March 2013: #Reaction: Golf Digest

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Results for March 2013 Back to #Reaction Index

Nike's latest Tiger Woods ad sparks controversy

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Winning can take care of many things, but some are questioning the wording of Nike's newest ad with Tiger Woods. The 14-time major champion returned to the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking with his win over the weekend, and Nike released this on Monday:

After Tiger's well-publicized affairs, the 14-time major champion lost major endorsements with companies such as Gatorade and AT&T. Golf Digest's relationship with Woods also ended, but Nike stuck with the embattled star, and has been using him in its commercials as frequently as ever in 2013.

Nike isn't afraid to push the limits to generate buzz and its latest ad has people talking. Does it send the wrong message or is it simply meant to inspire? Let us know what you think.

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Image: Courtesy of Nike Golf

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#GolfDigest Images of the Week

Monday, March 11, 2013

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Ever dream of being published in a golf magazine?

Saturday, March 9, 2013

By Stephen Hennessey

Becoming a published golf writer is a dream of many golf fans.

We give our readers the chance to get a taste of that dream in every issue.

It's our Front 9 Facebook Punchline Contest, inspired by the New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest. On Sundays, we post a set-up line to our Facebook wall. Submit a punchline, and you have a chance at being published.

Related: Our Golf World Facebook wall

We received 110 entrants last week to appear in our Equipment Issue, and our editors picked a winner.

Here's the set-up line we offered up to you all last week:

"A 2,000-year-old human skull found in a bunker at Musselburgh Links."

The eerie bunker in question (on Hole No. 4) at golf's oldest course, Musselburgh Golf Links. Courtesy of Geoff Shackelford.

The winning punchline, submitted by Bryan Smith of Deltona, Fla.:

"We've heard of golfers losing their heads in bunkers, but this is ridiculous."

The other finalists we considered:

Frank Imschweiler (Fairfield, Conn.): Giving new definition to the buried lie.

Mark Wehrman (Big Sky, Mont.) "Now that’s a deadly hazard.”

Thomas B. Allen: "It gives new meaning to the phrase "skulled it." (Middletown, Ohio)

Paul Bynane (Houston, Texas): Scottish bunkers, breaking hearts and taking skulls, since the iron age."

Check the Golf World Facebook wall tomorrow for your next chance to win! (You'll win a special Golf World hat, too.)

Our past winners from 2013:

February 25th issue: Our setup: "Snow halts first-round play at the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona."

Winner: MT Diehl, Orange City, Iowa. Punchline: "Lift, clean, defrost."

February 18th issue: Our setup: "Bill Murray heads a starry gathering of pros, celebs and CEOs at Pebble Beach—and misses the Pro-Am cut."

Winner: Andy Peterson, Omaha. Punchline: "He remains the perennial fan favorite, so he's got that going for him, which is nice."

January 28th: Our setup: "Tiger Woods misses Abu Dhabi cut after taking illegal drop."

Winner: John Fox, Wyoming, Ohio. Punchline: "There's sand in Abu Dhabi? You're kidding me."

January 14th: Our setup: Wind, weather delays play havoc with Hyundai Tournament of Champions schedule.

Winner: Josh Krutchik, Encino, Calif. Punchline: "Apparently Mother Nature wasn't as excited about the start of the season as we were."

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Seeking the 100 shooters -- in age

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

By Cliff Schrock

The golf motto "a game for a lifetime" doesn't need any clarification for those who have played the game for several decades, but reading about the living examples of that motto inspire and enthrall us.

Photo of Stewart Roche courtesy of WZZM-13.

A legendary lifetimer was British Columbia's Arthur Thompson, who shot his age in 1972 at age 103. Last summer we spotlighted Stewart Roche (above), of Hart, Mich., who had a hole-in-one at age 96, giving him three aces since turning 91, a trick that caused us to give him the awkward-but-deserving title "most prolific hole-in-one shooter of a golfer in their 90s."

We want to keep the great golf longevity stories coming, but we're going for the mother lode of lifetime records and want to discover who the oldest male and female golfers are who play rounds regularly, plus determine among this group of active golfers who has played golf for the most years. That means golfers who have hit triple digits -- in age -- and who likely have been playing for 9 to 10 decades.

If you fit that profile, or know someone who does, we want to hear from you. Please nominate yourself, or someone you know, sending us details about your age, where you play regularly, how long you have played golf (starting age to present age) and send it all to editors@golfdigest.com. You can also mail information to: Golf Digest, 20 Westport Road, Box 850, Wilton, CT 06897, attention: The Oldest Golfer.

We'll report back on what we've heard so we can all celebrate the oldest players among us.

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#GolfDigest Images of the Week

Monday, March 4, 2013

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Rory McIlroy's WD at the Honda Classic creates buzz through the weekend

Monday, March 4, 2013

By Stephen Hennessey

As a defending champion last week at the Honda Classic, many expected Rory McIlroy to show better form than he has so far in 2013.

Instead, the world No. 1 grabbed national headlines for leaving the tournament, not contending in it.

Rory McIlroy-Honda-Classic

Citing pain caused by his wisdom teeth, McIlroy withdrew from the Honda after going seven over through eight holes in the second round. He has a press conference planned for 9 a.m. Wednesday at Doral, in which some expect him to give a more "honest" reason for leaving early.

It's already created a stir in the sports world.

During the final-round telecast on NBC, Jack Nicklaus remarked that McIlroy probably didn't think his decision through enough.

"I think if he'd have waited five more minutes he wouldn't have done that. I think he's a good kid and I think he tries to do the right thing. Unfortunately, it probably wasn't at that time."

Here's a brief rundown of the social-media buzz from the weekend:

Many tour pros refrained from commenting on McIlroy's decision on Twitter. But David Duval, a former world No. 1 who struggled after taking that top spot, chimed in:

David Duval (@David59Duval): "I just feel I have a responsibility to the tournament and the fans to post my score. My mentality."

"Am I the only one not worried about Rory? He will win at least 3 times this year around the world. Too much talent."

Fellow Northern Irishman David Feherty, perhaps not surprisingly, came to McIlroy's defense:

(@FehertTwit): "Rory has played how often this year? And the doubters have started. Remember the Masters? And then the US Open at Congressional?"

The always opinionated Steve Elkington shared one of his cartoons poking fun at McIlroy, and shared his thoughts, too:

(@ElkPGA): "You're better off finishing a bad round. I know, I've posted 86 twice in majors. A WD mid-round only adds to your problems."

Golf fans didn't hold back their opinions on the subject either. We received more than 450 comments on our Golf Digest Facebook page, with a wide range of opinions.

Michael Guinn: "If you want to be a champion, act like a champion. That means playing through difficulty and adversity. You already know this tourny is a wash, don't go get on your plane and pout, play through it & work to be better. How many times do you think Greg Norman thought about walking off during one of his many implosions at the Masters? But he never did it, because he is a champion caliber player who knows you have to work for it and some days it just isn't there for you."

"This guys a pro, even with a toothache or whatever, on an off day, he should be able to grind it out, make a couple birdies to give the fans something, and shoot 77 and miss the cut with class. He should play a few practice rounds with Rickie Fowler, there's a guy who doesn't quit." -Stating the Obvious on GeoffShackelford.com

Others saw a similarity between Tiger Woods and his buddy, Rory:

"One thing I don't get; why not just live with the first story, 'I am not in a good place mentally...'? So what if you get a Tour fine? So what if people gripe about your lack of effort? You apologize. It's just one routine tour event. You apologize honestly, you pay a fine or accept any other penalty. At least you get out with your credibility.

I think the honesty with McIlroy was one of the really refreshing things about him. The lack of calculation. It was how people could judge what sort of mind was operating that swing.

It wasn't the lack of calculation that troubles me with Rory. The first reaction was honest, even if it was bad Tour behavior. It was the second bite at the apple, the calculation, that was so offensive.

It is Tiger's worst quality; the stonewalling lack of candor." - Chuck on GeoffShackelford.com

One reader believes McIlroy's situation is another example of the PGA Tour's propensity to give phony excuses:

"[Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour] created this game of 'pick an injury' to report to the press. Virtually every other sport allows for an 'off day' and it is even encouraged in some. Finchem has created this atmosphere where Tour players are made to feel they owe something to the sponsor, hence the pro/am requirement, as well as a myriad of other social functions required as mandatory attendance. So the question becomes: Are we better off with a policy which encourages lying to the media or to simply allow for an honest assessment of ones game, of which might allow for an occasional WD for no other reason than a lack of an ability to hit the ball on a given day?" -P Dog on GeoffShackelford.com

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Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

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