We here at Australian Golf Digest know just how divisive doing a ranking can be. Our latest list of Australia’s Top 100 Golf Courses is keeping the debate raging until the next edition comes out in 2022.
Well, Brad Faxon found this out for himself on Tuesday night. And he found out the hard way.
Actually, it seems that Faxon was aware of the stir making a top-10 list of putters would cause. His tweet revealing his personal list was prefaced with the words, “Hope this doesn’t get me in trouble. . . “ Yep, you’re definitely in trouble, Brad. With Golf Twitter that is.
Keep in mind Faxon is an analyst. He is paid for his opinions. He also happens to be an expert in this area because he was always considered one of the best putters during his PGA Tour career that included eight victories. But none of that matters on Twitter. Faxon had a feeling he was about to get roasted – and that’s exactly what happened.
OK, let’s start with the tweet/list itself:
Hope this doesn’t get me in trouble…. pic.twitter.com/wuG5ENlNWT
— Brad Faxon (@BradFaxon) May 5, 2021
In case you can’t read Brad’s handwriting, here’s his top 10: 1. Tiger Woods; 2. Ben Crenshaw; 3. Seve Ballesteros; 4. Tom Watson; 5. Bobby Locke; 6. Jack Nicklaus; 7. Jose Maria Olazabal; 8. Billy Casper; 9. Bobby Jones; 10. Rory McIlroy.
Obviously, the one that immediately stands out is McIlroy, whose struggles with the flatstick have been well documented. “Call me crazy,” Faxon writes. Yeah, Brad, you’re crazy.
Rory is a better putt than Spieth. That's like saying your hit it better than Fred Couples
— Gary murphy (@Garymurphy62) May 5, 2021
Rory must be typo.
— Gieusahaggis (@Gieusahaggis1) May 5, 2021
Yeah, except it’s a handwritten list. So much for typos. Look, there are stats that prove this simply isn’t true. McIlroy has had a couple seasons of decent putting, but he usually ranks outside the top 100 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting as he is currently at No.108. Then again, maybe Faxon was just doing this to motivate McIlroy. After all, he has served as the four-time Major champ’s putting coach. Anyway, moving on…
Then there were many who were quick to point out that Faxon didn’t put any women on his list.
https://twitter.com/thedebolson/status/1389771759600103424?s=20
Dude has a wife and four daughters and still doesn’t even enter his thought process.
— Ethan Zimman (@EthanZimman) May 5, 2021
Of course, he knows the PGA Tour better, but still, he could have shown the LPGA some love – or at least thrown Inbee Park a bone.
You missed a rather obvious one. pic.twitter.com/kFyRL9L1qn
— Steve Eubanks (@jseubanks) May 5, 2021
Faxon also got ripped for spelling Australia’s five-time Open champion, Peter Thomson’s name wrong.
Mate, you need to start again and remove the 'P' in Thommo……
— Brad Clifton (@bradcliffo) May 5, 2021
Of course it will. You can’t spell “Thomson.”
— John Huggan (@johnhuggan) May 5, 2021
Tough crowd.
But the ultimate can’t-win moment? Faxon was criticised for not putting HIMSELF on the list.
Pretty sure you need to be on there somewhere.
First PGA event I ever saw in person, we followed you at the Memorial one year. I think you had 11 putts on the front nine.
It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. You made them all.
— Patrick Keogan (@patrickkeogan) May 5, 2021
A very subjective list, Brad, which should also include the name FAXON!
— TheGolfDivoTee™ (@TheGolfDivoTee) May 5, 2021
Surely, there were other quibbles out there like Bobby Locke being too far down the list or Loren Roberts, AKA “The Boss of the Moss,” not making it higher than honourable mention, but we’ll stop there. At least, for Faxon’s sake, pretty much everyone seemed OK with him having Tiger at the top.
Well, until Jack Nicklaus sees the list, that is. Sorry, Brad, but, yes, he’ll probably be insulted too.
