"The time to gee up crowds is between holes, not while a competitive situation exists."
Nancy Armour reports and Stina Sternberg files Birdies and Bogies following Sunday's exciting Solheim Cup finale, but alas, John Huggan brings up the inevitable European complaints about the U.S. team's behavior.
One other lowlight -- at least some of the time -- was the behavior of Christina Kim. The extrovert American clearly has a big heart and a kind heart given her obvious affinity and loud interaction with the spectators. But there is a line that must never be crossed with this sort of thing. And, at the risk of being portrayed as a bit of a fuddy-duddy, it must be pointed out that Kim, on occasion, veers into a place where opponents are -- however inadvertently -- treated with something less than proper respect. The time to gee up crowds is between holes, not while a competitive situation exists.
I agree she gets carried away, but she is awful funny to watch.
Geoff
The SI guys devote a whopping and well deserved three pages to the Solheim Cup and then declare the tweaked FedEx Cup dead on arrival, as well as a Solheim-driven reminder that the propsed Olympic format is in dire need of tweaking after yet another example that team events would be great on the Olympic stage.
They went to Kim's Boswell for comment on her behavior Sunday:
Bamberger: Alan: Did. C. Kim hurt herself, literally, with her chest-pounding? She's Patty Berg, right down to the funky hat.
Shipnuck: She lost her voice but was otherwise intact.
Evans: Christina Kim is great for golf. But I'm wondering why she doesn't have a bag sponsor? I hope this attention brings a name to her golf bag.
Van Sickle: Funny thing about Kim. I checked her stats and she had only two top 10s this year. Can that be right?
Shipnuck: Both majors, though. She's been tweaking her swing and equipment. This may foreshadow a big second half. (Fingers crossed ...)
Reader Comments (21)
My favorite golfing moment this week was that for the first time in awhile, I watched the PGA event live (not TiVo) and saw their ridiculous Fed Ex Cup commercials. The one where they have a bunch of players talking about how important the cup is to the players is like watching videos of captured soliders in Viet Nam. When Padraig says that "years from now, people will ask how many fed ex cups you won in assessing your career" you can almost make out the gun someone's holding at his temple. Its comical and worthy of mocking. I give the PGA Tour credit for trying to make the post-major period interesting, but other than the big check, the players can't honeslty believe that the Fed Ex cup is important.
And although I was pulling for the Euros, I really enjoyed seeing how well Wie played and how her golfing future looks a little brighter today. I think she also grew up a bit this weekend and is now more accepted by the other women in the LPGA.
I'll join the chorus though in saying t that certain things WERE very bad and must be rectified for the next competition
a) the pace of play was an abomination
b) the practice of caddies lining up players for shots must be outlawed immediately
c) if foursomes are to be played (and how else could they possibly fit 36 holes into a day) then the player playing second should go to where the first player's shot is expected to land and go straight to the ball, ready to play, when it does. This would knock at least an hour off each foursomes match. Mses Matthew and Moodie did this in their foursome, having played this format a lot in their Scottish youth, but it was of no avail as a time-saver as no-one else did.
d) the antics of certain US players were unfortunate (and I'm sure they will regret them when they see the TV replays - what's with all the bum fondling for God's sake?) , but those of Ms Kim (who seemed to know exactly when the cameras were on her) were inexcusable. Not only were they a distraction to everyone, especially her opponents as they were often still in play while the pantomime was being performed. It was also very fake and stage-managed. One of those Sky TV mishandled cutovers on Sunday caught the US players who'd already finished standing around a green, latish in the day, and then leap into cheer-leading action on a signal from the cameraman's assistant. Let me put it like this - if you were playing in a match and an opponent or his/her supporter(s) behaved like Ms Kim, you'd brain them with your putter. This type of hysterical outburst is NOT part of golf, and, like the slow play, is a hideous example to our younger players.
Having said all that, it was a terrific show in spite of the fake theatricality and inordinate length. I far prefer watching women's golf to watching men's, because I can relate to the game they're playing ( a hundred times better than I do ). The Solheim was a harbinger of future great competition amongst a hugely talented group of players and should serve to begin to lift the malaise hanging around the Ladies' tours at the moment. If I were a sponsor I'd far rather back the Wies, Creamers, Lincicombes (who all played brilliantly, but who must avoid feeling they need to act the village idiot a la Kim to further make their mark) and the up-and-coming European stars, than support the tedium of the PGA tournaments, where everyone, even the once-magical, stellar, incomparable, Tiger has been reduced to being a "grinder".
I think boo can pull that off. I was pulling for the euros and I thought it was hilarious.
You are all over reacting about C. Kim just because she is not a supermodel!
Boo's pony ride was embarassing, but applauded by the media and board posters.
But what about the biggest ham of all, Lord Eldrick??? Hi winning put at the 2008 U.S. and subsequent "lion's roar" was stupid. Yet it is the most used golf photograph this year. You see it everywhere, on the internet, golf ads, magazine articles ... everywhere!
But that's okay, that's Tiger so its okay. But if Christina does it, she is shameful, embarassing, disgusting. Give me a break!