Golf Nickname Quiz

This week’s column was going to be about golf in the 2016 Olympic Games, but I changed my mind.

Here’s why: I watched the final round and enjoyed the competition between Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, but I also rooted for lesser-known Matt Kuchar to win at least a silver medal for America. He didn’t, so the U.S. settled for a bronze.

But there was something missing for me. The course seemed dull and nondescript; mostly sand and rough areas, some water (a Cayman or two) and a few trees.

OK, it is Brazil and not Pinehurst - I get that. But the biggest disappointment was not seeing the big-name stars from the U.S. Bubba Watson did finish in a tie for eighth place, but who is Patrick Reed (tied for 11th place) and Danny Chia (tied for 48th place)?

And to make matters worse, Ricky Fowler, a golfer whom I follow, finished in a tie for thirty-seventh place. In Tokyo in 2020, I hope we see Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson or Zach Johnson fight for the gold medal.

More on that subject in 2020, and now I’ll move on to the Golf Nickname Quiz I promised.

I’m going to give you the nicknames of 10 well-known golfers from the past and present. Let’s see how you do on scoring. Give yourself 100 points for each correct answer. There will also be a bonus question for 500 points, so do your best.

1: Fuzzy.

2: The Big Easy.

3: The Slammer.

4: The Black Knight.

5: The Hawk.

6: Merry Mex.

7: The King.

8: The Shark.

9: Boo.

10: Golden Bear.

Bonus Question: Who was Ohio Fats?

Time to score yourself and see how you did:

1. Frank Urban Zoeller: from his initials F.U.Z. Winner of the Masters and the U.S. Open.

2. Ernie Els: because he’s big, and makes it look so easy.

3. Samuel Jackson Snead: seven-time major winner and, to this day, holder of the most PGA Tour titles with 82.

4. Gary Player: South African legend, famous for wearing black, supposedly to help him absorb the sun’s energy.

5. Ben Hogan: probably for his ability to intimidate opponents with his skills, but also his icy stare and stony silence as he went about his game. Possibly the greatest ball-striker of all time.

6. Lee Trevino: although American, he had Mexican roots. From his habit of wisecracking throughout a round, even sometimes on his backswing.

7. Arnold Palmer: to millions of adoring fans (Arnie’s Army) he was simply the King, the most popular golfer of all time, who did much to create the modern game and its huge following with his swashbuckling golf style and charismatic personality.

8. Greg Norman: known for his aggressive play, smile with white teeth. He comes from Australia, the home of the great white shark.

9. Thomas Brent Weekley, a hunter and woodsman (from Boo Boo Bear, cartoon character friend of Yogi Bear).

10. Jack Nicklaus: from his blond hair, large frame, aggressive golf and large fortune earned in golf and business.

Now for the answer to the 500-point bonus nickname question: Jack Nicklaus was Ohio Fats, a name given to him by ‘Arnie’s Army’ (fans of Arnold Palmer) in the early to mid-‘60s when he was a young golfer trying to knock ‘The King’ off his throne.

Nicklaus came from Columbus, Ohio and was overweight when he went on tour, although he slimmed down in the late ‘60s.

Scoring: 100-300 points: You must be a millennium golfer with limited knowledge of the Greats of the Game.

400-600 points: When you have some free time, go to the World Golf Hall of Fame website and you will improve your score in another nickname quiz in the future.

700-1000: You are spending too much time on the internet and need to get out on the course more.

500-point bonus: If you got this answer correct, you are a dyed in the wool Arnold Palmer fan and I envy your longevity.

19th Hole Trivia:

One of my all-time favorite nicknames comes not from golf, but from baseball. James Augustus Hunter, the Hall of Fame pitcher, whose nickname was “Catfish.”

Honorable Mention: Jesper Parnevik was given the name “Spaceman” by his fellow PGA pros, presumably because he’s a little ‘extraterrestrial’ (he used to eat volcanic dust as a dietary supplement).