Arnie agent testifies in Rangers fraud trial

THE chairman of Arnold Palmer enterprises will be flying to Glasgow after the Masters to be the chief prosecution witness in Scottish football’s biggest fraud trial. Alastair Johnston, Palmer’s agent, will be testifying at the High Court in Glasgow against former rangers owner Craig Whyte, whose trial starting on April 18 is scheduled to last three months.

Johnston is a former chairman of rangers who was sacked by Whyte when he took control of ibrox in May 2011, before the club went into administration in February 2012 and then liquidation four months later.

venture capitalist Whyte has been charged with obtaining from former owner Sir David Murray a ‘majority and controlling stake in rangers by fraud’, having pretended the necessary funds were available to make all stipulated payments.

The second charge under the Companies Act centres on an £18m payment in connection with the takeover. Johnston had two years at the helm at rangers during which they last won the Scottish Premier league.

DARREN

EALES, a former Spurs executive now in charge of Major League Soccer newcomers Atlanta United, who are attracting crowds of 50,000, revealed that he signed up BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alan Green (right) as an in-house TV match commentator. He was impressed with Green’s knowledge of the MLS while being interviewed by him on the World Service. ONlY the Masters could boast the best corporate hospitality complex in world sport but keep it shrouded in secrecy. Berckmans Place, a mansion hidden from view by the trees along Augusta National’s fifth hole, hosts 3,000 corporates in luxurious surroundings in which they can eat and drink the finest foods in five restaurants and other bars as part of a £5,000 ticket for the week.

The entertainment for the patrons includes exact replica greens of the seventh, 14th and 16th holes, with the pin positions even changed daily in line with the tournament placings. There are also Augusta caddies on hand to advise on the best lines.

The tickets for BP, as it is named, mainly go to the members, sponsors and corporates, with the Masters raking in an estimated £15m from their bespoke corporate hospitality reasonably priced for such an experience. it opened in 2013 with the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza rice, Augusta National’s first woman member, greeting guests.

BBC football pundit Alan Shearer has the status of being the Premier League’s leading all-time scorer and is currently investigating dementia for a BBC documentary, Football’s Silent Shame, which he will present later this year. Shearer was due to carry Lee Westwood’s bag in the Par 3 competition that had to be abandoned because of the weather.

Coldplay, not cold war

THE friendly banter between european Tour ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn and USA counterpart Jim Furyk outside the Augusta clubhouse this week suggests there will be no acrimony whatsoever between them in Paris next year — more’s the pity.

Meanwhile, the le Golf National course offers so much space that there’s talk of utilising the stage for the ryder Cup opening ceremony for a big music concert during the week, with Coldplay the first band mentioned.

RICKIE FOWLER, a student of golf history, has ensured he will be a favourite of the green jacket brigade for years to come by arriving at the course three hours before the start of his first round so he could watch honorary starters Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus hit the opening tee shots and hear chairman Billy Payne’s tribute to Arnold Palmer.