Atlanta Athletic Club Diary

A USPGA Championship miscellany

Calling time on Tiger: Tag Heuer ends 10-year link-up

SWISS WATCHMAKER Tag Heuer has ended its 10-year commercial relationship with Tiger Woods, and expressed hopes the former top-ranked golfer can “overcome his difficulties”.

Tag Heuer had stopped promoting Woods’s image in the United States in December 2009, weeks after revelations about his marital problems began to emerge.

“We are confident that Tiger will eventually regain full trust with the public, and that his huge talent and mental strength will help him overcome his difficulties,” Tag Heuer chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin said in a statement. “We wish Tiger all the best for the future endeavours in golf, with new business partners, and in his private life.”

Tag Heuer said it had enjoyed an “exemplary” partnership with Woods which had been “very beneficial to both parties”. However, the watch brand joined other companies in backing away from Woods after his personal life began to unravel following a Thanksgiving 2009 car accident at his Florida home.

Split decision: McIlroy will wait to make Olympic call

RORY McILROY has now decided not to declare which team he would represent in the Olympics until he has to.

Two years ago the 22-year-old from Holywood in Co Down said it would be Great Britain and Northern Ireland if he qualifies for golf’s return to the Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

But all Northern Irish citizens can opt for Ireland and the US Open champion said today: “I still don’t know. Basically, if I am going to be very honest, which I usually am, whatever I say is going to upset someone. So I may as well just say I don’t know and wait until four or five years’ time whenever I have to make a decision.”

If he is in the world’s top 15 at the cut-off point McIlroy would be guaranteed a place in the 60-strong field and he is certainly looking forward to the possibility.

“It would be a huge honour to represent your country,” he said. “It would be a great achievement to win a gold medal. As the Olympic Games come closer I think the excitement will build for it and people will get into it more and I think it’s great for the game of golf that it’s now become an Olympic sport. It will spread the game all over the world.”

Hot but not bothered: G-Mac doesn't fear the Atlanta heat

GRAEME McDOWELL grew accustomed to triple-digit temperatures during his time at the University of Alabama, so doesn’t have any great fear of the near-100 degree Fahrenheit temperatures expected during this championship.

“We had a good week in Firestone to really prepare ourselves. I know it’s going to be hotter this week, so it is really about pacing yourself and conserving some energy and taking plenty of fluids,” said McDowell, before quipping: “Of course, staying out of the bar in the evening always helps!”

On a more serious note, McDowell – who made his breakthrough win in last year’s US Open at Pebble Beach – believes patience will be the key to making a bid to add another Major to his list of honours. “(At Pebble Beach) I drew on patiently going about my game plan. I didn’t worry about what anyone else was doing, and I was really just taking care of my own ball and trying to get it around the course. Patience.”

Grub's up: Kaymer a hit

AS CULINARY delights go, Martin Kaymer’s selection of goose and red cabbage for the traditional USPGA Champions’ dinner – hosted by the German on Tuesday night – was an unusual dish that got the thumbs-up from his fellow Wanamaker Trophy winners.

The dish, known as knodel, is the traditional dish in German households at Christmas time. “I heard the people like it,” said Kaymer, who also presented each former winner present at the dinner with a gift . . . a Swiss Army knife. “I always wanted one as a kid but I never got one, because I was too young. My parents didn’t allow me one. So, now it was a chance to get one. And for the women, I a got a beauty case where you can make your nails and all that kind of stuff. I never wanted that, but the Swiss Army knife was quite nice!”