HONOLULU — Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks on Wednesday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley."I'm just glad that Al Sharpton finally has something to do.
Tilghman was laughing during the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and Woods' agent at IMG said he didn't think there was any ill intent.
But the comments became prevalent on news shows Wednesday, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined the fray by demanding she be fired immediately. Golf Channel didn't know who would replace Tilghman in the booth this week at the Sony Open or next week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
"There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this," Golf Channel said in a statement.
Tilghman became golf's first female anchor last year when the PGA Tour signed a 15-year deal in which Golf Channel broadcasts the first three events of the year, weekday coverage of all tour events, and full coverage of the Fall Series and opposite-field events.
The suspension ends in time for the Buick Invitational on Jan. 24, when Woods will make his 2008 debut.
Golf broadcasters seem to run into verbal trouble on a regular basis. For instance Gary McCord was banned from broadcasting The Masters after some of his typically irreverant remarks. They don't do irreverant in Augusta.
And there was Ben Wright who commented that women would never be as good at golf as men because their breasts get in the way of the golf swing. I'll leave that one for the experts.
I doubt if Tilghman meant anything nasty in her comment about Woods. His race was probably the last thing on her mind. Hopefully the Golf Channel will just ignore that idiot Sharpton and let her return after serving her suspension. I doubt if Tiger Woods is looking to have the Rev. Al promoting his case.
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