the boos erupted, a contingency of Obama supporters countered with cheers. Obama also golfed on Saturday for the first time since the sequester cuts went into effect at the beginning of March and then took some of...

(CNN) — Nearly a month after forced spending cuts prompted some Republicans to call on President Barack Obama to cease his weekend golf outings, the commander-in-chief returned to the links for a springtime round Saturday. **SNIP** “The president will use up more Secret Service time guarding him while he golfs than it would take to keep the White House tours open all year,” Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, said earlier this month on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, submitted legislation which would make it illegal for Obama to use federal funds for commuting...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama had the kind of Saturday that many men dream of having, playing golf and attending a college basketball playoff game. Midday found him at Joint Base Andrews, the Air Force base on the outskirts of Washington where Air Force One is kept. He teed off at one of the base courses with friends Marty Nesbitt, Marvin Nicholson and Michael Brush. After a couple of hours, enough to probably play nine holes, Obama had his motorcade whisk him to the Verizon Center sports arena, where Syracuse defeated Marquette to advance to the semifinals of the...

They're called "leathernecks" or "Devil Dogs," but some of the Marines killed in a desert training accident this week were just a year or so out of high school. The explosion (pin fail?) Monday caused an immediate (sorta) suspension of the use of 60 mm mortars by the Marine Corps, with an exemption (more sic) for troops in Afghanistan, The suspension, which will (sorta) be in effect until the accident investigation is complete...

A reporter from Colorado asked White House spokesman Jay Carney how President Obama justifies "lavish vacations" and golf trips, and whether he plans to cut back:(NB: video at link)Bringing up high unemployment in minority communities and government furloughs, the reporter started, as well as "millions of Americans unemployed, and family budgets that have been cut. How does the president justify lavish vacations and a golf trip to Florida at taxpayer expense? And does he plan to cut back on his travels?"Carney responded, "I can tell you that this president is focused every day on policies that create economic growth and...

Four hundred U.S. Postal Service executives are heading to San Francisco next month for workshops, meetings — and a dance party. And a golf tournament. And a dinner event. That’s according to a report by KTVU, which found 400 USPS staffers, including the postmaster general, are set to attend the four-day National Postal Forum in March at the Moscone Center in California. The trip is expected to cost the flailing agency — which is pushing to stop Saturday letter delivery due to revenue issues — more than $2 million, KTVU reports. An estimated $220,000 is going to spent on exhibit...

WATERLOO, Ill. (AP) — When it comes to dealing with this divot, score one for golfer Mark Mihal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/13QvcoX ) reports that the mortgage broker from Creve Coeur, Mo., is recovering after a sinkhole opened up beneath him Friday on the fairway at the 14th hole of a southwestern Illinois golf course. The pit that swallowed him was 18 feet deep and 10 feet wide.

(CNN) - Many GOP critics say President Barack Obama should halt his golf games as the federal government weathers mandatory spending cuts, but one former Republican is taking the opposite tack, suggesting Obama golf more. But there's one important caveat to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's advice: The foursomes can't be made up only of friends. "I find it fascinating, people criticize him for taking people to dinner - he should be doing that every night. They criticize him for going and playing golf with people who he's got to deal with. He should be doing that every weekend. You...

In an effort to try to make the sequestration as painful as possible, The Administration announced that the White House would be closed to tourists for the duration. White House Visitors Office Director, Ellie Schafer explains that “in this time of fiscal crisis everyone must do his or her fair share of sacrifice.” The estimated annual savings to be attained by canceling visitors’ access to tours of the White House is a little over $900,000. This is less than the million dollars the Administration spent on a single Presidential golf outing with Tiger Woods in February. Schafer contended that the...

WASHINGTON — Fair or not, the extracurricular lives of American presidents are often measured by how they compare with the everyday pursuits of the people they lead. And so as the nation’s federal workers and others prepare to tighten their belts amid budget cuts, reduced overtime and furloughs, it is inevitable that someone would ask the question about President Obama and golf. It came this week from, among others, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate, who expressed outrage that the White House had canceled daily tours of 1600 Pennsylvania at the behest of the Secret Service,...

Between Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke, they have helped to produce huge asset bubbles through monetary easing. Take, for example, the FNC 30 RPI house price index and the Fed Funds rate since January 2000. Greespan retired on January 31, 2006 and Bernanke took over. THAT is an asset bubble! According to the Beige Book, the U.S. economy expanded at a modest to moderate pace across most of the country amid rising consumer demand for homes and autos, the Federal Reserve said. (Did they mean “investor demand for homes”?) But housing isn’t the only bubble created by The Fed. The...

Heh.Allahpundit already explained the motivations behind the White House’s announcement that they're cancelling all public tours of the president's residence until further notice; the Obama administration is putting all of their best efforts into making the sequester cuts as painful, visible, and wide-ranging as humanly possible in order to ensure that no ordinary American citizen should be able to escape their effects unscathed in some capacity --- 'cause let's be real, how else will they convince the country that we cannot turn back the tide of government, we must hike taxes, and that we need to elect more Democrats in...

There are very few in Congress I actually like. Most Republicans in the House have proven to be nothing more than Democrat-Lite trying to please the media, and Obama to ‘get along.’ However, Louie Gohmert is a rare exception. He doesn’t take any of Weeper Boehner’s crap. Today, the Texas Rep. introduced an amendment to the upcoming CR to defund Obama’s golf outings until White House public tours resume.

Daniel Halper at Weekly Standard quotes Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions who really goes after the president and the Democrats for their refusal to negotiate on the sequester: "Replacing the sequester would require the President to save $85 billion out of a $3,500 billion federal budget. One would think that any President would leap at the opportunity to make government more effective and responsive. But what does the President do instead? He says Republicans are 'cutting vital services for children' in order to 'benefit the well-off and well-connected.' This has been the strategy now for years: block any attempt to reform...

Have you seen the reports about the Chinese army being behind hundreds of cyber attacks on U.S. targets? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s true. Just last night my own hard drive was infiltrated and as a result my copyrighted image of Lady M on the Aspen slopes maliciously showed up on the worldwide innertubes early this morning:              I know it was a hack job because I worked on it all afternoon after receiving a special request from SB to get Lady M to pose on the bunny hill in Rosa DeLauro’s capital steps outfit. I...

The bloom is off Obamassiah's rose, I think. Some of the DUmmies are starting to see the Vacationer-in-Chief for what he is: a craven politician, beholden to Big Money, who talks a good game, rousing discontent against "the wealthiest among us," all the while stashing their cash in his back pocket. Witness this THREAD, "Obama played golf with oil giants during climate rally." Some of the DUmmies are bummed out. But many of them continue to back Our President, no matter what. I think the Obama worshipers still outnumber the hyper-progs who don't think he's leftist enough. But the...

In a chapel on Rikers Island today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the press shouldn’t be irked about being barred from photographing a round of golf between President Barack Obama and Tiger Woods. “I don’t know why the president has to have people watch what he does,” said Mr. Bloomberg, responding to a question from CBS’s Rich Lamb during a press conference introducing an anti-recidivism program. “He has a right to a vacation. You take a vacation occasionally, you don’t work 24/7. He does. He works very hard and he certainly has a right to his private life.”

President Obama is golfing in Florida Sunday with Tiger Woods, according to a press report. The news was first reported by Tim Rosaforte, a writer for Golf World. "The President is arriving at The Floridian range. Awaiting is Tiger Woods and club owner Jim Crane. Historic day in golf. Their first round," Rosaforte said on Twitter. Read

PALM CITY, Fla. -- Faced with a long weekend in an empty White House, President Barack Obama figured he needed a getaway, too, so he put together a golf outing with some buddies. Not at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland or at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, two Washington-area military posts where he's a regular on their courses. Instead, he went south, to Florida, to spend the long Presidents Day weekend staying and playing at the Floridian, an exclusive and secluded yacht and golf club on the state's Treasure Coast. He arrived Friday night after a speech in Chicago and wasn't...

Economic growth is in the negative, unemployment is on the rise, Walmart's forecasting a disastrous February for retail sales, poverty's up, gas prices are up, the cost of health care premiums are up, middle class incomes are falling, consumer confidence is at a two year low, our deficit is unsustainable, and Barack Obama has just signed up for private golf lessons with two of the top teachers in the country.

Manti Te’o and Lance Armstrong both started the year with headlines they would just as soon like to forget. Now, they are part of a list just as humbling, as Forbes has published a list of the most disliked American athletes. ... Here’s the final tally: 1.Manti Te’o 15% Appeal 2.Lance Armstrong 15% Appeal 3.Tiger Woods 19% Appeal 4.Jay Cutler 21% Appeal 5.Metta World Peace 21% Appeal 6.Alex Rodriguez 22% Appeal 7.Michael Vick 23% Appeal 8.Kurt Busch 27% Appeal 9.Kobe Bryant 27% Appeal ... One of those names is former Denver Bronco Jay Cutler. The quarterback lost a lot of...

The Kapolei Golf Club laid off 14 out of 110 employed at the course recently. The employees were from various departments. "After careful consideration and full review of operations, we had to make the difficult decision of reducing our staff at Kapolei Golf Club," said Micah Kane, chief operating officer of Pacific Links Hawaii, in a statement. "This shift enables Pacific Links Hawai'i to operate at optimal efficiency and better provide the high quality of service that our customers have come to expect and solidify the future of our remaining employees. We do not anticipate any further staff cuts." Other...

America's top-grossing golfer Phil Mickelson drove himself into a bunker on Jan. 20 when he said that federal and California state tax hikes had made him contemplate making "drastic changes" in his life—including, it was widely assumed, moving to a no-income-tax state such as Texas or Florida. But he was only stating publicly what many professional athletes are mulling privately. No doubt they'll keep their thoughts private, too, given the uproar that ensued. The golfer known as Lefty outraged lefties by noting that a tax burden of more than 60% seemed excessive. Didn't he know that athletes—unlike Hollywood celebrities—are supposed...

Please tell me this is some sort of a sick joke. Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer. He makes boatloads of money. Millions. What’s more, he makes boatloads of money for a lot of other people in the process, including generating massive contributions to charity. He’s a jobs creator and an engine of economic growth, as are many other pro golfers and athletes. So Mickelson takes a look at his income tax burden, and is displeased. First we have Obama and the Democrats riding roughshod over the GOP and enacting a 4.6% tax increase on the evil rich. Then...

Mickelson expects to make 'drastic' changes LA QUINTA — San Diego professional golfer Phil Mickelson said after the final round of the PGA Tour’s Humana Challenge on Sunday that he will have to make “drastic changes” in his life because of the federal and state taxes he is paying, and he confirmed that his decision to not buy an interest in the Padres was directly related to his financial situation. "I'll probably talk more in depth next week (at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines). I'm not going to jump the gun,” Mickelson said. “There are going to be...

For golf legend Phil Mickelson, the low 60s makes for a great score on the links — and a lousy tax rate in his home state of California. Mickelson said “drastic changes” are ahead for him due to federal and California state tax increases that have pushed his tax rate to what he figures adds up to “62, 63 percent.” The left-hander will talk more about his plans — possibly moving out of California or even retiring altogether — before his hometown Farmers Insurance Open, the San Diego-area event that begins Thursday at Torrey Pines.

January 04, 2013 By Ann Miller for PGATOUR.COM KAPALUA, Hawaii — Golfers in their 20s won nearly half of last year’s PGA TOUR events, but the defending champion in this week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions is 45-year-old Steve Stricker. He is the only player in his 40s here and has one of the best track records at Kapalua Plantation, with top-10 finishes three of the last four years. Not bad for an old guy, at least by comparison. Of the 37 winners last year, 15 were in their 20s. Stricker turned pro about the time 2012 Rookie of the Year...

Major rule changes in the game of golf will become effective January, 20 2013. This is only a preview as the complete rule book (expect 2716 pages) is being rewritten as we speak. Here are a few of the changes:

HONOLULU, Hawaii — President Obama is golfing at Mamala Bay Golf Course at Hickam Air Force Base in a group that includes White House travel director Marvin Nicholson and Hawaiian pal Robert “Bobby” Titcomb, who was arrested in April on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute. In April, Titcomb was one of four men arrested in an undercover prostitution sting operation, according to Honolulu police. Titcomb, an airline employee and commercial fisherman, has been friends with the president since they attended Honolulu’s elite Punahou School together in the 1970s.

Time for another motor in the house. Last vehicle I bought I ran by the Freeper Auto-Guys and it worked great. Time for a different kind of transportation. Looking at a new two or four door Golf TDI in Red with manual transmission. No sunroof, no nav package. Test drove it twice and like the manual transmission. Dealer giving 300K warranty with serviceing Q10K at dealership. Your thoughts.

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP) — Fore — 42 and 44 are playing 18. Former President Bill Clinton — the 42nd president — is joining President Barack Obama — he's No. 44 — for a round of golf at Joint Air Base in Maryland. Also in the group, according to the White House, are U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and longtime Clinton backer and strategist Terry McAuliffe, who's running for governor in Virginia in 2013.

Obama: 'I'll do whatever it takes' for budget dealBy Amie Parnes - 11/28/12 07:57 PM ET President Obama on Wednesday ramped up his sales pitch for Congress to accept a budget deal that includes tax increases on the wealthiest Americans, offering a stark warning to lawmakers that it’s “too important to screw this up.” During brief remarks at the White House to a group of middle-class voters, Obama sought to push his proposal to extend tax rates only on households with annual income of $250,000 or less before those rates expire at the end of the year. Obama, who will...

Obama hits the links for post-Thanksgiving golfBy Sheldon Alberts - 11/23/12 11:44 AM ET President Obama hit the links for some post-Thanksgiving exercise on Friday morning, taking advantage of an unusually mild late November day in the Washington area. Obama played his round at Joint Base Andrews with White House assistant Eugene Kang, White House trip director Marvin Nicholson — the president's most frequent golfing partner — and Nicholson's brother, Walter. Obama is an avid golfer — he played his 100th round as president in June — but played less frequently during the stretch run of the election campaign. The...