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Is Eldrick Woods done being the best?

#21
MJ5150 said:
Woods falls in the first round of the Match Play Championship in Arizona yesterday. After three tournaments this year, he has not even finished in the top 20.
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His tee shot on the first extra hole yesterday was a bit shocking, after he had just made birdie to force it into overtime.
While Tiger's game clearly is in disarray (as it's been in the past when he was retooling his swing) Match Play results aren't necessarily a good barometer. Tiger also lost in the first round in 2002, when he was at the height of his powers and had just completed a run of winning seven majors out of 11. Conversely, in 2004 - when he was overhauling his swing with Hank Haney and didn't win a stroke-play event all year - he won the Match Play. So, take the Match Play for what it's worth.
Tiger is only six months into working on his new swing with Sean Foley. His past swing changes have taken a year or more to really produce results. I think reports of his demise may be greatly exaggerated. As a fan, I will admit it sort of feels like he might never win again. But I think that's more a reflection of the "24-hour media/what have you done in the last 5 seconds" culture we live in.
 
#22
I agree Dave, his demise is greatly exaggerated. He didn't turn into the worlds greatest golfer in six months, so it will take him some time to get back to where he once was.

I really like watching match play tourneys, so it is kind of a bummer to see him out so early. :(

-Mike
 
#25
Golf is such a crazy game. There's so many factors. A big part of golf is mental and an equally big part is physical. I think Tiger is going through a double whammy. He's mental game is being adjusted at the same time his physical game (swing) is being adjusted. Is Tiger tough enough to push through this? Sure. Will he? Who knows? But I gotta say, it's really interesting to watch him work through it.
 
#26
I used to never pull for Tiger because it was just too easy. I never hoped that he would play poorly, but I've never really been much of a front runner. No challenge at all for him dominate. Rick Reilly said "rooting for Tiger is like rooting for erosion".

Now, everytime he has a poor outing I pull for him more and more. At first I thought, that he would have no problem getting back to the top after the divorce was final. I still think he will, but he makes a little bit less confident every time he plays like a dog.
 
#27
A couple of things I've noticed about Tiger's game is how wild he's become off the tee, and how inconsistent his putting has become. Arguably the two most important phases of the game, both depend on solid mechanics, but more importantly a solid mental approach as well. After all that he's been through I'm not convinced that the mental game is all there yet. At the age of 35 the window of opportunity is closing fast. Will he still be hungry at 40? Will be he yearning for the Champions Tour in his late 40s? Only time will tell.

Personally, I think Nicklaus' record of 18 majors will be safe.
 
#28
Kawai-chang said:
He's lost the tunnel vision he used to have. Now, I think he's become more along the likes of Els, Mickelson, Singh et al., where he needs to get hot to win a tournament, and have another guy get cold.

Almost the diametric opposite of the way it was foir the first part of his career.
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hardly matters at this point....whether he gets it back or not the whole world knows that he is an un-trustworthy pos,and no golf game,or bank account can change that
 
#30
Kawai-chang said:
He's lost the tunnel vision he used to have. Now, I think he's become more along the likes of Els, Mickelson, Singh et al., where he needs to get hot to win a tournament, and have another guy get cold.

Almost the diametric opposite of the way it was foir the first part of his career.
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+1 on this one, man. He's no longer in control of his own little world. I don't see how he can get his old game back; he's spent most of his life (it seems) being in control of everything and everyone around him. If he could adjust to things the way they are now, it would be quite a feat
 
#31
Tiger has always played "bomb and gouge" type golf and has never been the most accurate player off the tee. Of course, when he absolutely had to have it, he pulled it off. Such as hitting par 5 fairways to go at greens.

When he was blowing everyone's doors off it was because of his putting. His stats from 10-15 feet were superhuman. As were his 3-putt avoidence and scrambling. Until lately, I can only remember 1 "must make putt" that he missed.
 
#32
macaroni tony said:
Oh, yeah, he's that one athlete that cheated on his wife, right? Dude, I almost forgot :help:
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well i'm certain that one or two might stray,but few that occupy the space under the microscope that he does,or did..........when he cultivated the image,with the trophy wife,and the box full of trophy kids he shoulda known that secrets don't keep long under the glass.....besides,even if every athlete that ever lived cheated,how does that make him any less a pos....
 
#34
Jim Campbell said:
well i'm certain that one or two might stray,but few that occupy the space under the microscope that he does,or did..........when he cultivated the image,with the trophy wife,and the box full of trophy kids he shoulda known that secrets don't keep long under the glass.....besides,even if every athlete that ever lived cheated,how does that make him any less a pos....
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Few (as in a literal one or two) have ever been under that type of microscope. Unlike your one or two who might cheat on the SO.

Are your feelings so hurt because he was dumb enough to be caught or because he isn't on the same moral highground as you?
 
#35
TJ55 said:
Few (as in a literal one or two) have ever been under that type of microscope. Unlike your one or two who might cheat on the SO.

Are your feelings so hurt because he was dumb enough to be caught or because he isn't on the same moral highground as you?
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my feelings hardly matter,but i imagine his wife and kids might feel a tad put off.....i tend to judge by how people treat others,and not by the quality of their golf game.....if i choose my heroes based on things other than sport/game prowess,it is not because i seek any moral high ground.....i just learned a long time ago that people who are willing to cheat on spouses generally have very little objection to cheating in other areas.....but hey,feel free to idolize who you want....
 
#37
Jim Campbell said:
my feelings hardly matter,but i imagine his wife and kids might feel a tad put off.....i tend to judge by how people treat others,and not by the quality of their golf game.....if i choose my heroes based on things other than sport/game prowess,it is not because i seek any moral high ground.....i just learned a long time ago that people who are willing to cheat on spouses generally have very little objection to cheating in other areas.....but hey,feel free to idolize who you want....
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Fair enough, but in the world of athletics, infidelity is more of the norm than the exception. It doesn't make it any more right in my eyes, but the fact is that it's a little laughable when people speak of Woods as some sort of villain among villains for doing what world famous athletes who have women waiting outside of their hotel rooms nightly do.

And this thread isn't about how great of a man Tiger Woods is, it's about his golf game. Anyone who "idolizes" him is free to do so, albeit kinda foolish.
 
#39
Jim Campbell said:
my feelings hardly matter,but i imagine his wife and kids might feel a tad put off.....i tend to judge by how people treat others,and not by the quality of their golf game.....if i choose my heroes based on things other than sport/game prowess,it is not because i seek any moral high ground.....i just learned a long time ago that people who are willing to cheat on spouses generally have very little objection to cheating in other areas.....but hey,feel free to idolize who you want....
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You obviously fancy your feelings as mattering a little bit or you wouldn't have taken the time to get preachy in a thread that was about golf performance.

I tend to judge others golf game by their scores, tournament finishes, and entertianment factor. I tend to not judge people I don't personnally know on a personal level because it has zero impact on my life and how I live it.

When he gets caught cheating in a golf tournament then I'll factor that in to my opinion of him as a golfer. Until then, I'll watch in hopes that his game returns to form so that I may be entertained like I once was.

Feel free to quote me when you find where I alluded to Tiger as my "idol".
 
#40
macaroni tony said:
Fair enough, but in the world of athletics, infidelity is more of the norm than the exception. It doesn't make it any more right in my eyes, but the fact is that it's a little laughable when people speak of Woods as some sort of villain among villains for doing what world famous athletes who have women waiting outside of their hotel rooms nightly do.

And this thread isn't about how great of a man Tiger Woods is, it's about his golf game. Anyone who "idolizes" him is free to do so, albeit kinda foolish.
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i get that....the point i tried to make was that while he might get his game back, it will never be as sweet....and i think he knows it.....enough to affect his game anyway....
 

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