GolfMediaCatfight.com

Thanks to reader Greg for noticing that the Hawkins-Shipnuck catfight is heating up after a response on SI.com to last week's jabs taken over at GolfDigest.com.

Proving that some of you are in way too deep when it comes to golf media, I received some e-mail about a curious item that appeared on golfdigest.com during Masters week. John Heffington of Omaha, Neb. writes,"What are your thoughts about John Hawkins of Golf World talking trash about you in his blog (April 6 entry)? He talked about how you could not get an interview with (Greg)Norman about the 1996 Masters and then proceeded to call you 'Shipwreck.' "

Yeah, Hawkins' little valentine was random, but as I told him at Augusta, if you dish it out you gotta be able to take it, too, so no hard feelings. One thing worth noting relating to his post: Norman called me twice in the last week to explain why he was out of touch when I was writing my piece -- he says he was in the Middle East and then Australia and not in good contact with his office. He also claims to be so bummed to have missed my calls he is in the process of overhauling how his media people deal with interview requests in the future.

As for Hawkins, I loved his dig about needing to hire a detective firm to find LPGA fans. Actually, all he needs to do is leave his insular little world a little more often. The guy has been covering pro golf for GW more than a decade but only a year or two ago wrote a condescending column about the strange experience of reporting on his first LPGA event. As for calling me Shipwreck, they were doing that back at University Park elementary school. That's a pretty good reflection of Hawkins' mentality.

Can't we all just not get along for the sake...hits! 

Comments

[NRH]

Has Shipnuck mended fences with Rich Beem?

[keith talent]

HE had some kind of follow up piece a while ago, I'll look for it.