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Golf is still a game that loves to eat its own for not repeating the party line.
The latest is 20-year-old Rory McIlroy, who had the audacity to call the Ryder Cup an exhibition match before taking a mulligan on that comment, saying it's a great spectacle for golf.
If the Ryder Cup isn't all that important to McIlroy, so be it, but count on this rising star to play in a bunch of them before his career is over. Over time, he likely will change his mind, but even if he doesn't, does it really matter?
A year ago, good guy Kenny Perry was ripped for not wanting to play in majors because he wanted to concentrate on playing in the Ryder Cup in his home state of Kentucky.
Perry was doing the opposite of McIlroy with his enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup and he also was criticized.
Let's not forget a situation involving a Canadian in 2006 when Stephen Ames won The Players Championship and then shocked the gathered masses afterward by not doing cartwheels over getting into the Masters.
Ames hinted he might not even be at Augusta because he already has planned a family trip to his native Trinidad.
The truth is Ames was going to be at the Masters all along, but he just wanted to check with his family before confirming. As he's known to do, Ames sure got the pens scribbling.
One top name missing isn't going to make much difference in a tournament already filled with top stars, but considering the events that have or may fall off the schedule, perhaps it's time to start concerning ourselves with weak fields at those events instead.
Forget those pants
His recent tie for second at the Italian Open, and his gaudy pants that must run on batteries, have legions of John Daly fans in this country wanting an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open for Big John, who isn't as big as he used to be.
It's a long way between now and when the exemptions are handed out so let's see if Daly is serious about a comeback and if his play justifies an exemption.
Those rabid Daly fans are forgetting that he has a long history of withdrawing from the Open, so it should be a condition of entry that he produces a doctor's note if he bails again.
Then again, any illness may be legitimate after looking at those pants while putting.
It all adds up
Golf has been acknowledged by Statistics Canada as the most participated game by Canadians, including hockey.
We'll get a better idea of how the game affects all Canadians in terms of employment and tourism when the National Allied Golf Association unveils an economic impact study it has been working on in June.
No Canadian numbers have been released yet, but in the United States, it's believed that golf provides over two million jobs and generates $61-billion in wage income annually.
Those were the numbers used when a group of American golf associations went to Washington last week to discuss these numbers with members of Congress as part of National Golf Day.
Of course, the numbers won't be as impressive up here due to population and the size of the golf industry by comparison, but if other similar economic impact studies are any indication, Canadian golf may have good reason to head to Parliament Hill for a similar chat with the government here.
One of the first questions that will be asked of NAGA is how these numbers are going to be put to use on behalf of all golfers, but they do have the potential to be a positive force.
New digs for Thistle
Kevin Thistle has his work cut out for him in his new position as general manager of Coppinwood.
Thistle, 46, set new standards for hustle and promotion once Angus Glen opened in 1995 at a time when facilities such as Glen Abbey and Lionhead were the standards of excellence for public play, corporate events and tournaments.
Thistle had a magnificent property, which is owned by the Stollery family, to work with and as he moved his way up the chain from head professional to GM to vice president and president, he was a master promoter, even as the market became saturated with high-end courses.
That skill and his emphasis on customer service will serve him well in his new position, but he has a big adjustment ahead at Coppinwood, a private club in Uxbridge.
Instead of trying to lure public players and corporate tournaments, Thistle will now attempt to build memberships at a three-year-old facility that recently suffered financial problems and saw an ownership group take over.
It's believed Thistle has equity as part of his deal at Coppinwood.Private club memberships are a tough sell these days, but Thistle has the track record to suggest he can get the job done.