Ogilvy: "Journalists and broadcasters should not be mere cheerleaders. There's too much of that in golf right now"

There's a super Golf World column by Geoff Ogilvy now posted at GolfDigest.com that starts with his take on the Brandel Chamblee v. Tiger showdown ("To my mind, Brandel is one of the best things on Golf Channel").

But the real meat is found in the 2006 U.S. Open Champion's take on the state of golf coverage.

Maybe tour players are just too spoiled. Because we are pampered in so many areas of our lives, we perhaps have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the media. In general we'd be better off not being so precious about what appears in print and on-screen. Our relationship with the media should be similar to what we have with our parents or closest friends: one where absolute frankness is best for all concerned. We all watch Golf Channel and read magazines like this one -- or at least I do -- in order to be more informed about what is going on in our little world. If that material is clouded by a need to give only a sanitized view, then the whole thing is failing in its intent.

I like the notion that the press in all its forms exists to hold tour players accountable for their actions. Journalists and broadcasters should not be mere cheerleaders. There's too much of that in golf right now, to be honest. And not nearly enough untainted honesty. If correspondents do nothing more than claim how great everything is, any semblance of reality is lost. Good things happen on tour every day -- and bad things too -- which is how it should all be reported.

Just a reminder Geoff, any calls today from the 904 area code you can just send on through to Voice Mail.

Ogilvy goes on to offer some thoughts on how the entire episode might not have escalated and puts much of the onus on Tiger.