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iPad app: 'Golf History with Peter Alliss'

John Strege — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:01:00 GMT

By John Strege More history no doubt will have been written by the time one consumes all the information in a new iPad app, "Golf History with Peter Alliss." This app spans the game...

The book on Nicklaus' teacher, Jack Grout

Tue, 28 May 2013 23:13:00 GMT

By Dave Shedloski

DUBLIN, Ohio - Dick Grout's first golf lesson occurred in 1963. He was 10 years old, and he was playing a casual round with Jack Nicklaus at La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach, Fla.

"It was on about the third or fourth hole. I had made a sizable putt," Grout recalls. "I'm just a little kid. Jack just looks at me, and then he asks me, 'What do you think about when you're putting?' Well, you know what they say - try to putt like when you're a kid and your mind isn't cluttered. I just told him I pick a line and try to knock it in. So there's Jack Nicklaus asking me about my putting. I guess you could say I gave him a little lesson."

Grout laughs at the memory. He has a lot of them when it comes to Nicklaus, given that his father was Jack Grout, who was Nicklaus' longtime teacher. The younger Grout, who is now a teaching pro himself in Greenville, S.C., was the most enthusiastic of the four Grout children when it came to golf, and through the years he often engaged his father in conversations about his career, the game and, yes, the Golden Bear.

He's finally put all that information to good use. Released this week, perhaps appropriately in conjunction with Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament, is the book, "Jack Grout - A Legacy in Golf," which Dick Grout wrote with the help of former newspaperman Bill Winter. It is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other outlets.

"It occurred to me ... I followed dad so closely through the years. He had so much going on in his life, so many things he accomplished," Grout said. "I wanted to fill in the blanks on him and some golf history. Besides being Jack Nicklaus' teacher, he did so many other things. My dad was 40 years old when he started teaching Jack Nicklaus [in 1950]. His life didn't just begin when he got to Scioto Country Club."

Indeed, and that's why, other than a cursory mention in the introduction, Nicklaus doesn't appear until page 161 of the 270-page book. Before that, Grout takes the opportunity to bring readers another perspective on the early years of professional golf. Before he became a club pro and Nicklaus' mentor, Jack Grout was a caddie (at 12 he carried the bag of Walter Hagen in a tournament in Oklahoma) and a tour player who competed against Ben Hogan. There are many colorful stories that he gleaned from his reticent father.

Nicklaus wrote a foreword to the book. Raymond Floyd, who also benefitted from Grout's tutelage (and who this week is the Memorial Tournament honoree), penned an afterword.

"Dad was a humble guy. He just didn't talk about himself," Dick Grout said. "He was quiet, even somewhat shy, but I would pester him about things, and he would tell me these stories. There are things in this book my brother and two sisters even didn't know. I had pages of pages of stories about him, and I hope that telling his story would somehow get him the recognition he deserves."

Ultimately, that would mean consideration for the World Golf Hall of Fame. But any recognition would be a step in the right direction.

"It's astounding to me that he's not in any Hall of Fame," Grout said. "Not in the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame. Not in the South Florida Hall of Fame. Not even the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. You start to think maybe these halls of fame aren't what they're cracked up to be.

"Long story short," Grout added, "I just wanted to fill in the blanks on my dad's life. His influence on the game is really pretty impressive and spans half a century. I doubt very many people know that."

Until now.

Who will give Tiger Woods' Hall of Fame induction speech?

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:24:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

Tiger Woods will undoubtedly be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame when he's eligible at age 40 in 2016. Less certain is who will give his introduction speech at the ceremony.

Related: Woods' long road back to No. 1

The very private Woods doesn't let many people into his inner circle and even among those few, it's tough to pick a surefire candidate. Let's take a quick look at some of the possibilities:

Mark O'Meara: At one time, he would have seemed a lock for the job as Woods' close friend and mentor during the height of Tigermania. But Tiger and "Marko" haven't been seen together as much in recent years.
Chance of happening: Doubtful

Fred Couples: Woods' buddy showed a lot of faith in him at his lowest point as a golfer when he selected Tiger as a captain's pick for the 2011 Presidents Cup. That being said, Woods attended the Met Gala in New York rather than be in St. Augustine for Freddie's big night.
Chance of happening: Decent

Steve Williams: We're pretty sure saying you'd like "to shove it right up that black ass" when referring to your ex-boss is a permanent bridge burner.
Chance of happening: Not happening

Butch Harmon/Hank Haney: Not that Woods harbors ill will towards them, but he'd view choosing either as a sign of weakness and a slight at his current coach, Sean Foley.
Chance of happening: Not happening

Sean Foley: Woods' latest swing coach would certainly get the nod over his former big-name instructors. But if Tiger still hasn't won his 15th major by the time he's 40, well, let's just say he won't be as high on his current teacher.
Chance of happening: Decent

Joe LaCava: Woods' replacement for Steve Williams is very supportive and keeps to himself more than his two predecessors. The duo needs to share a few major championship victories, though, first.
Chance of happening: Doubtful

Steve Stricker: He's famously assisted Woods on the greens, so why not with his Hall induction? Stricker just better take two boxes of tissues up to the podium with him.
Chance of happening: Good

Jim Nantz: He seems to do it for everyone else (Five times overall, including Fred Couples and Ken Venturi this year), so why not Tiger? On second thought...
Chance of happening: Doubtful

Rory McIlroy: Tiger and Rory have developed a friendly rivalry. What a great gesture of sportsmanship this would be if they agreed to do the honors for each other's induction.
Chance of happening: Give it a few more years

Michael Jordan: It was reported that the two global icons weren't as friendly following Tiger's 2009 scandal, but Woods recently attended Jordan's wedding. That being said, showering praise on someone else, especially another athlete, doesn't seem up MJ's alley.
Chance of happening: Doubtful

David Feherty: Golf's top funnyman also happens to be very tight with Tiger. As long as he hasn't completely gone off the deep end by then, we think he'd be the perfect man for the job.
Chance of happening: Great

So, there you have it. Our money is on David Feherty, a man who always gets Woods to give a good post-round interview and who apparently shares a love of fart jokes with the game's biggest star. There, we've even predicted the topic of his opening joke.

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A limited-edition Fred Couples Signature shirt

John Strege — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:10:00 GMT

By John Strege Apparel brand Ashworth Golf has released a limited-edition Fred Couples Signature shirt to commemorate Couples' induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday. Couples, 53, has been wearing Ashworth...

Editor's Letter

Jerry Tarde — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

The case for builders in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

David Graham still waiting for his Hall call

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:26:00 GMT

By Dave Shedloski

Former U.S. Open and PGA champion David Graham read with keen interest Raymond Floyd's recent published comments critical of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Perhaps because it hit so close to home.

"It's an interesting scenario because Raymond basically said some things that I have thought all along," Graham said by phone from his home in Whitefish, Mont. "The thing is Raymond has big boots in golf. He's a purist, and for him to say something like that was quite a statement."

Photo by Getty Images

Floyd, a four-time major champion who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989, recently was quoted by Golf Magazine as saying, "the bar has been lowered" on qualifications. "Guys get voted into the Hall of Fame who don't belong, who lack the numbers. I'm very upset at the Hall of Fame for that. . . . I'll just say that you should have at least two majors. . . . There are guys in there that it's a joke. It takes integrity away from the term, 'Hall of Fame.'"

This year's inductees include Fred Couples, who won the Masters among 15 PGA Tour titles, and Colin Montgomerie, who won the Order of Merit on the European Tour a record eight times but neither captured a major nor won an official event in the U.S.

Graham, meanwhile, competing in his prime when the eras of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson overlapped in the 1970s and early '80s, won eight times on tour, including the 1979 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills CC and the '81 U.S. Open at Merion, the latter with a punctilious final round of 67 that was so impressive that Ben Hogan called to congratulate him on the performance.

With 25 other worldwide victories, Graham, a native of Australia, joins Gary Player as the only men to win tournaments on six continents. He teamed with Bruce Devlin to capture the 1970 World Cup for Australia, and in 1994 he captained the International Team in the first Presidents Cup. He also earned five Champions Tour titles before congestive heart failure in 2004 ended his competitive career.

"It's hurtful," Graham, 66, said of his omission from the Hall of Fame. "When you have a record that should mean something and it doesn't, you have to wonder what's going on."

Graham isn't even on the Hall of Fame ballot, having fallen off in 2000 after failing to garner five percent of the vote in consecutive years. His only avenue to Hall inclusion is the veteran's category -- the route through which Ken Venturi will be inducted in May with Couples, Montgomerie, former European Tour executive director Ken Schofield and Willie Park Jr., who won two Open Championships in the late 1880s.

According to Brody Waters, director of museum operations at the World Golf Hall of Fame, Graham also has fallen off the ballot on the veteran's category because of lack of voting support. He can be reconsidered either by a nomination from a current Hall of Fame member or a member of the hall advisory board.

Other multiple major winners yet to be voted in include Dave Stockton, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Mark O'Meara, Fuzzy Zoeller, John Daly and Andy North. The latter two men also have fallen off the main ballot, Daly in 2007 and North in '97.

This is a big summer for Graham, who will return to Merion in June to host the past champions dinner with Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer prior to the 113th U.S. Open on Merion's East Course. The Open was last played at Merion in '81, when Graham overcame a three-shot deficit to George Burns and won by three strokes with a 7-under 273 total.

"I'd had a conversation with (USGA executive director) Mike Davis about the possibility of being reconsidered this year with Merion hosting the U.S. Open," Graham said. "I don't know what happened to that. I don't really understand how it all works. In my mind, it's a bit of a fiasco. It's been disappointing to not even be considered, and I think Raymond made some very good points. But for me to say it doesn't carry the same weight as a player who already is in the Hall of Fame. All I have is my record, and it'd be nice if someone could explain to me how it's not good enough."

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Stingers: Colin Montgomerie is a Hall of Famer?

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:35:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

I'll admit, I was never much of a Colin Montgomerie fan. But that changed -- at least, briefly -- when I drew the plum assignment of following the Scot around Winged Foot in one of Sunday's final groups at the 2006 U.S. Open.

A week shy of his 43rd birthday and with his career in its twilight, Monty managed to hold things together as well as anyone that day on the treacherous A.W. Tillinghast track, and I, a young reporter rooting for a great story, believed I had lucked my way into covering this unlikely major championship win from inside the ropes. Then, Montgomerie pulled, well, a Montgomerie.

Photo by Getty Images

Pumped up from draining a 50-footer for birdie on No. 17 to take a share of the lead with Phil Mickelson, Montgomerie found the 18th fairway (something Phil famously wouldn't accomplish minutes later), but chose a 7-iron for the uphill, 172-yard shot. He didn't come close. A pitch and three putts later, Monty, like Mickelson, wound up one shot behind winner Geoff Ogilvy. Unlike Phil, Monty didn't collect his runner-up trophy at the awards ceremony, instead storming off and reportedly having an altercation with a New York state trooper.

Just like that, Montgomerie's final opportunity to capture a major championship was gone. One would think his chances at being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame had vanished as well. I was wrong.

On Tuesday morning, Montgomerie was named the latest player to earn entry into the Hall (receiving just 51% of the vote on the international ballot), despite the fact he will never win one of its four biggest tournaments. Even more stunning? Montgomerie has never won a single PGA Tour event. I guess I missed the announcement that the Hall of Fame is now just the "Hall of Very Good"?

The case for Montgomerie? A sterling Ryder Cup record and 31 wins on the European PGA Tour, which he dominated during the 1990s to the tune of four Player of the Year awards and finishing first on the Order of Merit (money list) seven times, adding an eighth in 2005. Those are impressive accomplishments, but keep in mind that tour's depth wasn't nearly what it is now -- when it is still a distant No. 2 to the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Montgomerie played his fair share of tournaments in the States and often came close to winning, including losing playoffs at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. But he never got the job done. Not in a major. Not in a Honda Classic.

Related: Ryder Cup heroes & goats

Earlier this year, Fred Couples, with his 15 PGA Tour wins and one major, was also selected to the Hall. Like Monty, Freddie was no slam dunk to get the nod, especially so soon. But the pair's speedy selection, while others with similar credentials like Ken Venturi have had to wait so long, is just the latest case of Hall of Fame standards -- not just in golf, but in all sports -- being lowered.

If guys with no major titles are going to start being inducted, what's going to happen to all the one-time winners, who have become so abundant during this recent era of parity? Good thing there's plenty of space on that St. Augustine property.

Maybe it's a little harsh, but I had a front-row seat for Monty's chance at true golfing immortality. Like that ill-fated approach shot, he came up short.

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Fields: Venturi finally gets deserving Hall of Fame nod

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:53:00 GMT

By Bill Fields

Longtime observers of the World Golf Hall of Fame often have a field day critiquing the selection process and who gets in and who doesn't -- I raise my hand here -- but from my perspective, this is simply a time to salute a good man who, come May 6, 2013, will finally be where he should be.

Monday's announcement that 81-year-old Ken Venturi had been selected through the shrine's Lifetime Achievement Category and will be inducted next spring was a fitting tribute for the player-turned-broadcaster who has been an important part of the game's fabric for so very long.

"The greatest reward in life is to be remembered," Venturi said, "and I thank the World Golf Hall of Fame for remembering me."

Being grateful has never been difficult for Venturi, for whom golf was a refuge before it became his life.

When Venturi was a boy in San Francisco, words came with extreme difficulty if at all, a doctor telling his mother that her son "was an incurable stammerer." But at 13 he "went out and found the loneliest sport I could find," setting forth on a course that would see him become a national champion and, later, after carpal tunnel syndrome shortened his competitive career, a familiar voice for 35 years on CBS' golf telecasts.

If Venturi's golf life had begun in 1968 when he made the unlikely climb into a television tower for the first time, it would have been a remarkable run. But he had been a headliner on the ground for years. Tutored by Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, owner of a stylish and effective swing, Venturi nearly made history as an amateur at the 1956 Masters but squandered a four-shot lead in a windy final round to lose to Jack Burke Jr.

That tough loss -- and subsequent valleys along the way to 14 PGA Tour victories -- probably had something to do with Venturi's gentle rather than pointed criticism from his TV perch. But he knew the game, and had walked the walk -- a sapping 36 holes on the final day of the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional CC in Bethesda, Md. Exhausted from the brutal heat and humidity, a down-on-his-luck Venturi was warned by a physician that going out for the final 18 holes could jeopardize his life.

Venturi played on, persevering for one of golf's most hard-earned victories, forever etching a spot in sport's history. The USGA abandoned the double-round conclusion. Before too long, his health would force Venturi off the tour for good.

"I wouldn't trade being anybody in the whole world," Venturi said Monday. "[But] the one thing I think about is, I wonder what I could have done if I hadn't lost the use of my hands."

Related: The most grueling U.S. Opens

Venturi made the most of his life away from competition, as a talker and a giver -- helping various charities, from raising money for guide dogs for the blind, a children's hospital and the mentally challenged. Nelson, long ago, had given his protege some advice.

"Be good to the game, Ken, and give back," Nelson said.

"That's what I've tried to do," Venturi said, "because I've said many times, the world will never remember you for what you take from it, but only what you leave behind."

When the U.S. Open returned to Congressional in 2011, it was a chance for people to appreciate anew what Venturi had achieved that unforgettably steamy Saturday in 1964. Venturi met with reporters, many of whom weren't born when he won the Open, and looked back.

"I remember a phrase again from my father," Venturi said last summer. "I was at the dinner table one night telling him how good I was. 'I'm the best there is, Dad,' the whole thing. And I ran out of accolades. And he said, 'Are you through, Son?' I said, 'Yeah, Dad.' He said, 'Well, let me tell you something, son. When you're as good as you are, you can tell everybody. When you're really good, son, they'll tell you.' "

In being honored by the Hall of Fame, that's exactly what they're telling him.

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(Photo by Getty Images)

Varied response to Fred Couples' entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame

Steve Hennessey — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:16:00 GMT

By Stephen Hennessey Fred Couples was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday as a member of the class of 2013. The 1992 Masters champ will be honored next May. This news...

Punchline writers rip on Lefty's nightmarish stretch of play

Steve Hennessey — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:58:00 GMT

Golf World's Front 9 Punchline Contest gives our readers a chance to be published in each of our issues. That's right, you can see your name right next to golf's movers and chasers. If you're...