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Golf

June 15 in sports history: Jack Nicklaus sets a record



sweet pants

In 1980: Jack Nicklaus shot a 72 hole record-low total of 272 (since tied three times) at Baltusrol GC in New Jersey to win his fourth U.S. Open. The Golden Bear, winner of 18 majors, also set the record for the lowest under par score with at -8 (now owned by Tiger Woods at -12).

In 1901 and 1980: The highest and lowest ever total scores to win a U.S. Open golf championship in the modern era were both established on June 15.

In 1901: Willie Anderson fired a 331 over 72 holes to win the 1901 event in a playoff at the Myopia Hunt Club in Massachusetts. Anderson won a total of four national golf championships, including three in a row from 1903-1905. No word on whether his drinking buddies called him “Flipper.”

In 1938: Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds establishes perhaps the most unbreakable record in baseball as he tosses his second consecutive no-hitter. Vander Meer, who held the Boston Braves hitless four days earlier, struck out seven Brooklyn Dodgers (and walked eight) in a 6-0 Reds victory. The Reds rookie did not give up a hit for 21.2 innings. The game against the Dodgers was also the first night game in Ebbets Field history. Vander Meer, despite his early success, finished with only a 119-121 career record. (baseballalmanac.com)

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Golf

AP can’t tell the difference between Wie and Se Ri Pak



Twins!

Mistakes happen. But when you’re the biggest news source in the world, perhaps it’d be a good idea to check your copy before releasing a story that Michelle Wie beat Karrie Webb in a playoff, especially when the winner was Se Ri Pak.

Perhaps Michelle Wie has gotten to be so big in LPGA play that she must be mentioned in every headline regardless of whether she is part of the story or not. Either that or the AP has problems telling Asians apart.

In other AP news, the Miami Heat go down 0-2 to the Mavs despite LeBron James’ 23 points and 8 rebounds.

Here’s a copy of the page in case the AP figures out Wie and Pak aren’t the same person.

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Golf

Michelle Wie finally makes the cut

It ain’t the PGA tour but Michelle Wie became the first woman to make the cut in a major men’s tour in 61 years. She shot a three-under 69 in the second round to finish 5 under and 6 strokes behind the lead. Pfffft that’s it? On Tiger Woods 2005 on the Xbox, we’re usually 10 under after two rounds.

While this is great for publicity, we look forward to a day when Michelle not making the cut is news. She’s only 16 (Yes, Charlie Sheen, she’s only 16.) so she’s got plenty of time to develop her game. Perhaps we should lay off the constant coverage until she’s actually good enough to play on the PGA Tour as she aspires to.

Links:
[Reuters]: Teenager Wie makes cut at men’s event in S.Korea

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Golf

John Daly’s a big white whale


In his new book, John Daly: My Life In and Out of the Rough, Daly claims he lost between $50M and $60M during 12 years of heavy gambling. That’s about $5M a year. And we thought Darren McCarty had a gambling problem.

It’s amazing that Daly with his alcoholism and his love of food is still alive. Now we wonder why he isn’t broke. He says that after taking home $750,000 for second place in a tournament, he drove to Vegas and lost $1.65M, mostly on $5,000 slot machines. We’ve never even seen a $5,000 slot machine.

Daly says that gambling replaced his alcohol addiction but he was able to pay off gambling debts with income from PGA winnings and appearance fees. Daily claims he has taken more control of his life in the past six years. He’s only going to play the $25 slot machines and if he does well, he’ll move up to $50 or $100 machines. Famous last words.

Links:
[CBS Sportsline]: Daly: Gambling is ‘going to flat-out ruin me’

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Golf

Tiger Woods wins stockcar race in New Zealand

Tiger Woods is so good that he decided to let Stuart Appleby win the Houston Open and head down to New Zealand for the wedding of his caddy Steve Williams instead. While in NZ, he put some more gray hairs on the the head of his agent Mark Steinberg and Nike executives by jumping off New Zealand’s highest bungee jump twice and driving in a charity stockcar race.

Of course, Tiger wasn’t content to just be in the race. After a rough first race (including a couple of spin outs and being lapped), Tiger learned quickly and won the second race for his team with some aggressive driving. They lost the rubber match but Tiger proved that he can win at anything.

We’ve been obsessed with Tiger Woods lately. Partly because his wife will top our upcoming list of athlete girlfriends/wives but also because we’re completely addicted to Tiger Woods PGA Tour for the Xbox. All right, Tiger, we’re challenging you to a Flip Cup tournament. Best of 5 series. Our monthly salary vs yours. Have your people call our people.

Links:
[NZ Herald]: No put-putting for hard-driving Tiger
[TV Z]: Huntly turns it up for Tiger

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Golf

The only place it’s not good to be The Tiger: the UK



Have you seen my golfball?

Scope, a UK organization for those suffering from cerebal palsy, was offended when Tiger remarked on BBC that he “putted atrociously today. Once I got on the greens I was a spaz.” They issues a statement censuring Woods.


Although in the US the term `spaz’ may not be as offensive as in the UK, many people will have taken exception to linking a poor golf stroke to a spastic.

A spokesman for Tiger declined comment. Can you imagine having to tell Tiger the brits are mad at him for saying spaz. He just had to smile and put the green jacket on Phil Mickelson, the guy who came out a few years ago and criticized him for switching to Nike equipment and blaming that for his slump. Tiger can’t be happy this week. (Although he does own a $38M estate and he’s married to Elin Nordegren so I guess life can’t be that bad.)

I believe this is called making a mountain out of a molehill. Relax, Scope UK! Half the time the rest of us play golf, we play like f’ing retards.

Links:
[The Sun UK]: Fury over Tiger ‘spaz’ jibe

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Golf

Phil Mickelson wins the Masters in a yawner



FIGJAM

Just as we suspected, the Masters couldn’t live up to last year’s drama. Mickelson dominated the field and strolled to the final hole with a choke-proof lead.


The stress-free walk up 18 was incredible. I had actually been wanting like a four- or five-shot lead, but three was OK. It was a great feeling walking up there, knowing that I had the tournament in hand.

Phil wins his second Masters in three years and about the only good thing we can say about him is that his wife is hot. The GQ article on the top 10 most hated athletes in sports left a bad impression of Mickelson in our minds.

Mickelson has earned many nicknames on the Tour, but our favorite is FIGJAM (Fuck, I’m good–just ask me). “There are a bunch of pros who think he and his whole smiley, happy face are a fraud,” another reporter says. “They think he’s preening and insincere.” Mickelson has aggressively pursued a family-man image that is crucial to his success as an endorser. In 1999, when he nearly won the U.S. Open, Mickelson wore a beeper onto the fairway to alert him when his wife went into labor. If the beeper went off during the final round, he announced, he would simply walk off the course. Some of Mickelson’s peers, smelling a PR stunt, badly wanted to call his bluff. “Everybody’s saying, `Oh God, I want that beeper to go off,’ ” recalls one writer. (It didn’t.)

There’s nothing worse than a phony.

Links:
[Yahoo]: Mickelson on a Tiger-like roll in the Masters

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Golf

CU Buffs in trouble (again) for visiting a strip club



Probably not worth it

Interim head coach Brad Neher and seven members of the Colorado University golf team were suspended for visiting a San Francisco strip club (believed to be The Roaring 20’s, where no alcohol is served) in March after a tournament in Stevinson Ranch Calfifornia (about 2 hours from SF). Hey, at least it was the golf team and not the football team again.

Colorado AD Mike Bohn issued a statement that the seven members were suspended indefinitely for a breach of “athletics department policy and team rules.” The interim coach wasn’t there or condone the excursion butHe also said there were “other issues” but declined to say what they were.

See, this is why Colorado will never be a top notch school like Duke. The Duke kids are smart enough to hire strippers to come to them. Wait … I guess that didn’t turn out very well.

Links:
[Rocky Mountain News]: Bohn likely to address golf scandal today
[ESPN]: Colorado suspended four members of the football team Saturday for violations that included one player taking a recruit to a strip club.

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Golf

Tom Lehman’s Escalade gets shot up



Happy to be 4 over

Apparently, Troy Willis Smith isn’t happy that Tom Lehman is the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup. Either that or he had money on the field and is picking off the top golfers one by one.

Lehman was driving to pick up his wife and kids on the Bobby Jones Expressway when his courtesy car (by the way, Cadillac Escalade is the Masters courtesy car? Nice.) was shot at and the bullet was lodged in the backseat. Lehman said that’s where his 3-year-old boy would normally be strapped in.


I think the guy was full of Jack Daniels and had a bad
day of work. You just have to shake your head and wonder what people are doing.

We’ve been loaded with Jack Daniels and had plenty of bad days at work. But we don’t go around shooting up people on highways.

Links:
[Sun Sentinal]: Shooting gives Lehman new outlook on life, golf

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Golf

2006 Masters are underway

Rod Pamping, Lucas Glover, and Olin Browne (who are three golfers we’ve never heard of, Alex?) have just teed off and we’re underway.

I’m not sure that the 2006 Masters can possibly live up to 2005 and Tiger’s incredible shot on the 16th (video below) but like CBS reminds us, it’s a tradition unlike any other so we have to watch.

Oh, and in case you needed to ask, Tiger is the favorite to win it at 9/5 odds. Here are some notable players and their current odds:

Ernie Els: 9/1
Phil Mickelson: 9/2
Vijay Singh: 12/1
Retief Goosen: 17/2
Sergio Garcia: 23/1
Chris DiMarco: 23/1
Davis Love III: 36/1
Jose Maria Olazabal: 24/1
Mike Weir: 43/1
John Daly: 130/1
Stephen Ames: 80/1

It’s too bad you can’t bet someone to place or show at the Masters. We’re not sure it’s smart to bet against Tiger Woods.