Archive for the 'Golf News' Category

Getting my radio and heading out to find my group!

Pebble Beach, here I come! I have been invited once again to work as a spotter for NBC Sports, only this time it's the US Open at Pebble Beach! The big Kahuna of PGA Tour golf in the U.S. of A.!

With this, the 2010, United States Open Golf Championship, I will complete my goal as a spotter and golf enthusiast set almost 20 years ago, to call the hitting orders in all four of golf's major's. It all started with the 1992 British Open at Muirfield, (Nick Faldo won),  the 1993 PGA Championship (won by Nick Price in my hometown of St. Louis), the 1996 Masters Tournament (Faldo again after Greg Norman's 6 shot lead evaporated on Sunday)

This last major could end up being my swan song, and a final major to end my career as a TV golf spotter after having spotted for most of the golf networks at one tournament or the other for over 20 years. I'm 60 years old now and while I can still crank it out there about 250, I have been riding more than walking lately. I do plan on being in semi good shape for the walk around Pebble for four days! (more…)

This 2010 golf season has barely gotten underway and just look at all the drama, "Tiger Woods doesn’t owe anyone an apology except his wife . . . Phil Mickelson violated the spirit of the rules playing a Ping Eye 2 wedge . . . Anthony Kim betrayed his La Quinta community skipping the Bob Hope Classic  . . . . Michael Sim and Tim Clark showed no nerve laying up with tournaments to be won . . . John Daly’s claim he was “done” with golf was a publicity stunt."

All according to Randall Mell of the Golf Channel, a senior writer who is already worn out with the drama on the PGA Tour, this while writing about Bill Murray's arrival at Pebble Beach for this year's AT&T Tournament. In his article Bill Murray – Love him? Or Loathe him? he says "all the squabbling in the game this young season is giving me a headache."

I would like to suggest to Randall a couple of things, number one is to get yourself a big bottle of aspirin, cause the season is early. Just wait till Tiger does come back! Everybody will be walking on eggshells, waiting for that first big faux paux to take place. And Big John ain't quite done yet either, despite statements made after playing like a chop. His new reality show will generate more drama and buzz, can he come back or is he really done?

Secondly, I think Bill Murray is mellowing out a bit as he gets along in age and you won't see the antics of the past he has performed previously at Pebble Beach, dancing in bunkers with old lady's and such. He will interact with the crowd as he usually does. I happen to like the guy, I respect his talent, both comedic and dramatic. I don't know him personally but I think anyone that brings attention to the game of golf right now is welcome, antics or not.

Golf stood still for me the day it was announced that Tiger Woods was going to take some time off to regroup and work on some personal problems. How long his absence from golf will last is anyone's guess.

I do have some concerns about his security at the venue where he does decide to return to the PGA Tour. What will that security have to resemble, a presidential detail of Secret Service? And holy cow, how much is all that going to cost? Does a golf tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, a golf course where Tiger decides to stage his comeback circus – have the right to refuse?. Can you imagine, a PGA Tour event turning Tiger Woods away because they can't afford the tab for his security? (more…)

He really must be bored to do what they say he has done with all those women. If he was a devoted husband and father he would not have done what he did. Even so, I really wasn't going to write anything about Tiger Woods that would appear on this blog. The rest of the world and the media is doing it's usual bang-up job of doing that. But then I read the statement he made on his website and I changed my mind.

One of the reasons that convinced me to write about what the rest of the world already seems to know is that Tiger's attitude is off base when he suggests that what he does in private has nothing to do with the public and he should be allowed to live quietly without intrusion. That does not mean that I approve of the lengths the paparazzi will go to just to get the story, especially when it helps to take down a celebrity athlete like Tiger Woods nor do I approve of journalists such as Charlie Pierce who have axes to grind and can't be trusted to tell the truth. (more…)

Congratulations to Martin Laird, winner of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open event in Las Vegas! It was his first win on the PGA TOUR, defeating former UNLV star Chad Campbell and George McNeill on the third hole of a three man playoff.

I have been following Marty's career since he started dating my daughter-in-laws best friend Meagan. He has been a factor in a number of events since joining the Tour but this was his first win. Great player, great guy!