My friend Lulu is an avid golf fan. She can watch golf until she is transfixed and completely hypnotized by the game. I, on the other hand, have never found much interest in it -- either playing it or watching it. I am a huge fan of Karma, however, and I believe it ultimately works its magic. So, I was hoping Phil Mickelson would win the Masters golf tournament, and I was thrilled when he did. And that other golfer -- you know the one -- tied for fourth place. Somehow the Gods of Humility had decided it was not Tiger's turn to win this year.
However, I am also a firm believer in redemption. Somerset Maugham's stories were all about sin and redemption -- in other words, the human condition. And we are all guilty of being human, to one degree or another. Transgression and forgiveness are the fabric of most spiritual faiths, formal or informal. So I wish the best for Tiger, I'm just glad he didn't win the Masters this year. He hasn't deserved it -- yet.
Way to go, Phil...!
My favorite was Watson; however, I'm very glad Tiger didn't win.
ReplyDeleteI think he needs to 'lose' for a good long time, so he realizes the terrible things he's done, and can't pat himself on the back by stepping back into golf and being a big winner to help him boost his ego.
Of course my favorite Sunday sport 'win', was the Red Wings beating the Blackhawks in overtime!
Go Wings!
Pity the South Africans didn't feature this year. As for Tiger. There are days that I wonder if things won't go back to the way it was before he was caught before long.
ReplyDeleteI can play Mini-Golf on the computer or in real life for hours, but normal Golf is just not my thing...
ReplyDeleteStill, you are right. Tiger did not deserve it after what he has done!
Instant Karma! :D
For someone who hardly ever watches a golf tournament, yesterday was pretty good. We are glad the best golfer of the day won. As for Tiger, his personal life is between him and his wife. His forgiveness will come between them.
ReplyDeleteI lost track on Saturday and forgot the Masters was on... Must not have had the tv on since Friday. Those are my kind of weekends.
ReplyDeleteCS
We were pulling for Lefty too (although Tom Watson is a favorite of ours as well). I just think he's the cutest thing - big smile, dimples... What? You don't pick your favorite athletes by their smile? Heh. And it was quite a heartwarming moment watching him hug his wife - the fact that she AND his mother have cancer is very poignant.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the Masters, but every once in a while I would surf over there and was thrilled to see Phil Mickelson doing so well. And BTW, I have "The Lemon Tree" sitting next to my computer to watch soon! Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we should decided who "deserves" to win sporting matches. I understand where you are coming from, and I get it. I think part of Tiger's issues probably comes from the fact that he is not use to not being the best. He is not use to things being hard. So in that since I think the lose was good for Tiger. Its is good for him to have to struggle and fight hard to earn back trust and acclaim.
ReplyDeleteTo me, that's completely separate from golf. Golf is just a game. The person who played best in each tournament wins. As much as we like for it to, the game has nothing to do with personal character.
I did see Phil Mickelson get his jacket, and hug his wife and talk about what it meant to come to the Masters and win for the third time. I was glad to see that person who had played and won was able to share the moment with the people he loves.
I can imagine that if Tiger Woods had won, the whole thing would have just been extremely awkward.
Golf: You hit the ball. You chase the ball. You find the ball. Why would you want to do it again, let alone 17 more times???
ReplyDeleteThat said, I, too, am glad that Phil Mickelson won after all the heartbreak he has gone through recently. He deserves this. And Tiger...yes, karma...
Cloudia, yes! *heh*
ReplyDeleteDiane, the Red Wings, yes! The Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin is the new National Hockey League scoring champion. :-)
Firefly, I wonder the same thing, and perhaps he will just be more discreet.
PinkPanthress, yes, I am a firm believer in Karma.
Linda, I think because he is a public figure, and a role model, unfortunately his indiscretions have become public, so perhaps even though he did not "cheat" on his public, he did let them down.
Carl, you don't miss much by keeping your TV off. Good for you!
Bug, yes, he is sort of a mirror image of Tiger. Both Mickelson's wife and mother have been battling breast cancer.
DJan, you will love The Lemon Tree. Enjoy!!!
Katy, it used to be at one time that "sportsmanship" and "being a gentleman" were synonymous with each other. A sportsman such Tiger Woods is a role model, and his bad behavior speaks to his character -- or lack of it. Sports has now become big business, and sports stars can get away with behaving badly, because they are earning someone big $$$. I was actually surprised he was even allowed to play in the Masters. I really don't think he deserved it.
Laurie, yes, I'm glad Phil Mickelson won too. To me, he seems the epitome of a good sport.
Good morning,
ReplyDeleteJohanna I'm impressed, not only do you know who won in the Golf game (which I was only watching to see how Tiger was going to place), but you're on top of it with the Vancouver Canucks - isn't that awesome! Anyways, thanks for the update regarding the Golf game, now I know Tiger didn't win and I'm not too sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing right now with all his issues, but you're right! very humbling for him.
A.M....! Mental telepathy. I was just thinking about you. How are you??? And no, I'm not a huge sports fan (except baseball, which I love), but I do like to know what is going on. Nice to hear from you. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThe Black Widow Spider is gone... ♫♪ (Sung to the tune of The Wicked Witch is Dead...)
Jo- as always you are right, but I guess I was born toolate to enjoy the time when public figures were really role models.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, who watches golf on a regular bases? Not me. Not you. Whould we even know who won the Masters if Tiger had not played? I really seriously doubt it. And THAT is why he was allowed to play.
The change in the condition of the heart must be sincere. I do forgive and I hope that people are learning about our double standards that we hold for celebrities. Money can be security for only so long and then reality and the human being has to seek right from wrong. I will stop now but I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand golf. I'm grateful for Phil's win and his family. But I would have been glad to read about Phil winning, without sullying the piece by bringing up that other golf goof.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that many people (including me) are responding to the Phil Mickelson triumph is that so very rarely does real life turn out like the story books. This weekend Phil vs. Tiger was more than a battle between outstanding athletes and disparate styles, it was about two opposite visions of marriage, how we react differently to severe, even life-threatening problems (recall how a leading Presidential contender dealt with his wife's cancer), how the facade we present to the outside world crumbles under pressure, and how character, graceful or not, is revealed.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, in a bow to Laurie's point of view, we're just talking about golf, "a good walk spoiled (Mark Twain)."
You hit a hole in one Jo! I'm in total agreement... at least for the time being!
ReplyDeleteI wish Karma were more reliable, but it isn't. I've known some skunks (human ones), who do great damage and always land on their feet, crowing about it, no less.
ReplyDeleteEven if Tiger never wins anything again, he'll never be broke.
Somerset Maugham is one of my favorites.
Flip once bought me a set of golf clubs in which I had no interest at all until I realized that the bag had a pocket big enough for a book.
ReplyDeleteMickelson seems like a nice man and his wife is lovely. I'm glad he won. Tiger is getting some hard lessons.. I hope he pays attention.
I don't really have any interest in golf but I too am glad Tiger didn't win. He needs a bit of an ego adjustment and maybe losing for awhile is just what he needs.
ReplyDelete