Sunday, July 3, 2011

Fab Foursome Bracket Challenge: The first-round results are in!

Happy Fourth of July weekend, fellow golf fans. Nothing says the Fourth like fireworks, and sparks have been flying in our Fab Foursome Bracket Challenge. Over the last few weeks, tens of thousands of you have gone to Facebook or Golf.com to cast your votes for your personal favorites among the 64 biggest golf-loving celebrities — from actors to athletes to politicians to pro golfers — who we have matched up in a March Madness-style showdown. Round one is now complete, and we have the list of winners to reveal. The people have spoken, and here's what you said — with a few comments from the peanut gallery (that would be me). ROUND ONE RESULTS Jimmy Fallon 48% Jimmy Kimmel 52% Michael Douglas 35% Catherine Zeta-Jones 65% No surprise here. Anyone who saw "Zorro" is wondering how Gordon Gekko scored this many votes over his otherworldly beautiful other half. Bill Murray 70% Adam Sandler 30% All is right with the world, as Carl Spackler's Cinderella story continues, taking down Happy Gilmore in convincing fashion. (Call this justice for those who wasted $10 on "The Waterboy.") Jack Nicholson 47% Clint Eastwood 53% Clint had too much firepower in his .44 magnum for Jack, who was in danger — GRAVE danger. (Is there any other kind?) Will Ferrell 62% Mark Wahlberg 38% Jessica Alba 46% Justin Timberlake 54% Unlike his panned movie "Bad Teacher," Timberlake will be around for at least another week. Justin Bieber 33% Snoop Dogg 77% Snoop was smokin' in this showdown. There's something about grass that gets him going. (I'm talking about poa-annua.) Halle Berry 49% Dan Patrick 51% Watch out, Dan. If you go all the way, Adrian Brody is waiting for you at the awards podium. Donald Trump 66% Ivanka Trump 34% Barack Obama 66% John Boehner 34% In a bitter partisan showdown, the Golfer in Chief dominates the Hacker of the House. Mark Zuckerberg 81% Biz Stone 19% George Bush Jr. 58% George Bush Sr. 42% Bill Clinton 69% Rush Limbaugh 31% Apparently, Limbaugh's already blaming this loss on the liberal media. Condoleezza Rice 59% Billy Payne 41% Arnold Schwarzenegger 31% Bill Gates 69% This one would have been closer, but Arnold was distracted by the girl cleaning the carts. Warren Buffett 82% Sandra Day O'Connor 18% Arnold Palmer 58% Phil Mickelson 42% Sorry, Lefty — it's gonna take another few decades of signing autographs and being beloved to catch the King. Butch Harmon 51% Hank Haney 49% Tiger Woods 44% Jack Nicklaus 56% Rory McIlroy 84% Ian Poulter 16% His U.S. Open win helped Rory Mac coast to the most lopsided win so far in the Fab Foursome Bracket Challenge. Paula Creamer 66% Michelle Wie 34% Natalie Gulbis 42% Fred Couples 58% Nick Faldo 43% David Feherty 57% Lee Trevino 56% Rickie Fowler 44% The Next Big Thing is no match for the Mex Big Thing. Peyton Manning 61% Tom Brady 39% Charles Barkley 61% Shaquille O'Neal 39% The people want to see Sir Charles' swing — which comes with its own halftime break — advance to the next round. Michael Jordan 72% Wayne Gretzky 28% Roger Clemens 49% Ben Roethlisberger 51% Larry Bird 77% Michael Phelps 23% Jerry Rice 61% Lindsey Vonn 39% Looks like three Superbowl rings goes farther than one Olympic gold medal. Lawrence Taylor 32% Tony Romo 68% Rafael Nadal 25% Drew Brees 75% Behold, here are your second-round matchups! Kimmel vs. Zeta-Jones Murray vs. Eastwood Ferrell vs. Timberlake Snoop Dogg vs. Patrick D. Trump vs. Obama Zuckerberg vs. Bush Jr. Clinton vs. C. Rice Gates vs. Buffett Palmer vs. Harmon Nicklaus vs. McIlroy Couples vs. Creamer Feherty vs. Trevino Manning vs. Barkley Jordan vs. Roethlisberger Bird vs. Rice Romo vs. Brees Last but not least, here are the early favorites to make it all the way to the Fab Foursome — and to be featured in the October/No. 1 Issue of Golf Magazine. Your leading vote getters in each category are ... Snoop Dogg [Artists & Entertainers] Warren Buffett [Leaders & Politicians] Larry Bird [Athletes] Rory McIlroy [Icons of Golf] Round two is under way, so get to voting. You can let your voice be heard on Facebook.com/SI.Golf or on Golf.com. After you vote, you'll have the chance to enter to win the Your Ultimate Golf Foursome sweepstakes and put together your own personal foursome. The sweepstakes winner and three guests will get to play in the Will Ferrell Invitational — to benefit Cancer for College — at Pebble Beach. The sweepstakes prize includes airfare, two nights' lodging, two rounds of golf, and breakfast and dinner with Will Ferrell himself. Let the second round begin!