kill kill kill!!! Golfers deserve death, the way their courses destroy the ecology.
Everyone's got a past - some pasts involve and over-bearing father relentlessly pushing you toward excellence; some pasts involve magic pencils that help you make the cut in Jakarta in 1985 - but how you deal with your past and move on is more important than what's behind you. If you are accused of cheating, you either: hold your hands up, admit that what you did was wrong, and face whatever punishment the powers that be throw at you; or you deny the accusations and you fight your corner until you are either forced to admit defeat, or have your accusors drop their accusations. You do not skulk off to Borneo and spend the rest of your life walking out of interviews if the journalist so much as asks you what the capital of Indonesia is. You do not get all (publically) high and mighty about a governing body that allows a woman to play in one tournament, even though the same governing body allows you - a convicted cheat - to play, week in week out, for millions of dollars each year. I used to be a struggling pro (I have since given up both professional golf and struggling). I missed the cut in the pre-Q for the European Tour school by one shot. I missed keeping my playing privileges in South Africa by one shot. Sadly for me though, my pencil was working both times. I'm not asking for praise - as Bobby Jones said when a journalist congratulated him on his honesty for calling a penalty on himself, "You might as well congratulate me for not cheating." - I'm just pointing out that Vijay isn't all he's cracked up to be. If he didn't cheat, then why didn't he fight the two year ban at the time, or subsequently use his undoubted power as one of the world's most talented players to have his conviction resinded? His actions at the time and ever since indicate to me not only that he did cheat, but also that he is not in the least bit sorry for it. He has hit a bit of a purple patch at the moment - that's undeniable - but to talk of him as a realistic contender to Woods position as the best player in the world is ridiculous. If and when Woods is challenged seriously, it will be by a youngster who comes steaming into the picture the same way Woods himself did; the same way Watson did; the same way Nicklaus did; the same way Palmer did. The challenge will not come from an aging Fijian, haunted by his past, with a chip on each shoulder, who's having a Mark O'Mera style swan song at the end of a career that has been riddled with under-achievement.
Sorry - that got a bit long. And another thing - golf courses encourage wildlife by providing stable and sustainable habitats for animals, plants, trees and flowers - they enhance the ecology or they don't get permission to be built - much to Greg Norman's chagrin. As one friend of mine said "So, he has to stop building his golf course to ensure that a snail no one can see remains there so that no one can continue to see it? Or do I have that wrong?"
I think you're letting personal dislike of Vijay Singh cloud the facts. I share those sentiments, but if someone with 15 Tour victories (including a Masters, PGA championship, and Tour championship) is an underachiever, what does that say about the 99 percent of the tour with a lesser career? Woods has fallen back to the pack a bit. If Singh tops Woods in the Tour Championship, looking at their combined results, I'd give him the edge as this year's best PGA golfer. Which, by extension, would make him the best golfer in the world. Also, I don't think Singh should be slighted if he wins the money title by playing more events than Woods. Don't be unamerican -- the guy with the biggest pile of money at the end of the year wins, not the guy who would have had the biggest pile of money if he didn't spend so many weekends at home with his Swedish model girlfriend.
What if Mike Weir wins the Tour Championship thingy next week? That would give him the Masters AND another king-sized tourney (plus 2 others). That would make him a candidate for player of the year. Don't forget the canuck!
Golf courses and cemetaries. The two biggest wastes of land in society. There are hundreds of golf courses in cities and thousands of homeless. We need to eradicate golf for the good of the whole! Plus, my game is just not improving.
I'll confess, I don't like Vijay very much on a personal level, but I think the facts back me up as far as my claim that he's an underachiever goes. I don't compare him to the 99% of the tour with a lesser record, I compare him to his potential. This year's Open Championship was a prime example of something that has plagued his career - an inability to step up and close it out. Admitedly, there were plenty of other famous names standing by and doing the same that week, but still, it's been a bit of a habit with Vijay. Either way, I doubt Woods is all that bothered about the money title. Major championships and world number one status are his priorities. What's money worth anyway? Look at poor Sandy Lyle - he won the European money list in 1979 with the grand total of 49,000 (even then, that wasn't very many dollars), and now has lost his exempt status on the European Tour for falling out of the top career money winners list. That said, I think it's silly to let people like Sandy Lyle and Seve keep playing in big tournaments at the expense of young, talented newcomers who can at least occassionally break 75.
JJ I think your analysis is a good one. Vijay is not the first one to make a run at Tiger over the course of a year. Let him win a few Grand Slam events head-to-head then he'll be a serious challenger. I think building a golf course is more eco-friendly than building stadiums. At least it preserves some natural beauty.
I just can't get excited about Vijay. I know he's good, but his game is just plain BORING to watch. (what is up with his putter?) There are a lot of other more interesting golfers out there who, sadly, aren't as good. Now, if one of them would challenge Tiger, that would be great. Added to that about his cheating and that fact that he is pretty nasty about women in general and not a very pleasant person, and I just don't like him much and don't find watching him interesting. But it would be nice to see someone really challenge Tiger. It would make golf more interesting to watch than it is now, certainly.
msacheson, if you choose Vijay to be on your fantasy golf team next year, you'll be in big trouble.... ;)
well, honey, I drafted Mickelson instead of Vijay this time, and look where it's got me...LAST PLACE.
p.s. Thanks for your comments JJ. Great contribution!
Tiger may not be top of the money list, but he still leads the tour in Swedish Model Girlfriends. But seriously, Vijay is an ass. There's not a single remote reason that I can conjure to excuse even thinking about rooting for him. And re expert opinions on community blogs: Take that MeFi!
Mickelson - oh don't get me started. Seems to me like all he wants to do is hit the ball as far as he can all day and to hell with who wins. He looks positively relieved when he drops out of contention... But I'm not starting.
