Shock: GWAA Award Winners Actually Include Some Stories You Might Actually Enjoy Reading

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Building off their national rebranding as the Rosa Parks' of golf literary rights, the Golf Writers Association of America announced their annual awards early this year to the delight of its members.

Now, I know my headline might cause worry that the annual highlighting of death, misery and press release writing will not provide the final push that will empower the leap off the Swilken Burn bridge you've always contemplated. But not to worry, there's still plenty of death and misery. 

Oh and congrats to Mike McAllister for winning with his December 31, 2009 story on budding architect Cody Carroll.

2010 GWAA CONTEST RESULTS
 
The following is a full list of the winners, including honorable mentions. There were 444 entries in the contest. (Note: *Categories with less 20 entries had first, second and third places only; **category with fewer than 10 entries had first place only.)

Say what?

DAILY
 
DAILY COLUMNS – 1, Ian O’Connor, The Record, Mickelson shows heart in defeat; 2, Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, David Duval’s extraordinary run in the U.S. Open; 3, Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, Cink shows graciousness in Open win.

Honorable mention: Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, Soggy Bethpage Black not the usual U.S. Open test; Ron Green, Jr., Charlotte Observer, By going away, Tiger Woods can start to find his way back; Marla Ridenour, Akron Beacon Journal, Marlsaeng’s improbable journey.          
 
DAILY NEWS – 1, Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, Presidents Cup, round two; 2, Gary D’Amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Yang pulls a shocker; 3, David Westin, The Augusta Chronicle, Cabrera wins three-man playoff at Masters. Honorable mention: Gary D’Amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wie has coming out party at the Solheim Cup; Ron Green, Jr., Charlotte Observer, Lucas Glover wins U.S. Open, proves he’s good enough; Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News, Yang beats Tiger at the PGA; Ian O’Connor, The Record, Perry loses the Masters.
 
DAILY FEATURES – 1, Scott Michaux, The Augusta Chronicle, Errie Ball, last living competitor in the first Masters; 2, Ian O’Connor, The Record, Rocco’s loss was Rocco’s gain; 3, Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, The 40th anniversary of George Archer’s Masters win.  Honorable mention: Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press, Public personality of Bethpage Black; Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press, Mystique of the Masters green jacket; Hank Gola, New York Daily News, Sergio returns to New York for the U.S. Open; Randall Mell, Sun Sentinel, Ernie Els and Dan Marino brought together by their autistic children.
 
** DAILY SPECIAL PROJECTS – 1, Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press, African American progress in golf slow, but optimism remains

Ten or less Daily Special Projects entered. Now it's official, newspapers are doomed. Congratulations, Doug.

INTERNET
 
INTERNET COLUMNS – 1, Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM, Watson’s miracle falls short; 2, Leonard Shapiro, Washingtonpost.com, Tiger Woods: Who knew?; 3, Jeff Neuman, RealClearSports.com, A call to the sports therapy hotline about Tiger.  Honorable mention: Jeff Babineau, Golfweek.com, Tiger Woods has the lead at the PGA Championship, but doesn’t appear to be invincible; Tim Rosaforte GolfDigest.com, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus; Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM, Tom Watson loses a heartbreaker at Turnberry; Dave Shedloski, USGA.org, How Lucas Glover won the 109th U.S. Open.
 
INTERNET NEWS – 1, Alan Shipnuck, Golf.com, Tiger “death watch” begins; 2, Alan Shipnuck, Golf.com, Phil Mickelson and John Daly in Memphis; 3, Cameron Morfit, Golf.com, Doug Barron Faces uncertain future. Honorable mention: Michael Bamberger, Golf.com, Soldiers going to Iraq at Augusta airport; Damon Hack, Golf.com, Stewart Cink ends Tom Watson’s run; Jason Sobel, ESPN.com, Slocum surprises at Barclays.
 
INTERNET FEATURES – 1, Mick Elliott, FanHouse.com/AOL Sports, Dream still in sight for Ken Green; 2, Jason Sobel, ESPN.com, Arnold Palmer turns 80; 3, Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM, 10-year-old course designer. Honorable mention: Rhonda Glenn, USGA.org, Betty Jameson was a rare character; Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM, Lucas Glover wins the U.S. Open; Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM, Behind the scenes in the fitness trailer.
 
* INTERNET SPECIAL PROJECTS – 1, Jeff Babineau, Jim McCabe, Rich Skyzinski, Ron Balicki, Alistair Tait, James Achenbach, Adam Schupak, Bradley S. Klein, Dan Mirocha, Golfweek.com; Memories of Payne Stewart; 2, Mercer Baggs, Randall Mell, Jay Coffin, Rex Hoggard, Rich Lerner, GolfChannel.com, An unforgettable decade; 3, Erik Peterson, GolfChannel.com, Sleeping in the car to play Bethpage Black.
 
NON-DAILY
 
NON-DAILY COLUMNS – 1, Dan Jenkins, Golf Digest Index, Old Money vs. New Money; 2, Jeff Babineau, Golfweek, Tom Watson makes a run at his sixth Open Championship; 3, Dave Seanor, Asian Golf Monthly, Futuristic look at the LPGA. Honorable mention: Tom Coyne, Sports Illustrated, Ireland and the 9-hole game; Dan Jenkins, Golf Digest, Greg Norman-Chris Evert marriage set to the movie Casablanca; Jeff Rude, Golfweek, O’Meara’s recovery shot- from darkness to light.
 
NON-DAILY NEWS – 1, Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, Angel Cabrera wins Masters; 2, Jim Moriarty, Golf World, Stewart Cink defeats Tom Watson at Turnberry; 3, Jeff Rude, Golfweek, Demise of the golf writer.

That only finished third? Tough year for the hard-hitting stories of tragedy and triumph.

Honorable mention: Beth Ann Baldry, Gene Yasuda, Golfweek, Why Carolyn Bivens failed; Jim McCabe, Golfweek, Masters returns to its glory as Angel Cabrera beats Kenny Perry; Jeff Rude, Golfweek, Cruel in the Sun: Cink ruins Watson’s fairytale.
 
NON-DAILY FEATURES – 1, Michael Bamberger, Sports Illustrated, Rory McIlroy; 2, John Feinstein, Golf Digest, Paul Goydos and the affliction that claimed his wife’s life; 3, Dave Kindred, Golf Digest, Ken Green after the accident that claimed his girlfriend, his brother and his dog. Honorable mention: Alan Bastable, Golf Magazine, Bob Torrance; Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, Michelle Wie; John Strege, Golf World, Missy Farr-Kaye’s battle with breast cancer.
 
* NON-DAILY SPECIAL PROJECTS – 1, David Owen, Ron Whitten, John Barton, Roger Schiffman, Thomas L. Friedman, Golf Digest , Golf and the environment; 2, Steve Rushin, Ron Kaspriske, Ashley Mayo, Jeff Patterson, Sue Sawyer, Mike Stachura, Golf Digest, Celebration of municipal golf courses; 3, Jaime Diaz, Bill Fields, E. Michael Johnson, Tim Rosaforte, John Strege, Golf World, New groove rules.

All winners will be honored at the GWAA’s Annual Awards Dinner April  7 in Augusta, Ga., an event Tiger Woods won't be attending ever again.

"Why did he have a go at the media and why did he bring up his charity?"

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Mark Reason talks to Chubby Chandler about Tiger's statement reading and the agent to Els and McIlroy cites two "blunders."

Chandler says: "Why did he have a go at the media and why did he bring up his charity? I'd have left those two bits out. He should just have been sorry and laid out what he's doing and what he's going to do.

"The more he says he doesn't want his wife and kid photographed, the more they're going try to do it. I don't get it. In our world the Beckhams are as high profile and they manage perfectly well."

And this was bold...

"I don't think Tiger will be No1 in five years. I think it will be one of the young kids. It could be Rory, it could be Kaymer, this Michael Sim is very good, for an 18 year-old Ryo Ishikawa is ridiculous. He's ahead of Rory. If you ask Rory who his hero is, it's Ishikawa. How's that? He says he's the coolest golfer in the world.

He says: 'How's my hero doing?'" Once upon a time 12 months ago Tiger Woods was Rory's hero. Now it's a teenager from Japan with sticky-up air.

More Tiger Statement-Reading Reviews

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I'm mixing Tiger and media performance reviews here, just to keep you on your toes.

Sally Jenkins says Tiger said all the right things, but, "he's always said all the right things, and the words were hollow then, so what reason do I have to believe them now?"

Sorry, but I didn't buy it. The public Tiger Woods has always been artificial, but never has he seemed more waxen than in his so-called public apology. Here's the problem: Woods and his handlers staged a fake news conference to apologize for being fake.

To these ears, it was stilted and rehearsed to the point of insincerity. The pauses and the meaningful gazes into the camera were so cringingly long you began to suspect his script read, "lengthy pause for meaningful gaze into camera." Woods is no doubt genuinely contrite for cheating on his wife, but his 13 1/2 -minute speech before a controlled audience came off like an obligatory gated checkpoint that he clocked through on his way back to the golf course.

Jim White in the Telegraph:

Stiff, staccato, lumpen, he appeared to be a man speaking under duress. Indeed in his formal buttoned-up collar but no tie, he had the sartorial arrangement of a hostage, hastily dressed for a video ransom demand. Though in truth most hostages look more relaxed than this.

John Hopkins was also not impressed:

Overall, this was far from a convincing performance and one wonders what the players whom he once dominated will have made of it. They might have been impressed by his honesty, but they can hardly have had the respect they once had for him reinforced. His delivery was wooden but he can hardly be blamed for that. He is a golfer not an actor. The obviously scripted theatrical gestures that he interposed from time to time were inept, unnecessary and exaggerated.

Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN.com writes:

To the people ripping Woods for his Friday mea culpa, let me get this straight: Woods stepped into the planet's largest confessional booth, stared into a television camera, humbled himself to the size of a ball marker, admitted his marital infidelity, apologized repeatedly, begged for a second chance, did all of this as his mother sat a flagstick away and that's still not enough?

Sure, it was staged. What, you expected a pay-per-view event where Woods would do a PowerPoint presentation on how many women not-named-Elin he slept with?

And if you turn your attention to pie chart graphic 11-A, you'll see a breakdown of cities and countries where I cheated on my wife.

Josh Levin at Slate, writes:

I'm not sure, though, about how he'll manage the rest of his life. No matter how much he pleads, the tabloids will never leave Woods alone, nor will his hagiographers continue to spit-shine his halo. Sure, Tiger Woods can zone out on the golf course. But can he really dodge questions for the rest of his life?

Stephen Adams in the Telegraph on the event choreography:

Tiger Woods had bought a new shirt. But, rather like a schoolboy on his first day of term, it appeared to be at least one collar size too large.

The starch-stiff collar appeared to swamp his shrunk neck.

Was this a detail overlooked by his handlers? Or did they mean it to be too large, calculated to lend him a look of vulnerability?

A vulnerability which might appeal to the kind of middle-aged women who were hand-picked to sit in the front row of his rather awkward-looking audience at the TPC Sawgrass Club House at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida?

And that, perhaps, was the trouble with Tiger Woods' marathon 'mea culpa'. Certainly, he said sorry. In fact he kept on saying sorry. He wouldn't stop. As the numerous television and radio commentators said afterwards, he seemed sincere.

But a small voice kept asking if every word and every gesture had been arranged, down to the smallest detail.

James Lawton in the Independent:

His more obdurate critics claimed afterwards that he should have invited questions and that his decision to face the world on a day which would distract attention from a golf tournament sponsored by the company who first dropped him in the wake of the revelation, was an act of petty malice.

They said that beneath the veneer of repentance it was the same old Tiger, arrogant, self-obsessed and still jealous of all his old status and privileges.

Yet what, you had to wonder, would questions have elicited, beyond the guilt and sense of grievous responsibility for behaviour destructive to all those around him as well as himself that he had expressed so emotionally?

Tom English in Scotland On Sunday:

SO MANY words, so much analysis. Psychologists and psychics; mind-readers and mind-benders; body language experts and a guy who claims he knows the truth of any statement depending on the eyes of the person making it. A bluffers' convention. A chancers' paradise.

At the time of writing Uri Geller hadn't said anything, which is remarkable. He's probably on a speaking tour, rubbing spoons and hypnotising students in distant Uri-land. Once he's done, he might want to get a piece of the Tiger action – everybody else in his crazy milieu has.

Hank Gola in the New York Daily News, on the GWAA aspect to Friday's event:

Likewise, the GWAA had nothing to gain from being at Friday's staged event. It was standard operating procedure for Team Tiger, more of the same control-freak approach, just like those obviously staged first pictures of Woods out jogging earlier this week. And precisely because of that, no one knows if we can believe what he said Friday's. On the one hand, it must have been terribly difficult for him to come clean with his mother sitting 15 feet in front of him in the front row. But how much of it was rehearsed and choreographed? Only by asking questions could we truly discover the answer.

As one of 19 "yes" voters behind the boycott, I still think we did the right thing, making a stand now so that further restrictions will not be put on us later. It seems none of the 18 other "yes" votes had a change of opinion, either.

John Huggan in Scotland On Sunday:

Judged solely on Friday's performance, Woods appears some way from inviting any of the media round to his place for a cozy chat by the fireside. Just about the only parts of his generally robotic speech that rang completely true for this observer were those where he went on the attack, lambasting the media for its treatment of his wife and children. That was the real Woods, the snarling Tiger we have become used to over the last 15 years.

John Gonzalez in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the post-statement coverage, courtesy of reader Steven T:

The reaction to Tiger's news conference was equally nauseating as everyone you can imagine jockeyed for a little camera time. Nick Faldo thought Tiger offered a "complete apology" while Ernie Els scoffed and called it "self-serving."

NBC Sports analyst Jimmy Roberts worried about the "integrity of the game" because "golf is the only sport where you call penalties on yourself . . . There are many who feel, and I'm talking about the players, that golf has taken a hit because of this."

ESPN.com scribe Rick Reilly implored Tiger to fire his support team, his caddy and repent to America's one true and all-powerful deity: Oprah. Then Reilly served the golfer some free advice about when to return to the links. "He should take six months off if he wants to fix his marriage," Reilly said. "If there's no chance to fix his marriage, then go play golf."

Reilly doesn't just make observations or write columns, folks. He mends broken hearts. Putting the gross hypocrisy aside - Tiger is flawed, but his many critics are pious and walk with God and know exactly how Woods should proceed - the look-at-me responses to the Woods news conference were so egregious and personal (as though Tiger had wronged the entire world instead of just his wife) that it felt like a sketch comedy scripted by Tina Fey and the 30 Rock writers.

John Paul Newport in the Wall Street Journal:

From the start, he stumbled and slurred his words. Even though Mr. Woods is said to have labored over his prepared remarks himself, they clearly arose from a different source than the polished repertoire of stock responses he normally deploys at news conferences. Formerly, the main purpose of his public utterances seemed to be to deflect attention from the inner man. Friday, for the first time, his main purpose—however awkward it seemed at times—was to talk about what he has been going through personally, off the course.

The guy was struggling. In golf terms, he was not even close to being "in the moment."

James Corrigan writing for The Independent:

As sporting commentators across the globe take leave from their stations to become behavioural experts, the one question with which sport should remain obsessed went bafflingly under-examined. When will Tiger Woods return? On Friday he gave no answer and perhaps that is why the focus has squared on the frankly irrelevant argument of whether he is really sorry or not. Yet Woods did give some indication of the vagueness of his schedule. "I do plan to return to golf one day – I just don't know when that day will be," he said.

Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News:

Now, a very large segment of the media is like the women Tiger was sleeping with. It only cares about access.

There was, however, one prominent group of reporters that still has respect for itself and the profession: The Golf Writers Association of America. These  people came out of this scripted fiasco with their dignity intact. The association was offered six spots in Tiger's den but overwhelmingly voted to boycott the event.
"To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe," said G.W.A.A. president Vartan Kupelian.

The association, whose members cover the game, drew a line in the sandtrap. They don't tell Woods what club to use. He shouldn't tell them how to do their jobs.

What's next? When Woods returns to the Tour will he ask for an advanced list of post-round questions? Why not? He already knows most of the media will acquiesce to his demands in return for the most limited kind of access.

And finally, Bob Smiley says the whole thing "felt like some weird Scientology funeral."

But I'll miss the old Tiger. The old Tiger didn't want to be relatable. He wanted to be better than everyone else at everything he did. By being impenetrable, he helped his peers see where they were weak. And in doing so, he single-handedly raised the bar of achievement.

This new Tiger wants us to learn from his frailty and ultimate redemption. A worthwhile lesson, for sure. But it's one we've already learned many times before, from people far greater than he.

Coming Soon To A Theater Near You: The Enablers II

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Some of us thought one positive outcome from Tiger's accident would be less of the sycophantic enabling that led him down his odd behavioral path?

I'm not suggesting he needs to be castrated and fed to Oprah before he can face the public again. But now that Tiger is a damaged asset you'd at least like to think that some of the folks who convinced him he was bigger than life would stop behaving like they did before.

Yet Wednesday's announcement revealed that in the golf world, Tiger's every need and desire will be tolerated no matter how silly the request.

We learned Wednesday via Garry Smits that the PGA Tour “was happy to provide the use [of the clubhouse]” at TPC Sawgrass, and the Commissioner revealed it was a no-questions-asked proposition despite taking away attention from Accenture's sponsorship of the match play.

At least there were suggestions that Commissioner Finchem appeared peeved. Larry Dorman in the New York Times...

...Finchem did not seem pleased about having to answer questions about the timing of Woods’s announcement or the fact that it will be held at the clubhouse of the T.P.C. Sawgrass at PGA Tour headquarters.

And Gary Van Sickle, writing for golf.com:

Finchem was at his diplomatic best, but he did seem a little annoyed (or maybe I just imagined it) that news from Tiger World was just about guaranteed to push his flagship World Golf Championship event to the back page of the sports section for the rest of the weekend.

Still, annoyed is not enough at this point. Allowing him to take over the TPC Sawgrass Friday, no-questions-asked, was another victory for Tiger and worse, a reminder that when it comes to the PGA Tour, he can do what he pleases.

Throw in the Golf Writers Association of America's compliance to the request to provide three seat fillers who won't ask questions, and Tiger has to be feeling pretty smug. However, James Moore at the Huffington Post couldn't believe the GWAA would agree to such an arrangement.

The first question to be asked, however, is about journalism. What kind of wire service goes to a "news conference" where no questions are allowed? This appearance has the potential for Tiger's friends and colleagues gathered in the room to turn into a bit of a Greek chorus as he reads his statement. Politicians often try this public relations scam when they are beleaguered.  It never works and only further angers reporters and they redouble their efforts to do critical reporting on the politician.

Not the GWAA!

Now I don't agree on the point about the "wires." They have a duty to tell us who was in the room, if Tiger had a big scar on his lip or whatever other details that good reporters spot.

More disappointing is the GWAA's compliance. Post-accident, the golf press was accused of looking the other way all of these years and many of us explained that this was an unfair insinuation because access was limited and besides, no could ever possibly have known about what was going on (nor was it germane to covering golf).

Yet when given the first post-accident opportunity to stand up to Tiger's controlling ways, reestablish some street cred and prevent a dreadful precedent, the GWAA jumped on board just as the PGA Tour did, running around in sycophantic circles at the behest of "the kid."

Good riddance.

Friends, Family Turn Down Tiger Statement Reading Invites; GWAAers Still In

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Jeff Shain reports on John Cook having not heard from Tiger in nearly three months, but he did receive an invite to Friday's TPC Sawgrass event. He's chosen to tee it up on the Champions Tour instead.

Radaronline says Elin Woods will also be a no-show Friday.

As for the three GWAA invites coordinated by IMG, Mark Steinberg and GWAA President, they're still planning to attend even though questions won't be asked. Though buzz in what remains of the golf writing community suggests an internal debate is fully aflame and the GWAA may decline its three seats. How they ever accepted on IMG's terms is still the question.

Tiger, The Gloves Are Off: Media Edition**

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One element we've wondered about since November 27th has been media reaction to Tiger when he inevitably returns to civilization. So far, we've had a few writers criticize his lifestyle choices, a few that offered good solid reporting, and a few who sat the story out.

But after Tiger decided to upstage the Accenture Match Play today and Friday, it appears the mood is tilting toward tough love or brutal criticism.

Before we get to the writers, check out Golfweek's Photoshopped image (right). Ouch!

Do not miss Alex Miceli's Golf Channel on-air criticism, viewable about 1:30 into this segment with Scott Walker. Words like selfishness, gutlessness, sham and more describe Miceli's views of Tiger and Finchem's decision to hold a statement reading at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in the middle of the match play.

Jeff Rude writing for Golfweek.com:

The commissioner said he’ll attend the Friday event that promises to be a circus on the periphery at the least. The production will occur at Finchem’s home venue behind a guarded gate outside Tour headquarters. Not only will reporters not be allowed to ask questions for you – a public that has loaded his pockets with millions – but non-pool reporters will be shepherded to a hotel meeting room outside the gate.

We know this is controlling. It could also be construed as being gutless and selfish.

Garry Smits in the Florida Times-Union:

It might be understandable that Tiger doesn't care about Accenture, since the company was the first of his stable of corporate sugar daddies to ditch him in the wake of revelations of his extra-marital activities. But the Tour is allowing him to use the clubhouse and providing some support. Wonder how long the memories of Accenture officials will be when it comes time for renegotiation for title sponsorship of the Match Play.

And if the people in the room are going to be this tightly controlled, and no media questions taken, why couldn't this have been done at in a board room at Woods' home course in Isleworth, with one TV camera and satellite feeds? They could have handled it like Florida State handled Bobby Bowden's resignation announcement: one camera, a media relations official, a statement, a few memories, and voila -- email blasts for everyone.

Jason Sobel at ESPN.com:

If we know one thing about Tiger, it's that he knows how to hold a grudge. This wouldn't be the first example of Woods wielding his power to overcome an opponent off the course, as his first public statement since that Nov. 27 single-car accident in front of his home certainly will overshadow the events here in the desert.