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19th Hole

Excerpts from upcoming Tiger Woods biography released… and they’re shocking

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If you haven’t heard, there’s a Tiger Woods biography looming large on the horizon. Nary a week from the release of Armen Ketayian and Jeff Benedict’s Tiger Woods, the excerpts are predictably trickling out in that precisely calibrated flow that’s sure to tease just enough of the content enough the book to bump sales, but leave readers hungry for more.

Thus, we can assume the excerpts we’re privy to, and every outlet is eagerly covering, aren’t among the 10 best in the book. Example: Ketayian has said explicitly he won’t discuss anything related to Woods’ potential PED use, but has deftly indicated there is a chapter in the book devoted to the topic.

Anyway, here’s what we’re looking at so far (and they’re not for the faint of heart).

An excerpt detailing Woods and company’s efforts to get Bill Clinton to appear at the 2006 opening of the Tiger Woods Learning Center, including some memorably bad behavior from Woods.

The most eye-popping portion describes Woods and Clinton meeting for a round of golf ahead of the opening.

“On the day before the official opening of the learning center, Woods met Clinton, Doug Band, sports agent Arn Tellum and Wasserman for the promised round of golf at Shady Canyon Country Club in Irvine. Tiger was having breakfast with McLaughlin in the clubhouse when Tellum and Wasserman approached. At that point, Woods had never met either man. Dispensing with introductions, Tiger wanted to know if the president had arrived. When told Clinton was on his way, Woods replied with a straight face, “I can’t wait to talk about [expletive].”

“The situation got even more awkward after Clinton arrived. Tiger’s behavior did nothing to bridge the gap between him and Clinton. At the outset, Clinton started carrying on, monopolizing the conversation, as he was known to do, before Woods interrupted and said, “How do you remember all that [expletive]?” Once they got onto the course, Tiger acted completely indifferent to the entire group, mostly riding alone in his cart and spending an inordinate amount of time on his phone. After finishing a hole, he would routinely exit the green while others were still putting, a major breach of golf etiquette. When the president hit a wayward drive, Woods snickered. He also told a series of off-color jokes.”

Next, there’s an excerpt looking at Woods 1995 U.S. Amateur, some notable remarks from Earl, and Tim Rosaforte’s decision not to report said remarks and potentially damage the blooming Woods mythos.

“How do you like this, Bobby Jones?” Earl said, hoisting the trophy above his head as if it were his. “A black man is the best golfer who ever lived.” Everyone stopped clapping, and an awkward silence amplified Earl’s voice. “Bobby Jones can kiss my son’s black [expletive],” Earl continued…”

“…Rosaforte faced a dilemma. If he wrote verbatim what Earl had said, the ramifications would be potentially devastating for Tiger. In addition to being difficult to explain, Earl’s racially inflammatory comments could unfairly stigmatize Tiger, prompting corporate America to hesitate when considering whether to sign him as a spokesman once he turned pro. Instead, Rosaforte handled the situation with class, choosing not to complicate Tiger’s future.”

Benedict and Ketayian also did a Q&A, which includes a couple of interesting responses.

Q: In the 1996 U.S. Amateur final, Tiger was 2 down with three holes to play and had a six-footer to win the 34th hole. (Tiger had moved his ball marker on the green to accommodate his opponent, Steve Scott, who had made a tough par putt.) You report that as Tiger prepared to putt for birdie to cut the lead to 1 up, Scott stopped him and asked if he’d replaced his mark to its previous spot. (“Woods immediately paused, stood up, and reset his ball to the correct spot.”) If Tiger had putted without doing so, he would have lost the hole and the match. Tiger made the birdie putt and went on to win the title, but you report that he didn’t thank Scott or acknowledge his action. What did Scott think of that, then and now?

A: It’s fair to say that Steve Scott was deeply disappointed at the time. So was his caddie, Kristi Hommel, who is now his wife. It was a pretty bruising loss for Scott, and the lack of acknowledgment from Tiger was hurtful. However, when Tiger complimented Steve for his sportsmanship on the 20th anniversary of the match, his words went a long way to mending the past.

Additionally, for those wondering about Woods’ gambling prowess, he’s hardly a whale, apparently.

Q: You report that at one point, Tiger was one of about 100 people in the country who had a $1 million line of credit with the MGM Grand in Vegas, and that at blackjack he would “routinely play $20,000 a hand, often two or more hands at a time.” What kind of a gambler was he?

A: A very good one. Competitive, with a mind for numbers. A “sharp,” in Las Vegas parlance, meaning he won more than he lost. It wasn’t unusual for him to walk away with $500,000 in winnings. And he rarely if ever chased big losses. Gamblers are rarely described as “disciplined,” but that fits Tiger.

So there you have, it GolfWRX members. Check out the full excerpts, and let us know what you think. We’ll have a full review of the book once it hits the shelves, and likely more content related to other notable morsels making the rounds.

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19th Hole

LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you

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On Friday morning, Ladies European Tour player, Hannah Gregg, took to social media to share her weekly expenses playing on the LET.

“Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour: Flights: $2600 Work Visa: $350 

  • Food: $377 
  • Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé 
  • Hotel: $0 because  @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week!  
  • Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car  
  • Gas: $165 
  • Entry Fee: $130 
  • Lounge Pass for caddie: $50 
  • Gym: $0 
  • Yardage book: $0 
  • Total expenses: $3672 

Made cut, finished 54th, total earned: $1244 Factor in 35% tax on earnings. To break even, needed to finish 24th. To make money, 21st. Guess we have our goals laid out for next event!”

When factoring in Gregg’s free housing, free caddie and free rental car, it’s evident that most LET players would have to finish well inside of the top-20 to make any money.

With ridiculous amounts of money being thrown around in professional golf these days, it’s important to remember the other side of the coin as well. There are countless professionals out there who struggle to get by on their golf salary.

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19th Hole

54-hole golf tour deemed eligible for OWGR points…but it’s not LIV

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After a seventeen-month application process, a 54-hole golf tour was deemed eligible for OWGR points.

Unfortunately, for LIV Golf and their fans, it was the Clutch Pro Tour.

After the decision, which is effective immediately, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson issued a statement.

“This is a significant milestone for golf, and OWGR is deeply encouraged by the achievement and the continued efforts in developing the sport of golf in the United Kingdom.”

“We look forward to watching the progress of the Clutch Pro Tour as it continues to play a key role in the development of players from the region,” Dawson added.

The Clutch Pro Tour operates in the United Kingdom and features a 36-hole cut. It also has an open qualifying school.

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19th Hole

Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open

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As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.

Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.

If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.

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