Tiger Woods just might be bigger than the game of golf given his appeal to non-golfers, but that’s not enough. Maybe he is the greatest player of all time, but apparently he’s toting a 27 handicap when it comes to social graces.
The latest incident stems from the CA Championship at Doral. Evidently a photographer snapped a picture as Tiger was making his transition from his backswing to the ball. Tiger said it made him flinch and he missed the par 3 ninth green to the left. He immediately launched a profanity-laced tirade. When he finally holed out for bogey, he continued his tirade on his way to the 10th tee.
The latter loud tongue lashing included, “if you take another bleeping picture, I’m going to break your bleeping neck.” Considering that the huge gallery contained a lot of kids and women, better control of his language would have been a good fit here.
Unfortunately, the only reason all of this came to light was it was picked up on TV. This was hardly the debut of Tiger’s blue standup routine. I can’t tell you how many times he has littered the countryside with F-Bombs during the course of play with nary a photographer within earshot. It has often gotten to the point where parents accompanying their kids to watch their idol in person had all they could stand after two holes and got as far from Tiger’s group as possible.
Why doesn’t the PGA Tour do something about this? In a follow up article to the Doral incident, John Daly was quoted saying that Tiger felt that he was the most fined player on Tour. Let’s see, you make $100 million a year and you’re fined $10,000? Now, there’s a deterrent.
Here’s how far it’s gotten out of hand. Tiger agreed to an ESPN interview about the incident. Among his replies were such gems as “there’s been a lot worse said out there.” Little did anyone know it was said by him. “It was the heat of the moment and I got a little hot.” This was said in response of a question asking if he regretted his choice of language. Tiger had a tap in to recoup his reputation and shanked it.
I take you back a few years when Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were paving the way for players like Tiger to have an opportunity to earn untold millions. Trust me, they had the total attention of the media. Unfortunately, the photographers that often followed them had little or no understanding of golf photography and the shutters in the cameras of the day were a lot louder. To be fair, the writers who often covered the travails of Jack and Arnie were sent to the tournament as a penance by a vindictive sports editor. He didn’t know anything and that could be at least as frustrating for players of that stature.
Unlike “The Golfer Formerly Known as Eldrich,” Arnold and Jack held their tongues. If there was a rebuke, it was issued civilly. They were aware of their status and how their actions and words would reflect on the game and the PGA Tour. That’s called class. What Tiger did can be called class as well. Unfortunately, it’s low class.
I’m positive that Tiger isn’t the only player who drops the F-Bomb on the course, but by virtue of his status, he’s the lead bombardier.
It’s time for the PGA Tour to get into the game and start announcing fines. The NBA is more than happy to announce that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 for cussing out a referee. The NFL couldn’t have gone public quicker when it came to the Patriots Bill Belicheck and Spygate. Major League baseball immediately goes public with fines and suspensions without regard to the status of the player.
The professional golfer should be accountable for his WORDS and ACTIONS. In most instances the offense was made publicly. Why should the punishment be exacted in private? Maybe, just maybe, public disclosure for being a foul mouth boor might get Tiger, et al to take a glance at a thesaurus once in a while.
In closing, I have two questions for Tiger. In two, or three years, or even today, would you speak like that in Sam Alexis’ presence? Then why is it okay to speak like that in front of other parent’s kids?
Bartender, please pour a tall, cool glass of Liquid Drano for Mr. Woods and I’ll have a glass of ice water, so I don’t get caught up in the heat of the moment.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Friday, March 28, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
What a great week to be Timmie Finchem
What a great week it’s been to be Timmie Finchem. First, Tripp Isenhour is charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals for killing a protected hawk during the filming of an instructional DVD. Then it was Timmie’s living nightmare, John Daly being disqualified for missing a Wednesday Pro-Am tee time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Little did Timmie know that Isenhour would gather as much attention as Ike, or that Daly’s ouster would cause such a ruckus as to find its way to lead pages on web servers and have its own slot on ESPN’s Sports Center.
No, it hasn’t been a good week to be Timmie Finchem.
While Isenhour was filming an instructional DVD, production was continually halted because of the loud and boisterous hawk. Isenhour thought that a few well-placed golf shots into the tree would scare the hawk away. As luck (or lack thereof) would have it, one of the shots hit and killed the bird.
No one ever wants to kill an animal (Michael Vick and crew aside) and certainly Isenhour meant no bodily harm to the hawk, but the bird was definitely a hindrance in what is always a costly production. He was trying to scare the hawk out of the tree—period. Accidentally, the hawk got hit and died. Let it be. Now people are talking about $10,000 fines and probation, or time. Why?
I love animals and really wouldn’t want to hurt one, but let me ask you this. If it was a protected snake he hit and killed, would you REALLY be all that upset? Probably not. I know I must have missed the memo about animals having equal, or rights exceeding those of humans. Please everyone—get a life. The word “accident” is in the dictionary for reasons such as this.
Come to think of it, there’s a more rational argument for the hawk’s accidental death. If Tripp Isenhour was really that accurate, would he have lost his PGA Tour card and be relegated to the Nationwide Tour? I think not.
Le problème qui est John Daly. Timmie, you’re silence is deafening on this one and we think we might know why.
At the request of tournament host Arnold Palmer, Daly agreed to play in a second Pro Am for two reasons. First, he’s there on a sponsor exemption. Second, it’s Arnold Palmer and you always help the King—gladly.
Daly had already played in his obligatory Pro Am on Monday and agreed to play in a second. On Tuesday, practicing at nearby Celebration, he called the Bay Hill pro shop and asked for his tee time. He was given his tee time for Thursday’s first round and not the hour earlier tee time for Wednesday. He missed that tee time and under PGA Tour rules was disqualified.
Timmie, this is where you could have been a hero. You could have stepped in and noted that John was doing a personal favor for the tournament host. He was given erroneous information. (Okay, he could have driven over to Bay Hill and found an official to get his tee time which no one ever does). You could have made a decision to include Daly in the field noting he’d fulfilled his Pro Am participation according to the rules. If you had, Nick O’Hern and Ryuji Imada wouldn’t have been DQ’d as well for not being on property to fill in as alternates.
I’m sure Timmie could have done a lot of things that would have pleased the players and the fans, but he didn’t. Let’s face it, JD doesn’t have the clout of, say, Phil Mickelson. It was okay to cut Phil a break but not John Daly. Hmmm. That’s strange.
Last year at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Phil had a one-day corporate outing in Arkansas. Rather than fly back to Dallas/Ft. Worth Tuesday night in his private jet, knowing he had a Wednesday afternoon tee time, decided to wait until the morning to return.
As luck would have it, the airport was fogged in Wednesday morning and all flights were grounded. Phil missed his tee time—but he played in the tournament. All it took was a quick mea culpa at the feet of St. Timmie and he was absolved of his sin. To his credit, Phil pounced on the opportunity and finished T3 cashing for just over $300K.
I know golf isn’t fair, but you’d think the PGA Tour might figure that what’s good for one is good for all.
Please don’t dismiss missing his tee time as JD being drunk again. Reliable witnesses say it wasn’t so. Also, to his credit, until Bay Hill, JD hadn’t missed a tee time on the PGA Tour.
Chances are, Arnold felt sincere empathy for JD. In the early 70’s, the King was playing in a Senior Tour event called the Marlboro (MA) Classic. He called into the pro shop for his first round tee time. The assistant who answered the phone mistakenly gave him his second round time. Arnold Palmer was disqualified. JD is sharing angst with one of the greatest of all time, who by the way, never returned to that tournament.
Tuesday wasn’t a great day at all for JD. When he awoke that morning and read the paper. A story about how Butch Harmon had fired him as a student. Harmon was quoted as saying that John was more interested in getting drunk than improving his game. Butch cited the Saturday of the PODS Championship when John appeared at the Hooters Nest, a pavilion behind the 17th green. John signed autographs, ate a lot of wings and drank some beer with the fans. Butch thought John should have been working on his game.
Butch shouldn’t have thrown JD under the bus like that. He could have just said we’ve decided to part ways. By the way, couldn’t Butch have called or sent a text message to John instead of having him read it in the paper? If he doesn’t think JD was acting professionally, what does he call his actions?
While a lot of us would love to spend a Saturday afternoon the same way, John wanted to be there even more. He has an endorsement contract with Hooters and personal appearances are a part of his contract. The chain was founded and the corporate offices are just down the road from Innisbrook. Maybe he should have been in the Hooters Nest doing what he’s paid to do.
There was a very questionable situation JD got into on Thursday during a rain delay at the PODS. Instead of going to the club house, he headed for the shelter of the Hooters Nest. It looked bad, but he didn’t have anything to drink. However, he did change caddies. When play resumed, he had Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden under the straps. This led to a quick seven over par 78 which was followed by a second round 80 and another missed cut. During a round isn’t the time to play games. This was yet another sponsor exemption that he treated with disdain.
There are a lot of reasons for which John Daly should be called on the carpet, however those who gang up on him for this one are taking gratuitous shots. It appears that JD is the one to whom the Pro Am rule applies. There was a day when he would have received the same break as Mickelson. How soon Timmie forgets.
Bartender, pour my friend JD and I another cold Miller Lite and order us a plate of wings. It’s
Saturday afternoon and we want to watch some golf.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Little did Timmie know that Isenhour would gather as much attention as Ike, or that Daly’s ouster would cause such a ruckus as to find its way to lead pages on web servers and have its own slot on ESPN’s Sports Center.
No, it hasn’t been a good week to be Timmie Finchem.
While Isenhour was filming an instructional DVD, production was continually halted because of the loud and boisterous hawk. Isenhour thought that a few well-placed golf shots into the tree would scare the hawk away. As luck (or lack thereof) would have it, one of the shots hit and killed the bird.
No one ever wants to kill an animal (Michael Vick and crew aside) and certainly Isenhour meant no bodily harm to the hawk, but the bird was definitely a hindrance in what is always a costly production. He was trying to scare the hawk out of the tree—period. Accidentally, the hawk got hit and died. Let it be. Now people are talking about $10,000 fines and probation, or time. Why?
I love animals and really wouldn’t want to hurt one, but let me ask you this. If it was a protected snake he hit and killed, would you REALLY be all that upset? Probably not. I know I must have missed the memo about animals having equal, or rights exceeding those of humans. Please everyone—get a life. The word “accident” is in the dictionary for reasons such as this.
Come to think of it, there’s a more rational argument for the hawk’s accidental death. If Tripp Isenhour was really that accurate, would he have lost his PGA Tour card and be relegated to the Nationwide Tour? I think not.
Le problème qui est John Daly. Timmie, you’re silence is deafening on this one and we think we might know why.
At the request of tournament host Arnold Palmer, Daly agreed to play in a second Pro Am for two reasons. First, he’s there on a sponsor exemption. Second, it’s Arnold Palmer and you always help the King—gladly.
Daly had already played in his obligatory Pro Am on Monday and agreed to play in a second. On Tuesday, practicing at nearby Celebration, he called the Bay Hill pro shop and asked for his tee time. He was given his tee time for Thursday’s first round and not the hour earlier tee time for Wednesday. He missed that tee time and under PGA Tour rules was disqualified.
Timmie, this is where you could have been a hero. You could have stepped in and noted that John was doing a personal favor for the tournament host. He was given erroneous information. (Okay, he could have driven over to Bay Hill and found an official to get his tee time which no one ever does). You could have made a decision to include Daly in the field noting he’d fulfilled his Pro Am participation according to the rules. If you had, Nick O’Hern and Ryuji Imada wouldn’t have been DQ’d as well for not being on property to fill in as alternates.
I’m sure Timmie could have done a lot of things that would have pleased the players and the fans, but he didn’t. Let’s face it, JD doesn’t have the clout of, say, Phil Mickelson. It was okay to cut Phil a break but not John Daly. Hmmm. That’s strange.
Last year at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Phil had a one-day corporate outing in Arkansas. Rather than fly back to Dallas/Ft. Worth Tuesday night in his private jet, knowing he had a Wednesday afternoon tee time, decided to wait until the morning to return.
As luck would have it, the airport was fogged in Wednesday morning and all flights were grounded. Phil missed his tee time—but he played in the tournament. All it took was a quick mea culpa at the feet of St. Timmie and he was absolved of his sin. To his credit, Phil pounced on the opportunity and finished T3 cashing for just over $300K.
I know golf isn’t fair, but you’d think the PGA Tour might figure that what’s good for one is good for all.
Please don’t dismiss missing his tee time as JD being drunk again. Reliable witnesses say it wasn’t so. Also, to his credit, until Bay Hill, JD hadn’t missed a tee time on the PGA Tour.
Chances are, Arnold felt sincere empathy for JD. In the early 70’s, the King was playing in a Senior Tour event called the Marlboro (MA) Classic. He called into the pro shop for his first round tee time. The assistant who answered the phone mistakenly gave him his second round time. Arnold Palmer was disqualified. JD is sharing angst with one of the greatest of all time, who by the way, never returned to that tournament.
Tuesday wasn’t a great day at all for JD. When he awoke that morning and read the paper. A story about how Butch Harmon had fired him as a student. Harmon was quoted as saying that John was more interested in getting drunk than improving his game. Butch cited the Saturday of the PODS Championship when John appeared at the Hooters Nest, a pavilion behind the 17th green. John signed autographs, ate a lot of wings and drank some beer with the fans. Butch thought John should have been working on his game.
Butch shouldn’t have thrown JD under the bus like that. He could have just said we’ve decided to part ways. By the way, couldn’t Butch have called or sent a text message to John instead of having him read it in the paper? If he doesn’t think JD was acting professionally, what does he call his actions?
While a lot of us would love to spend a Saturday afternoon the same way, John wanted to be there even more. He has an endorsement contract with Hooters and personal appearances are a part of his contract. The chain was founded and the corporate offices are just down the road from Innisbrook. Maybe he should have been in the Hooters Nest doing what he’s paid to do.
There was a very questionable situation JD got into on Thursday during a rain delay at the PODS. Instead of going to the club house, he headed for the shelter of the Hooters Nest. It looked bad, but he didn’t have anything to drink. However, he did change caddies. When play resumed, he had Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden under the straps. This led to a quick seven over par 78 which was followed by a second round 80 and another missed cut. During a round isn’t the time to play games. This was yet another sponsor exemption that he treated with disdain.
There are a lot of reasons for which John Daly should be called on the carpet, however those who gang up on him for this one are taking gratuitous shots. It appears that JD is the one to whom the Pro Am rule applies. There was a day when he would have received the same break as Mickelson. How soon Timmie forgets.
Bartender, pour my friend JD and I another cold Miller Lite and order us a plate of wings. It’s
Saturday afternoon and we want to watch some golf.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Monday, March 10, 2008
Florida Swing no longer a birdie-fest
Remember when the Florida Swing of the PGA Tour was a veritable birdie-fest? Now in the second week, there aren’t a lot of smiles inside the ropes. The Honda Classic, once the Jackie Gleason Inverary Classic, has moved more times than Gleason ever saw his feet. This year it debuted at the PGA National Resort & Spa.
Played on the PGA National Championship Course where a Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship have been contested, par was a legitimately good score. This takes into account that normally the par is 72 and the Tour cut it back to 70, the winning score was six-under. Even at -14 it shows enough toughness. It also showed something else.
A few years back, the resort called upon Jack Nicklaus to toughen the three closing holes. Not only did he toughen the holes, but under certain weather conditions (the March wind being one of them) those holes are close to unplayable. “The Bear Trap” as it’s called proves that you can design brutally difficult holes with no regard for conditions and at times embarrass the golfer. It just seems a shame that you can have 15 demanding, but fair holes and then end the day with golf’s version of water boarding—all in the name of protecting par.
The good part of the Honda Classic was Ernie Els closing with a 3-under par 67 to win by one over Luke Donald. While it was Els’ first PGA Tour win since the 2004 Memorial, it was notable for another reason, it was his first tournament playing Callaway clubs.
While Els has been flying the Callaway colors for awhile, he hasn’t been playing their clubs. Like most Tour players, he has a clause in his contract that he’ll play the equipment once it’s approved by the player.
This is a clause inserted out of sheer panic on the players’ part. They all can either remember, or at least of heard of the fate that befell Corey Pavin. After the 1996 season, Pavin was offered a long term contract to play and endorse clubs made by PRGR, a Japanese manufacturer. The deal was lucrative, but it also was iron-clad. He had to play those clubs.
By the time the contract ended, pictures of Pavin’s game were appearing on the sides of milk cartons. He was physically and psychologically damaged. The contract was gone, but so was the confidence. Since winning the 1996 Colonial, Pavin finished out of the top 150 in 1997-98. He’s had eight Top 10 finishes including a win at the 2006 US Bank Championship in Milwaukee opposite the British Open Championship. Pavin has become the poster boy for bad equipment contracts.
Perhaps Els can turn around a career that had begun to slip away. He’s got the confidence that he can win again, but you have to wonder if he can maintain it in a field that has Tiger Woods in it. That remains to be seen and when you play on that high of a level, it’s the only thing that counts.
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Tiger starts the year with two consecutive wins and all of a sudden pundits are talking about him finishing the year undefeated. Huh?
We’re talking TWO wins here people—not 12 or 13! Sure you can rationalize that he can win on every course he plays, but that isn’t Larry, Moe and Curly rounding out the fields. Let’s take a long, hard look at this.
He’ll play at Bay Hill. Okay, he’s won four times there. He’ll play at the WGC event at Doral where he’s two-time defending champion. If you put WGC in front of the tournament name, Tiger wins it. The Players Championship could slip into the “L” column. He’s won it once, but the relatively short target golf layout brings too many players into the game. It’s enough of an equalizer that Fred Funk can beat Tiger there. Remember Craig Perks won there and is out of golf. Tiger has won the Memorial three times. If he plays, he’ll probably win again.
He may play the Wachovia Championship. Because he has a design project in the Carolinas, it might be a possibility. That’s another possible loss. Then there’s the ATT National that is his tournament. He didn’t win last year, so he might not this year.
He played in three playoff events and won two. The one he lost to Phil Mickelson is on a course he’s won on before.
I bet you were wondering about the majors. It would not surprise me if he won the Grand Slam. He definitely wins two and probably will win three. A 10-12 win year is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. A perfect year is.
Having said that, Tiger has had a perfect year before. As a junior golfer at age 11, he ran the table winning 36 tournaments in a row. When asked about such an incredible streak, Tiger replied, “I guess I peaked at 11.”
Bartender, concoct me a LONG Island iced tea. It’s going to be a LONG season.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Played on the PGA National Championship Course where a Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship have been contested, par was a legitimately good score. This takes into account that normally the par is 72 and the Tour cut it back to 70, the winning score was six-under. Even at -14 it shows enough toughness. It also showed something else.
A few years back, the resort called upon Jack Nicklaus to toughen the three closing holes. Not only did he toughen the holes, but under certain weather conditions (the March wind being one of them) those holes are close to unplayable. “The Bear Trap” as it’s called proves that you can design brutally difficult holes with no regard for conditions and at times embarrass the golfer. It just seems a shame that you can have 15 demanding, but fair holes and then end the day with golf’s version of water boarding—all in the name of protecting par.
The good part of the Honda Classic was Ernie Els closing with a 3-under par 67 to win by one over Luke Donald. While it was Els’ first PGA Tour win since the 2004 Memorial, it was notable for another reason, it was his first tournament playing Callaway clubs.
While Els has been flying the Callaway colors for awhile, he hasn’t been playing their clubs. Like most Tour players, he has a clause in his contract that he’ll play the equipment once it’s approved by the player.
This is a clause inserted out of sheer panic on the players’ part. They all can either remember, or at least of heard of the fate that befell Corey Pavin. After the 1996 season, Pavin was offered a long term contract to play and endorse clubs made by PRGR, a Japanese manufacturer. The deal was lucrative, but it also was iron-clad. He had to play those clubs.
By the time the contract ended, pictures of Pavin’s game were appearing on the sides of milk cartons. He was physically and psychologically damaged. The contract was gone, but so was the confidence. Since winning the 1996 Colonial, Pavin finished out of the top 150 in 1997-98. He’s had eight Top 10 finishes including a win at the 2006 US Bank Championship in Milwaukee opposite the British Open Championship. Pavin has become the poster boy for bad equipment contracts.
Perhaps Els can turn around a career that had begun to slip away. He’s got the confidence that he can win again, but you have to wonder if he can maintain it in a field that has Tiger Woods in it. That remains to be seen and when you play on that high of a level, it’s the only thing that counts.
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Tiger starts the year with two consecutive wins and all of a sudden pundits are talking about him finishing the year undefeated. Huh?
We’re talking TWO wins here people—not 12 or 13! Sure you can rationalize that he can win on every course he plays, but that isn’t Larry, Moe and Curly rounding out the fields. Let’s take a long, hard look at this.
He’ll play at Bay Hill. Okay, he’s won four times there. He’ll play at the WGC event at Doral where he’s two-time defending champion. If you put WGC in front of the tournament name, Tiger wins it. The Players Championship could slip into the “L” column. He’s won it once, but the relatively short target golf layout brings too many players into the game. It’s enough of an equalizer that Fred Funk can beat Tiger there. Remember Craig Perks won there and is out of golf. Tiger has won the Memorial three times. If he plays, he’ll probably win again.
He may play the Wachovia Championship. Because he has a design project in the Carolinas, it might be a possibility. That’s another possible loss. Then there’s the ATT National that is his tournament. He didn’t win last year, so he might not this year.
He played in three playoff events and won two. The one he lost to Phil Mickelson is on a course he’s won on before.
I bet you were wondering about the majors. It would not surprise me if he won the Grand Slam. He definitely wins two and probably will win three. A 10-12 win year is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. A perfect year is.
Having said that, Tiger has had a perfect year before. As a junior golfer at age 11, he ran the table winning 36 tournaments in a row. When asked about such an incredible streak, Tiger replied, “I guess I peaked at 11.”
Bartender, concoct me a LONG Island iced tea. It’s going to be a LONG season.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Friday, February 29, 2008
Simply the Best -- Better Than All the Rest
When you go to the racetrack you always try to find a way to beat the chalk and that’s pretty much what I’ve been trying to do since Tiger Woods turned pro. After all, he’s been the favorite every time he’s teed it up.
I’ve tried to go with Phil, Ernie and sometimes Jim Furyk and almost always found them wanting. Oh, there have been some small rewards like when Phil stared Tiger down at the Deutche Bank last year, but the truth is Tiger didn’t back down; Phil had to beat him and he did--finally.
In any other era, any of these three could be heralded as the greatest player in the world, but not in this era. I watched Jack Nicklaus in his prime and he was, no doubt, dominant (and I was an Arnie guy at the time). However, once Jack looked at the field, he knew he had to beat only four or five players. Tiger looks at the field and knows there are 143 players who have to beat him. He already knows he can beat them. They know it. Everyone knows it. They really don’t know if they can beat him.
Why this change of heart? Most of it comes from the Accenture Match Play Championship. In spite of my Irish roots, I’m not so stubborn that I have to be hit over the head with a 2x4 before I change my mind on anything—okay, not more than two, or three times. What I watched last week was one of the most astounding performances I’ve ever seen. While Phil, Ernie and Jim were departing the event early, Tiger was shifting gears.
In round one, he was three down to JB Holmes with five holes to play. Everyone except Tiger and his caddie Steve Williams thought the end had come early. Given that Holmes was one-under par the rest of the trip, he should have won. Instead that roar he heard was Tiger hitting overdrive as he went five under par on the next four holes. See ya’ JB.
Arron Oberholser? An old friend and foe from junior golf days—Woods 3 & 2.
Big things have been predicted for Aaron Baddeley and he showed what all the hype is about when he threw 10 birdies at Tiger. Tiger answered with 11 and a 20-hole win. The weekend started with KJ Choi and a 3 & 2 victory. Henrik Stensen followed in the semis and was relegated to the Sunday consolation match dropping a 2-down decision.
The 36-hole final must have been a joke because at the end Stewart Cink was giggling. It mercifully ended after 29 holes as Tiger won 8 & 7. As a tour de force, Woods birdied 14 of the 29 holes. No wonder Cink was laughing, it was better than crying.
As Johnny Miller so eloquently pointed out, “A player can accept a beating like this from Tiger Woods. It’s not like it was Rory Sabbatini who was beating him.”
Until last Sunday, I believed Nicklaus was the greatest player of all time. Monday morning, he was the greatest player of his era. It’s Tiger. All that’s missing are the numbers and trust me they’re coming at a record pace.
Sometimes you have to bet the chalk.
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Sometimes it’s incredibly frustrating. Saddled with what had become known as Rule 78, where the 36-hole cut of the low 70 scores and ties was amended to add except if there would be more than 78 players left in the field. In that case the cut would be reverted back to the number closest to 70. The rest would go home with a share of the rest of the money, credit for making the cut and of course, FedEx points. This was done in the name of getting the field through on the weekends because of slow play.
In truth, all Tour rules officials have to do is enforce the pace of play regulations on the books and there wouldn’t be anymore problems. Could they do that? Yes. Would they do that? No.
Here’s their solution. After 36 holes, the cut will be made at the low 70 and ties regardless how many players that is. After 54 holes, the field will be cut again at the low 70 and ties. Officials believe the overage will play themselves out of the tournament. Those who are dismissed will be awarded the bottom feeders money according to their score along with credit for making the 36-hole cut and of course, the FedEx points.
Let’s see, there are the extra night’s expenses for the player and the caddie. The former can better afford it than the latter and let’s face it, if you’re given the kiss goodbye on Saturday; you haven’t made that much money anyway. Travel for both has been disrupted. The extra day at home where the player could wash the foul taste of his performance out of his month is gone. The caddie who would have been able to share a ride to the next stop with one of the caddies who now is working instead of traveling has to either scramble for another ride, or stay an extra night at an overpriced motel.
I just wish they’d read their own rule book, enforce the rules and keep it simple.
Bartender, I guess I’m now drinking the Tiger Woods Kool-Aid, but with the next one please add a dash…make that a dash and a half…nah make it a double dash (I’m shifting gears too) of the Goose. Thanks.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
I’ve tried to go with Phil, Ernie and sometimes Jim Furyk and almost always found them wanting. Oh, there have been some small rewards like when Phil stared Tiger down at the Deutche Bank last year, but the truth is Tiger didn’t back down; Phil had to beat him and he did--finally.
In any other era, any of these three could be heralded as the greatest player in the world, but not in this era. I watched Jack Nicklaus in his prime and he was, no doubt, dominant (and I was an Arnie guy at the time). However, once Jack looked at the field, he knew he had to beat only four or five players. Tiger looks at the field and knows there are 143 players who have to beat him. He already knows he can beat them. They know it. Everyone knows it. They really don’t know if they can beat him.
Why this change of heart? Most of it comes from the Accenture Match Play Championship. In spite of my Irish roots, I’m not so stubborn that I have to be hit over the head with a 2x4 before I change my mind on anything—okay, not more than two, or three times. What I watched last week was one of the most astounding performances I’ve ever seen. While Phil, Ernie and Jim were departing the event early, Tiger was shifting gears.
In round one, he was three down to JB Holmes with five holes to play. Everyone except Tiger and his caddie Steve Williams thought the end had come early. Given that Holmes was one-under par the rest of the trip, he should have won. Instead that roar he heard was Tiger hitting overdrive as he went five under par on the next four holes. See ya’ JB.
Arron Oberholser? An old friend and foe from junior golf days—Woods 3 & 2.
Big things have been predicted for Aaron Baddeley and he showed what all the hype is about when he threw 10 birdies at Tiger. Tiger answered with 11 and a 20-hole win. The weekend started with KJ Choi and a 3 & 2 victory. Henrik Stensen followed in the semis and was relegated to the Sunday consolation match dropping a 2-down decision.
The 36-hole final must have been a joke because at the end Stewart Cink was giggling. It mercifully ended after 29 holes as Tiger won 8 & 7. As a tour de force, Woods birdied 14 of the 29 holes. No wonder Cink was laughing, it was better than crying.
As Johnny Miller so eloquently pointed out, “A player can accept a beating like this from Tiger Woods. It’s not like it was Rory Sabbatini who was beating him.”
Until last Sunday, I believed Nicklaus was the greatest player of all time. Monday morning, he was the greatest player of his era. It’s Tiger. All that’s missing are the numbers and trust me they’re coming at a record pace.
Sometimes you have to bet the chalk.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sometimes it’s incredibly frustrating. Saddled with what had become known as Rule 78, where the 36-hole cut of the low 70 scores and ties was amended to add except if there would be more than 78 players left in the field. In that case the cut would be reverted back to the number closest to 70. The rest would go home with a share of the rest of the money, credit for making the cut and of course, FedEx points. This was done in the name of getting the field through on the weekends because of slow play.
In truth, all Tour rules officials have to do is enforce the pace of play regulations on the books and there wouldn’t be anymore problems. Could they do that? Yes. Would they do that? No.
Here’s their solution. After 36 holes, the cut will be made at the low 70 and ties regardless how many players that is. After 54 holes, the field will be cut again at the low 70 and ties. Officials believe the overage will play themselves out of the tournament. Those who are dismissed will be awarded the bottom feeders money according to their score along with credit for making the 36-hole cut and of course, the FedEx points.
Let’s see, there are the extra night’s expenses for the player and the caddie. The former can better afford it than the latter and let’s face it, if you’re given the kiss goodbye on Saturday; you haven’t made that much money anyway. Travel for both has been disrupted. The extra day at home where the player could wash the foul taste of his performance out of his month is gone. The caddie who would have been able to share a ride to the next stop with one of the caddies who now is working instead of traveling has to either scramble for another ride, or stay an extra night at an overpriced motel.
I just wish they’d read their own rule book, enforce the rules and keep it simple.
Bartender, I guess I’m now drinking the Tiger Woods Kool-Aid, but with the next one please add a dash…make that a dash and a half…nah make it a double dash (I’m shifting gears too) of the Goose. Thanks.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Rule 78: Hurry up and play already
There has been a problem on the PGA Tour that has soured the players’ moods more than if someone grabbed their plus-fours and gave them a wedgie. The situation has taken on a life of its own and has become known as Rule 78.
This rule states that if the 36-hole cut of top 70 players and ties exceeds 78 players for the weekend, the field will be reduced to the number of players prior to the top 70 scores. Those who were in the top 70 and ties will be given credit for making a cut (important when calculating pension benefits) and a share of last place money and of course, Fed Ex points.
They cannot, however, play through the weekend with a good chance to improve their lot—not to mention their loot.
This didn’t sit well with those struggling to retain their playing privileges where every dime is critical. It didn’t sit well with those in the middle of the pack who make their money with a strong move on Saturday. The upper echelon? Not so much. They have no idea about what life is like among the bottom feeders and they don’t want to know.
Why did the PGA Tour and their policy board put this rule into effect? I know this will come as a shock, but it’s slow play. Yup, all this bloodletting flows from a self-inflicted wound. The Tour was tired of incomplete rounds being played on the weekend. They were tired of having players tee off on the first and 10th tees and all the headaches that costs. Twosomes and threesomes were taking well in excess of five hours to play 18-holes. Drastic situations call for drastic solutions; thus Rule 78.
There’s one word to describe their reaction and you wouldn’t want to step in it. All the Tour has to do is impose the pace of play regulations ALREADY IN EFFECT. That’s right, the rules that are already in effect.
The regulation states (and I’m paraphrasing), upon reaching his ball, the player has 40-seconds to hit a shot. The player shall be granted a 20-second extension—one minute in total if he is the first player to hit from the tee on a par 3 hole; the first to hit the second shot on a par 4, or 5 hole; the first to hit the third shot on a par 5; or the first to putt on the green.
The first violation of this regulation is a warning. The second is a one stroke penalty. The third is a two stroke penalty and the fourth is disqualification. Given that scenario, there are some players on the PGA Tour who might never see the fifth tee in the first round of a tournament, never mind the first tee of the second round. Did you hear that JB Holmes?
Hey, I think Holmes has a chance to be a special player, but he’d have to speed up a lot to draft on a snail. Don’t even chuckle at that line Ben Crane. You couldn’t create enough breeze walking by to blow out a match. It may be unfair to single out those two when there are so many offenders.
The reason most given for the lava flow that is the standard PGA Tour tournament is the large sums of money they play for each week. Puhleez! That’s not a reason—it’s a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason for every putt to be read from four sides and then place the ball in front of the mark with the line, or lines aimed in the precisely correct direction. Hey SloMo, if you had a better putting stroke, you wouldn’t need the lines on the ball. Practice before or after the round and not going into a catatonic state during it is the answer Bucko.
Of course, the PGA Tour officials could hold the answer. All they have to do is enforce the regulation on the books. Sure, it won’t make them many friends among the players, but they’ll get used to it. Just plan a week when you’ll all ban together for a bloody Thursday and Friday. Enforce this regulation to the last letter. Once the players see you’re not fooling around, you won’t have to do it again. In fact, most of the players will thank you in the end.
Before I fall off my soapbox, bartender, can you pour me another and it had better not be a sloe gin fizz.
See you on the first tee,
Jack
This rule states that if the 36-hole cut of top 70 players and ties exceeds 78 players for the weekend, the field will be reduced to the number of players prior to the top 70 scores. Those who were in the top 70 and ties will be given credit for making a cut (important when calculating pension benefits) and a share of last place money and of course, Fed Ex points.
They cannot, however, play through the weekend with a good chance to improve their lot—not to mention their loot.
This didn’t sit well with those struggling to retain their playing privileges where every dime is critical. It didn’t sit well with those in the middle of the pack who make their money with a strong move on Saturday. The upper echelon? Not so much. They have no idea about what life is like among the bottom feeders and they don’t want to know.
Why did the PGA Tour and their policy board put this rule into effect? I know this will come as a shock, but it’s slow play. Yup, all this bloodletting flows from a self-inflicted wound. The Tour was tired of incomplete rounds being played on the weekend. They were tired of having players tee off on the first and 10th tees and all the headaches that costs. Twosomes and threesomes were taking well in excess of five hours to play 18-holes. Drastic situations call for drastic solutions; thus Rule 78.
There’s one word to describe their reaction and you wouldn’t want to step in it. All the Tour has to do is impose the pace of play regulations ALREADY IN EFFECT. That’s right, the rules that are already in effect.
The regulation states (and I’m paraphrasing), upon reaching his ball, the player has 40-seconds to hit a shot. The player shall be granted a 20-second extension—one minute in total if he is the first player to hit from the tee on a par 3 hole; the first to hit the second shot on a par 4, or 5 hole; the first to hit the third shot on a par 5; or the first to putt on the green.
The first violation of this regulation is a warning. The second is a one stroke penalty. The third is a two stroke penalty and the fourth is disqualification. Given that scenario, there are some players on the PGA Tour who might never see the fifth tee in the first round of a tournament, never mind the first tee of the second round. Did you hear that JB Holmes?
Hey, I think Holmes has a chance to be a special player, but he’d have to speed up a lot to draft on a snail. Don’t even chuckle at that line Ben Crane. You couldn’t create enough breeze walking by to blow out a match. It may be unfair to single out those two when there are so many offenders.
The reason most given for the lava flow that is the standard PGA Tour tournament is the large sums of money they play for each week. Puhleez! That’s not a reason—it’s a lame excuse. There is absolutely no reason for every putt to be read from four sides and then place the ball in front of the mark with the line, or lines aimed in the precisely correct direction. Hey SloMo, if you had a better putting stroke, you wouldn’t need the lines on the ball. Practice before or after the round and not going into a catatonic state during it is the answer Bucko.
Of course, the PGA Tour officials could hold the answer. All they have to do is enforce the regulation on the books. Sure, it won’t make them many friends among the players, but they’ll get used to it. Just plan a week when you’ll all ban together for a bloody Thursday and Friday. Enforce this regulation to the last letter. Once the players see you’re not fooling around, you won’t have to do it again. In fact, most of the players will thank you in the end.
Before I fall off my soapbox, bartender, can you pour me another and it had better not be a sloe gin fizz.
See you on the first tee,
Jack
Friday, February 15, 2008
D-AQs falling from the Stupid Tree
One of the things that I love at the start of every golf season is the veritable windfall of what I refer to as D-AQs. That’s newspaper jargon for Dumb-Ass Quotes. There are a couple that have already fallen from the Stupid Tree and have fluttered harmlessly to the ground only to be blown away by gales of laughter. At the end of the year, the most ridiculous D-AQ will be awarded the Rory Sabbatini “Let’s Get Tiger Pissed at All of Us” award.
Let’s examine these early moments of genius.
The first comes from across the Atlantic. It comes from slender English lad with multi-color hair and a frantic hairstyle, not to mention his chaotic wardrobe. At the age of 32, he sounded as if he’d overindulged in his local a wee bit.
“When I reach my full potential, there will just be Tiger and me battling for the top,” said Poulter. Word has it; he didn’t slur these words which should put him at or near the top of the list when the drug testing starts in July.
I believe that’s a bit cheeky as the Brits would say. Downright dumb they might say around his second home in Orlando, Florida.
As of today the highest finish Poulter has had in a major is a ninth place finish. The only higher finish in majors for Poulter was in 2004 when he wore pink slacks at the Masters, the Union Jack embroidered slacks at the Open Championship and the Stars and Stripes at the PGA Championship. Nearly everyone thought he was high on something that spring and summer.
Evidently, he hasn’t seen Tiger’s trophy cases. While Poulter’s making a nice living racking up top 15s and 20s, Tiger is the man looking down from high above on the leader board.
I’m sorry—my fault. It’s not now that it’s going to be he and Tiger mano a mano—it’s when his game matures. He may want to pick up the pace. They’re the same age and Tiger has a 13 major and 62 PGA Tour victories lead. I’m thinking Tiger’s not going anywhere except into the record books. All we know for sure about Poulter is his clothing company is designing the uniforms for the 2008 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team.
Actually, this is a bit of a carryover from the end of last year and it comes from a golfer who should no better. It already has started to grow legs and might take a hint of the glow off his certainly Hall of Fame career.
Ernie Els actually said he is on a three-year campaign to unseat Tiger Woods as the Number One golfer in the world. Sure Ernie and I’m going to win three Pulitzer Prizes in the next three years as well. Hell, it took me three tries to spell Pulitzer correctly.
This is to take absolutely nothing away from Ernie. He’s a great golfer, but he should have checked rankings before he made the statement public. If Tiger doesn’t play for the next two years and it’s business as usual for the rest of professional golf; he steps on the tee in 2010 STILL the number one player in the world.
Els has a lot that’s not going for him at the moment. He’s 36 and has distractions. He’s this generation’s Greg Norman in a lot of ways—good and bad. He has had personal disasters at the Masters. In 2004, he had it won when Phil Mickelson snatched it from him. He won the 2002 Open Championship, but there are scars from numerous heartbreaking misses. Still, Ernie has won 44 events around the world and 15 here in the States and he has two US Open trophies.
The positive side of Norman which Els emulates is business acumen. He has a successful golf course design business, a top-rated vineyard and label in his native South Africa as well as numerous other business ventures.
Maybe he announced his plan following a long day at the winery? Who knows? I know this, if he wants to bag Tiger he has to recover from the final round in Dubai earlier in the month where led, made eight on the last hole to throw away the lead. The winner? Tiger, of course.
Ernie, my boy, you’re more than one down in your run at Tiger, but you’re definitely in the running for the “Sabbatini.”
Hey bartender, pour me whatever these two guys are drinking…Never mind, I say enough dumb things sober. I don’t need any help.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Let’s examine these early moments of genius.
The first comes from across the Atlantic. It comes from slender English lad with multi-color hair and a frantic hairstyle, not to mention his chaotic wardrobe. At the age of 32, he sounded as if he’d overindulged in his local a wee bit.
“When I reach my full potential, there will just be Tiger and me battling for the top,” said Poulter. Word has it; he didn’t slur these words which should put him at or near the top of the list when the drug testing starts in July.
I believe that’s a bit cheeky as the Brits would say. Downright dumb they might say around his second home in Orlando, Florida.
As of today the highest finish Poulter has had in a major is a ninth place finish. The only higher finish in majors for Poulter was in 2004 when he wore pink slacks at the Masters, the Union Jack embroidered slacks at the Open Championship and the Stars and Stripes at the PGA Championship. Nearly everyone thought he was high on something that spring and summer.
Evidently, he hasn’t seen Tiger’s trophy cases. While Poulter’s making a nice living racking up top 15s and 20s, Tiger is the man looking down from high above on the leader board.
I’m sorry—my fault. It’s not now that it’s going to be he and Tiger mano a mano—it’s when his game matures. He may want to pick up the pace. They’re the same age and Tiger has a 13 major and 62 PGA Tour victories lead. I’m thinking Tiger’s not going anywhere except into the record books. All we know for sure about Poulter is his clothing company is designing the uniforms for the 2008 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team.
Actually, this is a bit of a carryover from the end of last year and it comes from a golfer who should no better. It already has started to grow legs and might take a hint of the glow off his certainly Hall of Fame career.
Ernie Els actually said he is on a three-year campaign to unseat Tiger Woods as the Number One golfer in the world. Sure Ernie and I’m going to win three Pulitzer Prizes in the next three years as well. Hell, it took me three tries to spell Pulitzer correctly.
This is to take absolutely nothing away from Ernie. He’s a great golfer, but he should have checked rankings before he made the statement public. If Tiger doesn’t play for the next two years and it’s business as usual for the rest of professional golf; he steps on the tee in 2010 STILL the number one player in the world.
Els has a lot that’s not going for him at the moment. He’s 36 and has distractions. He’s this generation’s Greg Norman in a lot of ways—good and bad. He has had personal disasters at the Masters. In 2004, he had it won when Phil Mickelson snatched it from him. He won the 2002 Open Championship, but there are scars from numerous heartbreaking misses. Still, Ernie has won 44 events around the world and 15 here in the States and he has two US Open trophies.
The positive side of Norman which Els emulates is business acumen. He has a successful golf course design business, a top-rated vineyard and label in his native South Africa as well as numerous other business ventures.
Maybe he announced his plan following a long day at the winery? Who knows? I know this, if he wants to bag Tiger he has to recover from the final round in Dubai earlier in the month where led, made eight on the last hole to throw away the lead. The winner? Tiger, of course.
Ernie, my boy, you’re more than one down in your run at Tiger, but you’re definitely in the running for the “Sabbatini.”
Hey bartender, pour me whatever these two guys are drinking…Never mind, I say enough dumb things sober. I don’t need any help.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
Friday, February 8, 2008
Daly's act has become a one-note samba
I’ve known and liked John Daly for a long time. I can easily understand the public’s fascination with him. He is what many of his fans would be if they could hit the ball 320-yards off every tee. John had better hope that ability never leaves him, because when it does, they’ll drop him in a New York minute.
JD’s act has become a one-note samba. He shows up on a sponsor’s exemption (his world ranking is in the 500s) on Tuesday. He leaves sometime on Friday after he withdraws with some type of injury. He says it is related to a rib/shoulder injury he suffered when a woman at the Honda Classic snapped a picture in mid-swing and he tried to stop his swing. I’m hardly one to talk, but he might fare better physically if he dropped a little avoirdupois off that frame. He’s a big boy, but his weight is challenging his average driving distance and winning.
He announced that he was finally going to get some help—with his swing, that is. He wanted some tutelage from noted instructor Butch Harmon with whom he shares a role with in Winn Grip TV commercials. It appeared that Daly might be serious and start really working on his game. I saw Butch at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and asked about Daly’s tutorials. The answer was a lateral nod of the head and a quiet, “we’ll see.”
In 2007, he made nine of 24 cuts, missed the cut 10 times and withdrew six times. That’s right he withdrew once after making the cut. His efforts earned him $248,501 for the year. To you and me, that’s a nice year. If you’re driving a bus to each tournament that doesn’t cover much more than the fuel. Add in an occasional heavy gambling loss when the bus turns itself into a casino parking lot and it’s not much of a year at all.
Of course, Daly does supplement his income. He sells memorabilia out of his bus in the Hooters parking lot closest to the tournament site. Hooters does keep him on retainer, which might explain some of his weight problems. A constant diet of fried chicken wings, cheeseburgers and curly fries does tend to stay on the hips. At least he has the good sense to drink Diet Coke and Miller Lite beer, albeit in copious quantities. I just get the feeling that if you stuck a pin in his stomach, he’d gush grease.
Thus far, this season, John has played even in three tournaments. I’m not talking about even par. He’s made one cut, the Sony for $9,805 (T69). He’s withdrawn once (The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and missed one cut (the Buick Invitational).
Even though he’s demonstrated an inability to play as well as a lack of stamina to last through a tournament, you can bet tournament directors will be more than willing to pencil him in on their dance card. Why, you ask?
The legitimate draws are playing less and less. When the Tour fell all over themselves about the FedEx Cup, they lessened the number of tournaments the top 20 players on Tour will play. This leaves many events wanting. They’re getting a lower quality field, but the purses keep increasing. If you can’t get quality, get golfer-turned-sideshow John Daly. He’ll draw crowds for at least a day.
In his best days, John was loved almost as much for his excesses as his skills. That scale is tipping away from his skills. Just think, when Daly was at his best and still living the lifestyle that could best be described as hard, Tiger Woods was asked if he could play as well living the Daly lifestyle? “No,” said Tiger. “I don’t have his talent.”
That’s the John Daly he has to find again. That’s the John Daly everyone loved and admired. He has to find a way to become relevant again. Like everyone else, I want him to succeed
There’s a lingering fear that Daly is heading towards becoming Anthony Quinn’s Luis “Mountain” Rivera in the 1962 movie “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” It’s not fun watching him fall, but there’s always hope.
Hey barkeep, how about pouring me another Miller De-Lite? On second thought, make it a Diet Coke. I know I can’t keep up with JD in consuming either, but I can drink the soda without the Daly-esque habit of using it to wash down a couple of bags of M&Ms (I’ve always wondered about that). The belt was a little tight this morning.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
JD’s act has become a one-note samba. He shows up on a sponsor’s exemption (his world ranking is in the 500s) on Tuesday. He leaves sometime on Friday after he withdraws with some type of injury. He says it is related to a rib/shoulder injury he suffered when a woman at the Honda Classic snapped a picture in mid-swing and he tried to stop his swing. I’m hardly one to talk, but he might fare better physically if he dropped a little avoirdupois off that frame. He’s a big boy, but his weight is challenging his average driving distance and winning.
He announced that he was finally going to get some help—with his swing, that is. He wanted some tutelage from noted instructor Butch Harmon with whom he shares a role with in Winn Grip TV commercials. It appeared that Daly might be serious and start really working on his game. I saw Butch at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and asked about Daly’s tutorials. The answer was a lateral nod of the head and a quiet, “we’ll see.”
In 2007, he made nine of 24 cuts, missed the cut 10 times and withdrew six times. That’s right he withdrew once after making the cut. His efforts earned him $248,501 for the year. To you and me, that’s a nice year. If you’re driving a bus to each tournament that doesn’t cover much more than the fuel. Add in an occasional heavy gambling loss when the bus turns itself into a casino parking lot and it’s not much of a year at all.
Of course, Daly does supplement his income. He sells memorabilia out of his bus in the Hooters parking lot closest to the tournament site. Hooters does keep him on retainer, which might explain some of his weight problems. A constant diet of fried chicken wings, cheeseburgers and curly fries does tend to stay on the hips. At least he has the good sense to drink Diet Coke and Miller Lite beer, albeit in copious quantities. I just get the feeling that if you stuck a pin in his stomach, he’d gush grease.
Thus far, this season, John has played even in three tournaments. I’m not talking about even par. He’s made one cut, the Sony for $9,805 (T69). He’s withdrawn once (The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and missed one cut (the Buick Invitational).
Even though he’s demonstrated an inability to play as well as a lack of stamina to last through a tournament, you can bet tournament directors will be more than willing to pencil him in on their dance card. Why, you ask?
The legitimate draws are playing less and less. When the Tour fell all over themselves about the FedEx Cup, they lessened the number of tournaments the top 20 players on Tour will play. This leaves many events wanting. They’re getting a lower quality field, but the purses keep increasing. If you can’t get quality, get golfer-turned-sideshow John Daly. He’ll draw crowds for at least a day.
In his best days, John was loved almost as much for his excesses as his skills. That scale is tipping away from his skills. Just think, when Daly was at his best and still living the lifestyle that could best be described as hard, Tiger Woods was asked if he could play as well living the Daly lifestyle? “No,” said Tiger. “I don’t have his talent.”
That’s the John Daly he has to find again. That’s the John Daly everyone loved and admired. He has to find a way to become relevant again. Like everyone else, I want him to succeed
There’s a lingering fear that Daly is heading towards becoming Anthony Quinn’s Luis “Mountain” Rivera in the 1962 movie “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” It’s not fun watching him fall, but there’s always hope.
Hey barkeep, how about pouring me another Miller De-Lite? On second thought, make it a Diet Coke. I know I can’t keep up with JD in consuming either, but I can drink the soda without the Daly-esque habit of using it to wash down a couple of bags of M&Ms (I’ve always wondered about that). The belt was a little tight this morning.
See you on the first tee.
Jack
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