Saturday, June 20, 2009 - A Day on the Links

Introduction

There is some exceptionally clever wordplay in today's puzzle - a very entertaining golf-themed creation by Cox and Rathvon.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

Today's puzzle contains a couple of very nice anagrams built around the names of pro golfers Annika Sorenstam and Jack Nicklaus. The compilers also manage to work in lots of other golf references, including a bit of a false lead.

20d 501's worn by eccentric colony member? (6)

501's are Levi jeans or DENIMS which initially struck me as a possible anagram candidate. After this approach proved fruitless, I discovered the Roman numeral substitution.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

9ac FOREST|ALL - if you thought Tiger, you took the bait (which turned out to be a red herring)

10ac DRAM|_A - shot [DRAM] + {end of} lpg[A]

11ac SET|TEES

12ac CAME|LOT

13ac PONTI* - POINT* {out}; Italian film producer Carlo Ponti (husband of Sophia Loren)

14ac STRATAGEM* - {START GAME}* {off}

16ac {ANNIKA SORENSTAM}* - {wrongly} {MINNESOTA RANKS}*

19ac MACE|DON|I|A - club [MACE] teacher [DON] I grade at the top [A]

21ac CUP|ID

23ac COLLARD~ - {reportedly (sounds like)} COLLARED

25ac MAR|KING - pro golfer Betsy King

27ac STUNT

28ac SENT|IN|ELS - pro golfer Ernie Els

Down

1d UFOS - {nutty} {OF US}*

2d CRETAN* - {outspoken (sounds like)} CRETIN*

3d A|STE(RISK)ED - A horse [STE^ED] {taking} bet [RISK]

4d BA(S|SIS)TS - crazy [BA^TS] {about} "Small [S] Sister [SIS]"

5d SLICER* - {rotten} RELICS*

6d A|DAM

7d G|A|SLIGHT

8d PANTOMIMED* - {MOM PAINTED}* {remodeled}

13d PHARMACIST~ - {audited (sounds like)} FARM ASSIST

15d TO(NY C)URTIS* - TO^URIST* {travelling} + NYC

17d NICKLAUS* - {change of} {LUCK AS IN}*; pro golfer Jack Nicklaus

18d REAR|MING - this may be a reference to Evil Emperor Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon comics, rather than a Chinese dynasty

20d NU(DIS)T - 501'S [DIS] {worn by} eccentric [NU^T]

22d P_|AIRED - {first of} [P]rogram + broadcast [AIRED]

24d _ARTS - roles played [PARTS] {after the first (delete first letter)} → [_ARTS]

26d _GUST_ - {in} a[GUST]a

Wishing all you Dad's a Happy Father's Day tomorrow - Falcon