From the January 30 edition of Golf World Monday:

These days, golf's participation malaise -- fueled by issues of time, access and difficulty -- rivals the economy as a discussion point whenever the game's civic leaders gather in one place, as they did last week at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. But the crisis -- if you want to call it that -- gained a prominent spokesman when Jack Nicklaus, speaking at a symposium to promote "Golf 2.0," the PGA of America's ambitious initiative to grow the game, revealed that among his 22 grandchildren, only one (nine-year-old G.T., the son of Jack's son Gary) plays golf "more than a little bit."

Photo by Getty Images

Consider that for a moment: In a family known for its enthusiasm for sports, with (presumably) no barriers of access or cost, led by a grandfather considered the greatest golfer who ever lived, and who raised three of four sons to become golf pros, exactly one of 22 grandchildren has gravitated to the game. The Golden Bear, as involved as any grandfather could be, says it's because golf is being "out-organized."

"Other sports are grabbing kids' attention and time," Nicklaus said. "Soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball, basketball ... [As a result] they don't have the time to play golf, and they are not being introduced to it. We have to fix that. We need to introduce golf to them in a way that is friendly and [that provides] early success so they stay with the game."

Golf has plenty of pressing matters, but youth participation might be the weightiest. If Jack Nicklaus can't get his grandkids to play golf, what hope do the rest of us have?

-- Geoff Russell
Follow @GW_GeoffRussell

What do you think about Jack's comments? Are you concerned about the declining number of children taking up the game? Sound off on our partner site, GolfWRX.com.

From the Dec. 12 issue of Golf World Monday:

For all the angst it has caused since it began in 1965, PGA Tour Qualifying School has also been a gateway of dreams and an on-ramp to bigger things. Survive the stress, earn a card -- the rest was up to you. It's no surprise, then, that news of the potential demise of this enduring institution after 2012 has created a lot of chatter.

Brendon Todd was recently medalist at Q School.

The PGA Tour is considering changes that would stop Q school from being a direct path to the PGA Tour. Currently, cards go to the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list (the class of 2011 is shown) and 25 from Q school.

Instead, all 50 PGA Tour cards would be determined through a three-tournament series comprised of Nos. 1-75 on the Nationwide Tour money list and 75 players (Nos. 126-200) who didn't qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Q school would be only for earning status on the Nationwide Tour.

Several factors are behind the potential shake-up, including the PGA Tour's attempt to obtain a new sponsor for the developmental circuit after Nationwide departs next year and the fact that players with Nationwide Tour experience have retained their PGA Tour cards at a much higher percentage than those without it (87 percent vs. 13 percent in the last six years).

Related: Five historic Q School grads

Still, during that same period J.B. Holmes, Anthony Kim, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson and Rickie Fowler (among others) went from college to Q school to PGA Tour success. The success of those young stars, a couple of whom the tour utilizes in its marketing, will make it difficult to completely end Q school as we know it.

-- Bill Fields

(Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Of the 20 golfers who earned full LPGA status at last week's Qualifying School, Stephanie Kono is likely the only one disappointed about it.

The UCLA senior simply wanted a Futures Tour card so she could play there after finishing college this spring. Had she been told correctly before the final stage that she had achieved that just by advancing to the five-day final -- instead of after the start of the competition -- Kono said she wouldn't have bothered to come to LPGA International.

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

But when she and Bruins' coach Carrie Forsyth separately talked to tour officials last month, each was mistakenly informed Kono needed to play in Daytona Beach. So Kono played, and played well, finishing T-9.

Since you can't defer an LPGA card, or use it as an amateur, Kono had to call Forsyth Sunday to tearfully tell her she was cutting her college career short. Forsyth understood (you can't pass on playing in the big leagues) even though it hurts UCLA's chances of repeating as NCAA champs.

Related: Five historic Q School grads

Still, why did the LPGA have to be so rigid with its protocol? Given their role in the mix-up, officials could have made an exception for Kono and let her join the tour after her college season. Kono certainly has a bright future as a pro. Too bad it starts under such bittersweet circumstances.

-- Ryan Herrington
Follow on Twitter: @GWcampusinsider

From the September 19 edition of Golf World Monday:

Call this edition of the U.S. Presidents Cup team golf's version of the Big Ten, with Tiger Woods thrown in as Penn State. The 10 automatic berths based on points were determined Sunday with the results of the BMW Championship, and veteran Jim Furyk retained the 10th spot -- or maybe it was the 11th since captain Fred Couples weeks ago committed one of his two wild-card selections to Woods.

This is a veteran team, with only Webb Simpson and Nick Watney void of experience in either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. Phil Mickelson keeps his streak alive of appearing in every edition dating to 1994. David Toms returns for the first time since 2007.

Now it's up to Couples to select one more guy, and that's no easy choice with Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas (left) the next two on the points list. Snedeker has a win at Heritage. Haas has six top-10s, including a pair of playoff losses -- oh, and his father, Jay, is the assistant captain.

If Couples needs more input, Furyk offers some. "I'd really like to see Billy Haas make the team. It would really be a neat story, and they're a wonderful family, so I really do wish him the best." Maybe it comes down to a one-week audition; both Snedeker and Bill Haas are in this week's Tour Championship.

Click here for a complete list of American team members and the final points standings.

-- Dave Shedloski

(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Who would you pick as the final choice for the U.S. Presidents Cup squad? Sound off on our partner site, GolfWRX.com, and vote in the poll on our Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/iWxu90.

From the September 12 edition of Golf World Monday:

The race for the Tour Championship might be the tournament-within-the-tournament at next week's BMW Championship, but with Presidents Cup berths on the line, there's something else to play for.

Much has been made of the U.S. side, with Jim Furyk's apparent safe ascension into the top 10 on points making Fred Couples' picks a bit simpler, but little has been made of Greg Norman's options.

Vijay Singh was T-4 and T-3 in two of his last three starts and is apparently healthy again after having Orthokine therapy treatment in Germany for his back. Singh is currently outside the top 10 and likely deserves a pick provided he doesn't qualify on merit with another high finish at Cog Hill.

From the August 15 edition of Golf World Monday:

Talk was the PGA of America failed to dazzle with Atlanta Athletic Club, a brutish, largely unimaginative golf course that also happened to produce a leader board a few par 5s short of scintillating.

The fact that it was unbearably hot didn't help much, either. But with news that the PGA is discussing bringing the season's final major and possibly a Ryder Cup to Bethpage Black on Long Island, officials at least are looking outside their current rota.

(Related: America's 100 Greatest Public Courses)

PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka confirmed he made a recent scouting trip to the Black Course, with eyes on the course hosting the 2019 PGA and possibly the 2024 Ryder Cup. The New York State-owned course has already hosted two U.S. Opens, in 2002 and 2009, but it doesn't look like a third is imminent.

That means that just as it has already done with courses like Medinah, Oakland Hills, Baltusrol and others, the PGA of America could be content to woo a venue that has fallen out of favor with the USGA. Bethpage Black has already signed on to host the PGA Tour's Barclays in 2012, but the A.W. Tillinghast design deserves better. After a week at Atlanta AC, the PGA does as well.

-- Sam Weinman

(Photo: Stephen Szurlej)

It wasn't a good week at Firestone for Tiger Woods. In his return to competition since withdrawing from the Players after nine holes, Woods was inconsistent throughout the bag as he tied for 37th at one-over 281.

His post-round explanations invariably raised more questions than they answered. After an opening 68, he said that "compressing" the ball so much better was causing him to repeatedly hit his irons long. It figured to be something he would adjust for over the next three days, but Woods never achieved the distance control he is known for.

He also insisted that because his Sean Foley-directed swing produced less curve on his shots, he couldn't stop aiming incorrectly over the four days. By Sunday, Woods was blaming his poor play on a reversion to his "old swing pattern" under Hank Haney, an action he had characterized as "wipey" earlier in the week. It all rang pretty hollow.

(Related: Tiger Woods' stalled comeback)

The fact is Woods' patches of good golf during the week weren't that impressive, while his periods of bad golf were quite bad. Though he missed several short putts, the worst part of his game remains his driver, as he finished 76th (dead last) in driving accuracy at 39 percent.

Yes, in the big picture Woods got 72 holes under his belt in a tuneup for the PGA Championship. But as he finished 18 strokes behind Adam Scott -- who was under the lash of Woods' gloating former bagman Steve Williams -- even his good golf didn't seem good enough.

-- Jaime Diaz

(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)