Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel golf in shorts, whining ensues

After Matt Kuchar and Charl Schwartzel showed off their gams during Tuesday’s World Golf Final wins against Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, respectively, the debate on Golf Channel’s "Morning Drive" raged from disbelief to outrage.

"The biggest names in the world are in Turkey playing for $5 million and change in a stroke-to-match-play formatted event," host Gary Williams said, "and they’re playing in shorts!"

Oh, the inhumanity!

But, wait. Williams’ in-studio guests were in similar high dudgeon, opining that a golf course was no place for men’s naked knees.

"I’m not a big fan of it," said Chris Tidland, two-time web.com winner. "I think it looks unprofessional, looks like you’re with your buddies on a week off, playing at your local course. It just doesn’t look right."

PGA Tour player Steve Flesch concurred.

"I think it looks ... very unprofessional," echoed Flesch, a four-time tour victor. "That’s your work environment. As a golfer you’re a professional; act like one, dress like one. That’s our workplace and it looks out of place to me."

The three yakkers actually used up several more minutes viewers will never get back debating shorts, the lack of professionalism, and blah blah blah yada yada yada.

Williams then recited the names of three of golf’s legends to add gravitas to his argument.

"It makes it seem like even more of a silly season event to me, and in a year in which we’re celebrating the birth of [Ben] Hogan, [Byron] Nelson and [Sam] Snead," he actually said. "What would those three gentleman think if they’re playing for $5 million and change -- wearing shorts!"

While no one can speak for the the Big Three, the players in question were just fine with their threads -- or lack thereof.

"I love wearing shorts when I play. But then, I’m from South Africa," Schwartzel told The Telegraph after beating Woods in the event opener on Tuesday.

"It’s good fun, something different," agreed Lee Westwood, one of the eight golfers in Turkey for the inaugural competition.

For the record, Woods and McIlroy kept their trousers on (insert appropriate snarky comments here).

As for Natalie Gulbis and her LPGA colleagues? We’re guessing the reaction from the boys on "Morning Drive" would have been just a tad less prudish had fashion statements of the women’s tour been on trial.

And now back to our regularly scheduled silly season.