Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

This blog headline enables me to mix several developments under one title.

Plus, it also allows me to inject my own bias of what constitutes “good” and “bad.”

FIRST, GOOD NEWS:  LIV GOLF IS GOING BANKRUPT: 

Golf writer Eamon Lynch has it right when he writes in GolfWeek under this headline:  “Finally, after four years and $5.5 billion, LIV Golf isn’t only morally bankrupt.”

For me, this ranks as good news because LIV lured pro golfers to a program that was tainted by money from the Saudi Defense Fund.  A few golfers followed the money and now – here’s the good news – they are paying a price for defecting from the PGA Tour, which produced their livelihood.

More from Lynch:

“There’s likely to be more poetry than justice in the poetic justice of LIV Golf facing financial insolvency that complements its moral bankruptcy, since it won’t only be the deserving players and agents who’ll be stiffed on invoices but also vendors and employees who can ill afford the hit.

“For poetry, we can enjoy how the Chapter 11 filing blows away the smokescreen of obfuscation and guff that has governed LIV’s dealings since launch, forcing the league to cite real-world figures and facts. Like admitting that the Saudi Public Investment Fund lost $5 billion and would fund the 2026 season only with a $495 million loan, which was still insufficient to cover the schedule without canceling two tournaments.”

Lynch points out that:

• Only $15 million cash remains on hand from that near $5.5 billion.
• LIV’s media rights deal was worth a paltry $5 million, equivalent to revenue earned selling team merchandise.
• LIV execs averaged $250,000 in annual credit card bills.
• LIV shorted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees $1.7 million, money promised in support of its mission to aid displaced peoples, presumably including those impacted by the Saudi involvement in Sudan.”

NEXT, BAD NEWS:  FOR TRUMP, PARDONS ARE A POLITICAL GAME WHERE HE TRIES, AGAIN, TO MAKE MONEY: 

According to the TV news program 60 Minutes, political pardons are now a political game.  One pardon came for the owner of a nursing home chain, who had been convicted of massive tax fraud. He paid pardon brokers nearly a million dollars for their promise to reach the president.  For the same service, other brokers charge as much as $3 million.

Who knows how much of that money goes into Trump’s pocket.

FINALLY, MORE BAD NEWS, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER MUCH:  THE WINNER OF THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT BOUNCES THE BALL TOO MUCH:

Even I, not much of a tennis fan, know this.  Alexander Zverev bounces the ball too much before, finally, he lofts a serve.

I counted 15 bounces once.  Yes, 15!

If you are on the receiving ends of his serves, you might fall asleep before the shot reaches your end of the court.

Zverev came under criticism as he won the U.S. Open.  On occasion, exceeded the allotted time to serve, governed as the process is governed by a shot clock.  No penalty was called.  And, to put a point on it, Zverev said he didn’t care.  He won.

In this way, what happens reminds me of my favorite sport, golf, where players are almost never penalized when they take forever to play a shot – and forever means too long under existing golf rules, which are not enforced.