Pre-tournament press conferences can be quite predictable and boring most of the time. If you have been following a sport for a while, chances are that you can almost guess the entire content of what an athlete is going to say.

The whole thing seems frighteningly close to being staged. Today’s managers are coaching their players to be politically correct all the time, while the psychologists are telling them not to discuss anything negative about their game.

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But there are some who make life that little bit more interesting.

Among my favourite players for press conferences on the European Tour are Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy.

Harrington, I have always believed, is the tops. You can ask the Irishman the most inane question, and he would answer it after giving it proper thought.

The charming McDowell has the ability to turn a simple yes or no  answer into a 500-word reply.

Stenson has a brilliant sense of humour, and you can be guaranteed plenty of laughs when he is around. The same goes with Westwood. If he is on form, he can literally leave you rolling on the floor.

With McIlroy, it’s a bit different. You get a feeling that he is speaking from his heart. He rarely dodges a question, however uncomfortable it might be.

Among the Americans, Phil Mickelson is someone who likes to speak his mind. And that has led him to taking some heat in the past, like his brutal assessment of Tom Watson’s captaincy at the end of last year’s Ryder Cup. 

And in that list of favourites, I will now have to add Martin Kaymer after his interaction on the eve of this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

Fresh from the disaster at Abu Dhabi, where he lost despite leading by 10 shots, Kaymer was brilliant in discussing the whole issue and why he felt the collapse was actually good for his future.

The German’s intelligence and thoughtfulness shone through that entire 20-minute press conference. It was peppered with self-deprecating humour, and he did not attempt to hide any of his thoughts.

If there ever is a way of banishing negative thoughts, the best way is to face it and address it. Kaymer did just that, and I do have a feeling that he won’t be scarred for life.

Unique courses

The three golf courses being used by the three main tours are quite unique this week.

Obviously, the European Tour is in Dubai for the Desert Classic, and the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club holds the distinction of 

being the first green golf course in the whole of Middle East – one that truly brought about a green revolution in the region.

The PGA Tour is at the TPC of Scottsdale for the Phoenix Open, which has been averaging well over 500,000 spectators during the week ever since the tournament moved to the Stadium Course in 1987.

Last year, 563,008 people attended the event and the organisers are expecting the number to cross 600,000 this year with Tiger Woods opening his season there. A single-day attendance record of 189,722 was set during the third round last year.

And then there is Golden Ocala Golf Club in Florida, host of the LPGA Tour interesting season-opener – the inaugural Coates Golf Championship. 

It’s a new course, but several holes will feel familiar to the players. That’s because eight holes on the course are replicas of the some of the most famous in the world.

The replicas include par-3 fourth (the eighth at Royal Troon), fifth (the par-5 ninth of Muirfield) sixth (par-3 16th of Augusta National), 11th and 12th (the 12th and 13th at Augusta) and the 13th, which has been modelled on the Old Course of St Andrew’s famous 17th Road Hole.

Betting big on Spieth

Under Armour became the second biggest sports apparel brand in America last year, and it looks like they are intent on beating market leaders Nike with the same strategy that Phil Knight’s company has pursued for so many years now.

The company announced recently they are extending their head-to-toe contract with Jordan Spieth for 10 years. There was still two years left in the earlier contract, which was UA’s first in the sport.

Nike have been pursuing similar long-term strategies with several of their stars, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, with whom they signed a 10-year-deal at the beginning of 2013.

The financial details of the deal wasn’t revealed, but those within the industry say it is close to $6 million per annum, plus bonuses.

Quote of the Week
“I think golf is about the best therapy a president can have. The fact that it takes a while to play, it requires concentration and is healthy, is – I think – a very good thing.”
– Former US president Bill Clinton when asked his thought about President Barack Obama’s obsession with the game.