Golf "news"?

Posted Dec 02 2009, 08:33 AM by Cathy Erickson
I was all set to share my thoughts about the number one golf story on the planet today...you know, the upcoming final stage of the PGA Tour Q-school.  Wait.  What?  Why are you looking at your computer screen with that funny look on your face?
 
That's not it?    Were you expecting something else?  Oh, yes.  Are you thinking of that Woods guy getting in a little fender bender with a tree and fire hydrant (which has now evolved into the E! True PGA Tour story about Tiger's personal exploits)?  Okay, maybe you're right...and if I were Q-school, I'd be pretty mad at Tiger for being such a headline stealer!

When I heard my local news station announcers say the name Tiger Woods last night, I knew this "unfortunate incident" had gone far and beyond any rational reporting standard.   The local news in small-town Minnesota is reporting about a car accident in Florida?  What kind of "news" is this?  Wait, that's right, this isn't "news"...and the car accident isn't even the story anymore.  Nothing like a good character assassination to keep viewers tuned in, huh.
 
Okay, I'll admit it...I was curious.  The first report I read said he was in "serious condition".  That didn't sound very good at all so I went to one of my favorite sources for golf info, http://www.waggleroom.com/, and soon I was reading a whole different story on the story.  Then came the debate as to whether we have the "right" to know anything about this...and the critique of the media that seemed to be "creating" the story as the went along, mostly because the actual sources for information were not talking.
 
Which begged the next big question...why wasn't Tiger talking?  If I had a dollar for every message board or blog post that said, "this would be so much better for Tiger if he would just tell us what happened", I think I could go on a really nice golf vacation!   But Tiger is not talking, and without that, we're left with drawing our own conclusions based on what we know (or what we think we know)...and you know what they say when people start to assume...
 
Now, a few days later, all we seem to be talking about is the alleged sex life of Tiger Woods...and how the legal system works in Florida.  Everyone has "lawyered up"  and Tiger won't be at the event that will benefit his foundation.  (sarcasm alert!) Thank goodness the Florida Highway Patrol charged him with careless driving so we can at least keep some focus on the accident! (end of sarcasm alert)
 
I've read the speculations, and if anyone cares about my gut feeling, I think some of them are probably not that far from the truth.  Do I want to know why Tiger was leaving his house at 2:30 in the morning and ended up hitting a tree and fire hydrant?  I wish I could say no, but my curiosity makes me look it up every day on the internet.  Yes, I wish he'd just tell us.
 
But the question is, will knowing what happened really make a difference to me?  From a golf perspective, I've decided it won't.  I have never, and will never, define golf by Tiger Woods....it means SO much more to me than that.  And I'd like to believe that most other golfers feel the same way.
 
In other "real" golf news...
 
Don't forget to follow all of the Q-school action coming up this week - the final stage is set in Florida and field will have to grind through 6 rounds to make it into the top 25 (and ties).  For some, it's what golf dreams are made of...for others, it's trying to hang on for dear life to keep what they have.  There is a lot on the line and some great stories waiting to be told.  I was waiting for Tees2Greens to send me "on assignment", but they probably knew I was busy at work right now.  Right, guys??
 
Here is a great post by Shane Bacon giving some insight on the field of 170 players... http://www.dogschasingcars.com/2009/12/getting-to-know-your-2009-q-school.html
 
You can follow the scoring online and I think the Golf Channel will have some coverage, too.  You might be surprised by some of the familiar names in the field this week.  Check it out!
 
The LPGA Q-school is going on, too!  Here is a short article on the event that started today http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?pid=22673&mid=1  and you can follow live scoring here: http://www.real-timescoring.com/LPGA/Leaderboard.asp  The LPGA could use some more fans, so pick some players and root them on!
 
But the best golf news of the week for me is that I hit golf balls outside on December 1!!  When I glanced at the thermometer in my car on my way home yesterday it said the outside temp was 41 degrees...I decided that if the temp was still at least 40 when I got home it was a sign that I should go hit a few golf balls - 25 miles later and it's still 41!  With clubs still in the car, it was a quick change into some warm clothes and off to the golf course.  I had about 30 minutes of daylight left and I made the most of it.  It's funny how just a few solid swings with the driver is all it took to make me giddy beyond belief.
 
I needed this day to remind me that golf, in its truest form, is about player and the golf course...and that's all.  Tiger Woods may be golf, but golf isn't just Tiger Woods.  There are over 200 men and women battling to make golf on the highest professional level their job for the next year...now there's a golf "news" story!  Enjoy Q-school!

Filed under: TIger Woods, news, December, Q-school, accident