Here’s an interesting newsreel clip of the legendary Babe Zaharias and Betty Jameison in a 1955 match in Beaumont, Texas.

The Critical Past video site has an interesting clip of President Eisenhower at Cypress Point.

An Augusta National jacket that once purportedly belonged to Bobby Jones is up for auction. It could go for as much as $100,000. I would have thought it worth more.

I really need to win the lottery so I can buy cool, but useless stuff like this.

Golf pundits have lately been trying to brand Rory McIlroy at “The Next Tiger.” Its a curse I wouldn’t wish on anyone, considering the history of players who have been burned with that brand. Just off the top of my head, here are a few:

Ty Tyron He was the next big thing. Check out the article at the link. Now, he’s hardly remembered.

Anthony Kim Yes, he seriously was considered the next Tiger.

Adam Scott He’s experiencing something of a revival now, but ...

Aaron BaddeleyWho?

And then several that I remember being touted, but can’t find a link:

Sergio Garcia

Charles Howell

Camilo Villegas

Justin Rose

Sean O’Hair

While the US Open is running at Congressional, another epic battle was running at the Andrews Air Force Base Golf Course: President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden against Speaker of the House John Boehner and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

The White House apparently is undecided as to whether to release the scores.

During Masters week in 1966, a young Jack Nicklaus spoke of of his dream of founding a golf tournament which would—like The Masters—would be inspired by golf’s history and attract the world’s best players. Nicklaus also wanted to support charities in his hometown of the Greater Columbus area.

Ten years later, players at the first Memorial Tournament teed off at Muirfield Village, a residential and golf community just outside Columbus, Ohio. Muirfield Village was developed by Nicklaus and had opened in 1974. As the story goes, it’s built on a piece of land that he enjoyed playing on as a young lad.

In keeping with his original idea of making a connection to golf’s history, each year the Memorial Honors great golfers of the past, and a plaque for each is installed at the Muirfield Clubhouse. A list of past winners follows. The tournament also has fulfilled his dream of benefiting charities in Ohio.

The primary charity for the tournament is Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The Memorial is a restricted field event, with only the first 75 players on the previous year’s money list guaranteed invites. Nicklaus apparently has a hand in selecting the remaining players. In John Feinstein’s Moment of Glory, he recounts that in spite of struggling with a shoulder injury for two years, Shaun Micheel was given an exemption in 2009:

... in part because he remembers that Micheel had played hurt the previous year. “I remember seeing him and he said. “Shaun, why don’t you withdraw? You’re hurt.” I said “Mr. Nicklaus, I wouldn’t ever pull out of your event.”

Nicklaus also guides the continual upkeep on the course. In 1996, he introduced special rakes to the tournament which created furrows in the traps, making sand play more difficult. That experiment lasted three years. He also has tinkered with the length of the rough, trying to find the right balance between punishment and shot making.

The 2010 winner’s purse is $1,080,000.

The 2013 President’s Cup will be played at Muirfield Village.

A list of winners is below: