WHAT MAKES A DIVOT DIVA'S HEART GO A-FLUTTER?

The scene of pro golf these days is a very good one indeed; a good looking one from a female spectator viewpoint that is. There’s so much eye candy out there, it sure makes watching pro golf much more fun for the ladies than it used to be.

 

Of course Tiger has upped the young and hip quotient of the game by notches for the last decade. But now with Camilo Villegas, Ryo Ishikawa (left) , Alvaro Quiros and Nick Dougherty, these guys are not only good golfers but cute to boot as well. And Phil, ol’ southpaw Phil, now that he’s lost weight, is looking better than ever. With that megawatt smile, and that “could pass off as Hugh Grant’s older brother” look of his, he won hearts all over again, when he won the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan in Shanghai today.

 

Dressed smartly in a black polo shirt, and pinstriped gray slacks, he was dapper and casually stylish as he played magnificently to capture the trophy for the second time, leaving the somewhat resurgent Els, Ryan Moore, Rory McIlroy and Nick Watney in his wake.

 

Sure, there are the good looking golfers, with their trim and fit looking bodies that can drive the ball 280 metres. In general, is it just the physical looks and prowess that make women swoon? Oft times it’s stardom and talent, which explains how Steve Tyler of Aerosmith can get the women screaming, impossible otherwise if he were just a clerk in a convenience store. Or is it wealth and power? Or are many of us still just shallow, getting bowled over by dashing good looks, with the reliable ol' chiseled jaw and Greco-Roman profile?

 

At the WGC-HSBC Champions, I had a hard time figuring out which 'easy on the eyes' golfer to follow (given that all of Shanghai and then neighbouring provinces were watching Tiger, he certainly wasn’t the easy option). It then dawned on me that a quantitative approach was necessary to help me decide.

 

I devised a point system that placed 40% on skill (S), 25% on unflappability and mental calm (M); 10% each on looks (L), personality (P) and physique (B), and 5% for sartorial style (F). As a home made gauge, I would normally give Tiger 88% - 36% (S), 25% (M), 8% each for looks, personality and physique, and 3% for style (wearing red and black on final day games for the last 12 years sure takes a lot of creativity out of the cards for wardrobe options). However, now at the Champions, with his mental fortitude faltering, he dropped 5% under (M), and he got an 83% from me instead.     

 

It's indisputable that Ryo (left) probably has all the teenage girls in Japan going ga-ga each time he flicks his carefully tousled, J-pop star hair. So, though he would rank lower on the other counts, his sartorial style (for instance, wearing strawberry ice cream pink trousers and matching visor on Saturday at the WGC-HSBC tournament) would get the full 10% for style.

 

Spaniard Alvaro (left), with his “cool joe” pencil thin sideburns is one sexy Spanish hombre that can sure swing a club, and so he would get a high 18 out of 20% for looks and physique. And Camilo (right) with his wide shoulders, well defined arms, small waist and proportionate physique is great photo material, especially when he does that “spider man” reading-the-break pose on the green. He gets the full 10% on the physique count.

 

But Mickelson, Mr Nice Guy, was a joy to watch this weekend, with his relaxed attitude, ever-ready smiles, and little waves to the children. So, when he sank that final putt, it was his “niceness”, and knowing that he’s a great husband and father, together with his friendly breezy charisma that won me over. He ranked a 90% (37% (S), 23% (M), 8% (L), 7% (B), 10% (P), 5% (S)) this last week for me, topping everyone else. Which only goes to show that good guys can finish first, and Phil sure did.

 

So ladies, the next time you’re at a golf tournament and are left scratching your heads on who to follow, use my scoring system to measure up a pro worth "chasing after" (to watch that is). And since the system can be used both on course and off, you never know, it just could help you find the man of your dreams too! 

 

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