T.J.'s Take: Matching the celebrity to his TOUR pro
By T.J. Auclair, PGATOUR.COM Interactive Producer
This week's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is the latest PGA TOUR event in which a celebrity has been the host. Timberlake is among some pretty snazzy company. Check out the list of other celebs to host a TOUR event.
While all of the hosting celebs are dudes anyone would love to hang out with, here's who I think the TOUR players would most like to spend a little time with off the course, in descending order of ranking, along with a player match for the celebrity:
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13. ED McMAHON. He spent 30 years as Johnny Carson's announcer on the Tonight Show and is most remembered by people my age as the host of Star Search. So who do we compare him to on the TOUR? This is a tough one, my friends. It's got to be someone animated with tons of personality. Let's go with Rocco Mediate.
12. JOE GARAGIOLA. The former Major League Baseball catcher eventually became a famous announcer and television host, who occasionally filled in for Johnny Carson to guest-host the Tonight Show. By all accounts, Garagiola was just a genuinely funny guy to be around. Reminds me a lot of Billy Andrade. Plus, Andrade loves his baseball and has been known to break bread with Sandy Koufax on occasion.
11. GATLIN BROTHERS. There are three of them -- Larry, Steve and Rudy. Country music stars of the 1970s-80s. Rudy, in fact, was named the No. 1 golfer in music by Golf Digest recently. So who do I see these brothers matching up well with? I'm going to go with a couple of brothers who spent time on the PGA TOUR together -- Larry and Lee Rinker. When I was 12 years old, I remember seeing Larry Rinker in the old TOUR event at Pleasant Valley in Sutton, Mass. One of his sponsors was Fender guitars. I always thought that was pretty cool.
10. ANDY WILLIAMS. He was a pop singer who performed with the likes of Bobby Darin, Elton John, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson. The TOUR player match for Williams has got to be someone who has a passion for music. Since we using John Daly later on in this list, let's throw the nod here to Shaun Micheel. The 2003 PGA Championship winner is an avid fan of KISS.
9. DANNY THOMAS. He was a famous comedian and actor, but his greatest legacy might just be the work he did with the St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. In fact, his charity work earned him a Congressional Gold Medal -- the highest civilian award in the U.S. There are so many TOUR players that do incredible charity work, much of which we never even hear about. Because of his charity work at St. Jude, Vijay Singh seems like a good match for Thomas.
8. GLEN CAMPBELL. The country pop singer and actor was at the height of his fame in the 1960s-70s. He also spent time touring with the Beach Boys, filling in for an ailing Brian Wilson for about a year in the mid-'60s. Clearly a megastar in his heyday, he had to be a lot of fun to be around -- just like all of these other celebs. As for a perfect pro match for Campbell, I'm leaning toward John Daly because of the love of country music. Just keep Daly away from the microphone and let Campbell handle the singing, please.
7. JACKIE GLEASON. The comedian, actor and musician was one of the most popular stars in the early years of television, highlighted by his role as Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners. Gleason was a stocky, funny guy -- makes me think of Jason Gore.
6. BING CROSBY. There's so much you could talk about with this singer/actor, who in 1962 became the first person to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. You've got to be something special when your name trumps that of Pebble Beach. Rather than saying, "Oh, I'm playing in the Pro-Am at Pebble," guys would say, "I'm playing the Crosby Clambake." Furthermore, this guy doesn't have just one star on the Walk of Fame, he's go three! Player match for Crosby? How about Darren Clarke? Just like Crosby, big Darren likes to mingle and have a great time with his friends.
5. BOB HOPE. The comedian and actor lived to be 100 years old. He played several rounds with several presidents and was well-known for traveling abroad to entertain U.S. troops during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. You might be a little surprised with my match for Hope. I'm going with Frank Lickliter. On television, he looks super-intimidating with the mirrored shades and cigarette hanging out the mouth. But, meet him in person, and Lickliter is one of the most soft-spoken, genuine guys you'll ever talk to. Furthermore, Lickliter is a fervent supporter of out troops and has even made trips overseas to show his appreciation.
4. SAMMY DAVIS JR. Talent, talent and more talent. One of the original members of the Rat Pack, Davis was a dancer, singer, played multiple instruments, was an impressionist, actor and comedian. His professional match is a no-brainer -- Sergio Garcia. Garcia has all the talent in the world and can be both an actor and a comedian on the course. If Grammys and Emmys count as major wins for those in showbiz, Garcia still has work to do in his field to catch Davis, who had five of each. Something tells me Garcia would do anything just for one -- major golf championship that is, not a Grammy or an Emmy.
3. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. Singer, dancer, actor and lover of golf. Timberlake dates Hollywood A-listers, hangs out with star athletes, famous fellow musicians and movie stars but still seems like the kind of guy who would be a lot of fun to go grab a beer with. To me, his TOUR match is easy. It had to be someone with his own, unique look. Someone who the ladies flock to. Someone who is the center of attention when he walks into the room, or walks the fairways and embraces the attention while staying in the moment. For that reason, it's Camilo Villegas.
2. DEAN MARTIN. This guy is the epitome of cool -- how else do you get the nickname, "The King of Cool?" The singer, actor, and comedian was one of the founding members of the Rat Pack and actually dropped out of school in the 10th grade because, he said, he was smarter than the teachers. Now kids, we don't condone dropping out of school, so don't get the wrong idea. Martin's TOUR counterpart, without question or hesitation, has got to be Tommy Armour III. If there's a guy on TOUR anyone would rather have a good time with, I don't know who it is.
1. FRANK SINATRA. Singer and actor. Forget the golf. Can you even imagine spending a night hanging out with the leader of the Rat Pack? If you had a night out with Ol' Blue Eyes, you'd better pray for a late tee time, because chances are you wouldn't be going to sleep. Sinatra was as dedicated to a good time as his TOUR match is dedicated to squashing his competition. A No. 1 like Sinatra could only be paired with another No. 1 -- Tiger Woods.
T.J. Auclair is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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