Now, Let's talk some Golf!

Yes he did. I kept waiting for him to crack, and he amazed me. Tiger couldn't make a putt today.

 

Yowwwwzaaaa....

BTW, what's that "sand trap" forming toward the back of Tiger's head? That's how it starts (I should know!); then it turns into a big beach.

 

A lot of the players are married, and it doesn't seem to affect them. I guess he needs to better separate his "job" and his private life.

 

Sounds like a very good guess.

 

Lots of Tiger discussion going on sports-talk TV today. Everybody has their opinion, and some agree with your assessment above. Others think he needs to hire his old coach back.

 

Tiger & Butch Harmon, the old coach, have begun to smooch & make up. They need each other....without a doubt. Big egos got in the way of their friendship and coach/pupil relationship. Tiger is notorious for not liking his "employees" (caddy, coach, whoever) getting too much attention. He's also flat out stubborn, as most great performers are.

Tiger has been and always will be measured against an impossible standard: himself. The run he had beginning with that '97 Masters and continuing with the unmatched 4 consecutive major wins in 2000-2001 (setting scoring records along the way) may not be seen again in our lifetimes. We became "spoiled" as fans, expecting the miraculous every time out. Even the greatest of all, Jack Nicklaus, had his slumps. Golf is humbling even to the very best.

Tiger may be in what for him is a mini-slump, but rest assured that EVERY other golfer out there still fears him when he tees it up.

 

Well, his ego is going to be his downfall. I once thought he would catch Jack, but now I don't think so. IMO, Jack is the best golfer to ever play the game.

 

Without question - his record speaks for itself. The question will be, "How long can Tiger keep the 'fire in the belly' desire it takes to achieve career greatness?" Already, money is no consideration for him. Plus, his competition saw the handwriting on the wall and improved their games nearly to his level. Jack won his last major (the Masters) @ age 46, giving him 18 as a pro. I really don't see Tiger playing @ that age....but I could be wrong. He's still got 10 to go to catch Jack, not to mention a potful of regular Tour victories to catch up.

The important thing is that it will be great fun for us golf fans to go along for the ride.

 

I've thought about that, but I'm not sure I agree. The year he won his first Masters his game was at a level that I don't think anyone has reached. I think he has just fallen back.

But then the stats will tell the story. The average number of greens in regulation, the average number of putts per hole, and the average driving distance for all pros on tour should answer the question. I may have to do some digging...

 

OK. Here we go. 2004 vs 2000 selected PGA tour stats.

1. Average Driving Distance: 286 vs 273
2. Top Driving Distance: 312 vs 301 (Tiger improved as well)
3. Greens in Regulation: 64.3 vs. 65.83

 

I'm not a golfer, but here's some interesting facts,

http://www.golfincostarica.com/golfing_feats.htm



snowbound

 

Interesting facts, Snowbound. Did you see the beautiful pics of Costa Rica? I might just have to become a more serious player!

 

I'd contend that he reached his peak performance in shooting 12 under to win the U.S. Open by 15 shots @ Pebble Beach in 2000. U.S. Open courses are arguably the toughest they play all year, and he lapped the field. Tom Kite finished 2nd (12 shots back) when Tiger set the Augusta record @ -18. After the tournament Kite said, "I won my flight." Funny line....

 

Yeah, those were some exciting times. I never thought they would disappear so quickly. I think as he grows older and matures, he'll care more about his legacy and aspire to once again achieve that same level of play.

 

As you would expect a week after a major tournament, once again the "nobodies" are battling it out this week. US Bank Championship? What kind of name is that for a golf tournament?? Every week it's some kind of championship. The word "championship" is now meaningless!

 

Apparently not enough. Not enough to bring in the big guns!

 

That's very likely. Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

....as in what's so "classic" about the John Deere Classic? Or the almost oxymoronic First Annual Whoop-Dee-Doo Open, which is not yet "annual" and probably not exactly "open". We have word inflation, hyperbole run amok. Everything is impossibly "bigger & better". I'm reminded that my nephew's high school graduation 3 years ago included 9 "valedictorians". We're Number One!....all of us.

 

Precisely my point. Before long every tournament will be considered a "Major".