Biggest jerk on the tour?

[MPtheKid]

Another vote for Bubba. Something about him just comes off as extremely pompous and entitled to me.

[boogielicious]

As a fan who hates both the Rangers and the Bruins, I can tell you that the only reason I didn't like Brad Park is because he played for the Rangers and the Bruins.

In my experience as a Marshal inside the ropes, the two guys who stood out the most as jerks toward the fans were Vijay Singh and Justin Leonard. Back in the day, I caddied for a number of PGA Tour players on qualifyng Mondays, and then went 72 holes three different times (Jerry McGee, Tom Evans, Larry Ziegler). Jerry McGee told me on the first tee, "Keep up and shut up" and never said another word to me for four days. Then he stiffed me when he made no money. He'll always be my #1 jerk.

Bobby Clarke.  Enemy #1.  He would have been adored in a Black & Gold sweater!

[saturday]

Elk has always, apparently, been a giant flaming *******. **** him.

Wowww... No kidding there.

[BENtSwing]

When Dufner was on Howard Stern after he won the PGA, he said Rory Sabatini was the most disliked on tour.

[atb5079]

As a fan who hates both the Rangers and the Bruins, I can tell you that the only reason I didn't like Brad Park is because he played for the Rangers and the Bruins.

In my experience as a Marshal inside the ropes, the two guys who stood out the most as jerks toward the fans were Vijay Singh and Justin Leonard. Back in the day, I caddied for a number of PGA Tour players on qualifyng Mondays, and then went 72 holes three different times (Jerry McGee, Tom Evans, Larry Ziegler). Jerry McGee told me on the first tee, "Keep up and shut up" and never said another word to me for four days. Then he stiffed me when he made no money. He'll always be my #1 jerk.

Huh. Never heard anything about Leonard. Got a story or reasoning? Just wondering. Seems like just a quieter player.

[Hammer 4]

Huh. Never heard anything about Leonard. Got a story or reasoning? Just wondering. Seems like just a quieter player.

Yeah, even a long time ago, Justin always seemed to be pretty laid back, and always came across as a good dude in his interviews.

[imsys0042]

There's a log of study on the weight that people put on hearing something and personal accounts is high up there, which is why stories repeated, like on this thread, end up influencing people. Unfortunately, sometimes it was just someone having a bad day...other times a bunch of them together paints a picture of someone in a not very nice light. For example, the is a story about Couples (that he retold himself) about snapping at someone after the British Open one year because he felt like he blew his chance to win. Completely someone coming up to him at the wrong time, and doesn't (IMO) detract from the guy. I've heard a couple of people tell me about Justin Leonard on the course, mostly during practice rounds where he hasn't been nice. I wasn't there for either story, but hearing from people in person does put it in my head that maybe he's not a nice guy. For the record I think he's a classy guy. But there do seem to be a few stories out there.

[phan52]

Huh. Never heard anything about Leonard. Got a story or reasoning? Just wondering. Seems like just a quieter player.

Leonard was consistently distant that week. Since I was marshalling the putting green, there was a lof of interaction between the players and fans, especially when they first entered the putting green area before their rounds. Lots of waving, thank yous, and signing autographs. Singh was just rude and sometimes mean (he got booed one day for dissing a kid with Down Syndrome), but Leonard was just distant. No eye contact, no interaction, no matter how much people tried to engage him. Maybe he just had his game face on, I don't know. But he was like that all week, even on Pro-Am day.

Everybody else was pretty cool. The best was Robert Garragus, as he went around every day when he got there thanking the marshals and security people for their help.

[dave s]

Not sure if I would classify any tour player as an outright 'jerk.'  I don't know any of them. Seems to me, if you don't know a person, haven't spent any significant time with that person, what business would you have labeling someone a 'jerk?'

dave

[MS256]

I don't know a single one of them so I have absolutely no idea what they are like away from the cameras.

I will say this. I know a man and a woman that know most of the players that were on the PGA Tour in the 70s and 80s. When they start telling stories about those players it is shocking to me how many of those guys I thought were really probably nice guys that they have no use for at all, and some of the ones that I would have thought to be fairly unlikable that they think are really great guys.

Probably the same with most of us. Just depends on who you ask.

[PuttsLefty]

Not sure if I would classify any tour player as an outright 'jerk.'  I don't know any of them. Seems to me, if you don't know a person, haven't spent any significant time with that person, what business would you have labeling someone a 'jerk?'

dave

Sabbatini apparently relishes the role. Someone asked him about it once and he said he wasn't out there to make friends, just to win golf tournaments.

I don't think Bubba's a jerk, just childish.

[Snowfly]

Bubba seems like a real jerk. Something about him just bugs me. Going off on his caddy last year was classless and unprofessional. He reminds me of that popular high school senior who enjoys making fun of underclass men or the shy quiet types. Sergio on the other hand doesn't bother me like he does others.

[painter33]

I hate to break it to people and to go back in time, but the two worst people I encountered during the 1988 US Open and the 1999 Ryder Cup held at Brookline, MA, were Lee Trevino and Herman, his caddie.  They  were disgusting and classless when not on camera, and displayed remarkable depths of anti-Semitism.  The vile language they used was an embarrassment to the PGA and golfers worldwide. I was a marshal working at a tee that was inaccessible to the fans and to television, so they didn't have to worry, as if they did, about any of that getting out to the general public. Their remarks were met by silence from the other golfers in the groups, and a few shook their heads. I assumed they were not hearing that kind of talk for the first time. This also appeared to be the universal take on them from all of the other marshals working at other holes.  We marshals all had big smiles on our faces as we walked around when not on duty, and even though strangers to one another, we would greet each other with, "Isn't this great?!", only to have, "but isn't that Trevino a p...k?" immediately follow.  He was rude, crude, and had no feelings or sensitivity about whom or toward anyone he insulted. This isn't some third-hand story; this is a first-person report.  The "Merry Mex" isn't so merry after all and is not the carefully crafted on-camera persona, not by a long shot.

The very best guy we met in '88 was Seve Ballesteros - a true gentleman, a man of the people, and the nicest person to meet, golfer or not.  We are diminished by his passing.

Most PGA golfers are understandably focused on their games and don't interact with others a great deal except during practice rounds. I was assigned to walk with Mark O'Meara while he practiced alone the day before the start of the tournament.  He was easy-going and a pleasure to meet and to talk with  (and finished tied for 3rd).  My last US Open assignment was to forge a path through crowds from green to the next tee during the Faldo/Strange playoff.  It was an exciting day, to say the least.

[canadianpro]

Not the first time I have heard reports about Trevino....some senior tour players h ave told me the same thing

[3 Putt]

Have seen Luke Donald on numerous occasions in the Chicago area. Always a gentlemen whether the cameras are on or off. A real class act, hope he gets his major.

[mg3putt]

I've had a personal "run-in" with Rory at a practice round at the 2008 Masters. Given it was a practice round I had my camera with me along with a professional lens (I used to do semi-pro minor sports photography work). At the end of our day, we saw that Rory was teeing off on 18, so I positioned myself to take "face on" shots after he made contact with the ball. At the top of his backswing, the patron beside me decided to snap a picture with their own camera, which is understandable disturbing to any golfer who is expecting silence during their swing.

However, this was a practice round. He immediately looked at me and said something like "You don't take a picture at the top of my backswing" in a fairly nasty tone. I politely said it wasn't me but he mumbled something to his caddy that we couldn't hear then asked his caddie for another ball.

What got our ire up (I was with 3 buddies including the head golf professional at my home course) is as he walked up the 18th fairway, he repeated looked back at me (as we walk along too since we were leaving the grounds). I actually waited for him to finish practicing on 18 to repeat to him again that it wasn't me to which he replied (without even looking at me) "Don't worry about it" and headed off to the clubhouse.

Below is one of the pictures as he started to turn towards me after his swing.

[Motley01]

I've had a personal "run-in" with Rory at a practice round at the 2008 Masters. Given it was a practice round I had my camera with me along with a professional lens (I used to do semi-pro minor sports photography work). At the end of our day, we saw that Rory was teeing off on 18, so I positioned myself to take "face on" shots after he made contact with the ball. At the top of his backswing, the patron beside me decided to snap a picture with their own camera, which is understandable disturbing to any golfer who is expecting silence during their swing.

However, this was a practice round. He immediately looked at me and said something like "You don't take a picture at the top of my backswing" in a fairly nasty tone. I politely said it wasn't me but he mumbled something to his caddy that we couldn't hear then asked his caddie for another ball.

What got our ire up (I was with 3 buddies including the head golf professional at my home course) is as he walked up the 18th fairway, he repeated looked back at me (as we walk along too since we were leaving the grounds). I actually waited for him to finish practicing on 18 to repeat to him again that it wasn't me to which he replied (without even looking at me) "Don't worry about it" and headed off to the clubhouse.

Below is one of the pictures as he started to turn towards me after his swing.

Well that doesn't sound very bad at all. It the person next to you took the picture during his swing, how was Rory supposed to know? Even if its a practice round, he has the right to get pissed for someone taking photos of him during practice.

I'm actually supprised Augusta was allowing patrons to carry cameras with them?

[Foursum Golf]

Well that doesn't sound very bad at all. It the person next to you took the picture during his swing, how was Rory supposed to know? Even if its a practice round, he has the right to get pissed for someone taking photos of him during practice.

I'm actually supprised Augusta was allowing patrons to carry cameras with them?

I believe cameras are allowed during practice rounds at (almost?) every PGA Tour event.