- Oddjob Revisited?:  It is not unheard of for a professional golfer to dismiss a caddie during the middle of a competitive round – indeed, Ian Woosnam might well have gotten away with throttling his after his 15-club British Open snafu back in 2001 – but I’m not sure how often players have done so and still ended the day leading the tournament, as happened to Australia’s Tony Carolan yesterday in South Korea.  A 39-year-old from Queensland, Carolan terminated his looper’s services after three holes (two of which he birdied) of the Ballantine’s Championship when the inexperienced local was banned from the putting surfaces for wearing spikes, and was making noise and moving during shots.  Utilizing the volunteer services of a female spectator for the duration, Carolan tacked on three more birdies en route to a five-under-par 67, and a share of the first-round lead with with Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.  But here’s the kicker: This was not Carolan’s first noteworthy incident with a caddie.  During the 2005 Asian Tour Q School, his local bag-toter ignored Carolan’s instructions and raked a bunker while the golfer was still in it, the resulting two-stroke penalty ultimately dropping Carolan from 13th to 31st in the final standings, costing him playing status in a number of the tour’s larger events.  But on that occasion, at least, he waited until the close of play to cut the offending party loose.

- So Much For The “Hopez”:  The news that comedian George Lopez has been dropped from his host position at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (rumored to be replaced, for one year, by Arnold Palmer) comes as a bit of a surprise.  By all accounts, Lopez put his heart into his two-year run, convincing friends like Andy Garcia and Samuel L. Jackson to play, and generally injecting an old-fashioned element of fun into things.  Indeed, the Hope’s primary problems have nothing to do with George Lopez; the golf courses (three of which, ironically, were designed by Palmer’s company) are sleep-inducing, and with touring professionals generally cringing at the thought of one pro-am round per week, the prospect of four is…  Well, lets just say that the the Hope would probably have to triple its $918,000 first prize to make that an attractive proposition.  But accepting that the pro-am format remains non-negotiable, what is the tournament to do to recapture some of its lost importance of yesteryear?  There is, I think, one viable option: Admit that using the Classic Club as the host site was a poor idea (or, alternatively, a passable concept terribly designed) and consider moving the event back to...  PGA West!  Not the Palmer Private course currently used (the concrete canal straddler on which David Duval shot 59) but rather the layout which defines PGA West: The Stadium course.  True, the players grumbled loudly when the Hope briefly visited back in 1987, but times (not to mention equipment and purses) have changed.  With the possible exception of Pebble Beach, could there be a West Course venue more attractive to fans and TV viewers alike than the Stadium course?  And just imagine watching all those amateurs take on this island-green 17th...

Thursday’s Round of the Day

Hard to not to go with a sentimental favorite here.  While Fred Couples would still be something of longshot pick to actually win at Bay Hill, his opening 65 was certainly an attention-getter.  His back apparently feeling stable for the first time in a while, the ever-popular Couples started on the back nine and birdied four of his first six, then, after a bogey a 17, birdied  the first and second before parring in from there.