In this week's Golf World magazine, Jaime Diaz weighs in with a back page column that declares Geoff Ogilvy, the reigning U.S. Open champion who lost Sunday in the finals of the Accenture Match Play, to be the best interview in golf
To that, I say: You got dat right, man.
Personally, I didn't know Ovilgy from Adam's house cat until this time last year, when I covered the Match Play, which he won, in its final year at La Costa. What I remember most from that week -- other than him beating Davis Love III in the finals -- were Ogilvy's interviews as he progressed through the field.
He was engaging, refreshingly honest and forth-coming and clearly intelligent -- in other words, a welcome departure from some of the sullen, uncooperative stars who suffer through interviews like they were a case of irritable bowel syndrome.
To that, I say: You got dat right, man.
Personally, I didn't know Ovilgy from Adam's house cat until this time last year, when I covered the Match Play, which he won, in its final year at La Costa. What I remember most from that week -- other than him beating Davis Love III in the finals -- were Ogilvy's interviews as he progressed through the field.
He was engaging, refreshingly honest and forth-coming and clearly intelligent -- in other words, a welcome departure from some of the sullen, uncooperative stars who suffer through interviews like they were a case of irritable bowel syndrome.
Ogilvy made a fan of me then and there. Not only did he have game, which became even more evident at Winged Foot, but he was shades of Jack Nicklaus in the interview room -- the standard bearer in golf for good interviews.
Ogilvy, an Aussie who lives in Scottsdale these days, truly convinced me he was a good guy the night he won the Open. As it happened, he was among the players staying in the same hotel as most of the media. After his victory that life-changing Sunday night, he didn't go out on the town in New York City to celebrate. Instead, he went back to the hotel, changed into jeans and a tee shirt, then came down to the lobby bar in the hotel -- trophy in hand -- with his wife to hang out.
No fanfare. No big-timing. No keeping fans at bay. Ogilvy sat there, obviously happy but quiet and subdued, chatting with anybody and everybody, posing for a few snapshots with friends and fans.
