2013 Golf Season Thread

[bucksfan2]

I would take the over. I agree that he will never be as good as he used to be, but he doesn't have to be either.
I think at some point he will realize that his health issues are because of his swing and he will alter that and be able to stay healthy.

What separated Tiger from the rest of the pack was his strength and distance. He could hit the ball farther than everything else and was stronger than all the other golfers. I went back and was looking at driver distance from Tiger's prime and now. When Tiger was in his prime he was averaging over 300 yards off the tee, but what was striking was the other players on top of the list were long hitters and that was about hit. They weren't the top golfers in the game, they were the longest hitters.

Today all the best golfers in the game are hitting the ball 290+. The best golfers in the game have the raw strength that Woods had. He no longer has that advantage that he once had. He no longer has the advantage of hitting 2+ clubs less into the green, muscling 180 yard 8 irons out of the rough to the green, putting his driver 20 yards ahead of his competition. His power and distance are common place now, couple that with a bad back and a bulky knee and you have a guy who is aging. I see maybe one more major, maybe Augusta where he knows every square inch of that place.

[Sea Ray]

I would take the over. I agree that he will never be as good as he used to be, but he doesn't have to be either.
I think at some point he will realize that his health issues are because of his swing and he will alter that and be able to stay healthy.

I don't think there's any going back in time where his back is concerned. He's already fallen behond Jack's pace. He's so powerful that he puts torque on his back. It's like asking Aroldis Chapman to learn to be Mike Leake. It's not going to happen. Chapman is who he is because of his FB

[BuckeyeRed27]

I don't think there's any going back in time where his back is concerned. He's already fallen behond Jack's pace. He's so powerful that he puts torque on his back. It's like asking Aroldis Chapman to learn to be Mike Leake. It's not going to happen. Chapman is who he is because of his FB

I think it's a little different. Golfers do tend to change their swings as they get older.

Tiger could still be a great golfer if he was just a tour avergae distance guy if he had great recovery shots and was putts like he normally does. I think that verision of Tiger could win 2 majors, probably the Masters.

[Sea Ray]

I think it's a little different. Golfers do tend to change their swings as they get older.

Tiger could still be a great golfer if he was just a tour avergae distance guy if he had great recovery shots and was putts like he normally does. I think that verision of Tiger could win 2 majors, probably the Masters.

The trouble is people tend to break down as they get older too. Can Tiger get healthy enough to win again? At his age, it's highly dountful. He hasn't won for the past 7 yrs. Age does matter in golf:

Phil Mickelson is six years older (than Tiger) and just won the British Open,” a reader named Eric Dunn tweeted today. “Age is irrelevant in golf.”
No, that’s not it. It’s more that Mickelson is a rare golfer. Saying that age isn’t irrelevant in golf because Mickelson won at 43 is like saying, “Brett Favre played quarterback when he was 41 so age is irrelevant in football” or “Jamie Moyer won 16 games when he was 45 so age is irrelevant in baseball.” Golfers don’t age at precisely the same pace as baseball pitchers, but it was a lot closer than I expected...



3. Less than 10 percent – just 20 of 216 – of all majors were won by players 40 and over. It does happen, especially at the British Open (the last three British Open champions were all 40-somethings). But since 2000, only one golfer – 41-year-old Vijay Singh – has won a Masters, U.S. Open or PGA Championship.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-...f-yes-it-does/

[BuckeyeRed27]

The trouble is people tend to break down as they get older too. Can Tiger get healthy enough to win again? At his age, it's highly dountful. He hasn't won for the past 7 yrs. Age does matter in golf:




http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-...f-yes-it-does/

Obviously that is the big question mark. Tiger hasn't won a major for 7 years, but he did win 5 times on tour last year and 3 times the year before and was #1 on the money list in 2013. So it isn't like winning is some foreign concept that hasn't happened in almost a decade, he just needs to win on the right weekend.

[Chip R]

Obviously that is the big question mark. Tiger hasn't won a major for 7 years, but he did win 5 times on tour last year and 3 times the year before and was #1 on the money list in 2013. So it isn't like winning is some foreign concept that hasn't happened in almost a decade, he just needs to win on the right weekend.

Well, that's pretty much attributing it to luck. If the conditions are right. If it's the right course. If the other golfers play poorly. If his knee and back feel OK. If it's not too hot or too cold. If his swing is right. The Tiger of old didn't need that kind of luck. He just went out and dominated. Hell, he won the U.S,. Open on one leg basically. Winning a major tournament is much different than winning a regular Tour event. That's what Tiger and everybody else judges him on: How many majors has he won. Because it's so difficult to win one. Playing good enough to win the ATT pro am is not the same as playing good enough to win at Augusta or anywhere else they hold a major championship. There's only 4 chances to do it each year and as the years go by, that window gets smaller and smaller. He's still a great golfer and will more than likely win many more Tour events. But even though winning another major isn't impossible, the odds are against it. And even if it happens it's not like he's going to dominate again as he did 10 years ago.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Well, that's pretty much attributing it to luck. If the conditions are right. If it's the right course. If the other golfers play poorly. If his knee and back feel OK. If it's not too hot or too cold. If his swing is right. The Tiger of old didn't need that kind of luck. He just went out and dominated. Hell, he won the U.S,. Open on one leg basically. Winning a major tournament is much different than winning a regular Tour event. That's what Tiger and everybody else judges him on: How many majors has he won. Because it's so difficult to win one. Playing good enough to win the ATT pro am is not the same as playing good enough to win at Augusta or anywhere else they hold a major championship. There's only 4 chances to do it each year and as the years go by, that window gets smaller and smaller. He's still a great golfer and will more than likely win many more Tour events. But even though winning another major isn't impossible, the odds are against it. And even if it happens it's not like he's going to dominate again as he did 10 years ago.

Tiger didn't win push over tournaments last year. He won The Players, Arnold Palmer, 2 WGC events and the Farmers. He also had 2 Top 10 Major finishes, came in 2nd at the Barclays, as noted before was the top money winner and was the PGA Tour Player of the year. Last year. Not 10 years ago. In 2013.

I don't disagree that winning a major is harder than any of those tournaments, but lets not pretend that Tiger was slumming it on a Nationwide event beating the 8th best senior at Oklahoma State last year either.

The only IF that really matters is if Tiger can get healthy again. If he can, he will win more majors.

[bucksfan2]

Tiger didn't win push over tournaments last year. He won The Players, Arnold Palmer, 2 WGC events and the Farmers. He also had 2 Top 10 Major finishes, came in 2nd at the Barclays, as noted before was the top money winner and was the PGA Tour Player of the year. Last year. Not 10 years ago. In 2013.

I don't disagree that winning a major is harder than any of those tournaments, but lets not pretend that Tiger was slumming it on a Nationwide event beating the 8th best senior at Oklahoma State last year either.

The only IF that really matters is if Tiger can get healthy again. If he can, he will win more majors.

Tiger tends to play in tournaments that he is either tied to sponsorship wise or on courses that he has had success on.

[MWM]

Tiger's health is obviously the thing that could keep him from winning more, irrespective on any other factors. However, Tiger also simply doesn't care as much as he used to and I think that's almost as big an issue as the health. Sure, he'd love to win and it's not something he's indifferent about, but Tiger doesn't have the same obsession with dominating golf that he used to have. It doesn't drive him as much anymore, and you can see that in how he carries himself on the course and in interviews. Tiger has other things in his life now that golf is competing with. He didn't allow anything to compete with that in the past. He's a different person in many ways since the ugliness of the events that occurred in his life several years ago. It's hard to believe, but Tiger is actually less consumed by winning and is actually enjoying his life more.

[Hoosier Red]

Ryder Cup 2014 is under way.

After an impressive performance in the morning session, I think Watson's setting himself up for some big time criticism as USA is currently losing 3 matches in the afternoon.

Hindsight's 20/20 but the criticism that he'll face is two fold IMO.
1) Spieth and Reed pantsed their opponents 5 & 4 but sit in the afternoon.
2) I'd have to think Phil Mickelson is simply the worst possible guy to have in a foursome match. His genius is his ability to get in and out of trouble. THat's great in four ball when paired with a steady eddie type of guy like Bradley. But in foursomes, if he hits a ball to a bad spot, it requires Bradley to make a Mickelsonesque miracle shot.

[MWM]

I love the Ryder Cup but I've just about lost interest. It's the same thing every time.... European golfers sink long putt after longer putt and the US leaves close ones on the lip. There's something about this event that seems cosmic to me, like there's nothing the US can do.

[bucksfan2]

Ryder Cup 2014 is under way.

After an impressive performance in the morning session, I think Watson's setting himself up for some big time criticism as USA is currently losing 3 matches in the afternoon.

Hindsight's 20/20 but the criticism that he'll face is two fold IMO.
1) Spieth and Reed pantsed their opponents 5 & 4 but sit in the afternoon.
2) I'd have to think Phil Mickelson is simply the worst possible guy to have in a foursome match. His genius is his ability to get in and out of trouble. THat's great in four ball when paired with a steady eddie type of guy like Bradley. But in foursomes, if he hits a ball to a bad spot, it requires Bradley to make a Mickelsonesque miracle shot.

Well it looks like it was a mistake. Phil and Keegan had been very good together in Ryder Cup play, and if your going to have a guy playing as much as possible I would think Phil would be that guy.

There has to be some kind of balancing act during the first day, making sure everyone plays and gets in some kind of rhythm before you decide who is hot or not. I would venture to guess the first day was scripted by Watson before play started.

[Hoosier Red]

Well it looks like it was a mistake. Phil and Keegan had been very good together in Ryder Cup play, and if your going to have a guy playing as much as possible I would think Phil would be that guy.

There has to be some kind of balancing act during the first day, making sure everyone plays and gets in some kind of rhythm before you decide who is hot or not. I would venture to guess the first day was scripted by Watson before play started.

Probably true. Definitely explains the Reed/Spieth pairing not going back out. I imagine they'll be back out for two tomorrow. I know Phil & Keegan had played well together a few years ago(and in the morning pairings.) I just don't know if I'd ever feel comfortable with him in foursomes for the reasons I mentioned.

[Razor Shines]

Apparently Justin Rose is the greatest golfer who's ever lived.

Zach Johnson holes in from off the green on the first then makes a terrible decision to try to go for the green in 2 and puts it square in the middle of the water hazard. I don't understand what he was thinking.

[SunDeck]

Sheesh, Johnson has a hard time reaching long par fours in two.