golfrewind.com

Class Act on #18 with his foot just 1" from a drainage pipe, he refused to alter his stance to get relief.

Another reason I love this game. I can't think of any other sport where a professional athlete wouldn't take advantage of a similar situation.

PS - it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Darren Clarke lipped out his putt on purpose so he and Love could half their match. Both these guys played hard and were a tribute to their teams and to golf.

To me, that match was what the Ryder Cup should be. Play hard, pat the other guy on the back after a good shot, and move on to the next hole. Win/Lose graciously - "see ya in a coupla more years."

Yes, that's what separates this game from all others. DL3 has never been one of my favorites, but that was the ultimate act of sportsmanship. It would be nice to think that Clarke missed on purpose, but I get the impression that he wouldn't do that for his mom much less Love(nothing wrong with that)... and Love probably wouldn't have it any other way.

i disagree.


to me that is why golf will never get the respect it deserves in the athletic world.

can you imagine in football, a team declining a personal foul penalty just to be nice?

gold needs more people like sergio and dimarco who have an edge to them and aren't afraid to anger people in the name of winning. to me DLIII represents the worst kind of golfer there is. way too nice and an obvious lack of athletic spirit.

Well first, golf certainly isn't lacking in respect from the "athletic world" whatever that is. Most other so-called athletes would trade places with a world-class golfer in a heartbeat if they had the skills, as is evidenced by the many that play the game & participate in the celebrity tournys. As someone whose played both golf & football competitively extensively(my favorite 2 sports to watch & participate in by far), your comparing apples to cinder-blocks.

Johnny Trance... should we add stepping in your opponent's line, and coughing while he putts as defensive strategy?

Maybe a couple of "noonans!!"

I hope that kids (and adults lol) that were watching on TV took notice, and learn from DLIII's honesty and class.

DLIII is my least favorite athlete in ANY sport. Having said that, I almost liked him when he wouldn't take relief--truly a class act and showing why golf is different from almost any sport. But, as much as I try to like him, I can't. There are lots of guys with no emotion on tour, but he comes across like he has NO emotion. Other guys seem like they are controlling their emotions, and he just doesn't have any.

Personally, I think that's why the Americans have struggled in Ryder Cup play recently. Their lack of emotion. It's not controlled emotion. The Americans don't have the ability to use their emotion as a positive. They don't play more relaxed when they're winning, they don't seem to have that 'extra gear' to go to when they're losing. They're just vanilla. There's no 3 or 8, they're just always stuck on 5. The Euros are used to playing in tougher conditions. Whether they come over to the US and are accustomed to playing thousands of miles from home, in front of crowds that are particularly rooting for them, or the fact that the weather conditions the Euros play in isn't as consistent as the Americans, they just seem tougher, and not afraid to 'let it all hang out' from time to time.

I found myself rooting for the Euros. They were INFINITELY more like-able this weekend. DLIII, Tiger, Cink, Perry, Furyk, Toms, Campbell--yuck--show me someone who seemed to be having fun--none of these dudes had fun. Tiger's smile after Riley's tee shot on the par 3 on Friday was the 'happiest' I saw any American all weekend.

Of course, it probably isn't too easy to 'have fun' when you're being embarrassed on a world stage, but I got the feeling the Euros would have had as good of time win or lose. Probably not QUITE as much fun, but you get the idea.....

not enough golfers are competitive and they don't "flip on the switch" when it comes down to playing a match.

if anyone here thinks golf has respect as a game of ATHLETES...you are living in a fantasy world. golf is viewed as a game of technical skills. athletes to like golf but it requires little to no athletic skill to play.

wATCH how awkwardly players fist pumpp after big shots in golf. its embarassing.

golf needs more athletes that have competed in other sports instead of DLIII's that grew up in country club land.

Well I agree with your last point, but I'll need your definition of athlete and athletic skill as well as a brief list of the sports you think require both before I can address your first statement.

hand eye coordination is the one skill you need in golf. but as far as running, jumping, and strength.....you dont need these to be good.

baseball, soccer, tennis, football, basketball, etc.....all require most of these traits to be "good".

golf requires good use of the tool (the club).

that is all i am saying and i love golf so dont get me wrong. its my favorite sport.

Running, jumping and strength are all things which can be had artificially through drugs..... last time I checked, there wasnt one which could do the same for your golf....

Well I could make the same argument about baseball. How does throwing or hitting a baseball require more athletic skill than hitting a golf ball long and accurately. I'd also argue that golf requires strength as much as any number of sports. Running, jumping & strength are not required to be successfull at either baseball or football for a number of positions.... QBs - the most important position in the game requires none of those traits any more than golf, neither does a pitcher in baseball, the most important position in that game. I think you define athleticism a bit to narrowly.

or do you give golf too much credit?

baseball requires strength to throw hard and to hit it far. in golf the "club" does the work.

and your QB comments don't deserve a comeback. re-think that one.

EXACTLY!! I posed the same argument on another sports/baseball forum early in the baseball season. The responses were 50/50 and fairly passionate. Baseball players are not athletes. The good hitters have unbelievable eye/hand coordination. However, they rarely have to run more the 30 yards at a time. They are all huffing after legging out a triple. Sammy Sosa missed a game because he pulled a muscle sneezing! Pitchers will miss starts with *******' hangnails! They sub for 'defensive' specialists in late innings who can catch fly balls??? They go on the 15 day DL with pulled muscles??? NFL players don't miss a series with a pulled muscle.....it's all relative.

If golfers are not athletes, then neither are baseball players. Throw in race car drivers and you've got a whole bunch on 'non-athletic' athletes. It all boils down to one's definition of athlete. Or the difference of sporting ability vs. skill.

Last time I checked the "bat" does the hitting in baseball. The key is making solid contact with good mechanics and that old hand-eye coordination just like golf and the hall-of-fame is full of pitchers that were not hard throwers. It's a skill.

Re: QBs... we were looking for running, jumping and strength.

Unitas
Jurgenson
Marino
Fouts
P. Manning
Starr
Brady
Kelly
Montana


Running ? Jumping ? Strength ?

These guys are or will be in the HOF because they hit their target more often than most QBs, which is the single most important attribute of a QB...more important than all others put together and it is a skill.

What am I missing ? Please explain.

Ever see Charles Barkley - one of the "top 50 basketball players of all time" try to hit a golfball?

Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player of all time, is a good amateur golfer at best - and he plays LOTS OF GOLF.

This is a great debate, comparing athletes in other sports to golfers, but it all started by citing the honesty of DL III, and most golfers in general.

If the argument is that other sports are more competitive because the participants will lie and cheat to win - so be it. That is not a trait I want to pass on to my children and grandchildren.