Bubba In Paris: "All Watson’s done is tarnish his fun-loving image and drawn comparisons to the ‘ugly American tourist’ that we all thought we saw the back of decades ago."

/

I was so excited when I turned on the Golf Channel Thursday and saw America's  best golfer teeing it up in Paris. I thought, wow, Bubba Watson's picking up a nice appearance fee, experiencing a different culture and scouting out the 2018 Ryder Cup venue. Not to mention, quieting Euro skeptics who say Americans don't travel.

You go Bubba!

Then I read Bernie McGuire's account of day one for Bubba in Paris and after a 74, well, it seems there won't be a return visit. And most likely, no return invite either.

But when politely asked for a post round comment all the World No. 12 could say was:  “I think this might be the only time I play in Europe.  I miss my home.

“I love France. France is a nice place. Paris is a beautiful city.  I went to the Eiffel Tower, to the Louvre, somthing like that, and the arch way, and saw the castle that we are staying next to (Versailles Palace).”

Louvre, something like that.

And there was this....

Also Watson’s been ‘difficult’ all week by declining simple requests for interviews and even an approach from one of SKY’s more attractive female employees to film a head shot of him during the informality of Wednesday’s Pro-Am.

“See my manager,” was his only comment.

Also it’s believed Watson refused to share a courtesy car from his hotel to the course with a European Tour player and instead demanded his own courtesy car.

Oy. Bobby Joe Grooves is alive and well!

McGuire goes on to detail a list of other Bubba acts. Because, you know, it's tough to have to go to Paris in summer for $200k. Makes ya proud to be an American!

Tom Ramsey, R.I.P.

/

Phillip Heads of Australia's Daily Telegraph remembers sportswriter Tom Ramsey.

"A stubborn northern Irishman, he covered 141 majors in his 40 years as a golf writer," said Hartigan. "He was afraid of no one and regularly dished it out to the likes of Greg Norman, despite his iconic standing in this country."

At TV Week, Ramsey lived something of Hollywood life as he helped develop the Logies into the pre-eminent entertainment awards.

For five years, he had a permanent room in Melbourne's then hotel-to-the-stars, the Southern Cross. As a golf writer, that trend continued as he followed the careers of Bruce Devlin, David Graham and later his great sparring partner Greg Norman.

"I don't really think the newspapers knew how much I was spending. Because I was allowed to make my own bookings and I always turned left when I walked up the aeroplane. Never right," Ramsey told the November 2010 issue of Australian Golf Digest.

Finchem On Morning Joe; Manages To Avoid Pulling A Halperin

/
Read More

"Oh yeah, there were plenty of guys on the Nationwide Tour who smoked in the middle of the round...We always talked about it. You could go in the Porta John and take your drags."

/

It's always fun to read a well done player profile, especially when the player is interesting and his story is bound to have men in Oxford's running around PGA Tour offices trying to figure out the spin.

So while all the stuff Dave Shedloski tells us about in the Robert Garrigus story--Memphis last year, the 2011 U.S. Open and his struggle with addiction--these are the comments bound to be brought up the next time Tim Finchem claims that PGA Tour pros are all angels and drug testing was unnecessary.

Read More

"He was our best player and maybe our worst dresser."

/
Mike O'Malley notes that it's the 10th anniversary of Pete Farricker's passing. The former equipment editor for Golf Digest was one of the game's great characters. I had the privilege of working with Pete on a project for the 1995 PGA Championship program and loved talking about the game with him. Worth reading if you didn't know the man is Jerry Tarde's salute from the September, 2001 column.
Read More