Golf Roundup: Skirt-wearing Funk dresses for success

Nov 27, 2005

Fred Funk, wearing a skirt because Annika Sorenstam hit a longer drive, hits a shot on No. 3 in La Quinta, Calif. (JEFF GROSS / GETTY IMAGES)

By The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times

LA QUINTA, Calif. — He who wears the skirt laughs last.

Showing he is a good sport, Fred Funk wore a flowered skirt for the third hole of the Skins Game on Saturday, his penalty for being outdriven by LPGA Tour superstar Annika Sorenstam.

Funk later ended one of the silliest front nines in memory by sinking a 25-foot eagle putt from the fringe to win $225,000 and six skins.

"It was beyond expectations," said Funk, a 49-year-old making his Skins Game debut. "I was a nervous wreck on one, then I had to pull the skirt out on three and that was a lot of fun."

Top-ranked Tiger Woods was the only other member of the foursome to cash in during the first nine holes.

Seattle native Fred Couples could have won $175,000 and five skins on No. 8 if his downhill putt from the fringe hadn't gone left. Couples has been the leading earner in the made-for-TV Skins Game a record five times.

Woods won three skins and $75,000 on No. 3, the hole that had everyone laughing.

"I know he had the skirt on, but I don't know if he had a thong on underneath there," Woods said of Funk.

Funk, known for short and straight tee shots, told Sorenstam a few weeks ago that he would wear the skirt for an entire hole if she outdrove him.

Sorenstam's drive on No. 3 went 278 yards, 7 yards farther than Funk's drive.

Sorenstam pulled the skirt, which featured pink and fuchsia flowers, out of her bag and Funk put it on over his pants.

"It's Funky's idea," Sorenstam said. "I thought it was a great idea. I said, 'I'm in, I'm cool.' It was just a matter of when."

Funk nearly tumbled while squatting to mark his ball on the green.

"That's not easy to do," he said. "I almost pulled a groin trying to get down there."

Other tournaments

• Australia's Robert Allenby increased his lead to five strokes in the Australian Open in Fingal despite a painful right-hand injury. He shot his second even-par 72 in a row and was at 9-under 207 after 54 holes.

Allenby said he couldn't guarantee he would be able to compete in the final round.

• Japan's Toru Taniguchi shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Casio World Open in Kochi, Japan.

Taniguchi had an 8-under 208 total. Second-place Kim Jong Duck of South Korea shot a 68.