There appears to be a growing obsession with weight on the PGA Tour, or at least among the golf scribes who cover it.
It was brought to light a couple of weeks ago when Mark Calcavechia announced his retirement and was given a journalistic good riddance for having perpetuated the stereotype of the overweight golfer.
Numerous fans objected to the characterization of Calc as... um, a schlub... and the protestations were passionate, but there are clearly many who feel that portly golfers are bad for the game's image. Perhaps it's the emergence of ultra-lean, ultra-fit players like Rickie Fowler and Camilo Villegas, but the fact is: excess poundage is no longer going unnoticed on the fairways and greens of championship courses.
Brendon de Jonge is a native of Zimbabwe, with icy blue eyes and an affable manner. He's had two top ten finishes this season, including last month's Quail Hollow Championship when he fired a closing 66, and yesterday he carded a bogey-free 7-under-par 65. Pretty extraordinary stuff ... but in his post round interview he was hit with this:
Q. Most important thing. What time did you get up this morning, and how long have you been here? How many meals have you gotten to eat today? Me and you, we're not scared of food.
I don't know who the interviewer was but I sense he's probably a guy who longs to be able to dress like Rickie Fowler but can find his size on the PUMA racks. Mr. de Jonge answered the question graciously but I can only imagine he was a bit... taken aback. I doubt he expected to have his weight remarked upon in this interview after his career low round.
Then there was the "Quote of the Day" and the questions that provoked it. Vijay Singh, asked if he ate a lot on a day when there were two suspensions of play totalling six hours: "I don't eat that much. I need to keep my figure, you know."
Enough said. I must make a quick stop at McDonalds before the final round starts.
Photo: Doug Benc/Getty Images North America
weight is NOT the problem for women playin GOLF
ReplyDeletebreasts and fingernails are
sorry girlie girls but if you wanna play golf you cannot have long beautiful fingernails and expect to grip a club properly and anything past a B cup will hinder the swing
in the old days a lack of sanitary rest stops on the course pretty much ruled out GOLF for women but things have changed today
i would love to see more women out on the course
the ones i myself invite out always ask the same first question - what do i wear ?
i always suggest my preference to them which would be they wear as little as is necessary
men looking clownish on the course is almost normal but most if not all women will not allow their inner fashion idiot to come out under any circumstances
and why would someone who has just paid a fortune to have their hair and nails done do that to themselves ?
anyway that's my two cents
frankD
fr lauderdale
This is the more plastic and vapid than the bathroom sealant in a "plastic surgeon's" office. Thanks for being golf's lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe an interviewer would ask a professional golfer if he had gotten enough to eat in a post round interview, now matter how much he weighed. There's definitely much more emphasis on an athlete's physical appearance these days and it's being applied to men every bit as much as to women.
ReplyDeleteI know about breasts and fingernails. I've got both and believe me, they're the least of my problems when it comes to golf, I might use it as an excuse in from now on though.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, my game is as good as, or better than most of my guy friend's and they have neither the breasts nor the fingernails to blame. ;)
What was that interviewer's point? I guess some folks justify weight comments under the general umbrella of "fitness", but the two don't always correlate. If it's not impacting the player's health and game, what does it matter?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the interviewer was totally ignorant about de Jonge's game, and commenting on the only thing he could think of in looking at him...
Kind of interesting how a ridiculous line of questioning in a press conference spawned some ridiculous statements here. Maybe some were said in jest.
ReplyDeleteMen and women pro golfers are human. That said, they should maybe listen to their common sense about their health and sense of self pride about trying to look look respectable.
Nice nails and a bustline don't hinder any woman pro I know. They can still clean the clock of most male wanna-be's. I'm a betting man and unless the better women golfers are going up against the better male tour pros, my money is on the ladies.
ashgolf,
ReplyDeletewhen you say play golf - do you mean WALK the course ?
frankD
ft lauderdale
duck64,
ReplyDeleteas you suggest, my statements are made in the spirit of getting more women to play golf
my statements do, however, have some basis in fact, as these are what the women, including my daughters, tell me are the three hurdles - fingernails, breasts and what to wear
i don't have to mention that here in SoFLA it get quite hot and clothing and hairdos cane become an issue for the ladies after a four hour round
the women who also distance run are typically the best equiped to handle such exposure but we all, men and women, come off the course looking haggard on very hot and humid days
as for touring PROs, you would agree, the LPGA today is dominated by slender, relatively small breasted, asians, which on a positive note should show women brute strength is not necessary to play well
moreover, PACE OF PLAY should be more important to any golfer, man or women, to ensure a fun time for all
frankD
ft lauderdale
Great comments here... and I think they illustrate a collective dismissal of the Brendon de Jonge interviewer's facetious line of questioning.
ReplyDeleteI've not (thus far) played in highly competitive tournaments, however I do play in a recreational league and in numerous charity events... in addition to my regular rounds with friends and neither my breastage nor my "couture nails" have interfered. I touch upon these topics... and the "what to wear" issue in my book and will also cover them on my new website.
"Golf Girl's Little Tartan Book: How to be true to your sex and get the most from your game." is available at amazon.com and in bookstores across the country. :o) Frank, I think your daughters would like it.
patricia,
ReplyDeleteif the borders bookshop in the galleria mall here in ft lauderdale has that book, i'm picking it up today
i myself am interested, as at first i thought my daughters were diplomatically declining to join dad playing GOLF, but i've heard those three items (breast, fingernails and what to wear) as being the hurdles many times since then
as for dismissing the protruding gut on brendon, yes, of course i did, we all did, as everyone here knows that's a beer-belly !
frankD
ft lauderdale
PS do you know tom and ginny hughes of greewich - tommy is past-chair of golf charities in NYC - i've know him since high school - ginny was the tallest woman at my wedding who, unmarried at the time, caught the bouquet, and avi my cousin, the shortest person caught the garter (tommy is shown running away with his hands in his pocket) well sparing the subsequent details, avi and ginny made quite a scene
Hi Frank. This is quite an interesting discussion. But I think there are a good six or eight issues being discussed and some are related and some are totally separate.
ReplyDeleteMany of the women pros have nails, have figures, and dress nicely and it has little effect on their game. The owmen pros seem to have hit on the right length nails and also the best way for them to dress. The bustline is God given (with an occasional help from the surgeon.)
As for the slender Asian girls, the physical attributes are just a side issue and have little effect on their skills. A case could be made that Jiyai Shin is the best female golfer on the planet. She certainly is a wonderful girl, but is not svelte.
Some men play slowly also. Not sure what the walk as opposed to ride has to do with the round. That can be personal preference. The young girls who play junior golf not only walk, but carry their own bags in many situations. As I said, so many different factors and issues. Sorry if I sounded gruff in the other comment. I'm getting old! Hah!
ducks64,
ReplyDeletethe walk v ride comment
these GUT GUYS have to walk during competition and play at a high level - at least on the real tour
someone who does not walk should not be critical of someone who does
riders are not real golfers IMHO but i realize many could not participate without a cart
i myself walk every round, even at those courses that mandate carts, as a supplement to their revenues - i simply get a "caddy" to drive the cart while i walk
the ADA also supports my metal spikes position so you could imagine how far i can go if i insist on walking
anyway that's all for that
frankD
Hi Frank,
ReplyDeleteI think if an average Joe golfer who takes a cart ridicules a paunchy average Joe golfer who walks, he is a hypocrite and fool.
What my opinions are of a pro and anything he or she does as an entertainer in a public event I spend good money at is open to a critique. That could be demeanor, appearance, sportsmanship, interaction with fans, etc.