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What should Tiger, Rory and Fallon talk about?

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As you may have heard, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be appearing together on the August 18 episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Many elements here are familiar: Woods and McIlroy have interviewed together before and both guest-starred on Fallon’s late night show in the past (Woods in 2011, McIlroy in 2012).

But this appearance remains a first. It’s the duo’s initial joint interview on Fallon, or any comedy show for that matter, which raises the question: What should we expect from this talk?

All three men love some degree of back and forth. And it doesn’t take long for it to get vulgar. If Fallon comes out firing, the discussion will be quite entertaining real quick.

In that vein, we look into the topics Fallon could bring up to incite relentless teasing. Fallon also loves to play games with his celebrity guests, with some contests related to the star’s talent while others are more tangential. This portion of the show could also be a goldmine of laughter with the Woods/McIlroy duo at hand.

Maybe our ideas aren’t what Jimmy has in mind, but they create the best opportunity for a hilarious sit down with golf’s two leading figures.

Without further ado, here they are:

Remind Rory that he’s still short of Tiger’s pace

RoryFallon

McIlroy has been far and away the world’s best golfer since May and appears to be the game’s next “great.” Yet even his four major championships at age 25 falls below Woods, who held six such titles at the same point.

In other words, Fallon can say, “Rory, according to this comparison, you’re just not very good at golf. Sorry buddy.” Woods, ever the trash talker, is pretty much guaranteed to pile on, and McIlroy can fire right back.

This could really get the teasing juices flowing early.

Point to Rory’s engagement break off as it pertains to Tiger

If you don’t think Fallon would go here, remember that he openly addressed Woods’ scandal in their previous interview and mockingly thanked Tiger for all of the comedy his embarrassment and pain engendered.

Fallon could go a couple different ways here. Maybe the host suggests that McIlroy’s decision to end his engagement could have served as a blueprint for Woods—whose marital troubles were plenty public. Or possibly just a snide remark could do the trick, something along the lines of “Man, Rory you dodged a bullet. Am I right, Tiger?”

This may be an awkward discussion point, but awkwardness can greatly aid comedy. This would be a prime example of that concept.

Offer Rory and Tiger an additional “PGA Championship superlative”

Earlier this week Fallon did a bit called “Tonight Show Superlatives: 2014 PGA Championship,” where the host brought up professional golfers’ official PGA Tour photos and gave the players intentionally ridiculous “Most likely to…” tags.

It was some hilarious material that didn’t spare Woods or McIlroy, nailed Chesson Hadley and absolutely annihilated Kevin Stadler (joining those USGA bullies in picking on Stads’ weight).

So, why not give the Woods and McIlroy another “superlative”? People loved this gag, and there’s the added element of the subjects being at hand to offer live reactions.

This stuff pretty much writes itself.

Show the duo a compilation of their 2014 highlights, omitting Tiger

A mean-spirited ploy for sure, but evidence already suggests that such a tactic yields great laughs.

The way I see it, begin the video with Rory’s best on-course moments of the year, make it clear that you are about to transition to Tiger, and at that moment, abruptly cut the video.

That should lead to maximum laughter and a way by which McIlroy can goad on Woods.

Delve into the age and health gap between Tiger and Rory

Obviously Woods has struggled massively with injuries, and he’s getting to the age where golfers tend to start a steep decline. Rory, on the other hand, is young, spry and not hampered by significant physical ailments.

In this way, Fallon could poke fun at Woods for being a battered old man next to his robust and intact contemporary. Maybe McIlroy chimes in too, but whatever the case, this is an additional chance for some quality gut-busting.

Compare Tiger’s recent withdrawals to Rory’s history in this department

This is a way to use something currently relevant to point back to McIlroy’s “toothache” episode at the Honda Classic in 2013.

There’s no shortage of potential verbal sparring on this topic. Considering the extensive wit Fallon has employed throughout his career, he can certainly supply an array of jokes at a golfer quitting mid-tournament due to “wisdom teeth pain.”

Celebrity games:

FallonGames

Tiger Woods video game

OK, not incredibly creative, but the precedent is too strong here to delve on that point. Woods has competed in his own video game against Fallon twice on TV now, and both occasions proved quite entertaining.

There was the first time when Fallon won and gave us some television gold with him demonstrably celebrating his triumph. On the rematch, Woods won, but only because Fallon was hilariously awful, which was no less entertaining.

We’re two-for-two here then. A third installment should produce similar comedy.

Imitating other professional golfers

Athletes impersonating their peers is a very bankable comedic concept, as fans are more than eager to see these sportsmen unleash their personality.

So let’s give Woods and McIlroy a chance to show off their chops in this area. There’s no dearth of heckling between players in the professional golfing ranks, which means the duo must have some sort of practice in impressions of their fellow competitors.

The potential names that top the list here are Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner, but any number of names could be the target of a fantastic imitation.

Lip-Synching Contest

Screen Shot 2014-08-16 at 6.33.21 PM

Fallon has frequently carried out lip-synching contests with his guests. Maybe Tiger and Rory join that group?

If you’re looking for the most ideal songs for entertainment purposes here, there are plenty of options. Among the ones that come to mind for me are Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele’s music helped McIlroy during his triumph at the 2011 U.S. Open) and Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” (Already been done in a Fallon lip-synch off but Boyz II Men is one of Woods’ favorite groups). Hootie and the Blowfish played at Woods’ wedding, and John Daly has performed with them. Their single “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (with Daly if possible) would fit in well. Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” would be intriguing as well, for obvious reasons.

And of course we have to ponder what it would be like for Woods and McIlroy to sing either of The Golf Boys’ musical masterpieces. In a word, epic.

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Kevin's fascination with the game goes back as long as he can remember. He has written about the sport on the junior, college and professional levels and hopes to cover its proceedings in some capacity for as long as possible. His main area of expertise is the PGA Tour, which is his primary focus for GolfWRX. Kevin is currently a student at Northwestern University, but he will be out into the workforce soon enough. You can find his golf tidbits and other sports-related babble on Twitter @KevinCasey19. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: September 2014

15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. nikkyd

    Aug 18, 2014 at 2:07 pm

    All i know is….jimmy fallon is a great entertainer /singer/guitarist…..but is not a good nightshow host. Imho

    • Kevin Casey

      Aug 18, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      I’ve never been a big Fallon fan, but he’s pleasantly surprised me as a Tonight Show host. He’s been better than I thought, although it definitely helps that Lorne Michaels is his EP. Just my opinion though.

      Out of curiosity who would your ideal Tonight Show host be at the moment? Do you wish they had let Conan had his own long run or is there someone else you have in mind?

  2. josh

    Aug 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    Talk to tiger about taking a 15 year break to heal up then start the champions tour

    • Kevin Casey

      Aug 18, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      I like that line of thinking. Kind of goes with what I said about delving into the age and health gap between Rory and Tiger. Any old jokes Fallon can throw at Tiger (and for Rory to pile in on potentially) are worthwhile in my opinion.

  3. Mark

    Aug 18, 2014 at 5:53 am

    To Tiger: who’s career go down hill quicker yours or Lindsay’s ?

    To Rory: Was Caroline trying to smash & grab your recent Nike deal ?

  4. Desmond

    Aug 17, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    Both should discuss blondes who follow them on the course… and how they should avoid them.

  5. HackerDav31

    Aug 17, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    This is great for golf… regardless of the topics at hand…

  6. Chris

    Aug 17, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Rory to Tiger – Dawg, Dump the Man Bag Swing

  7. Pingback: What should Tiger, Rory and Fallon talk about? | Spacetimeandi.com

  8. Nath

    Aug 16, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    Ahh, I wonder if they will talk about a nike equipment release. Seeing Nike website has “08/18/14 THERE’S ALLWAYS BETTER” . Hmm coincidence maybe, maybe not

    • bradford

      Aug 18, 2014 at 7:46 am

      Not seeing this on Nike’s site?

      • Inthejonzone

        Aug 18, 2014 at 1:14 pm

        Look at “the oven”

        • bradford

          Aug 18, 2014 at 1:23 pm

          Yup, and thanks–now I’m hooked on trying to figure out what they’re holding out on. I guess we’ll know in a bit.

          • rgb

            Aug 18, 2014 at 10:40 pm

            Perhaps its

            Nike Golf Unveils Vapor Iron Franchise: The Iron Reimagined

            Insights from Nike Golf athletes inspire engineering and design for perfected precision and power.

            http://nikeinc.com/nike-golf/news/nike-golf-unveils-vapor-iron-franchise-the-iron-reimagined

          • rgb

            Aug 18, 2014 at 10:41 pm

            The Vapor irons will be available on nike.com and at select retailers Oct. 31.

            Vapor Pro Irons

            Specifications: 3-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X/S/R (RH/LH);

            MSRP: $1199.99 3-PW Steel

            Vapor Pro Combo Irons

            Specifications: 3-AW; True Temper DG Pro (RH/LH)

            MSRP $1,319.99 4-AW Steel

            Vapor Speed Irons

            Specifications: 3-SW; True Temper Dynalite 105 Steel S/R (RH/LH); MRC Fubuki Z graphite S/R/A/W

            MSRP: $959.99 4-AW Steel; $1079.99 4-AW Graphite; $944.99 5-PW Women’s

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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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.

        

Rainmaker

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

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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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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