Hi everyone,
As America watched another Tiger Woods mea culpa Monday, former Danbury resident Ken Green took a deep breath and scratched his head.
While the No. 1 golfer in the world “healed” in front of the TV cameras — a fraud at best, a cheater at worst — an older man reflected on the prosthetic right leg that gives him the balance (and the blessing) to swing a golf club.
It’s been 10 months since Green’s horrible RV accident in Mississippi, the asphalt nightmare that took the life of his brother, Billy; his girlfriend, Jeanne; his dog, Nip; and the career that paid the bills and made him whole.
From the moment Green woke up with a broken body in the hospital last June, he was committed to returning to the Champions Tour for professional golfers 50 and older.
After all, as a five-time PGA Tour winner, Green had earned his 24-month playing exemption on the Champions Tour, a privilege whose clock started ticking in July 2008.
The way Green figures it, he had played only 11 months before his accident. He believes he’s entitled to another 13 months to round out the two-year playing exemption.
Green is exactly right, of course. Unless you ask Champions Tour President Mike Stevens and his bosses at the PGA Tour.
The way the PGA Tour sees things, the clock started running on Ken Green’s playing exemption in July 2008, and it will stop ticking in July 2010.
That’s not fair.
The Champions Tour should have pressed the button on Green’s stopwatch the moment his RV flew off the road last summer.
To read more about Ken Green — and the prestigious award he will receive tonight — check out my “Take on Life” column on Wednesday.
Only in the print edition of The News-Times.
Hey Brian, it is obvious that you adore little Kenny. Your problem, not anyone else’s.
The Playing Exemptions don’t start and stop and start again because some azzzzhole like you thinks it should. Just try and imagine the total administrative nightmare for others trying this trick.
Ken Green is a has-been. He can’t play anymore.
If you really wanted to help him then you should have paid for some new tires on his RV. It wrecked because he blew all his money on boozed and drove it on totally bald tires and had a blow out which caused the crash.
Wake up and smell the roses !!
Comment by Ed Thompson — April 7th, 2010 @ 5:17 am
Wow… nice cheap shot at Tiger are you now writing for TMZ Mr. Koonz? Being the liberal you are I think you would have much more compassion for those who partake in infidelity was it not one of your heros who disgraced the White House, Congress, our Court System and Country with his acts of lust in the oval office? I in no way defend Tigers actions but to use his name in this forum is simply sensationalism and a pretty poor job of it.
Since you have drawn the comparison take a look at the Work of the Tiger Woods Foundation has done http://web.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/index. By his own admission Ken Green is much better at golf than he is at life lets not dismiss a life and talent poorly utilized because he was in a tragic accident. He is not dismissed from the tour just needs to earn his way back on it. Seeing that it is a tour for those in the latter stage of life the precedent of medical exemptions would be silly.
Comment by Andrew Wiggin — April 7th, 2010 @ 7:27 am
You forgot to mention probably the worst part of this tragedy…the loss of his son to what appears to be a drug overdose
Comment by bullfrog44 — April 7th, 2010 @ 10:39 am
Wow. You guys sound really angry with the whole sports world. Hope none of you ever need alittle compassion and a helping hand in your life. Glad I don’t personally know any of you.
Comment by cankoda — April 7th, 2010 @ 1:51 pm