George White

Golf with George
February 4th, 2008

George has been a journalist for close to 40 years. He wrote sports for the Houston Chronicle for 19 years and the Orlando Sentinel for 7 years. In 1994 he was one of the first people hired at the Golf Channel, were he started a career as an on-air talent, then moved over as one of the first writers of Golf Central and then their website. White retired from the Golf Channel after 12 years at the end of 2006. He will be writing a column for GolfObserver.

- GolfObserver editors

The Ian Poulter affair

It was a story that is repeated every month or so in the sports pages, this time screamed in large headlines because it was … the Super Bowl! It happens every month or so because an athlete is asked a question, and he deems answer it as honestly as he knows how. And his answer is – gasp! – not what the questioner (read: reporter) expected.

Photo: © Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images Was Ian Poulter unfairly treated by the media?

This time it was New York Giant Plaxico Burress, and he was asked what a predicted score was for the game. How about 24-17, Giants, said Burress. It immediately became front-page news, as well as back page and the middle pages.

What an insult, scoffed New England quarterback Tom Brady! The Pats scoring just 17 points? Boy, how could this guy Burress be so ignorant?

You ask, Burress answers. He is a New York Giant and he BETTER believe that his team was going to win! But, Burress was roundly chastised for being so upfront, so cheeky.

Turns out Brady was right and Burress was indeed wrong – New England scored just 14.

Now, flip-flop over to the golf pages, where another athlete was literally roasted for his folly of making a prediction recently. Ian Poulter in a magazine article said he could envision a time at some date in the future when, except for Tiger Woods, he would be the best golfer in the world.

Uh - what’s the harm in saying that? Englishman Poulter had every right to dream that someday he would be THE man (except for that certain someone, of course). Poulter didn’t say that, right now, such is the case. But, yeah, he could foresee that happening at some point in the future. Hey, give him credit for having that kind of confidence.

A lot of European Tour players didn’t take kindly to his prediction. Poulter broke the golfers’ Golden Rule, the one that says a player has to stand in the background and mumble, ‘Aw shucks, fellas, you know me – I’m just thrilled to be amongst such a great gathering of personalities.’ Poulter, it seems, tweaked quite a few noses because he dared voice something that he has dreamed about – even if it will always remain just a dream.

But evidently that is something you just don’t SAY amongst the golfing set. Much better, the feeling goes, that as a proper gentleman you poor-mouth it, shuffling your feet and dipping your head while you wait for someone else to talk up your positives.

Tiger himself caused a few jaws to drop recently when he said that the Grand Slam is a definite possibility. And isn’t it? Woods presumably will show up at each one, as will 60 or 70 other golfers. That means that, at least until the first one is played, the Grand Slam in a theoretical possibility for all 60-70. Woods is obviously far superior to the masses. It’s as obvious as the five fingers on your mitts that he DOES have a chance. Admittedly it is a very small chance – Tiger himself acknowledged that one. But it is also obvious that it could happen.

You see, golfers have to walk such a narrow path when they answer questions. One tiny step on either side of the line and they risk setting off an international incident. You know that someone will be miffed. And yet, we chastise golfers because they can be so – well, boring!

Reporters are certainly to blame. But don’t castigate them for all this hubbub. You the fan are also equally to blame. And, for that matter, golfers themselves are as sensitive as long-eared jackrabbits. Tiger himself is known to carry a grudge over some perceived slight far beyond a logical period of time. Goodness gracious, people, try reading past the initial gut reaction. When you ask yourself what he was REALLY trying to say, it oftentimes isn’t nearly as bad as it first seemed.

I WANT Tiger to believe he can win every tournament he enters – and that includes the four Grand Slam events. I WANT Ian Poulter to dream about being No. 2 in the world. And I certainly don’t want either of them to mumble some pap about just being grateful to be here. Do you?

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