The woman you see in the photo here caddying for Arnold Palmer is Kelly Tilghman, a former college golfer at Duke who now is play-by-play announcer for The Golf Channel's PGA Tour broadcasts.Tilghman made a shocking comment during Friday's telecast of the PGA Tour's opening event. She said -- on the air -- that today's young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."
What was Tilghman thinking? Who knows. It's not entirely clear what point Tilghman was trying to make with what she apparently thought was a joke, but she may have been trying to say that the only chance today's young players will ever have of overtaking Woods as the No. 1 golfer in the world is to hurt him. Hilarious.
According to New York's Newsday, a spokesman for the Golf Channel said Tilghman apologized during Sunday's broadcast and has "reached out to Woods' representatives to express her regrets for the comments."
Apologizing and reaching out is better than nothing, but it's rather surprising that the apology took two days and that in the era of Don Imus, so little attention has been paid to this comment. It's hard to understand how a person who would use such a poor choice of words is in the broadcasting business. Sorry, No Photos
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 108)
1-08-2008 @ 2:35PM
Steve Lively said...
I just read the comment made by Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel. Given the non-inclusive history of golf and how Tiger Woods has virtually ended that mindset, Ms. Tilghman's comments bring us back to an unfortunate place in US history. The image of those that were lynched is a blot on American history. She should be terminated immediately!
The Golf Channel does not need the hit much like that received by Don Imus and MSNBC.
Steve
Massachusetts
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1-08-2008 @ 2:44PM
Carl said...
I am the first to say people need to get the stick out of their butts nowadays but this is so wrong its unreal...wanting someone killed let alone a black person in this manner is sad and wrong
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1-08-2008 @ 3:01PM
Octavia May said...
Unbelievable! Because Mr. Woods is Black and a giant in his field she thinks he should be lynched. Can someone be that jealous and ignorant? Is she still caddying for Mr. Palmer?
The Golf channel does not need sick people like that on its payroll and she should be fired immediately and forever.
Mr. Woods had better watch his back. Tilghman isn't the only one with that evil mentality.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:08PM
Spike T said...
lets see how long she stays with the channel.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:11PM
Don Landolphi said...
Let's not have "double Standards". Don Imus was fired; I can not remember his name but the executive of the LA Dodgers was fired as well for comments that were offensive to Afro-Americans.
Why should she be trteated any differently?
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1-08-2008 @ 3:13PM
ktpapalarry said...
Get off her back. Can their be no comment made without someone making it racial? Contrary to beliefs not everyone worships Woods. He does not support the tour by placing himself above everyone else. The tour was there before him and will be there after him.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:18PM
Elliot said...
I would like to know the context of the remark. I watch the Golf Channel, and I am a big Tiger Woods fan. Kelly Tilghman does not seem mean spirited or a racist to me.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:19PM
grapevinesooner said...
I normally roll my eyes who people try to manufacture a racial controversy for the sake of manufacturing a controversy.
But if you can't see the direct correlation between race and lynchings, ktpapalarry, might I suggest you crack open an American History book at some point and navigate to the section that pertains to racial tensions around the Civil War era and the 1960's.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:28PM
LB said...
Ktpap are you dumb????
"Get off her back. Can their be no comment made without someone making it racial?"
I would think lynching a black man might be considered a racial comment. She didn't say kidnap or kill. She said lynch.
"Contrary to beliefs not everyone worships Woods. He does not support the tour by placing himself above everyone else. The tour was there before him and will be there after him."
So it's Tiger's fault she jokes about him being lynched?????? Just so you understand, Tiger has caused the ratings and prize money to explode but I guess that doesn't help the other golfers or the tour???
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1-08-2008 @ 3:33PM
Gene said...
I was watching the telecast and heard Ms. Tilghman and the comment she made and absolutley no apology is warranted or needed. She was paying Mr. Woods a compliment and anyone finding the comment she made the least bit offensive or racist needs to get a life. I respect Mr. Woods as a person and as a golfer and I am 100% sure that if you were to get his take on what was said he would not think anything of the comment. Please people try not to read more into something than what there is and before knowing all the facts. There are still many racial problems in this country but lets not go out of our way and create one's that are not there to begin with.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:36PM
Max said...
This really is bad. I agree: WAY worse than Imus!
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1-08-2008 @ 3:41PM
Chris said...
Time to go to the unemployment line.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:45PM
tigerfan said...
unaccpetable, tiger has done wonders for the game of golf. he gives back to the community more than any other golfer i am aware of. if he wants to only play 16 tournements so be it. i wouldn't care if he only played the majors. i heard someone once say that it was a shame bobby jones never turned pro. it was his choice. its tigers choice to be what he is a straight up guy who cares about family.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:50PM
nickstoli said...
If she said a Jewish golfer should be gassed, she'd already have been fired.
Do the right thing, golf channel! Fire her for stupidity, if nothing else.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:51PM
G Johnson said...
Every thing that anyone says can be misconstrued to be offensive to someone. I believe she meant that the young guys on tour can move ahead in their careers by beating him when they face that confrotation, and her statement was a figure of speech.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:55PM
kingmufassa said...
I am a PGA member and have watched Kelly for years. She LOVES Tiger. She is not a racist. All the Golf Channel people do. She is so not a racist that she didn't even have a thought in her mind that it was nothing but praise for Tiger and how great he really is.
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1-08-2008 @ 3:55PM
gary crawford said...
enough,kellie made a mistake wrong but a mistake i'm sure tiger would agree as would any fair minded person
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1-08-2008 @ 3:56PM
W. LOGAN said...
I THINK TILGHMAN REACTED IN THAT MANNER DUE TO THE FACT SHE'S NO DOUGHT A ARNOLD PALMER FAN JUST AS I AND A MILLION OTHER PEOPLE. I THINK MAYBE A LITTLE JEALOUSY SLIPPED OUT.MAYBE
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1-08-2008 @ 4:03PM
CT said...
The outspoken Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel has displayed her social and broadcast immaturity; a skill set must for such responsibility. I should think the principals of the Golf Channel would not hesitate to dismiss her..immediately. Her brash mouth has no place within the discrete format of an international broadcast medium. Tiger Woods is arguably the most accomplished professional golfer to ever tee-up a golf ball. Such a scurrilous slur is unaccepatble in any profession.
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1-08-2008 @ 4:04PM
Greg said...
Can we get real for a moment at least? I wasn't aware that the word "lynching" was stereotypical to blacks. Many, and I mean many, whites were "lynched" in the old west days. Anyone ever hear of a "lynch-mob" or "lynch-mob justice"? I am so tired of everything being made racial when more times han not it is used only as an expression of speech. Maybe we should go through the dictionary an delete all the words that can be construed to have racial overtones. Wait, I have a better idea. Let's try and get past all the pettiness and move on with life. As Charlie Brown would say, "Goog grief!"
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