Brainy and beautiful
Golf stars’ partners put football WAGS to shame
THE Masters golf tournament has started in Augusta.
Hooray! Lots of rather serious looking men walking around dressed in silly shoes and socks and the sort of collared T-shirts your aunty buys everyone for Christmas. Not your sort of thing? Well don’t dismiss it completely, because what we will undoubtedly suffer in the fashion stakes, we will gain in the WAGS department.
Because the world’s leading golfers offer us a rather unique group of partners to look at, dissect and admire.
Hovering delicately on the sidelines at The Masters are a group of WAGS who look alarmingly skin coloured.
That’s right! You read that correctly – the shock news in Augusta is not whether Tiger Woods beats Britain’s leading golfer, Luke Donald, but that the WAGS are not the colour of cheesy wotsits.
Unlike their footballing counterparts, the golf WAGS (GWAGS) are not vibrant orange, bikini wearing, sunglasses-addicted shopaholics.
And as they assemble at one of the most beautiful events in sport, there will be some seriously talented sportswomen in the mix.
Take Northern Ireland’s Rory Mcilroy.
He’s not just dating a sportswoman, he’s dating the sportswoman to end all sportswomen – Caroline Wozniacki, the uber gorgeous and glamorous Danish tennis player right at the top of her game.
Together they make the super sports partnership known as Wozilroy.
“It’s great that she understands how I feel when I play,” says Mcilroy, using words that have never knowingly been spoken by an international footballer. “She understands what I need to achieve and supports me all the way.”
It’s alarming, to say the least, and you may wish to sit down as you read the rest of this.
We’ve become used to WAGS who pride themselves on not understanding the offside rule before staggering off on 9in heels, in tiny lime green hotpants, in search of Bacardi and stupidly expensive champagne.
But this is golf – they do things differently here.
And Mcilroy is certainly not alone in his penchant for a sports-loving partner.
American Matt Kuchar’s wife Sybi is an avid tennis player. In fact, the duo have entered tennis tournaments together.
There’s no record of how well they do in their doubles efforts but Kuchar said: “I love the fact that she’s sporty. Life’s more fun with someone who ‘gets you’ and understands what you’re about. I like that we want the same things from life.”
And what is particularly heartwarming is that the support and appreciation is not a one-way street. Mcilroy has been seen supporting his girlfriend in tennis tournaments around the world, even going on to court and having a go at the sport himself (the verdict on his tennis? He should stick to golf).
Sergio Garcia is another tennis enthusiast. He is Wag-free, but dated former world No. 1 tennis player Martina Hingis, supporting her tennis as much as she supported his golf. “We help each other,” he said. “That’s what a partnership is.”
Sadly, someone who won’t be there today is Nick Dougherty, denying us the sight of his golf-mad television presenter wife Diana, who says she lives for golf – just like Victoria Beckham lives for football.
American Bubba Watson will be there though, ably supported by wife, Angie – a world-class basketball player whose career was cut short by injury.
Angie is 6ft 4in and a mean golfer. “You wouldn’t argue with her on a golf course,” says Bubba. Nor anywhere else if she’s 6ft 4in tall.
For golf enthusiasts, one of the biggest stories at the Augusta National club this year will be how the world’s most famous golfer – Tiger Woods – performs, and how he plays against Mcilroy. The more pressing question, for WAG watchers, will be whether Woods is “Wagged up” for the occasion.
He’s been linked with Alyse Lahti Johnson since his marriage disappeared in an explosion of newspaper headlines a few years ago.
He says he’s wary of bringing his new girlfriend into the spotlight and subjecting her to public scrutiny, so the first Major tournament of the season might not be the best place to bring her.
But then again – whenever he’s seen with her, there’ll be vast public interest, so why not in the beautiful surroundings of Augusta? Another WAG to look out for is former international gymnast Kate Rose, married to Justin Rose.
She persuaded her husband to work through some of her old gymnastics moves when he had a bad back and managed to alleviate all his pain.
“I’m a sportswoman, I understood instinctively what was needed,” she said. Sadly, there are no pictures of him doing splits on the beam in a leotard.
“Going out with a former sportswoman has its advantages,” said Justin. So it seems, judging by the number of leading golfers who do.