December 6, 2012 - 1:33pm
Posted by:
John Kim
John Kim's picture
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy
Sports Illustrated
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have become good friends outside the ropes.

From the earliest days of competition, the thought has been that negative feelings toward an opponent would only help motivate a person to defeat them. Storied athletic rivalries are often accompanied by stories of bitter feelings and outright hostility (i.e. Ali-Frazier, Belicheck-Mangini, Brett Favre-Aaron Rogers) or even mutual respect can have some tense moments (Nicklaus-Palmer, Connors-McEnroe, etc.).  

But what happens when two rivals are friends -- even buddies? What if one is arguably the greatest golfer ever and the other is the most potent threat to threaten the top records in the sport?

CNN's Gary Morley has an interesting take. 

December 6, 2012 - 10:44am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Tiger Woods
Trans World Sport
An interesting look at a 14-year-old Tiger Woods.

Shane Bacon, a blogger for cbssports.com, recently got his hands on an amazing interview with a 14-year-old Tiger Woods in 1990 from Trans World Sport.

Years before Woods would become arguably the best golfer to ever play the game, this interview was a candid look at the competitiveness, determination and confidence Tiger possessed even at a young age.

As Bacon noted in his blog: "The video of Woods when he was just 14 is the type of look into an athlete we rarely get to see on a personal level anymore, and some of the comments toward the end of the interview are worth the nearly six minutes of viewing time."

Overall, this is the kind of "inside look" at Tiger you probably have never before seen... and certainly one that the world would love to see today.

To watch the video -- and it's definitely worth your time -- click here.

December 4, 2012 - 1:12am
Posted by:
John Holmes
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Tom Watson
Getty Images
When Tom Watson thinks of the Olympics, he says, he doesn't think of golf.

Who’s against golf in the Olympics? Apparently Tom Watson is.

''I still think of Olympics as track and field and not golf, to be honest with you,'' the eight-time major winner said Tuesday in Sydney, where is playing the Australian Open. ''I don't want to pour cold water on it, but I don't think it should be in the Olympic Games.''

Golf has its four major championships, Watson added, and they should remain its pinnacle events.

Golf was played in the 1900 Paris Olympics and the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, but then was dropped. It will return at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics after a huge effort from golf organizations around the globe.

December 3, 2012 - 11:33pm
Posted by:
John Holmes
John Holmes's picture
Graeme McDowell at the World Challenge
Getty Images
Graeme McDowell became the seventh member of the European Ryder Cup team to pick up a trophy in the past two months.

Is there such thing as a Ryder Cup bounce? It sure looks like it.

Since the European team made that miraculous comeback to retain the golden chalice at Medinah a little more than two months ago, seven members of that victorious squad have gone on to win tournaments. They are:

--Graeme McDowell at the World Challenge in California on Dec. 2
--Martin Kaymer at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa on Dec. 2
--Rory McIlroy at the DP World Tour Challenge in Dubai on Nov. 25
--Luke Donald at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan on Nov. 18
--Ian Poulter at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China on Nov. 4
--Peter Hanson at the BMW Masters in Shanghai on Oct. 28
--Justin Rose at the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final on Oct. 12

And on top of that, Vice-Captain Miguel Angel Jimenez won the UBS Hong Kong Open on Nov. 18 

Meanwhile, no member of the U.S. team has managed a victory since the Ryder Cup.

Golf clap for Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel, who pointed this out. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellyTilghmanGC

December 3, 2012 - 8:36am
Posted by:
T.J. Auclair
TJ Auclair's picture
Keegan Bradley
Getty Images
Keegan Bradley, winner of the 2011 PGA Championship, was called something on Saturday that no golfer ever wants to be called.

Former PGA Champion Keegan Bradley -- who also proved himself a match-play force in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah -- was the victim of some unwarranted, distasteful heckling at Tiger Woods's World Challenge on Saturday.

Bradley, who famously uses a belly putter, was called a, "cheater," by a spectator as he played the final hole of his third round at Sherwood Country Club.

"It's very disrespectful, but it's fine with me," Bradley told the press. "I've got to try to look at it as motivation to help me try to win this tournament."

Just last week, the USGA and the R&A proposed a new rule to ban anchored putters -- a rule that would take effect in January 2016.

Three of the last five major champions, starting with Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship, used a belly putter. The proposed change was likely the reason -- among other things -- for the vitriol Bradley received on Saturday.

Being called, "a cheater," is the worst imaginable thing you can tag a golfer. Especially when he's done nothing wrong, which is the case with Bradley. Long putters have been legal for years. To its credit, the USGA responded to the Bradley incident with the statement below:

Far Hills, N.J. (December 2, 2012) -- The United States Golf Association (USGA) today issued the following statement regarding yesterday's incident at the World Challenge in which a spectator called Keegan Bradley's use of an anchored stroke as "cheating." The incident follows the Nov. 28 announcement by the USGA and The R&A proposing changes to the Rules of Golf that would prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke. The proposed Rule change would take effect on January 1, 2016, in accordance with the regular four-year cycle for changes to the Rules of Golf.

"This is a deplorable incident, and there is no place in our game for this kind of behavior. As we noted when announcing proposed Rule 14-1b, it has been and remains entirely within the Rules of Golf for players to anchor the club while making a stroke. There should not be a shred of criticism of such players or any qualification or doubt about their achievements, and we think that it is inappropriate even to suggest anything to the contrary. Rule changes address the future and not the past. Up until now and until such time as a Rule change were to be implemented, golfers using an anchored stroke will have been playing by the Rules of Golf."

"We are sorry that Keegan had to experience this unfounded criticism from an obviously uneducated spectator. Instead, Keegan and other PGA Tour professionals should be commended for their maturity and grace in managing through a proposed change to the Rules of Golf."

"While we understand that the proposed Rules change would cause some short-term angst, we believe the new Rule would serve the long-term best interest of the game."

Here's to hoping Bradley -- or anyone else using a long putter while it's still legal, for that matter -- is spared the nonsense from the peanut gallery.

PGA of America President Ted Bishop issued the following statement after the USGA and R&A announced its proposed long putter ban:

"The PGA has long supported the USGA in its role of establishing the Rules of Golf governing play and equipment. We have representation on the Rules of Golf Committee and we have tremendous respect for the USGA in regard to their critical role in writing and interpreting the Rules of Golf. As our mission is to grow the game, on behalf of our 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals, we are asking them to seriously consider the impact this proposed ban may have on people's enjoyment of the game and the overall growth of the game."

December 3, 2012 - 12:10am
Posted by:
John Holmes
John Holmes's picture
Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup
Getty Images
The next time Graeme McDowell is pouring drinks, it might be at his new tavern in Orlando.

Well, maybe they will be next time.

Every time he wins a tournament, Graeme McDowell has a tradition. "I always call Rathmore, my home golf course" in Northern Ireland, and tell them that the drinks are on him, McDowell said Sunday afternoon after he won Tiger Woods' World Challenge for the second time in three seasons.

"It's a bit late there now. What is it, 11:35? I was going to say it's not too early for those boys, believe me," he noted. "Hopefully my dad will make a phone call and we'll shed the boys a few drinks and shed the boys a few drinks at Lake Nona."

However, we learned this week, McDowell is opening his own tavern at Lake Nona in Orlando.

"Thankfully it's not open yet, so I'll save a few dollars this time around," joked McDowell, who is also in the final stages of building what he calls his dream house at Lake Nona.

The combination bar and restaurant will be called Nona Blue, and McDowell is partnering with a company called Bistro Concepts LLC to bring it to fruition. It will be in the Lake Nona Village shopping center, between the entrances to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and NorthLake Park, and McDowell said he hopes it'll open sometime in January.

"Traditionally, it may be drinks on the house at Nona Blue when I win a tournament," he said. And we can only hope he doesn't go another two years before his next victory.