Scrambling Buccaneers

A golf event shows the Bucs' talent doesn't transfer to the course.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published May 17, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Brian Cassella | Times] A hole flag on the course Monday at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club in the Buccaneers annual charity golf event. [Brian Cassella | Times] Linebacker Barrett Ruud hits his first tee shot without even warming up. [Brian Cassella | Times] Running back Michael Pittman waits for his turn to tee off.

TAMPA - The Bucs recently hit the course at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club to raise money for All Children's Hospital. The event paired players, coaches and team officials with business people and team sponsors for a five-person scramble. Suffice to say, the format was aptly named and none of these gridiron guys will be leaving the NFL for the PGA Tour. "Golf is the most difficult sport, " coach Jon Gruden said. "You can't blame anybody. You can't blame the quarterback or the coach. You have to blame yourself; you hit the shot. And there's all kinds of shots that come about in golf. There are tough holes. It's a tough game, man." Hey, it was for a really good cause.

Wait, wait, wait ... rip

Tight end Anthony Becht, whose silver Mercedes bears a specialty golf license plate, clearly has had some instruction. Seems he went to the Sergio Garcia school of waggling and the John Daly school of wraparound backswings.

No shame

Yes, receiver Michael Clayton's team won with 12-under 60. But isn't there an unwritten rule against millionaires taking three steps into the woods to hunt for a ball?

Was that a foot wedge?

Kicker Matt Bryant faced a 62-yard approach shot on his team's final hole and drilled it straight at the flag. He knew it was good even before the ball sailed into the cup on the fly. ... Okay, that didn't really happen, but for just a second everyone in Philadelphia cringed.

Mr. Clutch

From the looks of his bag, linebacker Barrett Ruud has an equipment fetish. He plays a Callaway driver, Ping irons and is the proud owner of a new Titleist hybrid club. "I'm addicted to that thing, " he said. From the looks of his swing, he can buy all the toys he likes. Ruud came straight from the Bucs' weight room and, without warming up, ripped his first drive straight and to within 65 yards of the green.

'You got the shot, Pods'

It's no secret cornerback Ronde Barber has a fine golf game, but even more impressive is his ability to quote humble driving range pro Roy McAvoy, the Kevin Costner character in the golf flick Tin Cup: "Perfection's unobtainable." We love that movie.

The good sport

Safety Donte Nicholson's only previous attempt to play ended after nine holes because he got frustrated and quit. He made it through all 18 on Monday wearing new golf shoes purchased in the Tampa Palms pro shop that morning.

Cart abuse

We're not sure if golf carts are rated for maximum payloads, but if they are, we're pretty sure offensive linemen Jeremy Trueblood and Davin Joseph exceed the limit. Trueblood played and Joseph rode along for a combined 633 pounds. When they got out of the cart, it came up 6 inches. You could almost hear the thing groan.

Muscle man

Running back Michael Pittman wasn't the only player sporting a new square-head Nike SasQuatch Sumo2 driver, but he was the only one whose biceps were bigger than the club head. Pittman, who drew a crowd of spectators at the driving range, swings really, really, really hard. He claims to drive the ball about 300 yards, but it was hard to get an accurate measurement because trees kept getting in the way.

"Is losing a sleeve of balls per hole good?"

Guard Dan Buenning, who didn't play much golf growing up in Wisconsin but looked spiffy in his wide-brimmed Bucs safari hat

[Last modified May 17, 2007, 08:55:22]