[SeanATL]

I saw a list of the 25 worst players to get paired with on the PGA. #1 was tiger because of the crowds.

One name high on the list was Garrett Willis.

Anyone know why? Have any stories?

I've heard he's a club thrower, pretty much overall a-hole to play with, but I don't have any specific stories.

[mat562]

I'd rather have Garrett Willis hunting me down with a large knife than spend two minutes within fifty yards of Rory Sabbatini.

[wjdpar1]

Yes, Rory looks like he could easily be a pr*ick. I must say that after the Ben Crane incident, Rory is my hero. Apparently that was the 4th straight day he played with Crane, I admire Rory for composing himself as long as he did.

[Terrible-Tom]

If I had to play with Ben Crane my head would be balder than his after pulling all my own hair out.

[PMAC]

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 12:06 PM, said:

I'd rather have Garrett Willis hunting me down with a large knife than spend two minutes within fifty yards of Rory Sabbatini.

Why dont you hang around someone first before talking s**h about them?? I had the chance to hang around him twice this summer and he is amazingly funny. The media hates him but why should you?

[mat562]

Various reported incidents, including some which were televised, and a personal experience relating to Sabbatini (which I won't document in detail) which was downright rude and disrespectful to several people and wholy unecessary and unbecoming of a golf professional.

I wasn't one of the people, so personal animosity isn't a factor.

Suffice to say, I don't like him at all.

Neither do a lot of PGAS Pros either; a recent survey I read had him the most disliked pro by an enormous margin over anyone else on Tour.

I feel more comfortable in that knowledge that I'm not being overly critical.

Not to single out Sabbatini; I also dislike Vijay Singh, for broadly similar reasons, including another incident which I saw in person at an Open Championship which was absolutely disgraceful and offended many people, including children.

Both are very poor adverts for the sport IMO.

[xplyboy]

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 04:29 PM, said:

Various reported incidents, including some which were televised, and a personal experience relating to Sabbatini (which I won't document in detail) which was downright rude and disrespectful to several people and wholy unecessary and unbecoming of a golf professional.

I wasn't one of the people, so personal animosity isn't a factor.

Suffice to say, I don't like him at all.

Neither do a lot of PGAS Pros either; a recent survey I read had him the most disliked pro by an enormous margin over anyone else on Tour.

I feel more comfortable in that knowledge that I'm not being overly critical.

Not to single out Sabbatini; I also dislike Vijay Singh, for broadly similar reasons, including another incident which I saw in person at an Open Championship which was absolutely disgraceful and offended many people, including children.

Both are very poor adverts for the sport IMO.

Please do tell!

[mat562]

Basically, using language that would make a sailor blush directed towards the parent of an autograph-seeking 10 year old in Sabbatini's case (aside from all the reported dramas in the press etc) and in Singh's case a foul-mouthed tirade towards a disabled lady who asked for an autograph after he had had a bad round...

Perhaps she disturbed his concentration while he was mulling over which score to change on his card.

[xplyboy]

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 04:45 PM, said:

Basically, using language that would make a sailor blush directed towards the parent of an autograph-seeking 10 year old in Sabbatini's case (aside from all the reported dramas in the press etc) and in Singh's case a foul-mouthed tirade towards a disabled lady who asked for an autograph after he had had a bad round...

Perhaps she disturbed his concentration while he was mulling over which score to change on his card.

Wow that sucks in both cases. Were you there, first hand, in both cases?

[SeanATL]

yeah, rory was definitely on the list as well.

The list was like from 2005 or something......Willis wasn't even a good player. You've got to be a pretty big jerk to make that kind of list when you're not even good.

[mat562]

xplyboy, on Oct 12 2007, 05:27 PM, said:

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 04:45 PM, said:

Basically, using language that would make a sailor blush directed towards the parent of an autograph-seeking 10 year old in Sabbatini's case (aside from all the reported dramas in the press etc) and in Singh's case a foul-mouthed tirade towards a disabled lady who asked for an autograph after he had had a bad round...

Perhaps she disturbed his concentration while he was mulling over which score to change on his card.

Wow that sucks in both cases. Were you there, first hand, in both cases?

I was.

Admittedly, the Singh episode was in 1991 but it was still disgraceful behaviour.

It always used to irk me when people used to say Faldo was a miserable so-and-so, since I've seen him numerous times up close through the years and he has always been beyond reproach when dealing with kids and other fans.
His sense of humour was something that anyone who had met him or had contact with him would be able to attest to - even when the press were crucifying him.

Sandy Lyle and Woosie were also brilliant amongst fans.

It doesn't take much of an effort to make someone's day rather than make someone remember you for the wrong reasons.

Then there's downright offensive.

The thing is, when there are stories of rudeness and discourtesy time and again, it begins to become less likely that you're misconstrued or causght at a bad moment and more likely that you are, in fact, very rude.

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

SeanATL, on Oct 12 2007, 04:40 PM, said:

yeah, rory was definitely on the list as well.

The list was like from 2005 or something......Willis wasn't even a good player. You've got to be a pretty big jerk to make that kind of list when you're not even good.

In the loop: looking for the scoop from inside the ropes? Ask the caddies

Golf Digest, August 2004
Hunki Yun With a few exceptions, most of them are no-names, working behind the scenes and far from the public glare. But wherever the tour goes, caddies are there every step of the way--literally. Think of them as the ultimate secret-keepers, the butlers and chambermaids of golf's rich and famous. * To get answers to the kind of questions you won't read about in a PGA Tour program, we approached tour caddies and asked them to take an anonymous survey. Of the 200-plus full-time caddies out there, 42 were game. Here's what they had to say.

Which player is most likely to show up at the last second for his tee time?

26% Carlos Franco ("He can go straight from his car to the tee.")

22% John Daly

15% Chiris DiMarco

7% Joey Sindelar

Who has the biggest ego on tour?

19% Rory Sabbatini ("He behaves like an idiot out there.")

14% Tiger Woods

8% Scott Hoch
Vijay Singh

6% Justin Leonard
Phil Mickelson
"A whole bunch"

Who has the smallest ego?

17% Chris Riley ("He's the nicest guy for a Ryder Cup-level player.")

9% Nick Price

6% Jay Haas
Brenden Pappas
Joey Sindelar
Chris Smith

Who does everybody want to be paired with?

24% Fred Couples ("He's a nice, easygoing guy.")

22% Tiger Woods

14% Nick Price

5% Dan Forsman
Peter Jacobsen
Joey Sindelar
Vijay Singh ("Because he's not Tiger, and he's a funny guy.")

Who does nobody want to be paired with?

17% Tiger Woods ("The gallery is a huge distraction. In fact, you don't want to be in the group ahead of him or behind him, either.")

14% Fulton Allem
Garrett Willis

6% Jerry Kelly

Who is the most entertaining curser?

28% Neal Lancaster

22% Fulton Allem

6% Steve Pate
Tiger Woods

If you needed to make a 10-foot putt to save your life, who would be your first choice to take it ?

29% Brad Faxon

21% Tiger Woods

12% Jack Nicklaus

9% Chris Riley

6% Jim Furyk
Zach Johnson
Phil Mickelson

Your last choice to take the putt?

12% Billy Mayfair ("I'd rather take it myself.")

8% Woody Austin
Joe Durant
Carlos Franco
Grant Waite

Ad lib: "I don't know, but if it was four feet, it would be Mickelson."

Whose girlfriend or wife has the most jewelry?

37% Frank Lickliter II ("The diamond on her ring is the size of an ashtray.")

11% Phil Mickelson
Hal Sutton

Who is the most popular with women in the gallery?

27% Tommy Armour III

15% Fred Couples

12% John Morgan Ted Tryba

8% Sergio Garcia

Who gambles for the highest stakes?

29% Vijay Singh

17% Phil Mickelson ("He once played Calc [Mark Calcavecchia] for $500 a hole, automatic 1-down presses. On the last hole, they both had about a 10-footer for more than $8,000. They looked at each other and said, 'Good-good.' ");

Garrett Willis

13% John Daly

Have you ever seen a player cheat?

63% No

32% Yes

6% I think so, but it wasn't outright

Have you ever caddied for a tour player who was hung over?

51% Yes

49% No

Ever caddied for a player who was still drunk?

71% No


29% Yes

Ad lib: "We had a great front nine but a horrible back nine once the buzz wore off, and we missed the cut."

Who's the best celebrity to be paired with in a pro-am?

35% Bill Murray

17% Kevin Costner ("For the girls in his gallery.")

9% Joe Pesci

The worst celebrity to be paired with?

38% Kevin Costner

At which event can you get in the most trouble?

39% New Orleans

28% Las Vegas

11% Doral

Ad lib: "We can get in trouble anywhere."

Who's the best all-around caddie on tour?

13% Steve Williams (Tiger Woods)
"Me"

10% Damon Green (Zach Johnson)
Jim (Bones) Mackay (Phil Mickelson)

7% Paul Tesori (Jerry Kelly)
Joe LaCava (Fred Couples)
Mike (Fluff) Cowan (Jim Furyk)

How many caddies earned $100,000 or more last year?

40 caddies 13%

50 10%

60 26%

70 19%

75 10%

Ad lib: "I have no idea, but I know I'm not one of them."

If you could have only one bag for the rest of your career, whose would it be?

38% Tiger Woods ("I would take it for one week.")

5% Chris Riley
Vijay Singh ("He's good, and he's a good guy.")

Whose bag would you never take?

18% Fulton Allem

11% Tom Pernice Jr.;
None ("Never say never, especially now. It's a buyer's market for the players, and the competition for jobs is cutthroat.")

7% Vijay Singh ("I don't want to spend the whole day at the range.")
Garrett Willis

Which player has been through the most caddies?

43% K.J. Choi ("It's never his fault")

10% Fulton Allem


7% Jay Williamson;
Mac O'Grady ("All-time. He once had four caddies in one week.");
Garrett Willis;
Brett Quigley

Which caddie is the best player?

52% Damon Green (scratch; Zach Johnson's caddie)

12% Lance Ten Broeck (+2; Robert Allenby's caddie)

6% Tony Terry (2; Duffy Waldorf's ex-caddie, looking for a bag)

[TexasAg]

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 07:50 PM, said:

I was.

Admittedly, the Singh episode was in 1991 but it was still disgraceful behaviour.

It always used to irk me when people used to say Faldo was a miserable so-and-so, since I've seen him numerous times up close through the years and he has always been beyond reproach when dealing with kids and other fans.
His sense of humour was something that anyone who had met him or had contact with him would be able to attest to - even when the press were crucifying him.

Sandy Lyle and Woosie were also brilliant amongst fans.

It doesn't take much of an effort to make someone's day rather than make someone remember you for the wrong reasons.

Then there's downright offensive.

The thing is, when there are stories of rudeness and discourtesy time and again, it begins to become less likely that you're misconstrued or causght at a bad moment and more likely that you are, in fact, very rude.

It was 16 years ago. Give it a break. I'm sure you (just like Faldo) have never had a bad day and done or said anything that was offensive to somebody else.

[bstevens2008]

great survey from then luggers.

[drpurpell]

mat562, on Oct 13 2007, 12:50 AM, said:

xplyboy, on Oct 12 2007, 05:27 PM, said:

mat562, on Oct 12 2007, 04:45 PM, said:

Basically, using language that would make a sailor blush directed towards the parent of an autograph-seeking 10 year old in Sabbatini's case (aside from all the reported dramas in the press etc) and in Singh's case a foul-mouthed tirade towards a disabled lady who asked for an autograph after he had had a bad round...

Perhaps she disturbed his concentration while he was mulling over which score to change on his card.

Wow that sucks in both cases. Were you there, first hand, in both cases?

I was.

Admittedly, the Singh episode was in 1991 but it was still disgraceful behaviour.

It always used to irk me when people used to say Faldo was a miserable so-and-so, since I've seen him numerous times up close through the years and he has always been beyond reproach when dealing with kids and other fans.
His sense of humour was something that anyone who had met him or had contact with him would be able to attest to - even when the press were crucifying him.

Sandy Lyle and Woosie were also brilliant amongst fans.

It doesn't take much of an effort to make someone's day rather than make someone remember you for the wrong reasons.

Then there's downright offensive.

The thing is, when there are stories of rudeness and discourtesy time and again, it begins to become less likely that you're misconstrued or causght at a bad moment and more likely that you are, in fact, very rude.

Have to disagree on Woosnam - an ignorant tosser of a man.

[bantam]

I played with Garrett and he was very cool. His wife followed in the gallery and is super nice.

[Swingtheclub]

Loved the Caddy survey

Biggest ego I ever met from the tour was Andy North

Nicest guy that everyone said was a jerk was Colbert


Hey Tom Lehman supposedly threw a temper tantrum over where is my courtesy car at a hotel

who knows is all I can say.

[cfreeman8]

good post, Charlie. Ive seen Brendan Pappas play, and he has to be one of the nicest guys ive ever seen. He has absolutely no cockiness and wasnt shy to talk to fans(especially kids)