Milo- In that case, the Astros can join your Tigers.
As for my chumps comment. I know these guys are good. Having played golf for over 10 years, I know the talent it takes to get that damn ball in the hole. But in comparison to Tiger’s play this past weekend, they all looked like chumps. No one else under par. Largest margin of victory in a Major since 1862. It wasn’t even a competition. The guy is good.
Oops, I meant NBC. Wait a minute, they stretched the NBA playoffs further because of Open coverage. They could have scheduled the 6th game to Sundayat 8:30.
Actually, he broke the record set by Old Tom Morris in the 1862 British Open, a 13-stroke margin of victory, by 2 strokes.
Bill
Tiger is undoubtably the finest technician the sport of golf has ever seen.
He is also terrible for the game.
Why?
Because he has no class. While all the other golfers at the U.S.Open paid tribute to Payne Stewart from the eighteenth fairway before the tournament, Tiger was at the practice green. When asked by the media why he didn’t participate, he said he had already gotten past Stewart’s death, and didn’t to participate.
What arrogance. What selfishness. Somebody should tell Tiger it’s not all about him and how he feels, it’s about respect for Payne Stewart and his family.
A perfect swing. Nerves of steel. And no class.
How it is classy, exactly, to preen in front of the camera using a man’s death to show how sensitive and nice you are? Woods’s honestly is a lot classier than crocodile tears. I cannot imagine something I’d LESS want to do for a fallen friend than yak on national television about it months after the fact.
Wait a minute, would you commemorate a baseball player’s death by purposely striking out? Or a basketball player by bricking a shot? No, instead of grieving for show by making a shot that would be awful in regulation, you commemorate the deceased by grieving in private, and playing your best. By the way, if Tiger was there, all focus would be on him, and he would have overshadowed the ceremony.
Commentators, and Tiger himself, compare his accomplishments to his predecessors, especially Jack. Was Jack bad for the game? Tho Tiger has a heck of a start, I would suggest it is somewhat premature to declare him the greatest ever.
The greatest at this moment? No question. And he sure seems to have greater legs than Duval, but remember how Duval looked a couple of years ago?
I am incredibly impressed with Tiger’s poise. He handles himself extremely well in interviews. His folks, handlers, and investors should be very proud.
It will be interesting to see how long he stays at it. Michael quit earlier than Dr. J. Jack and Arnie made a mint off the course, but nowhere near the bucks Tiger pulls in from endorsements. How long will Tiger stick with it?
Somewhere, playing junior golf, is the next Tiger. He is not a freak of nature a la Shaq. 2 arms, 2 legs, … Butch Harmon does not have an exclusive contract to teach only him. Equipment manufacturers provide equivalent custom setups to numerous players and prospects.
If there is a harm, it is that average Joes get their testosterone up and try to hit 300 yard drives, and overlook that the reason they can’t break 90 is because they 3-putt half their greens. I am regularly amazed and amused at how much folk overemphasize distance in golf. I would agree to never drive over 200 yards, if I was always hitting my second shot off the short grass. Same way I would agree to never make a putt over 10 feet, if I never missed within 3.
BTW - never particularly cared for Payne Stewart anyway. Too bad he, or anyone, died while relatively young. But weren’t tears shed and hands wrung when it happened. Or was this PR?
There were a lot of golfers who didn’t show up for the Payne Stewart memorial at Pebble Beach. Last time I checked, attendance at such things isn’t mandatory.