PGA Tour member and long-time Houstonian Steve Elkington is a Clear Thinkers favorite, so I took notice of this Golf.com article reporting that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem had raised the ire of several Tour pros by helping Elk gain entry into several PGA Tour events this season. Elk had been fully exempt on the PGA Tour for 23 consecutive years until he finished 183rd on the money list last year and lost his exempt status.

Of course, none of the pros complaining about Finchemís favor to Elk are on this key list voted on by ìwide-ranging surveyî of golfís ìeliteî:

WHO’S THE BEST JOKE-TELLER ON TOUR?

Todd Hamilton: 17%
Steve Elkington: 13%
Harrison Frazar: 8%
Neal Lancaster: 8%
Others receiving votes: Paul Azinger, Rich Beem, Tim Clark, Carlos Franco, Paul Goydos, Peter Jacobsen, Peter Lonard, Nick Price, Chris Riley, Boo Weekley

Given the decidedly unfunny cloud following the PGA Tour around this year, it looks to me as if Finchem has a darn good reason for recommending Elk to tournament sponsors.