Local Knowledge

'Who does this (bleep) think he is?'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:29:20 -0500

The fawning press coverage by Australian media outlets of Tiger Woods' Australian Masters appearance and performance was not universal, it turns out. Peter FitzSimons, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, demonstrably (and colorfully) took Woods to task for his temper tantrums, specifically the incident when he let go of his club and it wound up in the crowd.

"Had the likes of John Daly done the same thing, it likely would have made fierce headlines and drawn extremely negative comment from all and sundry," FitzSimons wrote. "But because it was Woods, the fawning television commentators all but ignored it, as did most of the golf writers. The question has to be asked though - who does this (bleep) think he is? And how does he get away with it? Is there not some level of responsibility that goes with being the best in the world, to not behave like a petulant prig?"

The bleep is ours, not FitzSimons'. He used a word that would not find its way into mainstream U.S. publications.

-- John Strege

Wie withdraws from LPGA Championship

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:37:04 -0500

Michelle Wie, who shot an even-par 72 in the first round of the LPGA Championship, has withdrawn with a lingering ankle injury. She issued this statement:

"This tournament, and the support shown from the fans in Houston, meant a lot to me and I wanted to do everything I could to fight through the injury. It bothered me last week in Mexico, but I was able to play through the pain. I realized today that I wouldn't be able to continue to play through it. I want to make sure that I'm being smart with it, so I will return home to have it looked at by my doctors and follow their advice for treatment."

-- John Strege

How's this for an assignment?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:33:24 -0500

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Lindsay Knowlton called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, begging the question, Who's lifetime? Employers don't routinely send employees around the world to play golf; hence Knowlton's partner in this adventure, Josh Sullivan, likened it to winning the lottery.

They are employees of Adidas Golf, who were the chosen two following a copmany-wide global casting call to find a pair of employees to front a marketing campaign it's calling "Wear in the World," designed to test and promote its all-climate golf apparel.

Their sendoff took place Thursday at TaylorMade headquarters here, and included a helicopter landing down range at its test center and whisking them off to Palomar Airport nearby to begin a journey that will start in a California desert and will take them to three Southern Hemisphere continents.

Their itinerary includes golf at Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley, the lowest elevation golf course in the world, at 214-feet below sea level. From there, they go to Bolivia, for a round at LaPaz Golf Club, the world's highest-elevation course, at 10,800 feet above sea level.

Then it's on to Ushuaia, Argentina, and golf at the southern-most 18-hole course, "600 miles from Anatarctia," said Knowlton, a native of Canada and a former Ohio State golfer. "Total penguin territory." From there, it's a 20-hour flight to South Africa, for golf at Walker Bay Resort, Africa's southern-most golf course. And, finally, it's on to Alice Springs, Australia, to play the world's hottest course, where temperatures often exceed 120 degrees.

On the same trip, they'll also ride mountain bikes down Bolivia's Death Road, cage dive with great white shakes off the coast of South Africa, and play a better ball match against Argentina star Andres Romero.

"Checking things off our bucket list in the process," said Sullivan, a scratch golfer who works at company headquarters here.

Their progress can be followed at adidasgolf.com/wearintheworld/.

-- John Strege

LPGA Player of the Year scenarios take shape

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:49:10 -0500

RICHMOND, Texas -- For the first time since 1994, the LPGA Player of the Year race is coming down to the last tournament. Lorena Ochoa got off to a great start Thursday with a 66, at Houstonian Golf & Country Club, four strokes better than Jiyai Shin, whom Ochoa trails by eight in the POY points race. For Ochoa to become a four-time Rolex Player of the Year, she would need to win this week at the LPGA Tour Championship or register at least a third-place finish and have Shin earn zero points.

Cristie Kerr, who was playing late, still has a better-than-outside chance to become the first American to win the award since 1994 when Beth Daniel took the honor. The only scenario under which Kerr could win POY would be to win the season-ending event, have Shin earn no points -- which means finishing outside the top 10 -- and have Ochoa finish no better than fourth. Going into the Tour Championship, Shin had 156 points, Ochoa 148 and Kerr 127. Points are award thusly:

1 - 30
2 - 12
3 - 9
4 - 7
5 - 6
6 - 5
7 - 4
8 - 3
9 - 2
10 - 1

No Korean has been LPGA Player of the Year, nor has a Korean won the money title - not even the godmother of Korean golf Se Ri Pak. Shin has already wrapped up the Rookie of the Year race and the money title. She would become only the second player - joining Nancy Lopez -- to win Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Six players born in Korea have been LPGA Rookie of the Year: Pak (1998); Mi Hyun Kim (1999); Hee-Won Han (2001); Shi Hyun Ahn (2004); Seon Hwa Lee (2006) and now Shin. Angela Park, a Korean born in Brazil, was Rookie of the Year in 2007.

-- Ron Sirak

LPGA members still trying to earn cards in Japan

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:46:55 -0500

RICHMOND, Texas -- The 2010 LPGA schedule was released here Tuesday and the fact it contains only 23 or 24 events, depending on how you do the math, explains why several LPGA members are trying to get the their cards for next year on the Japan LPGA. More than a dozen members were in the mix originally, but now it is down to Seon Hwa Lee, Candie Kung and Inbee Park. These are not insignificant players. Kung has four LPGA careers victories, as does Lee, who was the 2006 Rookie of the Year. Park has won once, but it was the 2008 U.S. Women's Open.

The JLPGA has 34 tournaments on its 2010 schedule as of now, and sources familiar with the Japan women's tour say the worst-case scenario is that it will have 31, still significantly better than the LPGA. While the LPGA says it expects to have 24 tournaments in 2010, it began the 2009 season with 31 but played only 27, losing the Ginn Open, Kapalua and China along the way with the Bell Micro being pushed to next year.

Purses on the JLPGA have been about two-thirds those of the LPGA in recent years, but that gap will narrow significantly next year when the total LPGA purse drops from $60 million in 2008 to a little more than $40 million in 2010. And if Kung, Lee and Park play both tours they will have ample opportunity. There are 17 off-weeks on the 2010 LPGA schedule between its mid-February start and finish the third week of November.

-- Ron Sirak

Here's a hint of what Wie's value to the LPGA might be

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:03:08 -0500

Just how important Michelle Wie in a starring role is to the LPGA can't be appraised until we know that she can fulfill the role consistently and should she do so that enough time has passed to accurately gauge her impact.

But for a glimpse we need look no further than a charitable auction that was part of the pro-am party at the LPGA Tour Championship in Richmond, Texas, on Tuesday. The high bid to play a round of golf with her was $25,000.

It got the attention of new Commissioner Mike Whan. "I came in late and when I walked in, I noticed the bidding was up to $22,000," Whan said. "I asked somebody what they were bidding on and they said, 'They're bidding to play golf with Michelle Wie.'

"Now, that's star power right there. It's going to be a very exciting week, and it could be a very exciting couple of years."

-- John Strege

Thailand 1, Arizona, Florida and Texas (combined) 0

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:31:29 -0500

The LPGA, at least, has stopped the bleeding, with the return of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, but there remain gaping holes in its 2010 schedule, as Ron Sirak of Golf World notes here.

What is especially startling is that Thailand (among other countries) has more LPGA events than Arizona, Florida and Texas combined. The score: One for Thailand (the Honda PTT LPGA Championship), zero for Arizona, Florida and Texas, each a golf hotbed.

-- John Strege

Hey, the veep is playing golf, too

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:48:31 -0500

Las Vegas Review-Journal gossip columnist Norm Clarke reported that Vice President Joe Biden played golf at The Golf Club at South Shore, at Lake Las Vegas, on Sunday, though his people initially were told that he wouldn't be allowed to play. Members only, the club informed them.

After a second call, the club acquiesced and Biden got in 17 holes before having to leave to attend a fundraiser for Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nev.).

-- John Strege

The worst year ever?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:16:56 -0500

There have been some miserable years in professional golf. Recall Ian Baker-Finch in 1995, when he made 18 starts, missed the cut in 14 of them, withdrew from three of them and was disqualified from one. He was 0 for 18.

In 1997, Chip Beck played in 32 tournaments and made only three cuts and $10,653. The following year, he made two cuts in 29 starts. In 2005, David Duval made 20 starts, missed the cut in 18 of them and withdrew from one. He made one cut and $7,630.

But can any of these can top Doug Barron's year this year? Barron played four Nationwide Tour events, missed the cut in three of them and was disqualified in the fourth. He played one PGA Tour event, the St. Jude Classic, at which he was administered a drug test. He missed the cut there, too, then failed the drug test and was suspended for a year.

No judgment is made here on the merits of his case against the PGA Tour. Maybe he has a strong one. This is just an examination of his year in golf and it warrants strong consideration for inclusion among the worst ever.

He should have stayed in bed, as they say.

-- John Strege

Air Sergio

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:14:48 -0500

From a news release on Sergio Garcia's new mode of transportation, a Hawker 4000 business jet:

"I couldn't expect to compete at a championship level on the golf course if I didn't have a championship level airplane to get me there," Garcia said. "I am a firm believer in the value of Hawker products because with my previous airplane, a Hawker 850XP, I never missed a tournament. This made it a simple decision to purchase a Hawker 4000 and it too is proving to be an exceptional airplane. In addition to its comfort and performance, my lofty expectations continue to be surpassed by the support and customer-centered focus of the company."

Those who travel commercially never miss a tournament, either, do they?

-- John Strege

Funk has knee-replacement surgery

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:02:53 -0500

Fred Funk knew he was going to require a total right-knee replacement. It was just a matter of when. The time to replace the bad knee -- which was devoid of cartilage and had plagued Funk for more than a year -- with an artificial joint came Monday morning.

The surgery was performed by Dr. R. David Heekin, medical director of the Orthopedic Center of Excellence at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla., and the surgery went well, according to Funk's wife, Sharon. Funk, 53, is expected to be hospitalized for two to three days before returning to his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. His wife said he may be able to begin hitting balls in six weeks, and he is shooting for a return to the Champions Tour early in 2010 if everything goes well.

While a number of professional golfers have returned to a high caliber of play after having hip replacement (Tom Watson, for one), there isn't a long track record for those receiving an artificial knee.

Homero Blancas had a knee replacement in the latter stages of his senior career. Peter Jacobsen had right-knee replacement on April 2, 2008, returned to competition in less than three months later but was able to play in only two more events that season. The knee replacement came after having his left hip replaced Sept. 9, 2006. Continuing to struggle with weakness and pain in his left leg, Jacobsen played in only eight Champions Tour events in 2009, his best finish a T-22 at the AT&T Championship.

Despite being bothered by his right knee and a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Funk finished fifth on the senior money list in 2009 and won the U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick GC in a dominating, 20-under performance - the lowest 72-hole aggregate in relation to par in USGA history - that put him over the $25 million-mark in career winnings on the PGA and Champions tours.

"Right now standing over the ball, I know my knee hurts and I know it's going to hurt during the golf swing and sometimes I just hit some shots that just are not even close to what I normally hit," Funk said at the 2009 Senior PGA Championship. "The knee is so arthritic and weak."

Funk had surgery for torn cartilage in his right knee in late May of 2008 and subsequently it was drained of fluid 18 times. He developed a dangerous staph infection in the joint late last year. "I had no idea how sick it can make you feel and the worst-case scenarios are not very good scenarios," Funk said of the potentially life-threatening infection that was caught in time.

A different knee brace obtained this past June gave Funk some relief from the arthritic pain, but a limp was still evident even as he cruised to his six-shot victory at Crooked Stick. "But eventually, I'm going to need a new knee, there's no question," Funk said then.

-- Bill Fields

Tiger to be inducted into Stanford Hall of Fame

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:05:00 -0500

STANFORD, Calif. - Tiger Woods will be inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday at halftime of the home football game between Stanford and California, otherwise known as the Big Game. The 33-year-old Woods, who attended Stanford from 1994-96, will also speak to the football team before the game and serve as honorary captain for the pre-game coin toss.

"It will be an honor for Stanford football to share our sideline with the greatest competitor of our generation," said Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose red-hot team has climbed to No. 14 in the national rankings.

Woods has won 94 professional tournaments world-wide, including 14 major titles. His most recent came Sunday at the JBWere Masters in Australia, his seventh victory of the year.

During his time at Stanford, Woods won 10 intercollegiate events, including the 1996 Pac-10 Championship and the NCAA Championships. Twice, he earned first-team All-American honors. Woods posted the lowest round in Stanford history - a 61 at the 1996 Pac-10 Championships - and also owns the school record for career stroke average at 71.1.

"It's a great honor to be included in the 2009 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame class," Woods said. "I want to congratulate the other honorees. I had a wonderful time competing at Stanford, was challenged in and out of the classroom, and developed many life-long friendships. The university helped me grow as a person and an athlete, and I will always be grateful."

-- Mark Soltau

Nickent Golf out of business

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:44:45 -0500

Nickent Golf, which at one time enjoyed considerable popularity on the Nationwide Tour in particular for its hybrids, appears to be out of business.

The company, which was put into receivership in May, terminated its employees last Friday and will begin the process of liquidating its assets immediately, according to an e-mail from a Nickent employee that was obtained by Golf World.

According to the e-mail, a number of groups -- including the Nickent management team -- tried to craft a bankruptcy/buyout agreement with the bank but were not successful, leading the bank to pull the plug on the company.

Although Nickent enjoyed success with its hybrids (including making their way into the bags of players such as Jim Furyk), the company could not parlay that success into other categories such as drivers, irons and putters. Additionally, recent success by other companies in the hybrid
category, such as Adams Golf, additionally hampered the company's business.

- E. Michael Johnson

The best thing to happen to the LPGA in 2009

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:05:47 -0500

News that the ShopRite Classic is returning to the LPGA schedule in 2010 is a reminder that Michelle Wie's victory in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday doesn't necessarily have a lock on the best thing to happen to the LPGA in 2009.

Recall that in 2006 then-LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens gave away the ShopRite's annual June date to Bobby Ginn for the Ginn Tribute that no longer exists. ShopRite then chose to end its association with the LPGA after a 21-year run.

The ouster of Bivens earlier this year is formidable competition for Wie.

-- John Strege

LPGA: Bivens' backlash roils board

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:47:21 -0500

The LPGA Board of Directors is apparently feeling some backlash for allowing the Carolyn Bivens situation go on as long as it did. According to sources familiar with the situation, Dawn Hudson will remain on the board but is unlikely to be re-elected as chairman. And sources say player members on the board do not support the idea of making acting commissioner Marty Evans chair, in part because she oversaw the recent layoffs at tour headquarters. Many LPGA insiders view Hudson as part of a group that included former board chair Rae Evans as responsible for hiring Bivens, a longtime friend of Evans. Marty Evans was placed on the board by Bivens. All are tied together by headhunter Joie Gregor, who recommended Bivens for commissioner and helped Marty Evans get a job running the American Red Cross.

According to these sources, Marty Evans has informed the board that if she is not chair she will not remain on the board. There will be a turnover of at least two independent directors on the board and among those being considered to fill the spots, sources say, are Cindy Davis, a former LPGA officials who is currently president of Nike Golf, and Anheuser-Busch/InBev executive Tony Pontura. Mike Whan, a marketing man who most recently ran a hockey equipment company, takes over as commissioner Jan. 4. According to several sources familiar with the interview process during the commissioner search, Gregor was an active participant in the search process.

-- Ron Sirak