So what does it take to get Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Collin Morikawa and Matt Wolff to don one-piece Christmas pajamas with feet?
You can bet that 20 years ago Tiger wouldn’t have been on board but Tiger has become a new man so there he is, proudly standing next to the Merry Christmas greeting sign along with D.J.
We thought this would be a nice addition to the DogLeg archives so consider it a unique Merry Christmas card to everyone, thank-you TaylorMade. Good things happen when you pay guys a lot of money.
With Christmas just two short days away, we thought it was a good time to see who’s been naughty and who’s been nice in the world of golf this year, so let’s get right to it.
Santa’s Naughty List:
Thorbjorn Olesen: It was kind of surprising with the young man from Denmark got himself in big-time trouble last summer on a flight from Nashville to London following the WGC-Memphis event. Olesen, who turned 30 this past Saturday, went totally nuts on the flight. He was apparently drunk when he urinated in the aisle of the plane then harassed a lot of fellow passengers, including women. The Bobbies were waiting for him at Heathrow Airport in London and he was immediately escorted to the clink. He bailed out and is awaiting trial. In the meantime, Olesen, a member of the victorious 2018 Ryder Cup team, has been suspended from the European Tour.
“Thunder Bear” is easily at the top of the “Naughty” list.
Sergio Garcia: Garcia went totally nutso last year at the European Tour event in Saudi Arabia. Angry about his play, he took it out on the golf course. He tore up at least five putting surfaces and thrashed around in a bunker, moving enough sand to make Patrick Reed jealous. Believe it or not, they’re letting Sergio back in that event in 2020, minus his fat appearance fee. Santa was watching you, Sergio.
Patrick Reed: This one’s pretty much a no-brainer. Cheating (allegedly), is the worst thing a player can do and Reed got caught on camera. He emphatically denied that he did it intentionally, but Patrick, Santa knows better. He saw you. Reed’s been a problem child in team competition, he dragged his partners down at the 2018 Ryder Cup then threw everyone under the bus, including Tiger Woods. They gave Reed a second chance and once again, he stunk up Royal Melbourne in team play at the Presidents Cup.
John Daly: Bad Behavior has been Daly’s trademark through most of his career. If you know anyone that feeling a bit down during the holiday season, give them a copy of Daly’s book — My Life In And Out Of The Rough. They will feel a whole lot better about themselves!
Matt Kuchar: Kooch The Caddie Mooch played Ebenezer Scrooge when it came time to pay his caddie — El Tucan — after winning the 2018 Mayakoba Classic. Only after being visited by The Ghosts Of Sponsors Present, did Kooch caught up some additional compensation for El Tucan.
Santa’s Nice List:
Rickie Fowler: Rickie always conducts himself like Santa’s watching. The tour’s Mr. Nice Guy. He’s the Sarah Lee of golf and remember — Nobody Doesn’t Like Sarah Lee.
Rory McIlroy: Rory has that Irish charm. He’s turned 30 and got hitched this year and still maintains a great attitude, even when things don’t go his way at The Masters.
Tiger Woods: If anyone on tour got a midnight visit from The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future — it’s Tiger. At age 43, he’ll turn 44 at the end of the month, the new Tiger has had an Ebenezer Scrooge type of turnaround. He laughs, makes fun of himself and is so much more personable. Apparently he wants to set a better example for his kids now that they’re older and know what he’s up to on and off the course. We don’t know if Tiger has changed his tipping habits.
There you have it. Yes, the lists are short. Most of the guys on the PGA Tour and European Tours can qualify for the “Nice” list.
As for the PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and his staff — aka The Sheriff Of Nottingham and His Band Of Henchmen — Santa will dump a sleight-load of coal at the front door of tour headquarters.
See you on Wednesday — Christmas Day, 2019.
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
JD is on Toms naughty list on reputation alone.
Kuchs misdeed was in 2018. Give the man a break already.
Tiger really is the feel good Christmas story of the year. Scrooge or Even DJs incredible transformation a few years ago pale compared to Tigers changes for the better.
Tigers old intensity was powerful but seemingly exhausting and not so nice. The new Tiger is still the man, only with a subtle, relaxed confidence now which seems to be helping extend his career as much as any surgery.
If only we could all be more like Rickie…we would all still lack the really big wins…the kind much bigger than Toms boy Monahans so called crown jewel event…but man the world would be a better place.
Maybe if we all wish upon a star for Rick…Santa will produce some magic for him in 2020.
Tom Edrington
Rickie will win a major, somewhere, sometime, when we least expect it.