Feherty on controversy: 'It was clearly a joke'

David Feherty returned to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the ninth consecutive year to headline the South Dakota Make-a-Wish Foundation's annual golf tournament, and in an interview with Mick Garry of the Argus Leader addressed the controversy he created with his comments in D magazine regarding Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

"Well, I was shocked first of all because nobody said anything about it for two months," Feherty said. "Then it was taken so incredibly out of context. It was a joke, it was clearly a joke. Whether it was a good joke or a bad joke is a matter of opinion. Unless I missed something on the six o'clock news last night this is still America. You don't have to like my jokes. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I got thousands of e-mails and texts from people saying we do have a sense of humor - don't let it bother you."

Feherty also was asked about Tiger Woods' displays of temper at the British Open.

"Those critical forget about what he did a couple of weeks before for the troops at the tournament he put on (the AT&T National). All the things he did at Walter Reed, all the things that tournament is about. And he bangs his club here or there? I was fly fishing in Colorado - I didn't see any of it. I've read about it since then. If you play golf for a living and you don't swear or throw the occasional club, you should be disqualified. It's not that kind of a game - it's not meant to be played with all the hushed tones. You're supposed to show your emotions."

-- John Strege