Some days, rare days every so often, it’s not a lot of fun being a sportswriter.
Category: Golf
Arnie Turns 87
About 25 years ago — sheesh, really, 25 years? — I covered my first Masters. It was, coincidentally, the first golf tournament I had ever covered. I had been hired blindly as columnist for the Augusta Chronicle because, well, you’d have to ask them. I had never played a round of golf. And my only…
The Masters
Spent the last week at the Masters … so here are a few links if you are interested (or, I suppose, even if you are not): WEIGHT OF HISTORY — No one is immune from the echoes rumbling at Augusta National. Not even Jordan Spieth. WORKING MAN — Tom Watson was the hard one to…
Nicklaus and first baseball games
Here’s a fun one — on the first baseball game Jack Nicklaus ever attended. OF COURSE this was Nicklaus’ first game. It just perfectly fits the life he would lead. I suspect you will fill up the comment section with your first baseball game. I would hope so. From Golf Channel: “Of course Jack’s first…
The Happiest Place on Earth
My wife Margo has taken to calling Augusta National “the happiest place on earth,” which is strange because Margo neither plays golf nor particularly likes it. One of the quickest ways in my house to get a few minutes of peace is to tell Margo and our two daughters, “Yep, I think I’m going to…
A Toast to Tom
When I was a kid — and this is a bit hard to explain — I didn’t know that a person could grow up to be a sportswriter. Yes, of course, I was aware that sportswriters existed. I read them all the time. My first job was delivering the Cleveland Press, and when the newspaper…
The age of Tiger
So, if you’re a Peanuts fan, you might remember that for a time Peppermint Patty believed that she was an angel put on earth to pass along one specific message. The message? “If a foul ball is hit behind third base, it’s the shortstop’s ball.” I’ve often wondered, as many have I suppose: What is…
Tom Watson’s Final Round
Tom Watson played his final round at The Open Championship on Friday. He finished as darkness covered St. Andrews. As he reached the Swilcan Bridge, I noticed that every single person reached for a camera of some kind. I fumbled for my phone, pointed in Watson’s general direction. This is what I got. As you…
Tyson, Woods and the Enduring Power of Awesomeness
You might remember this: Nobody wanted to let go of Mike Tyson’s career. I have made the argument — to much disgust and “what you know about boxing couldn’t fill a business card” dismissiveness — that Tyson was an overrated fighter. I still believe that. He came up at a time when there really wasn’t…
Billy Casper’s Last Masters
Ten years ago, Billy Casper stalked his putt on the last green at Augusta National, a tricky five footer for double bogey, and the putt meant nothing while meaning everything. In the gallery was Shirley, his wife of more than a half century. In the gallery were 17 other Casper family members — some of…