Tiger Woods and President Obama, Unofficial LPGA Wins and more

Point # 1: So Tiger Woods is apolitical. And? Face it: most of us sound like moron cadets when discussing politics. We have a nice intro point but can hardly provide substance to back it up. Forget connecting prior and posterior events to our point. Did anyone miss the point of Tiger’s speech? If so, read it again now:

“I grew up in a military family - and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods.
My dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home. They represented every branch of the service, and every rank. In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life. From every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.
Each day - and particularly on this historic day - we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.
I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes. I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the military, and I am a better person for it.
In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man at whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said:
‘I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.’
Just as they have stood tall for our country - we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.
Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval Glee Club.”

If anyone should be a bit disappointed, it is Stanford. After two years of college, Tiger should be able to write a more entrancing speech than this. Oh, well. Sorry, Leland. What was Tiger’s role? To celebrate the successes of people of color around the world, in all theaters, of all generations. Be they visible as in his and Obama’s case, or invisible, in the case of Earl Woods and other “enlisted” men and women time immemorial, they deserved celebration over the inauguration weekend.

Point # 2: Unofficial LPGA Wins. Here is the text from the HSBS LPGA Brasil Cup:

Catriona Matthew carded a final-round 3-under-par 69 to earn a five-stroke victory at the inaugural HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2009 at Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio de Janeiro. With the victory, Matthew took home the $100,000 first-place check and her first-ever unofficial win on the LPGA Tour. The 39-year-old has two official victories on the LPGA Tour at the 2001 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open and most recently at the 2004 Wendy’s Championship for Children.

I’m certain that the Hawaiian Open and Wendy’s titles pale in comparison to the Brasil Cup for Matthew. After all, what good is an official title when all that any of the ladies strives for is the coveted unofficial one? Does Ochoa have any unofficial titles? Hell, no. Sorenstam? Uh-uh! BDZ, Mickey, Great Gundy, Patty, Na-Low? Bupkus. Rara avis that UOC, more desirable than a defunct major championship!

Point # 3: My ADD. I’d like to publicly admit that I’ve suspected for a while that I suffer from attention deficit disorder. I once went to an ADD teaching seminar and pinpointed 19 of 20 ADD characteristics as prevalent in me. I now confirm it with this note: I am currently reading three golf books simultaneously and am about to open a fourth. Tommy’s Honor, The Franchise Babe, and On The Tour With Harry Sprague are about to be joined by Young Tommy Coyne’s A Course Called Ireland. Honestly, they’re all too good to put down, so I’ll let you know. Here’s a preview: Dan Jenkins’ The Franchise Babe suffers from a beginning that is too good (and a tempo that is impossible to maintain, much like the sex that is prevalent throughout the novel.) Add to that the absence of any conflict between the middle-aged protagonists and it’s simply a stand-up routine. I honestly find his earlier stuff rawer and better, before he reached senility. Shame.