A despondent Tiger Woods during the first round of the PGA Championship.Credit:Getty
So,here is my question,golf aficionados. I am not one of you,but admire your sport from an ignorant distance. If this question is ignorant,forgive it.
Why not allow Woods to use a golf buggy?
Whichever way you cut it,Woods has a disability. In the age of inclusiveness,can’t golf bend its rules to allow for one with a disability to play on a more even playing field?
Woods is the great crowd puller of his golfing time. And he can still hit the ball nearly as well as ever,which is what golf is all about anyway. So,why not even things up a bit for him?
Your thoughts are welcome. Sneers and all.
Dear Ray,
I sawAndrew Webster’s piece on Friday,about whether you would turn up to call Origin I,which would be your 100th Origin.
According to Webster:“The problem is Warren,who will turn 79 three days after game one,hasn’t called since last year’s NRL grand final and fears he won’t be match fit for one of the biggest games of the season.”
Ray? You’re kidding,I’ll tell a man you are!
Do it! Call the 100th.
It would be against nature to stop at 99.
If you were off the boil,so what? Do you think Wally Lewis,Mal Meninga and Steve Mortimer were at the height of their games in their final appearances?
Of course they weren’t. But they were legends of the game,and even their off-the-boil matches were better than the best of most.
Same with you. Give it one last burl. You are the man,universally beloved by all who have worked with you,and generations of league followers who have enjoyed your calls over the years.
You cannot stop at 99!
Yours,
Peter Fitz
Bloody hell sport can be brutal,can it not? This time just six months ago,Tim Paine was still the captain of the Australian Test cricket team. This week the news broke that,despite his seeming desire to keep going,Tasmania haven’t offered him a new contract.Brutal.
John Buchanan on Andrew Symonds:“Whenever I think of Roy,I see a young guy full of life,always wanting to please,always wanting to entertain,a big wad of white zinc across his lip,a big floppy hat a lot of times,later in his career,the dreadlocks.”
Andrew Symonds.Credit:John Shakespeare
Laura Symonds on the tragic death of her husband Andrew:“We are still in shock – I’m just thinking of the two kids. He was such a big person and there is just so much of him in his kids.”
Comments fromPhil Gould a couple of weeks ago that,effectively,placed the coaching death warrant on the man he was in charge of:“Trent Barrett will be the coach of the Bulldogs long after I’m gone.”
Jack Nicklaus:“I was offered something in excess of $100 million by the Saudis,to do the job probably similar to the one that Greg is doing. I turned it down. Once verbally,once in writing. I said,‘Guys,I have to stay with the PGA Tour. I helped start the PGA Tour’.”
Norman on Saudi Arabia’s treatment of the LGBT community,including putting some gays to death:“I’m not sure whether I even have any gay friends,to be honest with you.”Oh. Oh,well that makes all the difference.
Swimming coachDean Boxall on his relationship with Ariarne Titmus:“That[closeness] is why I can push her and she doesn’t take offence to any of that. But,you know,it’s something that’s been developed,it wasn’t just click the fingers. You have to have a lot of trust. That comes with a lot of responsibility as well.”
Blackpool strikerJake Daniels has become the first active professional male footballer in England to come out as gay in more than 30 years:“Off the pitch I’ve been hiding the real me and who I really am. I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay,and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself. It’s a step into the unknown but I’ve been inspired by[Australian soccer player] Josh Cavallo,Matt Morton,and athletes from other sports,like[diver] Tom Daley,to have the courage and determination to drive change.”
USA speed skaterErin Jackson on winning Winter Olympic gold earlier in the year:“The thing with Olympic sports is that – how do I say it diplomatically? – people don’t care a whole lot as soon as the Olympics are over. Right after the Games,it’s tough. Where’s the money coming from? How are we going to keep paying rent? Because it does go kind of dark after the Games. Everyone forgets about you.”
Olympic gold medallistKyle Chalmers:“The last 2 ½ years have been frustrating dealing with shoulder injuries day-in,day-out. It’s the stuff away from the pool that affects me;I can’t sleep on my shoulders,driving,drinking coffee,everything,lifting my shoulders above my head. If it was just the two or four hours a day I was in the pool it would be fine. But you just can’t get away from them. I’m turning 24 next month but I feel like I’m 40 most days.”
Kings ownerPaul Smith:“Sydney is in love with the Kings and the Kings are in love with Sydney.”
Novak Djokovic. Fifth player in ATP history to record 1000 career wins,joining Jimmy Connors,Roger Federer,Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal.
Erriyon Knighton. Young American sprint sensation could be coming for Usain Bolt’s records.
Minjee Lee. The Australian golfer just won her seventh title on the LPGA tour.
Ellie Carpenter. The young Australian soccer player is lining up for Lyon in the Women’s Champions League final against Barcelona.
Sam Kerr. Finished a fantastic season!
RIP Andrew Symonds.Vale the former cricketer who was tragically killed in a car accident last Saturday night. He was just 46.
Twitter:@Peter_Fitz
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