- More Than OneAsia?:  So much for the notion that the Asian Tour will acquiesce and sign on to the new OneAsia concept anytime soon.  With its announcement of plans to “appeal” the OneAsia move to the International Federation of PGA Tours, the Asian circuit seems to have laid down the gauntlet…for now.  I can, at some level, understand the Asian Tour’s reticence; they have, after all, experienced an impressive level of recent growth which they may not particularly feel like sharing.  Further, an apparent purpose of OneAsia is to compete with the European Tour, but with eight co-sponsored events, the Asian circuit is already effectively in partnership with the E Tour – and why roll the dice with the insurgency if your nest is well-feathered with the established power?  Still, I’m puzzled by several aspects of the Asian Tour’s stance.  To begin with, they repeatedly harp on the notion that they are “the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia,” but the last time I checked, OneAsia lynchpin Japan was most definitely a part of Asia, and the Asian Tour has never held any authority there.  Nor, so far as I can tell, do they lord over the Omega China Tour or the new ASEAN developmental tour, so what, I wonder, instills them with such a sense of power?  And if that “official sanctioning body…” stuff sounds familiar, perhaps that’s because they were singing the same lyric several months ago while wrangling with the European Tour over sponsorship of the Indian Masters and the new Ballantine’s Championship.  On that front, the Asians may have had a case (and the events did end up being co-sanctioned) but where they get off claiming sovereignty over markets they’ve never controlled, or calling OneAsia’s highly logical concept “ignorant” is completely beyond me.

- Seeing Which Way The Wind Blows:  E Tour Internal Policy Director Keith Waters was quoted last Friday as suggesting that his organization has a “moral responsibility” to support “existing business partners like the Asian Tour” in the OneAsia dispute…though he also noted that the Euros were keeping their options open.  Writing from half a world away (and clearly not privy to whatever internal machinations are surely in play), it strikes me that the E Tour may shrewdly cite “moral obligation,” but it is certainly in their best short-term interest to back the Asian circuit, without whom they’d likely lose large portions of their winter/early spring schedule.  Of course, what George O’Grady & Co. might really like is a viable OneAsia circuit willing to at least occasionally partner with them on these “off-season” events, allowing the E Tour to fill its Far Eastern slots with more financially enticing tournaments than some of their present less-imposing joint ventures with the Asian Tour.  Thus they keep their options open…

- Check Your Sources:  ""It is hilarious ... I don't know where this comes from.  There's not an ounce of truth to it" were the words used by a Sotheby's Realty spokesperson in echoing claims by Tiger Woods' representatives that a New York Post report of Tiger's buying a $65 million home in the Hamptons is flatly untrue.  Which once again raises the obvious question: When, oh when, will legitimate news organizations stop citing reports from the Post (which famously makes it up as it goes along) as serious news?  Just amazing...

- Statistically Ludicrous:  Our friends at Ladbrokes have Tiger Woods currently listed at 4-6 to win this week’s WGC-CA Championship, absolutely ludicrous odds in a pure statistical sense, but probably an accurate reflection of how the action will shape up.  My old friend The Commodore used to make a lot of money taking Tiger against any two players of your choice, a more intriguing proposition than the Group or Match alternatives widely available on the internet.  With Tiger’s odds less than enticing, and the thought of presently betting against him being really less than enticing, I wonder if bookmakers see any larger-than-normal action on the Madeira Island or Puerto Rico Opens.  Too bad the LPGA is off this week; after Lorena Ochoa’s disastrous week in Mexico, there might have been some real betting interest there...