On Sunday night, I was perched in front of the tele enjoying what could only be described as a sports lover\u2019s paradise… happily flicking between the El Classico and the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.<\/p>\n
Sandwiched between moments of awe over Messrs Messi, Bale, Ronaldo and co., the bulk of my attention was on my beloved Adam Scott as he attempted to overcome \u201ca bout of the Greg Norman\u2019s\u201d.<\/p>\n
Having watched Scott\u2019s seven-shot lead at the halfway mark disappear faster than last week\u2019s pay, a glimmer of hope emerged at the par-5 16th<\/sup>. Matt Every, leading by three, pushed his tee shot into the trees and failed to find the fairway with his escape shot, eventually carding a bogey six.<\/p>\n In the group behind, Scott stood over his tee shot knowing a decent drive would put him in a terrific position to make eagle and join Every in the lead. Could the 33-year-old salvage his tournament, and with it, the chance to become World No.1 for his defence of the Masters in a fortnight?<\/p>\n There existed palpable tension as an eerie silence fell over the awaiting gallery.<\/p>\n Scott swung and an all too-familiar noise broke the silence\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMASHED POTATOES!\u201d shrieked a woman in the crowd.<\/p>\n Sigh.<\/p>\n Really? Still?<\/p>\n Whether you like it or not, the vast majority of televised golf events today are dominated by as many cries of \u201cmashed potatoes\u201d and \u201cBaba Booey\u201d as there are birdies.<\/p>\n <\/b>Where did it begin?<\/b><\/p>\n Yelling after shots has been in vogue among rambunctious golf fans for years. It used to seem like every swing was accompanied by a gaggle of spectators screaming \u201cGET IN THE HOLE!\u201d – typically on a 580-yard par 5, seemingly adding to the chant\u2019s apparent hilarity.<\/p>\n But this new breed of golf yelling is certainly not done out of fandom or excitement. In the era of social media, it\u2019s about someone gaining their 15 minutes of fame; to be uploaded on Youtube and shared with any willing audience on Facebook and Twitter.<\/p>\n According to a Golf Channel article titled \u201cUnmasking golf\u2019s screamers; can they be stopped?\u201d<\/em><\/a> we have Andrew Widmar to thank from introducing \u201cmashed potatoes\u201d into the golfing vernacular.<\/p>\n Widmar, a then 20-year-old college golfer, was attending the final round of the Chevron World Challenge in 2011 – the scene of Tiger Woods\u2019 first victory in more than two years.\u00a0Earlier that morning, Widmar\u2019s mother had asked her son if she would see him on television during the telecast.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you wearing?\u201d she asked. \u201cWhere will you be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he answered. \u201cBut if you hear \u2018mashed potatoes,\u2019 you\u2019ll know I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n When Woods stepped to the 18th<\/sup> tee box on Sunday afternoon – with the whole world watching with bated breath – Widmar knew his moment had arrived.<\/p>\n [youtube width=”600″ height=”315″ video_id=”ZcgYMHw_B2U”]\n His mother heard it alright. The entire viewing audience heard it. Even the broadcasters, neglecting their general rule to ignore boisterous fans, made mention of it.<\/p>\n And more than three years later, it\u2019s almost surprising if we don\u2019t hear some indiscriminate cry of a side dish or another peculiar aphorism immediately following a player\u2019s swing.<\/p>\n But why, of all things, \u201cmashed potatoes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d\u00a0seen it before on YouTube<\/b><\/a>,\u201d explains Widmar. \u201cMy friends thought it was stupid, but I thought it was hilarious. I wish I could take credit for starting it, but I will take credit for it becoming popular. It\u2019s a good one to yell, because it\u2019s nice and quick and it means absolutely nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Some believe, as it is allowed in other sports, that fans who pay good money to attend a golf tournament have every right to yell and make noise.<\/p>\n But as anyone who has played the game will know, a sudden outburst of noise from an otherwise silent scene can have an enormous effect on a golfer; let alone one who is playing with millions of dollars on the line.<\/p>\n What do the players think?<\/b><\/p>\n Last year at the PGA Championship, the Oak Hill gallery were particularly boisterous with their post-shot shouting. Aside from the usual yelps, new catchphrases included \u201crutabaga,\u201d \u201cscalloped potatoes,\u201d and \u201cChewbacca\u201d.<\/p>\n Never one to mince his words, Ian Poulter took to Twitter to condemn the yawpers, calling for the PGA Tour to \u201ctazer\u201d them.<\/p>\n This baba boo shit & mash potato crap shouting wouldn’t happen at Augusta, The Open, nor would it happen at Wimbledon. Tazer the thrushes.<\/p>\n \u2014 Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) August 11, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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