The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Tampa Tribune sports writer Mick Elliott. He was covering the US Women's Open last weekend. In an article on the last round of play, Elliott writes-

Her(Inbee Park) best finish before Sunday's victory came earlier this season when she tied for second in Portland after a final-round 64

The Portland tournament Mick is referring to was last year, not this year. Once again a golf writer falls flat on his face getting a simple fact straight.

That's the secondary reason for Elliott getting the Knucklehead award. The main cause is this sentence.

Sweden's Helen Alfredsson finished second, four shots behind Park's winning 9-under 283, while Lewis was joined by South Koreans In-Kyung Kim and Angela Park in third place at 4 under.

Since when is Angela Park South Korean? Oh she's of Korean heritage, but born in Brazil and never lived her life in South Korea. More importantly, she became a US citizen this month.

Actually, she has taken an oath, too. The reigning LPGA Rookie of the Year became a United States citizen earlier this month, attending a massive naturalization ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Along with about 5,000 other teeming, beaming immigrants.

Unlike the vast majority of international athletes competing in this country, Park went through weeks of preparation for the tests required of new citizens, exams most of us homegrown sons and daughters of Uncle Sam would butcher beyond comprehension.

Angela has taken the time to become an American citizen. She therefore earns the right to be called an American, not South Korean a country she has only visited on vacation or when golf career requires it. Park has been living in the US since age 9, she's 19 now. I may also add this to further cement Angela's status as an American.

When the family relocated, the Parks made it a point to become fast immersed in the culture and traditions, which in her case, included golf. Angela, the youngest of four kids, has three brothers -- all of them have already passed the difficult U.S. naturalization exam.

More impressive, two of her brothers are in the armed services -- one in the Marines, another in the Navy.

"My dad is so proud of that," Angela said. "It was such a long journey for him, to Brazil, to the U.S., so for us to become citizens, he took great pride in that."

Mr. Park has a lot to be proud of between his sons serving in their adopted country's military plus Angela being last year's LPGA Rookie of the Year.

I wrote Mick Elliot yesterday, this was his reply.

Angela Park’s parents both are South Korean. She was born while they were living in Basil. I think it would be an insult to her not to acknowledge her natural heritage.

By Mick Elliott's rules, I'm Polish because I got Polish blood in my family(Paternal Great Great Grandfather) and been there on vacation. Don't you just love the way Mick Elliott spells Brazil?

Angela Park has earned the right to be called an American, and Mick Elliott of the Tampa Tribune has earned the right to be called today's Knucklehead of the Day.