Here we are just a couple of days to the end of 2012 and not for a first time I find myself asking that question: ‘Where has the year gone?”
Season 2012 season commenced on the practice range at the Emirates Club in Dubai interviewing Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and ended shaking hands in Sydney with Peter Senior who became the oldest-ever winner of the Australian Open.
In between, I reported on some 35 tournaments.
Included in that number was witnessing fellow lefty Bubba Watson win the Masters, walking the final 18 holes with fellow Australian Adam Scott at The Open and being present to report on Rory McIlroy capturing a second Major in winning the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
My tournament reporting took me also to 19 different countries including for a first time, Turkey but then I always thought my first visit to Turkey would be to Gallipoli and not to report on a golf tournament.
I was introduced to the brother to the King of Morocco, stood at the gravesite of the Big Bopper, visited the house where Janis Joplin grew up, interviewed the Archbishop of Wales, found myself on the receiving end of a Tiger Woods headlock and shook hands with Perez Musharraf, the former Four-Star General and President of Pakistan, and who was one of US President George W Bush’s strongest alies in the War on Terror.
Gladly, I lost no money to Lee Westwood or Ernie Els following sporting failures by Australia against either England and South Africa
In the later part of the year I looked after my niece and trainee journalist, Rubee who travelled with us for three tournaments on the Continent.
I also played a lot of golf but then quantity does not always translate into quality and after starting 2012 with a 15 point something handicap, I will end 2012 with the same 15 point something handicap.
Enough!
Hereunder is Bernie’s awards for 2012.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – RORY MCILROY
Rory McIlroy has won so many awards this seasaon and rightfully so.
To be present at Kiawah Island and witness first hand the 23-year old Northern Irishman capture a second Major by the same margin he won a first was truly amazing.
The good aspect is that McIroy, while a little more conscious of those seeking his time, still hasn’t changed. He’s still very approachable, very obliging and very accommodating to those he has grown up with.
SHOT OF THE YEAR – BUBBA WATSON
Louis Oasthuizen has pulled off the shot of the 2013 Masters with an albatross early on the final day and when Bubba Watson sent his drive way left into trees down the left side of the 10th hole in the play-off Oosthuizen could be forgiven for dreaming the most sought after item of clothing in golf was his.
However the Baghdad-born Watson proceeded to pull off one of the greatest shots not only in Masters but in Major Championship history somehow managing to send his ball lying on pine needles through a small gap in the trees so that if miraculously found it’s way to the green.
Oosthuizen was shell-shocked not expecting his rival to get anywhere near the green.
The South African then made the biggest mistake of his life in not matching Watson in finding the green and then handing the prize of the season’s first Major to the third left-handed to win at Augusta.
BEST WATERING HOLE
The Doha Rugby Club on the Friday night of Qatar Mastes week still takes some beating even if I was over-charged for a Doha Rugby club shirt.
Thanks again to our Doha hosts Dave and June Murphy – they just make you feel so welcome.
WEIRDEST AND WHACKIEST GOLF EVENT OF THE YEAR – DUEL AT LAKE JINSHA
It started not knowing where we were going but a quick check on wikipedia revealed the city of Zhengzhou boasted 10 million people but only three golf courses.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy arrived for their Duel at Lak Jinsha in a fleet of Bentley’s. There was a doulbe line of Chinese military saluting when the cars drove up to the Lake Jinsha Golf Club.
Woods and McIlroy were welcomed with a fireworks display. There was an explosing of golf tinsel when the pair had hand prints taken.
The two moved to the range to be mobbed by spectators who broke ranks and lined-up all the way down to the 50-metre marker, and then invaded the range to pinch the Nike golf balls once Woods and McIlroy had finished.
There was the sight of parked helicopters in either end of the range and adjacent to the putting green.
The craziness continued as marshalls tackled those spectators who run onto the fairways.
And this was all before McIlroy and Woods had completed the first hole.
THE HOOVER AWARD
You can’t fight the extent of the new social media that has gripped the world but it continues to piss me off those colleagues who sit at home hoovering up quotes and stories from the various tour events and making out they are present at the events.
There’s no fighting this trend but there is ways around it.
And thanfully the various Tour media officers are finally starting to realise that those you make the effort to travel to various tournaments should be given specialy access to players.
BEST GIFT OF THE YEAR –
Times are indeed tough and the gifts usually bestowed upon the media for making the effot to attend tournaments seems to be a thing of the past.
If I had to single out any gift it was walking off with a Donald Trump International Scotland umbrella from the official opening of Trump’s coourse near Aberdeen.
The only regret was leaving the umbrella in the Media Centre on the final day of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and not seeing the umbrella again.
COMPLETELY OVER-THE-TOP AWARD
Speaking of Trump’s new course to the north of Aberdeen reminded me of the outrageous goings-on at the opening of Trump’s course.
We needed four security checks on the day of the official opening before being allowed into the official opening of Trump International Scotland.
Then after registering we were handed a fluourcescent orange vest to wear bearing the name – Media.
No thank you, I will not be wearing any fluorcescent vest.
What annoyed many of us was the fact organisers had singled out a handful of our colleagues for VIP status while ignoring a handful more who enjoyed easily a far greater media coverage stature.
BEST NEW DESTINATION – TURKEY
Despite there being on 20 cans of beer on board the special charter flight from Edinburgh to Antalya in Turkey, the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final was a great week.
No matter that Australians had to pay Euro 45 for a visa on arrival at the local airport (No doubt, a legacy of events 97 years earlier) it was super to be present at a new golfing destination.
The location is superb, the hotels excellent, there’s plenty of golf courses in the area and the weather in October was superb.#
Looking forward already to reporting on the inaugural 2013 Turkish Open.
BEST HEAD BUTT – TURKISH GOLF ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
The President of the Turkish Golf Federation had to aologise for ‘head butting’ an official photograph just prior to Tiger Woods’ opening round match in the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final.
Mr. Ahmet Agaoglu made the apology just after announcing the staging next year of the inaugural $7m Turkish Open as part of the 2013 European Tour Race to Dubai schedule.
Woods was about to tee up against South African Charl Schwartzel in Tuesday’s opening round of the eight-player $5.3m event on the Antalya Golf club course in Belek.
Agaoglu was seen arguing with the photographer for him to move off Woods intended line of shot before being seen to head butt him ahead of four security personnel removed the accredited fellow Turkish-born photographer.
“The photographer had been warned a few times by the marshal’s to leave where they were standing and they didn’t want to move, so they started shouting back at the security guys,” said Agaoglu.
“I was there to explain that this event for Turkey was unlike any other sports we have in this country and gave as an example that in a football match that when a player is taking a penalty you cannot go into the six-yard area to take your pictures.
“They were pushing the security guards and one then pushed me and I replied by pushing him back, as well.
“I am trying to make everything this week so perfect and it’s unfortunate my reaction happened.
“However I will prepare a written apology and send it to him apologising for my own actions.”
They certainly have a special way of dealing with issues in Turkey.
BEST PR/MEDIA OFFICIAL – IMGs MICHELLE MAIR
IMGs Michelle Mair is quite a rarity in today’s world of golf reporting.
She continues to be marvellous and ever-mindful of the needs of the written media and photographers.
As well, she’s sadly one of just a small handfull who actually gets out from behind the Media Centre reception area and moves into the working area to speak with journalists and photographers.
And in this way Michelle establishes that needed bridge and informing the media of news stories and, if necessary, arranging interviews and access to various players, and generally working closely with those journalists and photographers who have made the effort to be present at tournaments and those being paid by the Tour to be in attendance.
Michelle also is always conscious of those members of the media working back late in that she will go out of her way to arrange transport and whatever.
BMWs Nicole Stepemski also is another who works very well in interacting with the media present as she also goes out of her way to introduce herself to new journalists establishing their needs and bringing them up-to-date with tournament news, photo opportunities and arranging transport.
And while thanking Michelle and Nicole should this not the general role of a press officer to make him or herself known to journalists, source their needs and how they can better help facilitate a journalists or photographers coverage of the tournament.
HEADLOCK OF THE YEAR – TIGER WOODS
Here I was minding my own business standing at the bar within the Crowne Plaza hotel in Zhengzhou, China.
On the other side of the room Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were involved in a new rivalry – fighting over the remote controls to choose tunes to be played in the bar following their participation earlier in the day in the Duel at Lake Jinsha.
Next minute Woods wonders over the bar.
We got talking, and I can’t remember what I said, but next minute the 14-time Major Champion has me in a friendly headlock.
It was the first time I had seen Woods in a social situation and it was just great to see him relaxing and joking with the likes of Rory and the handful of guests present even with Woods’ left around wrapped around my neck for a spell.
And to witness the interaction between he and McIlroy was indeed special because they’ve obviously become very good friends, very quickly despite all the media hype surrounding their new on-course rivalry.
EXTREMELY HARD DONE BY AWARD – PETER WHITEFORD
It took Peter Whiteford months to get over the appaling manner in which he found himself disqualified from the Avantha Masters in India.
Four holes into the final round and just one shot off the lead, Whiteford was thrown out of the event for something that occurred late in the third round a day earlier.
The 31-year-old’s problems arose as he addressed his approach shot on to the final hole on Saturday.
As Whiteford moved his club and looked at the target before his swing, his ball rolled slightly to the right.
The Scot sought confirmation from his caddie, fellow competitor Jean Baptiste Gonnet and a cameraman over whether they had observed the movement, but the trio saw nothing and the player finished the hole and signed for a level-par 72.
Once again, arm chair anoraks contacted the European Tour website to tell them Whiteford’s ball had moved and that was upheld by the rules committee.
Whiteford admitted he should have called a rules official but there needs to be a cut off point with this ‘Trail by Video’ that’s become a culture in tournament golf.
WORST TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR – KLM OPEN.
I skipped the French Open in 2012 for the same reason now I may skip the 2013 KLM Open.
For starters, the Press Room is a shambles with journalists expected to work in surrounds akin to a sardine can.
I covered the event that week for Associated Press so that my copy was being sent to every news outlet, TV network and radio station around the globe but don’t expect the Tournament Director be up to date with that information.
It could have been quite easy when he denied me access to a courtesy car for the 15 minute journey each way to our hotel to have simply called the event the Dutch Open but No I continued to report the event at the KLM Open despite the ruling of the Tournament Director and the rudeness of the woman running the courtesy cars.
So it was a near three-hour round journey by bus, train and bus back and forward to the hotel each day.
Mention also to the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational for a complete lack of appreciation on the part of sponsors and the PGA Tour to the media who cover the event.
BEST GOLF COURSE PLAYED – ROYAL LYTHAM AND ST. ANNES
Once again, the R & A hosted members of the Association of Golf Writers to play the venue for the Open Championship and this year we played Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
Special mention also to Askernish on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
Good friend, George Morris played the Old Tom Morris course three days running in the first week of June and to use a well-worn golfing phase – what a hidden gem!
BEST INTERVIEW OF 2012
Newly-engaged Graeme McDowell gets the award not for the nature of the story but for playing ball in agreeing to hold back on his good news.
I first introduced myself the G Mac on the Wednesday before he won the 2002 Scandinavian Masters and was extremely pleasant then and continues to be ever-obliging to the media.
However while covering the UBS Hong Kong Open I heard a rumour G Mac had got himself engaged so on catching-up with him a week later in Dubai he spilled the beans on how he coaxed his girlfriend out onto the helipad of the stunning Burj Al Arab hotel andn where he got down on one knee to pop the question.
As you may be aware, G Mac spends a lot of time on Twitter and the big concern now was being scooped by G Mac before the story of his engagement appeared in the papers.
G Mac was great indicating: “Okay, the story is yours until the morning and then I’ll be tweeting it.”
QUOTES OF THE YEAR
“You’ve just got to go with what you have in your pants.” – Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts when asked to explain how he made eight birdies and an eagle to lift him and Lee Westwood to victory over Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, 1 up victory at the Ryder Cup.
“I can answer any question you ask me about Peppa Pig.” – I had not seen Ireland’s Peter Lawrie for some months. The Dubliner has four children under the age of 10 so he naturally gets little opportunity to sit down to watch taped coverage of any golf.
However in catching up with the former Spanish Open champion one of my first questions was: “So Pete, what have you been doing the last few months since I saw you last?”
Lawrie’s response: “I’ve had four weeks at home watching Peppa Pig.”
He then broke into a laugh: “There’s been one real benefit sitting at home as I can answer any question about Peppa Pig you want to throw at me.”
“I’ve been out here for 16 to 17 years and I am still part of that conversation which is good.” – Tiger Wood when asked ahead of his match against Rory McIlroy in the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final if he considered he was still competitive against the likes of World No 1 Rory McIlroy.
NOT A PRETTY SIGHT AWARD
You get used to seeing caddies wear shorts but professional golfers!
Some of the players like Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar contesting the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final chose to wear shorts and othes didn’t.
There were calls to ban the wearing of shorts in any pro event and if you had of seen the legs on some of the pros you would agree.
BEST REACTION BY A CADDY TO AN ACE
Scotland’s Craig Connolly went crazy when Paul Casey grabbed aced the par three, 15th hole in the final round of the WGC – Cadillac Championship thinking his boss had won a gleaming new Cadillac.
Connolly dropped the bag and ran over to Casey with both arms outstretching thinking he would get a share of the prize given there was a Cadillac on show at the back of the tee.
Unfortunately, Casey has the last laugh in reminding the Glasgow-born bagman the prize of a car for a hole-in-one was at the 13th hole.
“I never enjoyed not winning a car so much,” Connolly joked.
BEST PUTT OF THE YEAR
There were plenty of choices for Shot of the Year, but to select one big putt over another was too much to ask.
In a year of a Ryder Cup the best putt had to come from the Ryder Cup.
Early Saturday afternoon Europe were looking washed-up, down and out but then Ian Poulter stepped forward to birdie the final five holes as he and Rory McIlroy rallied to beat Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner, 1-up.
It set the stage for Miracle of Medinah that unfolded on Sunday.
Justin Rose’s putt in his match against Phil Mickelson has already won the Shot of the Year award and I’m not disagreeing.
Rose’s improbable 40-foot putt could have easily run 10 feet past but it fell and Europe’s improbable comeback was moving full speed ahead.
And if Rose’s putt wasn’t the biggest, Martin Kaymer’s was as the 2010 PGA Champion holed a 6-footer at the last to seal Europe’s comeback.
TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR — THE RYDER CUP
I walked into the Golf Hotel in Crail at 5.15pm and left seven hours later hoarse at 12.15am.
I have never cheered so much in watching a golf tournament.
But then the 2012 Ryder Cup was unlike no other golf tournament and certainly unlike no other Ryder Cup.
The Miracle at Medinah captivated people around the globe. Never before have I witnessed a golf event providing so much spectacle and drama.
Team USA were akin to a runaway train in the first 15 matches storming their way to a 10-4 near insumoutable lead.
Step forward Ian Poutler!
Poulter birdied the last five holes to give he and Rory McIlroy an improbable 1-up win over Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson, who had won their first two matches together.
Trailing by four points entering the final day, the Europeans won the first five matches in singles action before Martin Kaymer sealed the remarkable comeback in the penultimate match.
Tiger Woods lost the final hole to give the Europeans the victory. If he had halved the hole, the matches would have been halved, but the Euros would have retained the cup.
Regardless, the European team was going to party like rock stars after matching the greatest comeback in event history.
The first three majors on the PGA Tour — the Masters with Bubba Watson’s playoff win, the U.S. Open with Webb Simpson’s rally and Adam Scott collapse at the British Open — were also considered as were the Kraft Nabisco, the Dubai Desert Classic, the U.S. Senior Open and the Chiquita Classic.
THERE’S ONLY ONE ROGER CHAPMAN
I recall being present in Rio de Janeiro in 200o when England’s Roger Champion defeated Ireland’s Padraig Harrington to win a European Tour event in the famed Brazil city.
Those who travelled out to Brazil were not rushing to head home as there was a second tournament in Saol Paolo and a week before the Masters in Augusta.
We celebrated Chapman’s inaugural European Tour win at an Italian restaurant on the beach front at Copacabana and we everyone singing: There’s only one Roger Chapman, there’s only one Roger Chapman, there’s only one Roger Chapman.
It had taken the Englishman more than 400 events to finally taste success so how thrilled was everyone when Chapman strolled into the Media Centre at Royal Lytham and St. Annes this year – a double Senior Tour Major winner.
Chapman posted only two top-10 finishes on the Champions Tour, but both were wins and both victories were at major championships. He won the Senior PGA and U.S. Senior Open by two strokes, and both titles happened in the state of Michigan.
There’s still only ony Roger Champman but what a joy to see him win two Senior Tour majors in 2012.
And as a footnote – Harrington was present that evening in the Copacabana restaurant. Despite his disappointment he went to Sao Paolo and won the event to head to Augusta National in the best possible form.
