Fore! Black Golfers

Smoltz Trying To Upstage Close Pal, Tiger?

2010-05-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Should former Braves pitcher give up on "fantasy"?
John Smoltz, the Atlanta Braves' former ace pitcher and a current TV analyst for the team is following through in pursuit of a dream to play professional golf.
Major media reports say that Smoltz will enter the qualifying event for the U.S. Open (June 17-20 at Pebble Beach) with a May 10 round at the Marietta Country Club (in Kennesaw??)
A USAToday report portrayed Smoltz as someone who didn't want to state publicly that he takes his chances seriously.
Would you agree that this escapade reminds us of Michael Jordan's flame-out attempt at playing Major League Baseball? And be advised: this may be a reality show in the making. Word is that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is making a qualifying attempt as well. Can Jerry Rice, the Hall of Fame receiver who lingered around the NFL a tad too long, be far behind?
Agree, or not, leave a COMMENT below.

Atlanta hole-in-one witness tells all

2010-04-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever hit a hole-in-one?
If so, what's the story behind the shot?
The photo above is of one of my regular playing partners, Brent Dixon, after he aced the 168-yard third hole at the quirky Atlanta muni course, Candler Park.
The picture doesn't do the occasion justice. In fact, Dixon was so nonchalant about his feat that I had to coax him into posing for a shot AFTER we'd already teed off on the fourth hole.
(He did brim with glee, however, while phoning his father quickly and thanking him for introducing him to the game as a child.)
Kudos to Dixon, a gentleman on the course and a genteel admirer of the finer things in life off it.
If you've got a "first ace" story to relate, share it by clicking on the comment box below.
A. Scott Walton

Davis Rubs His Own Nose in PGA Rules

2010-04-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

NO CRYING IN BASEBALL, NO FUDGING IN GOLF

By George Burnette
Fore!BlackGolfers Correspondent

A friend of mine introduced me to the game of golf. He hadn’t been playing long either. He told me he saw Calvin Peete on TV, read a “Snoopy” rules book, went and bought a starter set and headed over to Candler Park Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia (Candler Park is the most municipal of our municpal golf courses here in Hotlanta). By the weekend duffer’s standards this friend would be considered naïve and stuffy; but only because the weekend duffer maintains a casual adherence to golf’s rules and etiquette whereas my friend enforced them with a Gestapo-like fervor. Such was my introduction to the game: and old habits die hard.

A few years ago I was watching a Tour event and saw Brian Davis, described here in an AP story, assessing one of the gnarliest lies you can imagine. As the camera zoomed in I saw him violate a very basic rule of golf concerning the movement of the ball. I don’t remember the exact situation but Brian got the Oscar for Best Golfer to pretend like he didn’t just cheat. There is no way he didn’t see what I saw. He suffered no repercussions other than this casual observer's disdain and disgust.

Brian had a similar experience - in a hazard - during a two-man sudden death playoff at Harbor Town this past Sunday. His club hit a reed in the hazard on his backswing. The TV cameras caught the violation. This time he called a penalty on himself and immediately conceded victory.

This series of events caused me to ask myself a few questions. Did Brian Davis come to the realization that if he chooses not to penalize himself the TV cameras may do it for him? Did he finally realize that if I saw the previous violation that I mentioned earlier millions of others could have too and that a repeat performance at Harbor Town would be cause for banishment? Will the tours around the world ask the networks to refrain from zooming in too close on shots so as to minimize controversy? Will instant replay ever play a role in golf?

A special thanks goes to Brian Davis for reaffirming my belief in the second chance.

Leave a COMMENT (below) to weigh in on Davis' dilemma.

Tiger Needs Earl In His Ear Right Now

2010-04-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

By A. Scott Walton
If Earl Woods was among the living, his prodigal son Tiger might still be embroiled in this tragic "sex scandal" that won't go away.
The only difference: the 14-time Major tourney champ would have a paternal (not "enabling") presence he could trust wild boldly returning to modern sports' biggest stage.
Regardless of the original context in which the late elder Woods evoked the words, "I want to find out what your thinking was", and "Did you learn anything?", now looming in Nike Golf's new commercial, those words hover with more haunting earnestness than any shallow punditry rattling around ever since Tiger's PR tailspin started.
For all we know, it might not have been Madison Avenue masterminds who spearheaded the ads slated to run exclusively during the Masters. Maybe Tiger himself insisted that the next big product placement venture shouldn't be about "product" at all.
What better way to show true contrition than to stare down the scorning masses while the only voice of approval you've ever sought calls you to task?
And, whether he conceived the commercial or not, this much is certain: Tiger could have refused to appear in it.
If Nike stood by him throughout the debacle he admittedly caused, the sports giant surely would have obliged a snit-fit on the soundstage.
This commercial shows encouraging signs that Tiger hasn't been "Punk'd" by the ruin of his reputation. On the contrary: he's been "Scrooged".

All Eyes On Tiger ...

2010-04-04T20:41:00.001-07:00

Woods meets the press on eve of Masters comback!
By A. Scott Walton
Throughout Masters Week, rely on Fore!BlackGolfers for a constant flow of updated news and commentary about Augusta National's major tournament. Here you can keep track of Tiger Woods' progress amid the media maelstrom, as well as his play, on a non-stop basis.
Connect with Fore!BlackGolfers on Twitter and on Facebook.

South Park Tears Tiger Woods To Shreds

2010-03-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

ISN'T AMAZING HOW ONE ATHLETE RIVETS A PLANET?

Here's why Tiger's Augusta Gambit Makes Sense...
By George Burnette
What FBG has always strongly suspected and even predicted has been made official. The Masters will mark Tiger’s return to competitive golf. Looks like Eldrick’s flair for the dramatic has not waned as a result of his, now very public, indiscretions.

Original speculation was that he would return for the Tavistock Cup which on the surface made a lot of sense. That event is void of galleries and the pressure to win that a regular tourney or major would bring. And it’s media coverage normally does not extend beyond The Golf Channel.

Arnie’s Bay Hill Invitational was also bandied about as a possible source of the Tiger-man’s return. It’s right there in Tiger’s hometown of Orlando, he has a history of winning there and he and Arnie share mutual respect for one another. But it’s not as controlled an environment as that annual tourney at Augusta National. The staunch traditionalists that run the Masters will not entertain a media circus of ANY kind for ANY reason under ANY circumstances. I, for one, felt like Tiger would tune up for the Master’s by playing at least one regular tour event beforehand but the insulation the Master’s provides obviously trumped all.

Tiger's Caddie Break Silence, Shatters Trust?

2010-03-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

By A. Scott Walton
Would Tiger Woods be better off ditching his long-time caddie, Steve Williams, before resuming his career?
For nearly a dozen years, they've forged the most successful on-course partnership in golf history; enriching them both beyond limits the PGA ever envisioned.
But how well do Woods and Williams really know each other? And how likely is it that Tiger reform notorious ways if the confidante his game relies on most claims that they're virtual strangers, and reportedly holds a grudge about the exposed marital infidelities?
The fiery New Zealander who's rarely been known to hold his tongue when it comes to advising and defending Woods' in the course of their 11-year relationship has just made the reckless move of telling a TV station that he's "mad" about the controversy Tiger's stirred up and that, as he's concerned, the world's greatest golfer was leading a double-life.
This from a guy who's gotten rich and famous toting Tiger's bag all these years? Is this really who's got Tiger's back when he returns to play?
LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW
GANG GREEN: The only player who belongs in the same sentence with Woods in any "all-time greatest golfer" context joins a growing number of pundits who feel certain that Tiger will compete at this year's Masters. Jack Nicklaus, who has 18 Major tourney titles to Tiger's 14, told media assembled for this week's Honda Classic that Woods will eventually 'figure out' his ordeal.
PARTING SHOT: If you haven't already discovered the new web site developed by the man who established himself as the "golf gear guru" for The Golf Channel, point your mouse toward Adam Barr's new channel pronto. It's packed with insider information about equipment, courses and the players who truly have "karma issues" right now.

Tiger's Apology: Proof of Priorities

2010-02-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

By George Burnette
Reactions to Tiger’s private press conference have run the gamut from deeming him arrogant to bewilderment at the thought of him apologizing to anyone other than immediate family to suspicion that the silence-breaking statement was sterile, contrived and made-for-TV.
But much was unearthed while Tiger emoted for thirteen minutes:
We learned that his wife, Elin, (above left) is demanding that Tiger walk the walk rather than talk the talk.
We also learned that although he is one of the world’s most recognizable and, as a result, wealthy people, he maintains the unrealistic expectation that his private life should and will be kept private. His blood pressure reached camera smashing levels when he mentioned the paparazzi’s overzealous pursuit of Sam.
His first grouping of mass apologies was directed to his friends (some of whom, undoubtedly, admire and envy their buddy’s sexual conquests), his employees (whatever hit-in-the-pocket they took was negligible), his business partners (see: his employees), his foundation (those donations of time and money will soon rebound) and his Learning Academy students (this was sorely needed).
He admitted that he was both embarrassed and needed help. These self-admitted shortcomings go a long way in reeling in Joe Six-Pack.
He took as much pressure as possible off Elin.
He gave no timetable as to when his return to competitive golf may occur. Although he did use the words, if, return, this and year in the same paragraph.
His second wave of direct apologies was to his wife, his kids, his Mama, his (fist-pumping) friends, his foundation and to all the kids in and inspired by the “I am Tiger Woods” ads.
He managed to get in some housekeeping along the way. He dispelled rumors of Elin’s pugilistic exploits and of his alleged steroids use, but left us to wonder if prescription drug abuse is part of the puzzle. And there are Buddhists all over the world, especially in Asia, who are now getting around to doing something they’ve always wanted to do: take up golf.
He made mention of “core values” he was taught by his parents to believe in. There is a difference, however, in being “taught” to believe in something and coming to that conclusion on your own. Herein may lay the problem. When is Tiger going to stop taking instruction and do some soul-searching of his own? It’s high time that Butch, Stevie, Barkley, Jordan, Tida, Fluff, Hank, O’Meara, Cook, the image builders over at IMG and Nike and others get out of his ear so he can think for himself.
The world will find room in their hearts to forgive Tiger, but first Tiger needs to find room to sort out his life and his priorities.

Collage: NYDailyNews.com

Tiger Woods Faces the Nation

2010-02-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

By A. Scott Walton
Say what you will about Tiger Woods, but the man who's bigger than the very sport he plays can't be labeled a coward.
A coward is someone who has the audacity to demand a stroke-by-stroke account of all of another man's infidelities.
A coward is someone who hides behind the false shield of a media credential to take indiscriminate shots (verbal and visual) of a man and his family in the obvious throes of anguish and disappointment.
A coward calls another man "arrogant" for stepping forward to apologize, but not confess the details of his sins to a public that cannot and will not do anything meaningful toward the redemption he seeks.
A coward passes judgement; cloaked in the devilish security blanket over his own hidden and misgiven thoughts and deeds.
A coward faults a man who declares that the privacy and security of his wife and children should be protected at all costs, and that any decent human being should want the same for their own household.
A coward wouldn't attempt in a lifetime what Tiger Woods achieved at the podium in 13 minutes today.
Every so-called "hero" has a flaw.
Tiger Woods just showed the courage to expose his much more than any of us has the right to know about.
FOR MORE: Watch the world's No. 1 golfer make his first public statement since things spiraled out of control here.
If you agree, or disagree, offer your thoughts in the COMMENT BOX below.

How Stellar Players Get Their "Groove" Back

2010-02-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Way back in July of '09, Fore!BlackGolfers posed the question of whether this year's new groove rules imposed on the PGA players' clubs would register on readers' range finders.
Six months later, there's a simmering suspicion that top players like Phil Mickelson and John Daly might (or might not, in the latter's case) be employing vintage Ping wedges with groove configurations that evade the new rules to their advantage.
In response to a controversy that will surely brew throughout the PGA players' transition to clubs with grooves that conform, guest blogger George Burnette takes aim at the parties responsible for the fracas in the first place...
By George Burnette
I mentioned previously that sports’ governing bodies’ ability to deal with the steroids issue will be tested in the upcoming months and years. As a precursor to that quagmire, the sport of golf is embroiled in a different messy controversy of it’s own. The issue of grooves is at the forefront and the sport’s second most visible player, Phil Mickelson, is at the center of the fuss.
The depth and shape of grooves largely determines the amount of spin one can apply to a shot. The PGA, in it’s zeal to minimize the effect that new technology has on competition, implemented new regulations which prohibit deep grooves with hard square edges. They did this knowing full well there was a loophole involving PING wedges manufactured before April 1, 1990 that could, and likely would, be exploited. The list of exploiters is growing every week and the biggest name amongst them is Mickelson.
Tour vet Scott McCarron has taken the mantle of lead whistleblower. Although he admits that the letter of the law has not been violated, I agree with him that the “spirit of the law” has. As more and more players stick square-grooved PING wedges into their bags, the slope for Tim Finchem and Co. gets slipperier and slipperier.
Will Finchem pull a page out of David Stern’s book and take deliberate and decisive action to nip this controversy in the bud? Will he somehow close the loophole? Will he force PING to file another lawsuit? Will he render an opinion or take sides? Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for answers and opinions to these and other burning questions.

Feel free to set Burnette straight in the COMMENT BOX (below the funky, flashback video) if you think his opinion's out of bounds.

Champions Tour Great Jim Thorpe Headed to Prison

2010-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

"You want to beat me? Take me to a course with lots of water. I'll play chicken, because I can't stand to risk hitting a new ball into a water hazard. It's like throwing money away, man. Even playing for $100 a hole, I can't make myself take a chance of losing a $4 ball."
Jim Thorpe, Golf Digest, 2006
Shit happens. Sadly, sometimes, to decent people.
Such, it seems, is the case with three-time PGA Tour winner and frequent Champions Tour victor, Jim Thorpe.
The hard-scrabble golfer with the trademark Panama hat is going on forced sabbatical from golf because he's been sentenced to a year in prison for tax evasion.
Thorpe, who was raised dirt poor and suffered all the indignations heaped upon black golfers in the era that preceded Tiger Woods' reign, was never known to take the easy way out of anything.
But I happened to uncover a long-lost Golf Digest article about him that may offer tell-tale clues to Thorpe's undoing. In it, Thorpe describes how an act of kindness he committed while down to his precious last dollars led him into close connection with casino gambline operators. And he willfully divulges his fondness for betting on horse races, dice games, boxing matches, and the like.
Responding to the news, a chief blogger for the Golf Channel takes a rather pitiless view of Thorpe's plight.
But given Thorpe's back-story, and the way all John Daly's transgressions haven't kept him from pro golf's embrace, here's hoping that Gentleman Jim eventually gets to bask again on a sunny fairway on his way to victory.

Photo: Golf Digest

First It's Tiger. Now, Steroids? Pity the PGA.

2010-01-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Pro golf's governing body is being threatened with a lawsuit by a marginal player accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Reliable sources report that Doug Barron (left) has a federal lawsuit filed against the PGA for branding him as golf's first violator of substance abuse policies, if that's what it takes to salvage his career. Meanwhile, Barron's playing in golf's version of the chittlin' circuit to keep his name in the news and to try and regain his pro card.
He has claimed that any traces of testosterone and beta (tension) blockers in his system were from doctors' prescriptions, and he even reported his use of them before the '09 St. Jude Classic in Memphis where he got busted. He's suing the PGA for black-balling him for a year unfairly.
Presumable, the PGA has the upper hand and pockets deep enough to bury Barron in the bunkers of he legal system. But if he manages to win acclaim on the upstart eGolf Professional Tour, steroids in golf could become a much more sensitive issue.

Wall Street Journal: What's Nike's 'Plan B'?

2010-01-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

Nike hasn't severed its ties to the meal-ticket known as Tiger yet. But, as the Wall Street Journal is reporting, the brand that had virtually nothing to do with golf until it tattooed itself to the game's great, disgraced icon is having second thoughts.
Woods may have helped Nike generate more than $1.5 billion over the last two years, but what has he done for them lately?
With Woods taking an "indefinite" layoff from competition in the glare of scandals surrounding him, Nike must explore other options to stave off declining sales. Fortunately, the brand has two 2009 Major tourney winners _ Lucas Glover (U.S. Open) and Stewart Cink (British) _ as well as the perky prodigy Michelle Wie in its stable.
Credible sources say golf equipment sales were declining at an annual rate exceeding 10 percent even before the sad news surrounding Tiger was unleashed, and Nike hasn't been immune to the swoon.
The question, then, is whether the PGA and all its cohorts can keep on truckin' now that the gravy train is gone.

Tiger Woods' Next EA Sports Game Launching

2010-01-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

Not every sponsor has jumped off Tiger Woods' back now that it's been revealed that he prowled outside of his marriage to Elin.
The golf press is now reporting on the fact that EA Sports is going forward with its new online golf game centered around Woods, and will soon allow select users to test-drive the "breakthrough" technology to help iron out wrinkles before it goes live.
Tiger’s transgressions are forgiven as far as EA Sports President Peter Moore seems concerned: the golfer Moore considers “one of the greatest athletes in history” has helped EA earn far more than half a billion dollars in just the U.S. over the last decade according to respected estimates.
(Visit the EA web site for "open beta" access to "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online")
The U.K.'s Independent tribune has just declared the online (PC) game "instantly gratifying", adding that the best feature of what's considered a pre-cursor to the inevitable launch of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10" for the Wii is, "the option to play it via a web browser; register at tigerwoodsonline.ea.com, create a golfing persona, and let your browser take care of the rest."
Apparently, SOMEBODY (besides Elin) thinks of Tiger as a commodity you can still take to the bank.

Photo: EA Sports

Obama Foresees Big Comeback for Tiger

2010-01-13T13:36:00.001-08:00

According to a breaking ABC News blog post, President Barack Obama has been coaxed into endorsing the notion of redemption for disgraced golfer Tiger Woods.
According to ABC, Obama's quoted in the next issue of People magazine stating that, "I suspect that he will try to put his life back together again."
The Commander in Chief and the greatest golfer ever have reportedly met on several occasions.
Meanwhile, the mass media swirls with a tsunami of unsubstantiated rumors about the status of Woods' career, marriage and endorsement opportunities.
Keep relying on Fore!BlackGolfers for relevant updates as they occur, and visit the COMMENT box below to register your reaction.
Photo: Flickr

Jesper Parnevik Pokes Fun At Caged Tiger

2010-01-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

"Of course, we're going to have to chat," he said. "Obviously, we're going to have to compete against each other." Jesper Parnevik, AP Jan. Jesper Parnevik has just anointed himself as the “Harry Reid” of professional golf.
The way he’s been talking out of the side of his mouth about Tiger Woods lately makes fervent viewers of the game hope and pray that the peacock of the PGA manages to retain and main his pro card for a few years hence.
That way, there’s at least the prospect that we’ll get to see a pairing between Woods and Parnevik, in which the former pummels the latter like he stole something.
In the minds of many who agree that there are certain Universal man rules that one should never run afoul of, Parnevik insinuated that Woods deserved a beat down from his estranged wife, Elin, once word first leaked and then flooded about his extra-marital affairs.
Now the course jester's gone way off the tracks be saying he's not sorry for describing Woods _ who, as of now, remains married to Parnevik's former nanny _ as a complete phony in his eyes.
Parnevik, who limps into this weekend's Sony Open on a wing and a prayer of again grasping elite status, said he's spoken harshly of Woods because he takes the issue of cheating on Elin "personal".
Personal? PERSONAL?
Just imagine how personal things might get if Tiger and Jesper ever get paired up in the future. If Woods was miked up, they'd have to bleep out half the telecast. And in the press conference afterward, Tiger would no doubt gnaw on the opportunity to detail why Jesper was so inferior to begin with.
One way or another, this saga will play out.
Parnevik points to people like his wife, close friends of Elin's, who have enough intimate knowledge to break the story wide open. With friends like Parnevik, who needs enemies?
Enjoy the beats, and hit us back in the COMMENT BOX below..

PHOTO: FLICKR

Charles Barkley's Golf Swing No Longer Funny

2010-01-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

A year ago, replaying those first few YouTube clips of the Round Mound of Rebound's butchery on the golf course seemed like they'd be hilarious for eternity. No more.
Charles Barkley's second time hosting "Saturday Night Live" put an end to the merriment, when he spoofed the "Haney Project" series he had on The Golf Channel. Yes, his swing was "terrible" to start with.
But he didn't need to exaggerate it by sweeping a broom in the miniature kitchen SNL set up, did he?
Off the cuff, no out-of-shape, retired and unrepentent pro athlete is funnier than Barkley. Just like his golf swing before the planet learned how "terrible" it was; spontaneity is the key him.

Escort Claims Tiger Woods Is Bi-Sexual

2010-01-07T11:30:00.001-08:00

As if the blistering essay by Buzz Bissinger in the latest issue of Vanity Fair wasn't damaging enough to Tiger Woods' public personna, now a high-paid Italian escort is reportedly shopping around a tell-all book in which she'll claim to have witnessed the golf superstar engaging in gay sex.
According to the web's celeb news receptacle RadarOnline, some tramp named Loredana Jolie Ferriolo is taking great pains to be spotted taking golf lessons in Florida these days while she tries to cash in on "arranged" romps with Woods. So far, she provides no proof of her claims of illicit sex with the 14-time Major tourney champ.
And, to date, not one money-grubbing male has stepped out to declare that he too was among the alleged list of concubines in Woods' wake. So this camp's not lending an ounce of credence to Ferriolo's gambit, and looks forward to the day when all the spotty claims go away.

Photo: Annie Leibovitz/VanityFair.com

Tiger Woods' Wife Has Her Wedding Ring Back On

2010-01-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

Let the rampant speculation about the fate of Tiger Woods’ floundering marriage begin…AGAIN!
People magazine’s brandishing a brand new (uncredited) photo of the incomparable, philandering golfer’s wife (and baby mama to two heirs) on the ski slopes of the Swiss Alps, draped head-to-waist in virginal white with a cell phone tucked up to her lovely left ear.
Lo and behold, though: the fair, mistreated Elin has a blinging ring on her wedding finger in that shot of her in chic Chamonix, France!
A few week’s back, the media gaped at photos of her pumping gas into her luxury SUV without one on. This shot just fuel’s the flames.
Wouldn’t one run a much greater risk of losing an heirloom like that FOREVER on a ski slope than at the local GasUpNGo?
And what’s she saying on that phone in the midst of a slalom run?
“Take Your Name Off Your Phone”?
Or, “Gayle, tell Oprah I’ll call her back in a bit”?
Shoot your best shot in the comment box below!

Golf's True Black Pioneer, Bill Powell, Passes Away

2010-01-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Let's take a brief break from bemoaning Tiger Woods' self-imposed suspension from competitive golf, and take time instead to reflect respectfully on the passing of a true great pioneer of the game.
On New Year's Eve, Bill Powell _ credited as the first and only Black man to build and operate his own golf course _ passed away at age 93. Powell's Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio originally opened as a nine-hole track in 1948 and ultimately gained recognition as a National Historic Landmark.
After serving his country in the Air Force during World War II, Powell returned home to the harsh reality that he was barred because of his race from playing the game he'd grown to love as a caddy. Undeterred, he purchased a large parcel of land and employed his own back-breaking labor to create Clearview.
His obituary in the New York Times states: "In August 2009, when the P.G.A. of America held the 91st annual P.G.A. Championship in the Minneapolis area, it bestowed its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, on Mr. Powell."
And in his acceptance speech, "He closed with his credo: 'Stand firm. Never give up. Never give in. Believe in yourself, even when others don’t'.”
It's pitiful that Woods is secluded away in shame right now and, thus, unable to publicly pay Powell his due accolades.

Tiger Woods Saga: More Distorted Every Day

2009-12-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

If Fore!BlackGolfers ever gets around to creating a Green of Honor, we (gulp!) would have to install Furman Bisher as a (posthumous) figure.
When it comes to 'keepin' in real' in the golf journalism arena, this ol' coot puts Al Sharpton to shame. Bisher - a former colleague of mine who I observed more than once being granted the Royal (as in "typewriter") treatment at exclusive golf events - has taken all the icing off the cake of the Tiger Woods saga by detailing what an anonymous source he 'trusts' says about WHAT REALLY HAPPENED that night of THE CRASH.
You know where to click (above) if you want to read the sordid (second-hand, unverifiable) yarn he spins.
I'll spare your patience, and just link back here now and then whenever the plot thickens enough to call a report for what it really is...
Feel free to leave a comment on how you feel about the media coverage so far.
Hit 'em straight.

Tennis bad boy Boris Becker Feels Tiger's Pain

2009-12-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

Now that the iron curtain over Tiger Woods' formerly private life has been lifted, more of sports' top names are trickling out to offer tacit support for pro golf's gravy train.
Last week, it was NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley pleading on the airwaves for Woods to reach out during the media frenzy surrounding his infidelities.
This week, it's the six-time Grand Slam tennis champ Boris Becker who's spouting "best of luck" wishes Tiger's way.
During the German Becker's career hey-day and his first marriage, he was caught having a child out of wedlock with a woman he "encountered" in a restaurant.
He expressed astonishment over the "frequency" of Woods' alleged affairs in a recent report.
But, as Boris knows: just one time can be too many.

Tiger Woods Injured In Crash; Golf World Shocked!

2009-11-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Breaking news is popping out all over about the king of golf, Tiger Woods, suffering "serious" injuries after an auto accident near his palatial residence in south Florida.
An initial CNN report made reference to sources who said Woods may have suffered facial lacerations and that his exact medical condition is unknown. Authorities quoted by credible media sources say the incident was NOT alcohol-related.
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for updates as they become available!
Woods was scheduled to return to the game next week in the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif..

For the sake of golf, let us hope that all the combined forces connected to the Tiger Woods juggernaut are brought to bare in the effort to get him healed (physically and mentally) as soon as possible.
-FBG

Note to Nike's Ad Men: Bo Knows Golf Too!

2009-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Suppose you were already considered to be one of the very best at whatever it is you do. Would that be enough to soothe your ego and competitive spirit? Or would you still maniacally strive for "elite" status in some other pursuit as well?

There's feature story in Golf Digest November issue that illustrates how _ for some stellar athletes in America's popular sports _ enough is never enough. They're serious enough about their golf games to maintain USGA Handicaps, and boldly share them with the public.

Here’s a sampling of some of the report's notables in order of handicap (note: handicaps without a decimal point are unofficial estimates).

1) Jerry Rice (plus -0.7) - How many of us are surprised that someone as competitive as Jerry considers par a bad score?

2) Livan Hernandez (0) - Cuban-born baseball pitcher aspires to play on tour: Any chance he’ll tee it up with Fidel?

3) Penny Hardaway (2) - NBAers are arguably the best athletes on the planet, so no wonder Penny’s prowess has translated to the links.

4) Clyde Drexler (2.7) - This NBA Hall of Famer now gives new meaning to "The Glide".

5) Michael Jordan (3) - Introduced to the game by fellow Tar Heel, Davis Love, III, he attends every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and started making golf "cool" before Tiger came along.

6) Ronde Barber (3.4) - While his twin brother Tiki attends production meetings for his TV gig, Ronde is chipping and putting.

7) Marshall Faulk (4) - During his stint as an Indianapolis Colt, Marshall was a member at Indy’s Donald Ross-designed Broadmoor Country Club.

8) Ray Allen (4.8) - He’ll wax you in a 3-point shooting contest and a long drive contest as well.

9) Emmitt Smith (6.0) - Ol' Twinkle Toes is breaking 80 on a regular basis.

10) Jason Kidd (6.6) _ Now we know why he sought the warmer climes of Texas.

11) Doc Rivers (6.7) _ Maybe success stems from exchanges with the Celtics' top players brass on the course.

12) Reggie Jackson (7) - And we thought classic cars were his only passion.

13) Stephon Curry (7.6) - A sharpshooter's range extends beyond the hardwood.

14) Marcus Allen (8) - A rare talent who, at times, makes ball-striking looks as fluid as toting the rock for long gains.

15) Jerome Bettis (8) - There's hope for the ‘big-boned’!

16) Ozzie Smith (8) - Check your pockets before playing The Wiz for skins.

17) Bo Jackson (9.9, top left) - All together now, “Bo knows golf!”

18) Freddy Adu (11) - Some may fear he'll turn out to be the over-hyped Ty Tryon of soccer, but this budding star keeps his eye on the ball.

19) Jason Taylor (11) - Shares Emmitt's propensity to age well, dance capably, grind on the gridiron and finesse the fairways.

20) Jim Rice (11.6) - Mr. Personality? No. Mr. Three-putt? Not suitable either.

21) Terence Newman (12) - He’d better not play his QB Tony Romo for any money, though.

22) Shane Victorino (12) - Probably the only one on the list who takes the game for granted – he’s a native Hawaiian.

23) Rod Carew (12.4) - Supreme hand-eye coordination in his days as a batting leader, so go figure.

24) Bill Russell (14) - How’s this for a dream foursome: Russell, Doc Rivers, Ray Allen & John Havlicek

25) Julius Erving (14.9) - Dr. J may be the only one on this list who owns his own golf course and, in fact, Dr. J’s course may have the highest slope rating of ANY course in Georgia, public or private.

26) LaDainian Tomlinson (15) - See: Jerry Rice (below).

27) Sugar Ray Leonard (16) - like fellow pugilist, Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis before him, Sugar Ray is a golf fanatic and a very accomplished player.

28) Antwaan Randle El (17) - Talk about well-rounde: the ARE got a ton of consideration for the Heisman, played hoops for Bobby Knight and started in centerfield while at I.U.

29) Alonzo Mourning (18) - At 6’10”, he won’t be playing any clubs “off the rack”

30) Jason Campbell (19) - The 'Skins star QB can play ‘bogey golf’ with the best of them.

31) Chris Paul (20) - Former Wake Forest hoopster has a lot of past and present Demon Deacon golfers to glean tips from.

32) Shane Battier (20.1) - May have bragging rights amongst former Blue Devil players.

33) C.C. Sabathia (25) - Wonder if he wears his golf visor tilted ever-so-slightly to the side also.

34) Darryl Strawberry (25) - He and Doc Gooden could have sorely used this diversion during their Mets days.

35) Derek Jeter (35) - Building a monstrosity of a home in Tampa, so there had better be a chipping/putting area somewhere in the compound.

36) Charles Barkley (36) - Believe it or not, Sir Charles used to have mad game; in the words of Ricky Ricardo...'Wha'happen?!?!'

HIT THE "COMMENT" BUTTON BELOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR OWN DREAM FOURSOME!

Adidas Smells More of Rose's Marketing Potential

2009-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pardon the South African golfer, Justin Rose, if he’s not updating his personal blog as often as usual.
His latest dispatch reads: “I’m currently in the Algarve playing the Portugal Masters”.
After rising from 114th place in the 2008 FedEx points standings to 85 in ’09, Rose is still criss-crossing the globe in hopes of surpassing the $1,047,854 in prize money he earned last year. At press time, PGAtour.com listed Rose’s ’09 earnings as $918,718. By the time he turns 30 next July, the fifth-year pro’s play will have carried him over the $10 million mark.
And that’s not including endorsements.
Apparently, Adidas thinks Rose’s future is so bright that he’s gotta wear shades. They’re shades.
This week the brand announced that it’s releasing its first collection of golf-specific sunglasses _ called “retego” _ which Rose helped design.
The eyewear can be customized to suit special vision needs, and comes standard with a lens tint intended to enhance the contrast between the ball, the turf and the target.
They weigh a feathery one-ounce, and carry a hefty ($140-&190) price tag.
We presume Rose get around, eventually, to mentioning them on his blog.

Fore!BlackGolfers Links Up With 19th Hole

2009-10-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

There was considerable build up for The 19th Hole Magazine’s “Golf Rocks” Reception/Fashion Show/Party over the weekend, and the affair was definitely “as advertised”. The magazine and web site’s founder, Ian Paul Lawrence, most certainly has a flair for the aesthetically pleasing. Guests were treated to sensory overload at every turn.
From the Grey Goose open bar to numerous, gorgeous models sporting some sexy-but-tasteful golf apparel, to various stations featuring interactive golf activities. All the bases were covered.
The venue was the Primal club in Midtown Atlanta, which you can easily liken to a labyrinth with it’s interesting array of dance floors, bars and lounges on several levels. Much of the discussion overheard centered around how well presented and well attended the function was. We look forward to many more top-notch offerings from the folks over at The 19th Hole.
--Contributed by George Burnette

If you haven't already heard of Atlanta-based 19th Hole Magazine, take note of its growing presence and elevated taste level.
The glossy devoted to style on and off the course hosted a raucous party at Midtown's Primal lounge to re-emphasize it's commitment to quality, and a quirky approach to the game.
Take a quick look at the exclusive interview that FBG correspondent George Burnette conducted with 19th Hole publisher Ian Paul Lawrence. We welcome your response...

'Neo-Nazi' Pelts Black Couple with Golf Balls

2009-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Who says the game of golf isn't 'inclusive'?
An African-American couple in placid Port Huron, Mich. would beg to differ...and get a reprieve from whoever it is that has been pitching swastika-festooned golf balls onto their property.
Word's begun spreading worldwide that some cowardly knuckle-dragger'(s')idea of a good time is peppering a black family's domicile with balls crudely colored with slurs, black face caricatures and Nazi symbols.
The police have gotten involved, reportedly, and narrowed down some 'persons of interest'. But no hate-crime arrests have been made yet, and a neighbor of the offended _ who also happens to be one of the few blacks living in the area _ is wondering why racially insensitive range balls are winding up in his yard as well.
To make matters worse, the Associated Press reports that the Secret Service is now involved in the investigation of a 10x10 imprint of a Swastika carved next to the name Obama on the 18th hole of a Massachusetts course over the Columbus Day weekend.
If the game has a hateful tinge to it of late, the situation's not helped by the fact that the influential Politico.com recently ran a banner headline decrying: "Obama golfs fourth week straight".
If this trend continues, can some incident where a golf "fan" shouts words of racist derision while Tiger's in his back swing be far in the offing?
Photo: Port Huron Times Herald

Olympic Golf in Rio?: Hello, Sand Wedge!

2009-10-09T08:38:00.001-07:00

Just as we suspected, the news that golf's won Olympic designation in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil has landed with a resoundingly muddy thud. Who in the world cares?
Will there really be any drama left in the sport if Tiger Woods has or hasn't eclipsed Jack Nicklaus in major tournament victories by then?
Beyond that, there's the bigger question of what course the 2016 Olympic golfers (60 men and 60 women) will play on fir the 72-hole, stroke-play event.
Fore!BlackGolfers' research prior to the announcement is being confirmed by other media outlets who believe Brazilian courses that even casual visitors would describe as "decent" are few and far between.
This gives rise to the question of who'll design an Olympic-caliber course in Brazil now that one's sorely need. According to reports, a spokesperson for the Golden Bear has already raised a territorial paw on his behalf.
Any thoughts?
ADD COMMENTS BELOW!

Photo: Flickr.com

Jordan's cigars have S.F. in a huff

2009-10-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Since the Europeans are likely to get smoked yet again by America's best in the Presidents Cup tourney playing out this weekend at the Bay Area's Harding Park course, the golf press needed something to light a fire under fans to hold their interest.
They may have found it, temporarily, in the overblown fuss some San Franciscans made over NBA legend Michael Jordan's annoying habit of puffing his stogie smoke at will during the Pro-Am practice round.
According to Reuters, the park's head ranger,Phil Ginsburg, even went so far as to warn the PGA that Jordan's not welcome if he insists on lighting up during the event.
Jordan was installed as a "special assistant" to the U.S. team led by his close friend and fellow Nike pitchman, Tiger Woods. And the event's organizers are Harding Park should be glad to have him, cigars or not, just to infuse some much needed hype to this foregone conclusion of a "championship".
But what do I know? I'm not a cigar-smoker.
Special Fore!BlackGolfers correspondent George Burnette is, however, and here's how he weighs in...
"Stogies are part of golf's appeal; especially if you're in the fairway. I can imagine how someone may be bothered by the smoke sitting next to a cigar smoker in the stands, however. Frisco is a bastion of big government control, though.I'm surprised anyone can smoke anything within 20 miles of San Fran. I can deal with M.J.'s stogies. But I CANNOT deal with the gaudy hoop earrings!"
Agree or disagree?
POST YOUR COMMENT BELOW!!

Photo: Yahoo News

Tiger Woods' billion-dollar legacy

2009-10-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods’ 2009 leap over the $1 billion benchmark for career earnings qualifies him as the single greatest African-American athlete of all time.
Or does it?
Is the barrier Forbes.com reports that Woods shattered any mightier than those conquered by Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Armstrong, Arthur Ashe or Cassius Clay?
He’s a fascinating character, yes. But if we spend too much time fixating on Tiger’s mounting fortune and chase of a record number of Major golf titles, we’ll run the risk of forgetting the black sports pioneers who blazed the trails to greatness more than a century ago.
Oliver Lewis may qualify as the original black sports hero; in 1875, he rode a little brown pony named Aristides to victory in the very first Kentucky Derby. The son of slaves was 19 at the time, and his earnings amounted to little more than the cost care and feeding of a thoroughbred he regularly bunked with. Over the first two decades decade of the Derby, black boys as young as 15 would dominate in the event.
But, somehow, starting in the 1920s, black jockeys were exiled from the sport. Not until the year 2000 when Marlon St. Julien rode, was there a black jockey entered. Will the same sort of conspicuous absence strike golf once Tiger’s had his run? Forbes projects him to become a multi-billionaire before his career’s through.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if decades passed by before any other black golfer makes competitors on the PGA tour fear the sound of his gallop up the leader board?

Photos: Smithsonian.com,

Who? Tiger? He'll Take Manhattan.

2009-08-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

By George Burnette
A lot of golf fans are suffering from the post-PGA Championship doldrums and as a result are poo-pooing the Barclay’s event. I was just browsing through some pics of practice round action and the field looks surprisingly strong.

Tiger couldn’t care less about FedEx Cups and points (he made sure to win the inaugural one to get that title out of the way once and for all), but the other pros do. In fact the tour had to come up with something like the FedEx Cup so that interest in golf wouldn’t wane after the year’s final major.

Now that Westchester Country Club’s BUICK Classic has been retired, the Barclay’s event gives the pros a chance to play in metro NYC in decent weather and without the pressure of a major at Bethpage or Winged Foot.

I’m sure most of the field heads straight into the city after their daily practice-play-practice regimen. And I imagine also that most tour wives accompany their husbands to this event if for no other reason than to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Although most folks wouldn’t want to live there, it’s still a really, really nice place to visit.

What's Tiger's Motivation?

2009-08-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Once again, Ladies and Gents, for your reading and debating pleasures, another guest post from the incisive mind of golf curmudgeon George Burnette...
Tiger’s teeing it up this week in what was formerly known as “The World Series of Golf” (it is now the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational).

Here are some interesting facts about this grand ole throwback of a golf tourney:

It has been played annually since the early 60’s.

It has always been a very selective, season-ending, invitational tournament.

It has always been held at Firestone Country Club in Lebron James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Back before the PGA Tour went ‘international’, it was the only tour event, other than the four majors, that had a truly international field.

The South Course at Firestone Country Club is a true test of golf. It will be set up like a major with thick rough, narrowly cut fairways and slick greens. It is a long and difficult Robert Trent Jones design (as is Hazeltine National, consequently, which is hosting next week’s PGA Championship).

Now here’s the kicker; during it’s heyday, the winner of this tourney got a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour. So the stakes were ridiculous and the field played like it.

Here’s something to ponder with regard to Tiger’s presence in the tournament this week. We all know Tiger traditionally takes the week off before a major. So what's Tiger's motivation for bucking his tradition this time and not taking the week off before this major?

Is it Akron’s scintillating nightlife?

Is it an appearance fee?

Is it Fed Ex Cup Points?

Another World Golf Championship title, perhaps?

Or just excellent preparation for next week’s PGA Championship?

Who knows, but hopefully some reporter will ask?

Photo: flickr.com

Do Not Go to Dantanna's Downtown (ATL)!

2009-07-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

Due to circumstances beyond Fore!BlackGolfers’ control, the “Wales, Whisky & Woods” British Open viewing party scheduled for July 18 (noon-3 p.m.) at Dantanna’s Downtown in Atlanta is cancelled.
Please alert any acquaintances who had planned to attend the event not to bother. Dantanna’s Downtown has made a last-minute disclosure about costs that invited guests could incur at the bar. None of the details about charging invited guests a fee to “sample the finest Scotch whisky” or to “try the Tiger Punch” were related to this site in time enough to warn all invitees off.
The previously undisclosed pricing terms for beverages that Dantanna’s Downtown has set strike me as a disservice to all those who had been enticed by the advertisements that the restaurant created and provided for mass distribution.
On behalf of the Fore!BlackGolfers network I apologize for any inconvenience this change of plans presents. If I had known that Dantanna’s Downtown intended to charge guests for the drink menu it conceived and detailed in the flyer provided , Fore!BlackGolfers would not have been involved in the promotion of this event.

ADDENDUM: Golf fans react angrily to the Dantanna's Downtown "British Open Bait-and-Switch" scenario...

"Scott...that's fucked up...you should alert a friend at the AJC about this, well, fraud. Management at Dantanna's made the wrong choice." Dan B

"What a bi-atch!!Does ForeBlackGolfers have women?"Jennifer F

"Wow!!! Not good. Why don't you just host at your house instead ;)." Lisa T

"Lemme know when you just wanna grab a drink or two or three or four at Dakota Blue!" Wayne D

"Wow- very uncool." Carolyn S

Photo: flickr/jet magazine/vieiles_anonces

Is the "Tiger Effect" Making Golf "Ghetto"?

2009-07-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Fore!BlackGolfers is proud to, once again, present the poignant opinions of "guest blogger" George Burnette. This time, "G-O" tees off on the negative effect that Tiger Woods' popularity has inflicted on the gentleman's game. (The opinions expressed are HIS; so rage accordingly)....
Gee! Thanks, Tiger!
I imagine it would be difficult to quantify the impact the emergence of Tiger Woods has had on golf in general, but a very unscientific method would be to simply ask those who were avid golfers BEFORE he came on the scene. What are the major differences between the pre and post-Tiger era? The most obvious is the number of folks who have taken up the game. No one can deny that his presence has caused the number of duffers to increase exponentially which has been a boon to the golf industry, but there has been a very unfortunate byproduct as well.
It seems that those new to the game are so preoccupied with the challenge of making solid contact with that little white ball that they have paid no attention whatsoever to the game’s etiquette and rules. Golf Digest writer Stina Sternberg recently asked 32 PGA tour pros and their caddies to name the biggest breach of golf etiquette that amateurs make during Pro-Ams. The most common response was “moving while another player is hitting” (15), the second most was slow play (9). "They try to anticipate the hit and start walking before we're done", says PGA tour vet Kirk Triplett. Says European PGA tour stalwart Darren Clarke "they walk off the green before everything is done". "They stand in the wrong place", laments journeyman pro Bo Van Pelt. "(You should) stand where you can see a guy's back or chest. That's it". "Nothing tops (excruciatingly slow) pace of play" says longtime pro Woody Austin; "they refuse to pick up their ball (when they’re having a very bad hole), or they take too long to make a decision". And from anonymous "All these guys show up wearing what they think is a cool golf outfit but they look like they just came from a Lil’ Wayne concert - crooked hats and bling, Um...no!" The list goes on and on. Failing to yell “Fore!” when necessary, talking while another player is hitting and driving the cart in restricted areas are a few of my personal pet peeves.
The Rules of Golf are sometimes complicated, confusing and cumbersome but that’s no reason to take up the game without at least a cursory review of the rules that will govern the most common rules-driven situations. It’s important for all golfers to know what to do with regard to hazards, out of bounds, lost balls, relief and ground under repair. Most post-Tiger era golfers do not know when, where or how to take a drop and there is no excuse for this. I recently played with a fellow who had over 20 golf clubs in his bag (the limit is 14).
In Germany, no one is allowed on public or private golf courses without first taking and passing a course on rules and etiquette. Maybe for the betterment of the game in general the USGA and the PGA should consider the same for the U.S.A.
PHOTOS: flickr

Meet John Daly's Next "Train Wreck"

2009-07-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

True to his irrepressible ways, golf’s bad boy John Daly spent his last practice round prior the start of the British Open getting up close and personal with a buxom brunette.
The woman, Anna Cladakis, was identified as Daly’s “girlfriend”. Earlier this year, she told the press she was chiefly responsible for helping Long John crawl out from under the rock of a 12-month, PGA-imposed suspension.
Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship and the ’95 British Open before his career took a diving spiral.
If Daly winds up marrying Cladakis, she would be his fifth wife. And she wouldn’t be the first of his brides with a criminal record.

Daly and his fourth wife, Sherrie, gained notoriety in 2007 after accusing each other of assault involving a steak knife on the eve of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis. That former Mrs. Daly had spent part of 2006 jailed on a drug-related offense.
As for Ms. Cladakis, a former Hooters girl, prior arrests for “ticket scalping, shoplifting and battery on an ex-boyfriend” reportedly checker her past. The St. Petersburg Times reported in 2005 that Cladakis won a $1.68 million out-of-wedlock paternity lawsuit against the founder of the Outback Steahouse chain, Chris Sullivan.
Now, no one’s sayin’ she’s a gold digga. But…

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.
Photo: Yahoo News

If Tiger Blows the British, Blame It On Ryo!

2009-07-13T18:26:00.001-07:00

The opening round pairings are set for the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry, Scotland. Apparently, organizers saw fit to put Tiger Woods at a distinct disadvantage from the start.
It’s not enough that he’ll have to navigate the slim fairways on the links course that was once a series of runways for Allied Forces war planes. He’ll also need to hold his tongue on the tee box.
Woods, well-known for blurting expletives after errant drives despite the network cameras stationed inches away, starts the first two rounds of his chase for a 15th Major in a three-some that includes 17-year-old Asian prodigy Ryo Ishikawa.
Assuming the hottest thing since sliced sushi speaks a little English, Woods will have to play while restricting his language to NC-17.
(The flambouyant teen Ryo Ishikaway, above)

Also included in Woods' Thursday-Friday threesome is the salty British veteran Lee Westwood; who scrapped his way in this year with an 11th place finish in the Shell Open and a 23rd place finish at the U.S. Open.
Golf fans won't get their best views of the British Open _ which Woods has already won three times before _ until Saturday, July 18. But the clashes of cultures and career trajectories in the opening two rounds will draw unprecedented media attention and could ultimately decide if Woods wins or loses this year.
(Tiger Woods getting familiar with Turnberry's Ailsa course.)

Photos: Yahoo News

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.

Who's Buying 'Timberlake's Guide to Golf'?

2009-07-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Who died and left Justin Timberlake as the executor of all of golf’s guiding principles?
Surely, even the meteoric Major tournament champ Payne Stewart would get his knickers in a bunch if he’d lived to hear that the modern world’s most famous alumnus of the Mickey Mouse club and the late ‘90s “boy band” phenomena is positioning himself to be golf’s next great ambassador.
According to splashy headlines from New York to New Delhi, is pursuing a book deal that would allow him to ruminate on the game he’s enjoyed since childhood. He would be following in the footsteps of the acid rocker/avid golfer Alice Cooper, who penned “Golf Monster: A Rock ’n’ Roller’s Life and 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict” in 2008.
There must be dozens of serious PGA Tour players who are more equipped and qualified to write an instructive memoire than Timberlake. Who, after all, knew much if anything about the pop performer before his choreographed “wardrobe malfunction” with Janet Jackson at Super Bowl XXXVIII?
Other than the fact that he’s rich and famous, who really cares about where Timberlake has played and with whom over the years? This smacks of more evidence that the literary world too often defers to style over substance.
To Timberlake’s credit: He has managed to maintain a longtime relationship with the vivacious actress Jessica Biel. How he gets up and down in that arena would in all likelihood be a far more eye-opening read.

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.

Photos: flickr, golfdigest.com

Let Me Play Through...Or Else!

2009-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Chris Rock’s classic joke about the O.J. Simpson murder trial came quickly to mind when I read Friday’s United Press International report about a man sentenced to 21 months in jail for clubbing a golfer in the foursome playing ahead of him.
“I don’t condone it. But I understand.”
Anyone who’s had the misfortune of playing with me often knows that I’m as impatient as they come out on the course. To make matters worse, I play weekly at a 9-hole public course where the only rule, seemingly, is there are no rules. If you don’t tee off by 8 a.m. at Candler Park, you run the risk of getting stuck behind groups of five or six; hackers toting more six packs per player than golf bags. Types who can’t spell the first three letters of “Golf Etiquette”.
So part of me pities this guy Nicholas Shampine who, according to the UPI story, has a long stay in the King County (Wash.) jail ahead of him because of an argument over slow play. Only part of me: Shampine’s foursome was the one accused of playing too slow.
He was convicted of using a golf club to fracture the skull of a man who waged a verbal complaint that turned physical.
According to the prosecution, Shampine admitted that, “I though that my brother was in trouble and, you know, I just, I snapped.”
Talk about your good walks spoiled...
PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: Get ready to view the British Open in Style Saturday, July 18 as Fore!BlackGolfers and the Dantanna’s sports grille at Atlanta's CNN Center host the "Wales, Whisky and Woods" bash. It’s FREE to all guests who RSVP by contacting rsvp@mrpratl.com. (Tell ‘em Scott sent ya.)
In addition to FREE FOOD and FREE SCOTCH WHISKY TASTINGS, spectacular skyline views from the deck and assorted giveaways, guests will also be treated to a signature cocktail dedicated to the shot Tiger Woods will need most to drive the slim fairways at Turnberry and win his 15th career Major. We call it “Tiger Punch”.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network, create foursomes and talk “smack”!
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for more details.

Photos: Flickr (chrisjensenyeah, thelunch_box)

British Open: No 'Three-peat' for Harrington

2009-07-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you think either Sergio Garcia or Padraig Harrington has a shadow of a chance of beating Tiger Woods at the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, Scotland.
Okay…now put your money where your mouse is. All two of you.
Since Woods won his AT&T Challenge by one stroke over a “hard charging” Hunter Mahan, Las Vegas has changed the odds that he’ll win his 15th career Major. Tiger’s gone from a 9-to-4 favorite to the 2-to-1 pick.
Garcia, who continues to suffer similar putting woes to Vijay Singh’s, is considered a 20-1 pick according to golfodds.com. So is the bucktoothed prodigy, Rory McIlroy. The two-time reigning British Open champ Harrington has 30-to-1 odds against him.
In total, only nine players in the (7-to-2) field weigh in at less than 40-to-1.
The Ailsa course has recently been lengthened by 247 yards, but the fairway driving options are no less harrowing than they were during the previous Opens held there. The globe-trotting Woods, reportedly, has never set foot on the premises.
With all that (and much more to come) in mind, is anyone willing to bet against Tiger?

BRITISH OPEN VIEWING PARTY!: In the mood to watch the British Open with friends? Then stay tuned for Fore!BlackGolfers updates on an exclusive scotch-tasting event at downtown Atlanta's hottest steak-and-sports grill, Dantanna's. Exciting details coming shortly. Mark your calendars for noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.

British Open Could Smash Ratings Records!

2009-07-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

The CBS television network now has Tiger Woods to thank for one of its biggest ratings boosts since the sudden death of Michael Jackson and the latest episode of "The Mentalist".
While Woods was having his way with "Nike nephew" Anthony Kim Sunday in the final pairing of the AT&T national, TV ratings spiked three times higher than they were last year when left knee surgery kept him from playing.
If I understand what Associated Press reports correctly, 11 percent of all the TVs turned on in America were tuned in to the man in the red shirt.
No doubt, the ad sales execs at ABC are salivating over the bonus money awaiting them after next week's broadcast of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry.
It's a British Open course Tiger's never played before. And since his return from surgery, he's lost out on two-of-four chances to win a 15th career Major Championship this year.
Out on a limb? Tiger makes the cut at Turnberry; where his driving prowess will be tested to the max, but his sheer force of will will keep him in contention.
Which will make his play on Saturday (July 18, noon-3 p.m. on ABC) must-see viewing for anyone hoping he wins and wishing he didn't.
Stay tuned to Fore!BlackGolfers for news on the best British Open viewing party Atlanta has to offer on that fateful day...
Photo: YahooNews

Despite U.S. Open flop, Tiger feels "groovey"

2009-07-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

How do you feel about the “imperial” decision that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem made this week to outlaw U-shaped grooves on players’ golf irons, effective January 1, 2010?
Do you relish the spectacle of today’s top players having far more trouble spinning their balls from the rough onto the green than they ever did before?
Is it a given now that Tiger Woods will gain some sort of advantage on tour because he’s already accustomed to playing a softer Nike ball that tends to create more spin?
And does the “official” rules change which doesn’t apply to recreational golfers until 2020 convince you to make sure and (eventually) replace all your V-shaped groove irons with clubs that are PGA-compliant?
As an unflagging and unaffiliated Ping devotee: I toe the company line on this issue.
Ping chairman and CED John Solheim reported issued an 11th-hour plea to the PGA to at least stall the new groove standards for at least another year to allow players and manufacturers to better adjust. As a golfer who’s not even good enough to give much thought to the degree of spin I get out of my far-too-numerous shots from the rough, I tend to concur with the Golf Digest’s quoting of Ping pioneer Karsten Solheim, who “called U-grooves ‘a gift to golfers’.”
The face of golf, Tiger Woods, reportedly wore a Cheshire grin upon hearing about the ruling and told the press: “I think it’s great….we’ve had plenty of time to make our adjustments…I’ll have to make less adjustments than most.”
Granted, the PGA’s new equipment ruling should be kept in perspective. Bloomberg News cited a study that showed how casual golfers hit the green from 100-200 yards out less than 15 percent of the time, while elite players showed almost a 50-50 propensity for doing so.
As for me, there’ll be no rush to swap out my (Black Dot) Ping Zing irons. I just wonder how much, more or less, watching tour events will be next year when players have to increasingly alter their shots to match the courses they play.

Senate Says 'Sorry' for Slavery: Discuss!

2009-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here ya go, Souljaboi! A sincere, U.S. Senate apology for the way your country literally and figuratively held your ancestors in bondage for centuries. (That fabled "forty acres and and a mule" promised back in 1865 to enlist blacks' assistance in winning the Civil War? STILL not included.)
Now, with an African-American serving as Commander in Chief, our legislative branch has reached tacit agreement that it's about time America admitted "my bad" to all those slavery/Jim Crow atrocities of the past and, for gosh sakes, let bygones be bygones.
The only caveat, as the New York Daily News quipped Thursday to many frothing bloggers' delight: "reparations" ain't coming.
Ponder that while you're waiting for the fairways at Bethpage Black to dry out enough so you can watch Tiger Woods compete for his 15th Major victory and another U.S. Open win. Better yet, talk that over while you're out on the links this weekend, striving to score your personal bests.
According to a UPI report, the resolution to apologize for all that brutally enforced servitude and segregation way back when included a carefully worded caveat. It "did not authorize or support claims against the United States and did not serve as any settlement against the United States."
Speaking for the Congressional Black Caucus, California representative Maxine Waters called the inclusion of a disclaimer against lawsuits, "unnecessary".
Besides: What would you do with a mule?

Photos: flickr,yahoo.com

The OTHER Black Guy at The U.S. Open

2009-06-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

I, for one, have slept on the fact that there may actually be another person of the "negro" persuasion besides Tiger Woods who has the glimmer of a chance to win this year's U.S. Open.
Until three days ago when he gave Woods a respectable 9-hole workout at Bethpage Black, who knew anything about James Kamte?

In remote circles, Kamte (26) is known as "The Cobra", and he's reported to be the first true South African to represent at a major in 20 years. (Ernie Els and Gary "The Black Knight" Player don't count.)
Kamte doesn't have a glorious resume: just a handful of wins on the South African and Asian Tours. He qualified to play at Bethpage Black at the Sectionals in Columbus, Ohio.
What a way to encounter the pinnacle of American golf? And what better way for America's golf enthusiasts to discover him?

The "Daly Rules" Don't Apply to Every Golfer

2009-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

If pro golf's bad boy, John Daly, can thumb his nose at the game's standards of decorum, why, you may ask, can't I?
Because you're not The Big Dog/The Lion or whatever nickname the loveable loser Daly (left, at the St. Jude Classic) answers to these days.
The one-time major tourney champ holds a wide segment of the golf-viewing public's interest in a way few players can, or ever would. All the boozing, Marlboro butts, botched marriages and brushes with the law somehow allow _ if not encourage _ Daly to stay in character.
How else to explain his decision to return from a six-month suspension imposed by the PGA dressed like a super-sized billboard for the most egregious brand of clothes ever seen on tour? Seeing Daly dressed by Loudmouth Golf for the St. Jude Classic in Memphis last week conjured Jack Nicholson spitting, "You want me on that wall! You NEED me on that wall!" at Tom Cruise during the pivotal scene in "A Few Good Men".
Daly dares pro golf to sanction him for his blatantly commercial antics. No dress code for him, no matter how his look may demean the game.
But for us, brethren, dress codes can make or break an outing. So get to know them, where ever you plan to play.
That's a lesson I learned the hard way as my 10 a.m. tee time at Charlie Yates (the revamped step-sister to Atlanta's revered East Lake Country Club) came and went kaplooey today.
My playing partner for this "Customer Appreciation Day" round came dressed appropriately for just about any other recreational event: a silky, "Sunday Red" golf shirt and steam-ironed, knee-length denim shorts.
There laid the rub: there's no denim allowed at Charlie Yates.
No argument my acquaintance hurled at the club's firm-but-fair pro worked to gain an exception. He even insinuated that some sort of racial stereotyping might be in play. I'm told the exchange grew more heated long after I'd stowed my sticks back in the SUV and driven back here to FBG's HQ.
Even if my lower back (achy and breaky lately from too much Wii boxing) hadn't held up for more than nine holes, a free round at Charlie Yates on a gorgeous day like this would have been a treat. But I really can't complain. It's reassuring to know that some places still uphold certain standards, no matter how sorely they need the money.

Photo: Getty/Loudmouth Golf

Caution, Tiger: The British Is Coming!

2009-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

As much as Fore!BlackGolfers anticipates watching Tiger Woods compete in next week’s U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, we can’t help but relish the drama set to ensue a month later, on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, England, even more.
Winning a 15th Major tournament (and a fourth U.S. Open) should solidify in any analyst’s mind that Woods is fully “back” from his season-ending knee surgery in 2008.
But , win or lose at the 2009 U.S. Open, Tiger is certain to attract even more attention at the British Open (July 16-19) because its greater potential to sway golf history.
If Tiger wins this year at Bethpage Black, the golf world will hum relentlessly about how much closer he is to snapping Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major victories. And if he loses the U.S. Open, he'll have only two more chances in 2009 to win at least one more Major to his list of accomplishments.
And there’s no guarantee that Woods’ surgically repaired knee will hold up long enough for him to play at full throttle during the August 13-16 PGA Championship (which he’s won twice) at Hazeltine.
So, go ahead and enjoy viewing what unfolds at Bethpage Black as much as we will. Still, give some forethought to how much historical significance this year’s British Open may hold.
COMING NEXT...Reasons why the new British Open course will cause Woods problems
Photo: flickr/richard carter

Tiger At Bethpage Black: A Sucker's Bet?

2009-06-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Five bucks will get you two if you bet on the latest, repeat Memorial Tournament champion, Tiger Woods, to win the 2009 U.S. Open.
Those are the odds in Woods' favor of winning according to VegasInsider.com. If you're a gambler, you can take Tiger or the field at 5-to-2, or take a flying leap on Phil Mickelson, who was a 7-to-1 underdog to win at the storied New York public course, Bethpage Black.

The oddsmakers give Padraig Harrington, Geoff Ogilvy and Jim Furyk equally distant chances (15-1) of winning the U.S. Open. As for the rest of the players? Major longshots.

In your mind, does Mickelson have a chance of giving Woods a run for the money? Who do you suppose will melt down first in this, the second opportunity of the year to snag a Major tournament win?

The Fabled "Green Jacket" is the Least of Our Worries

2009-05-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Suppose you cared as much about preserving the environment as you did about shaving strokes off your average golf round.
Where would you turn for solutions and inspiration?
It may come as a surprise to learn that certain courses go the extra mile to ensure that their water usage and upkeep measures and landscaping habits are friendly to the local ecology. Magazines like Links and Golf, in fact, keep running lists of the golf destinations that give “green” a whole new meaning.
Tracking down ways to do your part to help Mother Earth sustain us isn’t easy. And the validity of all the “eco-conscious” golf goods and services claim is tough to verify.
Still, if you’re the average player who cares about the future of the game and whether the planet can afford to sustain it, the options are worth exploring. Right?
Here are a few humbly submitted suggestions. If you know of alternative ways to play golf with a “green” mindset, we’re all ears…
SLIVERS OF HOPE: The Eco Golf Company claims that some 2 billion golf tees are put in play every year in the U.S. That’s a lot of wood and plastic being plugged into the ground, smacked around and (often) forgotten. Eco offers a variety of tees (sold in bulk) made from fibers that are meant to degrade as naturally as potato peels over time. Instead of defacing the grounds, they’re meant to incrementally enhance them. Visit the Indiana-based company’s web site for product and pricing details.
PLOP PLOP, FIZZ FIZZ: What golfer hasn’t found himself out at sea, atop a mountain or even snowbound and felt the urge to strike a ball out where there are no boundary lines. The Eco company asserts that it’s got an answer for those who can’t fight the temptation; though they probably realize the average ball shot without regard for where it lands could pose short-term health-threats to creatures, and long-term damage to the planet. The Eco Golf Ball is designed specifically for a short iron shot out into nature’s nether reaches, where, under optimal exposure to water, they’ll dissolve within a week . Again, visit Eco for details.
TRULY GRINDING: Alternatively, the Dixon Earth company markets golf balls that perform adequately on the course and are touted to be made of materials that are “100 percent recyclable”.

U.S. Golfers Dwindling in Numbers

2009-05-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

I play at an inexpensive, Marshall-free, “anything goes” 9-hole course just on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta at least once a week .
More accurately, I should say that I work on my game there. I’m an impatient fellow. And since the nubby track known fondly to locals as “The Course of Champions” is often outrageously overcrowded, it’s not uncommon for me to save 30 or 45 minutes by walking off after the steep, par-4 seventh hole.
Every course I play inside the perimeter, in fact, seems packed beyond proper pace of play capacity.
That’s why I was surprised by the recently released National Golf Foundation report that says active participation among recreational golfers remains in a slow but steady decline.
According to the report by the Jupiter, Fla.-based NGF (founded in 1936 to promote the game), ”The slight downward trend in the number of golfers in the U.S. continued in 2008, falling 3%, from 29.5 million in 2007 to 28.6 million in 2008”.
The study, conducted by Chicago-based Synovate counted anyone age 6 or over who played at least one round per year as a “golfer”, and 42,000 Americans were surveyed.
The numbers were tweaked in numerous ways to uncover the bitter and sweet truths: The NGF reached a conclusion that “negative growth in golfers is corroborated by a drop in rounds played volume of 1.8% in 2008 vs. 2007. No doubt the economic recession was a factor in the decline of both measures.”
And NGF president and CEO Joe Beditz summarized that, “The challenge for the industry is to slow the loss of existing golfers while increasing the retention rate of those who come in each year."
But, as I said, there’s no apparent shortage of hackers in my neck of the woods. Just (un)lucky I guess. How about you?

Caddies Keep Hope Alive

2009-05-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

If you’ve never played a round of golf with a veteran caddy on your bag, aspire to do so. It may cost a pretty penny, but the experience may prove priceless.
Having a caddy in tow to suggest where you aim, how hard to swing and which club to use won’t guarantee you a great score.
I learned that the hard way recently during a chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity to play the Golf Club of Georgia in a PartnershipsInAction charity event benefiting impoverished women and children in the Third World.
As luck would have it, the three other scheduled players in my foursome were no-shows. Unsettled a bit by their absence, I steered out toward the 15th tee of the glorious and intimidating course for the shotgun start alone.
But it wouldn’t be long before the burly, bearded caddy who introduced himself to me only as “Barlow” made his presence felt.
Barlow wound up blessing me with a lesson on wielding my wedges confidently that was more than worth the generous tip I palmed on him after the round. He recognized my natural fade after two holes and directed me accordingly; to the point where we were confounded on what shot to play once my swing with my new/used Si3 (9 degree) Ping drives straightened out and my trusty old copper Zing 5-iron found unprecedented punch.
I won’t bore you (unless you ask) with tales of how many ProV 1s I sacrificed to the mercilessly long and wide marshes that guard many of the GCG’s fairways. Nor will I complain about all my three-putt pratfalls on the private course’s swift, sloping and expansive greens.
“Barlow” had no control over the blustery (10-20 mph) winds that I’ll use for an excuse for my score. My solitary experience with him on one of the southeast’s finest tracks did, however, breathe rejuvenating life into my game.
Yours Truly (above): Photographed by "Barlow"

Don't Sleep on European Tour Players

2009-04-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrerra

Now teeing off..ForeBlackGolfers' very first guest writer, George Burnette of the U.S.
SILENCE PLEASE! Mr. Burnette, swing away...

For a golf geek such as myself there is nothing better than waking up early Saturday and Sunday morning to live coverage of the European PGA Tour on The Golf Channel.

Padraid Harrington (left, 2-time Majors champ)

Renton Laidlaw's familiar voice and hilarious quips are a major part of that experience and he will be sadly missed when he steps down someday.
Granted, it's not the (American) PGA Tour but it's pro golf at its finest, nonetheless.
Sergio Garcia recently quipped that the European Tour is "..catching up.." with its American counterpart, but it's my contention that it already has.
Just take a look at the last 5 or 6 years' majors winners.
For what do we owe this phenomenon?
PGA tour players are not as hungry. They're actually a little spoiled.
PGA tour players are waited on hand and foot. They always play in perfect or near perfect weather on immaculately groomed courses.

Sergio Garcia (left, teeing off)
Tiger's presence has vaulted purses into the stratosphere such that PGA Tour players who don't even finish high enough on the money list to keep their playing privileges still earn over a million dollars per season in prize money.
PGA Tour players don't need passports, VISA's or immunizations for Yellow Fever and Hepatitis.
PGA Tour players have foul weather gear in their bags at all times but their's collects dust.
Most PGA Tour players leave the country only during the off-season when they are on vacation.
European PGA Tour players, however, are more like us. They carry their own bags and rent their own cars for the week.
They play on greens that are akin to those at (the Atlanta municipal 9-hole/First Tee course) John A. White (which ain't bad) not East Lake.
Their purses are not half as big as those stateside.
And to see a European tour entrant playing in foul weather gear is more the rule than the exception.
I know that hindsight is 20/20 but PGA Tour players not named Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson have no shot when seasoned, battle-tested, champion European Tour pros suddenly appear in their rear-view mirrors.

Meet Golf's Answer to Michael Vick

2009-04-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Okay. OKAY! So, as far as we know, golf's bad boy, John Daly never ran a sadistic dog fighting enterprise out of mansion he bought for his low-life, snitchin' homies to use as a crash pad.
Still, according to the standards of decorum the PGA clings to for dear life, he might as well have. Daly's latest overnight incarceration - for passing out drunk outside a Hooter's in Winston-Salem, N.C. - was enough for The Commish (Tim Finchem) and his upper-crust associates to finally wedge Daly away from the game.
The two-time Major tournament victor, and all-around loser in every other phase of life _ was suspended, conveniently(?), until a few weeks after this year's Masters.
HERE'S THE COMEDY: The Associated Press reported Thursday from Augusta that the leading attraction just outside the Masters gates was Daly's very own trailer stocked with his "signature" merchandise. ("Cash only", AP said.)
Just imagine if the NFL's Commish, Roger Goodell, imposed a ban on a still-popular player like Michael Vick (or even numbskulls like Pacman and Plaxico), but the dumb jocks had the gall to show up outside stadiums on Sunday's hawking jerseys in any color combos they liked any way.
"Ocho Cincos! Got ya Ocho Cinco Here!"
That's essentially what Daly, who's squandered millions in earnings and endorsements, is doing to stave off bankruptcy.
Given the fact that Daly hasn't posed a threat to anyone on The Tour for a long, long time, are you surprised that he's still got a loyal fan base aching for his return to the game? Will it surprise you if Vick finishes paying his debt to society, then gets a warm welcome back from fans as well?

Photos: Flickr/Yausser,beebowallace

Golf Channel Digs Deep Into 'America'

2009-04-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

(Caution: Control volume!)
Put away your pitchforks, golf purists.
The Golf Channel isn't going to make a mockery of your game with its new series, "Golf in America", as hosted by B-List comic actor Anthony Anderson.
(Anderson, left, in "Scary Movie 3")
Initially, I was put off by the notion of Anderson starring in a show brought to you by the producers of "The Haney Project: Charles Barkley". As if we need more vaudevillian antics around the tee box, right?
But, aside from the abysmal tailoring of Anderson's glen plaid slacks in the preview episode, the series (airing in full, starting June 21) doesn't look half bad. So have no fear tuning in for a glimpse at celebrities, courses, icons and over-achievers as you've never seen them before.

Vegas Bookies Bank on Tiger to Win Masters

2009-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

The bookmakers in Las Vegas have spoken. Now it's up to Tiger Woods and his new Dymo Prototype driver (8.5 degree) to determine whether he'll win his fifth Green Jacket at Augusta National, or not.
According to the latest report from the Las Vegas Sun, Woods, 33, is the overwhelming (+125) favorite to win this year's Masters tournament. Phil Mickelson is the oddsmakers' second favorite at 10-to-1.
Do you agree that Tiger will inevitably win again this week at Augusta? (Comment Below!)
Meanwhile, sadly, the spectre of race raises its ugly head again as the sole top golfer of African heritage, Woods, heads toward Amen Corner. ESPN is airing golf's dirty laundry with reports that verge on resentment toward Tiger for not labeling himself as a black man.
Eddie Payton, the Jackson State University golf coach and younger brother of Hall of Fame football player Walter Payton, accuses Woods of being "in denial" about his race. Woods responds, admirably, with allusions to his charitable work.
Are you tired of Tiger being pressured to embrace his blackness, given the inherent denial of all his other bloodlines that would entail? (Comment Below.)
For continuous official updates (tee times, scores, news) from The Masters, click here!

Everybody Hates Tiger (at Esquire at least)

2009-03-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Don't read the April '09 issue of Esquire magazine if you're unabashed fan of Tiger Woods'.
It might unnerve you, to say the least.

Esquire/Getty Images

In anticipation of Woods' return to golf following his knee surgery hiatus, Esquire commissioned four of its top contributors to weigh in on what Tiger's domination of the sport means to them.
Shockingly, their respective essays ranged from disrespectful to spiteful to overtly insulting. The sense you could get after reading them collectively is that Tiger's a self-absorbed prick destined to die alone and unloved with his fortune and records.
In one wordy, derisive sentence, Tom Chiarella states that Woods will likely wind up, "like that old PGA guard - dried-up, irrelavant dicks..."
Scott Raab follows that up by typifying Woods as being "another cruel, lonesome bastard", "one crabby son of a bitch" and "so at ease with being hated".
Wasting no time in his essay, Chris Jones writes, "the thought of his Chiclets reflected in another shining trophy makes me want to punch a hole in the moon".
In the final (one-sided) volley of words, Charles P. Pierce pulls the proverbial punch: he abstains from attacking Woods directly, but compares his late, doting father Earl to a con man who foisted "unmitigated rot" on the media about his son's unlimited potential.
In all, it's surprisingly harsh reading. Woods' fans and detractors alike should wonder about the motives for these screeds.

Too Sexy for the Course?

2009-03-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

They say it only takes that one good golf shot to keep you coming back for more.
If that's true, couldn't plunking every ball in your bag keep you from returning for a shot of this...?

Or this...

Through the (ahem) magic of Facebook, I just got acquainted with the revamped approach to golf attire that Seattle-based MiC Sport is trying to wedge into the game.
It's such a new enterprise that ordering information for the teed up print mini-skirts, body-skimming rain slickers and cropped pants isn't readily available yet on MiC's site.
The best promo material I could find reads:
"MiC offers a full line of women's golf apparel including pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, shirts, knit ensembles, visors, and hats that have a unique flair, envisioned and designed by a talented creative designer, Melba Lee, with years of experience in the upscale couture..."
But the buzz the looks are generating already are worthy of yelling "Fore!"
They might be whizzing your way sooner than you think.
And that wouldn't be a bad thing. Would it?

Tom Brokaw On The Masters: Race Matters

2009-03-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

First, the good news. The bad news can wait...
You can pick up the unassuming-looking April issue of Golf Digest now on newsstands and read how veteran newscaster Tom Brokaw did his journalistic duty to enlighten humanity, and may have squandered his opportunity for "honorary guest" status at Augusta National Golf Club at the same time.

Golf Digest invited Brokaw along as a "guest" at last year's Masters Tournament and the magazine prints his open letter to Augusta Chairman Billy Payne in its (thin) Masters preview. While making it ultimately clear how much he'd relish returning to Augusta National if invited back, Brokaw compares the exclusive club in northeast Georgia to a "pop-up principality" where the outside world's current customs don't apply.

Brokaw made it a point to get acquainted with some of the few black patrons you'll see at the Masters, and came away with this impression: "(They're) disappointed there are not more blacks in professional golf."

He also writes a gripping depiction of a 6-year-old black boy, Carrington Osborne, and his father, Marvin, from Chattanooga, watching Tiger Woods tee off on the first tee on Sunday with a reverence usually reserved for church.

Brokaw's "First Impressions" essay likely won't change a thing about the "pace of play" at Augusta National, but it was encouraging to have a brighter light shed on "Amen Corner" just the same...

...And now, the bad news: Any fans of Travel + Leisure Golf magazine out there need to find some other golf news source to subscribe to. News just broke that T+L Golf is folding under economic pressure. Ironically, the cover feature for its final issue was titled "The 18 essential experiences of the fully realized golf life". Apparently, remaining viable in a troubled marketplace wasn't one of them.

Photo: jeff panis

Re-Heating Fuzzy's Fried Chicken Fiasco

2009-03-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here we are, a month out from the 2009 Master's Tournament, and Golf Magazine decides to raise the murky issue of race that, sadly, lingers like morning fog over the Augusta National Golf Club.

The new "Golf" spotlights Fuzzy Zoeller, the 1979 Masters champ and the presumed "starter" for this year's tourney, in a two-page feature that ultimately begs the climatic question: Does Fuzzy regret the "fried chicken" slur he slung Tiger Woods' way back in '97?

You'll recall that after Woods won the Masters in '97, earning him the honor of dictating the next year's Champions Dinner menu, Zoeller quipped in a flippant fashion that Tiger might serve his guests yard bird. It touched off a furor that apparently hasn't died.

In the heat of it all, Tiger kept a cool head and accepted an awkward apology from Zoeller regarding the comments. But Zoeller was so offended by one Augusta Chronicle columnist's spoof on his own insensitive choice of words that filed a lawsuit.

Zoeller and Woods on Augusta National's fourth tee during the '98 Masters

When Golf asked Zoeller if he'd take back the fried chicken remark now, if he had the chance, Fuzzy confessed: "No _ That's done and gone. It was blown well out of proportion; but it's over with. Life is not always going to be perfect."
Do you agree that Golf magazine's picking at the scab of an old wound? Aren't we just forgetting the sting of that callous "lynching" comment that Kelly Tilghman made about competitors' options for caging Tiger last year?

Maybe time stands still even as Tiger's thundering galleries march forward. The game, after all, is so firmly packaged around him that the exact same image of Woods driving with a pained grimace at the '08 U.S. Open graces both the cover of April's Golf mag as well as the annual Athlon Sports golf issue on newsstands now.

Fried Chicken Photo: MarylandRoute5

Ezekiel 25:17

2009-02-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

"And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them."
(King James Version)

Here's hoping Tiger Woods gets a chance to tear Phil Mickelson a new one this week at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

After all the build-up _ all the World's No. 1's time away from the game, all the Jerry Clooney-like hype surrounding Leftie _ I'm aching for a weekend on the couch, and a "Say What Again" performance from Woods at Phil's expense.

(By the way, if anyone has that NC-17 version of Sam Jackson's Golf Channel intro for Tiger's return to play, please share. That (bleep's) priceless.)

The showdown could happen on Saturday, if Woods emerges victorious from the 16-man Jones Division field and if Phil makes his way through the Hogan quadrant of the Field of 64 bracket.

You just know the networks are salivating over Tiger's return; whether he winds up facing Phil, or lasting through the five-round tourney, or not.

The stakes are so great that Nike's golf web site made a fuss of alerting the media in detail about Tiger's wardrobe for the weekend.

Do you think too much is being made about Tiger's return to competitive play? Or are you as geeked about the great one's comeback from injury as WE are?

Can Charles Barkley's Swing Be Saved?

2009-02-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Maybe Charles Barkley deserves DUI suspicion every time he gets behind the wheel of a golf cart, ot to speak of his now infamous Infiniti SUV.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE

How else to explain a golf swing so ugly that Golf Digest magazine is devoting a six-page, March '09 cover story to it, and The Golf Channel is launching an entire "reality" series showing a vain attempt by the game's top swing coach to perform a miracle makeover with Sir Charles.

"The Haney Project" premieres March 2, and promises to be funnier than Chris Rock in concert. In it, Barkely _ who took a furlough from his gig as an NBA studio analyst for TNT after his New Year's Eve '08 DUI arrest in Arizona _ submits himself to the humiliation we've all felt at some time. Hank Haney plays Dean Martin to Barkley's Jerry Lewis.

The series shows how the Round Mound of Rebound is more likely to punish one of his Nike Sasquatch (to the point of shattering one) than he is the One ball. Regardless of whether Haney succeeds in fixing the impossibly bad swing, it's a reminder to the rest of us to get our kids involved in the First Tee program
with the quickness.
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=22353&select2=11422

Tiger Woods' Baby Boy Greets the World

2009-02-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

Meet the luckiest baby boy on the planet...

He's Charlie Axel Woods, the first-born son of golf's all-time greatest player, Tiger Woods.

This newborn isn't just blessed because his daddy's ridiculously rich and famous and his mama, the former model Elin Nordegren, is really really good-lookin'.

It's because Woods' young son will no doubt receive as rigorously disciplined, thoughtful and nurturing an upbringing as any child can ever know. After all, who's had a better example of what it takes to successfully raise a son than Tiger, who was cultivated legendarily by his late father, Earl.

Of course, the international media has gone ga-ga goo-goo over the child ever since Woods' officially released family photos (including 20-month-old daughter Sam) this week.

The only downside to being Tiger Woods' son, of course, could be the impossibly high expectations the world might callously place on him to meet or (heaven forbid) exceed the heroic heights his father is achieving. That's nonsense that the Woods family will relentlessly strive to shield Charlie from.

Still, there's no harm in having fun with this guessing game: What nickname will Little Mr. Woods carry with him through life?

Since Tiger's got a wry sense of humor, and the infant shows whisps of reddish-brown hair, I nominate the nickname "Chuckie". Can you come up with one better? If so, comment below

Photo: Getty Images

Be A Mentor! Teach A Boy to Golf!

2009-02-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

It doesn't cost a dime at most public courses to sit a boy aged 7-and-over down in the golf cart seat beside you and shove off toward whatever challenges await you that day.
Taking on the immense responsibility of helping to mentor a needy black boy into manhood could be as easy as including one in your next golf outing.

Let's salute and support the effort by Sporting News Radio stars, "The Two Live Stews", (Doug and Ryan Stewart, above) for their daily pleas for all the men who can to get involved in fatherless boys' lives.

If we don't, who will? Learn more about mentoring opportunities in your community, by clicking here.

I can tell you from experience that mentoring is not easy. I did a two-year "tour of duty" in Detroit, and the threat of personal injury factored into the equation. I chronicled the situation, long ago, for Essence magazine.

But I also recall the one-time opportunity I had to take a nephew who'd been evacuated by Katrina out on a walk-through of my neighborhood nine. If nothing else, I tried to teach him about manners and perseverance and strategy and patience. I haven't heard a word bad about him since, so maybe a bit of my advice and admonitions wore off.

Each one teach one. Or else...

Feds: 'Jim Thorpe Whiffed on Taxes'

2009-02-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Troubling news from reliable golf sources...

The IRS is after black golf pioneer and successful Champions tour player Jim Thorpe for tax evasion.
It's ironic how this news broke so soon after the premiere of The Golf Channel documentary, "Uneven Fairways". In it, Thorpe spoke openly his days spent so dirt poor that he risked scorn (if not worse) by betting on pick-up games he didn't have a dime to back up.
Thorpe is yet another heroic figure who might ultimately be laid low by the tax man's mighty rake.
Let's hope he escapes this hazard with his dignity intact.
Photo: YAHOO.COM

Joltin' Joe's Mightiest Blow?

2009-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have a fast and reliable way to contact Joe Louis Barrow?

Since it's Black History Month, any respectable media entity that can is paying homage to the roots _ deeper than anyone grasps _ black men have to the game of golf. So, Barrow's father, the great boxing champion, Joe Louis, figures prominently in the conversation. (The Golf Channel and even majorleaguejerk.com score well in noting this.) Now's a good time to cull Barrow's brain; put the past, present and future of the game in perspective.

Besides smashing the Germans' last vain claims of Darwinian superiority over all other humans by crushing Max Schmelling in the boxing ring in the late 1940s, "The Fist" also broke down a major PGA barrier for all that followed him.

It was in 1952, at the San Diego Open. I won't bore you with all the details here. Just read up on it at your leisure. It'll put your next round into perspective...
Photo: Joe Louis on the links/majorleaguejerk.com

Need A Job? The PGA's Hiring...

2009-02-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

Some of the coolest cats I know are caddies...

And in this economy, as time goes by, their career choice seems more and more appealing.
Any man searching for honest work, or key opportunities, would relish the chance to walk with so-called "kings" of industry the way my boys Gato and Robert have on the regular at East Lake and the Piedmont Driving Club have.
Every hacker who combs the rough like I do for stray Titlelists and Bridgestones like I do to keep from buying them would relish something so simple as an unlimited supply of quality shag balls, if nothing else, as a perk of the job.
Nothing grabs my interest more on the PGA's official web site than the pronouncement that February's the main month to applying for jobs as golf course employees. What better workplace could someone like me want?
But it begs the question: would a white-collar professional in "transition" be truly gratified carrying someone else's bag?
If you're got an opinion, launch it here....

Photo: Golfilepics/FLICKR

"Uneven Fairways" Drives A Point Home

2009-02-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

I orchestrated two events last weekend to celebrate the fifth birthday of my son, Scottie.

First, there was a backyard cookout (sirloin, not spare ribs) for an inner circle of friends. The next morning, there was our first father-son golf outing together at the public 9-hole links nearest to our home.

As is "par" for the "Course of Champions" (as Candler Park is both lovingly and mockingly known), Scottie and I were part of a foursome composed of complete strangers. We teed off gingerly with two other black hackers who, themselves, had only met moments before. They couldn't have been more patient or encouraging through the six holes prior to the kid's "Carry me home, Daddy" melt down.

Flashback to that cookout: Seven black dads of young sons and daughters attended. They hail from seven different states. Despite starting to play at varying stages of life, they all, like me, happened to be avid golfers.

The determined men and women who inspired The Golf Channel's Black History Month documentary, "Uneven Fairways", would no doubt be proud.

This tribute to the players whose race denied them the opportunity to fully enjoy all the game's rewards (though they reveled in the struggle to do so) is that rare bit of program TV I'll set aside time for.

Somehow, I think I'll play better just by watching stories unfold about trailblazers who were only begrudgingly allowed to play at all.

Since the Othello of out-of-bounds soliloquies, Samuel L. Jackson, hosts the hour-long feature (premiering Feb. 11, 9 p.m.), the narration alone should be riveting. And I'll be keen to see how Calvin Peete _ who was gracious enough not to belittle my utter ignorance of the game when I encountered him early in my sports writing career _ is portrayed.

What are your thoughts on the "Uneven Fairways" film? Unfortuately, the Golf Channel's blog about it shows shades of insensitivity so far. Ironically, The Golf Channel is airing a rerun of Pebble Beach Pro-Am bloopers as I write this. The announcer segues into a commercial saying, "Golf is fun for everyone...as long as it's shared."
Photo: Calvin Peete at the 1986 Western Open/Ted Van Pelt (FLICKR)

Tiger Woods, Wife Elin, Welcome Baby Boy

2009-02-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

Suffice it to say, Tiger Woods is NOT shooting blanks...

All I could think upon stumbling upon the news Sunday that the world's greatest all-time golfer and his (let's just say it...) HOT WIFE, Elin, now have a baby son was, "Whew...glad I've already assembled most of the Tiger Woods Junior Golf set for my 5-year-old, Scottie, already".

Anything child-related attached to Woods henceforth, is bound to rise sharply in price. And the vareity of products could grow exponentially. Who wouldn't buy Tiger Diapers, Tiger Vitamins or even Tiger "Thermometers" if they hit store shelves tomorrow?

But another thought that comes quickly to mind is what a great strain of expectation that blessed child could endure throughout his life thanks to who happened to have sired him. No doubt, Tiger's been wise enough to consult the likes of Nicklaus and Jordan to learn how to help a son bear the unfathomable weight.

Swing away if you care to share thoughts on Tiger Woods and the phenomenon his baby son will surely become here...
Photo: FLICKR/conservative22

Does Barack Obama Play Golf?

2009-01-23T21:22:00.001-08:00

I'm frankly still feeling too wiped out from all the election hysteria that culminated two nights ago to go through Google to find out what else the President-elect and I might have in common; hobby-wise.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE

But I will; and if the golf industry sees any chance to make his connection to the game a win-win in terms of publicity, it'll soon be known anyway.

For some reason, I keep envisioning Barack and Tiger Woods in a dream pairing; playing privately at Woods' Isleworth compound. Imagine the conversation, the laughs, the bets, the precious pauses.

To lighten things up on this blog, for a change, let's focus on golf. Black men who play golf. How black men play golf differently, if at all. What draws more and more black men to the fairways?

More importantly: what's the best way to get more of our black children into the game? My son is 5, so I can't get him into the First Tee program for another two years. I've tried, without pushing, to get him used to swinging clubs. But it's hard to hold his attention for more than 20 minutes.

Any suggestions?