News
Eddie Pepperell slams “pathetic” Woods-Mickelson match, Peter Uihlein offers counter argument
Eddie Pepperell is never shy at voicing his opinion on social media, and ahead of the much anticipated Woods-Mickelson showdown in Las Vegas, the Englishman took to Twitter to take a shot at the event.
Describing the winner-take-all match as “pathetic,” Pepperell made it clear in his tweet that he feels that the event is a poor advert for the game of golf.
Coming away from my Twitter ban just to take Georgie’s point further and conclude that this is indeed everything golf shouldn’t be doing right now. One man earning $9 Million isn’t attractive. This putrid attempt at attention will turn out to be futile for everyone. Pathetic. https://t.co/dTf3B4mimg
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) November 22, 2018
As expected, the Englishman’s tweet caused a stir and even provoked world No. 78 Peter Uihlein into defending the contest. The American claimed that the reason Pepperell, himself and every other tour player compete for such high purses these days is due to the impact Woods, and Mickelson made in the world of golf and that the two men have earned the right to play for the $9 million purse.
The only reason purses are as big as they are now is because of these two. They could play for as much as they want and I wouldn’t care because they’ve earned it. Just be thankful Pep, it is Thanksgiving after all ????
— Peter Uihlein (@PeterUihlein) November 22, 2018
Pepperell and Uihlein join a list of professionals who have now voiced their opinion on the event. Justin Thomas and Rory Mcilroy have both stated that they will not be watching, while when asked to comment about the match during last week’s Hong Kong Open, Sergio Garcia said: “I don’t care.”
The match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson takes place today at 3 p.m. ET, with the winner taking home the $9 million jackpot.
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Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos
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News
Four books for a springtime review
One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.
There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.
Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.
Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.
My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.
Decision: Buy It!
The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor
Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.
Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.
My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.
Decision: Buy It!!
Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal
Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.
One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.
Decision: Buy It!!!
Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie
Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.
Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.
My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.
Decision: Buy Them!!!!
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Dr. Bernfeld
Nov 30, 2018 at 9:50 pm
I think Pepperrel missed the point: How wonderful for them to play for $9M. Put up your own money, make it mean something. This “exhibition” was less than pathetic. They should have set this up hitting off skyscrapers in Dubai, insulting!
Roy
Nov 26, 2018 at 2:56 pm
I find it funny that you have professional golfers who routinely fly on private planes and get courtesy cars the week of tournaments complaining about the amount of money others are playing for….
Benny
Nov 25, 2018 at 9:02 am
WTF cares. This is the United States boys. Hard work, dedication and drive can make you extremly wealthy, rich and successful. You think these guys are simply gifted with these abilities? You think they didn’t have sacrafices in their lives? That they didn’t spend days training and practicing while someone like me wasted years partying it up and chasing chicks?
The old saying “don’t hate the player, hate the game” is true. You aren’t fat because of McDonalds, you are fat because you eat like shite. Get off your pedestal people. Enjoy your life or do something about it, but stop complaining because you don’t have the drive these guys do.
Sure there is unfortunate circumstances around the world. But for those wasting a life w/o mental or phsycal dissabilities shame on you. It is YOU who needs to fak-off and get off your ipad and get after something. Make something of your life.
Lets all get over yourselves. Suck it up. You have control.
paul
Nov 25, 2018 at 1:43 am
I’d like to know who takes the PPV money, as it was stated the $9 million was going to charity. It was ordinary golf, and these two don’t look like real friends. An event easily missed.
Elliot Smith
Nov 24, 2018 at 6:55 pm
I find it funny that all these comments saying they don’t deserve it. The sport is Tiger ratings go up 4-6 fold when he plays. They get paid this much because it makes money. The amount these pros play for is because Tiger and Phil. Maybe instead of being a keyboard warrior, go find something that you can add some value to instead of having a mentality that life isn’t fair… news flash, it’s not.
Joe
Nov 24, 2018 at 2:48 pm
JT was literally on Instagram Live watching the match. so he was full of it and like most people caved and watched it. honestly who cares, and if you do. that’s your problem
Pretty Ricky
Nov 24, 2018 at 2:09 am
I love how people tell these guys what they should do with their own money. Should they tell you how to spend yours?
JThunder
Nov 24, 2018 at 2:38 am
Are you under the impression that Phil and Tiger ponied up the $9mil? Woefully incorrect. That $9mil came from the working class, as usual. Tiger made $43.3 mil last year, mostly from endorsements, with a lone late-season win. Net worth, what, $1.5bil? Mickelson is worth $375 mil.
“They deserve to play for this money”
Wow, I thought golfers said it was the poor who acted “entitled”. They don’t “deserve” a damn thing. They’re insanely lucky that the world values their useless ability to smack a ball around SO highly over those who educate, create, serve and defend.
They have both received far, far more money than they “deserve” or could ever possibly need.
If the money doesn’t go to charity – the purse AND the side-bets, they both should be horribly ashamed of themselves. Aren’t they both California boys? There are plenty of people there who could use your help.
Fat Albert
Nov 26, 2018 at 12:42 am
Agreed-Well said.
They Earned It!!
Nov 26, 2018 at 2:59 pm
SO they should be ashamed of themselves for not giving THEIR money to who you think deserves it???
Only in America are those paying 100’s of millions in taxes the greedy, and those who benefit from it the victims….
Steve O
Nov 23, 2018 at 10:24 pm
Pepperell is a jealous little boy providing ill thought immature comments on the two players most responsible for his well being.
Liberty Apples
Nov 23, 2018 at 7:01 pm
Pepperell is correct.
Gunter Eisenberg
Nov 23, 2018 at 12:23 pm
Pepperell is right. While is would be nice to have the winnings go to charity this exhibition match isn’t relevant now. It would have been relevant 18 years ago.
Would you pay money to see a PPV between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus?
NoMo3putts
Nov 23, 2018 at 12:55 pm
The point of the bet amount is to make each player feel uncomfortable, if the winnings were going to charity it might lose that feeling, besides the side bets are going to charity.
Who knows, maybe the winner will end up donating the winnings.
Andrew
Nov 23, 2018 at 10:29 am
Agree with EP (and all other naysayers!) Wouldn’t it be something if these Calafornia boys would actually donate their winnings to the victims of the Calafornia fires.
Jamie
Nov 23, 2018 at 12:11 pm
What’s a Calafornia?
T
Nov 23, 2018 at 10:16 am
All of the naysayers wouldn’t complain if they were asked to play!
Dr Troy
Nov 23, 2018 at 9:50 am
Pete is absolutely right. Pipe down Peppermint.
Mower
Nov 23, 2018 at 10:33 am
lol