PGA Championship Sunday stories

Clutch: The point is, and you make it yourself, it's always someone else challenging Woods, not the same guy. Much like how Nicklaus had challenger after challenger after taking Palmer on the leaving him behind. There was Casper, Trevino, Miller, and Watson, and Nicklaus just kept winning. Only age got him, and he ignored that at the 1986 Masters.
Woods is good for at least 23-26 majors (depending on how you count the three U.S. Ams) at this point.

 

The national golf media is lazy. It's a bunch of golf shirt-wearing, golf cap-wearing drones who are more interested in finding their own early-morning tee times. They're way too chummy with the players. There are exceptions, of course, like Ed Sherman of the Chi. Trib, and no, I'm not Ed, though it wouldn't be an insult to be called him.

I've seen it first-hand this year. Few writers actually hoof it on the course. Those who do, well, it shows in their work, and favorably. But those who do are almost scorned by those who don't.

 

Bravo, sir. Bravo. Could not agree more.

 

As opposed to Football, baseball and NASCAR writers who never leave the box?
Remember something, dude: a team sports field is in a fixed position, with every inch visible from the press box. The average golf course is more than 7,000 yards long (about 4 miles), covering between 200-400 acres. The golfers start 7-8 a.m., with the leaders going off 2-3 p.m., so no little tidy 3 hour game. And the leaders could be spread among 5-6 groups on the weekend. On Thursdays and Fridays, you could have 2-3 leaders finishing at 1 p.m. and 2-3 leaders finishing at 7 p.m.
Guys who cover golf would love to see very shot live. The reality is that it's impractical to expect that.

And I would dispute anyone who thinks golf writing is shallow or somehow boring. You must not be reading Bob Verdi, Tommy Bonk, John Hawkins, Jeff Rude, Gary D'Amato, Steve Campbell, Bill Nichols, and any number of great golf writers, including Doug Ferguson, who is the best AP sports writer period.

 

I'm not sure lazy is the right word, but here is a description I heard recently about political journalism that I think fits, especially as it relates to Tiger Woods.

Golf writers are like 7-year-olds playing soccer. The ball goes in one direction, and everyone (and I mean everyone) runs after it. There's no spacing, no one really willing to seperate themselves from the pack, and no real perspective. Then, suddenly, the ball gets kicked in the other direction, and everyone is off to the races again, running to the other end of the field.

Tiger is slumping. It's his wife's fault. Phil is the king! He's earned the right to call himself best in the world.

Phil is a choker. This never would have happened to Tiger! Wait ... he missed the cut? Will he ever win without his dad?

Tiger is Jesus Christ reborn! Every shot he hits is perfect. How could anyone ever suggest Phil deserved to wear his crown?!!!

It's ... the ... same ... thing ... over ... and ... over.

A little perspetive please. (That said, I enjoy Thomas Bonk very much.)

 

I'll agree with that. After the PGA, I felt like I read the same stories and columns in five or six different places.

 

Well said, Hondo.

Just off the top of my head, let me add Steve Elling, Ron Kroichick, Ron Sirak, Tod Leonard, Jimmy Burch, Jim Moriarty and for sheer reporting skill and bulldoggedness, Jim McCabe, to that list.

All the people I just mentioned -- and most of Hondo's list -- can be found TRAIPSING the course during a round. In fact, McCabe found time to roam Medinah's 7,541 yards in between filing his two daily stories AND blogging for the Boston Globe's web site.

Admiral Halsey, I'd suggest you come down from the bridge and cover a tournament other than the local amateur before blasting away with such an overgeneralizing broadside.

 

I had never covered pro golf until this year, and a friend gave me some good advice on how to cover it well. The big thing was actually getting out on the course and being seen during a round. It certainly lends to you asking more intelligent questions afterward, and the golfers -- at any level -- seem to appreciate that you're not the same dolt just asking, "so, uh, how'd it go?"

Plus, being able to add color about great shots, body language, tiffs with caddies, etc., etc., only makes the copy better. I know it's not always feasible, especially in the scenario hondo laid out. The first two days of a golf tournament can be exhaustingly long to cover because you have to be there reporting for seven, eight hours at a time. At least if you want to do it well ... and that's before putting out clean copy.

 

My bad for missing Jimmy McCabe, who's good no matter what he covers.
Glen Sheely used to be great for Atlanta before he quit to take a pr job.