Golf Central

You really expect me to keep THIS in my house?

I'm still not used to it, usually the only thing i'm bothered about on a Monday is trying to avoid going back to work...
Well don't worry, the final two play-offs are back to a Sunday finish. Anyway, as for yesterday, you missed Mickelson take Tiger to school.
Oh yeah, first day back wasn't it? Tiger seems a bit old for all that though...
I meant that he taught him a metaphorical golfing lesson. His 5-under round of 66 was enough to take him to minus 16 and win the tournament by two shots.
And Tiger got the silver?
Yep, he shared it with Brett Wetterich and Arron Oberholser, something he definitely wouldn't have enjoyed.
Well, if he can't learn to share, maybe he SHOULD go back to school...
I meant that he wouldn't have enjoyed second place. Especially as it leaves him nearly 5,000 points from the top of the FedEx leaderboard which Phil now tops.
Lefty must be pleased then...
He seemed more content with beating Tiger than anything else: "For 10 years I've struggled against Tiger...this sure feels great to go head-to-head ... and over the last five or six holes when he's making a run, it was fun to match him with birdies."  is what he said it was.
Sounds like YOU need to go back to school
Enough with all the school stuff.
Fair enough, anything else of interest happen?
Wetterich didn't make a birdie until the 16th, ending his title challenge but placing him at 22nd in the FedEx standings which puts him in good stead to qualify for the Tour Championship. The top 30 after the BMW go through in case you'd forgotten, which I guess you had.
I had actually
Then take this dunce's hat and go and sit at the back of the class.

I thought you said no more school jokes
For you, not me

You are so childish
You are...

Pop down the garage and get some flowers won't you?

The finest golfers from both sides of the Atlantic head to Sweden this weekend for the Solheim Cup. Nathalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer will feature alongside a host of Swedish beauties but don’t expect a calendar anytime soon... 

1. The Solheim Cup was founded by Karsten and Louise Solheim, makers of Ping Golf equipment – wonder why they didn’t call it the Ping Cup?

 2. The first Solheim Cup was held at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida in 1990. Not actually IN the lake you understand, but on the golf course nearby. It was won by the USA 11.5-4.5.

3. Laura Davies of England is the only woman to play in every Solheim Cup.

4. In 1990, Trish Johnson expressed her overwhelming relief when she found out she was up against old-timer Pat Bradley, who subsequently heard the reaction and stuffed the former English champion, 8&7.

5. The matches were moved to odd-numbered years to stay opposite the Ryder Cup, which was switched to even-numbered years because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

6. Catrin Nilsmark posted a scouting report on the U.S. team on a Swedish Web site, which the LPGA Tour translated and passed out in the locker room. Nilsmark reportedly said Michele Redman had "absolutely no talent." She referred to Cristie Kerr as a "brat" and suggested Meg Mallon was over the hill. 

7. On the 18th green of the 1998 Cup at Muirfield, just as Marie Laure de Lorenzi was about to make a crucial chip, Dottie Pepper chose to incite the Americans in the crowd and whip them up into a patriotic fervour. Laura Davies was reportedly so angry, that she took out her frustrations on a blow-up doll which she had labelled 'Dottie Pepper'. No not in THAT way.

8. In 2000, the Americans were called bad sports for making Annika Sorenstam replay her chip-in for birdie because she played out of turn (and American’s never act out of turn), a scene that intensified when U.S. captain Pat Bradley charged onto the green at Loch Lomond and left Sorenstam in tears.

9. Catriona Matthew further cleared the Loch Lomond toilets of Kleenex; fleeing in tears after playing no more than a practice round in 2000 following her public spat with captain, Dale Reid. Matthew said Reid had never contacted her before leaving her out of the team.

10. Paula Creamer raised a few eyebrows and made a few headlines in 2005 for talking dirty when she announced “all I can say is they’d better get ready, because they’re going to get beat.” Luckily she followed through on her promise, or the words she would have been forced to eat may have led to her putting on a few unsightly pounds.

After yesterday's inglorious defeat, Tiger regains some pride

...two...three...four...I declare a thumb war...

Nope, it's nothing to do with Des Walker, Roy Walker, Walker's Crisps, Luke Skywalker or any of that. So what is the Walker Cup? Well a cup obviously, but...oh just read this then you'll know.

1. The Walker Cup is contested in odd numbered years between the leading U.S and G.B and Ireland amateurs and is co-organised by the R&A and the USGA. Much like the Ryder Cup, it is played in matches.

2. Originally, the Cup was played annually but this changed in 1924, as the expense of the tournament was deemed too high to merit being played each year. Since then, the bi-annual format has been adopted, except  in 1938, when the series was interrupted by famous sporting event ruiner - WWII. 

3. Founded in 1920, the Walker Cup was named after George Herbert Walker, President of the USGA. Interestingly, he was the grandfather of former President of The USA, George H. W. Bush and the great-grandfather of George 'Now watch this drive' Dubya Bush.

4. In the inaugural match, in 1922, Bernard Darwin, the golf writer for The Times, accompanied the British team to America. When the British captain, Robert Harris, fell ill, Darwin stepped in and defeated the American Captain, William Fownes, 3 and 1.

5. The oldest ever competitor was Michael Scott OBE,  who competed, somewhat fittingly, at the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1934. He was 55 years and 8 months old at the time. The previous year he set the record as the oldest ever winner of the Amateur Championship. He remains competitive to this day at 129 years old.

6. Joseph B. Carr competed for GB and Ireland a record 11 times between 1947 and 1967. Carr will be posthumously inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this November, but don't worry, they won't be dragging his dead body down there, it'll probably just be a plaque or something.

7. IGWT favourite, Oliver Fisher, was the youngest ever competitor at 16 years and 11 months when he played at the Chicago G.C in 2005. His feat was made all the more impressive by the fact that he still got back in time to do his homework and tidy his room.

8. This year's Walker Cup will be held at the Royal County Down Golf Club. Old Tom Morris is credited with routing the course which is widely regarded as the first to have nine holes 'out' and nine holes 'back'. Before then, golfers who had played the full 18 would either face a long walk to the clubhouse or hitch a ride on a tram or a penny farthing or something.

9. The USA have won the cup 32 times compared to a much less showy and more restrained 7 for GB and Ireland. As always, with any sport, it's the taking part that counts. Unless we win this year of course, in which case it's “Woo! In your face Uncle Sam!”

10. Tiger Woods took part in 2005 but was beaten in his singles match by short-hitting Gary' Kenneth' Wolstenholme who surely dines out on that story every night.

Faldo: "So Tom, what's Homer Simpson REALLY like?"

On this day, in 1978, Tom Kite won the B.C Open, defeating Mark Hayles by five strokes with a 17-under par 267.

Thomas Oliver Kite was born in 1949 in McKinney, Texas. He won his first tournament at the age of 11 and turned pro in 1972.  He won 19 times on the  PGA Tour and one major, the 1992 U.S Open. Kite is best known for his innovative approach to the game (and his appearance in The Simpsons), he was the first to introduce a third wedge to his bag and one of the early adopters of sports psychologists and the importance of personal fitness. Tom was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

Also on this day, in 1884, the worlds first cafeteria opened in New York, without which, neurotic sitcom characters would have been forced out on to the streets to discuss their sex lives.

Meanwhile, in 1972, Mark Spitz won the seventh of his record seven gold medal tally at the Summer Olympic Games in Munich. In doing so, Spitz set a world record time in each event. Bloody show off.

And it's Sushilkumar Shinde! As they say in India, to; bootylicious Beyonce Knowles (26) and American golfers, Tom Watson (58) and Ray Floyd (65). It was also a year ago to the day that Steve Irwin found out how stingrays got their name.