The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group reports that on May 20, 2010, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) issued formal arrest warrants charging two shop owners with selling counterfeit golf equipment at the Shanghai Longhua Apparel Market.

PSB officers conducted simultaneous raids of three golf stores, A Liang Golf, Hao Bei Golf and Orient Golf, and seized more than 630 counterfeit golf clubs, 1,540 counterfeit golf balls, and a number of counterfeit accessories from the golf stores and the shop owners’ residences. The seized goods were illegal copies of authentic products made by all of the Group’s members.

According to information provided to the PSB by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, the retail stores also conducted online sales of golf equipment through Taobao.com. In an attempt to retrieve the sales records of the online stores, PSB officers visited Taobao headquarters in Hangzhou shortly after the retail store raids. Records indicate that since the opening of the three online stores one year ago, sales of counterfeit golf equipment totaled approximately $30,000. The PSB has now frozen the accounts of the three “online” shops. This enforcement action was conducted after complaints were filed with PSB by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.

Looking for something other than a new tie for your dad this year for Father’s day? Artist David O’Keefe offers up a little Caddy Shack work that even Bill Murray has a copy of. Here is what David had to say about his inspiration:

“The original painting was a commissioned piece for Steve Garske, the CEO of Par Aide, who wanted all the characters from the movie in one painting. Steve had seen my tribute to the Godfather, and contacted us about doing a similar painting, but with the cast of Caddyshack.I was going to put them on the nice, perfectly manicured grass of the golf course but I decided to put them in the rough. I thought it fit the characters better, plus I wanted to hide stuff in the plants and trees. I hid the name of my wife, Janice, in the flowers. It was a fun painting to do, partly because of the movie itself and partly because it’s an outdoor scene and you have the full spectrum of light and then you have golf, which is the most colorful sport and garish, especially in the late ’70s. It was supposed to be a movie about Danny Noonan, but then Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield totally took the movie in a different direction. I only left a few cast members out and I put the main four characters front and center. I was totally finished and getting ready to varnish it and I had the lightning in, but not the bishop. I watched the movie again and decided I had to put the bishop in.”

If you are interested, prints can be purchased at his website.

Maybe Jerry Rice should have stuck to football.

The Hall of Fame receiver was disqualified from the Nationwide Tour event Friday in Mill Spring, N.C., because his caddie used a range-finding scope to check yardages. The disqualification came a day after Rice shot a 92, the highest round ever since the BMW Charity Pro-Am began in 1992.

“A rookie mistake that I made,” Rice said with a smile. “So I got DQed.”

Rice announced after a second-round 82 that he’s done competing on golf’s Triple-A circuit.

“Because I can’t commit to golf the way I want to, this is probably my last Nationwide Tour” event, Rice said. “These guys, they’re working their butts off, and they deserve to be out here.”

The error by his caddie means that Rice won’t take part in today’s third round, the last before the celebrity event cuts the field for Sunday’s finale.

Rice was in violation of Rule 14.3, which prevents competitors from using a yardage measuring device. His caddie checked the yardage scope several times during the round at The Carolina Country Club.

Rice was told in the scorer’s tent after improving to an 82 at Bright’s Creek Golf Club. The BMW Charity Pro-Am is played over three courses in North and South Carolina. “It’s OK,” he said. “I had a great time meeting friends and seeing fans.”

Rice made his tour debut last month at the Fresh Express Classic in Hayward, going 83-76 to miss the cut. Rice had hoped to make major strides at the BMW.

[Via mercurynews.com]

Callaway Golf announced the introduction of the Odyssey ProType 82 Putter, a limited edition design inspired by the same model Phil Mickelson used to win his third Green Jacket. Only 82 right-handed and 82 left-handed ProType putters will be available for purchase in the United States.

Beginning May 10 at 11:00 a.m. ET, those interested in owning one of these limited edition putters can sign up to be eligible for purchase on a first-come basis at OdysseyGolf.com. Each of these 164 individually numbered, limited edition putters features a green highlight on the sole, a nod to Mickelson’s win at Augusta earlier this month.

The ProType 82 features Odyssey’s new White Ice insert, with a Tungsten weight behind it, along with a single white sightline that stretches from the face of the putter down the back flange-a look requested by Mickelson himself. These limited edition PT 82 putters will also come with a Phil Mickelson Limited Edition headcover and a Black Series grip, identical to what the four-time major champion used to win at Augusta.

“I’m very excited that the designers at Odyssey have produced this limited edition putter with the same design as my gamer,” Mickelson said. “Tournaments are won and lost on the green, which is why I rely on Odyssey technology. Our design team gives me the best chance to win. Odyssey’s winning results on tour are a testament to their engineering capabilities.”

Each of the 164 individually numbered, limited edition ProType 82 putters will be available at an asking price of $500.

Tiger Woods and his longtime swing coach are parting ways.

Haney announced on his website that he will no longer be working with the embattled golf star.

“I have informed Tiger Woods this evening that I will no longer be his coach,” Haney announced on Hankhaney.com Monday evening.

Haney has worked with Woods for the past six seasons.

Haney called his time as Woods’ coach “my best days in professional golf.” He stressed that it was his decision, and not Woods’, to move on.

“Tiger Woods and I will always be friends,” Haney writes, “but I believe that there is a time and place for everything and I feel at this time and at this place in my life I want to move forward in other areas.”

Haney said he wished his former pupil well in golf and “in finding peace and happiness in all aspects of his life.”

“Tiger knows that if he ever needs me in anyway, whether it be with his golf or just as a friend he can always call,” Haney writes.

Before Tiger, Haney worked with Mark O’Meara. Woods and Haney started working together after Tiger had a falling out with previous coach Butch Harmon.

How Do You Celebrate a Masters Win? If You’re Phil Mickelson, You Celebrate By Going To Krispy Kreme Wearing Your Green Jacket!

Phil Mickelson received a $1,350,000 payout for his 2010 Masters win. It looks like he spent some of that prize money at a Krispy Kreme Drive-Thru.

A Phil Mickelson Krispy Kreme photo popped up on Twitter, showing Mickelson and his family at the Drive-Thru of the donut chain. The catch: Mickelson was wearing the Green Jacket he won at the 2010 Masters.

You would think he might be more delicate with what is the most coveted prize in golf, but Mickelson seemed confident that he wouldn’t spill any coffee or donut filling on his green jacket. Even if he did ruin his Green Jacket, he’s got two more at home.

The image of Phil Mickelson at a Krispy Kreme will no doubt endear him even more to golf fans. Mickelson’s image has gotten a major boost from his Masters 2010 win. Several stories have been written praising Mickelson for being a down-to-earth family man, a pleasant contrast to embattled golf star Tiger Woods.

“Now Phil Mickelson reminds all the people who think golf doesn’t matter when Tiger Woods isn’t winning that there can actually be a better story, even at this Masters, than Woods. And sometimes the story is still one of the best and oldest in sports: Good guy wins.” -nydailynews.com

Mickelson’s good guy had taken a hit due to persistent rumors that he had illegitimate child and wife Amy Mickelson had an affair with Michael Jordan. Those sensational Phil Mickelson rumors appear to be false.

The truth about Mickelson may be something much more mundane. He could just an average family man who likes to eat Krispy Kreme donuts in his mini-van with his family.

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Acushnet Company, manufacturer of Titleist, announced Monday that it won a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in its golf ball patent dispute with Callaway Golf Co..

Callaway asserted that previous generation Titleist Pro V1 golf balls had infringed on four patents originally owned by Spalding and subsequently purchased by Callaway Golf. The jury agreed with Acushnet’s position that the patents in question are invalid.

“We are extremely pleased with the court’s decision, and we hope that this finally brings this long standing dispute to a close,” said Joe Nauman, executive vice president, Corporate and Legal, Acushnet Company.

It appears that Groovegate is over.

Ping chairman and CEO John Solheim announced Monday that Ping will waive its rights that prevent the PGA Tour from prohibiting the use of Ping Eye 2 irons and wedges that do not meet the Condition of Competition from being played at Tour events.

The waiver goes into effect March 29 and applies to the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. As the request of the U.S. Golf Association, Ping will also apply the waiver to the U.S. Open in June. The PGA Tour will then adopt a Condition of the Competition that does not provide an exception for the Ping Eye 2 irons made before April 1990.

“John Solheim and Ping had a terrific opportunity to do something very positive and significant for the game of golf and we very much appreciate his willingness to take this action,” said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

Said Solheim: “We’re thankful for Commissioner Finchem’s understanding of our position and his role in helping bring about this resolution. We all believe it is in the best interests of golf. It levels the playing field on the PGA Tour and resolves a very unfortunate situation that we predicted would happen when the USGA first proposed the new groove rule more than two years ago.”

Ping and the PGA Tour stated the waiver does not take all Eye 2 irons and wedges out of player’s hands as Ping has made versions of the wedges with grooves that conform to the new rule. Those clubs remain eligible for use.

Tiger stood up there with a 10-page pre-written speech and apologized to the universe for his infidelities. Was this necessary? I don’t think so.

First, in my opinion, Tiger doesn’t owe anything to anyone in this world, except his family. His indiscretions, vulgarities, or whatever he decides to do in his personal life, have nothing to do with his abilities as a golfer.

If you are one of those people that think he was a role model, or should be viewed as one, you’re stupid. He never claimed to be. You assumed it because he’s good at a game that has been associated with gentlemen (also ridiculous).

And don’t even give me that crap about golf giving Tiger everything. Make no mistake, TIGER gave golf everything! More than half of golf’s excitement in the past 10 years has come from Tiger. And if you think he owes his sponsors for “all of the money that he’s made,” you’re stupid.

Tiger has made THEM insane amounts of money through exposure and branding. And those sponsors pay him to increase their business, nothing more. Then they hypocritically drop him, claiming that’s not the image they want to portray. Way to turn your back on a guy whose success you’ve ridden for the past decade. A guy that you’ve touted as your money-making puppet.

Anyway, back to the apology speech. Needless to say, it was just more of a confirmation that Tiger really is a robot. It would have been so much smarter if he went outside the words of the speech a little bit.

Or if he didn’t look directly into the camera to make important points. All that did was make it looked coached and fake. Then again, he didn’t owe that apology to anyone other than his wife and kids.

But it was obvious that he knew that. Maybe, it was a necessary rouse for the crazed media and naive public. Either way, I would have liked to see some honesty. But it doesn’t make me appreciate Tiger any less. I’ve always thought of him as the King of Golf.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Officials from the USGA and Ping met yesterday in Dallas to discuss the use of Ping Eye 2 clubs on the PGA Tour. Can you believe these people get paid to have such ridiculous meetings? All of this groove craziness is enough to make your head spin. At least we don’t have to deal with it directly – like the pros on the PGA Tour. Actually… that would be awesome! Just being on the PGA Tour would be well worth the groove nonsense. Am I right?

USGA President Jim Hyler issued the following statement today:

“We met with representatives from Ping yesterday. Our conversation with Ping regarding the status of the Ping Eye 2 irons on the major professional American tours was productive, and we are hopeful that a solution can be found that respects and reflects the best interests of golfers and the game.”

Ping Chairman & CEO John Solheim also issued a statement today:

“We had a productive meeting with the USGA yesterday regarding the Ping Eye 2 groove debate on the PGA Tour,” said Ping Chairman & CEO John Solheim. “I’m encouraged by their willingness to openly discuss some of the challenges the golf industry faces relating to equipment issues. We left the meeting with an understanding we would continue to seek a solution that benefits golfers and acknowledges the importance innovation plays in the game.”

Callaway Golf and CBS Sports have reached an agreement that establishes the golf equipment manufacturer as a presenting sponsor of Sunday’s Super Bowl Today pregame show. It’s the first time a stand-alone golf manufacturer has purchased such rights.

The 30-minute sponsorship includes a Callaway-themed opening interstitial to introduce the company’s presence, as well as product and branding exposure on the CBS set throughout the show. Phil Mickelson, Callaway’s primary pitchman, is slated to appear in an additional segment to run during the sponsored programming.

Callaway will also use the Super Bowl platform to debut 90 seconds of commercial time that will feature the company’s focus on technological innovation and its 2010 products. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Super Bowl pregame sponsorships are regarded as an aggressive and effective way for marketers to reach a substantial mainstream audience that culminates as the game’s kickoff approaches. Last year’s Super Bowl pregame show drew a Household rating/share of 11.6/24, and featured a viewership of 21 million during the 5:00 – 5:30 p.m time slot.

“We understand the pent-up desire for cutting-edge products that has been building through the recession as consumer spending declined,” said Jeff Colton, Senior Vice President, U.S., Callaway Golf. “Our 2010 product line featuring Diablo Edge has been generating a great deal of excitement within the golf industry, and we’re looking forward to introducing it to a mainstream audience.”

[Via thegolfchannel.com]

No, it’s not a PlayStation hand held gaming device. PSP stands for Pure Solid Perfect – three words that correctly describe the company’s new product. This year at the PGA Show, PSP debuted their new training aid called “The Little One.” It’s concept is simple, but it’s results are very beneficial.

Ever heard the phrase “aim small, miss small?” That’s basically how this little thing works. The club head is less than half the size of a regular 7 iron, and it forces you to practice hitting the center of the face. You may miss a few times, but if you can develop any kind of consistency with it, hitting a normal iron will feel easy. It’s a great confidence builder and can improve ball striking for players of all levels.

Even professional practice maniacs like Vijay Singh have been known to use “The Little One.” In fact, it’s become quite popular on the range at PGA Tour events.

Check out their website at PSPGolf.net.