Woods heroically misses cut; alleged golf fans ignore who's leading Greenbrier

[rthomas]

I surprised the Tiger naysayers haven't started a thread to eat crow. He made the cut and he got his 73rd win at age 36. Only three multiple winners this season, Woods, Mahan and Dufner. Olympic in two weeks should be awesome.

All I have to say is Tiger's chip in on 16 was sick.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

All I have to say is Tiger's chip in on 16 was sick.

Some guy named Jack told Tiger it was the best shot he's ever seen (as Tiger was walking off the 18th green).

[hurleyfor3]

Olympic in two weeks should be awesome.

It's one of the tighter courses in major championship play, so he had better be straight. Oh, and Olympic is famous for being the course where golf careers go to die. Just sayin'.

His agent has had a far worse weekend.

[rthomas]

It's one of the tighter courses in major championship play, so he had better be straight. Oh, and Olympic is famous for being the course where golf careers go to die. Just sayin'.

His agent has had a far worse weekend.

This distraction on top of being sick with a 102 yesterday. I would say Jordanesque.

[Indoor66]

This distraction on top of being sick with a 102 yesterday. I would say Jordanesque.

Yea, he hit another game winner with that chip in on 15 and birdies on three of the final four holes. I think he has done similar things in the past...

[Doug.I.Am]

It's one of the tighter courses in major championship play, so he had better be straight. Oh, and Olympic is famous for being the course where golf careers go to die. Just sayin'.

I bet we see a bevy of long iron and 3 wood stingers in 2 weeks. I must say, that was some of the most impressive golf from him in a long, long time. The approach on 18 wasn't too bad, either. Wow...

[CDu]

With that win, Woods is back up to #4 in the world rankings. Not bad for a guy whose game is broken and will never be really competitive again.

I think people too easily forget how difficult the game of golf is. Even the best of the best miss cuts. Mickelson, for example, shot a 79 and withdrew (he would have likely missed the cut had he stayed two rounds). McIlroy has also missed cuts this year. The fact that Woods missing a cut once this year is just evidence of how good he is. Will he ever be as good as he once was? Probably not. But that's because what he once was was unquestionably the most dominant golfer ever. This incarnation of Woods will still win tournaments and will likely win some more majors too. He's almost certainly going to become the all-time winningest golfer (tied for 2nd and only 9 behind Snead now at just 36), and he has a reasonable shot at the all-time majors record too. Though the majors record is a little dicier; he's 36 and 4 back, and Nicklaus won only 3 majors after age 35.

[roywhite]

I bet we see a bevy of long iron and 3 wood stingers in 2 weeks. I must say, that was some of the most impressive golf from him in a long, long time. The approach on 18 wasn't too bad, either. Wow...

Yeah, really good stuff from Tiger. Very few bad shots, hit a high percentage of fairways, and made some putts.
What a finish with 3 birdies on last 4 holes.

I'm no expert on golf mechanics, but seemed important to Sir Nick Faldo that Tiger now has a "go-to" shot for hitting the fairways and avoiding hooks.
Agree with the comments on long iron and wood shots to stay in the fairways being a likely strategy in the US Open.

[CDu]

Yeah, really good stuff from Tiger. Very few bad shots, hit a high percentage of fairways, and made some putts.
What a finish with 3 birdies on last 4 holes.

I'm no expert on golf mechanics, but seemed important to Sir Nick Faldo that Tiger now has a "go-to" shot for hitting the fairways and avoiding hooks.
Agree with the comments on long iron and wood shots to stay in the fairways being a likely strategy in the US Open.

When Tiger was at his best, nobody was better at hitting approach shots (from any distance) and nobody was better with the putter. Despite his ability to hit it long, it was his short game that was what separated him from the pack. The only question was whether he could keep it in play off the tees. He was always a scatter hitter off the tee. He was just phenomenal at making shots when he needed to do so.

The biggest problem for him recently has been that his drives are worse and he'd lost the feel with the putter. So he was getting fewer eagle chances on par 5s and he was missing more birdie puts. And when he got into trouble, he started getting bogies instead of scrambling for pars. If he has found a way to hit fairways off the tee and if his putting is back, there's no reason he can't return to winning majors.

[Doug.I.Am]

The biggest problem for him recently has been that his drives are worse and he'd lost the feel with the putter. So he was getting fewer eagle chances on par 5s and he was missing more birdie puts. And when he got into trouble, he started getting bogies instead of scrambling for pars. If he has found a way to hit fairways off the tee and if his putting is back, there's no reason he can't return to winning majors.

Absolutely!!! Couple that with the inability to carry his new swing from the range to the course and it's easy to see why he has been struggling. I'm still not 100% sold he's "back" but that was some of his best golf in recent memory. I liked when Faldo alluded to the fact his swing doesn't look as violent as it did. That was a very good observation by Nick.

[Mike Corey]

It was fun to see Tiger fist pumping on the golf course again.

[sagegrouse]

When Tiger was at his best, nobody was better at hitting approach shots (from any distance) and nobody was better with the putter. Despite his ability to hit it long, it was his short game that was what separated him from the pack. The only question was whether he could keep it in play off the tees. He was always a scatter hitter off the tee. He was just phenomenal at making shots when he needed to do so.

The biggest problem for him recently has been that his drives are worse and he'd lost the feel with the putter. So he was getting fewer eagle chances on par 5s and he was missing more birdie puts. And when he got into trouble, he started getting bogies instead of scrambling for pars. If he has found a way to hit fairways off the tee and if his putting is back, there's no reason he can't return to winning majors.

The main advantage of Tiger over Jack NIcklaus is in the short game, excluding putting (where Tiger has often been very good but Nicklaus was incredible). Chipping was never a strength of Jack's, and he has acknowledged it at times (weak moments?). Tiger has consistently been able to hit gnarly chips that end up within three feet of the hole, and he usually has a phenomenal conversion percentage on short putts. While I can think of times recently where Woods was mortal on chips (US Open at Pebble Beach, for example), I think he is a wizard. And all the pros work relentlessly on their short games but don't get the same result.

sagegrouse

[greybeard]

I surprised the Tiger naysayers haven't started a thread to eat crow. He made the cut and he got his 73rd win at age 36. Only three multiple winners this season, Woods, Mahan and Dufner. Olympic in two weeks should be awesome.

All I have to say is Tiger's chip in on 16 was sick.

How did "Mr. Wolf say it in Pulp Fiction? It would be terrific if, as everyone here is correct, that Tiger is "back," but we'll see how long his visit lasts. Jack, you all do recall, did need a new hip by when, long before he got it done shortly before he was 50. New knees do not work out nearly as well as hips, we've seen how well that new hip worked for Jack, and Jack never had the trauma and pre-complete reconstruction that Tiger has had.

But, hey, if Tiger proves that he is a magician in his body to defeat what I think has impeded his play through this point, ll start watching golf again. He, to me, is the show and has been for quite sometime, since the Shark retired, Stewart was taken, and many of the guys with idiocratic games who had won reasonably often on the tour had to call it a day. So, Tiger, you go dude. Who else is there to root for?

[rthomas]

So, Tiger, you go dude. Who else is there to root for?

Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Dufner. Either of these two, if you want to root for someone with one of the best swings out on the course today.

[Indoor66]

Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Dufner. Either of these two, if you want to root for someone with one of the best swings out on the course today.

Great swings - Check

Interesting - Not so Much

Charisma - None

[CDu]

Great swings - Check

Interesting - Not so Much

Charisma - None

Yeah, I'd say that guys like Bubba Watson (crazy self-made swing, risk taker, bombs the ball), Dustin Johnson (great power and the heartbreaking losses in two majors), and Ricky Fowler (goofy clothes, great young talent) are guys who combine talent with interest. Johnson is the only one who might not qualify as charismatic, but he has the interesting backstory.

That said, Woods will stick around for a while longer. I don't think he's back to his old self by any means. I doubt he'll ever be that guy again (he's older, he's had the injuries, and the off-field stuff appears to have affected him too). But with two wins and multiple other top-5 finishes this year (and a #4 ranking), he's still one of the best golfers in the world. I'd be shocked if he doesn't win another major at some point, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't break Snead's all-time wins record.

[Channing]

Yeah, I'd say that guys like Bubba Watson (crazy self-made swing, risk taker, bombs the ball), Dustin Johnson (great power and the heartbreaking losses in two majors), and Ricky Fowler (goofy clothes, great young talent) are guys who combine talent with interest. Johnson is the only one who might not qualify as charismatic, but he has the interesting backstory.

That said, Woods will stick around for a while longer. I don't think he's back to his old self by any means. I doubt he'll ever be that guy again (he's older, he's had the injuries, and the off-field stuff appears to have affected him too). But with two wins and multiple other top-5 finishes this year (and a #4 ranking), he's still one of the best golfers in the world. I'd be shocked if he doesn't win another major at some point, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't break Snead's all-time wins record.

I have tried to find other golfers to lock in on, but I just can't do it. I loosely follow Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel (sp?) because I have some South African heritage, but nobody else on tour is must watch TV. What made Tiger such a draw wasn't just his charisma, but the fact that he was the most dominant athlete in the world for such a long period of time (with a nod to Michael Schumacher and Roger Federer). Now the draw is watching Tiger try and get back to where he was.

I love golf, but I just can't watch for more than a half hour or so (unless its a major) unless its Tiger.

[Indoor66]

I love golf, but I just can't watch for more than a half hour or so (unless its a major) unless its Tiger.

And you just summarized the problem the Tour has - No Tiger, No Audience.

[sagegrouse]

I don't think he's back to his old self by any means. I doubt he'll ever be that guy again (he's older, he's had the injuries, and the off-field stuff appears to have affected him too). But with two wins and multiple other top-5 finishes this year (and a #4 ranking), he's still one of the best golfers in the world. I'd be shocked if he doesn't win another major at some point, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't break Snead's all-time wins record.

Analyst Johnny Miller, whose statements are frequently insightful although unnecessarily negative (Bill Packer, anyone?), predicted back in late 2001, after Tiger underwent his first major swing change, that "Tiger would never be as good in the future." Ex-cooooose me, Mr. Miller, are you going out on a limb or just making noise? Tiger had won four professional majors in a row beginning in 2000, which no one had ever done. Tiger had won over 40% of the tournaments he entered in 1999 and 2000, which no one had ever approached in the modern era. "Never be as good" accommodtes some outstanding golf.

Moreover, the average guy on the pro tour wins about 0.2 tournaments a year, while Tiger is averaging more than five wins (adjusting for shortened seasons). Tiger's career average winning percentage is "only" 27%, although he did win more than one-half of the tournaments he entered in 2006-2008. And he has been #1 in scoring nine of the 12 years he has had the requisite number of rounds, including the most recent year (2009) and is #2 so far in 2012.

Anyway, my buddy CDu, "back to his old self" is a level of achievement that has never been approached and maybe never will again.

sage

[CDu]

Analyst Johnny Miller, whose statements are frequently insightful although unnecessarily negative (Bill Packer, anyone?), predicted back in late 2001, after Tiger underwent his first major swing change, that "Tiger would never be as good in the future." Ex-cooooose me, Mr. Miller, are you going out on a limb or just making noise? Tiger had won four professional majors in a row beginning in 2000, which no one had ever done. Tiger had won over 40% of the tournaments he entered in 1999 and 2000, which no one had ever approached in the modern era. "Never be as good" accommodtes some outstanding golf.

Moreover, the average guy on the pro tour wins about 0.2 tournaments a year, while Tiger is averaging more than five wins (adjusting for shortened seasons). Tiger's career average winning percentage is "only" 27%, although he did win more than one-half of the tournaments he entered in 2006-2008. And he has been #1 in scoring nine of the 12 years he has had the requisite number of rounds, including the most recent year (2009) and is #2 so far in 2012.

Anyway, my buddy CDu, "back to his old self" is a level of achievement that has never been approached and maybe never will again.

sage

No disagreements there at all. Holding a 36-year-old Woods to a standard of mid-20s-to-mid-30s Woods is just not fair. He can fall well short of that and still be the best in the world. Heck, in spite of being in a supposed downward spiral, he's still #4 in the world!