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Aug
24
Vijay steals one from Segio
Filed Under Sports: PGA | Leave a Comment
Watched a good bit of the Barclays today. It was one of those tournaments where nothing seems to happen until the back nine and then there are half a dozen players with a shot to win. It was also weird watching the Fed Ex Cup without Tiger Woods.
In the end Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, and Kevin Sutherland went to a playoff and Vijay won.
I found it rather ironic that Sergio found a way to make a clutch putt (a bomb on the first playoff hole it what looked like a win) only to have Vijay make one and then win on the next hole.
Sergio looks like Phil Michaelson did a few years back. Where he always seemed to be hanging around but never won as many as he should have. I wouldn’t be suprised to see the Spainard break out and win a bunch here soon.
Mar
21
How hot is Tiger Woods?
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• Tiger Woods has won the last three times an event was played at Doral Resort and Spa (Doral-Ryder Open, 2005-06; World Golf Championship event, 2007).
• He has won the last three WGC-CA Championships (known as American Express Championship before 2007) and six overall, tied for his most wins at any event.
• He has won the last six WGC stroke-play events (3 NEC/Bridgestone, 3 American Express/CA Championships).
• He has won 15 of 26 WGC events he has entered (there have been 27), totaling close to $20 million in earnings. Only one other player has more than one win at these events.
• He has won five straight PGA Tour events, the fifth-longest streak in PGA Tour history (he has two of the other four longest streaks as well).
• He has won the last seven tournaments he has entered worldwide, including all four in 2008.
• He has 64 career PGA Tour wins, tying him with Ben Hogan for 3rd all-time.
He is currenly one shot off the lead heading into the weekend, want to bet against him?
Jul
5
Tiger and Phil a little rusty
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I haven’t written about golf around here for a while. Not sure why as I have been watching it. Distracted by other things I guess.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were back in action today for the first time since the US Open at the AT&T National. Tiger missed The Buick to spend time with his new daughter Sam Alexis while Phil was still nursing the sore wrist that has been causing him trouble since he injured in practicing for the US Open.
Today the rust showed. Tiger shot a 73 and Mickelson a 74. At least Lefty was relatively steady. He has 15 pars to go with two bogies and a double. Tiger on the other hand had a roller coster round: 4 birdies, 7 pars, and 7 bogies. They will both need to shake the rust off and get back into form if they expect to compete at Congressional CC outside the nation’s capital. In his defense, Tiger is coming off the birth of his first child as well as being involved in hosting duties for the new tournament. He might be a tad distracted; yes, even Tiger gets distracted. It remains to be seen if Phil’s wrist is going to keep him from competing.
Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh as well as Joe Oglivy, Stuart Appleby, and K.J. Choi are tied for the lead at four under. I don’t see Furyk and Singh coming back to the pack a great deal so I would guess Tiger will need to shoot a low round to get back in it.
Apr
9
David Beats Goliath
Filed Under Sports: PGA | Leave a Comment
If I told you that Tiger Woods had the lead in the final round of the Masters and lost would you believe me? What if I told you that after a very Tiger like eagle at the 13th to close within two shots, he proceeded to miss a makeable birdie putt on the next hole and put his approach shot in the water on 15? And after managing to get up and down for par he missed another birdie putt on 16? It’s true. On Sunday the player who is the definition of clutch, simply couldn’t pull off another remarkable win on the world stage.
Equally remarkable is that the player who was clutch with everything on the line was Zach Johnson. Who? Yes, you would have to be a pretty avid follower of the game to know much about Zach Johnson prior to Sunday. The thirty-one year old Iowan has only one previous tour win to his credit, the 2004 Bell South, and was playing in only his third Masters.
But when everything was on the line, he stepped up and played great golf. It all seemed to pick up when he chipped in from off the green on the par five eighth, but he really earned his win on the back nine. He birdied three out of four between 13 and 16 with beautiful approach shots and clutch putts and built himself a three shot lead. After a nervous bogey on 17, he steadied himself and executed a perfect chip shot for a tap in par. With Tiger unable to take advantage, and Justin Rose imploding with a double on 17, the two shot lead was enough for the victory.
Jan
28
Tiger Woods: Yep, still quite good
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It’s been while since we have had the pleasure of watching Tiger Woods play golf. Looks like it is a “riding a bike” kind of thing for Tiger. For the seventh straight time in a PGA official tournament Tiger won. That is 55 wins and more money than god. I think Buick is pretty happy with having Tiger as a spokesperson don’t you?
Seriously, did any one doubt the outcome when Tiger was chasing down a bunch of no-names on the back nine? (Talented no-names for sure, but still Buckle and Quinney?) Charles Howell hung in there, but when Tiger knocked his approach on 17 to within 2 1/2 feet and made birdie, everyone knew it was a done deal. Not even coming a little short on 18 could add much drama to the ending.
I hope Vijay, Lefty, and the others crank it up a notch and give Tiger a challenge. If not it will just be Tiger versus the record books. Anyone care to bet against Tiger?
Aug
28
Guess Who? Yup, Tiger Again.
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The question coming into the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational was just when would Tiger Wood’s hot streak end. Woods has been playing such beautiful golf of late that fans were wondering if he might challenge his 1999-2000 streak of six wins in a row. After his PGA Championships victory last week, Tiger had won three straight including two majors.
So when He shot a 64 on Friday to take the lead, the feeling was “here we go again.” After all Tiger had already won at Firestone four times - including last year. Surely, he would cruise to yet another victory. But Saturday and Sunday were anything but a stroll in the park for the world’s best golfer.
The bizarre finish to his round on Friday, where he hit his a ball over the club house and into the hospitality area, seemed to be an omen. On Saturday he carded four bogeys in a row for the first time since his rookie season. For a moment it looked like Davis Love might just seize the tourney and run away with things.
With the tournament in the balance Tiger responded. Almost any other player, having experienced what Tiger had experienced over the course of the last few months, would have admitted that he just didn’t have it. That’s golf, right? You can’t win everything.
Unless you are Tiger Woods. When asked if he saw his problems on Saturday as a challenge, Tiger responded:
Yeah, my body took me out of the tournament and my mind will bring me back in it.
It might be a cliche at this point, but it is nevertheless true: Tiger is simply mentally tougher than other golfer on the planet. Yes, when he is on his physical skills are unmatched. He has unrivaled skill and imagination. But this weekend those skills weren’t always there when he needed them. He was struggling with his swing the whole time. You could see him practicing after every shot and on the tee. He was grinding it out; forcing himself to stay in the hunt.
Aug
21
Can a ruthless display of disciplined golf be boring? That is the question I am asking myself after Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship on Sunday. The win is Tiger’s third in as many starts; his second straight major and his twelfth overall. Only Jack Nicklaus (18) stands between him and the record for major wins. This should be exciting right? But in all honesty for anyone but the die-hard golf fan I am not sure Sunday’s victory was anything but foreordained and boring.
After three rounds Tiger was tied for the lead with Luke Donald at fourteen under par. Heading into the final round the questions was: could Tiger lose? Obviously you don’t get rich betting against Woods. Tiger has never lost a major when he held or shared the lead after 54 holes. Tiger was coming into the PGA on a hot streak after a remarkable display of skill and determination at the British Open and a repeat of that showing at the Buick Open. Was there really any doubt who would win?
Despite the strong argument for yet another Tiger win, there was some hope that things might turn out differently. First of all, this was not your typical imposing major course. The No. 3 course at Medinah Country Club wasn’t a push over exactly, it played fairly and had its share of challenges, but neither was it a grueling US Open test of will. Players could and did go low. Traditionally, Tiger likes to win at courses that demand mental and physical toughness; two categories in which he excels.
Also contributing to the feeling that Tiger’s win streak might finally come to an end was the quality of players within reach. Luke Donald, one of the better young players in the game and as a Northwestern graduate with a home in the area he had a strong fan base at the course outside Chicago. Mike Weir, a former Masters winner and beautiful ball striker, was within two shots. Mike Oglivy, reigning US Open Champion, was three shots back. Shaun Michael, 2003 PGA Champion, was four shots back as was Sergio Garcia who challenged Tiger Woods on this very course at the 1999 PGA. Surely one of these talented players would shoot a low round and Tiger’s major win streak would end.
Yeah, right. Instead Tiger continued his methodical and disciplined play shooting 68 for a five-stroke victory. Let’s count the casualties. Luke Donald joins a growing list of Tiger’s major playing partners who struggle. Of his twelve major wins only Chris DiMarco (2005 Masters) and Bob May (2000 PGA) have scored better than Tiger in the final round. On Sunday Donald never made a birdie on his way to a 74. Things just never went his way. He had a number of lip outs and always seemed to be giving Tiger a read on crucial putts rather than knocking it close and putting pressure on Woods.
Aug
20
Was there ever any doubt?
Filed Under Sports: PGA | Leave a Comment
Tiger Woods has won the PGA Championship for his 12th major. That makes his third straight win in as many tries and his second major this year. He is now a lock for Player of the Year and continues his chase for Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major victories.
More later.
Aug
7
Tiger Wins 50th at Buick Open
Filed Under Sports: PGA | Leave a Comment
With four straight rounds of 66 Tiger Woods won the Buick Open and claimed his 50th tour victory at the age of 30. After his British Open win I wrote that:
All is right with the golfing world this morning. It is once again spinning on its proper axis. With another impressive win at the British Open on Sunday, Tiger Woods is Tiger again: dominating the field and chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major wins.
Well, in case there remained any doubt, Tiger was up to his old tricks this week at the Buick. He has always played well at the Buick but he doesn’t normally enjoy winning shootouts. His style is more suited to winning in tough conditions; using his concentration and will power to succeed when others fail. But at the Buick Tiger proved once again that he is the best in the game. Having to go low everyday, he managed the ultimate consistency: four rounds of 66. He is now 21-0 when leading by two shots or more after 54 holes.
The only person to challenge Tiger was Jim Furyk. Furyk shot a 64 and was tied with Woods after Tiger’s lone bogey on 12. But Tiger had scoring chances coming in and he took advantage with birdies at 13, 15, and 18 to secure his three point win. Vijay Singh, who has won the Buick three times and was going for his third win in a row, managed only a pedestrian 70. Mike Weir played worse and shot one over. Nobody else really threatened Tiger.
The win is typical Tiger, but the record is the impressive thing. He is the youngest player to reach fifty wins and is seventh on the all time win list behind only Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, and Billy Casper. That is some list. But what really stands out to me is his winning percentage. This year he has four wins in eleven tournaments equaling a winning percentage of 36%! That is amazing for professional golf. But his career average is 25%. He has played in 196 events and won 50. Wow. Talk about dominance. To add to the luster he has placed in the top ten 128 times or 65% of the time. To put that in perspective, Phil Mickelson has played in roughly 338 events and won 29; placing in the top ten 123 times.
I am not sure there is a more dominate player in sports right now than Tiger Woods. One has to wonder just how far he can go. If he stays healthy, there isn’t a record out there he can’t break. And that is Tiger’s mission. To turn the greatest player in the history of the game from a conversation to a statement.
Aug
5
Buick Open
Filed Under Sports, Sports: PGA | Leave a Comment
I am watching the Buick Open while I play around with the various blogging tool I am testing.
Should be pretty interesting. Right now Vaughn Taylor is leading by a stroke over Mike Weir and Bret Quigley and by two strokes over Tiger Woods. Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh are three back.
Nice mix of young upstarts and big names. Everyone knows they will have to make birdies to win this one. Hard to bet against the big guns, however, as Tiger, Vijay, and Jim Furyk always play well here and Tiger and Vijay are multiple winners on this course. I know I will be watching on Sunday.
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