Tiger Returning Next Week
Much sooner than I thought. Should be fun to watch. Any predictions on how he'll do in match play? Or how long it will take him until he wins?
I could be stupid for saying this, but I don't think it's going to happen as soon as some presume. I think by the British he'll be rounding back into form and is going to win the PGA at Hazeltine (which I will be attending).
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Bold Prediction, he wins the Masters.
Bolder Prediction, he wins no majors in 2009.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
I'm looking forward to it.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Golf is back! I'm really looking forward to watching him again. I actually joined a fantasy golf league with my boss this year to make the tournaments exciting to watch. Now, I feel like I'm double-dipping with Tiger coming back early. And that reminds me, I need to make a trade.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Redhook
Golf is back! I'm really looking forward to watching him again. I actually joined a fantasy golf league with my boss this year to make the tournaments exciting to watch. Now, I feel like I'm double-dipping with Tiger coming back early. And that reminds me, I need to make a trade.
You need to go to a meeting.
Pete started with Horses, you started with "Fantasy Golf"
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
I'm getting a kick out of the reactions his PGA colleagues are giving in interviews. Just once I'd like one of the to say something like, "What does it mean for me? Well, now I'm ranked 31st instead of 30th."
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Yeah, it is interesting. These guys are all super competitive, so they all want to win, and they all have to know their chances are less when he's around. But they also have to know his presence makes all of them a lot more money. Reggie Miller once made a comment when asked about Michael Jordan that while it does get tiring being asked about him, that every NBA player should have a portion of their check sent to MJ as commission for the extra money they all make because of him.
About 4 years ago, I was in a job that allowed me to actually go down to PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra and pitch some things to the PGA marketing group. In our conversations throughout the day, "pre-Tiger" and "post-Tiger" is just a part of their every day vernacular down there. Everything changed in 1997 when he won the Masters. It's just accepted now that he's the driver behind it all. It's a distinct moment in time for the sport.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
I could care less about Tiger coming back. It has been nice to watch coverage of golf tournaments where more than 1 player is showed hitting shots. I prefer to watch other players play over watching Tiger walk up and down the fairways, sip water, eat bananas and glare at cameramen. I have watched the same amount of golf that I always watch while Tiger has been out and all I can say to people who have shyed away, you either aren't a golf fan or you have no idea what you are missing.
I can't argue that Tiger makes the tour a bunch of money or that beating Tiger is more of an accomplishment than not beating him but the tour is bigger than Tiger and a lot of folks just don't see it that way. Golf is a sport where major career changing events happen all over the globe on a weekly basis. That is why the people who have been in mourning the last 8 months as though golf was dead have made little sense to me.
Golf will be at its best when Tiger has as much competition as possible. I think the number of players who can challenge Tiger is as high as it has ever been. Now it would just be nice if we could concentrate on some of these guys. But with Tiger back that won't happen. The coverage of the very big, WGC event this week won't be about the very big WGC event this week, it will be about Tiger's return. Big story, but not bigger than the tourney IMO. That is why I will be cheering hard for Tiger to be gone before NBC picks up coverage on Saturday. Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller having to announce a pair of semifinal matches on Saturday featuring Soren Kljedsen, Louis Oosthuizen, Richard Sterne and Anders Hansen would leave me, absolutely giddy.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
I agree that it's annoying that Tiger is often on camera walking down the fairway while other players are hitting shots. When he plays this week, my prediction is that it'll be like there are only two guys playing. And it would be worse if it were stroke play because then it would be like only one guy was playing. The ideal thing that could happen from the fan point of view would be for a few players to challenge him this year instead of rolling over every time he is five strokes off the lead.
Obviously, it's hard to say how Woods will do after such a long layoff, but my prediction is that it will take a little time for him to work on his stroke under competitive conditions, and he'll probably struggle a little to get back in the playing frame of mind. He'll get it together and be in the hunt in the final round of the Masters.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Highlifeman21
Bold Prediction, he wins the Masters.
Bolder Prediction, he wins no majors in 2009.
I ran to the sportsbook after reading this hoping to lay some cash on high odds that Tiger wouldn win 0 majors...unfortunately it is even odds right now.
2 to 1 that he wins 1 major.
3 to 1 that he wins 2.
20-1 that he wins the Grand Slam in 2009.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Many have talked about the advantages of Match Play and I agree, only having to beat one player at a time, (and the opponents have historically played about 3 strokes above average when facing El Tigre) makes this a pretty ideal way to get his stroke back in order.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hoosier Red
Many have talked about the advantages of Match Play and I agree, only having to beat one player at a time, (and the opponents have historically played about 3 strokes above average when facing El Tigre) makes this a pretty ideal way to get his stroke back in order.
I don't think he has the endurance to play 18, 18, 36, 36 in 4 straight days. That is why I was a little surprised to see him come back this week.
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Of course if he wins 9 & 8 he only has to play 10 holes :)
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bucksfan2
I don't think he has the endurance to play 18, 18, 36, 36 in 4 straight days. That is why I was a little surprised to see him come back this week.
(cough) contractual obligation (coug)
Re: Tiger Returning Next Week
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Redhook
Golf is back! I'm really looking forward to watching him again. I actually joined a fantasy golf league with my boss this year to make the tournaments exciting to watch. Now, I feel like I'm double-dipping with Tiger coming back early. And that reminds me, I need to make a trade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Red
I could care less about Tiger coming back. It has been nice to watch coverage of golf tournaments where more than 1 player is showed hitting shots. I prefer to watch other players play over watching Tiger walk up and down the fairways, sip water, eat bananas and glare at cameramen. I have watched the same amount of golf that I always watch while Tiger has been out and all I can say to people who have shyed away, you either aren't a golf fan or you have no idea what you are missing.
I can't argue that Tiger makes the tour a bunch of money or that beating Tiger is more of an accomplishment than not beating him but the tour is bigger than Tiger and a lot of folks just don't see it that way. Golf is a sport where major career changing events happen all over the globe on a weekly basis. That is why the people who have been in mourning the last 8 months as though golf was dead have made little sense to me.
Golf will be at its best when Tiger has as much competition as possible. I think the number of players who can challenge Tiger is as high as it has ever been. Now it would just be nice if we could concentrate on some of these guys. But with Tiger back that won't happen. The coverage of the very big, WGC event this week won't be about the very big WGC event this week, it will be about Tiger's return. Big story, but not bigger than the tourney IMO. That is why I will be cheering hard for Tiger to be gone before NBC picks up coverage on Saturday. Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller having to announce a pair of semifinal matches on Saturday featuring Soren Kljedsen, Louis Oosthuizen, Richard Sterne and Anders Hansen would leave me, absolutely giddy.
Yeah, redhook, you must not like golf. If you only knew what it was like being one of the unnamed golfers grinding it out, then you'd get it. :D