The late Bernie Mac had reason to shield his face after blasting Samuel Jackson in the back of the head with a golf shot. (courtesy photo)

Bernie Mac, Tiger Woods, Samuel Jackson and Curt the Golfer make supreme golf news

By William K. Wolfrum,
Contributor

Here at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, we've spent the last few months doing nothing but watching the news. For instance, we've kept track of all the big stories in U.S. politics: What is Michelle Obama wearing? Why is she wearing it? Do Joe Biden's hair plugs disqualify him from public office? Now that Sarah Palin is back in Alaska, will she conduct a full-on raid of Russia?

Of course, we didn't learn the answer to any of these questions because we were looking for how they all related to golf. Sadly, the recent election was fairly golf free. Barack Obama doesn't play that much, John McCain doesn't play at all, and with the economy in bad shape, politicians don't want to be seen wiling away the hours at a golf course.

But that doesn't mean golf hasn't been newsworthy lately. So we've decided to take a break from ranking golfers and instead rank some of the most important golf stories that have come across the wires recently. Because that's change we can believe in.

Golfer Supremacy Headline News

1. Bernie Mac smacks Samuel Jackson

Comments: Make no doubt that comedian and actor Bernie Mac left us far too soon. Before he passed away, though, he left an indelible mark - on the back of Samuel Jackson's head. Seems that Mac and Jackson were playing a round of golf in Chicago, and Mac unleashed a 3-wood and, well, we'll let Jackson tell the story from there: "Bernie was the only guy to hit me with a golf ball. We were playing golf in Chicago ... Bernie drove his ball, and I drove my ball about 20 yards farther than his and I just kept going down the fairway and, as I was walking, it felt like somebody had shot me in the back."

Did Mac apologize? Well, not really, "He was like, 'you shouldn't have been in the way - it would have been a good shot," Jackson said, according to ContactMusic.com.

2. Tiger Woods unveils first U.S. design

Comments: Woods has officially entered the fray as a golf course designer with his design at the Cliffs at High Mountain. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, the course will take its place among designs by Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio at The Cliffs Communities. And while Tiger says accuracy and shot-making skills will be the true test of the course, it still measures an impressive 7,500 yards from the tips. So you may want to bring your driver after Woods' first U.S. golf course design opens in 2010. For more on Woods' work in North Carolina, head over to GolfCourseRealty.com and check out an exclusive interview with Cliffs Communities boss Jim Anthony.

3. Pete Dye a Hall of Famer

Comments: Well, this is a no-brainer. Dye, perhaps the most well-respected golf course designer on the planet, is now a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement as a course designer. Dye, a World War II veteran, has created more brilliant golf courses than we can count, including the feared and revered Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. If you're interested in seeing some of his best work, we suggest getting a copy of the book "Pete Dye: Golf Courses Fifty Years of Visionary Design."

4. Aces away for Curt Hocker

Comments: Hocker, whom some have taken to calling "Curt the Golfer," drilled five holes-in-one at El Paso Golf Club last week. The Illinois State student has quickly become the biggest golf story of the year, defying the odds in a way that's truly inhuman. As the Peoria Journal Star reported: "Statistically, Hocker has a better chance of being struck by lightning while collecting his Powerball winnings on the way to a Ralph Nader victory rally than he does of making five aces in six days."

Golf news that will make you sad: Justin Timberlake has signed a deal with Callaway Golf to endorse its products.

November 11, 2008

William K. Wolfrum keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation. You can follow him on Twitter @Wolfrum.