When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
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.
For those wondering what that plane is doing at the Chevron World Challenge this weekend, here's a news release explaining what's up. Though I'm not sure about cleverness of announcing such a stunt in advance.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 3, 2011
Chevron Challenged for Environmental Crimes at Golf Tournament
Groups Demand Company Follow Court Orders and Clean up Toxic Mess in Ecuador
Thousand Oaks, CA – Today Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Amazon Watch challenged Chevron Chairman and CEO John S. Watson with a high-flying demand that he clean up his company’s toxic mess in the Ecuadorian Amazon. An airplane banner will circle overhead for three hours on two days of the Chevron World Challenge golf tournament, calling on the executive to remediate the environmental disaster in Ecuador after three decades of contaminating the country's rainforest in reckless pursuit of profit.
RAN and Amazon Watch sponsored this message to Chevron, demanding that the company abide by the $18 billion judgment resulting from one of the world's largest oil-related disasters in history. In a historic ruling this fall, a group of Ecuadorian indigenous and farming communities prevailed over Chevron in both U.S. and Ecuadorian courts in their legal efforts to hold the company accountable for human rights violations and the ongoing environmental crisis it caused in Ecuador. CEO Watson and other Chevron executives routinely defy court orders by stating publically that they will never pay.
“Chevron has spent the last 18 years waging unprecedented public relations and legal campaigns to avoid dealing with the environmental and public health catastrophe it left in the Amazon rainforest,” said Ginger Cassady, Director of RAN’s Change Chevron campaign. “Today we’re challenging Chevron to clean more than their public image and repair the toxic legacy left in Ecuador.”
Today’s banner action comes on the heels of damning statements from another group of Latin Americans: government and regulatory officials in Brazil. After Chevron spilled an estimated 110,000 gallons of pure crude into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the state of Rio, Brazilian officials were outraged by Chevron executives’ response. At first Chevron lied about the origin of the spill, then they low-balled the number of barrels spilled into the ocean and told regulators the damage was contained when it wasn’t. Brazilian officials are threatening fines up to $145 million, as well as possible prison terms, for what they describe as Chevron’s "environmental crimes."
“From Ecuador to Brazil, Chevron has cemented its position in South America as an ambassador of arrogance and environmental racism,” said Mitch Anderson, Corporate Campaigns Director at Amazon Watch. “This is a company that consistently flouts the rule of law with tremendous hubris. As we know from the ancient Greeks, hubris comes with an awful price.”
The Brazil spill is the most recent embarrassment for Watson during his tenure as Chevron’s chief executive. The Ecuador disaster has generated negative publicity for 18 years and cost Chevron hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees.
Both Chevron and the Ecuadorians have appealed the $18 billion judgment in Ecuador. The Ecuadorians are arguing for a higher damage award. If the judgment is upheld by the country's appeals court, the Ecuadorians will prepare to seize Chevron's assets in other countries, possibly in Latin America, as the company no longer owns assets in Ecuador.
Thanks to reader Bill for Kerry Singe's look at the Trump's possible purchase of Point Lake and Golf Club, a Greg Norman design with a Cape Cod themed clubhouse. Cue the chandeliers!
The club's board of governors invited the Trumps, whose company owns 12 clubs, to consider purchasing the Point more than two years ago.
With a reputation for being lavish and high-end, Trump golf clubs often feature bright, open floor plans, ornate decorations and massive chandeliers. Equally upscale are the prices and fees the clubs charge, say people who have visited the property.
Trump said he and his father share a passion for golf and love building things and shaping land. They are currently building a high-profile and controversial golf project in Scotland.
"We love making things amazing," Trump said.
Reader Tim believes Charlie Rymer confused Thursday's Chevron World Challenge postgame coverage with a Vancouver Canuck's pre-game show from the 80s. I thought it was a coral snake rushing up his chest. Or a psychedelic take on the old San Diego Padres uniform. Either way, a viewer discretion should have been advised.
Speaking of the Chevron, Ron Sirak reports on Tiger's opening 69 that started with a retro-Tiger flash and ended in difficult winds and some bizarre shots from the field.
Sean Martin notes the huge scoring average increase Thursday at Q-School where winds created some wild standings swings and one WD.
As eager as I know most are to read about David Duval's appearance in the finals (as profiled by Brian Wacker), I'm partial to Jim Achenbach's look at old guy Paul Claxton, a native of Claxton, Georgia, married to fruit cake company heiress Paula, father of children Paul and Paula, son to parents Paul and Paula. But no brothers named Larry, Darryl or Darryl.
Reflected Paul the golfer, who is witty enough to double as a comedian:
“We’re pretty simple. You only need to know a couple of names, and you can talk to all of us.”
Things can be a little different in the South. “Everybody thought we were related before we got married, but of course we weren’t,” said Claxton, pondering a confusion of names.
Playing on the 2011 Nationwide Tour, Claxton made 17 cuts in 26 tournaments. He won $140,544 to rank 40th on the final money list.
Back in 2008, he played on the PGA Tour but missed 15 cuts in 23 events. He lost his card and has been fighting ever since to get it back.
“My parents still ask me when I’m going to get a job and be like normal folks,” he said.
Tom Doak, one of the architects applying for the commission to design the Olympic course in Rio, has revealed on GolfClubAtlas.com that eight finalists are to be announced at any moment and is holding an informal contest to select the lucky winners.
Sean Martin reports high winds could make day two of Q-School play a nightmare. So far the scores aren't too horrible, so maybe the lads have been spared.
The PGA Tour's ShotLink folks have put together a dynamite package of year-end stats to pour over and inevitably I gravitated to the driving distance page. In it they share this statistical confirmation that core exercises really are the difference between today's Nicklaus' and Watson's and Nicklaus and Watson.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
