Thought for the Day
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory
Now that the regular tournaments on the European and American Tours have concluded, it’s that time of the year when we hand out some gongs, and brickbats, for the best and worst performances of the year. So here is the GoKart list of the performances of the season
Bad timing of the Year
Lee Westwood. Twice in the last three weeks he has decimated a world class field, finding his best form just as the year ends
American Great White Hope of the Year
Lexi Thompson. The American teenage phenomenon has now won on the LPGA and LET tours in the last three months at the age of 16 and has ignited hopes that Korean domination of the women’s game may be threatened
Hangover of the Year
Darren Clarke. After his heart-warming win in the Open back in July he threatened to have one heck of a party and hasn’t disappointed. He has only had one top-10 since his win at Royal St George’s but do you think he’s bothered?
Major of the Year
The Masters. Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes to snatch the green jacket. The US Open and Open were processions.
Anonymous Major winner of the Year
Go on then, tell us who the current US PGA champion is*
Prat of the Year
Steve Williams. Boorish, self-important, petulant and childish when sacked by Tiger, and then followed it up with an extremely ill-advised comment at the caddies dinner.
Close but no coconut Award
Mark Foster. He actually had a good season, finishing 32nd on the Race to Dubai money list with over €800,000 but in mid-summer, in consecutive weeks, he went into the last round leading before final rounds of 71 and 74 saw him finish 3rd and 2nd respectively. When you’re a journeyman and these streaks of form arrive, you have to snatch victory from them.
Welcome back Award
Tiger Woods. Finally he won again. Okay, it was an invitational event and limited field but he birdied the last two holes to do it and as any pro will tell you, a win is a win.
Come back, we miss you Award
Padraig Harrington. The flaky Irishman insists on ploughing his own distinctive furrow but however he manages it, we just want to see him in contention again.
Player of the year
Luke Donald. In almost any other season the accolade would go to Yani Tseng, the undisputed women’s world number one, who had 14 top-10s in 22 events and won seven times, two of those victories being majors – and all at the age of 22. But Luke’s unprecedented feat of winning the money list on both sides of the Atlantic, with three wins in Europe and two in America, alongside a top-10 finish virtually every time he didn’t win, just gives him the edge.
Loss of the Year
Seve Ballesteros. One of the few geniuses to have played the game finally fought a battle even he couldn’t win.
Collapse of the Year
Rory McIlroy. On cruise control at the Masters until that back nine meltdown and a horrific 80.
Redemption of the Year
Rory McIlroy. Barely eight weeks after imploding at Augusta he not only won the US Open but did it in a style to suggest this may be the first of many majors.
Dramatic finish of the Year
Solheim Cup singles. The usual, predictable pattern of the Americans coming from behind in the singles was proceeding exactly as scripted until Suzann Pettersen, Caroline Hedwall and Azahara Munoz turned around their matches, the last three on the course, for an improbable but delightful victory.
Team of the Year
European Solheim Cup team. ‘Nuff said.
Bad sport of the Year
Paula Creamer, for taking her Solheim Cup singles thrashing by Catriona Matthew with singular bad grace.
Over-sized ego of the Year
Ian Poulter (inevitably). Commenting on his desire to market himself as a brand around the world he said, with astonishing arrogance even for him: ‘I owe it to the game of golf to be able to play wherever I want to.’
Nasty smell of the Year
Elliot Saltman. He was banned for cheating. It’s thankfully rare, which is probably why it leaves such a strong aroma.
Over the top commentator of the Year
Mark Roe – for his habit of trying to make EVERY sentence. Sound. As DRAMATIC. As possible
Damp squib of the Year
FedEx Playoffs and Presidents Cup; A dead heat between two artificially manufactured events that consistently fail to capture the imagination.
Professional suicide of the Year
John Daly. His world ranking is lower than a snake’s belly so most of his opportunities to play come from sponsor’s invitations and yet he continues to slap his hosts in the face by contriving to walk out of their events if unhappy with his performance – which is most of the time.
Quote of the Week
Golf is the only game I know of that actually becomes harder the longer you play it.
Bobby Jones
* The US PGA was won by the man with two surnames – Keegan Bradley