Author: Guest Author

Ricky Tiki Tantrum

Ricky Barnes, jazzed up on the pressure of a match Down Under, gets confused on which round orb he’s supposed to be hitting: the golf ball, or the globe. His confusion costs him an undisclosed but “substantial” amount of money.

ricky_barnes.jpgFormer University of Arizona star and 2002 US Amateur champion Ricky Barnes decided that, when the going gets tough, the best course of action is to lay down on the course and throw a tantrum. Since that would be only slightly more over the top, Ricky opted for the ever-popular “Bruce Banner” school of golf.

During last week’s Australian Masters at Huntingdale Golf Club, Melbourne, Ricky entered the final round three shots off the lead. After watching a tee shot fly a little too far off-target, Ricky decided to actually hit a fairway by smashing his club into the ground. On the 17th, with a repeat performance off the tee, Ricky decided that golf was too difficult a sport, and took up a new sport: Hit the Earth with Golf Clubs.

We’ll let you know if it catches on.

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Tiger To Be A Daddy

Tiger plans to get it on with his hot Swedish nanny? Go figure!

According to an AP report, Tiger Woods is going to be a father. Well, not yet, but soon.

“I don’t want to be an old father,” Woods said Thursday at the Target World Challenge. “I still want to be young. We’re not going to wait too long.”

You mean to tell me they’re still waiting? Pff. Give it a rest Tiger, we know what’s going on in that bedroom. Or for your sake, we hope we know what’s going on.

“For me, it will be bigger than it will for Elin because she’s had siblings,” Woods said. “I’ve been an only child. When we have, hopefully, more than one, then it will be really different because I’ve never dealt with that.”

Oh yeah. As someone with seven brothers and sisters, I can assure him that there’s a huge difference. Of course, a lot of that difference had to do with the fact that our family didn’t have a multi-millionaire as a dad.

So Tiger, I give you this advice. On your way to fatherhood, don’t forget the extra pack of diapers. You’ll need them.

Qualifying School Joy and Agony

The Men’s Qualifying School is over, and 35 players move on with their PGA Tour cards, 51 get exemptions on the Nationwide Tour, and the rest… they just go home.

oneal_qschool.jpgIt happens every year – over 150 golfers get together for six rounds of golf, fighting for a chance. A chance to become a PGA rookie, a chance to rekindle your career, or a chance to join your Dad on the Tour.

For 35 players this year, their dreams were answered when they earned their Tour Cards at the PGA’s Qualifying School at PGA West. Leading the pack of players was Ben Davis, the Brit who won with a six-round 415 and ending one shot better than fellow Tour player Rob Rashell.

Bill Haas, son of Jay Haas, was looking to join his dad on the Tour and looking to convert more than one of the eight birdie opportunities he had on the back nine at the Stadium course. He did neither with a final-round 71, missing his card by two strokes.

Joy, agony and Tim O’Neal.

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The Office Depot Father-Son Challenge

The Office Depot Father-Son Challenge gives the next generation a taste of the big life.

The Office Depot Father-Son Challenge celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend at ChampionsGate in Orlando, Fla as another event in the crowded Silly Season looking for attention. Yet, this tournament stands apart through the work of Alistair Johnston of IMG, one of the largest sports marketing firms. He set out to create a tournament that had serious competition with serious prize money. As it turns out, getting players to participate would be a no-brainer.

“This event will never be pressed to get a field,” said David Charles, son of 1963 Open Champion Bob Charles. “It’s such a unique event they could have 50 teams out there.”

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Man Steals Golf Course

A New York television station is reporting that a Cayuga County man has been arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property for stealing bits and pieces of the Owasco Country Club over the period of three years in order to build his own three hole course on property he shares with his twin brother.

Now, that’s what I call dedication to the game. It’s too bad he might not get to enjoy it for 3-5 years. 🙂

Harrington, Howell to Hong Kong

Padraig Harrington and David Howell headline the players at this week’s Omega Hong Kong Open.

After two successful 2004 seasons, Padraig Harrington and David Howell turn to the Omega Hong Kong Open close out their 2004 golf seasons.

Harrington looks to defend his 2003 victory in Hong Kong and make a start at building the foundation for a season better than last year’s second-place European Tour season. After deciding to play on the PGA Tour in 2005, Harrington hopes to defend his first career title with a win in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Ryder Cup star David Howell will be joining Padraig in Hong Kong. Howell is coming off an excellent showing at the Ryder Cup, but will be joined at the event by fellow Ryder Cup teammates Harrington and Miguel Angel Jimenez, as well as the likes of Nick Faldo and Jose Maria Olazabal.

The Omega Hong Kong Open starts Thursday at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, Hong Kong.

Skins Snore

Wasn’t the Skins Game fun at one point in the not-too-distant past?

skins_game_logo.gifWatching the Skins Game this weekend, I couldn’t fight the feeling that something’s changed about the Skins Game. Maybe I’m completely off or remembering something else, but this year’s Skins Game – highlighted by four golfers who barely spoke, playing for a significant chunk of change in a somewhat charity event – didn’t have the feel of Skins Games of old.

Or, maybe I’m just getting old…

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Killing the Old Courses

With Phil shooting a 59 in Hawaii, is it time to revisit the older courses, or are they destined to end up as quaint, low-scoring footnotes in golf history?

low_scores.jpgLast week at the Grand Slam of Golf, Phil Mickelson shot a thirteen-under 59 in Hawaii. This adds his name to the list of the Under 60 club: Duval, Chip Beck, Al Geiberger, Annika Sorenstam and Phil Mickelson. (As an aside, Shigeki Maruyama shot a 58 in the US Open qualifying rounds in 2000, but neither his 58 nor Phil’s 59 will count in the ‘official’ record books since neither event was an ‘official’ PGA event. Whatever.)

Regardless of whether Phil’s 59 will count, it’s an amazing achievement. But, is it the start of a trend where the young players and longer technologies combine to shatter old records and leave old courses hurting from an onslaught of double-digit sub-par rounds?

In other words, is the ‘perfect’ 18-under round of 54 that far off?

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Janzen and Stewart in Father-Son Challenge

Lee Janzen and Aaron Stewart will play the Father-Son Challenge together.

Aaron Stewart, the 15-year-old son of the late Payne Stewart, will tee it up with Lee Janzen in the annual Father-Son Challenge for major champions and their sons to be played December 2-5 at ChampionsGate in Orlando, FL. Tournament organizers were more than willing to bend the rules for Janzen.

“It struck me that Aaron would be playing with his dad if Payne were still alive,” Janzen said. “I thought he was missing out on something special. So I called my manager about playing with Aaron.”

Janzen and Stewart were close friends and Stewart was the runner-up both times Janzen won the U.S. Open.