The play-for-pay debate surrounding the upcoming Ryder
Cup competition continued to be the story as the PGA
Championship got underway yesterday in Medinah, IL. A day
after criticizing Tiger Woods, David Duval, Mark O'Meara and
Phil Mickelson for speaking out on the issue, U.S. team
captain Ben Crenshaw apologized for his remarks. Duval, who
said he didn't think Crenshaw was referring to him at first,
said, "I called him and asked him, and he said he was
[referring to me]. Ben's entitled to his opinion, as I am.
So we just disagree" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/13). Duval
was heckled by members of the gallery in Medinah and said of
the fans' response, "I'm baffled by it, but I can't control
it" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 8/13). Duval added that he
was misquoted in calling the Ryder Cup an exhibition: "I
wish you guys would report this correctly" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 8/13). But Woods said: "[It is] an exhibition. I
don't know why David should apologize for saying that.
We're professionals. We play the game for money" (RICHMOND
TIMES-DISPATCH, 8/13). Mickelson, on Crenshaw's remarks:
"He really hasn't expressed to me he was disappointed. I'm
sorry he chose to use the media as a forum" (USA TODAY,
8/13). O'Meara: "I'm disappointed, because I thought it was
a dead issue. I thought we had it all settled out" (DAILY
SOUTHTOWN, 8/13). Woods: "We're trying to do the right
thing. We're trying to get some of the funds that are being
generated at the Ryder Cup so we can donate to charity. I
don't see any harm in that. I don't see how that can be
misinterpreted as being greedy, misinterpreted as being
selfish" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/13). But Brad Faxon countered:
"The mask of charity giving is a crock. These guys don't
want the money to go to charity" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
8/13). More Faxon: "[Woods] has enough money to give to
charity" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/13). Tom Lehman: "I think we should
all be ashamed of ourselves for bringing this up now. The
last thing we need is to be perceived as greedy, whining
brats" (USA TODAY, 8/13). Davis Love III: "If you keep
asking questions about it, we keep talking about it. And
nobody's looking to talk about it except for the media. So
that's where we stand on it. You quit asking us questions,
we'll quit talking about it" (FSN, 8/12).
WOODS, DUVAL CATCH HEAT: In L.A., Thomas Bonk: "This is
one sorry mess, all right, a bona fide public relations
disaster for everyone involved. The PGA is getting
shortchanged, the players look like greedy mercenaries [and]
the PGA Tour looks helpless" (L.A. TIMES, 8/13). In
Chicago, Jay Mariotti: "Once again, Tiger Woods and David
Duval whiffed. They continued to spew just enough ignorance
and arrogance, in fact, that there's only one message the
American public should send at this point. Who needs them?"
Mariotti notes that the PGA of America already donates
significant amounts of money to charities and youth programs
(CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/13). In Providence, Jim Donaldson
calls Woods and Duval "spoiled mercenaries" and writes,
"Instead of appearing selfless, they have come across as
self-centered and self-serving. They're supposed to play
for pride, not money" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 8/13). In K.C,
Joe Posnanski: "Shame on Tiger" (K.C. STAR, 8/13). The
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL's Michael Weinreb: "Woods came off
sounding like an ATM machine, fulfilling every stereotypical
complaint that the older generation of athletes has about
the younger one" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/13). ESPN Golf
Online's John Marvel finds the play-for-pay talk
"sickening," and says of Woods' comments, "For someone who
has always insisted he loves the traditions and values of
golf, the words were hollow" (ESPN.com, 8/13). Woods, on
Ryder Cup being an exhibition: "Is thee an winner's check?"
But in N.Y., Dave Anderson notes that Woods' recent
"Showdown at Sherwood" exhibition had a $1.1M winner's
check: "Woods should know better than to think that a
winner's check is what defines a competition" (N.Y. TIMES,
8/13). In Toronto, Jim Taylor writes under the header
"Spoiled Brats Putt For Dough" (TORONTO SUN, 8/13).
