John Hawkins' Angry Golfer column is creating, well, angry golfers.

Bill Gallagher of Raleigh finds inconsistency (a first?) in Hawkins' column on Geoff Ogilvy:

John Hawkins seems shocked that Geoff Ogilvy would accuse the media of saying that most players are not trying. Never happened, says Hawkins. But just a few paragraphs further, he implies that the majority of the field is so enamored with the huge payoffs that winning isn't all that big a deal. That sounds very much like he is saying that they aren't trying. John Hawkins wants it both ways. And no, Tiger does not have a monopoly on the ability to produce in the clutch. Young Immelman did just fine at Augusta, as did Zack Johnson in 2007.

And, via email, gkibler2 takes issue with Hawkins comments about the John Daly shirtless, shoeless video making news on television and YouTube (nearly 200,000 viewings; 4.5 star rating).

I like Hawkins little angry golfer act. He should however not be pontificating about John Daly on the Golf Channel. We love John because he is not a typical stepford golfer. We all know Tiger and Phil are your perfect little corporate boys. I live in Vegas and have asked every golfer I know what they thought of Daly's shirtless video. Everybody loves it. We love him because he dosn't kiss the corporate ass like you guys do.

G, were you by any chance at the Players this week? Golf World's John Antonini, in the Local Knowledge blog, reports that patrons here miss Daly more than Tiger. As far as the kissing goes, I'm betting that soon John will not be faced with the awful dilemma of whether to kiss the corporate tush or live free. His shirt, when he wears one, will lack any reference to a corporation.

--Bob Carney

Ron Sirak's column urging golf and its fans to stop enabling John Daly has drawn lots of response. (Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post has also done a strong column on the subject). Some of you, like North Carolinian Dennis Thomas, are empathetic:

The saddest part of this ongoing nightmare with John Daly is that it is self-inflicted. I know what I’m talking about on this one, as I had a 26-year battle with alcohol. Unfortunately, John Daly will have to hit bottom before he is willing to turn his life around, if it’s not to late. Mr. Sirak is correct--sponsor exemptions are only enabling his bad behavior.

Others, not so much so. Rick Patterson of Tennessee:

Daly's nothing but a third rate drunk! He should be kicked off the tour and allowed to drown in his own sorrow. Plus he's addicted to gambling! He's been given too many chances already. Cut him loose!

And Texan Wayne Gordon:

Read the book...absentee parents...no boundaries...no discipline...no morals. Why would he change when he got older? I've watched him from Crooked Stick to the Memorial and nothing has changed, no boundaries...no discipline... History repeats itself. The abuse of the promoters, dedicated volunteers and golf fans has gone on long enough.

John has many fans. And he's losing many others. But his popularity is not the point. The uneasiness that Ron and Leonard and that many of us feel is that some night we'll get a call that will make John's troubles until now seem insignificant by comparison. That's a bad thing.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: Mark Feldman/Getty Images)

John Hawkins' column on the tribulations of John Daly has moved many of you to write. "Let up!" says California reader Ruth Wasserman:

I think that John Hawkins ought to get off his high horse and give John Daly a break.

Big John was doing okay until, aftera good round of golf at one of the Florida events, Jimmy Roberts began his post-round interview by asking how Daly felt about his wife going to prison. John looked like a deer caught in headlights and his game hasn't been the same since.

Big John doesn't belong on the Ryder Cup Team but he's fun for a lot of us to watch. Jimmy Roberts should go to Hard Copy.

Holyoke subscriber Fred King feels even more strongly.

John Hawkins comments...about John Daly shocked me. He quotes an unamed golf tournament promoter as saying of Daly "The Nascar crowd, whatever you want to call it, is why 80 to 90 percent of the events will give him an exemption...." Then Hawkins in his own words says Daly has a "grease monkey's sensibilities."

If those comments were about anyone other than a White American, you'd be in the same boat as Kelly Tilghman and she was joking, you're serious...implying that John Daly and all of us who follow him faithfully are a bunch of "grease monkeys". That reminds me of the monkey line uttered by Howard Cosell...You ought to be called into the boss' office along with the editors who let that get through.
                ... and hypocritical: Your magazine, in the same issue,  has a picture plus two stories on Daly.  I guess you're giving him an exemption to sell copies. I don't blame you. I'd like to see more stories on Daly.

I do believe that Commissioner Tim Finchem hates Daly being on the Tour. He should love it !   Tim, as I admit Hawkins points out, nobody comes to see John Senden or even Stewart Cink. Daly puts people at tournaments and raises the TV ratings...

I have a lot of friends who range from factory workers to presidents of multi million dollar companies and we all like Daly. We like him because he says and does such outrageous things and because many of us smoke cigarettes and drink beer and have pot bellies, we can identify with him more than Kevin Sutherland...

Fred goes on, but his point's made. I'm not sure I buy the "grease monkey" argument, but I agree that Daly is tremendous draw, a guy with a big heart and a player lots of us love to follow. But that doesn't stop some of us from being worried about Big John. Entertaining us isn't his only job; taking care of himself (and  his talent) would be No. 1.

--Bob Carney
               

John Daly decries the new Tour policy of relieving some players who make the cut of their obligation to play over the weekend. Our readers are divided.

Count Texan Thomas McConnell as leaning "No."

To tell a player, who makes the cut, that they are not in the weekend field strikes me as a ridiculous policy. To deprive a player who makes the cut the opportunity to improve their position in the final two rounds will surely affect some players tour status and certainly their livelihood by year end. After all it is a four round tournament for those who qualify. It is surprising that the players, in unison, have not challenged this policy change.

Californian Eric Patterson, doesn't see it that way. He likes John Hawkins' take in the Angry Golfer:

One month into 2008, Daly has been making the worst kind of noise, whining about the PGA Tour's new cut policy, then threatening to sue the Honda Classic because some woman snapped a photo in his backswing last March, then withdrawing for the seventh time in 21 starts at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. If not for the sad death of caddie Steve Duplantis last week, Daly's out-of-control behavior at a Hope post-round party might have generated a lot more buzz on the Torrey Pines practice green.

Eric:

John was so right on the money, he should be commended. The Touring Pros today ae nothing more than Prima Donnas; if they find the new Cut Rule tough, then they need to work an evening shift at Denny’s…just like John said. Many of these players have never won anything, come from spoon-fed country club upbringings and have no right to complain. They need to try sitting in a cubicle at a low level, 9-5 Corporate America job and see how much financial pressure they have. Keep up the great work, John.

Personally, I like reader Al Jamieson's view of things:

The kerfuffle about the new cut rule is rooted in the Tour's unwillingness or inability to deal with the most pernicious problem in golf, slow play!  Slow play is a cancer on the game.  Please check, but I believe that one of Tiger's wins at San Diego was from the cut line.  Can't get 78 players around in the time allotted? Shame on you.  College players may be worse.  Only stroke penalties for the turtles will start to get their attention.

You have put your finger on the bane of all golfers' existences, Al. Plus, I love that word, kerfuffle.

--Bob Carney