Big Break Ponte Vedra: Tiger & Sergio In Raucous Row!

Ron Sirak breaks down in entertaining fashion what he claims could have been a "Big Break" episode between Tiger and Sergio (I, in year six of my strict doctor-ordered Big Break diet, cannot say for sure if this is an appropriate metaphor).

The Showdown At Sawgrass went something like this: Sergio is going for the par-5 second green, Tiger pulls his club on a par-5 as Sergio is hitting but he can't see Sergio hitting. Sergio, as he's known to do, heard the crowd reaction to Tiger pulling driver and well, we have ourselves an episode!

"It was my shot to hit," Garcia said on NBC during the weather delay that halted play with the two on the seventh hole. "He moved all the crowd that he needed to move, and I waited for that. I want to say that he didn't see that I was ready. But you do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit. Right as I was on top of the backswing . . . everybody started screaming, so that didn't help very much. It was unfortunate."

And Tiger showed that if the golf thing doesn't work out, he can always star in a reality show.

"Well, the marshals, they told me he already hit, so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot, and then I hear his comments afterwards and [it's] not real surprising that he's complaining about something," Woods said. Asked if they discussed the matter, Woods said: "We didn't do a lot of talking."

On Twitter, former Tiger instructor Butch Harmon just found the whole thing so unfortunate. Right Butch, right.

Sorry to hear that Woods & Garcia are trading words thru the media. If they have a problem they should talk it out in private .

— Butch Harmon (@43BH) May 12, 2013

The eleven minutes of Golf Channel's Live At roundup include a split screen that backs up Sergio's version of events along with some strong reactions from Lerner, Nobilo and Chamblee apparently broadcasting from an executive VP's office at tour headquarters.

Frank Nobilo – “The word respect.  Tiger Woods respects Sergio Garcia and his ability to play this game.  Sergio Garcia respects and admires Tiger Woods’ ability to play this game and his resume.  Like?  No. Respect? Yes.
 
Brandel Chamblee – “It certainly makes for the next three holes these guys play in what is the third round, far more interesting.  And should they get paired together?  Well, we might have those fireworks.”
 
Rich Lerner (@RichLernerGC) – “Where is Vince McMahon when you need him.”

Golf Channel will pick up the conclusion of round 3 live Sunday at 7 am ET.

Update on 2013-05-12 14:59 by Geoff

**More from Sergio, courtesy of Bob Harig's account:

"I'm not going to lie,'' Garcia said after completing the third round in a three-way tie for the lead with Woods and David Lingmerth. "He's not my favorite guy to play with. He's not the nicest guy on tour.''

Later, Garcia told the Golf Channel: "It's good for both of us. We don't enjoy each other's company. You don't have to be a rocket engineer to figure that out.''

'13 World Cup Headed To Royal Melbourne

We first learned of the possibility last month from Mark Hayes and now it's official: Royal Melbourne will be hosting the 2013 WGC World Cup a week after hosting the Australian Masters.

Bruce Young is understandably excited:

The likely scenario of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast, the Australian Masters and the World Cup of Golf back to back at Royal Melbourne and the Australian Open at Royal Sydney all being held in the month of November could mean Australian golf has a summer along the lines we saw here two years ago when the Australian Open and PGA Championship benefited from the Presidents Cup ’being in town.’

Update on 2013-05-12 03:49 by Geoff

**The press release which details the retro format that should be the Olympic golf format:

World Cup of Golf returns to Melbourne, Australia, in 2013

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club to host event week after Australian Masters

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., USA, and MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia (May 11/12, 2013) – The International Federation of PGA Tours, an organization of the top professional golf tours in the world that sanctions the World Golf Championships and the World Cup of Golf, is proud to join the State of Victoria and the International Golf Association in announcing that the 2013 World Cup of Golf will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and will be played November 21-24.

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosted The Presidents Cup 2011, will host back-to-back events in November.  The World Cup will be preceded on the calendar by the Australian Masters, which boasts Adam Scott as the defending champion.

The World Cup has been played three previous times in Australia, each at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The event was last played in Australia in 1988 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations when the U.S. team of Ben Crenshaw and Mark McCumber defeated the Japanese team of Masashi (Jumbo) and Tateo Ozaki to win the tournament.

“It is an honour to host the World Cup and welcome another international golf event to Melbourne, home of great sporting events and, of course, the incredible Sandbelt region,” said Victorian Premier Dr. Denis Napthine.  “Melbourne is the pride of Australia when it comes to major events, and we would argue rivals any city in the world in that regard.  Today’s announcement is another exciting chapter for Melbourne, and we eagerly anticipate the World Cup in November, when we can once again showcase all that Victoria has to offer to the event’s players and fans.”

As part of the move, the event boasts an $8 million total purse and returns to an individual, stroke-play competition for $7 million, with a team component (adding the total scores of two-man teams) for $1 million.  The qualification system for the event is similar to that which will be used in the Olympic Games, when golf returns to the program in 2016.  The field will include 60 players (no cut), with eligibility taken from the Official World Golf Ranking.  Up to four players can qualify, per country, if they are in the top 15 of the OWGR.  Beyond No. 15, up to a maximum of two players per country can qualify.
If two or more players from a country qualify, then the country is eligible for team competition, with the top-two players comprising the qualified team.

The major difference between the World Cup qualification model and that of the Olympic golf competition is that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will each be considered a separate country (for the purpose of the Olympics, those four countries compete as Great Britain). Further, the Olympic Games golf competition will not feature a team component.

Yes we know.

Players Round 3: The Sergio And Tiger Backstory

With Sergio Garcia a stroke ahead of Tiger Woods heading into a Saturday's 2:40 p.m. tee time at The Players, Ron Sirak tells us a bit about the past for these two lovebirds.

It dates to the Battle At Bighorn and Sergio's exuberance.

After a flight from Ohio to California, Woods arrived at Bighorn the next day with a touch of the flu and was lethargic in his round, clearly both sick and tired.

Garcia, meanwhile, got more animated as the round went on and when he closed out Woods on the last hole acted as if he had just won a major championship.

If there is such a thing as X-rated body language, that's what Tiger was speaking as Sergio cavorted. Lost on Garcia in the celebration, apparently, was the fact Woods had just won four of the five previous majors.

The second round highlights from the PGA Tour:

Update on 2013-05-11 12:46 by Geoff

**Ron Green Jr. considers what might have been for Tiger and Sergio. Along with the column is a great shot of the two in happier times wearing much baggier clothes.

Even Slugger White Anchors His Putter...

And Ken Willis found out after a recent round of golf with one of the PGA Tour's two Vice Presidents of Rules and Competitions that Slugger White would give up the game if a universal anchoring ban is enacted.

Slugger says he’d have to quit golf if a universal ban on anchoring comes down. He claims that if forced to use a conventional putter, his hands spasm and, in certain terms, begin to shake like a dog trying to pass a razor blade.

'14 Ryder Cup Ticket Buyers Must Submit A Photograph

A reader alerted me to this last week and I couldn't quite believe it until I read it in the Scottish Herald: 2014 Ryder Cup advance ticket buyers must submit a photo of themselves before registration opens.

The story says it's to prevent "fraud or ticket transfers, according to Ryder Cup Europe."

Aren't there less peculiar ways to discourage scalpers?

Criminal: Marshal Prevents Turtle Dive Redux!

You'd think my posting of the turtle dive classic would have inspired this marshal to leave one of the 16th hole turtles alone to show off their improve diving technique, but noooo....

From Friday's Players Championship telecast courtesy of PGA Tour Entertainment.

A shame one of those snaps didn't get a wee nip of the man in teal.

John Daly To Vijay: "Don't do this"..."Not worth it"

John Daly took to Twitter to offer Vijay Singh some advice: don't take on the PGA Tour.

VJ don't do this horrible advice you got off take it from me not worth it #friendlyadvice

— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) May 8, 2013

Video Flashback: The Turtle Dive!

I saw a turtle sauntering across the 16th fairway yesterday and couldn't help but think of one of my favorite Players moments.

For my new friends from Minnesota and Dallas dining at the always outstanding Palm Valley Fish Camp, here for their first Players, here's my original turtle dive post with NBC's stellar Dan Hicks-anchored play by play, circa 2011, or the YouTube video of Sky's coverage with Jean Van de Velde.

Either way, it never gets old...