Golf Tiffs, Spats, Tussles, Snarls, Lovers' Quarrels, Brouhahas And Other Egomaniacal Battles Recounted

The Ogilvy-Allenby fracas allowed two talented writers to open the history books and regale us with memories of golf's finest man and woman-spats. 

John Huggan writing in Scotland On Sunday:

Other examples are not hard to find. Not so very long ago, the late Dave Hill and his fellow Champions Tour player, JC Snead, were to be found rolling around on the ground at the end of a practice range in a physical effort to resolve their latest dispute. Former US Ryder Cup player Corey Pavin had an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Golf Channel reporter Jim Gray before last year’s Ryder Cup matches at Celtic Manor in Wales. And it can’t have failed to escape the attention of many golf fans that there is a definite edge to the relationship “enjoyed” by world number two Rory McIlroy and the man right behind him on the rankings, Lee Westwood.

Peter Stone downplays the Ogilvy-Allenby imbroglio, shares the not-very-well-known tale of Americans Henry Ransom and Frank Strazza having a row, but also drops this little anecdote about another run-in the same night as the Ogilvy-Allenby war of words.

Around midnight at Fraser's, blood was spilled. American Rickie Fowler's caddie, a gridiron enthusiast, became involved in a difference of opinion with a rugby league man over which code handed out the biggest hits. They decided to settle the argument physically. The league chap laid a tackle on the American and then it was the American's turn with what they do in gridiron. The league guy (not known to our reliable witness) decked the caddie as he charged, and the caddie fell to the ground, splitting his head open.

Allenby Almost Finds Real Greens; Chalmers Wins Playoff

Greg Chalmers won for the second time in Australia this year, adding to his Australian Open win with a playoff victory over Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser.

Allenby, who hated the greens at The Lakes three weeks ago and couldn't putt the "real" greens at Royal Melbourne defended the state of his game after his opening round of the Australian PGA, as quoted in an unbylined FoxSports.com story.

If anyone knows what the final quote means, please feel free to translate.

While Allenby admitted that not winning an early match-up robbed him of some confidence, he said the end result could have been vastly different with a bit of luck.

He also admitted that the criticism of him had got under his skin.

"I guess everyone said I played poorly, but if you think about it, I played pretty good with Retief (Goosen) on the first day," he said.

"I hit a lot of great shots, but I didn't get the win.

"Everyone's making me feel like I'm playing s***."

Now where would they get that idea?! People!

Allenby said his failure to strike a blow at the Presidents Cup was not based solely on his form.
It was a team event, he said, and as such he was relying on his teammates to perform.

"Sometimes it's not you. Sometimes other people are hitting you in the shin," he said.

"I'm just sick of people saying I'm in a slump.

"Go get your own slump. This is mine."

Even better, Allenby blamed his teammates for his Presidents Cup points shutout. Mark Hayes reports:

He said Retief Goosen had missed several makeable birdie putts after "I hit it inside 10 feet a few times" in Thursday's foursomes.

He said Y.E. Yang had left him playing alone too many times in the closing nine of Friday's fourball matches.

And that Geoff Ogilvy had "hit me in the tree three times off the tee and I had to chip out three times" in Saturday's foursomes.

That's probably what prompted this Ogilvy tweet Sunday: