Donald, the Nome, Hunter, Rory and Lee in Top 10

There are many weeks when it’s good to be The Donald or PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

And this week has to go down as one of their best, separately. 

Just when you get through a long week of match play golf and think there’s no news left, Trump steps up and adds another resort to his list of properties and gets a tournament. 

Finchem got an important renewal.

10. Match Play

Some love it. Some hate it. 

But once a year as a WGC event and for the Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, it’s a great change.  

Cups are more predictably exciting, since there are 12 men or women on each side and the matches comprise an elite group of well-known players. 

While many people want more match play, they really want matches with players they know. 

Trot out players ranked beyond 100 for a match play event and see what the reaction would be.

The golf may still be exciting, but the interest level on from the viewing audience and media would not be as strong as an event that pits Rory McIlroy against Lee Westwood, or Tiger Woods against nearly anyone.

9. Fred Couples, Potential Assistant?

Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III said recently, “I'm looking to get the guys to play more relaxed and have fun, and obviously, you know, we want to win, and seems like Fred's put together a formula where they came out firing and relaxed and made some great pairings.  So he and I have already talked a lot, and he would be high on my list.

8. Accenture Moving? Changing Dates and Location?

Rumor has it that Accenture may be moving from Tucson to San Francisco’s Harding Park after 2014.

The event may also played in the fall in a new calendar configuration that starts the FedEx Cup points accumulation in the fall instead of in January.  

Harding, which has a TPC designation, was the site of a hugely successful Presidents Cup.

Although sponsorship of the event has already been renewed for two more years, it has not been a secret that Accenture would like to move out of the desert.

7. Nome, No G.

Funny name for a town, which is the end of the Iditarod sled dog race.

Funnier still if you confuse it with the little gnome statues.

Over the top funny for the name of a putter. 

And yet, that’s what Hunter Mahan used last week to win the Accenture Match Play.  It’s a mallet shape and made by Ping.  The Nome.

“This one has a little less offset and it's helping me aim better.  So basically I'm aiming where I think I'm supposed to be aiming,” Mahan said.  “Before I was aiming a little more left than I thought.  So I was kind of pushing my putts.  I wasn't just getting like a true roll and a true read.”

6. Moon Bae

Sang Moon Bae says he wants to be called Moon Bae, and the way he played at Accenture, we will call him whatever he wants.  For a newcomer to the PGA Tour fresh out of Q-School, but not fresh to golf, Bae made a great showing in the west coast swing.   We predict he will soon change his mind about being called Moon.  Or else he will skip Waste Management Open’s 16^th hole.  Moooooooooooooooon! And let’s not even guess what will accompany that.

5. Rory V. Lee

The match of Accenture had to be the No. 2 versus No. 3 of Rory McIlroy against Lee Westwood. 

It was for them also.

“After Luke departed early, that was the goal this week, that was the goal this week to try and get through as many rounds as possible, and give myself a chance to get to No.1 in the world,” McIlroy said.

“ I was so up for that match this morning (against Westwood).  It was so great to get through.  You know, to have lunch and ‑‑ I said it in here last night, that would be the difficult thing would be to get myself up again for this afternoon..

After losing to McIlroy, Westwood said, “I've shot 4‑ or 5‑under par every day this week. That's pretty good golf.

“And you can't let a game of match play with all its fickleness get in the way of when you're playing well and build up your confidence and try and carry that forward.”

4. Tiger Plays Three

For the first time in recent history outside the FedEx Playoffs, Tiger Woods will play three events in a row:  Accenture, Honda Classic, WGC Cadillac at Doral.  

3. Hunter Mahan Wins Accenture Match Play

Hunter Mahan put to rest questions about whether he can hit the big shot when he needs to by taking out world No. 2 Rory McIlroy in the Accenture Match Play. 

He also erased the demons of the missed chip in the 2010 Ryder Cup in his match against Graeme McDowell.  

But in addition, he put an American flag on top of the Accenture trophy for the first time in a few years. 

“I think there hasn't been an American player to win this in a while.  It feels good.  It really does,” Mahan said after the hard-fought victory.  “Every match played here is going to be against a top player, and you have to play your best.”

He said the keys were “ killing the par fives,”  and his chipping, once his Achilles heel.  

“But without the putter, I really wouldn't have had a chance.”

2. the Donald Buys Doral and Finally Gets PGA Tour Event.

Donald Trump bought Doral Resort for a reported $150 million.

Along with the property, he got a PGA Tour event— the WGC Cadillac. 

It is no secret that Trump has wanted to host professional golf events, but there has not been a men’s tournament he could host—until now. 

Gil Hanse has already been hired to redesign the Blue Monster, presumably to put more teeth into it. 

Trump said he’s going to make the par three 15^th an island green. 

1. Fed Ex Renews Cup Series

The PGA Tour announced that  Fed Ex has extended the FedEx Cup series through 2017, one year after PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem’s current contract runs out.  

The competition will continue to offer $35 million in total bonus money to players based on their finish in the points standings and $10 million to the winner.

Starting in 2013, the four-tournament PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup will be officially called the FedExCup Playoffs.

 

Kathy Bissell is a Golf Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from the USGA, PGA Tour or PGA of America.