The Year in Golf - 2003 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jay Haas

Haas didn't actually win any tournaments in 2003, although he did place highly in quite a few starts. Many of the other age 40+ golfers on tour took inspiration from his play in the early season. Kenny Perry celebratedly won 3 of 4 tournaments in a row that he entered, starting with the Bank of America Colonial and ending at the Greater Milwaukee Open. Fred Couples had an emotional win at the Houston Open, and Vijay Singh won three times through the beginning of October. Singh brought his year's total to 4 with a win at the Funai Classic.

Answer: Suzy Whaley

They say she has a "million dollar smile", and the Greater Hartford Open had the ratings and the attendance to prove it. Whaley drew out quite a few fans, and although she didn't play as well as Sorenstam, she didn't embarrass herself either. As a side note, Natalie Gulbis is considered the Anna Kournikova of golf in that she has the ability to draw out fans without even playing - the main difference is that Natalie actually CAN play when it comes time to tee off.

Answer: Sandy Sommerville

Mike Weir was, however, the first left-handed golfer ever to win the Masters, so he has that to console himself with. He won 3 tournaments in 2003; in addition to the Masters, he won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Nissan Open.

Answer: 5

The cries that Woods was struggling, apart from his winning no majors in 2003, emerged primarily because he won 3 of his first 4 tournament starts and then didn't win again until his 10th start. Most players would be having a career year if they only went 6 tournaments between wins, but not Woods.

Answer: That he'd like to have a wife and kids - a "family"

Woods made the comments in a press conference following Jim Furyk's win at the U.S. Open. He was prompted by the scene of Furyk with his family, which Woods admitted he was jealous of. His diehard fans were concerned that if Woods went looking for a wife and family, his concentration on the game might slip - and concentration has always been Woods' first and biggest advantage over his competitors.

Answer: Ben Curtis

Even many of the other players on the Tour claimed to have never heard of Ben Curtis. Some cited Curtis's win as proof that Royal St. George was playing too difficult to have a "real" winner. During the first round golfers were only hitting about 20% of the fairways, an unthinkably low number; good drives were ending up 3 feet deep in rough, and bad drives were ending up in the middle of the fairway.

Answer: Shaun Micheel

Again there were murmurs that the course played too difficult, although Oak Hill Country Club was nowhere near as ridiculously sloped and hardened as Royal St. George. Micheel wasn't quite as reputationally obscure as Ben Curtis, but to have two virtual unknowns win in successive majors was almost unacceptable to many long-time PGA fans.

Answer: 5 first time major-winners in a row had won

Rich Beem won the 2002 PGA Championship, and as mentioned Mike Weir the 2003 Masters; Jim Furyk the 2003 U.S. Open; Ben Curtis the 2003 British Open (called "The Open Championship" outside the United States) and Shaun Micheel the 2003 PGA. None had won a prior major. Woods did NOT win a major in 2003, as mentioned above. If there was ever a year in which men over the age of 40 could have held all 4 major titles, it was 2003, but unfortunately it didn't happen.

Answer: The Canadian Tour and the Nationwide Tour

Wie played in the Boise Open on the Nationwide tour on a sponsor's exemption, and in a Canadian Tour event, the Bay Mills Open. She also tied for ninth place at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, shooting a 72 in the first round and 74 in the second round to become the youngest player ever to make the cut in an LPGA Tour event.

In 2002 she set the record for youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA event at the age of 12.

Answer: A man lost his amateur status because of it

The commercial was called "Tiger Trap" and received a massive public response. Mike Freeman was the name of the man who lost his status; he just happened to be at the course the day of the shoot, and during one of the "closest to the pin" competitions staged by Tiger and Buick, Freeman won the SUV. By accepting the prize, the USGA ruled that he had violated his amateur status, which states that no prize of greater than $500 can be accepted at any one time.

The SUV was worth about $42,000 U.S. dollars, and the fee that Freeman received for being in the commercial was said to have been as much as another $30,000.

It was also ruled that he would not be eligible to regain his status as an amateur until one full year after the final running of the commercial. Hope you golf fans enjoyed the quiz!