Just a quick post to say I've salvaged almost all of the posts I did for GFW that were lost when they closed their doors.
Yes...the Big Break Ka'anapali interviews are back!
Gayle
golf blog
September 18, 2008
June 16, 2008
Rocco Mediate - CinderFella personified
2008's US Open was arguably the most exciting golf I've ever seen. It started with Tiger's double bogey on the first hole on day one (shock #1) and ending with double overtime with golf world's most unlikely challenger - Rocky Rocco Mediate (shock #...I lost count!).
What made it so exciting, besides the fact that the world's number one was in a playoff with someone who had to qualify even to get into this major, was the fact that there were so many instances when you sat up or stood up in front of the TV and said, "DID YOU SEE THAT!"
Here are just a few things that made it the best US Open ever!
1. Torrey Pines provided a fabulous venue - what spectacular views! I sure hope they bring it back there again. I know one thing - I plan to play that course next January when I'm in San Diego before my cruise. I watched Tiger play there in February and was blown away by the course and that man's scary talent. I can't wait to reignite the feelings of this weekend by playing there myself.
2. Rocco took Tiger to 90 holes! He's 45 years old and if he would have won, he would have been the oldest player ever to win a major. He was 158 in the world's rankings. He was 126th on the money list. He hasn't won in the last 138 starts (I guess it's 139 now). His last win was 6 years ago. And what was really cool, was that the audience was cheering for him over Tiger! (according to The Golf Channel's poll).
3. Emotions were coming through the TV set. We really felt the pain of players - Tiger's knee pain (made me feel sick to watch him double over) - Phil's quad-bogey pain (my mouth went dry - I had to turn away) - Els's triple-bogey pain (I wanted to cry) - Westwood's final putt pain to miss the playoff (and Britain's chances for a win since Tony Jacklin). And we felt their joy - Tiger's joy on making it into the playoff - Els chipping it in when he couldn't make a putt all day - Rocco's joy at just being there!
4. It was anyone's tournament - the scores were so close through the entire weekend. At one point I was sure Jimenez was going to jump to the top of the leader board, then Els had many great chances (if he had just holed a few putts), then Westwood appeared to have it in the bag on Sunday. And of course, CinderFella himself, seemed to have a "leg up" on Tiger going into the 18th playoff hole 1 shot ahead. Who would have ever guessed it would come so close?
5. The Golf Digest US Open Challenge was a fun addition to the event. I had hoped for a little better outcome and more real golf, but it was still a great idea and Atkinson should be proud of the way he handled himself. I sure hope we see a ladies event like this someday soon (wink wink GFW :))
6. For the first time, I watched a PGA event and chatted online to all the fanatics out there in golf forum land at the same time. After every shot, someone was giving their two cents on the tournament or player. It was like a huge chat room - very exciting - very aggravating - very tense - but lots of fun! I felt connected with golfers all over the world. At one point there were 192 members on the US Open thread. That was cool!
7. But the best thing of all was "The Hug" - Tiger and Rocco in a bear hug. I felt like I was watching Tiger and his dad at the Masters or Tiger and Stevie when he won the Open after his dad had passed away. Brought tears to my eyes...
Well, it's good that majors don't happen every week. I don't think my nerves could stand it.
Congratulations to the 2 US Open champions - Tiger who now holds the trophy for the 3rd time and Rocco who captured our hearts forever.
Golfgal
April 28, 2008
Great golf - even without Tiger and Lorena
What an exciting weekend in golf - even without Lorena or Tiger!
First, Annika Sorenstam held off Paula Creamer on the first playoff hole to win the Stanford International and the 71st title of her career. It's heartwarming to see Annika playing so well again and win her 2nd event this year.
Next, Adam Scott, the "too cute for words" Australian, long overdue for a win, sank an unmakeable 48-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole yesterday to defeat Ryan Moore of the U.S. and win the Byron Nelson Championship. I thought only Tiger Woods did things like that. But perhaps Mr. Butch Harmon was right when he said that Adam"is the only one who can challenge Tiger Woods in the next four or five years".
But the story that touched me the most, was the come back of the decade, when Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the BMW Asian Open with a 40 foot putt on the final hole (see Irish Independent story below). Darren has won 2 World Championships and 9 other European Tour events, but this one was by far the sweetest.
Not a lot of North Americans follow the European Tour, but few golfers wouldn't know Darren Clarke. The amiable Ulster man made US headlines in 2006 when he was chosen as a Ryder Cup Captain's pick only 6 weeks after he tragically lost his wife, Heather, to cancer. I was one of those skeptics who thought it was too soon and that he wouldn't be able to perform at the highly stressed event, but his courage and determination made him a star at the Ryder Cup. It was one of the most emotional Cups I have ever watched and even now it brings tears to the back of my eyes when I remember Darren winning his match 3-2 over Zach Johnson on the 16th hole and breaking down into tears. I still get goosebumps over that.
Everyone who knows him, loves Darren Clarke, with his Spike hair and a grin that would make any golf gal swoon. Sure, he smokes a cigar on the course when plays and he can drink you under the table, but he is a dedicated professional. He is well loved by players on both sides of the pond. Even when Elin Woods won her court case, she donated her money to a charity in his wife's name.
This weekend, Clarke dedicated his win to his two little boys, Tyrone and Connor. And hearing him say it brought more tears to my eyes.
“This is very special, probably the greatest I have achieved. It has been the toughest of them all, to try and get back up to where I feel my golf should be. It’s nice to win again, a very good feeling. Hopefully, I have made Tyrone and Connor very proud,” said Clarke. “This was always going to be a massive hurdle for me, to get the first win since Heather had passed away. It’s nice that I just about managed to clamber over it. Being honest, I probably fell over. [Always a joke for the media from the Irishmen :)]
I've been watching the European Tour looking for the old Darren since 2006, and this year I really felt he was coming back into his prime again. Every weekend I looked for him on the leader board and this year he hasn't been that far off. A year ago, he could hardly make a cut.
How many of us could go through such heartbreak and come back out the other side? I'm not sure I could do that. I probably would have quit after last year. Heck, I wanted to quit yesterday after a pathetic round of golf. But Clarke, with the support of family and friends (many of them PGA Tour pros) never gave up. He is a great role model for his kids and us adults too.
Welcome back Darren! I will be your biggest supporter for this year's Ryder Cup team. Given your comeback this year, I have no doubt, there's a major win inside of you, just clamoring to get out!
Golfgal
www.golfgal-blog.com
Photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com
Wonder- putt secures Clarke’s ‘greatest win’
Irish Independent
28 Apr 2008
DARREN CLARKE threw his arms wide in utter elation. “Yeahhhhhhhhhh,” the Ulsterman roared, before catching his caddie Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey in big bear hug. “Wow,” said Clarke. Wow indeed. There could have been no more spectacular conclusion to Clarke’s...read more...
April 23, 2008
Big Break Ka'anapali - Episode 2 - The Eliminator (Not)
Well well well...wasn't that an interesting episode of The Big Break Ka'anapali ... an elimination round without an elimination.
Here we thought someone was going home and instead, everyone started sleeping together. Yes, it was roommate madness in this episode with each of the ladies being assigned a new surprise roommate after the luxury of having their own rooms the first few days they were on Maui.
I would not have enjoyed bunking with a stranger, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, and so you had to hope for the best and get a roommate who didn't snore and didn't back stab you in the night to improve their position in the Big Break.
Then, on top of that, the competitors had to partner with their roomies in the "safety challenges" and hope that they wouldn't pull them down when they were fighting desperately to stay in the game. Challengers became buddies, but for how long?
I asked Big Breaker, Christina Lecuyer, who's playing a Futures Tour event in Texas this week what it was like that day...
What was with that weather!? That doesn't look like the Ka'anapali I came to know and love when I played there last year.
You know, that was probably our 5th day on the island and the weather was awful. One day we sat in the hotel room the whole day because everything was just wiped out. Even the roads were closed - the weather was that bad.
How did you enjoy your first elimination challenge?
Well, I probably hit two of the worse shots I've ever hit... well maybe not ever hit... but I'm definitely not proud of the two golf shots I hit on this show, but hopefully there is more to come.
In terms of roommates, you and Lori seemed to be okay with each other.
Absolutely, we were fine. 
But Lori had a big problem with Dana in the beginning. Lori and Dana weren't getting along. I had no problem with Dana or Lori. Frankly, I would have probably been happy with anyone (at that time). [Golfgal aside...something tells me that later she might not have been so comfortable with "anyone"]
But if you were asked to choose a roommate, was there one person you would have chosen over the rest?
Hmmm...If I could have chosen a roommate, I probably would have chosen Sam. She's the one I probably talked with the most during the first few days, but I was happy to be with Lori.
Were there any "oil and water" pairings?
I kinda thought that Adrienne and Cirbie were a little bit different, but not in the end.
So what was all the fuss about the flag?
Well, for that part of the competition, it was a race. And they said, "On your mark... get set... go!" And I took off. The wind was really blowing and our flags were kind of blowing together and I grabbed both of them by mistake. But I gave one to Susan when I realized I had both of them. Then, I ran and put our flag into the ground and I thought I had it. I'm not going to apologize for going for it. I wasn't about to say, "Oh sure, go ahead." It was a race!
When it was over, I went over and said I was sorry I grabbed her flag and said, "Hey, I didn't mean to grab your flag, but that it is the way it happened."
But that wasn't the end of it...
Well, when I said I didn't mean it and it was just what happened, Dana said something stupid, "Just because I didn't mean to hit it out of bounds doesn't mean I didn't hit it." She was being a smart__s about it. Whatever...
Lori seemed more upset about the whole thing than you did.
Lori got pretty mad about it, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. I tried to blow it off. I think she was more upset about Dana's comment.
Do you think she hit it fat because she was upset?
They didn't show it on the air, but we had a really crappy lie [remember, Lori and Christina were at 115 yards when they were forced to give up their spot to Susan and Dana]. It was an area that wasn't really mowed down properly and it was really wet. It just happened.
Given how competitive you are, how did you feel relying on another player to keep you out of elimination? Watching it, it reminded me of Solheim or Ryder Cup matches.
As you can tell in this show it really helped me. In this show, it worked in my advantage. If I was Courtney I wouldn't have been very happy. But, you know, things happen and you can't really do anything about it. It could have been the other way around, but I'm happy that in this case she helped me.
Did you like the final elimination challenge being non-competitive?
It was okay, but as Liz who said, "This is a game and I want to see as many people as possible go home that is not me."
Even though I didn't say it, I have to be honest...I was hoping that they'd both go home. It's a competition and the more people that get kicked out that isn't you, the better chance you've got. So I was kinda of with Liz, to be honest. After all, it is a game show.
Do you think that The Golf Channel are portraying the women objectively? Some of the ladies (Lori, in particular) are getting pretty beat up in the golf forums.
I don't know....I think everything will work out in the end. Right now, I think they are using comments that will get people talking and I guess there are talking...right? :)
Yes, they are talking...
Golfgal
April 21, 2008
Lorena needs a new nickname
Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer that ever lived, went from "Fat Jack" to "The Golden Bear". I think it might be just a tad overdue to give Lorena a new nickname and drop the "Ochoka" forever from her resume.
The No. 1 player in the game, Lorena had been frustrated by her inability to close out a major championships until she broke her 0 for 24 stat by winning the British Open last year at St. Andrews.
Yesterday, Lorena did something even more impressive - she became the 4th LPGA golfer in 45 years to win four tournaments in as many weeks, claiming the Ginn Open title on Sunday. "Ms. 59", Annika Sorenstam, won four consecutive LPGA titles in 2001. Mickey Wright did it in 1962 and 1963 and fellow Kathy Whitworth followed with her streak in 1969.
So what is it with nicknames? It you take a look at all the great golfers, they usually all have nicknames - some more than one. But in the men's arena, even the lackluster have them as well. Our friend at The Sand Trap did a nice job listing a ton of male golfer nicknames for us, including:
Phil Mickelson - FIGJAM (I won't share with you what this means in a G-rated blog)
Craig Stadler - The Walrus
Ernie Els - The Big Easy
Retief Goosen - The Little Easy (also called the Silent Assassin by some)
Tim Herron - Lumpy
Mike Weir - Weirzy
Brian Gay - All Day Gay
Constantino Rocca - The Italian Bandit
Fred Couples - Boom Boom
K.J. Choi - Tank
Miguel Angel Jimenez - The Mechanic
Corey Pavin - The Bulldog
Greg Norman - The Shark
Loren Roberts - Boss of the Moss (I like this one personally :))
...to name a few. Even PGA caddies have nicknames - like Jim Furyk's caddie, "Fluff" and Phil's caddie, "Bones".
So, why don't more women golfers have nicknames? Sure, we have the Pink Panther (Paula Creamer) and The Big Wiesy (Michelle Wie). And JoAnne Carner was called "The Great Gundy" and "Big Mama" in her heyday. Nancy Lopez was sometimes called Slowpez (but not to her face). Mae Louise Suggs was known affectionately as "Miss Sluggs." So there are some, but I really could only find a handful in my research.
To this day, Lorena hasn't been given a nickname that does her justice. She has a Superman club head cover and her coaches in college called her "Super Ochoa", but even that doesn't seem to be enough for a women who reigns supreme in Golf Stadium.
Hey, that's it! Lorena Ochoa doesn't need a nickname, what she needs is a respelling of her name to: Lo-Reign-a!
Golfgal
Photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com
Ochoa simply dominant
The Vancouver Sun
21 Apr 2008
M I A M I — Wo r l d No . 1 Lorena Ochoa became the first player in seven years to win four successive LPGA titles with a three- shot victory at the Ginn Open in Orlando on Sunday. Mexican Ochoa, a stroke in front overnight at the Ginn Reunion Resort,...read more...
April 17, 2008
Will the Olympics be Golf's next major?
It's funny how a topic comes up every 6 months or so and everyone gets on a bandwagon, but nothing ever seems to get done. Well, maybe now that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has finally announced his support of golf being an Olympic sport, it just might happen.
Golf was part of the Olympics in 1900 and 1904, but some dorks (I'm using a Christina Lecuyer term of endearment here :)) decided all that should change and so 104 years later, we're still debating an issue which should be a no-brainer..
Last fall Phil Mickelson came forward and said “I think if golf became an Olympic sport, it would help golf on a global basis."
Ernie Els and Nick Faldo are somewhat supportive but think it should be for the top amateurs only. But the Olympic Committee has made it clear they don't want golf unless the world's best players would compete and that means Tiger Woods.
Unfortunately, Tiger shares Els' and Faldo's view, making it clear he wouldn't compete, "It would be great to have an Olympic gold medal," he said, "but if you asked any player, 'Would you rather have an Olympic gold medal or green jacket or Claret Jug', more players would say the majors."
Hmmm...I wonder about that...
Look what the last Claret Jug winner Padraig Harrington said, "Some golfers say we now have four majors and that is enough. But the four majors were not the four majors 70 years ago. You never know, in 50 years maybe the Olympics will be the No. 1 major. It has to start somewhere. I would put in on my schedule now."
I like the way you think Padraig!
There are lots of arguments against golf in the Olympics and its effect on sponsors and the PGA Tour in its prime schedule. But I agree with USGA Executive Director David Fay who, like Lefty, says we have to think globally, "Golf in the Olympics could grow the game worldwide, particularly in places where it's not that big. Take countries like Croatia or Russia. In order to jump-start interest and support of the sport in these countries, you need money. The best way to get that is through two sources —- your government or the national Olympic committee, For these countries, there's no substitute for it being an Olympic medal sport."
Anything that grows interest in golf gets my full support. And anything that can grow interest in women's golf gets my undying gratitude! Apparently the LPGA has previously indicated their support, so hopefully women and men will be on the Olympic greens together in 2012.
But you just never know...2010 is full of controversy over women's ski jumpers not being allowed to compete in Vancouver. Surely the IOC wouldn't make two sexual discrimation blunders in one decade.
Golfgal
Icon image by: © Sabri Deniz Kizil | Dreamstime.com
Clearing hazards for an Olympic tee time
Nicole Jeffery Golf Additional reporting: Agencies
The Australian
17 Apr 2008
THE sport’s push for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games gained momentum yesterday with the endorsement of USPGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. The co-operation of the allpowerful USPGA Tour is essential if the sport is to return to the Games after an...read more...
April 16, 2008
Big Break Ka'anapali - Episode 1 - Christina's View
After waiting for weeks for this show to air, I am happy to say it finally arrived. The Big Break Ka'anapali kicked off tonight on The Golf Channel and I was glued to the set.
I've been posting about it for a while now, so you might want to check back with some early sneak peeks into the show and one of its stars.
Meet the unforgettable Big Breaker Christina Lecuyer
Count down to Big Break Ka'anapali - more from Christina Lecuyer
It was so great watching the show knowing that I'd have a post show commentary by Christina (I circled her in this picture). I kept wondering what she was thinking as she saw it for the first time.
I'm not sure if the show started with a bang or a whimper for me. I was so anxious to see the golf, that the first 10 minutes of the show made me impatient. I also thought the drama and catty side of the ladies was brought on a bit too quickly. I wanted to like all the girls to start, but it was hard because the producers/editors/directors really left you with some first impressions that weren't good. I'm not sure that was fair to the ladies.
Anyway, enough of what I thought, let's hear from the Big Breaker herself...
I caught up with Christina Lecuyer tonight in Lafayette Louisiana where she’s preparing for a Friday tournament and we had a short chat about her thoughts on the first episode…
What were your first impressions of the show, Christina?
It was hard to watch. <chuckle> I feel like such a dork sometimes. Obviously I’ll say this over and over again, but I’m so competitive and I don’t even know the cameras are there. I’m concentrating so hard on winning and the competition. I am just playing the best that I possibly can and so I’m really focused on that and not the cameras.
When I hear myself say, “Oh man, I hope she chokes”, I realize that it’s not great. But it’s just the competition and that’s all it is to me. I don’t mean anything personal by it; I don’t even know these girls. But that was kind of hard to watch.
It surprised me to see you rip your clothes off to get into the water after our last conversation where you shared that you weren’t comfortable in a bikini in front of the cameras.
<laughing> Seeing myself in a bathing suit on national television -- that was really hard. Knowing there are guys at my country club watching and my parents and all kinds of other people watching – that was very difficult for me. But I didn’t think about it at the time; it was just me and the competition.
What was with that first competition – digging in the sand for a clue – guessing hula moves – driving like maniacs to get to the first set of tees – seemed kind of silly to me…
It was very Reality TV-like. One of the associate producers is a huge fan of The Amazing Race and since it is one of the most popular reality TV shows, really well produced and has won a lot of awards, The Golf Channel wanted to try something new and that was their take on that. I don’t think we’ll be seeing too much more of that.
What was the first tee shot like on the Big Break Ka'anapali?
Obviously I didn’t know if I had the right club in that 30 mph wind and I screamed at the ball “Get Up!” Well, the adrenalin was pumping and I hit a hybrid and I flew the circle by quite a bit. The second time I took one quick breath beforehand and tried not to kill it, and it ended up being great.
When you said “miss it miss it miss it”, do you remember saying that?
No, I really do not remember saying those things at all and it is so embarrassing watching it now. At the same time, what I was saying is probably what the other girls were thinking. I’m not going to take it back, but it’s not like I want to be mean to anyone - it’s a competition and I want to win!
Drama seemed to be starting already between the ladies and they just met. For example Lori closed off the show saying Dana is tough to get along with. I didn’t see anything on the show to warrant that. Did I miss something?
There was a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff they didn’t show tonight, but I think as the series goes on you’ll be able to see perhaps where that was coming from.
I was surprised at the obvious differences in talent out there as well. Cerbie and Susan seemed a bit out of place with their inexperience.
I think that was all of our first impressions when we first went out there. I think that the bets going around after the first show, and everyone’s assumptions were, the first two people to be kicked off will be Cirbie and Susan, but you just never know…
Susan doesn’t seem to take things as seriously as others. She ended the show saying she wanted to be in the elimination challenge because then she’d get to play more games and that she likes playing games.
When you first meet Susan she comes off as a little ditzy, just ho-humming around. Who knows maybe it will change throughout the series. <silence>
We never got to see the elimination challenge. That really disappointed me as it is often the most exciting part.
I think they are trying to put a different mix in this show and it has thrown a lot of people for bit of a loop. I think it will become more "mainstream Big Break" going forward.
After the first day, who did you think was your toughest competitor?
I didn’t pick one, but I definitely narrowed it down to a few girls who had a really good chance of going far. You can obviously tell when you look at someone’s golf swing, when you look at someone’s demeanor, when you look at someone’s attitude, when you look at how nervous someone is, you can tell a few things and see who is ready to play or who’s not.
Girls that stuck out at the beginning that I didn’t think were going to go very far were Cirbie and Susan. Girls that I thought were good competitors -- the 3 biggest ones in my mind were:
Adrienne – she was the only girl I’d every met prior to the show and I knew she had a lot of talent.
Lori – just because she was extremely driven and competitive. She was there to win. And like she said on the show, she’ll run you over to get there.
Kim – she’s a great player. You can tell by her talent level, she smokes the ball. She hits the ball soooo far. It’s intimidating, but then it’s not intimidating. Obviously she’s not on the LPGA and there is a reason for that. I made it just as far as she has in golf, so it’s not like I can’t beat her, but she definitely smokes it. I think Adrienne said she hits it like a guy and she’s right.
Any other comments about the first episode filming you want to end with here?
That first episode took almost 4 days to shoot. That last scene where all four of us had to hit different shots from different locations…that took almost a full day of shooting. We sat on some guy’s porch the whole day. The weather was not cooperating with rain and thunder. It was pouring so hard you couldn’t see two feet in front of your face. It was eally tough.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work.
Thanks Christina...always a pleasure chatting with you. Same time next week?
Absolutely...see you next Tuesday, same time!
Golfgal
April 13, 2008
Master Champion Trevor Immelman - could he be #2?
2006 you're on top of the world and named PGA Rookie of the Year.
2007 you contract a serious virus, lose 20 pounds and wonder if you're ever going to feel strong enough to compete again.
Then just as you get your game back on track and tie for 6th place at the 2007 PGA Championship, life tries to knock you down again, putting you in the hospital to have surgery to remove a tumor from your ribcage. You can barely walk for 2 weeks.
How do you enter 2008?
Well, I don't know how you would do it, but I'd tentatively enter the year, hoping to make some cuts and come back slowly, not taking any risks...not expecting too much of myself...staying low of the radar.
Thank goodness, Trevor Immelman isn't me!
Known for focus, determination, a competitive nature second only perhaps to Tiger Woods, Trevor Immelman did it his way and he was awarded the coveted green jacket with a score of -8, 3 ahead of the world's number one (Tiger Woods), and 6 ahead of the world's number 2 (Phil Mickelson).
I loved watching Trevor this weekend. His poise and focus were very evident as he walked the course with his head down, concentrating on every shot. The crowds were loud and supportive and he tipped his hat often, but he never lost focus of what he was trying to do.
Even when he holed his final putt to win, there was no Tiger-like fist pump - no "YES!" - no antics of any kind. He was calm, quiet and gracious. It almost looked to me like he was in a bit of a daze.
When asked in the post round press conference how it has been for him given all his challenges over the last year, Immelman shared honestly, "It's been the ultimate roller coaster ride and I hate roller coasters....and after missing the cut last week to winning the Masters this week, it's the craziest thing I've ever heard of."
Going into 2008, Immelman said he was eager to play, but his game wasn't there; he wasn't happy with the way he was playing. He had to start from zero again, but he kept chipping away, trying to stay positive as he slowly got better.
I've always enjoyed watching Trevor play golf, but I really didn't know that much about him.
I didn't realize that he said he wanted to be the number one in the world at the age of 5.
I didn't know that he was so competitive with his sister playing board games, that if he didn't win, he wouldn't play. haha...
I didn't know that his mother used to caddie for him at tournaments and said to him, "I won't walk in the rough and I won't rake bunkers. If you go into either of those places, you'll have to deal with that yourself." And sure enough, she'd sit in the middle of the fairway and he'd have to walk back and forth to get his clubs - LOL!
There was a lot I didn't know about the first South African since Gary Player to win a Masters, but after he won, the TV was full of great stories and facts about his life. Isn't it great to see someone being profiled besides Tiger Woods?
Trevor is blessed with talent, amazing good looks and a beautiful family. He refers to his wife as "fantastic" - gotta love that! They met in high school 15 years ago and have a very young son Jacob, who he obviously adores. It was great to see Jacob run to his dad on the 18th hole - that's when we saw the big smile and joy on Trevor's face (and what a smile!).
I just heard Trevor say on TV that he wants to be a role model to young kids. Well, Trevor, as far as I am concerned...
- your professional demeanor on the course (no spitting in cups, not chewing tabacco, no smashing of clubs)
- your kinds words for your fellow competitor, Zach Johnston (calling him a fantastic man, fine champion and an incredible ambassador)
- your public recognition of the sacrifices your parents made to help you achieve your dream
- your commitment to your family
- and your humility in front of the cameras and fans
tell me, you're already a great role model.
Called a diamond that needs a little polish by Gary Player, Trevor Immelman is a rising star who could have fallen after his past year of health scares. But instead, Trevor Immelman is shining bright and I believe he has the talent and perseverance to climb the ladder to number 2 by the end of 2008.
What do you think?
Golfgal
April 11, 2008
Ryder Cup 2008 - Let the mud-slinging begin!
I'm not sure if you read the story last week about US Ryder Cup Captain, Paul Azinger taking pot shots at European Captain, Nick Faldo, but it resulted a lot of indignation by many golf analysts and commentators on The Golf Channel and in the golf forums. Whether you like this kind of tabloid talk or not, it does makes headlines and it does create drama...lots and lots of drama - very "Big Break-like".
Now, before we start throwing flaming golf balls at the guys for misbehaving, we golfgals should look at our own Solheim Cup antics and remember some mud wrestling of the female kind...
Remember the Irish Independent's story about Catrin Nilsmark's remarks about Cristie Kerr being a "brat" and Michelle Redman "having no talent"?
And what about Laura Davies saying she was friends with everyone on the US Solheim Cup team last year, except for "one". That really got us going - who was that "one"? Rumour has it that it was Nicole Castrale, but it really doesn't matter. I think Laura planted that statement for a reason -- drama.
Anyway, it would appear that even with Azinger's back peddling on the comments made about Nick Faldo in the Daily Mail, some European Ryder Cup members are not taking it lying down.
Lee Westwood, who is looking very fit these days and seems to be in a bit of a resurgence with his game (coincidence?), took no time stepping forward to defend his captain, "I don’t know why you’d stir it unless you were worried about the outcome. I think he [Azinger] must be trying to wind us up."
However, Westwood was quick to speculate that perhaps Azinger was just trying to create some early media attention for the Ryder Cup, "It must have been tongue in cheek. Nobody would be writing about the Ryder Cup just now if there wasn’t a bit of mud-slinging. It does sound like playground stuff. Next it will be my daddy's bigger than your daddy. Comments like that can't be serious."
So is Westwood brushing it off? Or is he trying to stir the pot a little more himself?
In reference to Azinger's comments that Faldo being unpopular with a generation of golfers, Westwood countered, "I think everybody gets on with Nick. There's no European who's better respected. I’ve played with him in the Ryder Cup and he's great to play with."
Darren Clarke, who is also showing some of his old talent these days shared, "They've obviously had a few clashes in the past, and you know Zinger's a very fiery personality – that's the way he is. The two of them don’t see eye to eye – that’s pretty much public knowledge. He's [Faldo] a six-time major champion and the best player we’ve ever had. Whether people like him or loathe him – and it's pretty obvious you have people in both camps – you cannot disrespect at any stage what he has done in the game. His record speaks for itself. He is a legend in the game of golf."
Anyway...I can't wait to find out what Monty has to say about all of this. Apparently, Faldo texted Azinger after reading the original article with this little jab, "Zinger, I read this whole article and you don't like Monty more than me, do you?"
I'm not sure who will win the "mudder" award this season - The Big Break Ka'anapali or the Ryder Cup. All I know is, I'll be following every minute of it -- aaaaand loving it!
Golfgal
Flaming golf ball from © Tom Schmucker | Dreamstime.com
April 09, 2008
Pretty in Pink - Prettier in Green
There is a cliche that I learned very early in my career and it proves itself to be true, over and over again my life. "It's better to be remembered for something bad, than not to be remembed at all." I was reminded of it again when I read the article below in The Guardian about Ian Poulter being "desperate to prove he is not just a major joke"
Do you like Ian Poulter? Come on...tell the truth. Don't you just love his outrageous style and boyish charm? I do and so do all my women friends who follow golf, even when his pretty pink shoes are in his mouth.
If you check out his past and then look at what he's accomplished, you can appreciate his candor and confidence - his road was quite the uphill climb. It also doesn't hurt that he's a cutie. :-)
You may recall that Ian "stepped in it" when he shared what he really thought in an interview with Golf World Magazine earlier this year. In case you missed it, Ian say that when he reached his full potential ‘it will just be me and Tiger’.
Okay, so Ian made a mess of an interview. Who really cares? But I loved the picture that went with it - some men really can wear pink.
It's been a tough couple of months for Ian with all the teasing and negative press, but he's taking it like a man now. As he confesses, he "did take it personally, but he won't let it affect him on the golf course".
I won't quote all the stories about the teasing - they're all in the article. But the one that first annoyed me, but now makes me laugh is the one about Tiger always grinning and saying, “Hi, No2” when he runs into Ian. But Ian's no fool...his response? "Hello No 1". Smart Ian...very very smart.
It's all in good fun now, but Ian will always be remembered for this blunder. It will be brought up again and again and again whenever the next young gun says something about the world's number one.
Ian said, "I have had a lot of it from the lads — Westie [Westwood], Clarkie [Darren Clarke], Tiger — and that’s fine. If they had taken it personally they wouldn’t have said anything to me, they would just have given me the cold shoulder. The fact that they are having a laugh and a joke and taking the piss suggests to me that everything is fine.”
So, what about this weekend? Does Poulter have a chance for the green jacket? I think so. He tied for 13th last year and he's playing pretty well these days. He could be the dark horse.
I am pretty sure he'll be in the top 10, if not the top 5. In fact, I chose him in my fantasy golf games this week.
Now... I'd prefer to see him in lime green with his pink shoes but hey...any green will do. I'm sure he can coordinate something that works.
Golfgal
www.golfgal-blog.com
Photo of Ian on green by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com
Poulter desperate to prove he is not just a major joke
Lawrence Donegan Augusta
The Guardian
08 Apr 2008
Scenes from a golfing village, part one: Tiger Woods and Ian Poulter are hitting balls on a driving range in Tucson, Arizona, when along comes Lee Westwood and takes his place between them. “Oh, I’m so nervous,” says Westwood, who is almost as good at... read more...