Wednesday, September 6, 2000
Golf notes about Tiger, etc.
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
OAKVILLE, Ontario (AP) — Want to use the equipment preferred
by the pros?
That information is now available in a book by the Darrell Survey,
the company that takes inventory of every bag on the PGA Tour,
LPGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour.
The Darrell Survey has been around since 1932 and distributes
a weekly report to manufacturers. This is the first time the company
has put together its information in a book for public sale.
“The book provides golfers everywhere with a comprehensive
view of the equipment that consumers and the pros use,” said
Susan Naylor, president of the Darrell Survey. “It's a permanent
record of golf history that everyone can enjoy.”
There's only one catch. The Darrell Survey does not disclose which
player is using a specific ball or club, only how many players
are using a particular product. It also lists the consumers' choice,
based on thousands of interviews with everyday players.
———
MR. PERSONALITY: When it comes to how well he is known,
how much he is liked and how much credibility he carries, Arnold
Palmer is still “The King.”
Palmer was the clear-cut No. 1 in the Golf Personality Index ranking,
a study commissioned by Golf World Business magazine for its September
issue. The survey of 559 avid golfers was designed to measure
attitudes toward the game's most prominent figures, and to quantify
the different factors that form those attitudes for the golf industry.
“The GPI gives the golf industry a tool to quickly measure
who's connecting with the golf public,” said Tim Murphy,
editor of Golf World Business.
According to the survey, Palmer connects.
Palmer, who turns 71 on Sunday and earlier this year signed a
12-year endorsement deal with Callaway Golf, finished first or
tied for first in all three categories — familiarity, likability
and credibility. Jack Nicklaus finished second in total points,
followed by Tiger Woods.
Palmer, Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples were the only
ones who finished in the top 10 in all three categories. While
Woods tied with Palmer and Nicklaus in the familiarity
category, he tied for 19th in likability.
Nancy Lopez was the highest ranked woman at No. 11, while Johnny
Miller (No. 22) had the highest rating among television analysts.
———
JOB WITH A VIEW: Tiger Woods' impact on golf is clearly
evident at tournaments like the Buick Open last month and the
Canadian Open this week, where tickets became scarce as soon as
Woods announced he was playing.
While Woods is bringing in new fans to the game, he also has created
a buzz about those charged with keeping order — the marshals.
During the pro-am at the Buick Open, marshals on just about every
tee brought disposable cameras and asked Woods to pose with them.
During the tournament, they usually watched Woods, instead of
watching the gallery for untimely movement and unauthorized use
of cameras.
The PGA Tour publishes a tournament guide that includes a section
for marshals — such as where to stand, how to control a crowd
and the importance of facing the gallery, not the field of play.
“I can't tell you every marshal does it by the book,”
said Henry Hughes, chief of operations for the PGA Tour. “Our
crowds are up, and it's more of a challenge for the marshals.
But marshals are human, too. When something exciting happens,
it's human nature for them to become spectators. It's not what
we want, but it happens.”
———
EYE ON THE BALL: While Nike Golf touted Tiger Woods as
validation for its ball, so did Bridgestone, which manufactures
the Nike ball.
Bridgestone noted that five of the top 10 players at the PGA Championship
used its solid-core, injection-molded urethane covered balls —
including Woods and Notah Begay, whose ball has a swoosh, not
a Precept label.
Meanwhile, Nike is coming out with a new ball, and it's making
clear that this is not the ball Woods used to win three consecutive
majors.
In fact, it's not a ball that anyone would want to play.
Nike is celebrating its top client's historic achievements this
summer with a “Tiger Woods Collector Series Golf Ball”
tins. Suggested retail price is $40. The collector items will
be available Nov. 15.
———
DIVOTS: Tiger Woods arrived at the Canadian Open late Tuesday
afternoon looking much healthier than his last time in the public
eye, his “Battle of Bighorn” loss to Sergio Garcia.
“It's amazing what antibiotics can do for you,” he said.
... John Daly withdrew from the Canadian Open, citing a bad hip.
... While in Quebec for the wedding of Celine Dion's stepdaughter,
Jesper Parnevik played golf with former Quebec Nordiques and New
York Rangers coach Michel Bergeron, who is known as “Le Petit
Tigre” — The Little Tiger. Parnevik signed a poster
for Bergeron on which he wrote, “I wish the real Tiger played
like you.”
———
STAT OF THE WEEK: The only player to win the U.S. Open, British
Open and Canadian Open in the same year was Lee Trevino in 1971.
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