PGA Tour Quiz: Tiger Woods makes his debut next weekend.
Name the top ten on the all-time wins list…actually 11 as two
are tied for 10th at 39. [Hints: 8 of the 11 won at least 7 majors
but only two could still be considered active.] Answer below.
**Indy vs. Chicago…it should be an entertaining Super Bowl.
But do you think New Orleans’ Reggie Bush learned a lesson?
Even he admitted that his taunting at the end of his 88-yard dash
was over the top. “Obviously I was wrong for doing that,” he
said after the game. Personally, I’m going to pull for the Bears,
ostensibly because Chicago’s tight end, Desmond Clark, is a
Wake Forest guy. And it would be pretty funny if Rex Grossman
outplayed Peyton. Also, I’d like to thank Chicago for giving us
arm-chair quarterbacks some winter weather to look at during
these playoffs. It’s what some of us live for, after all.
Brain Damage
The New York Times’ Alan Schwarz wrote a powerful piece the
other day that is resonating across the National Football League
and the sports world in general. The issue is head injuries and
the long-term implications for the victims, which aren’t good.
I’ve mentioned in this space a number of times that my friend
Mark R. and I talk about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger and how it’s almost criminal the way the team
kept putting him out on the field this season despite the pounding
he was taking, starting with his off-field episode on the
motorcycle where he suffered a severe concussion. Then while
playing this fall, he had at least two more by my count.
The issue is on the verge of exploding, it would appear, as
Schwarz cites the work of Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of
Pittsburgh, a leading expert in forensic pathology, who was able
to look at the brain tissue of former NFL star Andre Waters, who
played for Philadelphia and Arizona from 1984 to 1995 and
committed suicide last year at the age of 44.
Through the intercession of Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard
football player and professional wrestler whose own career
ended because of a succession of concussions that left him with
severe migraines and depression, Waters’ sister allowed Dr.
Omalu to examine Andre’s remains.
What Omalu found was that Waters’ brain “had degenerated into
that of an 85-year-old man with similar characteristics as those of
early-stage Alzheimer’s victims. Dr. Omalu said he believed that
the damage was either caused or drastically expedited by
successive concussions Mr. Waters…had sustained playing
football.” [Alan Schwarz]
Had Waters lived another 10 or 15 years, Dr. Omalu concluded,
he “would have been fully incapacitated.”
Chris Nowinski selected Dr. Omalu in part because he is situated
in Pittsburgh, which has had two recent high-profile cases of
former Steelers players who met untimely ends; Mike Webster,
who became cognitively impaired before dying of a heart attack
in 2002, and Terry Long, who committed suicide in 2005.
Nowinski, who now works as a pharmaceutical consultant, wants
to spread the word on the dangers of head injuries and repeated
concussions in sports.
Kwana Pittman, Mr. Waters’ niece, said “I just want there to be
more teaching and for them to take the proper steps as far as
treating them. Don’t send them back out on these fields. They
boost it up in their heads that, you know, ‘You tough, you
tough.’”
Alan Schwarz:
“Studies of more than 2,500 former NFL players by the Center
for the Study of Retired Athletes, based at the University of
North Carolina, found that cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s-
like symptoms and depression rose proportionately with the
number of concussions they had sustained. That information,
combined with the revelations that Mr. Webster and Mr. Long
suffered from mental impairment before their deaths, compelled
Mr. Nowinski to promote awareness of brain trauma’s latent
effects.”
When Nowinski read of Waters’ death, remembering his
reputation as a hard-hitting safety he began to do some research
and found that in 1994, Waters told the Philadelphia Inquirer that
he had lost count on the number of concussions he had received,
but thought it was at least 15. “I just wouldn’t say anything,”
Waters told the paper. “I’d sniff some smelling salts, then go
back in there.”
Many experts, including Dr. Julian Bailes, at the Center for the
Study of Retired Athletes, say the NFL is minimizing the risks of
brain damage by allowing players to reenter games after
suffering a concussion. Just last month, Jets receiver Laveranues
Coles was allowed to return to play after one.
As a big fan of the sport, I know my own attitude has changed
immensely over the years, thanks in no small part to seeing the
impact of concussions on the likes of the New York Jets’ Al
Toon, who is in horrible shape and has contemplated suicide, to
fellow wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, now retired, who suffered
so many concussions we all lost count. Now when I see
someone get decked my immediate concern is for their long-term
health, not whether or not they play again.
Finally, the Times had a piece on Sunday by Daniel Gross
talking about football players and their short careers, and in
walking away from the sport the Giants’ Tiki Barber said he was
influenced to retire early by the example of the great running
back Early Campbell. Barber said “He can’t even walk. He has
a wheelchair or a walking stick.” I didn’t know that.
The Mamas and the Papas
And then there was one. With the death of Denny Doherty at the
age of 66, Michelle Phillips is the only surviving member of the
Mamas and the Papas. Kind of depressing to some of us. Not on
the level of a Beatle or Beach Boy dying, mind you, but another
sign of age.
Back in March 2001, I did a little story on the group following
John Phillips’ death so it’s a good time to rerun it.
Phillips founded the superstar rock group in 1965. The son of a
career marine officer, he was born on Parris Island, SC, in 1935.
Phillips was an all-state hoops player but really didn’t know what
he wanted to do, bouncing around between jobs and stints in
college (he went to George Washington for a spell, as well as 3
months at the Naval Academy). Finally he settled down in
Greenwich Village, NY, where he became a member of the folk
trio the Journeymen (which included Scott McKenzie). Then in
1962, he married Michelle Gilliam, a California girl who had
come to New York to be a model and the new Mrs. Phillips
joined her husband’s group.
Meanwhile, Canadian Denny Doherty had been a member of the
Halifax Three, a group which included future Lovin’ Spoonful
member Zal Yanovsky. Doherty and Yanovsky joined Ellen
Cohen (Cass Elliot) and her group, Cass Elliot and the Big Three.
They changed their name to the Mugwumps and added John
Sebastian. [Then Yanovsky and Sebastian split to launch
Spoonful.]
When the Mugwumps broke up, Doherty joined the New
Journeymen. John Phillips then thought that he, Michelle and
Denny should go the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas) and rehearse
the material that Phillips was working on. Elliot was down there
as a waitress and joined them at rehearsals. [Something tells me
these guys weren’t exactly getting up at the crack of dawn, if you
know what I mean.]
Well the four of them got along pretty well so they decided to
head to California, where they met ex-New Christy Minstrel
Barry McGuire (#1 “Eve Of Destruction”) who hooks them up
with producer Lou Adler. Adler toys with the name the Magic
Circle before settling on the Mamas & the Papas.
You’ll recall from your 60s history that a rock group fronted by
two men and two women was rare (like nonexistent). Well, in
early 1966 the group released John Phillips’ tune “California
Dreamin’” and it ran up to #4 on the Billboard Charts. Two
months later, “Monday, Monday,” another Phillips composition,
hit #1.
But you had your basic sexual tension in the marriage of John
and Michelle, which interfered in the creative process, so to
speak, so Michelle was fired from the band. A month later, the
two reconciled and she was welcomed back. Phewww, that was
close.
In early ‘67, the Mamas & the Papas won a Grammy for
“Monday, Monday” and that spring had the #2 “Dedicated To
The One I Love” (a smashing remake of the Shirelles’ hit), as
well as the autobiographical “Creeque Alley,” written by
Phillips, which peaked at #5. [Coupled with the other #5’s from
1966, “I Saw Her Again” and “Words Of Love,” and you had six
Top Fives in the span of about 15 months.]
Separately, John wrote the #4 “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear
Some Flowers In Your Hair)” for friend Scott McKenzie in the
summer of ‘67 and there was another big Phillips project, the
Monterey Pop Festival.
In the spring of 1967, Phillips, along with Adler and San
Francisco promoter Bill Graham (not to be confused with the
Rev. Billy Graham), financed a 3-night event where over 50,000
fans paid just $3-$6.50 a ticket to see some of the following:
First, the major introductions to an American audience for Jimi
Hendrix, Janis Joplin (with her Big Brother & The Holding
Company) and the Who…plus…Jefferson Airplane, Laura
Nyro, the Byrds, Johnny Rivers, Simon & Garfunkel, the Steve
Miller Blues Band, Buffalo Springfield, Eric Burdon and the
Animals, Lou Rawls, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Paul
Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish,
Otis Redding, Moby Grape, and Hugh Masekela. [The Beach
Boys were on the bill, as well, but Brian Wilson was having one
of his days so they bailed.]
Monterey also proved to be the last time the Mamas & the Papas
performed together. And by 1968 there were simply too many
problems; particularly the ongoing issue of John and Michelle’s
marriage. So in June of that year, John, Denny, and Cass wrote
Michelle to inform her that she was fired once again. The next
month the whole group broke up and John and Michelle
divorced.
Michelle went on to a successful acting career, Cass launched a
so-so solo career (the #12 “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” being
her only real winner), Doherty had zero success on his own, and
John Phillips did drugs and alcohol.
Actually, in 1973 the group announced a huge suit against their
Dunhill label for “systematic cold-blooded theft of perhaps up to
$60 million, stolen from each and every artist who recorded for it
during a 7-year period” and John ended up living off his
royalties.
Then on July 29, 1974, Mama Cass died while in London at
singer Harry Nilsson’s place. She was just 32 yet the massive
one suffered a heart attack while choking on a ham sandwich and
inhaling vomit. [It must have taken a crane to remove her from
Nilsson’s flat. And, getting off track, did you know that Nilsson
wrote Three Dog Night’s “One?” I was also surprised to see
that his “I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City” only
made it to #34. A travesty.]
In 1980, John Phillips was arrested for cocaine possession in Los
Angeles and was sentenced to five years, but it was later reduced
to 30 days and probation. In and out of rehab, Phillips and
Denny Doherty did team up for a 1982 oldies tour, using John’s
daughter MacKenzie Phillips along with Spanky McFarlane to
round out the group. [MacKenzie was also a mess, you’ll recall,
and I used to live behind the institution the two of them hung out
at! It wasn’t as bad a location as it sounds, but every now and
then you’d hear a scream in the night.]
John Phillips wasn’t totally finished as a songwriter though. In
1988, he co-wrote along with Scott McKenzie…for whom
MacKenzie Phillips was named, incidentally…and Mike Love
the Beach Boys’ #1 “Kokomo,” a tune which I have written on
numerous occasions tarnishes my favorite group’s image.
So there you have it, another rock legend gone. Over the coming
years they are really going to start dropping like flies. [Sources:
“The Encyclopedia of Pop Rock and Soul,” Irwin Stambler;
“VH1: Rock Stars Encyclopedia,” “The Rolling Stone
Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll,” Richard Pearson / Washington
Post]
Stuff
–George Mitchell, the former senator heading up baseball’s
investigation into steroid use, warned baseball owners that they
better start cooperating or the government is bound to get
involved. Addressing the owners’ quarterly meeting, Mitchell
told them he intends to interview active players and told them
they shouldn’t be surprised if Congress compels some to testify.
“I believe it will be in your best interests, and the best interests of
baseball, if I can report that I have received full cooperation from
your organizations, and from others, in conducting the
investigation,” Mitchell told the owners. He then cited the Hall
of Fame vote where Mark McGwire received only 23% of the
votes.
“If nothing else, the results…and the reaction to it, offer fresh
evidence that this issue will not just fade away. Whether you
think it fair or not, whether you think it justified or not, Major
League Baseball has a cloud over its head, and that cloud will not
just go away.”
Mitchell warned that if he has to submit a report to the
commissioner’s office that is not credible and thorough, it “will
significantly increase the possibility of action by others.”
Commissioner Bud Selig, who appointed Mitchell for the
investigation, says he told the owners in no uncertain terms they
must comply. [Andrew Bagnato / AP]
Meanwhile, it’s unclear just what direction the BALCO
investigation will take after the federal prosecutor handling the
case, Kevin Ryan, resigned…allegedly under pressure as the
U.S. attorney general now has the ability to appoint replacements
without Senate confirmation. Some say the White House is
using a new provision in the Patriot Act to replace some
prosecutors with Republican cronies.
Wouldn’t it be ironic, even if indirectly, that President Bush,
former baseball owner, has something to do with killing an
investigation that has done more to illuminate the steroid issue
than any other; thanks in no small part to the work of the two San
Francisco Chronicle reporters, Lance Williams and Mark
Fainaru-Wadu, who wrote the book “Game of Shadows.”
Finally, Bonds’ teammate, Mark Sweeney, the fellow Bonds
implicated when Barry Dirtball tested positive for amphetamines,
told reporters at a fanfest in San Francisco that he holds no
grudge against Bonds. “Barry has a heart, too, just like everyone
else.”
Then Sweeney appeared to absolve Bonds. “My name somehow
got linked to it and it wasn’t through Barry, so, no, I don’t blame
Barry for this,” he said. The New York Times’ Carol Pogash
then notes, “Asked how his name could have been linked to
Bonds in the first place, if Bonds did not mention him, Sweeney
said it was ‘something for other people to solve. I’ve always
been fine with Barry, and nothing has changed.’”
So add Mark Sweeney’s name to a growing list of players,
acquaintances and ex-mistresses who are clearly scared for their
lives. I would be. Bonds is a ticking time bomb.
–I apologize but I missed this critically important story the last
time.
Dateline Srinagar – “Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir offered
a reward of 10,000 rupees for information on a leopard believed
to have killed three children aged between 8 and 10 in the past
week. They were mauled near Chatergul, 90km south of
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, where a
boy of 10 was killed last month.” [London Times]
Our sympathies to the families, of course. But recall a while
back I wrote of how the Indian government was doing all it could
to protect the leopards in this area. Now exceptions are being
made. So I have one word of advice to our leopard friends, “Run
for your lives!”
–And we may just have our “Animal of the Year” after just three
weeks, a lucky duck.
It seems the duck was shot in the wing and leg by a hunter in
Tallahassee, FL, who then brought it home and placed it in the
refrigerator, believing it was dead.
So the hunter’s wife opened the fridge two days later and the
duck lifted its head! Staff at the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary
who are treating the bird said it has a 75% chance of survival,
though it probably won’t be able to live in the wild.
The duck’s low metabolism saved him, say experts, plus the fact
the refrigerator was opened from time to time which allowed for
some warmer air to get in.
–Don’t you find it disturbing the way Bindi Irwin, all of 8 years
old, is taking over for her father? I just hope it works out for her
sake.
–Jennifer Strange, no relation to Curtis, is becoming kind of a
household name in death; Jennifer being the one who died from
drinking too much water during a California radio station
contest. 10 employees have been fired and the Strange family is
suing.
But now all this data is coming out on how much water you
should drink, and what the limits are…such as a male over the
age of 19 should down 99 ounces a day, which is totally absurd.
If you’re new to the site, I don’t know how to pull it up on my
archives but I’ve done a slew of articles on this topic related to
marathon runners and the problems some of them have had over
the years in drinking excessive amounts.
So here’s a simple rule to follow, sports fans. Drink when you’re
thirsty!!! All this other research is total garbage.
–Wohhh! From BBC News:
“Australian wildlife officials warn that a serious drought is
driving tens of thousands of snakes into urban areas.
“Many venomous reptiles are moving into residential and
business areas in search of moisture.
“Last week a 16-year-old boy in Sydney died from a bite by an
Eastern Brown, one of the world’s deadliest snakes.
“Many parts of Australia have been hard-hit by the drought,
described as the worst for more than 100 years.
“Experts have warned that an army of snakes is on the move,
looking for water. Driven by extreme thirst they have been
discovered in gardens, bedrooms and even Australian shopping
centers.
“Hospitals have reported a rising number of snakebites.
Toxicologists have said there have been 60 serious cases since
September.”
Goodness gracious! Three Aussies in total have died of snake
bites in just the last few weeks. In Darwin a man accidentally
stood on a snake and was soon dead.
By the way, if you get bitten, aside from applying pressure with a
bandage, you are to lay still. Walking can accelerate the spread
of poison through a victim’s body. In other words, just let it
slither all over you and hope someone saunters by who has a
shovel and cellphone.
But does this whole story have Sci-Fi Channel “straight to video”
written all over it or what?! Throw in a few hotties from Bondi
Beach and you’ve got a profitable project.
–Is there a bigger jerk on the planet than Ann Coulter?!
–Great piece in the Wall Street Journal by Russell Adams on the
final four for the NFL playoffs. All have great running back
combos, as opposed to a single featured back.
New Orleans – Reggie Bush (565 yards) and Deuce McAllister
(1,0570
Indianapolis – Dominic Rhodes (641) and Joseph Addai (1,081)
New England – Corey Dillon (812) and Laurence Maroney (745)
Chicago – Thomas Jones (1,210) and Cedric Benson (647)
There’s just a growing consensus in football that unless you want
to wear out your star in a few years, you have to adopt a two-
back approach. Rare are those like Curtis Martin who can
maintain a consistently high level for ten years or more.
Russell Adams:
“The average NFL career lasts all of 3.2 years; for running backs,
it’s even shorter, 2.7 years. Some researchers are starting to look
into why some running backs’ careers decline faster than others.
One finding: Backs who carry the ball 370 times or more during
the regular season often get hurt the following year or see an
immediate and dramatic drop-off in performance – or both.
“Indeed, that’s what happened to three of the four players who
were closest to or exceeded the 370 figure last season: the Seattle
Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander, the Arizona Cardinals’ Edgerrin
James and the Washington Redskins’ Clinton Portis. The fourth,
New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, decided to retire this
year. The study found that backs with 300 to 369 carries in a
season had an average 15% drop in total yardage the following
year.”
–Bob Barker on why he’s leaving “The Price is Right” after 35
years. “In December, I became 83 years old and I want to retire
while I’m still young.” Asked how he maintains his energy level
and enthusiasm after 50 years on television, Barker replied
“booze.” [David Bianculli / New York Daily News]
–Star Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija is giving up
football, and a smart decision it is. He signed a $10 million, 5-
year contract to pitch for the Chicago Cubs. Recall he pitched
some at the Class-A level for the Cubs last summer and had a
2.70 ERA in seven starts before going back to Notre Dame for
his senior season on the gridiron. He would have been a star in
the NFL but there’s always that injury deal.
–Giuseppe Pallanti, who has spent three decades researching the
identity of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, claims to have found
a death notice for her, “the wife of Francesco del Giocondo,”
Lisa Gherardini, who died on July 15, 1542, and was buried at
Sant’Orsola in central Florence. Might as well dig her up and
see if she’s still smirking.
–Jeff B. and I were comparing notes on Michael Vick the other
day and one thing is for sure…come December I will be
officially rewarding him a Bar Chat “Lifetime Achievement
Award” in the jerk/idiot/dirtball categories; perhaps the first to
capture the Triple Crown. Vick is in the headlines again because
he was caught at Miami International Airport with a water bottle
that smelled of marijuana and contained a substance in a hidden
compartment. I haven’t seen anything on the test results as yet,
but Atlanta Falcons management is super pissed off at their star
quarterback who is far from a role model for America’s youth.
And at a certain level it just needs to be said. After a while even
us rabid sports fans couldn’t care less if he’s a gifted athlete and
exciting to watch. When you’re a consistent jerk like Vick is,
you rapidly lose interest in his life.
–The plot is thickening rapidly in “For Better or For Worse,”
thankfully. Now that Liz knows Cop Paul is sleeping with
Jimmy Durante’s granddaughter, Liz is being choppered back
home by Warren, who told Liz he knew about Paul and his new
squeeze, Susan, but didn’t want to tell Liz…basically because he
wanted her to see the situation so he, Warren, could get back
with Liz! Goodness gracious.
Well, we’re about to find out whether or not Liz will have
anything to do with Warren, or will she stumble into the arms of
Pitiful Wimp Anthony (PWA). “Team Editor” is still going with
the Chopper Pilot, while Jeff B. insists that Liz will see through
a-hole Warren and eagerly seek the comfort and guidance of
PWA. $5, and a ton of pride, is riding on the outcome.
One thing we all agree on, however, is that “Flyboy” has a really
hot chopper, though it would appear from Saturday’s strip that
Warren is also all coked up, witness his eyes.
–Charley Hoffman won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Charley
Hoffman? The previous week it was journeyman Paul Goydos.
Now I’m sure their respective families are thrilled by the
outcomes, but the Tour can’t be. Most of us want some names at
the top. Thankfully, it all begins to change this coming weekend.
–James Achenbach has a story in Golfweek on former PGA
Tour professional Buddy Allin, who is dying of cancer. Allin
won at all three levels, the PGA Tour, PGA European Tour and
the Champions Tour. But for those of us of a certain age who
grew up following golf in the 1960s and 70s, what we remember
most is that Allin was a Vietnam Vet, a fellow who volunteered
for two tours of duty, earning two Purple Hearts.
Just 5’6” and 130 lbs., Allin notes that in his prime he could only
hit his drives 242 yards. “I got it done with hard work, not with
distance,” he says.
Allin quit the Tour at the age of 35. “It’s just a me-me game
(among touring pros),” he says. “I hated that. I like being a head
pro. It’s rewarding to go to work. I like helping people. That’s
fun for me, whether it’s selling them a pair of shoes or running a
good tournament. The Tour wasn’t fun.”
Eventually, Allin did have to join the Champions Tour to earn
some money but he made his $2 million and walked away again.
–I have to admit I wasn’t a reader of Art Buchwald, but it
seemed I was always buying my father Buchwald’s latest book
for Christmas. Buchwald’s long, drawn out death has been an
inspiration to some and he wrote a final column that was to be
published when he passed away. It concludes:
“I know it’s very egocentric to believe that someone is put on
Earth for a reason. In my case, I like to think I was. And after
this column appears in the paper following my passing, I would
like to think it will either wind up on a cereal box top or be
repeated every Thanksgiving Day.
“So, ‘What’s it all about, Alfie?’ is my way of saying goodbye.”
Top 3 songs for the week of 1/20/68: #1 “Judy In Disguise”
(John Fred & His Playboy Band) #2 “Chain Of Fools” (Aretha
Franklin) #3 “Hello Goodbye” (The Beatles)…and…#4
“Woman, Woman” (The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) #5
“Green Tambourine” (The Lemon Pipers…your editor used this
for his first radio commercials in 1999-2000) #6 “Daydream
Believer” (The Monkees) #7 “Bend Me, Shape Me” (The
American Breed)
–And what is your editor overplaying these days on the car
stereo? Keith Urban’s “Once In A Lifetime” from his “Love,
Pain & the whole crazy thing” CD. Urban is out of rehab and
anxious to promote this one.
–I was reading some obituaries on Pookie Hudson, lead singer of
the great doo-wop group the Spaniels, and none of them
mentioned their best song; the definitive rendition of “Stormy
Weather.” I’m tellin’ ya, this is great, great music.
The Spaniels, though, are better known for “Goodnight,
Sweetheart, Goodnight.” Poor Pookie was actually homeless for
a spell after his career hit the skids in the 1960s.
PGA Tour Quiz Answer: Top Ten (11) all-time wins…
1. Sam Snead (7 majors)…82*
2. Jack Nicklaus (18)…73
3. Ben Hogan (9)…64
4. Arnold Palmer (7)…62
5. Tiger Woods (12)…54
6. Byron Nelson (5)…52
7. Billy Casper (3)…51
8. Walter Hagen (11)…45
9. Cary Middlecoff (3)…40
10. Gene Sarazen (7)…39
10. Tom Watson (8)…39
*John Steinbreder has a piece in the Jan. 20 issue of Golfweek
that delves into the question of just how many wins Sam Snead
has. Following an intensive study of PGA Tour archives in 1986
(the PGA not having the kind of record-keeping, say, baseball
does) it was determined that nine of Snead’s wins would be taken
away, including the 1953 Texas Open that had been credited to
Snead but had clearly been won by Tony Holguin. Six other
tournament victories were then credited to Snead that hadn’t
been, so the net effect was to take him from 84, the longtime
recognized mark, to 81. Then in 2002 his lone British Open title
was added to make it 82.
Jack Vardaman, former general counsel for the USGA and
longtime friend of Snead’s, is spearheading an effort, however,
to hike Snead’s tally back up. Vardaman points to two that were
taken away, the 1939 Ontario Open and the 1942 Cordoba Open
because they took place outside the U.S.
Now my initial reaction, if this was all that was presented to me,
is it’s tough…you don’t see Tiger’s foreign wins as part of his
PGA Tour tally, while it’s long been accepted the British Open is
the lone exception.
But…Vardaman points out the 1945 Montreal Open is counted
as one of Byron Nelson’s run of 11 consecutive victories.
Vardaman also has a problem with the claim that Snead won 17
events after the age of 40, a mark recently broken by Vijay
Singh. For years it had actually been 22 for Snead, but three
Greenbrier Invitational titles and two Sam Snead Festivals that
he won after turning 40 were taken away because of their meager
purses. Vardaman counters they were nonetheless 72-hole
medal-play competitions with fields that included Palmer, Hogan
and Gary Player. Here I’d agree with the PGA…take ‘em away.
For its part the PGA is showing no signs of acquiescing and in
case you’re wondering why this is important, think about when
Tiger is approaching Snead in another five years or so. You
don’t want any controversy then.
What does trouble me, though, is the Nelson Montreal Open
deal. Remember last fall, as Tiger had his consecutive win streak
going, he fell short in an Asian event, but for purposes of the
PGA Tour his streak continues at six when he tees off at Torrey
Pines later this week.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday…I’ll explain the FedEx Cup.
