Two stories caught my eye yesterday when scanning the wires and golf sites. The first involves Ernie Els.

Els, of course, has pulled out of this week's Bay Hill Invitational citing fatigue. There goes another chance to measure his game against Tiger's.



The reason for the fatigue could be as much emotional as anything else; the South African golfer admitted recently that his five year son is autistic.

It takes courage to make such an admission but even more courage to walk the path that lies ahead for him, his wife and his son.

Life always has a way of putting things into perspective and Els said "it's a change of life, a change of priorities".

I think back to his comments several weeks ago when he pretty much said he had decided to abandon his quest to regain the world number one spot. Early this month he said "I am 38 right now and I can quite easily go and enjoy being with my kids".

Autism is not a curse but it does demand a great deal of energy and loving support; we may not see Ernie in a lot of tournaments this season.

The other story that caught my eye did so for very different reasons.

It was a story that ran in the Tampa Tribune about how John Daly hung out at the Hooters bar by the 17th hole at Innisbrook Resort.

Daly, of course, had missed the cut in the PODS Championship and decided to have a few brewskies with the Hooters patrons.

Okay, that's Daly; he's not going to change and you get what you pay for with him.

What got to me was the description of this Hooters golfside bar; for $69 anyone who attended could get nearby parking, unlimited wings and beer and, of course, the Hooters girls.

And this is at a PGA golf tournament? The Trib reporter described the place as "raucous" while the V.P. of the marketing agency which dreamed up this bright idea described it as "...more of a fun place. It gives that person who is not a serious golfer a good time to watch golf and not have to be real quiet."

How true. I mean, how could a whole bunch of guys (mostly) who've been drinking unlimited beer all day possibly be "real quiet"?

Aren't tailgate parties meant for parking lots rather than golf tournaments?

More and more, I am seeing tournaments on TV where galleries are large and very rowdy and usually there are plenty of drinking cups in the stands. The atmosphere is akin to a stag party.

In the past, if you went to golf tournaments, you went because you were a golfer and you wanted to see the pros up close, watch how they swung, how they chipped, how they putted.

Now, golf tournaments are beginning to attract people who couldn't give a s***t about golf but are coming out because they can get free wings, beer and hooters all day.

We dumb down enough stuff in life; let's not do the same with golf.