Hunter Mahan: open mouth, insert foot.

[RichF]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/gol...an---golf.html

'Ryder Cup 'slavery' turns off American Hunter Mahan'
America's Hunter Mahan has yet to play in a Ryder Cup but he has suggested that team members are akin to slaves.
"The whole week is extremely long," he says in the latest edition of Golf magazine. "You've got dinners every night – not little dinners but huge, massive dinners. I know, as players, that's the last thing we want to do. You're just a slave that week."

Mahan, 12th on the US Ryder Cup points table for Valhalla, added: "At some point the players might say, 'We're not doing this any more'. Don't be surprised if it happens. It's just not a fun week like it should be."

He went on to contrast the Ryder Cup with the President's Cup, which, he suggested, was an all-round good experience. "Jack Nicklaus," he said, "just makes it fun. We really enjoyed each other's company. From what I've heard, the Ryder Cup just isn't fun."
Mahan added: "Phil Mickelson and Tiger [Woods] – their time is worth money. And for the PGA of America, the Ryder Cup is a money-maker like no other. Is it an honour to play? Yes it is, but players value their time and this is a business."

That Mahan's remarks reflect what he has been hearing from his peers is something which will have Paul Azinger, the passionate US captain, reading the riot act. Mahan's chances of getting a wild-card, should he need one, must now be minimal. '




I'm sure Zinger must be well-pleased with 'Mental-Midget' Mahan.
He's exactly the type of today's player that Jack Nicklaus was referring to in his 'golfer's get paid too much money to be effectively competitve' tirade a few weeks back.

[ganjagolfer]

now that's the kind of slave i want to be, a playing golf and going out to dinner one

[RichF]

now that's the kind of slave i want to be, a playing golf and going out to dinner one

Yeah, but remember: they're 'HUGE, MASSIVE dinners'.

[ganjagolfer]

Yeah, but remember: they're 'HUGE, MASSIVE dinners'.

no problem, i'll be able to handle it with the bordeaux wine to wash it down

[RichF]

no problem, i'll be able to handle it with the bordeaux wine to wash it down

But...but....are you

sure you value your time and money just to play golf, stay in nice hotels, eat huge. massive dinners and drink expensive Bordeaux?

[ganjagolfer]

But...but....are you

my only reservation would be to have a late as possible tee time to sleep off my evening fore trials and tribulations of massive meal and entertainments but will accommodate myself to whatever is captain azinger's schedule

[RichF]

Ahhhh, yes the, ahem, 'Moderators' of this board are still doing a fine job, aren't they?

Maybe they'll join together and develop some kind of 'sense-of-humour' , too.

[bigfred31]

the ryder cup is a glorified exhibition that i have never liked and never will.

[Klean]

Dinners???? Huge massive ones? Oh the horror!

Give me a break

[BSweet]

The Ryder Cup should be done Mortal Kombat style.

[iQuest Golfer]

There are a few players that I call "entitlement" players. I'm afraid that Hunter has chosen to put himself into that category.

IMHO... the President's Cup was created to "take the edge" off the pressure of the Ryder Cup.

May be after Hunter sits out a couple Ryder Cups he'll regret his comments. But then, those that believe they are "entitled" just go on going on.

That's why over the years, I've come to cheer for the Europeans.

[Thrash13]

Hunter Mahan is one of the top-50 golfers (36th to be exact) in the world, so I'd say his opinion is pretty darn important. And in all honesty, he is just reiterating all the things Tiger has hinted at the past several years. It's no secret Tiger isn't a fan of all the dress-up and dinner parties Ryder Cup Week offers, and obviously Hunter Mahan isn't either.

If Tiger put it the way Hunter Mahan did, people wouldn't have said anything. Mahan didn't say he wanted to sit out The Ryder Cup. He just said there was too much "other" stuff going on that week other than golf, and it's the truth.

Edit: Also, it's worth noting some of his comments were taken out of context a little according to him. Surely the media wouldn't do something like that would they?

[Scratch-Hopeful]

Is it really that bad that he offered his opinion? Plus, not everyone is made for formal events.

[iQuest Golfer]

Hunter Mahan is one of the top-50 golfers (36th to be exact) in the world, so I'd say his opinion is pretty darn important. And in all honesty, he is just reiterating all the things Tiger has hinted at the past several years. It's no secret Tiger isn't a fan of all the dress-up and dinner parties Ryder Cup Week offers, and obviously Hunter Mahan isn't either.

I'll roll with your flow here Thrash; especially when you bring the media into the mix. But, when you let the media thru the doors you need to let in the other outside influences that can contribute to the "stuff" swirling around the RC. That is the by-product of sponsors, handlers, agents, et al.

The Ryder Cup in my opinion is the pomp and highbrow affair of the old golf traditions. Many of the tournaments back in the day were dress-up, formal, all-night drinking affairs that ended in the last man standing. I would agree that most of the Americans would rather skip the pomp and formality of the RC week. I got a little tired of all the high-brow dinners that I attended when on company business; but, I was a representative of my company; I was obligated. Are the players not representatives of our country? The sponsors have chosen, for better or worse, to make the RC a little more stiff-shirt and high-brow. That does not mean that the player and their entourages can't "suck-it-up" and deal with it for a week every two years. They know it's going to happen - every two years... the sponsors know it, the agents know it, the money machine knows it. Mahan didn't need to call it slavery. The PC media brigade can have a field day with that. But then, as you say, "Surely the media wouldn't do something like that would they?"

[bogeyhitter25]

I used to kind of like Hunter. But give me a break.

[iacas]

He said what most of the players are thinking. I can't find fault with anything he said.

Players have a routine. It gets royally screwed with Ryder Cup week.

[RogueGolfer]

What I think upsets most folks who read or hear his comments is the fact that they are scraping by to put gas in their tanks and pay the mortage while he gripes about playing golf and eating dinners.

Tiger may have hinted at these same facts but he shows a little more class, as do the rest of the pros who just grin and bear it.

Sometimes professional athletes need to put things in perspective before ranting, they are in the public eye so are held more accountable for anything they say or do.

[BallStriker]

two ways to look at this.....first, hunter mahan needs to respect the fact that he was born with a special, special gift that allows him to make millions playing the greatest game going...the ryder cup goes deep with golf history....you ought to be thrilled with the chance...humble....and then


second is the issue of money.....powers that be make milti-millions and the players can't even direct a bit to charity.....hunter is a bit of an extrovert, so the media..the dinners...the socializing....all BS to him...give him credit for saying "Jack made it fun..." about the Prez Cup.........


as for the ryder......US wins this one....kenny perry goes 4-0....kim/furyk team goes 2-0....mickeslon/leonard team goes 2-0......last 3 golfers for the US on sunday are pmick/perry/furyk......in that order..

europe can't make every putt again can they...lol