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Are you also glad Tiger is struggling?
lightningboy
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Is it just me or is anyone else enjoying the last 5 years of Majors for Tiger? I know he WAS the best and maybe the best ever, but he places so much importance on Nicklaus' Majors, I am just hoping he hangs them up short. With as much ego/pride that Woods has, I just want to hear him say, "I'm not dominant anymore". He can win all the little tour wins he wants to, just don't mess with the REAL record.
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He will never be the best of all time in my mind, I think athletes should have class along with their athletic ability, yes I do get a small amount of satisfaction that he is unable to win major tournaments right now. He is still taking home a boatload of money though, so his struggles are not that bad.
Joe
What's happening with him is enigmatic. If you take a look at his year as a whole, he is far and away the best player on tour. Prize money, titles won, all pertinent statistics, you name it. Except for one glaring omission: no #15. After the feat he pulled the previous week -- basically lapping the field once again at Bridgestone -- I honestly thought this was going to be it. It just felt like everything was finally coming full circle going into the final major of the year.
Oops.
I couldn't have been more wrong through two rounds. The Tiger from a decade ago would be double-digits under par right now, due in part to Oak Hill playing so incredibly benign. The first couple of days have been akin to throwing darts for those guys, and that invariably means low numbers at the top of the leaderboard. Well, a quick glance of the first page not only shows TW nowhere to be found, but he's not even in red figures heading into round three.
Anyone who has played golf knows that it's roughly 90% between the ears. And right now, I think his mental toughness is shot when it comes to the majors. In the back of his mind he knows that five years of his prime -- or 20 major tournaments -- is ancient history. What once seemed like a foregone conclusion is now in serious jeopardy, and deep down he realizes this. He most assuredly does not want to come up short when it comes to the Golden Bear's record, because that's the ONLY number that will cement his legacy. Win 19 and you're the best the sport has ever seen; end up with 16 and you're merely in the conversation.
What happens from this day forward is the great unknown, but my personal opinion is that he'll never surpass Jack's 18. It's clear that Tiger still has the skills, otherwise he would not have won five times on tour this season. (No other player has won more than two, by the way.) But the intangibles (e.g. the killer instinct) just don't seem to be there anymore. I saw zero fire out of him yesterday, and that's honestly what perplexed me the most. Almost as if he was resigned to his fate, and that is not the Tiger who rattled off 14 majors in a flash.
I would say that he'll go extremely low the next two rounds due to the pressure being completely off, but something tells me he's going to fade into oblivion. Wait, strike that. TNT & CBS will make it a point to ram virtually every shot down our throats, even if he shoots 73-74 and finishes 15 shots off the lead in 60th place.
My pick to win: Kooooch!
<< <i>Is it just me or is anyone else enjoying the last 5 years of Majors for Tiger? I know he WAS the best and maybe the best ever, but he places so much importance on Nicklaus' Majors, I am just hoping he hangs them up short. With as much ego/pride that Woods has, I just want to hear him say, "I'm not dominant anymore". He can win all the little tour wins he wants to, just don't mess with the REAL record. >>
I always like to know why people take joy in the greats struggling. Is it simply schadenfreude? Is it jealousy? As far as his ego or pride goes, you don't get to the level of elitism that Tiger has achieved in any sport without it. You think Jordan wasn't an egomaniac or overly full of pride? But yet for him those qualities are considered positives, not negatives as it is here. Was it his personal failings? Again, Jordan was hardly the epitome of the devoted husband.
Why do people rally against greatness? It's the same sentiment I see against players like Lebron, too. Instead of embracing the ability to watch who is obviously one of the all time greats right in front of their eyes, they root against him.
Personally, I hope Tiger gets through this mental barrier and starts winning majors again. Since he's been on this drought, has anyone even cared about golf? Seriously? Of course not. There's been a bunch of no name, uncharismatic guys and then they've gone away. Phil? He's not even close. Tiger has been the best golfer on tour this year, is the top ranked golfer, has won 7 million, but because he places such importance on majors he would be the first to admit its been a disappointing year.
<< <i>I would not say that it is jealousy. And yes Jordan had many personal flaws as well. Jordan too now has had to live with the humility of no longer being successful. His GM, owner skills are surpassed by most 8 year olds running a lemonade stand. Hence, you know longer hear as much about him. But, it was not as a player, as we hold and critique these "immortals". Yes, Tiger is still great and a name to be reckoned with. I am just waiting for the day when his post conference says something like, "I am just not as good or dominant anymore as i think I am." Instead of, " I shot really well, if it wasn't for this or that, then maybe....." The fact is the window which was so open before, it was off its hinges, to break Jack's record, is being slowly closed, as if for torture, on Tiger Woods. I just feel like it is a bit of karma that much of his "Majors" collapse has occurred after he lost his wife and his caddie. Typical megastar thinking he can do everything on his own. >>
When people think of Jordan, I don't know of anyone who goes to his GM failures before his all time greatness as a player. As far as Tiger admitting he's not great or dominant, it's never going to happen. Players simply cannot have that mindset, ever. Once they do, their career is over.
Again, I am curious, why the disdain for him? It seems as if his personal life is the reason you dislike him, but there's plenty of great players with personal life failures. Why the extra hate for Tiger?
Yeah maybe I have let some of his personal life cloud my judgement. But even there, I find a difference, not in a biblical sense, in someone carrying on a discreet affair with someone versus someone who seemed to sleep with anyone in sight. And I suppose that since it is not a team sport, there is no way to deflect on the team as a whole. His arrogance and the foregone conclusion of him demolishing Nicklaus' record by the sportswriters is truly where my frustration stems from. I've heard some of the greatest players of all sports give in after a loss and simply say "they were the better team today". But with Tiger it is still, "my putter was off", "I couldnt hit enough fairways", etc. Just buck up once and admit, that unlike years ago, there are golfers who are as good as him and can beat him just as much as he could lose.
As far as the affair(s) go, there are countless players, of all sports, who have carried on affairs outside their marriage, and I'm not sure how one can make a distinction between having one affair and having multiple. If one of those is 'bad', then they both should be, in my opinion.
<< <i>Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I am not a fan of Tiger. I am, however, an avid player/fan of the game itself.
What's happening with him is enigmatic. If you take a look at his year as a whole, he is far and away the best player on tour. Prize money, titles won, all pertinent statistics, you name it. Except for one glaring omission: no #15. After the feat he pulled the previous week -- basically lapping the field once again at Bridgestone -- I honestly thought this was going to be it. It just felt like everything was finally coming full circle going into the final major of the year.
Oops.
I couldn't have been more wrong through two rounds. The Tiger from a decade ago would be double-digits under par right now, due in part to Oak Hill playing so incredibly benign. The first couple of days have been akin to throwing darts for those guys, and that invariably means low numbers at the top of the leaderboard. Well, a quick glance of the first page not only shows TW nowhere to be found, but he's not even in red figures heading into round three.
Anyone who has played golf knows that it's roughly 90% between the ears. And right now, I think his mental toughness is shot when it comes to the majors. In the back of his mind he knows that five years of his prime -- or 20 major tournaments -- is ancient history. What once seemed like a foregone conclusion is now in serious jeopardy, and deep down he realizes this. He most assuredly does not want to come up short when it comes to the Golden Bear's record, because that's the ONLY number that will cement his legacy. Win 19 and you're the best the sport has ever seen; end up with 16 and you're merely in the conversation.
What happens from this day forward is the great unknown, but my personal opinion is that he'll never surpass Jack's 18. It's clear that Tiger still has the skills, otherwise he would not have won five times on tour this season. (No other player has won more than two, by the way.) But the intangibles (e.g. the killer instinct) just don't seem to be there anymore. I saw zero fire out of him yesterday, and that's honestly what perplexed me the most. Almost as if he was resigned to his fate, and that is not the Tiger who rattled off 14 majors in a flash.
I would say that he'll go extremely low the next two rounds due to the pressure being completely off, but something tells me he's going to fade into oblivion. Wait, strike that. TNT & CBS will make it a point to ram virtually every shot down our throats, even if he shoots 73-74 and finishes 15 shots off the lead in 60th place.
My pick to win: Kooooch! >>
I agree with everything you say about Tiger.
I play a lot of golf myself and one thing I can add to maybe why Tiger is performing poorly in the Majors is because he's forcing the issue too hard in the Majors.
He's trying 'too hard'.
One thing I've learned in golf is this ....You can't force a birdie.
Golf is a game where the good rounds happen when you least expect it.
Don't get me wrong, you still have to be mentally tough on the course, plan your shots extremely carefully and still swing aggressively at the ball (but still in 'control' and in balance).
But I do believe Tiger's adreniline in Majors gets the worst of him and he overdoes his aggressiveness with his swing.
Tiger's been usually a front runner and when he's on he leads the tourney from start to finish.
Watch his past five wins this year and he's unemotional and acts like a robot (in a good way) on the course.
Watch him in the majors and he's emotional, pressing and usually upset.
Big difference.
Put another way, I can tell if he's going to win (or seriously contend) after watching him on the very first three holes of the first round....big clue to what's going on between Tiger's ears.
Oh and another thing....Jack must be walking around his house with the biggest smile he's ever had.
Barbara must think Jack's got a twenty year old girlfriend or something but I know better.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
<< <i>
<< <i>Win once in a while? You can't be serious. Tiger is ranked number one in the world and has five tourney wins this year alone, and has $7 million in tour winnings this year. His problem with the majors is simply he's trying too hard, he has put too much pressure on himself. Anyone suggesting he simply needs to try harder is talking out their backside. >>
We're talking majors knucklehead. As if that weren't clearly obvious. No one is suggesting he "needs to try harder". I'm suggesting he needs to change his strategy from "I can't make any bogies" to "I need to make some birdies". I can't even remember the last time he got two eagles in a major round. >>
Really? You didn't just say "I think the main problem is that he ISN'T forcing the issue enough."
Case closed.
Whereas in hockey, football, basketball and baseball the 'extra' physical effort put forth does lead to a better outcome.
However in golf, this 'extra' physical effort always leads to a worse performance.
Golf has to be played with a cool confident (almost zombie-like) state. (mentally, I mean)
This is why so many adults struggle with the game and don't understand the relaxed muscle concept of the proper golf swing. (It's NOT a 'power game'!!)
Tiger's extra pressure he puts on himself in the Majors, I believe takes himself out of his 'cool confident' zone he's displayed beautifully 5 times this year and puts him into a more 'agitated' golf state in the Majors thereby leading him to his failure.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
1) too much self-inflicted pressure (trying too hard).
2) a loss of confidence creeping into his mind because of the failures
3) pressure due to 'time running out' to catch Jack
The next four reasonsreally don't make sense due to his five wins this year.....
4) just not as good as he once was
5) injuries have taken their toll
6) too many swing changes resulting in some errant shots at key times
7) unhappy lifstyle now that his 30 'ladies' are gone and his family has broken up.
Feel free to add to the list as I'm done with talking about Tiger.
He has far too much money and far too much talent for me to worry about him.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
Throughout his career, Tiger has said countless times that majors are how he defines a successful year, and I have no doubt that he still feels this way. The extra effort he's putting on himself mentally is only making his game at these events worse. I honestly think he breaks through with one next year, and once he does, he'll be like Lebron, and the floodgates will open again. If he gets one next year, you can mark down his getting to 19.
I guess I do not see the clock ticking for him the way others do. I suspect he will win more Majors and whether he beats out Jack really will not matter or change his impact on the PGA
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
<< <i>We can say whatever we want about the reasons that Tiger is no longer winning Majors. The fact is, in my mind, that unlike 10 years ago, several golfers can play with him even on his best day. The rest of the field is no longer intimidated by him. He can win all the money he wants and continue to win the other tour events, but ever since he said, "winning Majors is how he defines success" much of the golf world has come to look at it this way also. >>
But several golfers can't play with him on his best days, as evidenced by his utter dominance last week, and his overall performance this year as a whole has been leaps and bounds better than anyone else on tour. I still believe that the pressure to win a major (his own measure for success on tour) is what's getting in his way.