The Best Tradition in Golf

[jeffwarne]

Not sure it was a tradition but seems to becoming one.
Jack Nicklaus was deserving of it, so was Tom Watson as they both made it clear it was their last Open.
[/size]The problem is that muppets like Faldo think it's a right, milk it, then say they might play another![/color]

Andrew,

Though he may not be quite on a par with Watson, Faldo certainly has earned the right to a farewell from St Andrews where he was Open Champion in some style. He may not be universally liked but to call him a 'muppet' shows how little you seem to understand about golf and its history. Maybe a little more humility and respect would be in order.

Jon

+1
a great champion, and one of the FEW announcers who knows what they are talking about when discussing the mechanics of a golf swing and what is involved when altering them

[Bill Brightly]

It pales in comparison to a member of the Morris clan hanging out of the second floor window of the shop, just like Old Tom did many years ago.

Sven. A friend at my club is named Tom Morris (III). (No relation.) He was introduced to Justin Rose at a charity event, and Justin jokingly asked if he was Old Tom. My friend said that since he had a son named Tom Morris IV and a 3 year old grandson Tom Morris V, he guessed he was. He mentioned that they were all going to play The Old Course someday. Rose gave him his private number and said "Call me when you do that, I want to be the fourth in that group!"

[Sven Nilsen]

It pales in comparison to a member of the Morris clan hanging out of the second floor window of the shop, just like Old Tom did many years ago.

Sven. A friend at my club is named Tom Morris (III). (No relation.) He was introduced to Justin Rose at a charity event, and Justin jokingly asked if he was Old Tom. My friend said that since he had a son named Tom Morris IV and a 3 year old grandson Tom Morris V, he guessed he was. He mentioned that they were all going to play The Old Course someday. Rose gave him his private number and said "Call me when you do that, I want to be the fourth in that group!"

Bill -


From the Oct. 13, 1899 edition of Golf Illustrated.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tom at the shop:

[Tom Walsh]

Young Robert Foulis top right. Designed or built many a midwest course.

Tom at the shop:

[Jon Wiggett]

Not sure it was a tradition but seems to becoming one.
Jack Nicklaus was deserving of it, so was Tom Watson as they both made it clear it was their last Open.
The problem is that muppets like Faldo think it's a right, milk it, then say they might play another!

Andrew,

Though he may not be quite on a par with Watson, Faldo certainly has earned the right to a farewell from St Andrews where he was Open Champion in some style. He may not be universally liked but to call him a 'muppet' shows how little you seem to understand about golf and its history. Maybe a little more humility and respect would be in order.

Jon

Perhaps muppet is a little strong on here and somewhat funny you mention humility and respect.  During his heyday he showed little of those attributes.
[/size]Even in his early days he showed little regard to others never mind the honour and respect of the game. If he had the integrity we all revere about the game he would have pointed out Lyle's mistake on the Sunshine tour at the time, not later causing penalties. Just one of quite a few cases so I'll stick to not worshipping the man.

Andrew,

very few great players do most of the time and almost none of the players do all of the time. That is why Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson are a cut above the rest. As for Faldo he did have a big chip on his shoulder for sure but it was the press that put it there. He also did and does a lot of work for ground roots golf in England and has mellowed a lot in the last few years.

As for Lyle, I like Lyle a lot but remember him at the Benson & Hedges, Fulford in 1982/3? as the only player in his group who refused to sign autographs for a group of juniors by the practice ground. An hour before Faldo had as had Langer and a slightly wobbly Brian Barnes. Indeed I spent an hour feeding Bernhard Langer practice balls and chatting to him after his round which was a great experience for a 13 year old boy.

Jon

[Andrew Simpson]

Andrew,

very few great players do most of the time and almost none of the players do all of the time. That is why Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson are a cut above the rest. As for Faldo he did have a big chip on his shoulder for sure but it was the press that put it there. He also did and does a lot of work for ground roots golf in England and has mellowed a lot in the last few years.

As for Lyle, I like Lyle a lot but remember him at the Benson & Hedges, Fulford in 1982/3? as the only player in his group who refused to sign autographs for a group of juniors by the practice ground. An hour before Faldo had as had Langer and a slightly wobbly Brian Barnes. Indeed I spent an hour feeding Bernhard Langer practice balls and chatting to him after his round which was a great experience for a 13 year old boy.

Jon

I'm glad you had a good experience with Faldo and you got me, I'm a Sandy fan!
Partly because he is a Scot but mainly due to meeting him a couple of times about 84/5 and was the gent then as he has been since. If that's not your experience, I'm sorry to hear it but everyone has a bad day.
I knew about Faldo and his behaviour before that and though only meeting him once briefly he couldn't have proved the stories about his attitude and ego any more than mentioned by many sources.
I'm not saying he has to have the special attributes of all the greats but he is missing the base integrity that they have all built on, that's all.
He is a decent commentator but that's just a front to do the job. He wouldn't get far on his natural persona.
I'm sure we will never agree and i'm not a hater for the sake of it but he does what he has to.

[Mike_Trenham]

My calculations show that Greg Norman turned 60 this year but elected to sit this one out.  Is he done with the Open?

[Duncan Cheslett]

My calculations show that Greg Norman turned 60 this year but elected to sit this one out.  Is he done with the Open?

Apparently so.

A mate of mine interviewed him for the BBC a couple of months ago and asked him that exact question. Greg replied that he only really played socially these days and had no time for the practice required to get back into shape for the Open. Also that he didn't want to deny some young and up-coming pro the chance of a place.

[Jon Wiggett]

I'm glad you had a good experience with Faldo and you got me, I'm a Sandy fan!
Partly because he is a Scot but mainly due to meeting him a couple of times about 84/5 and was the gent then as he has been since. If that's not your experience, I'm sorry to hear it but everyone has a bad day.
[/quote]

Which was my point Andrew. Lyle never had to put up with the sort of scrutiny and pressure from the press that Faldo did. Yes, Faldo could be an ass but he did many positive things as well. I have found it best to be balanced in such matters.

Jon

[Jim_Kennedy]

Paula's starting her own traditionPaula's got her own tradition

[Wayne_Kozun]

My calculations show that Greg Norman turned 60 this year but elected to sit this one out.  Is he done with the Open?

Don't forget he almost amputated his arm with a chainsaw 10 months ago.

[Wayne_Kozun]

How about buying drinks after a hole in one?


Or maybe the penalty for not hitting your tee shot past the Ladies' tee?

[BHoover]

How about buying drinks after a hole in one?

Interestingly enough, I just don't get the tradition of the one who makes the ace buying drinks. Why isn't he/she the one receiving free drinks? Granted, I'm generally a cheap SOB when it comes to this sort of thing, but why punish the guy/lady who accomplished something memorable?

I nearly made an ace at my club's member-member a few years back. I nearly had a panic attack until I saw the ball had come to rest a few inches directly behind the hole and hidden from view by the flagstick, because I feared explaining to my wife that our bill had increased exponentially. I also knew she would have called the club to immediately drop our membership!

I have a friend whose tradition is to immediately stop playing upon witnessing an ace in his group and thereupon head straight to the nearest Red Lobster for an afternoon/evening of drinking Lobster-tinis. It's happened twice.

[Wayne_Kozun]

You are supposed to be celebrating your good fortune, like giving out cigars after having a baby.  My club has a hole in one fund which covers $500 of drinks after each hole in one by a member.  It often doesn't last long as our club has wily members that order a double shot of single malt when this occurs.

[BHoover]

You are supposed to be celebrating your good fortune, like giving out cigars after having a baby.  My club has a hole in one fund which covers $500 of drinks after each hole in one by a member.  It often doesn't last long as our club has wily members that order a double shot of single malt when this occurs.

I forgot to mention the fact that I had failed to get hole-in-one insurance that season, and there can't be a more disastrous time to hold an open bar tab than during the member-member!

[Carl Rogers]

I think Sir Nick said he planned to play at least two more Open Championships, but this would be his last at St Andrews.

Why is Nick doing this ... has no chance of  making the cut?  Media visibility?  Promote his high end course design/development?
Sorry to rain on the parade, but pro golf needs a faster way to have its over the hill stars from yesteryear exit the stage.
All they are doing is taking up tournament slots that deserving up and coming golfers need.

[Ryan Coles]

No they aren't. The has beens are merely taking the spots of the never gonna be's. I know who I'd rather watch. Faldo said after coming off that he had planned to play two more, but felt that St Andrews was the perfect ending, so that will be it.

[jeffwarne]

Why is Nick doing this ... has no chance of  making the cut?  Media visibility?  Promote his high end course design/development?
Sorry to rain on the parade, but pro golf needs a faster way to have its over the hill stars from yesteryear exit the stage.
All they are doing is taking up tournament slots that deserving up and coming golfers need.

So the "deserving up and coming golfers" are more deserving than three time champion Nick Faldo?
There are NUMEROUS ways to qualify for the Open-if they're so "deserving" shouldn't they be able to find one of the many ways to qualify?
Faldo was an artist-one of the last great shotmakers.
Well worth watching after his prime

[Brent Hutto]

I was a great admirer of Faldo's game but he is definitely picking the right time to hang 'em up if this was his final Open. To me he's just now crossing the line where watching him struggle on the greens is more unpleasant than watching the rest of his game is enjoyable.


My favorite Faldo saying was in that "Playing Lessons With The Pros" show they used to have on Golf Channel. He hit a remarkable bunker shot to just a couple feet from the hole. As he was walking up to hit the putt he says "It's not a great shot if you don't make the putt".


To me that captures the essence of what makes golf so damned infuriating and addictive. Probably also captures the essence of why so many wonderful shotmakers find themselves scared spitless every time they walk onto a putting green after age 55 or so...

[Martin Toal]

He may not be the most popular person on the planet but 3 Masters, 3 Opens plus runner up spot in the US Open and US PGA, 9 US tour  and 30 European tour wins make him one of the modern greats. Only Nicklaus, Woods, Player and Watson have won more majors in the modern game.


Muppet he is not.

Have you ever dealt with him directly? if you have, as I have over a period of time, you might consider muppet to be a considerable understatement.

[Jon Wiggett]

Martin,

what dealings?

Jon

[Martin Toal]

Martin,

what dealings?

Jon

Jon


See my personal message.

[John Handley]

Without a doubt the best "tradition" in golf is sportsmanship.  Golf stands above most (if not all) major sports in this regard.  It teaches kids the right way to compete with integrity, and class.  There is no chest thumping, flopping for a call, or showboating.  I like it when guys take their hats off and shake each others hands and it conclusion of a round.  Golf....it is the best!