After Microsoft whiffs, Ballmer and Yang take to the green

Talk about meeting in the rough.

We couldn't help but note the irony that Microsoft's Steve Ballmer took to the fairway over the Memorial Day weekend with Yahoo's Jerry Yang (according to the WSJ, subscription required). Yang was the guy who drove round after round of opposition to the software giant's proposed takeover of the Internet pioneer. 

After months of acrimony and aborted talks, the two discussed the possibility of Microsoft buying Yahoo's advertising search business.

It seems there won't be a merger mulligan. We're not sure if Ballmer accused Yang of being a sandbagger or using the Kelly rule. But we are pretty sure there wasn't a lot of links love.

But that wasn't even the ironic part. After all, the setting made sense. Both men are avid golfers.

Which is why the timing of Microsoft’s unsolicited bid for Yahoo on Feb. 1 was perhaps the most hostile part: A week before the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament, forcing Yahoo’s golfer-in-chief to skip his annual ritual to save the company he co-founded.

Hey, Steve, watch out for that swing.

-- Jessica Guynn

Photo by Paul Sakuma / Associated Press