You are who you THINK you are...

[Brian Manzella]

Isn't it kinda instructive that with the relatively easy chance at being #1 in the world, Philly Mick put up a 78?

BTW, do you think Tiger tanked this tourney about halfway through?

I do.

 

[ZAP]

Tiger definitely tanked it. As for Phil I am hoping he prepares a little better for next week. The guy has a history of poor play in the late summer/fall. I think he loses interest or something.
There is a chance you are right and he does not feel like the world's number one and is kind of scared of that title. Or maybe he just does not give a crap about Firestone and is looking forward to next week.

 

[threeputt]

Tiger will never win another major. I said it last year after the 2009 US Open and I posted it here (and took A LOT of heat) sometime around his accident. He is done ...

 

[Hayes9801]

Saturday and Sunday Tiger looked like me when I'm on the way to an 85, the temperature's 95, and the round's taking 4 hours 55. All I can think about is jumping in the pool and sinking to the bottom....but I'm not doing that on national TV and I'm getting paid the big bucks to try harder.

It's really sad to see any athlete reach the pinnacle of sport and then just lose it. I hope Tiger finds something this week and competes hard at the PGA. Right now he's just painful to watch

 

[Richie3Jack]

I think with being the #1 ranked player, that comes with even more pressure and responsibility. Not sure if deep down that's something Phil wants.

Tiger's swing looked atrocious from what I saw. I get the feeling that he's working on it mostly by himself and using mostly what HH taught him. Then he blamed his lack of practice time on his kids. Sounds like he's just frustrated beyond belief with his swing and his game and is almost ready to give it up. Sad to watch.





3JACK

 

[greenfree]

Tiger will never win another major. I said it last year after the 2009 US Open and I posted it here (and took A LOT of heat) sometime around his accident. He is done ...

Never is a little longer than the one year that has past since your prediction, so your still not out of the heat till Tiger calls it quits.

 

[ZAP]

Tiger will never win another major. I said it last year after the 2009 US Open and I posted it here (and took A LOT of heat) sometime around his accident. He is done ...

I had this discussion with my Uncle who played a ton of highly competitive years of softball. He said he had seen it too many times to count. The year a guy was going through a divorce was their worst year. Some of them quit all together. He said it got to the point that if the team knew they were going through a divorce they would politely (or not)ask them to not play. I personally think it might be better for Tiger to take the rest of the year off. He needs to get his house in order before he can control his golf ball.

 

[Matt Bryda]

BTW, do you think Tiger tanked this tourney about halfway through?

I do.

His heart is not into it. He showed it and he knows "the swing" will not work.

Did you hear his description of what is wrong with his swing?



Matt

 

[mgranato]

Phil wants it and will get it. Because it took him a thousand majors to win the first didn't mean he didn't want one or was shying away form what it meant. He has never been Joe Opportunity on the first go around. He's stumbled into the door jamb many times before actually walking through one - this won't be any different.

Not like he was Freddy fairway until today. Phil is always one of "those" rounds away from a high number in any tourney.

What I like most about this changing of the top spot is that Phil didn't cram his schedule with non-Tiger events. They've both played pretty restricted schedules (albeit for different reasons), and I bet he'll relish the change taking place with Tiger in the field - what competitor wouldn't?

 

[spktho]

I had this discussion with my Uncle who played a ton of highly competitive years of softball. He said he had seen it too many times to count. The year a guy was going through a divorce was their worst year. Some of them quit all together. He said it got to the point that if the team knew they were going through a divorce they would politely (or not)ask them to not play. I personally think it might be better for Tiger to take the rest of the year off. He needs to get his house in order before he can control his golf ball.

Absolutely.

Tiger getting caught with his pants down and all the skeletons coming out of the closet were the worst thing that could happen to his golf. If any athlete at a high level feels that they are not the best or at least one of the best in any aspect of their lives, then their performance will suffer. He was knocked off his high horse in his personal life and it has carried over to his golfing performance.

I think he will return to dominance for a while, after he figures out what is missing in his life--and in his swing.

Phil does seems to struggle when he has huge opportunities. He may have just wanted a bit too much and lost being in the present.

 

[mgranato]

Tiger on the other hand...

For the first time in his career (life) will have to strap it on with some emotional and mental baggage and doubt. All of his competitors and challengers have been doing it for years, and now he'll be faced with the same task. So far (for whatever reason you want to point to) he's been faced with a dog of a game on Thursday - and so far he's flat out quit twice. That goes straight to the core of the man and not easy to forget the next time things go embarrassingly sideways.

 

[willgolfer]

For the first time in his career (life) will have to strap it on with some emotional and mental baggage and doubt. All of his competitors and challengers have been doing it for years, and now he'll be faced with the same task. So far (for whatever reason you want to point to) he's been faced with a dog of a game on Thursday - and so far he's flat out quit twice. That goes straight to the core of the man and not easy to forget the next time things go embarrassingly sideways.

Yes because his father dying didn't strap him with any emotional or mental baggage.

 

[spktho]

Yes because his father dying didn't strap him with any emotional or mental baggage.

That is somewhat expected. Different than what he is going through now. But maybe has something to do with his father not being around anymore?

 

[mgranato]

Yes because his father dying didn't strap him with any emotional or mental baggage.

I'm talking about "scars" from what's been happening in, around, and between the ropes.

No one is immune from what happens in the normal course of life (death of loved ones, etc.).

Now he's got chokes, quits, and embarrassments to deal with in his memory bank - he's amazingly never had to deal with those before.

 

[ms1170]

The World ranking system is only good when it’s used to give exemptions into certain events. Being 49th instead of 51st is more important than being #1 instead of #2. The rankings are one of those things that they like to talk about on TV, that I don’t think the fans really care about. I know I don’t. The only significance now is that Tiger has held #1 for so long. If Tiger misses the cut at the PGA and Phil finishes 25Th , will he pass him? Wow that will be exciting! Maybe someone will win for the 3rd time this year or get their 2nd major at the same time. That would show what a Joke the ranking system is. Lee Westwood had a chance to become #1 this week. No offense, but he has 2 PGA tour Victories and 0 majors. Can you imagine someone being #1 in Tennis with 0 majors? On the LPGA tour they have had 3 different #1’s in the last month. Yani Tseng has won 2 majors this year. She’s #5. Sounds like a flawed system to me.

 

[dbl]

Being #1 just means the highest average OWGR points per event played (or for TW over the divisor of 40 since he hasn't played 40 events in 2 years). It is a goofy number.

I kind of favor total points. Vijay Singh used to always have the highest number of points in a year but rarely the highest average. Right now Westwood has the highest points, but consider all his "low points" European Tour play. And his 449 points have come over 50 events. On the Women's tour Jiyai Shin has the most total points and Yani Tseng third, so I personally wouldn't quarrel with the ranking unless it's that Rolex doesn't give out enough points for majors.

Back to the men's ranking by average, TW's record is amazing since his 385 points were garnered over only 27 events, though as mentioned he gets shafted by the divisor of 40.

Phil's 385 points have been gathered over 42 events.

(These numbers are Sunday night before Monday's changes).

 

[dlam]

Let's give Tiger some space to sort out his personal problems. Divorce is a major life changing experience and he has a lot of issues to resolve before he can concentrate on playing good golf. Shows what a stable home life can do for one's golf game. Just think what John Daly could have done if he didn't get married and divorced so many times.

 

[Chip Putterman]

Tiger Woods will be just fine. After his divorce is finalized and he starts "dating" again, he'll be better than ever. The poor guy hasn't been with a woman since November. Give him a break. Heck, you'd play like crap too, if that were the case.

 

[drewyallop]

Ego

You have to have it at the pro level. The great golfers are convinced that they are better than everyone else. Jack Nicklaus said he never missed a putt in his mind. That kind of confidence comes from an ego as big as a barn. But this is not ego in the normal sense - arrogant, overbearing, thoughtless, selfish. But rather a total confidence that you can can bury your opponent every time out. The great players though had a firm grip on their ego. Didn't let it get away from them and infect their personal lives. They had character, a quality you could sense in people like Hogan, Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer, Jones and many others. Were they perfect off the course? Probably not, but in the end they are men that are defined by something more important than an ability to play astounding golf.

Tiger had it but let it get away from him. Nothing showed this more then that father/son commercial. He had the arrogance to think that this would somehow redeem him just as he had the arrogance to think that his talent gave him licence to follow his willy wherever it would lead.

Now that ego is lying broken at his feet. His carefully crafted sainthood has been shown to be cosmetic, merely. All his certainties are gone. Rebuilding a healthy competitive ego is going to require a lot of humility. I hope he can find it.

 

[Brian Manzella]

The Facts.

Here are the facts:

Phil Mickelson has NOT been helped by his association with Butch Harmon. Harmon's "method" of widening and shortening backswings, and getting his players to make a steeper planed downswing has NOT had the effect it was supposed to. Phil won the Masters basically making a big backswing and ripping it. Stockton is a better putting teacher than Pelz, but Phil will always hit the odd short putt.

Tiger Woods was put "in a trick bag" with the Haney method. In my 28 years of teaching, fixing the mess left behind of all sorts of method teachers, including from when I was too reliant on a "pet pattern" in my youth, there is hardly anything as hard to fix, and have the player comfortable with in tournament play, then an over-rotated left arm flying wedge, and the laid-off top of the backswing. His putting stroke has gotten shorter and slightly more wristy. He supposedly got some help from Foley, but now the claims are that it never happened.

All the family issues that Tiger has isn't helping, but Phil's life isn't all beer and skittles either. Granted different issues, but still not easy on your golf game.

Plus, both men are having to deal with all the good young guys who are now starting to win, and will start to win majors.

Phil will play well at times, great at others, and horrid some too. He always has. No matter the teacher.

Tiger will figure out where to go for help, and after his other issues get sorted out, will stuff a few majors down all the naysayers throats.

Book it.