While the weather played center stage for a good part of the US Open even pushing it to Monday there were some compelling events, story lines and activities on and off course that made it all worth while. Keeping Dry was the name of the game and how better than the pure entertainment of Johnny Miller and Peter Jacobsen in the Lexus tent.
They gave great insight and provided comic relief from the storm. Discussing everything from Tigers swing, predicting who would do well playing in these conditions to impromptu acapella songs and nutrisystem.
Playing a round of golf with someone can give you incredible insight as to their personality and while the weather denied many from watching the long awaited US Open there are still some who found the silver lining. A few new friends took the opportunity to convert the 15the hole into their personal cigar lounge. Their were no frowning faces just a great view, great friends and great cigars you would have never known they were there to watch golf.
Golf enthusiasts Wakefield and Jason Varitek, the Red Sox catcher, join forces in hosting a golf tournament to support “Pitching for Kids.” The event is dedicated to providing earmarked grants to benefit children in a myriad of ways, all of which enhance the lives, minds and spirits of children across the New England.Perhaps, the most recent example of the Boston Red Sox fans’ loyalty is in their relationship with Johnny Damon, the catalyst who helped break their famous curse. Damon’s heroics and leadership in 2004 became the stuff legends. “Damon’s Disciples” were constantly rallying the “idiots” on to victory day after day that year, finally reversing the curse. When this former Red Sox-turned-Yankee returns to Fenway Park, the future Hall of Fame player is always welcomed by the Red sox faithful.
An unmistakable trait of a Bond man is his voice, and Sir Roger Moore held court, captivating guests at Omega’s gala dinner. Seated next to him was Paul Casey, a regular on both the PGA and European tours. When asked if Casey had received any tips from 007, Moore laughed. After all, Casey already has the British accent. Each year at the Omega European Masters, Credit Swiss awards a kilo of gold to any player who makes a hole-in-one. This year Italian golfer Alessandro Tadini had an ace and took home the gold.
When Bond and Auric Goldfinger are matched up at the club, Bond steps outside to face Oddjob, Goldfingers deadly Korean manservant and now-caddie, and realizes he’s the man who knocked him out earlier at a Miami hotel. Goldfinger, international gold smuggler, laughs and excuses his caddie’s appearance by saying, “Golf is not the national sport of Korea.” Today, I’m sure K.J. Choi and Se Ri Pak would disagree.
In answering the age-old question of art imitating life - or life imitating art, we find the same holds true with both writer and actor regarding golf. Fleming was a member of Royal St. George Golf Club in Sandwich Bay and started playing before World War II. In August 1964, on his way to St. Georges to meet with the golf committee, Fleming suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 56.
Garrett Gomez, now the No. 1-ranked American thoroughbred jockey, is a 5 handicap. Yes, it’s true - the 5′ 3”, 114-pound jockey shot an 83 at Saratoga National the day before we spoke. Playing with Jerry Bailey that day, Gomez seems to have exceeded Jerry’s golf skills as Bailey plays to a 10. However, Gomez has more to learn in the horse-racing arena to rival Bailey, who has an impressive 5,892 wins. With mounts that have earned him more than $295 million, Bailey is second only to Pat Day in the history books.
Although Davis Love III is not a polo player, the man who has worn the Ralph Lauren polo horse logo for several years delves deep into the equestrian world, where he is better known as “Lexi’s Dad.”
In a country known for polo and its love of horses, Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion, owns a few horses but not for himself. His children enjoy riding, as Cabrera admits he prefers to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground and on the golf course.
The current darlings of the AT&T are George Lopez and Bill Murray, the latter of whom has the largest gallery at the annual event. The former star of Saturday Night Live who now commands leading roles in feature films, Murray never fails to entertain the crowds that swarm his foursome -including long-time and long-suffering playing partner Scott Simpson - with his high jinks and surprisingly refined golf skills honed as a teenager at a course in Evanston, Ill., where he Murray and his brothers caddied.
John Daly may be the last player who represents the good-time guys from yesteryear. With a lion as his symbol and a motto of “grip it and rip it,” the Arkansan is often seen on the course with a cigarette and off the course with a beer. His off-course drama reads like a soap opera, and many fans can’t help but be attracted to his story. Daly tells it like it is and his followers during tournaments rival Tiger’s. Adding to the mystique are his mammoth drives and an even bigger personality that led him to pen a memoir entitled, “My Life in and out of the Rough.” Daly’s book is an often shockingly candid take of a pro athlete battling assorted demons (alcohol, gambling, chocolate, sex and weight), and, after four marriages, divorce lawyers. In an age when most touring pros travel to tournaments by private jet, Daly drives to most events in a large RV.
Funk is no stranger to winning in Mexico; he won the 1993 Mexican Open, a feat he shares with Ernesto Perez Acosta. Both were on hand at the Golf PARa Todos for the clinic. The extra mile taken by these two players is typical of Mayakoba and its parent company, OHL. As the players and caddies will attest, the Mayakoba Golf Classic has become a Caribbean paradise stop on their schedule thanks to the efforts of the tournament host.
Though residing in separate countries, these two gentlemen cross cultures and boundaries to make a difference in areas that matter. Both share a love of golf and the gift of giving.
For those of us in the industry, we also enjoy a few unsuspected treats like meeting Johnny Damon. The New York Yankee centerfielder was on hand at the Puma booth at the 2008 PGA Show, which just ended. Damon is a Puma Golf spokesman and has dropped his handicap from an 18, the number that appears on the back of his Yankee uniform. Damon is the perfect guy for the hot, trendy Puma line that is taking golf fashion by storm. Puma has also signed up 8-handicap actor Luke Wilson, who will host a celebrity golf tournament in Los Angeles for the line.
Scottie Pippin was another sports personality attending the PGA Show. Apparently, the former NBA player is a major investor in the Carolina Club in Margate, Fla.
National charitable organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, United Way and Special Olympics regularly use golf to raise money for their respective causes. These events are often large and well attended and typically can raise anywhere from $25,000 per outing to as much as several hundred thousand dollars. But these events don’t happen on their own. It takes dedicated individuals, mostly volunteers and board members who are willing to go out and generate interest and sponsors.
One of the reasons golf fundraisers have become so popular is that it allows an individual or a company to multitask. They get to play golf, network with clients and co-workers and support a worthy charity, all at the same time. When asked what has been the relationship between golf and the USO and why they recently decided to hold a tournament this May in Miami Florida this is what Henry D. Wolfgang, the Chief Development Officer at the USO, had to say:
On the Lip is a celebrity sports column that combines pop culture with golf. My job is to get the inside scoop - Tour players off the course and celebrities that golf - tell you something you do not already know and take you places you may not otherwise be able to go.
