Priceless

[gregfletch]

Saw the earlier thread and I disagree. The rule is clear – the wedges are legal and Phil is great for the game – here is why…
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So I live in SoCal and have the opportunity to drive down to Torrey and see the tournament on Saturday. My 12 year old son (who can now beat me and is a really fine young golfer) and I get up at the crack of dawn and drive down to lace>San Diegolace>. After watching Phil most of the day – including an incredible eagle on #13, my son decided it would be great to get Phil’s autograph.
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Of course people are lined up 3 deep for over fifty yards. Other players run the gauntlet and with their heads down they stop to sign about every fifth or sixth item that is held out. It takes each one about 15 minutes to pass by.
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After all the media interviews, Phil finally comes out 30 minutes after finishing and I tell my son (who is just about the last one in the long line to not be too disappointed if he does not get an autograph). He says he understands.
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Phil starts going down the line and he looks into the eyes of EVERY and I mean EVERY kid who is hoping for an autograph, smiles and says things like “hope you had fun”. I kept walking back to see if he was going to give up and bolt. He doesn’t. I really can’t believe it. After about 45 minutes he reaches my son and autographs the Torrey Pines putter cover that my son had just bought in the clubhouse. I said to Phil – “Thanks very much for taking the time”. He said “no – thank you for coming out”.
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Unbelievable. With all the bad stuff being said about Tiger, I can tell that it has been hard on my son to keep believing that tour players are something to aspire to. Not anymore – at least not with respect to Phil.
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Gas: $12
Parking: $15
2 Tournament Tickets: $17 (my son was free)
2 Hot Dogs, sodas and chips $14
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Fantastic golf memory with my son and one of the best players ever: Priceless
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[1967GTA]

thats awesome. very good to hear

[BigJim13]

That's a great story! I hope to one day take my daughter to a PGA or LPGA event and hope that the pro's are half that giving!!!

Tell me honestly though, don't sugarcoat either! Was it really only $17 for tickets to see the tourney at Torrey Pines?!?!?!

[N.V.M.]

i heard Johnny Miller and crew talking about what Phil did, and how gracious Stricker is which i'm guessing was a bit of a backhanded swipe at Tiger.

[Rockford35]

i heard Johnny Miller and crew talking about what Phil did, and how gracious Stricker is which i'm guessing was a bit of a backhanded swipe at Tiger.

ANd deservingly so. Tiger does nothing of the sort and pissed in everyone's cornflakes with his recent fiascos.

IMO, Tiger needs (needed) to do more of this well before any of his idiocy hit the fan. One of the biggest reasons why I have always thought Tiger the person is a friggin' joke. Great golfer, horror of a human being.

R35

[1967GTA]

i agree with you 100%. i liked Tiger when he first came on the tour, but I've pretty much hated him (well, the way he behaves on the course) for the past 2-3 years. i wonder if we are going to see a change in his on-course behavior when he comes back?

ANd deservingly so. Tiger does nothing of the sort and pissed in everyone's cornflakes with his recent fiascos.

IMO, Tiger needs (needed) to do more of this well before any of his idiocy hit the fan. One of the biggest reasons why I have always thought Tiger the person is a friggin' joke. Great golfer, horror of a human being.

R35

[bunkerking321]

i've always had a sour spot for tiger. When I was 14(12 yrs ago) i was a part of our local police explorers. Tiger had a special event nearby to teach people the game of golf. We were there for crowd control. why they would put a bunch of teenagers out there for crowd control i don't know but anyways. He was hitting golf balls down the fairway on a particular hole. After he was done a couple of young kids maybe 8 or 9 grabbed a ball or two. Tiger walked in the direction of these kids and they asked him to autograph the balls. He walked by with his head down totally ignoring these kids. I really didn't grasp the severity of it until i was a little older. that was just cold

[slickpitt]

ANd deservingly so. Tiger does nothing of the sort and pissed in everyone's cornflakes with his recent fiascos.

IMO, Tiger needs (needed) to do more of this well before any of his idiocy hit the fan. One of the biggest reasons why I have always thought Tiger the person is a friggin' joke. Great golfer, horror of a human being.

R35

I couldn't agree more!

What you described Phil doing is exactly what the PGA Tour needs more of. Less of Tiger being a shithead.

[mddubya]

Great story, more power to Phil for doing that.

Hopefully Cheetah will have learned a lesson when he returns, but I'm not holding my breath.

[RLBadKarma]

Great story. I have had similar experiences with the PGA when I lived in Florida years ago. I worked for a furniture company in Ft. Myers and had a delivery in Naples, some guy named Chi Chi Rodriguez. All I had to do was deliver a nightstand. An hour and a half later I was able to leave, but not until I got a putting lesson on the backyard putting green!!! That man can tell some stories.

I used to not be able to stand Phil but I think I'm coming around. Some people learned the lesson of humility, some have not, and some never will. It all depends on how Cheetah acts when/if he comes back.

But I gotta say, I love the Champions Tour right now. And can't wait for the LPGA!!!!!

[Rockford35]

i agree with you 100%. i liked Tiger when he first came on the tour, but I've pretty much hated him (well, the way he behaves on the course) for the past 2-3 years. i wonder if we are going to see a change in his on-course behavior when he comes back?

No chance. If anything, he becomes even more isolated from his fans in fear of reprucussions. My guess it will be same old Tiger, Stevie being a dick, him ignoring everyone that has made him who he is, with idiots yelling for holes in one on the par 5 tees.

R35

[nixdad]

Achilles Last Stand by Led Zepplin

[eclark53520]

Achilles Last Stand by Led Zepplin

I think you are in the wrong thread bud....i think you want 'songs that make you speed'....but then...i could be mistaken..

[gregfletch]

That's a great story! I hope to one day take my daughter to a PGA or LPGA event and hope that the pro's are half that giving!!!

Tell me honestly though, don't sugarcoat either! Was it really only $17 for tickets to see the tourney at Torrey Pines?!?!?!

Honestly! Only $17! But it is really even better than that....

The ticket price was listed (I think) as $31 but I thought - what the heck - I've gone before and sometimes people are just standing around the bus pick-up area asking if anyone wants tickets for free since they have an extra. Say what you will about any professional athelete, but I've found that regular every-day golfers are the best... Things have been really tough financially this year so I thought why not - worst that can happen is that I pay $31 at the door.

On the way to the parking area I saw a nice looking group of girls with their mom who were holding up signs saying tickets to the tournament for only $17. I pulled over and found out that it was a fund-raiser for a local high-school so I paid for my ticket - they reminded me that since my son is younger than 15 he would be free. I guess this is something they do every year. And get this - along with my ticket, they gave me a $10 cash card for GolfSmith!

While walking down the back nine later in the afternoon we stumble upon a GolfSmith tent and they give each of us another $10 cash card! Of course I've already used one of the $10 cards to knock the price of some new Bridgestone E6s way down so it really was like someone giving my son $10 to come and see the tournament and "paying" me $3!

[1967GTA]

sadly, you are probably right. and if we do see this huge change in his behavior, it probably wont last very long. but ya never know

No chance. If anything, he becomes even more isolated from his fans in fear of reprucussions. My guess it will be same old Tiger, Stevie being a dick, him ignoring everyone that has made him who he is, with idiots yelling for holes in one on the par 5 tees.

R35