This 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.

With all that has gone on over the years, it was hard to imagine “something else” with Donald Trump.

Well, that “something else” occurred the other day during Trump’s criminal trial in New York.

In court, he fell asleep.

Yes, he fell asleep!

His head nodded off and nearly touched the table in front of him.

This happened while the attorneys on both sides, with the judge, were trying to come up with a jury of 12 citizens.  In the end, they did, needing only to identify six alternates.

In the Washington Post, columnist Jennifer Rubin said falling asleep represented the least of Trump’s misconduct in court.

“His continued belligerence — juror intimidation, anti-trial screeds on his social network — thus presenting Justice Juan Merchan (who has already issued a gag order) with a dilemma:  ‘Jail Trump, allowing him to play the martyr, or permit him to bully witnesses and perhaps others associated with the trial?’”

Rubin posited her own idea of what to do.  Just levy huge fines against Trump on the theory that he responds, if nothing else, to money.

I also thought of another word this week as we watched the Trump unfold.  The judge issues a gag order that Trump continued to violate.

The term “gag order” is appropriate for me because, when it comes to Trump, that’s what I do – gag!

This 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

Two opinions on immigration crossed my transom in the last few days.

And both caught my attention; thus, they are worth a second look.

They deal with an issue – immigration – that is roiling this country as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump runs against non-white persons who are trying find a better life in this country.

Of course, in a way, all of us are immigrants if you consider that our ancestors came from other countries to the United States.  And that includes Trump’s ancestors.

He would never admit this fact.

I have written about immigration before to make a couple points:

• First, there is no excuse for policymakers in this country who have failed – sometimes intentionally – to solve the illegal immigrant issue.  And that applies strongly today as the U.S. Senate decided not to conduct an impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a fact that prompted some Republicans to say they would go after Democrats who supported Mayorkas.
• Second, legal immigrants are an important part of this country’s economic fabric – and should be considered so.

For the second point, look no farther than an opinion piece by León Krauze, Global Opinions contributing columnist for the Washington Post.  Here is what he wrote. 

“After the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell in the middle of the night in Baltimore, journalists rightly focused on the victims.  One element of the story stood out for me:  The eight men who had been working tirelessly to repair potholes overnight were all immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico.  Quietly, in the wee hours of the morning, they performed a task no one else would.  Of the eight, only two survived.”

Krauze goes on to write that, “after decades of living and working in the area, immigrants had become a part of Baltimore.  They are also the engine of America’s economy.  The immigrant workforce has long been a crucial driver of various industries.

“For example, without immigrants, the construction industry would grind to a halt.  Immigrants work in it at great personal risk.”

Yet, given this reality, there goes Trump again railing against immigrants because they don’t give him what he wants, which is a “white America where he can be a king or a dictator.”

“Violent nativist rhetoric has featured prominently in U.S. politics for almost a decade now,” Krauze writes.  “In 2015, early in his presidential campaign, Trump labeled Mexicans — who constitute most immigrants, and their descendants, in the United States — as criminals.  Since then, he hasn’t let up.  On his path to the 2024 election, Trump has stated that immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood of the country.’”

Now, for the second post that captured my attention.

It came from Jeff Schultz, the co-lead pastor of Faith Church in Indianapolis, who commented on a disjointed reality – Trump selling Bibles, though it is likely that he has not read one word of it, or, at least, doesn’t hew to its teaching, which is that all – yes, ALL – people matter.

Immigration, Schultz is a significant theme throughout the Bible.  “In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘ger’ is best translated as ‘immigrant,’ and it appears 92 times.  And we’re not just to welcome immigrants but to also love and care for them, as well as seek justice on their behalf.

“Many of the heroes in the Bible were immigrants.  Abraham left his homeland on a divine promise then crossed borders again, fleeing famine.  Moses fled Egypt to live in Midian and named his first son Gershom, which means ‘a foreigner there.’

“Ruth, a Moabite immigrant in Israel, became part of the lineage of King David and, ultimately, Jesus.

“Jesus, of course, was the most important immigrant in history.  Carried by Joseph and Mary, He escaped violence in his homeland and found refuge in Egypt, an experience similar to that of more than 35 million refugees around the world today who have fled their homes because of persecution.”

As I wrote earlier, Trump knows nothing of the Bible even as he pedals it to help fund his political campaign.

If he did, he would not rail against immigrants.

And this final thought from Schultz:  “As Jesus’ followers, we are called to see ourselves as strangers who’ve been welcomed by God’s kindness.”

Good words!

But Trump, for one, will never learn them.

This 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.

If you watched the Masters Golf Tournament last week, as I did, you could not help but be impressed by the now two-time champion, Scottie Scheffler.

As he thought about his wife at home awaiting the birth of their first child, Scheffler dispatched all other players in the 88^th Masters, winning by four shots.

In the process, he verified his rank as the best player in the world.

But, anyone who watched Scheffler swing, should not try to duplicate the “one and only swing.”

The Wall Street Journal came to the same conclusion in a story by Andrew Beaton that appeared under this headline:

“The world No. 1 just clinched his second major in three years.  He did it thanks to a technique that violates the basic fundamentals of how you’re supposed to swing a golf club.”

Here is how the article started:

“Scottie Scheffler smashes his drives off the tee and pounds his iron shots off the fairway with astonishing accuracy.  It’s why he spent Sunday evening slipping on a green jacket as a Masters champion for the second time in three years. 

“He’s so extraordinarily skilled that anyone who has ever picked up a club wishes they could hit a golf ball like him.  But the funny thing is that no one should actually try to hit a golf ball like him. 

“Scheffler has risen to the top of the game despite footwork that would make golf purists choke on their pimento cheese sandwiches. 

“There’s no questioning its effectiveness.  The 27-year-old American is the No. 1 ranked player in the world and just ran away with another Masters, winning by four strokes at 11-under par.  

“There’s also no questioning the fact his odd technique flagrantly violates some of the basic fundamentals of golf.  When he drives the ball, Scheffler moves his feet more than any golfer since Happy Gilmore.” 

Typically, the article continues, golfers generate power during their swing by transferring their weight forward, releasing pressure from the back foot and shifting it toward the front foot with their toes pointed in the general direction of the fairway.

But as Scheffler swings, especially on his drives, his back foot completely abandons its position, sliding right behind his body and toward his front foot.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

“Coaches who have worked with him say the Scheffler Shuffle isn’t a flaw in his swing.  It’s actually a strength.  They would never teach anyone else to slide their feet like Scheffler, but then again, they would never change something that works so undeniably well.

“’I feel like we’re like that doctor that takes the Hippocratic oath,’ says John Fields, who coached Scheffler at the University of Texas. ‘The number one thing you’re supposed to do is do no harm.’”

It has been fun to watch Scheffler over the last couple years.  And, I first remember him when his team, the University of Texas, played the University of Oregon in the NCAA finals which were held in Eugene at Eugene Country Club.

In the final match, Scheffler took on Aaron Wise, who was Oregon’s #1 player. Scheffler dispatched him 3 and 2, even though, overall, Oregon won the NCAA crown at the home course of Oregon’s coach, Casey Martin.

I was there and I watched the Scheffler-Wise match, assuming Wise would win.  He didn’t.

Scheffler had a crowd with him that day, a crowd that included members of his family. 

Now, he has a bigger crowd following his exploits on the golf course, footwork and all.

This 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.

Here in La Quinta, California, where I live in the winter, there is only so much time for golf.

Only every day.

Well, not exactly.

And, on this second day after the Masters, my favorite golf tournament every year, I had the privilege of watching the final round WITH my daughter.  This time, instead of remotely, we were in the same place to watch the best golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, put together another MASTERpiece…pardon the play on words.

But, between golf games for me, I have time on my hands, which the following will verify.

• Why would Justin Thomas dismiss Jim “Bones” MacKay as his caddy?  Makes no sense to me.  But, for Bones, no problem.  He’ll just go back to his role on TV.  There is no better caddy than Bones, so who knows what Thomas will do now.  Or whether another player will engage Bones.

And, for what it’s worth, Thomas missed the cut at the Masters.  Who knows whether that would be the case of he had Bones on the bag.

• What is the definition of “handicap” on a golf hole?  Almost everybody who plays golf believes that the #1 handicap number assigned to a golf hole means it is the toughest on the course.  And, etc. for more numbers on holes, which means the 18^th handicap hole is the easiest.

No.

Here is the actual definition.  “The hole assigned as the #1 handicap hole is not necessarily the hardest hole on the course.  It is this:

“The number one handicap stroke hole should be assigned to the hole where the bogey golfer needs an additional stroke in order to halve the hole with the scratch golfer.”

Too complicated?  Yes. 

But that’s true of all golf rules.

• Why didn’t I have my Masters Golf Tournament chair here with me in La Quinta so I had a special place to sit for my favorite tournament every year?  The answer?  I forgot it back home. 

But I’ll still watch the tournament, no matter where I sit….as I proved again this year, sitting on any chair on my La Quinta condo with my daughter.

• What’s the future of municipal golf?   The answer is not clear.

There are at least two threats, both similar in nature.  One is that some interests, opposed to golf, believe that there are better uses for open space municipal courses.  So, in California, for instance, proposals continue to percolate to turn municipal course land into housing.  So far, golf supporters have risen to the challenge to defeat the proposals.

Meanwhile, in another issue related to land use, golfersin Cincinnati, Ohio, have long prized city courses for their high quality and low prices.

But, that benefit will be among the topics in play if the city decides to sell its courses or manage them in a new way – possibilities raised by the just-out Cincinnati Futures Commission report.  Not for housing…just for open space.

The courses could fetch a combined $6.5 million to $27.3 million, the report says, depending on whether they were bought by private golf course operators or sold off for development.

• A rules question:  There are at least two ways for a golfer to hit three balls off the same tee in a tournament.  How?

Anyone who cares – does anyone? – can answer this question.  I am the one who has the right answer.

One clue:  Tiger Woods did this on one hole in the recent Masters golf tournament.

This 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.

I pledged to myself that I would not write about Donald Trump during the week of the Masters Golf Tournament, my favorite tournament of any year.

I made good on that pledge.

But, now the Masters is over with an incredible win by my favorite, Scottie Scheffler, back to Trump, at least for today.

In the Washington Post, writers say that Trump’s hush money trial, which is scheduled to start today in New York, comes down to this Trump strategy — deny, delay, and denigrate.  Yes, three “d’s.”

More from the Post:

“The opening of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial on Monday will put to the test a defense strategy his lawyers have been honing for a year — a confrontational gambit that has angered the judge and could cost the presidential candidate dearly when it comes to a verdict.

“Fight for every scrap of evidence.  Push for every possible delay.  The approach has succeeded so far in Trump’s three other pending criminal cases, potentially pushing all of them into or past November’s presidential election.

“Surprisingly it is in Manhattan, at a courthouse notorious for lengthy delays before many criminal trials, that the former president and presumptive Republican nominee will face his first judgment day.

“Trump’s defense strategy in New York is unique from the other three cases in one respect — he aims to deny involvement in the key conversations about hush money payments made through his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.”

Also in the Post, opinion writer E. J. Dionne commented on the overall Trump strategy to contend that any president, current or former, has an absolute right to break the law.

From Dionne:

“Trump is saying something no other presidential candidate has ever said: That the only way to be an effective president is to be willing to break the law.  ‘A denial of criminal immunity would incapacitate every future president with de facto blackmail and extortion while in office, and condemn him to years of post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents,’ his lawyers wrote in their brief.  “That would be the end of the presidency as we know it and would irreparably damage our Republic.”

“Well,” Dionne opines, “let’s leave it to psychiatrists to determine what ‘post-office trauma’ might be. The breathless subtext echoing throughout their brief is that it takes a criminal to be a good president.  This has implications voters should take very seriously, including for national security.”

And, it’s the way Trump would act if he becomes president again.  He believes he is above the law.

So, the solution?

Continue to make him an ex-president and require him to continue to be subject to laws all the rest of us must observe.

This 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.

As I write this, remember two things:

• The Masters in my favorite golf tournament of the year.

• Focusing on the Masters is way to quit thinking of Donald Trump and the travesty he has been, is, and would be for America.

So, regarding Days two and three:

Day two featured one of the worst days of weather in Masters history, prompting last year’s champion Jon Rahm to wonder why players were not taken off the course.  The wind blew hard and there were strong gusts, which blow sand off bunkers, especially on hole #18.

After his round, another player, Max Homa, who stood in second place, said “he was very glad to be off the course.”

Of course, one of the pieces of big news on day two was that Tiger Woods made the cut again, his record 24^th time in a row.

On day three, my favorite, Scottie Scheffler, persevered through an up and down day, getting on eagle on hole #13, a birdie on hole #15, and another birdie on hole #18 to confirm his position at the top of leaderboard.

Now, on to day four, which will have me glued to the TV set.

This 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 will be the first of four blogs I hope to write in the next few days, one for each of the four days of the Masters Golf Tournament, my favorite tournament of any year.

The perceptions are mine – and mine alone.  No surprise there.  That’s always true of this personal blog.

So, on to the Masters.

“LIVE FROM THE MASTERS:”  I enjoyed watching the program yesterday, especially for two reasons:

• First, the host, Mike Tirico, had Jack Nicklaus on and, as usual, Nicklaus, had great words about how to play Augusta National.

At one point, the six-time Masters winner, when asked about a shot he remembered, he mentioned a 1-iron he hit on hole #13, a par five.  Incredibly, though it was many years ago, he recalled that it was 242-yard shot that landed softly on the green, leading to a birdie that helped him win the tournament.

• Second, retired player Brad Faxon, one of the best putters ever on the PGA Tour, had great thoughts about his preparation when he played the Masters, including heading to the green near the 1^st hole where he hit his last putts before teeing off.  Great thoughts from a great player.

FORGIVE THESE ANTI-LIV PERCEPTIONS – IT IS JUST A FACT THAT I AM BIASED AGAINST LIV:  Here are just a few perceptions based on this strong bias – and, okay, sorry about this…it may not be a credit to me to portray these views:

• One piece of good news is that LIV CEO Greg Norman could not get a straight ticket to be at Augusta National.  So, he went to a second source and then was seen walking around the course, outside the ropes.

Given the damage he has done to professional golf, I was glad to see him blackballed by Masters’ staff for an official ticket.

• Finally, this also may not be a credit to me, but I found myself cheering whenever Mickelson missed a putt.  I loved when he won his first Masters, not to mention his other two.  But that was before he turned his back on the PGA Tour, which had given him a place in golf’s stardom – and he has relinquished that by his recent conduct.

• On the positive side – yes, there is at least one from me regarding LIV – I listened to a press conference from first round leader, Bryson DeChambeau.  He shot a 65. 

While he was never my favorite player, his comments in the press conference illustrated that he may have grown up a bit, even after he went to LIV.   Even the Washington Post complimented DeChambeau on his new appearance of maturity.

He came across as reasonable and reasoned, especially when he talked about how he played Augusta National.  He said he did not go after every pin placement as was the case in the past.  “I try to go when it is smart to go.”

FUN TO HEAR BROADCASTER VERNE LUNDQUIST:  The famous announcer was stationed again at the 16^th hole for his last Masters, his 40^th. 

• His great voice presided over a lot of great shots on 16, not the least of which was Tiger Woods incredible chip-in where, given the great camera work, the footage caught the Nike logo just right.

• The Masters won’t be the same without Lundquist.  However, another great broadcaster, Jim Nantz, will still be calling the action, including his apt phrase, “Welcome to the Masters, a tradition unlike any other.”  That is something to treasure, even time I hear it.

MY FAVORITE IS DOING FINE:  Scottie Scheffler played a great round yesterday – a 66 to put him in second place as he tries to win his second Masters. 

• In his post-round press conference, he made great sense, saying he played for the love of the game, not for money, though, of course, he has won a lot of that recently.

• Scheffler’s relationship with his caddy, Ted Scott, is great to observe.  And, regarding money, it has been said that Scott has made as much money recently as Rory McIlroy.

TWO VIEWS OF BRANDEL CHAMBLEE:  They follow:

• One is that Chamblee is a blowhard who talks too much.  I saw that a couple days ago in the lead-up to the Masters.  On the set of “Live from the Masters” he was part of a four-person team providing commentary.  He talked over all the others, often interrupting them in mid-sentence.  Because, of course, he knows it all.

• The second is that, to make at least some of his point, Chamblee turns to statistics instead of just his opinion.  When he does that – and if he doesn’t interrupt all others – his stats are useful and interesting.

This 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.

To answer the question in this blog headline, not me.

I cannot tolerate the over-the-top conduct of pro golfer Phil Mickelson who appears to believe he is above everyone else – and everyone ought to listen to him.

He is in the Masters this week on the strength of his three victories there – victories I loved when they occurred in 2004, 2006 and 2010.  Mickelson was one of my favorite golfers and I wished him all the success in the world, even as he appeared to treasure his family often on the scene of his triumphs.

I loved how he took chances to test his skills.  One of the shots I will remember forever is the 6-iron he hit through a hole in a tree all the way to 13^th green over water at the Masters.  His caddy, then Jim “Bones” MacKay, urged him not to try to shot, but Mickelson succeeded as he often did.

That was Mickelson at his best.

Then, he defected (one of my friends will not like my use of the word “defect,” but I do so intentionally in this case) from the PGA Tour, which had given him a substantial livelihood for many years.  He joined the upstart LIV, which is funded by the tainted Saudi Arabia Defense Fund.

Along the way, he remarked to the media that it was no big deal, to him, for the Saudis to do their work, which involved killing people.

That soured me on Mickelson for the rest of his golf career, whatever that is to be.

Before he defected, a highlight for me occurred several years ago when I served as a walking marshal at the American Express Tournament.  I was assigned to a then-stalwart twosome — Mickelson and Tony Finau. 

Finau played a great round, shooting a 63.  Mickelson carded a 72.

It was fun to be up and close to these two golfers for 18 holes.

I also was able to say hello to Phil’s caddy, his brother, Tim, whom my son knew from their days at Oregon State University.  [As an aside, Tim is no longer on his Phil’s bag, having “retired” to spend more time with his growing family.]

That is my last positive memory of Mickelson.  Since then, he has descended into the abyss of LIV golf, arguing that the PGA Tour is not worth anything.

For me, today, Mickelson also is worth nothing in my fan base.

This 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.

First, let me underline this:  I will not write about the looney Donald Trump this week.

Instead, this should be a week when real golfers – me included — love to watch the best tournament in any year, the Masters.

Still, as this blog headline notes, a contentious issue lurks in the background.

It boils down to one word:  Money.

More than 10 months have passed since the PGA Tour announced plans to partner with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV Golf.  The sides blew past a December 31 deadline and continue to work through details, but no deal is imminent.

Who knows if one reason is that the Saudi Public Investment Fund contains “tainted money,” produced by a country that kills people for a living.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf, funded by the Saudis, continues to pour money into personnel on and off the course, even as its product has yet to reach a critical mass, particularly in the United States.  And the PGA Tour responded to LIV’s flurry of activity by going on its own spending spree — with new expenses seemingly outpacing new revenue streams.

This from the Washington Post:

“Because the game’s top players haven’t competed against one another in an individual event since last year’s British Open, fans have endured lackluster tournament fields and forgettable Sunday finishes.  While LIV’s linear TV ratings aren’t publicized, LIV officials say their numbers on the CW Network are up 40 per cent from last year and they’re pleased with early streaming viewership.

“The PGA Tour’s TV figures, which includes a much larger audience domestically, are down more than 15 per cent.”

So, none other than controversial TV commentator Brandel Chamblee waded into the mess this week in comments made during oGolf Channel’s “Live from the Masters” show:

“We talk so much about how important it is for players to be in the right place mentally, and I just think there’s an epidemic of distraction on the PGA Tour, whether it’s greed or trying to solve problems that are almost unsolvable.  However you want to put it, I just think they’re hugely distracted.”

Who knows if Chamblee is right.  Sometimes he is.  Sometimes he isn’t.

The goal to gain money for you and your family is not automatically wrong, especially as is the case, we live in a capitalistic society.  But, the problem arises when money becomes the end goal, not happiness.  Money should be a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.

For my part, no amount of background tension – including over money in a bid to control professional golf — will get in the way of my intent to watch the Masters starting tomorrow, Thursday.

I’ll be sitting, figuratively, in my Masters chair and drinking coffee, figuratively, out of my Master’s cup.  I say “figuratively” because I forgot both back home in Salem, Oregon as I continue my sojourn in the California desert.

It won’t matter.  I’ll settle for a regular chair and a regular coffee cup.

So, go Scottie Scheffler.

Go Rory McIlroy.

Go others.

Make golf what it was meant to be this week for those who play for “love of the game” – money and tension aside. 

This 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’s where you want to be on a golf course.

We have reached Day 3 of Masters Week, so my thoughts continue to focus on my favorite golf tournament of the year.

First, I remember the time in 2015 that I was able to attend the tournament with my daughter, a great time for father and daughter.

We booked as room at La Quinta Motel about a mile from the course, so we could talk to Augusta National without competing for car parking spaces. 

The price for our room?  A cool $500 per night!  In normal times, the price was $50.  But, I didn’t mind because many businesses in Augusta have to make their money one week every year.

More memories back then abound:

• When you arrive at Augusta National, you might be tempted to run to get a seat by your favorite hole.  Don’t.  You’ll be asked to walk.

• Remember you are a “patron” at the Masters, the official term for those who attend.

• If you have a Masters cap on backwards, don’t.  You’ll be asked to turn it around.

• If you are lying on a hill to get a view of a certain hole, don’t.  You’ll be asked to sit up straight.

• If you are tempted to buy a cheap pimento sandwich, don’t.  They taste terrible, despite the low price.

• As a “patron,” bring or buy your Masters chair.  If you put the chair down on a certain hole and then want to walk around a bit, no problem.  If someone sits in your chair while you are gone, again no problem.  When you return, the person in your chair will get up.  Which means this approach allows the Masters to have bleachers without bleachers.

So, back to this blog headline.

My recent edition of Global Golf Post picked five favorites – Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Zander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy.

Golf Digest, besides ranking in order all 50 players in the field (I won’t bore you with this list), came up with a top 13 – McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler, Koepka, Schauffele, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, and Wyndham Clark.

It’s a challenge to pick favorites this year, as pointed out by controversial analyst Brandel Chamblee on the Golf Channel “Live from the Masters” program yesterday.

He posited that many of the top players might not be in the hunt this year because, to paraphrase him, they are more interested in money than playing the game for the results that accrue to solid performance.

It would be possible, as always, to criticize Chamblee’s take, but it is worth considering, I think, because playing for the “love of the game” appears more remote than ever this year.

With that caveat, my favorite?

Scheffler.

It appears to me that, while he makes a lot of money, he still plays for the love of the game.

To use a shopworn phrase, only time will tell.

But one thing is clear.  I’ll be watching every shot on TV, as will my daughter – not to mention millions of other “patrons.”