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Author Topic:   Golf
NEWSFLASH
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From:Hollywood, CA
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posted November 04, 2005 03:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NEWSFLASH   Click Here to Email NEWSFLASH     Edit/Delete Message
Who's tops at teeing off in Tinseltown?
Quaid, Leoni rally in Golf Digest rankings; Tom Cruise tips well

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Dennis Quaid is the top golfer among the Hollywood set. Tea Leoni is the best among the women. Tom Cruise is awful at golf, but he tips the caddies well.

Such are the conclusions of Golf Digest, which ranks Hollywood’s top 100 golfers in a December special edition, which hits newsstands Tuesday.

Quaid, a member of Bel-Air Country Club in Beverly Hills, usually stays at a home on a private course when he’s on the road.

“There are three things being a celebrity is good for: raising money for charity, dinner reservations and tee times,” he tells the publication.

Quaid is followed in the top 10 by Thomas Gibson, Tom Dreesen, Matt Craven, Chris O’Donnell, Samuel L. Jackson, brother Randy Quaid, Craig T. Nelson, Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Grant.

Leoni tied for 34th with avid golfer Sylvester Stallone. “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher didn’t make the list, but she has gotten a lesson from Tiger Woods.

“I was so nervous,” Hatcher said. “All I could think of was, ‘I don’t deserve a lesson with Tiger Woods.’ But he instantly put me at ease and gave me some good pointers.”

Cruise hardly ever plays golf and was ranked last at No. 100 — but that doesn’t stop him from regularly handing out $100 bills to caddies at Bel-Air.

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NEWSFLASH
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posted January 04, 2006 11:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for NEWSFLASH   Click Here to Email NEWSFLASH     Edit/Delete Message
No Tiger in ABC's Tank Next Year


ABC has dropped out of negotiations with the PGA Tour, Golf World Magazine reported Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the negotiations. "It all comes down to dollars," a source later told the Associated Press. ABC declined comment. Paul Azinger, who broadcast the tour with Nick Faldo last year, told Golf World, "I'm highly disappointed for a lot of people." He said that he was particularly disappointed for ABC golf producer Mark Loomis. "He took a big chance with Faldo and me, and it worked. Unfortunately, the network was unwilling to write the check."

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NEWSFLASH
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posted January 12, 2006 11:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for NEWSFLASH   Click Here to Email NEWSFLASH     Edit/Delete Message
Comcast Holds That Tiger


Comcast's The Golf Channel put a Tiger in its tank Wednesday when it supplanted ABC and ESPN as broadcast partners of the PGA Tour beginning in 2007. Its new 15-year deal with the Tour includes the Tour's entire cable package and 15 full four-round events. CBS, however, will dominate golf coverage with 19 events, up from the current 16, while NBC will increase its coverage from five to ten events under six-year deals with the Tour. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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indiedan
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posted April 06, 2006 09:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for indiedan   Click Here to Email indiedan     Edit/Delete Message
Tiger's up-and-down round reflects his life
Still hard to say if father's health will affect Woods or motivate him

COMMENTARY
By Dan O'Neill
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 10:13 p.m. ET April 6, 2006


AUGUSTA, Ga. - If you are trying to get a read on Tiger Woods, you might do better reading the roller coaster curves of Augusta National’s greens.

To be certain, the world’s No. 1-ranked player is made for these moments. Throughout his young career, the 30-year-old Woods has played under more pressure than the next, entertained bigger galleries than the rest, and shouldered the enormous expectations his enormous talent commands.

The vocation always has been larger than life. Now it hinges on life itself. The most enduring picture in Woods’ illustrious golf scrapbook captures him tearfully hugging his father after winning his first Masters in 1997. Weeks earlier, Earl Woods nearly expired of complications from bypass surgery. At one point, he was flatline.

“Actually, he was dead, and then somehow they revived him,” Woods said. “He wasn’t supposed to come here anyway.”

And yet there they were on Masters Sunday, embracing on the 18th green, a 21-year old champion and a bursting father, sharing a life-changing moment. Fathers and sons embraced with them. Perhaps now they feel the pain.

Tiger Woods should be easy to read this week. He came to Augusta with three victories already this year. He came with four green jackets and a chance to make more history. He could become the first player to win consecutive Masters more than once. He could stand alone with five Masters titles, climb to the doorstep of matching Jack Nicklaus’ record six-pack.

He is made for these moments, but this moment is unlike any of the others. This Masters moment is weighted with matters of the heart. The dominant figure in his son’s life, Earl Woods is too ill to travel to Augusta, making this the first time in 12 years Tiger is playing without him around. When Tiger won last year, Earl Woods was unable to be at the golf course, but he made the trek to Augusta, doctor’s’ order notwithstanding.

As Tiger accepted his spoils, his eyes welled up and he said, “This is for dad.” This year, with cancer racking his body, Earl Woods, 74, is unable to leave his home in Cypress, Calif. His condition was grave enough that Tiger jetted cross-country during The Players Championship to see him. After a good start, he finished in a tie for 22nd.

The world knows how Woods deals with challenges on the golf course. His records at Augusta, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews attest. But it is difficult to predict how he will deal with this emotional confrontation, this inevitable part of life off the course. It seems clear his father’s time is short.

“It’s very tough,” said Ben Crenshaw, who lost his friend and mentor, Harvey Penick, the week of the Masters in 1995, then captured an improbable, emotional win at Augusta. “I think you know how much Tiger, how much he’s thinking of his father. You don’t know how to approach the situation because it hasn’t happened to you.

“But as I said yesterday, he’s one of the best concentrators that the game has ever seen. He’s blessed with so many abilities, physical abilities. But what a mind he has for the game, and some competitor. I’m sure it’s weighing on him in some respects.”

That’s the unknown variable. No one knows how much, other than Woods himself. And Woods does not bare his soul for public consumption. “I’ve been dealing with it for years, so nothing’s changed,” Woods said matter-of-factly Tuesday. “It is what it is and you just deal with it. Everyone who has had a family member or lived that long, you’re going to deal with it sometime. Unfortunately, it’s our time right now.”


You might add that most people do not deal with such issues on a stage, with a national television audience watching, defending a Masters championship. It seems as if his father’s condition could work either way. It could become a situation too affecting for Woods to overcome, or it could become a motivation, a chance to lift his father’s spirits with one more magical Sunday.

The evidence Thursday was as inconclusive as his par-72 card. The arguments were as contrasting as they were at The Players, when he fired a 69 on Friday and 73-75 on the weekend. The quality of Woods’ opening round score was as ambiguous as the Masters leaderboard, which included 54-year old Crenshaw (71), Vijay Singh and someone named Aaron Oberholser.

Nothing captured the indecisive flavor better than his exchange at Nos. 14 and 15. Woods eagled No. 14, using a favorable wind to fly his 8-iron to the green, and watch the 163-yard shot drain to the hole. He followed up by making double-bogey at No. 15, when he pulled his drive and put his layup shot into a deep divot. From 1-under to 1-over, in slightly more than 60 seconds.

His shot at No. 17 wound up in the No. 7 fairway. This time, he recovered with a spectacular 5-iron to the green but missed “the easiest of putts” for birdie. Naturally, he followed that by making a 35-footer for a birdie at No. 18.

Was it the 7,445 yards of Augusta toying with him? Was it his mind bouncing back and forth between his sick father and his Drive For Five? The debate will be open-ended until the last putt on Sunday.

Woods insists he can remain focused among the pastel colors and deep green Augusta backdrops. “As far as being a distraction, no,” he said. “I had plenty of time to focus on each and every shot (at The Players). I just hit poor shots and I putted terrible. You add that all in together and I didn’t finish very well.”

He talks to his father daily, although he said he did not phone him before playing Thursday. “I didn’t talk to him this morning,” Woods said. “I had enough to worry about trying to get out there and hit a shot.”

Having maintained his unflappable cool and made rational explanations for his inconsistency, Woods allows that Augusta occupies special territory in his heart, a place where he and his father are still embracing.

“It’s important for us as a family,” Woods said, “because for dad … my dad couldn’t make it out to the golf course (last year), but at least he was able to travel. That’s no longer the case. Hey, if anyone can fight and grind it out, it would be him. He’s as tough as they come.”

The same might be said for his son.

Dan O'Neill writes regularly for NBCSports.com and is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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fred
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posted May 03, 2006 02:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Earl Woods Passes Away at 74

By Tiger Woods

I’m very saddened to share the news of my father’s passing at home early this morning. My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply. I’m overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, and I’m honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring. Thank you to all who are sending condolences to my family and our Foundation. We are truly blessed to have so many who care during this difficult time.

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fred
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posted July 20, 2006 09:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Englishmen top leaderboard at the British Open

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer
July 20, 2006

AP - Jul 20, 11:13 am EDT
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HOYLAKE, England (AP) -- The British haven't won their Open since 1999.

Maybe Anthony Wall or Greg Owen can reclaim the claret jug.

The Englishmen were atop the leaderboard during the opening round Thursday at Royal Liverpool, while Phil Mickelson bounced back from the debacle at Winged Foot to position himself for a run at another major title.

On a warm, sunny day made for going low, Wall and Owen opened with 5-under-par 67s that put them one stroke ahead of a large pack that included 2002 champion Ernie Els, major winners Mike Weir and Jim Furyk, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, and Sergio Garcia, still seeking his first major title.

Mickelson was among those at 69, a solid start considering what happened at the U.S. Open. Lefty made double bogey on the final hole when a par would have been good enough for his third straight major title.

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He could have done a shot or better on the first day at Hoylake, but failed to take advantage of three par 5s on the back side.

"I've got to execute better," Mickelson said. "The course is playing about as nice as it could."

The most anticipated group of the day teed off in the afternoon with defending champion Tiger Woods and three-time winner Nick Faldo, whose sour relationship warmed up a bit when they shook hands on the practice range Wednesday.

Woods missed the cut at Winged Foot, the first time that's happened at a major since he turned pro. He got off to an ominous start, knocking his first tee shot into the rough -- despite using an iron for better control -- and wound up making bogey in mild conditions rarely seen on a seaside links.

In keeping with the theme of redemption, Owen is a PGA Tour regular best known for blowing a final-round lead at Bay Hill this year. He three-putted from 3 feet on the next-to-last hole to give away a seemingly certain win.

"It still hurts now even thinking about it," he said.

Owen took five weeks off to deal with a sore back before playing in last week's Scottish Open, where he tied for 14th. The back is still bothering him, but not enough to stop him from climbing atop a crowded leaderboard that featured an assortment of big names and unknowns.

Wall would fall into the latter group. He's playing just his second Open, having tied for 46th at Royal St. George's in 2003, and his lone European Tour victory came six years ago.

But the 31-year-old Londoner has been playing well this season with a few runner-up finishes on the European Tour. Afterward, he munched on a baguette and insisted he wasn't all that surprised to be leading.


AP - Jul 20, 11:12 am EDT
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"I don't see why not," he said. "I've been playing well. You need some luck. That's the main thing. And here I am."

Also at 68 were Australians Marcus Fraser and Mark Hensby, SK Ho of South Korea and Finland's Mikko Ilonen.

Paul Lawrie of Scotland was the last Brit to capture the oldest of the four majors, winning a playoff at Carnoustie seven years ago after Jan Van de Velde gave away the title with a triple bogey on the 72nd hole.

Lawrie is the last European to win any of the majors -- a grating dry spell on this side of the Atlantic, especially given the continent's success in its Ryder Cup showdowns with the U.S.

Owen has other reasons for wanting to do well.

He didn't get a chance to play the British Open a year ago after he pulled out of a qualifier in New Jersey. Owen thought he still could get in based on his world ranking, but the Royal & Ancient ruled that he had dropped out altogether.

After calling it "disgraceful" at the time, Owen was more conciliatory after Thursday's round, which finished with four birdies over the final six holes.

"The R&A runs this tournament and what they say goes," he said.

If not for that calamitous final hole at the U.S. Open, Mickelson could have come to the British with a chance to join defending champion Tiger Woods as the only players to hold all four professional major titles at the same time.

Mickelson won the PGA Championship last year, and followed with his second Masters title in April.

The British Open has always been the major that gives Mickelson the most trouble. He has only one top 10 in 13 previous trips across the Atlantic, missing a playoff by one shot at Royal Troon two years ago.

The opening round began a half-hour behind schedule at this historic links along the Irish Sea, which is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1967. Overnight showers dampened the course, which was baked all week by sweltering heat, and thunder kept everyone in the clubhouse for an extra 30 minutes.

The sun broke through at midmorning, the skies turned blue and there was hardly any breeze to toughen things up on another warm day.

"It's very easy out there," Ilonen said. "There's going to be a lot of low scores."

He was right.

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HollywoodProducer
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posted October 11, 2006 09:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for HollywoodProducer   Click Here to Email HollywoodProducer     Edit/Delete Message
Tiger is helping to hurt golf, Shark says
'With fewer and fewer people watching ... the sport has become stagnant'
The Associated Press


Updated: 8:59 a.m. PT Oct 11, 2006
MADRID, Spain - Technology, money and Tiger Woods are hurting golf, according to two-time British Open winner Greg Norman.

The Australian, who is playing in this week's Spanish Senior Open, said Tuesday that golf will be in major trouble if the U.S. PGA Tour doesn't manage the sport more carefully.

"With fewer and fewer people watching golf in America, the sport has become stagnant,'' Norman said.

Some U.S. tour events this year reportedly saw significant declines in American television viewership from 2005, such as a 56 percent drop for the Bob Hope Classic, a 50 percent decline for the season-opening Mercedes Championship and a 37.5 percent drop for the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Some analysts have said that Woods being in contention is a major factor in ratings, such as the 22 percent increase in August for the final round of his U.S. PGA Championship victory, but ratings when he successfully defended his title at Doral were still off by 16 percent.

An increase in prize and sponsorship money has put more pressure on players and tournament organizers, Norman said, and that is taking away from the excitement that players such as Lee Trevino and Seve Ballesteros used to create.


"Players need to bring the spirit back,'' Norman said. "There have always been great players to bring people to the game to lighten it up so that it's not so serious.

"Look at what (Rafael) Nadal has done for tennis because of the way he is, like a boxer. You never hear anyone coming out and saying I want to beat Tiger Woods - I haven't heard that,'' Norman added. "Nadal comes out and says he wants to beat Roger Federer because he's No. 1 and that's great for tennis.''

Norman, who has played little golf - and watched even less - since making his senior's tour debut last year, also said the technology used in making golf clubs should be reserved for amateurs only.

"I have a problem with someone winning a golf tournament without using a driver,'' Norman said. "The game has always been dominated by power-hitter players, but today you can't tell the difference between the players because of the technology.''

Norman said he only watched this year's Ryder Cup after his daughter, who is dating Sergio Garcia, urged him to do so.

"It came down to great teamwork - European players play together, eat together, fly on private jets together and that's for an entire two years, not just for the Ryder Cup, so there's more camaraderie,'' Norman said. "The Americans are trying to do that now, and I think they're doing better, but their still not there.''

The Europeans beat the United States 18 1/2-9 1/2 at The K Club in Ireland last month.

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fred
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posted June 16, 2007 05:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
I spent my whole f-ing day watching golf and drinking beer. Actually it was a pretty good day.

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HollywoodProducer
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posted June 19, 2007 09:06 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for HollywoodProducer   Click Here to Email HollywoodProducer     Edit/Delete Message
LESS than a day after Tiger Woods finished second at the US Open on Father's Day, his wife gave birth to a daughter. Woods announced on his website - www.tigerwoods.com - that Sam Alexis Woods was born early Monday morning

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N F S I 2
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posted August 23, 2007 09:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for N F S I 2   Click Here to Email N F S I 2     Edit/Delete Message
Bill Murray Arrested for Drunk Driving in a Golf Cart


Hollywood star Bill Murray has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in a golf cart in the Swedish capital Stockholm. The actor was stopped by police in the early hours of Sunday and alcohol was smelled on his breath, according Stockholm police detective inspector Christer Holmlund. Holmlund says, "He refused to blow in the (breath test) instrument, citing American legislation. So we applied the old method - a blood test. It will take 14 days before the results are in." Murray - who is in the city attending a golf tournament - signed a document admitting driving under the influence and permitted a police officer to enter a guilty plea on his behalf if the case goes to court. The 56-year-old will only be charged if his blood alcohol level is higher than the legal limit. If it is excessively high he could face a prison sentence - but a fine is more likely. Holmlund adds, "There were no obvious signs, like when someone is really tipsy." The officer claims mystery surrounds the golf cart and who owns it - although Murray isn't facing theft charges: "It was a golf cart. How it ended up in this predicament I don't know. I have done this since 1968 and I've never experienced anything like this."

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NEWSFLASH
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posted January 10, 2008 03:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NEWSFLASH   Click Here to Email NEWSFLASH     Edit/Delete Message
Golf Channel Anchor Suspended for "Offensive Language"


Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks Wednesday for quipping that the only way for young players to overtake Tiger Woods would be to "lynch him in a back alley." Although she and analyst Nick Faldo were laughing during the exchange in which the remark was made at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, video of it posted on the Internet and aired on CNN Headline News drew widespread criticism. The Rev. Al Sharpton declared that Tilghman ought to be fired immediately. "What she said is racist," he told CNN. (Tiger Woods' agent told the Association Press that he didn't think there was any ill intent.) In a statement, Golf Channel said, "There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this."

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fred
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posted January 17, 2008 08:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Editor surprised by 'enormity' of reaction to noose
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
January 17, 2008

This image released by Golfweek magazine shows the cover of the Jan. 19, 2008 issue. Dave Seanor, vice president and editor of the weekly magazine, said he was overwhelmed by negative reaction to the photo of a noose on the cover of this week's issue, illustrating a story about the suspension of Golf Channel anchor, Kelly Tilghman , for using the word "lynch" in an on-air discussion about how to beat Tiger Woods.
AP - Jan 17, 7:40 pm EST
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The editor of Golfweek magazine said he was overwhelmed by negative reaction to the photo of a noose on the cover of this week's issue, illustrating a story about the suspension of a Golf Channel anchor for using the word "lynch" in an on-air discussion about how to beat Tiger Woods.

"We knew that image would grab attention, but I didn't anticipate the enormity of it," Dave Seanor, vice president and editor of the weekly magazine, said from the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

"There's been a huge, negative reaction," he said. "I've gotten so many e-mails. It's a little overwhelming."

Among the critics was PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who said he found the imagery to be "outrageous and irresponsible."

"It smacks of tabloid journalism," Finchem said in a statement. "It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

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Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when she and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young challengers to Woods.

Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up (on him) for a while."

"Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman replied.

Tilghman said she apologized directly to the world's No. 1 player, and Woods' agent issued a statement that said it was a non-issue.

Seanor said editors at the magazine debated several choices for a cover, and he took responsibility for the noose. The title of the cover is "Caught in a Noose," with a sub-title, "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

Golf Channel didn't deal with Tilghman's comments until Newsday in New York first wrote about the "lynch" reference three days after the broadcast. The suspension was announced shortly after the Rev. Al Sharpton demanded on CNN that Tilghman be fired.

"We're a weekly news magazine. The big story of the previous week was Kelly Tilghman, and that's what we chose," Seanor said. "How to illustrate that? It was tough. Do you put Kelly Tilghman out there? But was it so much about her or the uproar?

"This is emblematic of why people were so offended."

The Golfweek staff previously had scheduled a meeting with PGA Tour officials Thursday morning, and Seanor said the noose quickly became "item 1-A" on their agenda.

He said dozens of customers at the merchandise show stopped by the Golfweek stand and put an issue in their bag, with some stopping to discuss and complain.

"Most people who are objecting to it -- within the golf industry -- are saying this episode was just above over," Seanor said. "I think it's indicative of how, when you bring race and golf into the same sentence, everyone recoils."

Seanor said he was struck by the paucity of black customers among the thousands of people at golf's largest merchandise exposition.

"Look at the executive suites at the PGA Tour, or the USGA, or the PGA of America. There are very, very few people of color there," he said. "This is a situation in golf where there needs to be more dialogue. And when you get more dialogue, people don't want to hear it, and they brush it under the rug. This is a source of a lot of pushback."

Seanor said he expected canceled subscriptions over the issue. He was not sure how it would affect advertising. Golfweek is published by Orlando-based Turnstile Publishing Co.

Asked if he regretted the cover, Seanor paused before answering.

"I wish we could have come up with something that made the same statement but didn't create as much negative reaction," he said. "But as this has unfolded, I'm glad there's dialogue. Let's talk about this, and the lack of diversity in golf."

He denied the cover was an attempt to sell more magazines, noting that Golfweek is 99 percent subscriptions.

"I was a little shocked by the commissioner's reaction," he said. "It was rather strong, particularly from someone who rarely comments on things on his own tour."

The day after Tilghman was suspended, Finchem said it was clear the Golf Channel was "was taking this unfortunate incident very seriously."

"Over the years, many PGA Tour players and staff have had the chance to get to know Kelly," he said. "Knowing her, her comment seems to us to be very uncharacteristic and we believe it was completely inadvertent. We have no reason to believe that she was intentionally malicious in her remark."

Golfweek is one of two weekly magazines devoted entirely to golf.

Golf World, coincidentally put on its cover this week a photo of Bill Spiller, one of the black pioneers in the sport, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his push to integrate the PGA Tour.

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fred
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posted January 18, 2008 09:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Golfweek replaces editor over noose By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
1 hour, 37 minutes ago


Golfweek magazine replaced the editor responsible for illustrating the current cover with a noose and apologized Friday for its depiction of a Golf Channel anchor's use of "lynch" in a comment about Tiger Woods.

"We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country," Turnstile Publishing Co. president William P. Kupper Jr. said. "We were trying to convey the controversial issues with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic.

Turnstile is the parent company of Golfweek.

The company said Dave Seanor, the vice president and editor of Golfweek, has been replaced immediately by Jeff Babineau.

A copy of the Jan. 19 cover was removed from the magazine's Web site Friday morning.

Kelly Tilghman, in her second year as anchor of PGA Tour coverage on Golf Channel, was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when she and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young challengers to Woods.

Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up (on him) for a while."

"Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman said, laughing.

Seanor said in an interview Thursday night that he took responsibility for the cover, which showed a noose against a purple sky and the title, "Caught in a Noose." The subtitle said, "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

The magazine devoted four pages of news and commentary on the topic, including a column on the back page supporting Tilghman and asking that the controversy be kept in context.

In an editorial, the magazine explained why it felt the Tilghman story deserved so much attention. It was accompanied by a cartoon that showed the Rev. Al Sharpton, who demanded Tilghman be fired, holding a noose and offering it to a pair of Golf Channel employees staring in a hole of thin ice, presumably where Tilghman had sunk.

Reaction to the noose drew a harsh rebuke from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

"Clearly, what Kelly said was inappropriate and unfortunate, and she obviously regrets her choice of words," Finchem said in a statement. "But we consider Golfweek's imagery of a swinging noose on its cover to be outrageous and irresponsible. It smacks of tabloid journalism. It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

It was not clear if Seanor had been fired.

Babineau, 45, has been with Golfweek for nine years, including roles as editor, deputy editor and senior writer.

"We know we have a job ahead of us to re-earn the trust and confidence of many loyal readers," Babineau said. "Our staff is very passionate about the game. Our wish is that one regretful error does not erase more than 30 years of service we've dedicated to this industry."

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fred
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posted February 03, 2008 11:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Tiger birdies final 2 holes for 4th straight win
Woods rallies from four-shot deficit at Dubai; Els struggles, ties for 3rd
The Associated Press
updated 10:54 a.m. PT, Sun., Feb. 3, 2008

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Tiger Woods watched his 25-foot putt race down the slope and bend toward the cup, then he skipped backward and punched the desert air in celebration when it disappeared into the cup for a final birdie.

So ended his spectacular charge Sunday to win the Dubai Desert Classic over Ernie Els, a familiar victim. Woods birdied his last two holes, and five of his last seven, for a 7-under 65 to start his season with two victories that looked nothing alike.

One week was an eight-shot victory at the Buick Invitational. The next week was his largest comeback in eight years when Woods rallied from a four-shot deficit with an array of impressive shots that make him look tougher to beat than he already is.

“I’m just happy to get a win out of this,” Woods said.

It was the third time Woods has started his season 2-0, another sign that he could be headed for a big year. He now has won his last four official tournaments, and six of his last seven dating to the Bridgestone Invitational in early August. Woods also won his unofficial Target World Challenge by seven shots in December.

“It’s the ideal start, isn’t it?” Woods said. “You play to win. So far, I’ve done that this year.”

Woods finished at 14-under 274 for a one-shot victory over Martin Kaymer of Germany. Woods had already posted his score when Kaymer, who won two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, closed birdie-birdie-eagle for a 66.

But the real victim was Els.

He started the final round with a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson and was four shots clear of Woods. The 38-year-old South African missed par putts inside 5 feet on the 11th and 12th holes to lose the lead, but he still had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie on the par-5 18th. Instead, Els hit 5-wood that came up well short and ended up in the water.

He finished with a bogey for a 71 and tied for third with Louis Oosthuizen.

It was a devastating blow to Els, who stared at the ground as he walked toward the 18th green. He is in the middle of a three-year plan to overtake Woods at No. 1 in the world, and said at the start of his season that he needed to start winning.

This was the perfect occasion, and he let it slip away in familiar fashion. Two years ago at Dubai, Woods birdied the last two holes to force a playoff against Els, then beat him when the South African hit his second shot into the water on No. 18.

This one never had a chance.

“The second shot on the 18, it was right where I had it, but I could see the gust got it in the air and it didn’t have much of a chance in the end there,” Els said.

Reaching No. 1 now looks like a lost cause.

Woods has more than double the points over second-ranked Phil Mickelson, and when asked about the gap over Mickelson, Woods playfully said, “I thought Ian Poulter was No. 2?”

That was a reference to Poulter being quoted in a British magazine that he was the only one capable of challenging the world’s No. 1 player. Poulter closed with a 76 on Sunday and tied for 39th.

It was the largest comeback for Woods since he made up a five-shot deficit at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2000, a final round that included holing out from the 15th fairway.

This was almost as impressive. Woods lost momentum with bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes, but he poured it on along the back nine with six birdies to win Dubai for the second time.

“All of sudden I was in the mix, out of the mix,” Woods said.

It started with a chip-in for birdie from a thick lie in the rough. Then came a tough flop shot from a tight lie, a bunker between Woods and the hole, that he caught perfectly to about 5 feet for birdie on the 13th.

“I thought I had to shoot 30 to get into a playoff,” said Woods, who shot 31 on the back nine. “It just happened to be good enough.”

Woods hit a perfect drive on the 359-yard 17th to just left of the green, leaving him a good angle for a chip that he hit to 8 feet for birdie. Then came the 18th, when Woods though his 5-wood for a second shot was perfect.

It went long, just short of the bunker, leaving Woods an awkward chip down the slope, with water on the other side.

“I could easily chip the ball in the water,” Woods said. “You have to make your mistake short and if I leave it too short, just chip up and try to make a par and (I’m) probably not going to win the tournament, but see what happens.”

He came up short, but holed the 25-foot birdie putt that turned out to be good enough.

Woods also won his first two events of the season in 2000 and 2006. In both those years, Els was among his early victims.

He now has won 72 times worldwide in his career, 62 of those on the PGA Tour. A week ago at Torrey Pines, Woods won by at least eight shots for the ninth time in his career. This was much tighter, and Woods made no secret which one he prefers.

“I like (winning) by seven or eight a lot,” he said. “It’s a lot less stressful.”

Woods has until Friday to decide whether he will play the Northern Trust Open at Riviera, although he likely will not return until the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, which begins Feb. 20.

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fred
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posted March 12, 2008 05:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fred   Click Here to Email fred     Edit/Delete Message
Daly doesn’t show up for pro-am round at Bay Hill
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—John Daly woke up Wednesday morning to read that swing coach Butch Harmon fired him. Then he got a phone call when he was at the entrance to Bay Hill letting him know he had been kicked out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational for missing the pro-am.

“Hasn’t been a good day,” Daly told The Associated Press. “This is the last thing I needed in my life. I feel like I let Arnold down.”

The wild ride of golf’s most unpredictable figure took another hairpin turn when Daly said he was given wrong information that caused him to miss his tee time, starting a bizarre chain reaction that knocked out two other players from the tournament.

The tour has a policy that anyone missing the pro-am is ineligible to play in the tournament.

Daly, who received a sponsor’s exemption, played a Monday pro-am at Bay Hill and said he was asked to play the Wednesday pro-am, too. He requested a morning start, then called Tuesday to find out his tee time. A woman in the tournament office told him 9:47 a.m., which instead was his starting time for the first round.


“I didn’t even know that was my Thursday tee time,” Daly said. “I should have looked into it. It stinks for me. I want to do anything I can for the tournament as a sponsor exemption. I wanted to meet the people I was playing with in the pro-am. I love Arnold Palmer to death. I called and talked to him and apologized.

“And the thing that upsets me is I cost Nick O’Hern and Ryuji Imada, so now I got these guys mad at me, too.”

Imada and O’Hern were alternates for the pro-am, and both thought they were assigned to the afternoon group. Instead, they were the first two names called when Daly didn’t show, and when neither was around, they also were disqualified from the $5.8 million event.

O’Hern lives only five minutes away at Isleworth and was furious to learn he would not be eligible.

“When I should have been on the tee, I was giving my girls breakfast,” O’Hern said. “I thought common sense would have prevailed. This is a tough one to take. Unfortunately, we got caught up in John’s snowball effect.”

The snowball is starting to look like an avalanche.

Daly lost his full PGA Tour card two years ago and relies mainly on sponsor exemptions. In seven events this year, he has missed the cut three times and withdrew from the Bob Hope Classic, where he was spotted at several after-hour parties.

His best finish was a tie for 60th in Mexico, an opposite-field event.

The Bay Hill mix-up comes one day after Harmon, one golf’s most renowned swing coaches, said he was done working with Daly because the two-time major champion appeared more interested in drinking than working on his game.

“My whole goal for him was he’s got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life,” Harmon said. “And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk.”

Harmon said Daly’s behavior last week at the PODS Championship was enough to end the short-lived relationship.

Daly spent a 2 1/2 -hour rain delay during the first round in a Hooters corporate tent behind the 17th green at Innisbrook. He was 3 over, and when play resumed, he had Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden caddie for him the rest of the day. After missing the cut with rounds of 77-80, Daly spent Saturday at the Hooters “Owl’s Nest” next to the 17th hole, drinking beer, mingling with fans and signing autographs, including one on the back of a woman’s pants.


John Daly waits to hit from of…

AP - Mar 12, 11:07 am EDT
“I just wish Butch had called me before getting slapped in the face,” Daly said. “I love Butch to death. I still think he’s the greatest coach out there. I just told him, ‘Don’t always believe what you read in the paper.’ I texted him, ‘All I wish you’d done is call me.’ It was a shock to me.”

As for his escapade at the Owl’s Nest?

Daly said he thought he was doing the tournament a favor by drumming up business at the raucous tent.

“I signed about a thousand hats,” Daly said. “I love Hooters. I had a few beers and some chicken wings. It was Saturday. I wasn’t even playing in the tournament.”

Daly has been on a downward spiral since losing a playoff to Tiger Woods in 2005 at Harding Park in a World Golf Championship event. He injured his ribs last year at the Honda Classic when he tried to stop his powerful swing upon hearing the click of a fan’s camera, and Daly recently said he was contemplating a lawsuit against the tournament, which gave him a sponsor’s exemption.


John Daly leaves the 14th gre…

AP - Mar 12, 11:02 am EDT
“My life is upside-down right now,” Daly said. “No matter what I do, it’s wrong. I’m thinking of writing a new song. I’ll call it, ‘I guess it’s my fault, even when it’s not my fault.”’

Daly said he played Tuesday at a nearby course with Robert Gamez, who helped sort out his putting problems.

“I was looking forward to a great week,” Daly said. “I’ve always had great success at Bay Hill. I usually don’t ever miss the cut. I called Arnold, and said he feels just as bad about it. I saw him Monday and he gave me a big ol’ hug and said, ‘Thanks for being here.”’

Success at Bay Hill is in the eye of the Wild Thing.

Daly has played 14 times at Palmer’s event, and his best finish is a tie for 10th. He has missed the cut three times, and four times shot in the 80s in the final round. One of those scores came in 1998, when Daly hit six balls in the water on the par-5 sixth and made an 18.

“I hope things get better,” Phil Mickelson said. “I think we all do.”

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