Rory And The Lads Rise to the Occasion

Rory McIlroy, currently the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world,  is teaming with Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff to raise money for coronavirus charities in the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity match – a two-team skins challenge over 18 holes – at the renowned Seminole Golf Club (many famous members - TB12 just joined -so there, Peyton!) in Juno Beach, Florida televised live later today.

McIlroy will team up with Johnson against Fowler and Wolff, with up to $3 million going to the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation. All four will follow strict physical-distancing measures and comprehensive testing will be used to protect players, TV staff and others at the course.

NBC Sports reports that the skins format means that each player will play his own ball, with each team counting the lower score between the two players on each hole. McIlroy and Johnson will play for the American Nurses Foundation, while Fowler and Wolff will play for the CDC Foundation.

With all money going to charity, both teams will start with $500,000 in the bank. From there, hole values will increase as the match continues: Nos. 1-6 will be worth $50,000 each, while Nos. 7-16 will be worth $100,000. The 17th hole will be worth $200,000 while No. 18 will feature a $500,000 skin. 

Kudos and great praise to Messrs. McIlroy, Johnson, Fowler and Wolff for both raising money for great causes during this pandemic and for bringing live sports back to the masses.  I for one will be tuned in today, thankful for the efforts of these golfers to help the world. It is truly heartwarming to see athletes at the highest level of sport making contributions to society under extremely difficult circumstances. Thank you, gentlemen. Now, let’s see some great golf!!

Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2020

AMDG

Go North, Young Man!

The scores from the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open reflected some interesting results, aside from Tiger Woods' quest to surpass Slammin' Sam Snead in total career PGA victories.  Of the 37 golfers who shot 75 (3 over par) or higher, 31 of them played on the Torrey Pines GC (South), while, of the 70 golfers who shot 71 (one under par) or lower, 52 of them played on the North Course at Torrey Pines.  Ironically, one of the first round co-leaders, Sebastian Cappelen, shot his 6-under par 66 on the South Course. (The other co-leader, Keegan Bradley, scored his 66 on the North Course).Some luminaries who fared poorly on the South Course yesterday were Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland and Justin Rose, all three of whom finished 3-over 75. Jason Day (73) and Phil Mickelson (72) fared almost as poorly.

Let's see if that North versus South trend continues today in the second round of the tournament.

What's In A Name?

The college football season is almost over; only the truly big (from yesteryear) bowl games and, of course, the FBS championship game, remain. As I reviewed my bowl game picks (not so accurate)  and, looking forward,  poured over the list of upcoming PGA golf tournaments for the 2019, 2020 PGA season, I notced a peculiar similarity:  there were some incredibly goofy names for these events on both sides of the ledger.  So, let’s test your knowledge.  I am going to provide a name of an event; you guess whether it is a bowl game or a golf tournament:

1.  Cheribundi Boca Raton – bowl or PGA event

2.  Tropical Smoothie Café  – bowl or PGA event

3.  Rocket Mortgage – bowl or PGA event

4.  FBC Mortgage Cure – bowl or PGA event

5. Bermuda – bowl or PGA event

6. Makers Wanted Bahamas – bowl or PGA event

7. San Diego County Credit Union– bowl or PGA event

8. Mayakoba – bowl or PGA event

9. Corales Puntacana – bowl or PGA event

10. Valero Alamo – bowl or PGA event

11.  Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla – bowl or PGA event

12.  Mitsubishi Motors – bowl or PGA event

13. WGC-DELL Technologies – bowl or PGA event

14. Genesis - – bowl or PGA event

15. Barracuda – bowl or PGA event

16. Tony The Tiger – bowl or PGA event

17. Famous Idaho Potato – bowl or PGA event

18. Barbasol – bowl or PGA event

19. WGC-FedEx St. Jude – bowl or PGA event

20..  Camellia – bowl or PGA event

Answers:

1. What’s a Cheribundi?

2. Got to be a bowl (I think)

3. Got to be a PGA event

4. Wait a minute, are you sure?

5. Great place to visit, regardless of the event

6. Ditto.  Bahamas, not Elk Village.  But support this event for a worthy cause.

7.  Worst name ever, regardless of the event.

8.  See 1.

9.  See 8 and 1.

10. “Alamo” gives it away – bowl.

11.  Seriously, what’s a “Gasparilla”? By the way, what’s a pirate’s favorite letter?  Arrhh!! (or "C", depending on your audience).

12.  No clue.

13.  PGA event; finally found one.

14.  Great band; otherwise, no clue.

15.  Great song by Heart; must be a PGA event.

16. Whatever it is, you have got to be kidding me.

17. Got to be a bowl – of spuds!

18. Forget which event; you have to guess in what famous movie this product’s can  is an important prop. Watch out for your little friends, Newman!

19.  PGA event – and another good cause.

20. Extra credit (bonus points)  if you guess that Camellia is not just a 2019 bowl game but also the name of the 10th Hole, ‘Camellia’, at Augusta National Golf Club, nestled in the so-called Cathedral of Pines, often described as the toughest hole on the course.

If you think some of these names were a bit unusual, then you must play The Name Game.  These lyrics are proof (if you needed any) that the ‘60s were a wild time, especially musically.

THE NAME GAME

Lyrics:  Shirley Elliston-Lincoln Chase) 

Words & Music Copyright November 18, 1964

Publisher:        Embassy Music Corporation

                        EMI Al Gallico Music Corp.

The name game. Shirley! Shirley, Shirley
Bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna
Fo-fer-ley. fee fi mo-mer-ley, Shirley!

Lincoln! Lincoln, Lincoln. bo-bin-coln
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln
Fee fi mo-min-coln, Lincoln!

Come on ev'rybody, I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody's name
The first letter of the name
I treat it like it wasn't there
But a "B" or an "F" or an "M" will appear
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee fi m-mar-mold. Arnold!
But if the first two…

Good Luck.

Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2020

AMDG

We'll Tak' a Cup o' Kindness Yet, for Auld Lang Syne

I have posted about this special topic before, but forgive me if I beg your indulgence once again. It bears repeating as we leave one decade behind and move forward to a new one. And remember to take  a cup of kindness while you are it.

Whether the world knows it or not, a large swath of humanity pays homage to Robert Burns, the poet laureate of Scotland, when celebrating the New Year.  His poem and song, Auld Lang Syne, written in 1788, will be sung at midnight by hundreds of millions of people around the globe, and I would guess that only a minuscule percentage of those revelers will know who wrote it and what it means. (The phrase Auld Lang Syne can be roughly translated as “old times” or “days gone by”.)

While I could find no reference to Robert Burns playing golf during a quick trip through the Internet, I believe he was a sportsman, as he was a member of the Royal Company of Archers in 1792.  And Burns was born in Ayrshire, home of several of the world’s greatest courses (Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick Golf Club, the home of the first Open Championship).  

The best-laid schemes...

While the game of golf predates Auld Lang Syne by centuries (the first documented mention of golf in Scotland appears in a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament, an edict issued by King James II of Scotland prohibiting the playing of the games of golf and football  as these were a distraction from archery practice for military purposes) it’s hard to imagine a true Scotsman who does not (and for many centuries did not) have golf in his blood.  So give a passing thought to Rabbie (not Rabbi) Burns when you drunkenly warble his melancholy tribute to days gone by at midnight tonight, and dream later of making memories in the future from rounds of golf shared with family and friends.

Here are the original words to perhaps the world’s most famous poem:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne.?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.

Happy New Year!!

Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2021

AMDG