Five of the best golfing nicknames:
In the beginning, there was ‘The Hawk’ and ‘Slammin’ Sam. Then came ‘The Golden Bear, ‘The Black Knight‘ and ‘The Walrus’. Nowadays, its ‘Tiger’, ‘The Intimidator’ and ‘The Big Easy’. The Mole looks at the best nicknames in golf currently.
Rory Mcllroy (‘The Intimidator’)
Earlier this year, 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods christened Rory Mcllroy the ‘Intimidator’. Woods was reacting to Greg Norman’s comments that the 23-year old Northern Irishman intimidated him. When asked what scared him the most about Mcllroy, the American golfer said ‘“It’s got to be the hair.” Norman argued that it was time for Woods to accept that he was no longer the best golfer on the planet, and the Northern Irish kid had come to replace him. Mcllroy refused to accept his new nickname, saying it was not possible for him intimidate Woods. “It’s just not possible. I don’t know where he (Norman) got that from, but it’s not true,”said the two-time Major winner. ‘Rors’ stature certainly does not intimidate anyone, but his talent can unsettle the best in the game.
Ernie Els (‘The Big Easy’)
Across the golfing fraternity, Theodore Ernest ‘Ernie Els’ is known as ‘The Big Easy’. At 191cm and 95kgs, Els is easily one of the biggest professional golfers in the golfing world. However, it’s not just his stature that earned his nickname, his immaculate swing also contributed. Els’ smooth and effortless swing makes playing golf look easy. His personality on the course has also made him a fan favourite. The South African golfer is easy-going and is rarely seen without a smile on his face.
Camillo Villegas (‘Spider’)
Camillo Villegas has been dubbed ‘The Trendsetter’ and ‘Rock Star’, but it is the nickname ‘Spider’ that has stuck with him. The Colombian golfer’s unusual way of reading the greens earned him the moniker ‘Hombre Araña’ (Spider). Villegas crouches down parallel to the ground without touching it, extending his left leg back while balancing with his right leg and his putter to get a better view of the slope of the green. Villegas ‘spider-pose’ became popular when it gained a television audience at 2006 Ford Championship at Doral, but the Colombian had been doing it on the Web.com Tour. “I was struggling last year with my putting and figured I had to do something about it. And maybe reading the greens better was going to help me. So middle of the round I went straight down there, tried to get real close to the ground. I liked it, felt good, and kept doing it ever since,” Villegas said at a press conference in early 2006. Spider’s unusual pose is accompanied by his style and physique, making him one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour. However, J Lindeberg-sponsored Villegas has not allowed popularity to get to his head. In an interview with Golfweek, Villegas said: “If people like the way you play, the way you dress, the way you look, that’s all good. But the bottom line is my goal is to play good golf.”
Sergio Garcia (‘El Nino’)
When Sergio Garcia burst onto the scene as a teenager in the late 90’s, he was christened ‘El Nino’. South African golfer Ernie Els foresaw great things for ‘the kid, stating that Garcia would win a Major in no time. El Nino came close to proving The Big Easy’s prophesy correct, when he finished a shot behind Tiger Woods in the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah four months after turning professional. The Spaniard was earmarked to become Woods’ greatest rival. However, Garcia is yet to win a Major despite securing 23 professional wins. Unlike other golfers, Garcia does not bottle his emotions. Even though Garcia has often rejected the nickname, the inner-kid in him expresses emotion after almost every shot. The Mole thinks El Nino will only graduate into ‘ El Hombre’ when he bags a Major.
John Daly (‘Wild thing’, Long John, ‘The Lion’)
Almost every golfing fan has a nickname for John Daly. Daly has been given many aliases, varying from ‘Wild thing’ to ‘The Lion’. The 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 Open Championship winner is known as the ‘Wild Thing’ due to his off course antics. The Arkansas native loves a good party and has often brandished a pack of cigarettes after a heavy night. Daly has been through four failed marriages, two trips to rehab and numerous suspensions. He has lost sponsors, and his US Tour card when he finished 193rd on the moneylist. His high school friends dubbed him ‘The Lion, a nickname Daly prefers. It is unclear why Daly refers to himself as ‘The Lion’, but The Mole thinks this could be a reference to his physique. In other circles, Daly is known as ‘Long John’ due to his long driving distance. Since 1991, Daly has topped the US Tour driving distance rankings 11 times. Even though he is no longer at his prime, the American golfer is still in contention on the driving distance rankings. Despite all his troubles, ‘ The Lion’ remains a fan favourite.
There are many nicknames that could easily make this list. ‘The Mechanic’ (Miguel Jimenez), Shrek( Louis Oosthuizen) and Retief Goosen are some of the aliases that come to mind. Feel free to add to the list.
(Via Compleat Golfer)