Posts filed under ‘Golf’
That’s Another Fine Mess You Got Me Into
Last week golfer Vijay Singh moved to sue the US PGA Tour claiming it had damaged his reputation with an “Unwarranted” pursuit of an anti-doping case against him that was dropped the week prior.
The lawsuit has charged the Tour with violating its duty of care and good faith in failing to determine that Singh had in fact not violated the Tour’s anti doping policy. He had used deer antler spray which he acknowledged using.
The spray contained the hormone IGF-1 a substance that was listed on the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the PGA Tour’s list of prohibited substances. The PGA Tour had in fact warned against using such substances in 2011.
In his lawsuit Singh is claiming that hormone was inactive and could not have affected his performance. He also argues that the Tour should have ascertained that before proceeding with a ban against the three time major winning Champion. In court documents it has been found that other players who admitted using the spray were not sanctioned.
On April 30 WADA advised the tour that they no longer viewed the use of deer antler spray as prohibited unless it resulted in a positive drugs test. Vijay Singh never tested positive under such a test.
Singh’s reputation suffered great harm during this period and according to the lawsuit he suffered ‘humiliation and ridicule.’
This is another example of WADA appearing to jump before gathering all of the relevant information. It is rare for the Police to arrest and charge someone unless they are in possession of hard and fast evidence that the accused is in fact guilty. WADA needs to adopt a similar policy. By all means announce that an athlete is under investigation, without naming them, but do not charge them with such an accusation unless you have all the evidence.
This has brought embarrassment to Vijay Singh and tarnished his reputation, as some mud will aways stick. It has also put the US PGA Tour in an embarrassing situation and one in which they find themselves being sued. It would be interesting to see whether in the litigious USA they consider passing the blame down the line and sue WADA.
One thing is for sure WADA’s policies need to be seriously reviewed.
A Day to Remember
A quick question that is more of a coincidence probably than anything else. What do cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, oarsman Sir Steven Redgrave, the first man to run a sub-four minute mile, Sir Roger Bannister and double gold medal winner and possibly one day knighted Mo Farah have in common?
Would you believe the same birthday! All were born on March 23rd.
Some bright spark has picked up on this and encouraged those wanting an Olympic athlete for a child to start the process in May next year. It probably takes a little bit more than just the same birthday to make a star, after all this author shares his birthday with sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Cricket Sir Leonard Hutton, footballer Zinedene Zidane and golfer Colin Montgomerie. Which simply means I hit a gold ball like a cricketer have to sprint after it before it goes oput of bounds and can kick my divot beautifully in frustration!
Els of a Decision
It was strange to hear that the organisers of the US Masters to not offer three-time major Champion Ernie Els a “special invitation,” but once again when one delved deeper into the issue one realised that it had little to do with reputation, but all to do with money.
Twenty-year old Japanese player Ryo Ishikawa was preferred to Els for the “Special Invitation.
Ishikawa is touted to be one of the bright young stars of the game, but he had fallen outside the top 50 players in the world to 52.
The committee at the Augusta National have the final call but it was believed that the Japanese networks hefty rights fee for the first major of the year swayed them towards the young star rather than the established big name player.
A tough call, but let us hope Ishikawa lives up to their faith in his ability.
How Ridiculous Indeed
The closest I have ever come to a hole in one on a golf course was when a shot that was going to probably fly at least 100 yards past the green luckily hit the flag and dropped about a foot short of the hole.
The team at How Ridiculous decided to try a different method and with amazing results.
Check this out…
Give ‘em the Byrd
Congratulations to golfer Jonathan Byrd on winning the three-man play off Sunday in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open in Las Vegas in spectacular fashion with a hole in one on the fourth play-off hole.
It was definitely Byrd’s lucky day as he was fortunate to still be involved in the play offs. On the third playoff hole, the par-4 18th, his approach shot went over the green and was one bounce away from going into the water. It settled in a clump of grass, and then he chipped to about two metres away and made the par putt.
After that hole he stood on the 18th green with play-off contenders Martin Laird and Cameron Percy and they discussed whether there was enough light to continue. They all agreed to play one more hole, the 204-yard 17th.
It was so dark Byrd was apparently unable to see his ball land about three metres short of the flag and proceed to roll into the hole. There were even only a handful of fans to witness the decisive shot.
Byrd, won $774,000 and after his victory was quoted as saying “It’s kind of hard to process. … I thought I hit it too far. And I couldn’t see anything.”
A Million Reasons To Smile
As if the top sportsmen needed another big payday, but you have to give Kodak marks out of ten for innovation.
The Kodak Challenge is a chance for the top golf pros to add a little more to their bank balance in what we think is a great idea.
Kodak have picked 30 of the most picturesque holes on the PGA tour, the golfers need to play 18 of these holes and the golfer with the lowest 18 hole score at the end of the season will walk away with the prize money of $1 million.
Iconic holes such as Liberty National’s par three 14th Kapalua’s par five 18th and Pebble Beach’s 18th are featured.
Keeping Up with The Smiths
Her Dad won 7 tournaments when he was a pro, and now Kristie Smith is hot on his heels of father Wayne, and she is only 21 years old.
In February of this year Kristie won her first pro title the inaugural Royal Canberra Ladies Classic. Last weekend she won the Daytona Beach Invitational by two shots over Gerina Mendoza of New Mexico.
The 21 year old from Perth is in her second season on the Futures Tour having played nine events there in 2009.
Smith has had two other top ten finishes in her first two events of the season and is now third on the 2010 money list.
The top ten on the money list at the end of the season earn the right to play the LPGA Tour in 2011 and with this win behind her many are tipping that Kristie will choose to spend more time in the US rather than in Europe where she has full playing rights on the Ladies European Tour.
Well done Kristie and glad to see the wrist is holding up after it held you back last year!
Greens Illegal Lie, But Play on
Of the 20 or so golf courses in Beijing only one has been developed legally according to a member of the law committee in China’s parliament said.
The Chinese government put a moratorium on the development of new golf courses in 2004 due to concerns over land grabs for well positioned farming land, and they reinforced the ban last year.
The China Golf Association (CGA) puts the number of courses on the mainland at around 500, with most courses centred around the major cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Sun Anmin, deputy director of the National People’s Congress (NPC) law committee is reported as saying “There are many golf courses in Beijing, but only the one close to the Ming Tombs has been legally approved,”
The first club built, the Beijing International Golf Club, which borders the Ming Tombs reservoir, was built in Beijing in 1986.
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Pine Valley as well as the Beijing Honghua and the CBD International, which have both hosted the European Tour sanctioned China Open in recent years are amongst those courses deemed illegal. .
However there is good news for China’s golfers, Sun has suggested that the developments be given legal status retroactively. His reasoning being that golf courses have helped China’s economy by providing employment and green spaces in urban areas helped improve the environment.
What a Time For This Headline.
We happened to travel on the airline Virgin Blue over the weekend, and opened up the inflight magazine. Inside was an article on the World’s number one golfer, Tiger Woods and the the headline which at the present time seemed rather appropriate was “Tiger Sightings.” Did the author know something the rest of us didn’t when he penned that? It would appear not, but has become rather apt at the present time.
Tiger’s Tale – A Personal Story
“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means” says Tiger Woods on his website about the events of the past week.
Was he being naïve to believe the tabloid media would not pry into his personal life, or did he deserve his private life to be respected and not become part of the public’s breakfast fare?
The actor Paul Newman famously never signed an autograph after a fan came up to him at a urinal and asked him for his signature. As we continue to invade our sports stars – and other public figures – lives do we risk losing so much more?
It used to be that children could run up to their heroes at a sporting venue on the pitch after games and pat them on the back, or request an autograph, but those days have long gone and it is regrettable.
Just like some stars will no longer sign autographs for adults for fear that within 24 hours they will be turned into a business item on e-bay or some similar outlet.
For five minutes of titillation we inflict so much more pain on those we supposedly admire. We also run the risk of losing contact with them as real people, as who can blame a star from walking away from the media, and an over enquiring public.
Sure anyone in the public eye, who as a result of their chosen profession earns vast sums of money and is adored by children, has a moral responsibility to behave in a certain way in public. Like it or not that comes with the territory, you are a role model.
However there has to be a line as to when they are public property and when they are not.
It is our belief that if they are at their place of work, e.g. the ground on match day or at the training ground or a sporting event they are fair game to be approached for an autograph.
If they are at dinner with friends respect should be paid. Wait until maybe they have finished and approach politely, and give them the option to turn you down if they feel it is inappropriate. Outside, in their private world they should be allowed to live. If they want privacy respect it.
Tiger Woods has been a wonderful ambassador and also very generous to certain individuals and charities. The man has made a mistake, sadly a public one, but ultimately it is none of our business, and nor should it be.
