Happy Thanksgiving to all Hooked On Golf Blog readers, fans, haters, critics… I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving (those who celebrate it) and don’t eat too much.
It is THAT time of year again. It is time for the legendary (in my own mind) HOG Turkey Awards. The HOG Turkey Awards were created to recognize boneheads in the golf world for the past year. There have been many big winners of the HOG Turkey Awards, from Sergio Garcia spitting in the cup to John Daly passing out in a hooters to Phil Mickelson blowing the lead on the final hole of the US Open. I suggest you look back over the years and read the previous entries. There’s some good entertainment. Links for previous years are below.
Alright, enough talk. Let’s get to it. The envelope please… drum roll….
Honorable Mention: John Daly
This has been a quiet year for John Daly. The winner of many previous HOG turkey legs didn’t really do anything to deserve one this year. But I’m so used to putting him on the turkey award list, I had to just mention his name.
#10 Kevin Na 16
Kevin Na carded a 16 on the par-4 9th hole at the Texas Open. I watched Na as he hacked and hacked and hacked, trying to get out of the trees on the right of the 9th. Na laughed, but the caddie wasn’t thrilled. Later Na said, “I think I made somewhere between 10 and 15.” Um, try 16.
#9 Jim Gray
Jim Gray was removed from his duties by Golf Channel after he got into a “heated argument with golfer Dustin Johnson’s caddie Bobby Brown” at the Northern Trust Open. That was his 2nd dispute in a year. Apparently Gray was crossing the line asking interview questions of Johnson’s round when conversation was not initiated by the player or caddie– a no-no on the PGA Tour.
#8 Tiger Woods Spit Gate
I didn’t know this until it happened, but spitting is quite offensive in the middle east. Not too thrilled with his play, Tiger hawked a pretty large one on the 12th hole in the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic and was subsequently fined by the European Tour.
“The Euro Tour is right – it was inconsiderate to spit like that and I know better. Just wasn’t thinking and want to say I’m sorry.” ~Tiger Woods
#7 Chris Berman
Chris Berman’s lame and tired schtick during the US Open is so nauseating. “Ground control to David Toms.” Please stop. Please stop.
#6 Boneheads Who Yell Get In The Hole
“Get in the hole.” “You da man!” Please, please. I beg you. Stop. Shut up.
#5 Rory McIlroy Blows Masters Lead
I really, really wanted Rory McIlroy to win the Masters. But I did fear he might turn into a rubber band and flame out as he had such a large lead going into Sunday. It was simply hard to watch. The Rory Masters meltdown gets a turkey leg, but I believe it really helped him win the US Open.
#4 Johnny Miller
Johnny Miller is a very polarizing announcer. Some love him. Some hate him. I’m not a big fan, but I do like the fact that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, especially about Tiger. But Miller gets a turkey leg for predicting that Rory McIlroy would knock his tee shot in the water on the par-3 10th hole in the final round of the US Open at congressional. Instead, McIlroy flew his shot over the flag and nearly backed it into the hole for an ace. He had a tap-in birdie and went on to lap the field for his first major.
#3 LPGA Tour Adds 5th Major
This is wrong in so many ways. The LPGA actually added a 5th major championship, and even more boneheaded is that it is in Europe.
#2 Steve Williams “Best win I’ve ever had. Best week of my life”
After his new player, Adam Scott, won the very prestigious (forget the Masters, US Open, British Open etc) Bridgestone Invitational, Steve Williams had some interesting quotes:
“That’s the best win I’ve ever had.”
“Best week of my life.”
Those comments deserve a turkey leg. Think of all the big major victories, like 2008’s US Open and the playoff with Rocco Mediate. Puzzling.
#1 (and the winner is…) Steve Williams Racial Comments
When accepting a caddie award in Shanghai, Steve Williams described the feeling of beating Tiger Woods at the Bridgestone by saying,
“It was my aim to shove it right up that black ass.”
I talked to a couple of pals who are tour caddies and were at the event. The place went dead silent and people in the audience were stunned.
Williams later apologized for his comments on his web site. Sometimes I wonder if he says things like this just to drive traffic to his web site when he apologizes.
Previous HOG Turkey Awards
2010 HOG Turkey Awards
2009 HOG Turkey Awards
2008 HOG Turkey Awards
2007 HOG Turkey Awards
2006 HOG Turkey Awards
2005 HOG Turkey Awards
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
