Rob OllerColumbus Dispatch
Neal Shipley passed his biggest test at the Masters without hitting a shot. Faced with a decision – to tell or not to tell – the Ohio State golfer took a bullet for Tiger Woods.
Now he and Eldrick can be friends forever.
I kid, I kid. Kind of.
Before becoming a social media meme for his sideways glances during the green jacket presentation in Butler Cabin Sunday, Shipley, who won low amateur for the week, was part of an awkward exchange with a reporter after completing his final round playing with Woods.
As the media interview session wound down, the reporter asked about a note Woods handed the OSU graduate student in the eighth fairway.
“What was that about?” the reporter asked.
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Shipley immediately turned his head to the tournament official conducting the interview session, apparently looking for a little help, as in “What do I do here?” Getting no help, he answered, “No, he didn’t …” At which point the reporter said, “Oh, I thought he wrote something and handed you a piece of paper.”
Shipley didn’t hesitate.
“No, no, that didn’t happen.”
And with that, the 23-year-old Buckeye upheld the “Tiger Woods oath,” which states that anything the 15-time major champion says or does to or for you in private – or in this case in public, seeing as it happened in front of a large gallery – shall remain strictly between you and him. To kiss and tell with Tiger is the kiss of death to any friendship you may ever hope to have with the 48-year-old.
Shipley passed with flying colors, and the interview session ended.
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Some are scolding the reporter for asking the question, buthe simply was looking to enrich his story with as much detail as possible.
And anyone opting to scold Shipley for lying needs be careful, because the devil is in the details of the wording. The reporter asked about a note. Well, define “note.” Is a signed scorecard a note? Is a telephone number a note? Woods handed Shipley something, but what it was we likely will never know.
Shipley passed the test once. He sure doesn’t want to flunk it now.
As for the oddity that happened inside Butler Cabin, CBS cameras caught Shipley’s eyes twice looking at something off-camera as he sat next to Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, prompting the internet to kick into snarky speculation mode.
“Hostage vibes,” read one Twitter/X post.
“Greg Norman peeking through the window,” wrote another.
My guess? Shipley was nervous and things were happening with cameras and cue cards and whatnot. But I could be wrong. Maybe Tiger was off to the side wagging a finger.
RIP Fritz Peterson, baseball’s family 'free agent'
Nothing signals baseball as America’s national pastime like hot dogs, Cracker Jack, “Take me out to the ballgame” and … wife swapping?
Gather round, young’uns for a story. Fritz Peterson, who died Friday at 82, was pitching for the New York Yankees in spring training of 1973 when he and teammate Mike Kekich revealed they had traded families and homes.
You read that right. Kekich’s wife and two daughters moved in with Peterson, while Peterson’s wife and two sons lived with Kekich.
"It wasn't a wife swap. It was a life swap," Kekich told The New York Times. “We're not saying we’re right and everyone else who thinks we’re wrong are wrong. It’s just the way we felt.”
Peterson and Susanne Kekich eventually married in 1974, remaining together until his death. Kekich and Marilyn Peterson ended their relationship shortly after the swap became public. The Yankees traded Kekich to Cleveland later that season.
Peterson was best known for his marital/family switcheroo, but his pitching made news, too. He won 20 games in 1970, when he was named an American League All-Star, and allowed the fewest walks per nine innings from 1968-72. He later played for Cleveland, where Kekich was a teammate, and Texas.
Listening in
“We’re always looking for quarterbacks who have the ability to run. We’re not looking for running backs who can throw.” – Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, summarizing what he looks for when recruiting QBs.
Off-topic
Ooh that smell, can’t you smell that smell. … The smell of spring surrounds you. (With apologies to Lynyrd Skynyrd).
Walking my neighborhood, the aroma of fresh mulch signaled the beginning of spring, which got me thinking of smells that directly associate with seasons. Grilling in summer. Pine-scented candles at Christmas. Candy corn at Thanksgiving. Leaf piles in the fall. Anything else you got?
roller@dispatch.com
