Thought for the Day:
How is it that ‘self help’ books are all written by somebody else?
Oh dear, Tiger
Despite having played no competitive golf since the US PGA Championship in August, Tiger Woods still manages to generate headlines. First, he announced on his Twitter feed that he was working with a relatively unknown golf coach called Chris Como, a 36-year-old based in Texas. He has a Masters degree in biomechanics, so may well be the person to help Tiger get a few more competitive years out of a body that, in recent seasons, has been collapsing under the physical stress, tension and trauma he puts it through because of the violence with which he attacks the ball.
But in typically perverse Tiger style he has not said directly that Como is his coach but rather describes him thus: ‘Happy to have Chris Como consulting and working with me on my swing.’ So we’re presumably to call Como a consultant rather than coach.
But Tiger has also managed to embroil himself in of those pointless and brainless spats that people in the public eye are prone to do. It started when Golf Digest writer Dan Jenkins contributed a parody of an ‘interview’ with Woods to his magazine’s website. It was clearly labelled ‘My (Fake) Interview with Tiger’ and imagined what might have been said if he had ever had the chance of a one-to-one with Tiger (something that Jenkins, along with just about every other golf writer in the world, has never achieved). And Jenkins, incidentally, writes for the magazine that employed Tiger to write instruction articles for 13 years, between 1997 and 2011.
Among other things, Jenkins pretended to ask why Tiger hadn’t fired his agent, Mark Steinberg (who is, how shall we put this, not at the top of everyone’s Christmas card list); why, as one of the richest sports starts in the world he persistently doesn’t tip staff; why the persistent feud with Sergio Garcia; what’s the deal with sacking coaches all the time and how about your reputation as a womaniser? The piece was buried at the back of the online magazine – three pages in from the back, to be precise and was about to sink without trace until Tiger decided to respond.
He wrote a guest column for the website ‘theplayerstribune.com’, that said, among much else: ‘’Good-natured satire is one thing, but no fair-minded writer would put someone in the position of having to publicly deny that he mistreats his friends, takes pleasure in firing people and stiffs on tips – and a lot of other slurs, too.’
He added: ‘Frustration or resentment because I have not been more available to him should not give him a license for an underhanded attack on me as an athlete, as a professional and as a person. I guess Golf Digest’s editors believe this is a good way to sell more magazines. I’ll bet their readers don’t think so. Funny they didn’t think this poorly of me when I worked with the magazine. I have to say I was surprised when I saw this piece came from Jenkins, who is one of the most distinguished golf writers out there.’ He also criticised Jenkins for what he called ‘invented fiction’ and, sorry to break this to you Tiger but all fiction is invented – that’s the very nature of the beast.
But he was right to call Jenkins ‘most distinguished’, and I think the writer did exactly the right thing when asked for a comment by keeping it short and sweet with the words: ‘My next column for Tiger: “defining parody and satire”. I thought I let him off easy.’
He has declined any further comment.
I should declare an interest here on two counts. First, because I think Dan Jenkins is the best living golf writer and second because I think that, despite his magnificent playing record, Tiger Woods has damaged rather than enhanced the game of golf. I therefore believe that the original, satirical piece was fair game and that Tiger should have sucked it up, whereas now all he has done is guarantee that a few more million people with read it.
So now we know
That’s that then. Henrik Stenson’s victory in the DP World Tour Championship, for the second year in a row, means that he, at least, finished the European Tour season on a high. But there’s no question that Rory remains The Man.
Sports Personality of the Year, anyone?
Quote of the Week
A great shot is when you pull it off. A smart shot is when you don’t have the guts to try it
Phil Mickelson