CBS Golf Writer Mocks Overweight Players Championship Fan: While covering the first round of the Players Championship Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl., CBS Sports golf columnist Steve Elling calls a fan following Tiger Woods around "300 pounds of cottage cheese stuffed into a 200-pound sack" and posts seven more insulting comments about her on Twitter. Is this acceptable?

posted by rcade to golf at 06:09 PM - 22 comments

Times Reporter Wishes She Could Boycott Masters: New York Times golf reporter Karen Crouse wishes she could skip the Masters. "If it were left to me, which it seldom is in the power structure of writer versus editor, I'd probably not come cover this event again until there is a woman member," she told Golf.Com. "More and more, the lack of a woman member is just a blue elephant in the room." Her editor Joe Sexton called her comments "completely inappropriate and she has been spoken to."

posted by rcade to golf at 10:08 PM - 38 comments

The second weekend in April: means only one thing to a golf fan - it's Masters time. Tiger Woods won two weeks ago at Bay Hill and is the 5/1 favourite. Mark O'Meara likes what he has seen of him in practice. Rory McIlroy threw it away last year, but is second favourite this time out. Faldo thinks Donald has got what it takes. Hunter Mahan cursed himself by wining last week. Big Phil's playing well, and even Harrington thinks he might have something to show. Martin Kaymer has yet to make the cut in four starts, but skipped one over the water into the hole at 16 in the practice round, so maybe this is his year! Let the jacket fight commence!

posted by JJ to golf at 09:02 AM - 10 comments

923 days and 27 official Tour events later, it finally happened again.:

posted by grum@work to golf at 01:36 AM - 3 comments

PGA Tour Eliminating Qualifying Tournament: The PGA Tour is dropping the National Qualifying Tournament, which awarded tour cards to the top 25 finishers, and putting the top Nationwide Tour players and bottom PGA Tour players into a three-tournament series where 50 PGA cards will be earned. The final qualifying tournament could be the Jacksonville Winn-Dixie Open played at TPC Sawgrass. "A player coming out of college can't go through Q-School and get his card," said golfer Martin Laird, who reacted positively to the idea. "But if he's that good, I'm thinking that he's going to be just as good one year delayed."

posted by rcade to golf at 12:40 PM - 1 comment

Tiger withdraws from tournament: The future of Tiger Woods takes another turn not far from the Masters.

posted by roberts to golf at 06:53 AM - 3 comments

Tiger Seal: Tiger Woods was considering abandoning golf and joining the Navy SEALS, former coach Hank Haney has claimed.

posted by JJ to golf at 11:45 AM - 17 comments

Mickelson's Ball Ends Up in Fan's Shorts: Phil Mickelson's errant tee shot at 15 in the Northern Trust Open Saturday ended up in a spectator's shorts. When Mickelson approached, the man was lying prone on the ground. "I thought for sure I took him out," he said.

posted by rcade to golf at 09:43 AM - 11 comments

Mickelson Erases 6-Shot Deficit in 6 Holes: Phil Mickelson turned a six-shot deficit into a two-shot lead in only six holes at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Sunday, winning over third round leader Charlie Wi. In the second-to-last group with Tiger Woods, Mickelson ended up beating him by 11 shots. Woods shot a final-round 75, worse than his amateur playing partner Tony Romo. "In one of the most shocking rounds we've seen from him since his first-round implosion at the 2011 PGA Championship, Woods completely lost it at Pebble Beach," writes Jonathan Wall of Yahoo's Devil Ball Golf.

posted by rcade to golf at 09:42 AM - 2 comments

Golfer Stabbed with Broken Club During Course Melee: A golfer in Texas was stabbed by a broken golf club during a Jan. 27 brawl that began over slow play at Resort Golf Club on Eagle Mountain Lake, suffering a punctured femoral artery and massive blood loss. Clay Carpenter, 48, was in a threesome that confronted a slower foursome ahead of them to play through. He said a club was swung at his head and he broke it, then was stabbed in the groin by the same man. A member of the foursome called 911. "He's passed out once already," he said. "We've got his artery clamped with our hand."

posted by rcade to golf at 11:40 AM - 13 comments

Heeee's baaaaaaack!:  

posted by grum@work to golf at 12:31 AM - 7 comments

Woods Leads U.S. to Presidents Cup Win: Tiger Woods beat Aaron Badderly 4&3, giving the U.S. the 18th point it needed to clinch the Presidents Cup. "It feels good," said Woods, bouncing back from a biggest-ever loss in round one. "I hoped it wouldn't come down to my point."

posted by rcade to golf at 11:02 AM - 5 comments

Woods, Stricker Destroyed in Presidents Cup: Facing Adam Scott and K.J. Choi, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker didn't make a birdie, didn't win a hole and were done after 12 holes -- matching the record for the biggest loss in Presidents Cup history. Woods shook hands with jilted caddie Steve Williams -- now serving as Scott's bagman -- at the first tee and was gracious in his comments: "I know he probably looks at it differently than I do, but, hey, life goes forward. I'm very happy with what we did in our career together."

posted by rcade to golf at 08:56 AM - 3 comments

Steve Williams explains why Adam Scott's victory at Bridgestone Invitational was best of his career: Asked what the celebration was all about, the 47-year-old New Zealander said: 'It was my aim to shove it right up that black a**ehole.'

posted by tommytrump to golf at 12:33 AM - 22 comments

Norman: Tiger Poor Pick for Presidents Cup: Greg Norman, the international team captain for November's Presidents Cup tournament in Australia, disagreed with Fred Couples' decision as captain to put Tiger Woods on the American team. "I think Keegan Bradley was much more deserving," Norman said. "I can understand the name of a Tiger Woods and his history of what he's done on the golf course. But I pick the guys who I think are ready to get in there and play and have performed to the highest levels leading up to it. ... I just don't think he's swinging the golf club the way he used to when he won all those major championships. He's a different player out there nowadays."

posted by rcade to golf at 01:26 PM - 9 comments

According to Forbes' Fab 40: Tiger Woods still has the richest brand among athletes...and still by a very wide margin. The Yankees surpassed Man U as the richest team brand and the most valuable overall brand in sports is the Super Bowl. No word on whether the BAR (brand above replacement) advanced stats were used in this analysis.

posted by dfleming to golf at 06:38 AM - 0 comments

Tiger back on top: ... of the second page of golf's World Rankings. After 780 weeks in the top 50, Woods drops to number 51 in the world. He will play this week in a 2nd tier event in California, fulfilling one of his recently added "goals for 2011" of playing in a tournament he hadn't played in before.

posted by JJ to golf at 09:26 AM - 1 comment

College Golf Team Suspended for Nude Photo: The Bethany College men's golf team in Kansas has been suspended from three tournaments because of a team picture in which all 15 members posed nude, wearing nothing but the head of their golf clubs over their private parts. Team captain Jack Hiscock said that the team was trying to copy a similar picture taken by the UCLA team.

posted by rcade to golf at 10:16 AM - 15 comments

American Wins Golf Major: Down by five strokes after a triple bogey on 15, Keegan Bradley beat Jason Dufner in a three-hole playoff to win the PGA Championship. Bradley, the 25-year-old nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, becomes the first American to win a major since Phil Mickelson at the 2010 Masters.

posted by rcade to golf at 08:24 PM - 5 comments

McIlroy to BBC Commentator: Shut Up, You 'Failed Golfer': After Rory McIlroy played three-over on the back nine to finish at 70 in the Irish Open first round, BBC golf commentator Jay Townsend said on Twitter that McIlroy's course management was "some of the worst I have ever seen beyond under-10's boys golf competition." McIlroy's response, also over the service: "shut up.... You're a commentator and a failed golfer, your opinion means nothing!"

posted by rcade to golf at 01:16 PM - 6 comments

Woods and Williams part ways: After 12 years and 13 majors, Tiger Woods has let caddie Steve Williams go. Williams expressed "shock" on his web site and will now continue full-time with Adam Scott. Woods has not yet named a replacement.

posted by wfrazerjr to golf at 06:09 PM - 25 comments

Joe Sakic Earns $1 Million Playing Golf: Retired Colorado Avalanche player Joe Sakic sank a hole-in-one Sunday at the 17th hole of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, earning a special $1 million prize for the feat. "That's a shot you never imagine hitting," said Sakic. "I've never even been close before." Video.

posted by rcade to golf at 12:00 PM - 2 comments

Darren Clarke Wins British Open: Darren Clarke won the British Open by three strokes Sunday over Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. Clarke, 42, wins the second consecutive major for Northern Ireland. Holding the claret jug after his victory, Clarke made a tearful reference to his wife Heather who died in 2006 of breast cancer. "Somebody up there is watching down as well," he said.

posted by rcade to golf at 01:54 PM - 5 comments

Thomas Levet finished 2nd in the Open Championship in 2002: losing in a play-off to Ernie Els. A week ago, he wasn't even in the field for this year's Open at Royal St George's, but on Sunday he won his home (French) Open for the first time, gaining him automatic entry to next week's Open Championship. Then he jumped into the lake [YouTube] by the 18th green at Le Golf National (which will host Ryder Cup 2018) to celebrate and broke his shin, so now he can't play in the Open. What is it with Frenchmen, water hazards and missed opportunities [YouTube - WARNING: Van de Velde] at the Open Championship?!

posted by JJ to golf at 11:44 AM - 2 comments

Pro Golfer Smoked Pot During Tournaments: Robert Garrigus, the PGA Tour golfer who finished third at the U.S. Open, told Golf Digest he used to smoke marijuana during tournaments. "There were plenty of guys on the Nationwide Tour who smoked in the middle of the round," Garrigus said. "We always talked about it. You could go in the Porta John and take your drags. I had a very high tolerance, and I didn't know that it wasn't helping me," he says. "All you're thinking is that it feels good, so it must be good for what you're doing. It wasn't until I quit that I realized how stupid it was."

posted by rcade to golf at 02:35 PM - 9 comments

Woods to miss US Open: "It's time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future. I was hopeful that I could play but, if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and achilles tendon are not fully healed. It's been a frustrating and difficult year but I'm committed to my long-term health. I will be back playing when I can."

posted by JJ to golf at 05:25 AM - 8 comments

K.J. Choi Wins Players Championship in Playoff: The Players Championship was decided in a first-hole playoff Sunday on the famous island 17th at TPC Sawgrass. K.J. Choi made a par putt to defeat David Toms, who had made an 18-foot birdie on the 18th to force the playoff. Choi and Tom both had to complete more than 30 holes today, finishing the third round in the morning because of a storm-shortened Saturday.

posted by rcade to golf at 09:56 PM - 5 comments

Tiger Woods Injury Forces Withdrawal From Players Championship 2011 : On Thursday, Tiger Woods' start to the 2011 Players Championship was an abysmal one. He shot a terrible 6-over through the front nine at TPC Sawgrass, which put him at the very bottom of the leaderboard. And now, we may have an explanation for his play: citing multiple injuries.

posted by BornIcon to golf at 11:00 AM - 2 comments

Golfer Seve Ballesteros Dies: Severiano Ballesteros, golf legend, has passed away at 54. If you could say anything about his game, was that he could win a British Open from the car park (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to golf at 10:19 AM - 13 comments

Sabbatini, O'Hair Nearly Come to Blows on Course: Golfers Rory Sabbatini and Sean O'Hair got into such a heated argument on the 14th hole at the TPC Louisiana tournament last week that O'Hair's caddie had to separate them before it became physical, two players told USA Today. The paper claims Sabbatini is facing a possible suspension over this incident and an earlier one at the Northern Trust Open in which he berated a teen volunteer for how he marked Sabbatini's lost ball after a drive. Sabbatini recently apologized for some of his past actions. "I'm not proud of everything I've done out here, but I'm trying to learn," he said. "My son is old enough now that he understands everything that I do." Tom Edrington calls Sabbatini the PGA Tour's "genuine jerk". "I saw Sabbatini up close and personal at the Transitions over here at the Innisbrook Resort in March. At the 18th tee, he called out someone who was supposed to be talking in his backswing. I was standing right there and there was no such talking. One of the caddies in the group was standing by me while Master Rory was bitching, we looked at each other and simply gave it the 'you gotta be kidding' eyeball roll."

posted by rcade to golf at 11:26 AM - 8 comments

Tiger Woods' Niece Wins ACC Championship: Cheyenne Woods, a collegiate golfer for Wake Forest who looks remarkably like her uncle Tiger, won the ACC golf championship by seven strokes Sunday. He noted her achievement on Twitter: "That's awesome, I'm so proud of her."

posted by rcade to golf at 10:30 AM - 10 comments

McIlroy, 21, Leads Masters by 4 Strokes: Fourteen years after another 21-year-old became the youngest Masters champion in history, Rory McIlroy has a four-stroke lead going into today's final round. "I'm not getting ahead of myself," said McIlroy. "I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly." He's 237 days older than Tiger Woods was in 1997 when he claimed his first green jacket. Woods trails by seven shots.

posted by rcade to golf at 12:42 PM - 13 comments

Poulter: Tiger Woods Won't Win Masters: Golfer Ian Poulter predicted that Tiger Woods won't finish among the leaders at the Masters. "I don't think he'll finish in the top 5," Poulter said. "The shots he was hitting at Doral, they were very inconsistent," Poulter said. "You can't afford to hit shots like that on this golf course and get away with it. I don't think you want to rely on your short game that much around this place."

posted by rcade to golf at 12:11 PM - 11 comments

Golfer Murdered by Armed Robber During Round: On Jan. 13, two golfers at the 17th tee at Deerfield Country Club in Deerfield Beach, Fl., were confronted by masked armed robbers demanding their money. Golfer Lataurus Randall, 35, was shot in the back by a robber and died a day later. The robbers have not been caught. "When these guys showed up, I first thought it was a joke," said his playing partner Melvin Philpart. "I said to one of them, 'What do you think you're doing out here? This is a golf course.'"

posted by rcade to golf at 11:08 AM - 7 comments

Jim Gray 'removed' from Golf Channel coverage after confrontation: Three things that you can always bank on; death, taxes, and Jim Gray getting into it with some athlete or coach.

posted by BornIcon to golf at 03:22 PM - 12 comments

What's This On My Golfball?: Tiger Woods is to be fined for spitting during Sunday's Dubai Desert Classic.

posted by texpat to golf at 03:47 PM - 10 comments

Tiger Shoots 66 at Dubai Classic: Tiger Woods shot a 6-under 66 in the second round at the Dubai Desert Classic, pulling him back into contention at a tournament he won in 2006 and 2008. He trails leader Rory McIlroy by four strokes. "I felt like I drove it pretty good and more than anything I controlled my traj which was nice," he said.

posted by rcade to golf at 01:21 PM - 18 comments

Rookie says Tiger Woods mailed it in on Sunday at Torrey Pines: Tiger Woods has been known for a lot of things over his career, but giving up at a golf event has never been one of them ... until now.

posted by BornIcon to golf at 02:52 PM - 11 comments

"Using the observations of television viewers sitting at home does not seem the right way to proceed in a professional sport": The BBC's Iain Carter reflects on Padraig Harrington's disqualification at this week's Abu Dhabi International, thanks to an eagle-eyed snitch TV viewer who emailed the European Tour website to alert referees that the golfer had inadvertently moved his ball when replacing it. Some pros are less than impressed, too.

posted by etagloh to golf at 06:22 PM - 8 comments

Bad lie: All the alligator wanted to do is eat the golf ball...er... golfer

posted by roberts to golf at 12:00 PM - 4 comments