"The question has to be asked though - who does this dickhead think he is?"

Tip of the cap to John Strege at GolfDigest.com's Local Knowledge for catching this column by Peter FitzSimons, who I think it can be safely said will not be heading up Australia's efforts to lure Tiger Woods back Down Under.

For though it is little noted, Woods is the most fined professional golfer of the current age, and some of it was on display during the Masters - the most appalling of which was when he duffed his shot on the 15th, and hurled his club so savagely it bounced up and landed in the crowd! Had the likes of John Daly done the same thing, it likely would have made fierce headlines and drawn extremely negative comment from all and sundry. But because it was Woods, the fawning television commentators all but ignored it, as did most of the golf writers. The question has to be asked though - who does this dickhead think he is? And how does he get away with it? Is there not some level of responsibility that goes with being the best in the world, to not behave like a petulant prig?

Who knew the Sydney Morning Herald was a tabloid!

Comments

[Minefats]

Aside from the getting the hole # wrong, this is spot on. I think this is pretty ballsy and a breath of fresh air.

[Tighthead]

Maybe Eldrick isn't getting rooted enough with two young ones and a pro nanny for a wife.

[Pickworth]

That's pretty standard stuff from him. He's a former rugby player (International, I believe) who also writes war and social history. He likes punching hard about sport and he will be very miffed that Melbourne got Tiger.

We're pretty simple folk, really. Not hard to work out.

[Josh]

He's quite a good writer, book wise that is, living in Melbourne i don't often read his SMH column so i can't really say whether this is out of character.

Considering how bleak things are looking for the Fairfax dailys, perhaps he's decided to go out in style.

[Bob]

I think he is riight. Tiger is the greatest, but if he can focus and commit so intently on the shot, his fitness, or anything else. He can stop this petulant boorish behavior.

[harry h morant]

Peter FitzSimons tells it how it is lads, and if you are at sites like this one, then yo are searching for the authentic, tell it how it is, not afrais to put my name to my opinion kind of people.
Search through PF's stories and you will see he is not to fond of A Baddeley's " God on my side" rhetoric , nor Greg Norman's ego. He also dispenses praise where he feels it's deserved, read today's (Nov 21) column and the story of the Surf Lifesaver's "Nippers".

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Don't know the writer, but this is spot on, right down to the epithet. But Eldrick the Magnificent gets away with it for the same reasons the Masters of the Universe at Goldman Sachs get away with what they do. Not so hard to understand, really. Just exchange Li'l Timmy Finchem for L'il Timmy Geithner.

[Tighthead]

Leave it to a former rugby player to find the right words and deliver them so clearly. He must be an old prop because he makes perfect sense.

[MTB]

Ky Laffoon's Ghost--you've nailed it again!

[Papa Bing]

Come on Eldrick. Earl raised you better than this. Cut the crap and become a role model rather than an embarrassment.

[Matt]

Agreed. I'm not a fan of Tiger but this just lowered his stock even more with me.

[Outside Centre]

@Tighthead

I must admit this guy does make a lot of sense. Especially considering I've met few front row lads who can speak in full sentences never mind write clearly.

[Boston Golfer]

Well, I don't condone Tiger's behavior, but without him, that dickhead would be writing
about club rugby somewhere in the southern hemisphere.

So on one hand, I'm glad for him having something to write about. On the other hand,
what was his name again?

[MacDuff]

Mussolini banned spitting in public and got the trains to run on time.

er...sorry, visitor from Porlock, can't think how that relates to this, except for the spitting...

at least don't show spitting on the screen -- "s'aliva show, dat's whadda dey say on tv!"

He who spits on the ground spits upon himself ~ old Native American saying.

Regarding aggressive behavior, refer to the Ten Non-Virtuous Actions and Their Results.

[AA]

Papa Bing, your mention of Earl is curious. Wasn't it revealed by Tiger himself that Earl would throw things and yell at young Tiger during practice to make Tiger tougher and better at being focused during distractions. So if dad threw things... like father like son!

[Texaswedge]

Hey now, I understand that the "tomahawking" the driver into the crowd at Kingston Heath might not look good to all the youngsters out there learning the game. But this deal about spitting on the golf course puzzles me. It's an outdoor activity... I say spit, don't swallow

[Farmingdale]

"In New York city, you can be fined $25 for spitting in the subway. However, you can throw-up for free..."

-- Lewis Grizzard --

[keith86]

Throwing up is just a real good spit

[BG]

Fitzy did at least play for his country - and he did it for free. That gives him some right to say controversial things.