Top Quotes of 2014, Part I

“I won a major in 2011 and 2012 but not in 2013, so I’ll try to make up for that with two this year.” – McIlroy, in January on his expectations for 2014

“I want to go spray tan. I can’t do it on the golf course, because I sweat too much. But I owe it to my wife, Lisa, to not have this stupid looking tan line when we go out on a date and she has to sit and endure that.” – Cink, on the attention he has gotten because of the extreme tan line around his bald head

“I think we’re finally in a spot where we can dream big. A few years ago, we had to dream about recovery. We aren’t talking about recovery anymore. We’re talking about: `How high is up?’ That’s when it really gets fun.” – LPGA commisioner Whan, on pushing the envelope for the women’s tour to grow the fan base

“Please call me stupid.” – Couples, after birdieing the final two holes of the Dubai Desert Classic second round to make the cut, which meant he wouldn’t be able to use his tickets to see his hometown Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII

“My opinion is he did too much of that. He does a lot of the gym stuff. I know you need to do some for golf, no doubt about it. You need to be in shape, you need to avoid injury, but my opinion is he really overdoes that.” – Haney, saying former pupil Tiger Woods’ workout regimen hurts his game

“I looked in his eyes and saw that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes. It looked bad.” - Eastwood, explaining how he performed the Heimlich maneuver on Steve John, tournament director of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

“Butch tells Jimmy, ‘You’re a badass! You’re the man!’ Butch tells him these things all the time. When you hear from the best coach who’s ever lived that you’re a badass, you have to believe it.” – Jimmy Walker’s wife Erin, on the source of her husband’s confidence, his coach Butch Harmon.

“I didn’t know what he meant. I had to ask a couple of times - I didn’t know if he had a sandwich over there waiting and asked if I wanted to split lunch or something.” - Fowler, on his confusion about Garcia’s concession of an 18-foot putt at the WGC-Match Play.

“I didn’t have my swing, but I was a little mental midget out there. Actually kind of embarrassing looking back. I was dropping clubs and kind of just whining to (my caddie), and you just can’t do that. In match play you’ve got to keep your cool.” - Spieth, on his conduct during his WGC-Match Play loss to Ernie Els

“Her recipe. She might be nervous (to cook) with Arnie and Jack in the other room.” – Scott, on his mother’s pavlova recipe that was to be served at the Masters Champions Dinner

“I’m staying in this Tiger Woods villa here and there’s pictures all over my room of him. I sent him a message last night, ‘Can’t get away from you here. I can’t go to the bathroom without looking at you.’” - McIlroy, on his accommodations this week at Doral.

“Why should Matsuyama leave a crater in the green for others to putt over, or have to call a referee to repair the damage? Idiot” - Poulter, alleging in a tweet that playing partner Hideki Matsuyama “buried his putter in the 13th green 5 feet from the hole.”

“I haven’t sorted anything out with him. There’s been a lot of ... this, that and the other ... but the hatchet hasn’t been buried.” – Williams, on his relationship with ex-boss Tiger Woods

“It ain’t right to play with that guy. It’s just not right. You can put me on the record.” – Robert Garrigus’ caddie, after the third round of the Valspar Championship during which they were paired with Kevin Na and were put on the clock for pace of play.

“He’s lost that sort of force field of invincibility around him. The aura is not as strong. He’s still Tiger Woods, still the greatest player ever in my opinion. I don’t remember the first time I played with him, (but) there was a real ‘wow’ factor. He was playing a different sport than me. But guys get older, stuff happens.” – McDowell, on Woods

“Like Augusta National, the R&A at last realizes that you cannot lead by example, grow the game & exclude women members. Respect” – Player, via Twitter praising the R&A’s decision to include female members

“After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided in consultation with my doctors to have this procedure done. ... It also looks like I’ll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation and getting healthy.” - Woods, announcing that, because of back surgery, he would miss the Masters for the first time in his pro career

“I think a few guys need to put their hand up and try and be the dominant players in this game because that’s what people like to see. ... It would be nice to see someone sort of break away. I hope it’s me.” - McIlroy, on the state of pro golf with Tiger Woods sidelined after back surgery

“It’s frustrating because it’s Golf Digest; it’s not Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. I think they should maybe recognize some of the great women golfers that we have. It’s like, what do you have to do to get a little respect? I’m guaranteeing you right now, it was not a woman editor who chose that cover.” - Inkster, on Golf Digest’s decision to feature Paulina Gretzky on the cover of its May issue

“It’s got to be a sign – Rory’s face on a piece of food from his girlfriend’s home country.” - Rob Price, who bet (and lost) 1,200 euros on McIlroy to win the Masters after he believed he saw Rory’s face in a Danish pastry

“The difference between Jack (Nicklaus) and Tiger (Woods) at 38 is when Jack was 38 everybody wanted to hit it like him. At 38 I don’t think many guys want to hit it like Tiger.” - Azinger, on comparing the game’s two best players

“They were three times the size of bees. They were huge and like 30 or 40 of them started to attack me big time. I didn’t know what to do. My caddie told me to run so I start running like a crazy guy, but the hornets were still there, so the other players told me to jump in the lake ... It was the scariest moment of my career, for sure.” – Larrazabal, on his run-in with hornets at the Malaysian Open

“This (Pinehurst No. 2) may look like golf in the past, in terms of the presentation of the course, but in many so many ways, this is golf of the future. … In today’s world, with water issues, environmental impact issues, the costs associated ... the majority (of courses) are going to have to go more in this direction.” – Golf course designer Coore, referring to a future in which golf courses don’t have rough

“When Tiger plays, good things happen. When he doesn’t, it’s fine.” – PGA Tour commissioner Finchem, on a Players Championship without world No. 1 and defending champion Tiger Woods

“There is no secret. Good food, good wine, good cigars and some exercise.” – Jimenez, after breaking his own record as the European Tour’s oldest winner at the Open de Espana

“There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people. The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails.” – McIlroy, breaking off his five-month engagement to tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki

“I can’t really go into much right now, but as I said in my statement, I have done absolutely nothing wrong. And that’s why I’ve been fully cooperating with the FBI agents, and I’m happy to do so in the future, too, until this gets resolved.” – Mickelson, one day after two separate reports in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times revealed that Mickelson was the subject of an investigation by the FBI and SEC involving possible insider trading

“I was shocked. I thought it might have been $20-25 (million), but I had no idea that it was $55-57 million. It’s crazy.” – Daly, disclosing how much money he gambled away between 1991-2007

“When I saw it, I was pretty annoyed. I think it’s very cheeky of the USGA to do what they’ve done. I don’t think it’s fair to the three of us. It’s a mockery, to be honest.” – Lowry, on being grouped with fellow 200-plus-pounders Kevin Stadler and Brendon de Jonge a the U.S. Open

“I feel like that’s the biggest prize in golf, getting flowers from Happy Gilmore.” - Wie, on her floral arrangement from Adam Sandler after her U.S. Women’s Open win