Opinion & Analysis

Bishop’s exit clears way for eradication of sexism in golf

Published

10 years ago

Oct 25, 2014

On Thursday, newly ex-PGA of America President Ted Bishop responded to criticism Ian Poulter levied against Nick Faldo in Poulter’s new book, first by calling Poulter a “lil girl” in a now-deleted post on Twitter, and subsequently elaborating that insult with a Facebook post that likened Poulter to “a little school girl squealing during recess.” Some 24 hours later, the PGA stripped Bishop of his title with only a month before he was to surrender it to another.

By swiftly and decisively removing Bishop from his post, the PGA of America has made the statement that they, at least, support a notion that is long overdue for acceptance as obvious in American society — that women are equal to men. By likening Poulter to a girl or a woman in order to insult him, Bishop implicitly supported the draconian view that women are somehow lesser beings than men.

As Bishop might say: “C’MON MAN!”

Bishop’s high-profile ouster from the PGA of America indicates that the organization believes that the days of men getting away with insulting men by likening them to women should be over. If the PGA is going to stand by the statement made by its actions Friday, it needs to keep hammering away at the notion that women are indeed welcome in golf.

This whole affair represents a very real opportunity for golf to make some headway in its current major struggle: growth of the game. Women make up less than one-fifth of all American golfers, according to National Golf Foundation statistics. Is it any wonder that their numbers are so small when the overriding atmosphere of the game is one of male dominance? If women played 50 percent more rounds of golf than they currently do, the game would be markedly healthier. Given the size of the potential pool of new women golfers, that number is not at all unrealistic.

Augusta National Golf Club accepted its first female members in 2012, and the R&A voted to follow suit just last month. With Friday’s decision, whether it planned to or not, the PGA very publicly embraced a trend in golf. Maybe it’s time for an update of the succinct, effective “I Swing Like A Girl” ad from the USGA.

But where do we go from here? How do we, avid golfers, help this effort?

A nice start would be to eliminate sexist statements from male golf chatter.

“Nice shot, grandma.”
“Try not to trip over your skirt on your way off the green.”
“GOLF: Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.”
“Hit it, Alice!”
“Does your husband play golf?

I don’t have children, but if I have a daughter one day, I would like for her to feel comfortable learning to love golf, to feel like a golf course is a place where she belongs. One way to ensure that future is to train the current and future generations of male golfers to seriously accept girls and women as equals. Here’s hoping the PGA of America and other male golfers want the same.

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PGA President Ted Bishop calls Poulter a “Lil Girl,” loses his job

Tim Gavrich

Tim grew up outside of Hartford, Conn., playing most of his formative golf at Hop Meadow Country Club in the town of Simsbury. He played golf for four years at Washington & Lee University (Division-III) and now lives in Pawleys Island, S.C., and works in nearby Myrtle Beach in advertising. He's not too bad on Bermuda greens, for a Yankee. A lifelong golf addict, he cares about all facets of the game of golf, from equipment to course architecture to PGA Tour news to his own streaky short game.

61 Comments

Rodan

Nov 2, 2014 at 5:29 pm

Typical media response, instead of writing based on the facts you have inferred what TB meant when he said what he said, you are the problem here! Was he discriminating against little girls??? I don’t know, do little girls squeal more than others???? Probably. Just like little boys squeal more than men…..

Really, besides Ian Poulter is a self absorbed “toolbox” (oh no, I just insulted a toolbox!) look at his social media posts……all his cars, private jets….etc. He may have more stuff, so what?

Reply Report comment
Ponjo

Oct 31, 2014 at 4:57 pm

Squealing like little boy doesn’t sound right 🙂

Reply Report comment
wineyax

Oct 31, 2014 at 1:51 pm

You make TED BISHOP look like COUNT DRACULA.

Its just not fair IMHO.

Reply Report comment
Jecarnl

Oct 29, 2014 at 1:34 pm

What a PC bull crap.

Reply Report comment
snowman

Oct 28, 2014 at 12:17 pm

The Headline of this article is complete rubbish and the content is PC BS. This article should have been Published in Ms. or Cosmo. Do you honestly think firing Bishop will do Anything to bring more women into the game or whatever it is that the PC police are advocating? No Way!. What a bunch of PC Drivel.

Reply Report comment
- Ruben Acosta
  
  Oct 30, 2014 at 9:32 am
  
  There does seem to be a lot of male chauvinism in golf, this is just one example of how it can manifest. I think that Bishop’s reply was inappropriate and meant to be derogatory. One way we chide each other is to say something that will provoke the other. His mistake was that it also provokes many others. I think if Golf really wanted to “grow” the game they would put their efforts to those areas that have the most growth potential. That area is the LPGA and its tournaments. If you look at just what has happened in the last decade you have the FedEx people make up this desperate attempt to make their own major. They tell us how important early season points are and demand attention to that , but when it comes to it anybody wins playoff tournament it negates all those prior performance. I think they should take half of that money and devote it to LPGA and building purses. Another inequity is Golf Channel, their coverage of LPGA is pitiful and they will repeat play of PGA events more than once. And also since they seem to have trouble realizing the value of some of their best women sportcasters such as Winn McMurry and Holly Sonders. Forget about the FedEx and how important it is, this year the guy won 13.5 million dollars. I mean is this really a valid outcome? I am glad for Billy and he did play great at the end of this season but I don’t like how FEDEX tries to be more important than it is.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Bill
    
    Nov 1, 2014 at 8:32 pm
    
    Really lame, inaccurate take Rueben. Poulter deserved to be called out for HIS stupid comments. Bishops reply may have been unprofessional at best. Wuss, little girl etc fits Poulter for his take on Faldo. Gavrich (the author) is using this unrelated incident to grind a mythical ax against sexism.
    The author is mixing fictional politics with fact and landing way off target. Non story at best.
    
    Reply Report comment
Johnny

Oct 28, 2014 at 11:55 am

Bishop’s exit clears the way for the eradication of sexism in golf?

Seriously? That has to be one of the most ignorant statements I have read in the coverage of this story. And there have been many such statements to choose from.

Reply Report comment
Jafar

Oct 28, 2014 at 10:32 am

This is dumb.

Everyone involved in this looks really stupid.

I don’t even want to comment anymore, I hope this story gets buried after this week.

Reply Report comment
Scooter McGavin

Oct 28, 2014 at 9:24 am

I am seeing way too many comments saying “men and women ARE different”. That is not the point. Let me repeat. That is not the point. The point is that it is offensive and sexist to use calling someone a girl as an insult. It’s the same as how we are trying to quit calling people or things “gay” as an insult, because it is demeaning to gay people. Most of you are not getting it because you are, for the most part, white, heterosexual men, and as such, are not typically on the receiving end of these slurs. Just because you have not had your race, gender, or sexual orientation used as a demeaning slur, does not mean that it is not offensive to others that have had it happen to them. In the United States, at least, racial minorities, LGBT’s, and women have had to come from behind from being second class citizens, and each time someone says an insult like “lil girl” (or its equivalent with racial minorities and LGBT’s) it only succeeds in slowing down the progress we are making with achieving equality, understanding, and acceptance. Again, just because your race and gender have not had to go through the same issue does not mean it is not a serious reality.

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Oct 28, 2014 at 12:03 pm
  
  Great article and well said Scooter. Unfortunately, thoughtful posts ike yours get buried in the cascade of reactionary nonsense that forums on golfwrx are well known for.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Oct 28, 2014 at 12:11 pm
  
  Finally. Thank you for framing it the right way.
  
  Reply Report comment
- 502 to Right
  
  Oct 29, 2014 at 9:59 pm
  
  Yes, it is the point.
  
  Reply Report comment
Buggs

Oct 28, 2014 at 8:58 am

Stupid article.

Reply Report comment
markhd

Oct 27, 2014 at 5:23 pm

C’mon, folks. This will keep happening as long as organizations keep telling 60-year-old guys that they “have to engage on social media” in order to market effectively. This is simply and wholly a marketing breakdown within the PGA. Handing a Twitter account to a CEO from past generations is roughly the same as handing a shotgun to a duck. They should not have fired Mr. Bishop. They should certainly have fired whomever is in charge of marketing and PR at the PGA. Yes, Mr. Bishop should have known he was holding a weapon of personal destruction when he picked up his cell phone or tablet of choice. His bad. But ultimately, his organization’s marketing people should never, ever have let him put his head on that block.

Forewarned is forearmed, and Lord knows these sorts of organizations have seen this carnage too often in the past. Just dumb. Tragic, yes. But mostly dumb.

Reply Report comment
Patricknorm

Oct 27, 2014 at 4:52 pm

The people I play golf with don’t comment like many of you do on this site. What I mean is that whether I play in a sanctioned tournament or a friendly Sunday morning skins game we don’t throw away lines like Ted Bishop did. We are to a fault quite polite and aware of each other’s peculuarites.
Most of you are focusing on what he said rather than its context. If I’m a PGA member I want my head guy to be professional and a good leader.
If Ted Bishop is meant to be the talking head for the PGA then it’s pretty hard to attract strong sponsors with this kind of throw away line. Regardless of what you think of Poulter, he wasn’t wrong.
Is this article overly sensitive? Depends on your context. If I’m playing with another CEO I’d choose my words carefully.
If I’m hanging with my 20 something buddies then anything goes. Ted Bishop in his capacity was better off saying zero.

Reply Report comment
James

Oct 27, 2014 at 3:26 pm

When did men become the enemy of women and why? Political correctness is wrecking society. As much as everyone would LOVE to have a utopia where all are equal it isn’t a reality among human beings. Not everyone is the same and men and women are totally different even in many ways other than physical. Men like to look at pretty pictures of women and women tend to prefer the romance of the written word. Men are visual and women verbal if you will.

Seems to me these days, people are looking for stuff to claim “offense” over. Everyone is a victim of some unseen force apparently.

Reply Report comment
chad ryan

Oct 27, 2014 at 2:43 pm

If you think a man should be fired for saying “little girl” then you are also a little girl. There is nothing offensive to women about saying that. And i’m sorry but newsflash to all you PC people – women, especially little/young ones (as bishop was inferring) ARE IN FACT weaker than grown men. This will come as a shock to everyone who thinks that women play from the red tees that are 100 yds in front of the men’s tees simply because they prefer the color. Furthermore – one of the great aspects of the Rider cup is the US vs euro rivalry. If Phil mickelson had tweeted the same thing he would have been praised for supporting his team. I feel sorry for Mr Bishop, he really got thrown under the bus for nothing. And by the way….”SEXISM IN GOLF”? give me a break. You want golf to be “un-sexist”? Make the women play from the same tees as men. That would be unsexist. You want an even playing field? play from the tips like everyone else.

Reply Report comment
- Bill
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 3:31 pm
  
  “Bishop’s exit clears way for eradication of sexism in golf”
  
  So Mr. Bishop was the only barrier standing in between us and a game free of sexism? Golf is the most elitist, sexist, racist, and exclusive game in the world. Firing one old white guy is meaningless.
  
  Also can you get fired for saying the sky is blue?
  
  Reply Report comment
loubdoobe

Oct 27, 2014 at 9:06 am

Seriously, get over the political correctness. Women are physically weaker than men and losing your sense of humor over a figurative expression is asinine.

Reply Report comment
- Bruce Wayne
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 11:49 am
  
  Agreed. Bishops remark was not sexist. This story is being blown up way to much. At worst it was just a little banter on social media which was probably not the best place to do it. This story is an example of political correctness being taken way to far. I wonder if Bishop would have called Poulter a peacock for the flamboyant manner in which he dresses if Bishop would have been fired for violating animal rights for racially stereo typing an animal. This is just rediculous.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 12:13 pm
  
  The comment had nothing to do with physical strength.
  
  Reply Report comment
dapadre

Oct 27, 2014 at 6:23 am

I agree totally with the comment from the former PGA prez. I dont think it was meant to be sexist and was referring to little girls squealing as one may refer to boys being rascally. Now taken that from his position its not professional I think a suspension or penalty would have been the correct thing to do. I mean Ian P is not exactly Golfs choir boy (ooeps is that PC or is that allowed or will I also no be banned by Golfwrx).I live in Europe and believe me Ian P.has done some crazy things.

I do believe that this was done to MARKET their toughness. Look at the statement the Russian Tennis President made.I found that to be more hurtful. Note I may have missed it but did anyone complain from the LPGA? Its irritating when groups are so-called protected (in this case women) when they could care less.Whats the next step, can I refer to my golf pal who happens to be white as Bro. Im black and this term can be traced back to the black community. Can we see how silly this is becoming. I hope they dont think by toughening up this will bring more golfers back.

As for Ian P.I dont think he wanted this to happen, BUT the gods of golf are watching. When you point one finger three are pointing back at you. Karma is a B…h ( can I say that now actually).

Reply Report comment
Mad-Mex

Oct 26, 2014 at 11:33 pm

So, are they still trying to figure out why golf is loosing players?

Reply Report comment
Tyler

Oct 26, 2014 at 9:41 pm

Men and women ARE different. I respect that Golfwrx, due to it’s profile and relationship with so many manufacturers and advertisers (and same for its partner Golf Digest) must write such an article to score points with said other parties, but that doesn’t mean golf is a sport for sexists. Ted Bishop made a very strange comment, and probably wasn’t fit for his former position. That said, Ian Poulter is whiney, and annoying to listen to – all the way down to his angry birds/boy band haircut. He really does need to shut up because he really isn’t half the player Faldo is or was. Bishop was not wrong on that point. Again though, very strange choice of comments, perhaps a few less cocktails before taking to social media next time Ted.

Regarding women and ‘growing the game’ through their demo, my girlfriend enjoys playing golf, but her ceiling is about one hour and then she loses interest. Also, she will NEVER pay more than $300 for a cheap matched set, and she didn’t play baseball or softball so it’s as foreign to her as me trying to apply foundation or explain the term hypoallergenic! For 90% of american women this is the case. I’d you want to pull in the female demographic you need to simplify the game and the experience, and drop the entry level expense. Such as a 150yd tee for casual ladies, do more to popularize 9 hole rounds so they can get in and out without killing everyone else’s round, and talk the big boy manufacturers into creating sets for everyday ladies who aren’t interested in breaking 90. But also aren’t willing to blow cash on some overly cheap Walmart set.

Or you could just accept that the golf industry is driven by men -who are more interested to ogle cart girls and are susceptible to being sucked into the allure of a cleverly marketed $400 driver (which they can’t fly 250 straight). Ie, the type to retreat back to the club and tweet from the cherrywood and leather adorned friendly confines of the boys club.. Ie, Ted Bishop..

When the golf industry is ready to disrupt ITSELF.. ESPECIALLY GOLFWRX AND GOLF DIGEST (who peddle clubs the average man or woman can scarcely afford).. expect NO change, just more lip service such as this article..

Reply Report comment
Will

Oct 26, 2014 at 5:28 pm

You guys are overreacting. This article is clearly written in a sarcastic tone.

Reply Report comment
Nick

Oct 26, 2014 at 3:29 pm

Men and Women are NOT the same. Another thing when things are said such as “men…” that is what is called a generalization and it’s implicit that their are exceptions. So generalizing, women whine more than men, women are physically not as strong as men. Sexism exists cause it’s real, everyone is not the same.

Reply Report comment
- Tyler
  
  Oct 26, 2014 at 7:59 pm
  
  The generalization that woman whine more than men is complety false. Studies show men and woman whine the same amount its just when woman do it we call it whining and when men do whine we call it expressing our thoughts. As for men and woman hitting the ball not as far, I would love to see you in a long drive competition with Michelle Wie.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - joey5picks
    
    Oct 26, 2014 at 10:07 pm
    
    Michelle Wei is not the typical woman, so using her to support your point is a fallacy. As a group, men ARE stronger than women and DO hit it further. Fact.
    
    “Studies show” men and women whine the same amount? Studies also show people cite ficticious studies to try to prove a point.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - marriedwithchildren
    
    Oct 26, 2014 at 10:17 pm
    
    Married men would disagree with you as to who whines more.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - rer4136
    
    Oct 27, 2014 at 4:29 pm
    
    Do you find the term “Man up” offensive?
    
    Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 12:12 pm
  
  He didn’t call Poulter a “lil girl” because he only hit his drive 230 yards. The comment had absolutely nothing to do with physical strength.
  
  You’re a complainer. You have a lousy attitude. You’re a girl.
  
  Get it?
  
  Reply Report comment
Large chris

Oct 26, 2014 at 3:02 pm

Ridiculous to fire him for non existent sexism.

Correct to fire him for being inept and unable to use social media in a professional way. Anyone with a brain knows that in a corporate environment if you choose to use social media publicly you do so in a manner that is not personally critical of others, particularly of your own employees.

Always amazes me how many high powered supposedly clever masters of the universe don’t get that.

Reply Report comment
KT

Oct 26, 2014 at 2:42 pm

As a man, I am offended by the “come on man” phrase.

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Harry G.

Oct 26, 2014 at 1:48 pm

Right on Ted! The notion that women will save golf from the contraction it is experiencing is missing the reality of the situation. Young boys and girls will not spend long hours practicing a game that takes years of dedication and experience to play proficiently, not to mention 5 hours to play! Ever wonder why the U. S. can’t win the Ryder Cup? Look whose running the show!

Reply Report comment
Jake Anderson

Oct 26, 2014 at 12:12 pm

Spot on, Mr. Garvich! What a wonderful article!

Reply Report comment
rickrock

Oct 26, 2014 at 11:47 am

The Anti-PC-Police are out in force today! I guess they must do their policing before church, lol.

This was a fireable offense, no doubt. No so much for what Bishop said, but for the fact that he took it to one of his own members on Twitter?!? Just… wow. Poor, poor leadership skills there, Ted.

Given that most of the differences between the sexes can be traced back to socialization, the need to change the words we use becomes more important if we want to see each other as equals.

Did the ‘lil girl’ comment cross the line? I’m not sure, but the PGA is clearly better off with Bishop gone.

Reply Report comment
paul

Oct 26, 2014 at 10:40 am

Where I live we don’t have nearly as much political correctness. I had to read about Teds comments twice to see why it was sexist… Little boys squeal as well as little girls, little girls just squeal more often and louder. Sounds like poulter to me ???? I had my sensitive wife read this so far, she doesn’t see my comment as sexist.

Reply Report comment
PCPolice

Oct 26, 2014 at 9:22 am

The PC police will come for everyone until the communist manifesto has been fully implemented.

Reply Report comment
Dave

Oct 26, 2014 at 8:00 am

What a bunch of baloney. Firing a guy over nonsense like this. I’d bet someone had it in for Bishop. Let’s get this guy.

The world has gone completely crazy. I weep for the young people.

Reply Report comment
- dwntnbrown
  
  Oct 26, 2014 at 2:49 pm
  
  tis not a guy it a lil girl who got their feelings hurt. if it wasn’t for what they are sitting on there would be a bounty on their ears
  
  Reply Report comment
- rer4136
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 4:31 pm
  
  We live in a country where some think same sex marriage is an important issue. Its the young people causing the problem.
  
  Reply Report comment
darrell

Oct 25, 2014 at 11:08 pm

Most of this article is a complete fabrication. “likening Poulter to a girl or a woman in order to insult him” This a false statement Tim, he said “lil girl.”…lesser beings than men” Where did that reach come from? “insulting men by likening them to women” Again,, Tim he said “lil girl.” This article will play big in the liberal North East States, but those of us with an IQ over 14 are not going to fall for this false journalism. You are right in the fact that you do not have a little girl because if you did you would realize they squeal on the playground. This is something boys do not do. I am not condoning the statements made, however the reaction of the PGA board is way out of line. Using your leap in reporting…..you are denigrating all PGA members with this article, lumping all professionals in the woman hating crowd.

Reply Report comment
- JR
  
  Oct 26, 2014 at 3:32 pm
  
  People who are liberal probably think what Bishop wasn’t sexist too. Nice try.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tyler

Oct 25, 2014 at 10:39 pm

Haha well said Knobbywood, this world is becoming crazy. Its sad that instead of instilling confidence in kids, so when when someone calls them a silly name it doesn’t bother them because they are secure in who they are, we teach them to cry and be upset and tell the teacher. Anyways listening to morning drive this morning made me sick.

Reply Report comment
Steve Sales

Oct 25, 2014 at 10:28 pm

Dear Mr. Gavrich,
If you are so upset about how your future daughter might be uncomfortable about getting into golf because of the neocons involved how will you explain writing these scathing gender equality pieces for this website. If you will notice the “Leaderbord” section headers on the right side of this page you will find that only the male tours are listed. Talk about old bys club mentality! And you have the gall to take money from such an organization! What would your poor daughter say. How will she be able to face life with living with a demeaning jerk such as yourself.
Maybe the Enquirer has an opening? I feel you might be able to fully realize your full journalistic potential writing for those folks, you seem like a natural.

Reply Report comment
- loubdoobe
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 9:09 am
  
  I agree.
  
  Reply Report comment
Rwj

Oct 25, 2014 at 8:22 pm

Sexism in golf from the male point of view. How is the LPGA’s continue use of coverage of the pretty girls helping sexism? They insist on tight skirts and blouses…that’s equality? I don’t understand how a group of guys playing together and razzing their buddies with “does your husband play” after a putt well short demean women? By your impression, make the ladies hit 600 yard par-5’s and all the par-3’s over 200 yards…equality all around or maybe, just maybe realize the sexes are different and stop being so critical of every single thing.

Reply Report comment
- rer4136
  
  Oct 27, 2014 at 4:34 pm
  
  Great point. All courses played at the same length. One set of tees for everyone. No exceptions, play it back.
  
  Reply Report comment
Dimarco

Oct 25, 2014 at 8:18 pm

I think the biggest issue is that the golf media is pumping up this story and pushing it as a highly sexist remark that women golfers NEED to be upset about. I talked this story over with my wife and she didn’t see it as sexist . She thought it was not a good remark for a PGA president to make but she thought using it as a beacon for change was a little bit of stretch. Neither of us felt that it has or will set back the women’s game.

What I find interesting is that we haven’t heard anything from the LPGA or any LPGA golfers on this yet.

Reply Report comment
Dave

Oct 25, 2014 at 8:08 pm

Look at a response Ian poulter had to a sports writer on twitter in this article. He uses a much more vulgar name but barely a peep from the media.

http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2014/3/9/5488298/ian-poulter-twitter-hideki-matsuyama-wgc-cadillac-championship-2014

Reply Report comment
RP Jacobs II

Oct 25, 2014 at 7:49 pm

This PC environment is ridiculous, LMAO. Its like an infectious communicable disease, lol. Was what he said foolish? Absolutely!! However where I am most dissapointed is that a president/CEO should have much more productive things to do with his time than to insert himself into a potentially controversial social media exchange.

What bothers me were not his words, however the thoughts, process and priorities of such a man. Now THAT bothers me greatly. My GF happens to be a LPGA Class A Master and she finds this all amusing especially the men who have come out of the wood work chirping about equality, sexism, bla, bla bla.

Her only question to the PC chirper was why have there no prominent women jumping on the PC band wagon?

They were there for Augusta.

No, Ted Bishop was a disappointment in so many areas, however this is typical of the PC movement in trying to make a minor issue into WW III, LOL.

Are females and Ladies where they should be in the game?

Absolutely not!!!

However it’s garbage like this that make the REAL issues that much tougher a hill to climb.

We don’t need a bunch of Type B passive PC male leading the charge, LMAO.

Have a nice week Gals & Gents 🙂

Fairways & Greens My Friends,
Richard

Reply Report comment
Roger

Oct 25, 2014 at 7:08 pm

Twitter will continue to assist in Workplace Dismissals!

Reply Report comment
D Snyder

Oct 25, 2014 at 7:00 pm

Would the powers that be have fired Bishop if he had said “lil boy” or “lil man”? What a bunch of PC bs…nothing “draconian” about it.

Reply Report comment
- Ryan
  
  Oct 25, 2014 at 8:30 pm
  
  Agreed..
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Oct 25, 2014 at 9:02 pm
  
  They wouldn’t have fired him if he’d said a lot of other things. But… he didn’t.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Knobbywood
    
    Oct 26, 2014 at 7:59 am
    
    Wow way to totally strike out on that analogy… Lil boy correlates to Lil girl… Unlike “alot of other things” also the sky is blue and 2+2 is 4
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jeremy
      
      Oct 27, 2014 at 12:06 pm
      
      It was an admittedly lazy attempt to point out the flaw in D Snyder’s argument. If he’d said “idiot” like Poulter once famously did, it wouldn’t have been that bad (though still childish and unprofessional of a man in Bishop’s position). If he’d said “lil boy” he’d have probably gotten off the hook. But he said what he said and I wish the obnoxiousness of it were more obvious to a lot of people here.
      
      Reply Report comment
Ritch

Oct 25, 2014 at 6:25 pm

This is a good piece and I agree with the PGA’s actions. I work part-time in the pro shop at a local club. We have a number of events that we promote as coed but have a very difficult time getting women to participate. Some of this is due to the subtle and, in some cases, overt attitude expressed by the men about playing with women. There is one lady here who put the men at ease during our weekly senior scramble. There was a silent tension the first couple of holes but then, following a semi-shank on the third, she cut loose with a couple of expletives, the ice was broken and the rest of the round proceeded as good fun. One footnote regarding the comment “hit it Alice”, during an interview with Sports Illustrated, I believe, Peter Allis stated that he was responsible for that comment. Apparently, he hadn’t been putting well in his Ryder Cup match and after leaving another putt short, someone in the gallery spouted “hit it Allis”.

Reply Report comment
Ted

Oct 25, 2014 at 6:16 pm

This is the sort of useless drivel that’s beginning to make this site irrelevant. Calling someone a little girl is hardly sexist and anyone claiming so is delusional or succumbing to the irrational power of political correctness. Newsflash, there are inherent differences between boys and girls. Little girls are weak and immature. That doesn’t mean they are of a lesser standing than little boys. Alas, that’s not the issue here. Ted bishop was wrong to call out Ian Poulter but folks such as the author of this piece are doing a greater disservice to women and girls. By clinging to false notions of sexism and discrimination you prevent girls, young ladies, and women from toughening themselves against the realities of the world. Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to be nice to you. But, but highlighting trivial occurrences such as this one, you degrade the sensitivities of the general public when true instances of sexism arise.

Reply Report comment
Knobbywood

Oct 25, 2014 at 5:49 pm

This whole thing makes me sick… A guy lost his job for calling someone a little girl!! The world has gone totally insane with political correctness!! People are so easily offended by the slightest thing it makes my head spin… If this honestly offends you I am so glad I don’t have to interact with you

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May 9, 2024

Terry Koehler

In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.

It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.

And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.

I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.

But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.

If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.

To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.

There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.

Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.

The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.

First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.

And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”

So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.

Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title

Published

4 days ago

May 6, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.

After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.

Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.

Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.

The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
2022: Max Homa (-8)
2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
2019: Max Homa (-15)
2018: Jason Day (-12)
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
2016: James Hahn (-9)
2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
Tom Hoge (+1.12)
Corey Conners (+1.01)
Shane Lowry (+0.93)
Austin Eckroat (+0.82)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
Chris Kirk (+0.52)

Proximity: 175-200

The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

Cameron Young (28’2″)
Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
Sam Burns (+30’6″)
Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
Will Zalatoris (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:

Taylor Moore (+0.82)
Nick Dunlap (+.76)
Wyndham Clark (+.69)
Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
Cam Davis (+.61)

Course History

This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
Justin Thomas (+1.96)
Jason Day (+1.92)
Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
Viktor Hovland (+1.78)

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).

Wyndham Clark
Rory McIlroy
Xander Schauffele
Shane Lowry
Hideki Matsuyama
Viktor Hovland
Cameron Young
Austin Eckroat
Byeong Hun An
Justin Thomas

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)

I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.

Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.

Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.

For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.

I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.

Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)

It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.

Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.

The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.

Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.

Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)

For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.

Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.

The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.

Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.

Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.

An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.

Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 30, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.

Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.

Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”

Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.

“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.

Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.

“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”

“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”

As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.

“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”

Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.

Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:

Fairways Hit

1.) Louis Oosthuizen

2.) Anirban Lahiri

3.) Jon Rahm

4.) Brendan Steele

5.) Cameron Tringale

Greens in Regulation

1.) Brooks Koepka

2.) Brendan Steele

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Cameron Tringale

5.) Anirban Lahiri

Birdies Made

1.) Brendan Steele

2.) Dean Burmester

3.) Thomas Pieters

4.) Patrick Reed

5.) Carlos Ortiz

LIV Golf Individual Standings:

1.) Joaquin Niemann

2.) Jon Rahm

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Louis Oosthuizen

5.) Abraham Ancer

LIV Golf Team Standings:

1.) Crushers

2.) Legion XIII

3.) Torque

4.) Stinger GC

5.) Ripper GC

LIV Golf Singapore Picks

Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)

Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.

This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.

Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)

Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.

This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.

It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.

Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)

Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.

Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.

Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.

Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)

Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.

Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.

If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.

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