AT&T cuts off sponsorship link with Tiger Woods

FROM THE GOLFWORD.COM WEBSITE
Major American telephone company AT&T Inc said today it would no longer sponsor Tiger Woods, joining Accenture in dropping support for the world's top golfer, who's taking a break from the sport to focus on his marriage after his admitted infidelity.
The phone company hasn't used Woods' image extensively in advertising, but its logo appeared on his golf bag. That deal had been billed as a "multi-year" agreement when it was signed early in 2009.
Woods has also been the host of the AT&T National PGA Tour event since it started in 2007. The phone company said it would continue to sponsor the event, which will be held in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania in July.
AT&T, which is based in Dallas, did not comment on its reasons for dropping Woods, or how much his contract was worth.
Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, had no comment on AT&T's decision.
Consulting firm Accenture dropped Woods two weeks ago, saying he was "no longer the right representative" of the company's values.
Gillette, a unit of the Procter & Gamble Co., also has said it won't air ads for its razors that include Woods or include him in public appearances.
Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer, a unit of luxury goods empire LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, also said that it would "downscale" its use of golfer Tiger Woods' image in its advertising campaigns for the foreseeable future.

CHANGES to the DECISIONS on the RULES OF GOLF

From January 1, no relief allowed from divot hole or repaired divot hole

By RON MENZIES
As usual, half way through the four-year life of an edition of The Rules of Golf, the R&A has published a new Decisions Book. This contains some 30 new decisions and amended versions of further 49 revised decisions which come into effect on January 1, 2010.
Many of these merit detailed consideration only by serious students of the rules, budding referees and quiz masters and require a thorough knowledge to understand their complexity. However, there is one change that will require immediate action by many club committees and the awareness of all golfers.
New decision 33-8/34 now removes the authority for a committee to make a local rule “providing relief without penalty from a divot hole or a repaired divot hole (i.e. filled with sand or seed mix)”
At least half the golf clubs in Scotland have such a local rule and these must be withdrawn immediately before any qualifying competitions for handicap purposes can be played. Such a local rule contravenes Rule 13-1 which states that a ball must be played as it lies and has generally not been used in professional and major amateur competitions.
It is often mistakenly believed that this rule protects the golf course. If relief is given or indeed demanded from a seeded divot hole, a second divot hole is created and requires repair, leaving two seeded divots holes. If the ball is played from the original hole it may require repair but only one hole remains.



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David Drysdale ditches

plans for time off

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
David Drysdale thought he'd seen enough of golf courses for a few weeks when he brought down the curtain on a long 2009 campaign in South Africa a fortnight ago.
But, after arriving home to a blanket of snow and freezing temperatures, Scotland's top player in Europe last season is itching to get back down to business.
He'd contemplated resuming after the festive break in the Middle East towards the end of
January but, instead, is heading back to South Africa next week.
"It was a shock to the system," he said of the recent cold snap. "It was 36 degrees when I drove to the airport in South Africa after my last event and then I came home to this.
"I was thinking about taking a long break but now I'm itching to get away again. So I'm off to South Africa on Wednesday. "I won't play in the Africa Open but will play in the Joburg Open the following week, then head to the Middle East for the three events there and then India for a five-week run."
Drysdale had already wrapped up his best-ever season on the European circuit – he finished 48th in the Race to Dubai – by the time he headed to South Africa for two events just before Christmas.
"In hindsight, I'd had enough golf for one year by then and I wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been sitting third on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit," added the Dunbar player.
"I'd gone out early to Dubai for the World Championship, then had the World Cup in China and, in truth, I'd been away from home for too long. In a way, I'm glad the weather has been so bad since I came home as I'd probably have been sneaking out to hit some balls otherwise."
After his victory in the South African Open, which is part of the 2010 European Tour Schedule, Richie Ramsay has got his season off to a flying start and Drysdale knows he'll have his work cut out to be Scotland's No 1 again on this side of the Atlantic.
"Richie did really well and hats off to him for winning in a great field over a great golf course," he added. "That made it three big wins by Scottish golfers in 2009 (Catriona Matthew lifted the Ricoh Women's British Open and Martin Laird triumphed on the US PGA Tour] and hopefully there will be more next year.
"I had no idea where to start my 2010 campaign because I've never been in this position before. I've always played in everything and still find it strange if I'm at home and I'm watching the guys on TV or checking what's happening on the internet.
"2009 was a great year, by miles my best to date. Now I'm looking forward to the new season and hopefully I can do as well if not better in 2010. This is a strange game, though. When you think you've got it cracked, it can have a nasty habit of biting you.
"My aim is to go out there and try and put myself in the same position as I did on a couple of occasions last year and then try and learn from those experiences. I know now, for instance, that you don't have to try to hit perfect shots when you are challenging over the weekend."
As the dust settles or, more appropriately perhaps, is covered by the snow at the end of his year, Drysdale says his main aim in 2010 is finding the consistency required to string four low scores together in the one tournament.
"Like anyone else, I am always trying to improve," said the 34-year-old. "I had some good weeks last season and some weeks when I didn't play so well. Looking back, I can't honestly say that I managed to put four good rounds together and what I'd like to achieve going forward is a bit more consistency.
"In the Joburg Open at the start of the year, I could easily have been as many as 15 shots in front at the halfway stage if I had putted well. I don't think I was ever outside 15 feet in the opening two rounds but only holed one putt to lead by a shot.
"Then, in Seville, I played well in the middle two rounds. I also came up against a couple of guys who shot very low rounds. Soren Kjeldsen was ten under on the Saturday in Seville and Ross McGowan was 12 under on the Saturday in Madrid.
"You could say I was a bit unlucky on those occasions due to players shooting world-class scores.
"One slight concern for Drysdale going into the New Year is that he'll be playing with a new set of clubs as a result of the introduction of a new R&A rule on grooves. They were waiting for me when I got back from South Africa and it is going to be interesting to see how I get on with them," he said.
"They are a set of Callaway Diablos and I've used a set of Callaway X18s Pro series since February 2005. I'm a fairly straight hitter off the tee so, hopefully, it won't make too big a difference to me.
"Players won't be able to create the same amount of spin from the rough so the new rule might play into my hands a bit."
The clubs apart, it's as things were in 2009, with Bounce Management's Iain Stoddart still in charge of his business affairs, Irishman Brian Byrne still on the bag and former Scottish amateur star David Downie still giving him advice on his swing.
"I am hoping to see David before I go out to South Africa, even if it's just to hit a few balls on a range," he said. "I'd forgotten about a couple of the original things we had been working on this year and the last thing I want is too much nonsense filling my head."

*The full article appears in today's Edinburgh Evening News newspaper