Why do people do it? Why question Tiger Woods? All you do is give him even more motivation to come out and beat you next time. So what was Retief Goosen thinking on Tuesday morning?!
In the aftermath of Tiger Woods' dramatic US Open play-off win the usually friendly and sensible South African announced that he thought Tiger was, to all intents and purposes, 'faking it'. That his knee was not as bad as he was making out and that the world number one was searching for sympathy and excuses.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, how wrong could he be? Well, actually, an absolute mile off!
Just a matter of hours later Tiger Woods tells his website that he is having to go under the knife again to repair a badly damaged knee ligament and also that he had not only won the US Open with a dodgy knee, but he had a double stress fracture of his left leg too.
How's that for 'milking it' Retief?
It is sad that a talented and clever man such as Goosen should fall into such a trap of criticising and questioning Woods.
The bad news for the rest of the golfing world, apart from the lack of interest that will now ensue as a result of Woods' absence, is that Goosen has provided Tiger with all the ammunition he needs to add to his major tally upon his return.
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 June 2008
Monday, 16 June 2008
THE BEST MAJOR OF ALL TIME?
Exactly what it says on the tin, was the US Open the best major championship that the golfing world has ever seen?
Personally...yes, an enequivocal and definitive yes at that.
Torrey Pines gave us everything we wanted this week, and more on top of that for good measure.
For the first two days the USGA decided to make the world's top three players - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and Adam Scott - go head-to-head by grouping them together. Woods and Mickleson do not get on, as we all well know, and on day two in particular the drama and excitement surrounding the trio was immense.
Elsewhere, there were qualifiers and unknown quantities firing themselves to the top of the leaderboard, before falling away dramatically moments later...all except the new household name, Rocco Mediate.
The weekend arrived with great anticipation adn a billion questions to be answered, most of which surrounded Tiger Woods. How was the knee? Will the knee hold up any longer? Will he have to pull out? Is what he is doing really possible? Oh, and an Englishman - Lee Westwood - was in contention and looking strong.
Naturally Tiger took all the headlines away from the man from Worksop on Saturday evening by treating the 50,000-plus spectators to a collection of trademark 'Tiger Moments'.
A winding eagle putt the length of the 13th green brought him back into contention after a sloppy opening nine, the cheer that greetedthe sight of the ball dropping into the hole was almost deafening. Then, having wasted the momentum he gained there, the world number one slam dunked a chip shot at the 17th into the cup on its second bounce.
That moment clearly embarassed Tiger, not that he was going to request it not be counted, but the eagle he followed with on the 18th was vintage Woods. Clearly in tremendous pain he somehow smashed a driver and a 5-wood to the middle of the green. The stage was set, the grandstands full of anticipation and Woods duly guided the ball into the cup - it was almost as if he sent it in by radar.
Suddenly Woods was in the lead and, as we all know, he does not lose majors when he leads after three rounds.
It was by no means plain sailing on Sunday though, and everyone had forgotten about Mediate. As Woods and Westwood matched each other birdie for birdie, bogey for bogey the 45-year-old American cruised into the lead.
In fact, Woods and Westwood needed to birdie the final hole in order to force a play-off on Monday. Somehow you knew only one of them was going to do it, and you also knew it would be Tiger. Again he sent the crowd wild as his 12-footer for birdie dropped into the side of the hole.
So it was Woods v Mediate in an 18-hole Monday playoff...many believed it was to be a huge anti-climax to a superb tournament. Would it?
Yeah right! No chance!
For a start, Woods finally managed to NOT double-bogey the first hole. Actually it was rather ominous as Mediate missed short putt for par and Woods lead.
However, Mediate came within inches of a hole-in-one at the par-three 3rd hole and, as Woods bogied, he suddenly lead.
Back came Woods, for two holes Tiger played like we all know he can as he birdied two of the toughest par-4's on the course to storm ahead. Could it be all over? Not a bit of it!
Mediate completed a devastating hat-trick that put him in pole-position as the final furlong approached. Birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th gave him a one shot lead. Woods gave himself opportunities at 16 and 17 but both birdie putts came up just an inch short of the hole, could the Woods record in majors be coming to an end?
Unfortunately for Mediate, the 18th plays right into Woods' hands. The world number 158 does not have the length required to get to the green in two...Woods does.
Of course Tiger made the birdie he needed to force a sudden death playoff hole and suddenly a sense of destiny arrived.
The first extra hole, the 91st of the week, was to be the long par-4 7th - that would be the one Tiger birdied earlier in the day then.
Woods had the honour and blasted his drive 307 yards down the centre of the fairway. The pressure was on Mediate, and for the first time it actually proved too much. The likeable American pulled his tee-shot into a fairway bunker and did the same with his second to find the grandstand left of the green.
Tiger floated an 8-iron onto the front edge of the green - the only thing wrong with the finish was that Woods left the winning putt a fraction short, so Mediate had a 15-footer to force another extra hole.
However, it was not to be for Mediate as his putt rolled past the right edge of the cup. It was over. Woods was the champion. Did we expect a different result? Really?
Woods' fourteenth major may well turn out to be his best. He had not played in the two months since the Masters. He was still carrying a knee injury. This is not good preparation for any tournament, let alone the US Open. What those writing him off forgot is...this is Tiger Woods, he is not like the rest of us, he is - as Butch Harmon describes - Superman!
The next question we want answered is will he be at the Open? You have to think he will try, but whether he physically can is another matter. What we do know now though is that even if he is so much better than everyone else that not only does he not need to play well to win anymore - he does not have to even have two legs.
Scary isn't it!
Personally...yes, an enequivocal and definitive yes at that.
Torrey Pines gave us everything we wanted this week, and more on top of that for good measure.
For the first two days the USGA decided to make the world's top three players - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and Adam Scott - go head-to-head by grouping them together. Woods and Mickleson do not get on, as we all well know, and on day two in particular the drama and excitement surrounding the trio was immense.
Elsewhere, there were qualifiers and unknown quantities firing themselves to the top of the leaderboard, before falling away dramatically moments later...all except the new household name, Rocco Mediate.
The weekend arrived with great anticipation adn a billion questions to be answered, most of which surrounded Tiger Woods. How was the knee? Will the knee hold up any longer? Will he have to pull out? Is what he is doing really possible? Oh, and an Englishman - Lee Westwood - was in contention and looking strong.
Naturally Tiger took all the headlines away from the man from Worksop on Saturday evening by treating the 50,000-plus spectators to a collection of trademark 'Tiger Moments'.
A winding eagle putt the length of the 13th green brought him back into contention after a sloppy opening nine, the cheer that greetedthe sight of the ball dropping into the hole was almost deafening. Then, having wasted the momentum he gained there, the world number one slam dunked a chip shot at the 17th into the cup on its second bounce.
That moment clearly embarassed Tiger, not that he was going to request it not be counted, but the eagle he followed with on the 18th was vintage Woods. Clearly in tremendous pain he somehow smashed a driver and a 5-wood to the middle of the green. The stage was set, the grandstands full of anticipation and Woods duly guided the ball into the cup - it was almost as if he sent it in by radar.
Suddenly Woods was in the lead and, as we all know, he does not lose majors when he leads after three rounds.
It was by no means plain sailing on Sunday though, and everyone had forgotten about Mediate. As Woods and Westwood matched each other birdie for birdie, bogey for bogey the 45-year-old American cruised into the lead.
In fact, Woods and Westwood needed to birdie the final hole in order to force a play-off on Monday. Somehow you knew only one of them was going to do it, and you also knew it would be Tiger. Again he sent the crowd wild as his 12-footer for birdie dropped into the side of the hole.
So it was Woods v Mediate in an 18-hole Monday playoff...many believed it was to be a huge anti-climax to a superb tournament. Would it?
Yeah right! No chance!
For a start, Woods finally managed to NOT double-bogey the first hole. Actually it was rather ominous as Mediate missed short putt for par and Woods lead.
However, Mediate came within inches of a hole-in-one at the par-three 3rd hole and, as Woods bogied, he suddenly lead.
Back came Woods, for two holes Tiger played like we all know he can as he birdied two of the toughest par-4's on the course to storm ahead. Could it be all over? Not a bit of it!
Mediate completed a devastating hat-trick that put him in pole-position as the final furlong approached. Birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th gave him a one shot lead. Woods gave himself opportunities at 16 and 17 but both birdie putts came up just an inch short of the hole, could the Woods record in majors be coming to an end?
Unfortunately for Mediate, the 18th plays right into Woods' hands. The world number 158 does not have the length required to get to the green in two...Woods does.
Of course Tiger made the birdie he needed to force a sudden death playoff hole and suddenly a sense of destiny arrived.
The first extra hole, the 91st of the week, was to be the long par-4 7th - that would be the one Tiger birdied earlier in the day then.
Woods had the honour and blasted his drive 307 yards down the centre of the fairway. The pressure was on Mediate, and for the first time it actually proved too much. The likeable American pulled his tee-shot into a fairway bunker and did the same with his second to find the grandstand left of the green.
Tiger floated an 8-iron onto the front edge of the green - the only thing wrong with the finish was that Woods left the winning putt a fraction short, so Mediate had a 15-footer to force another extra hole.
However, it was not to be for Mediate as his putt rolled past the right edge of the cup. It was over. Woods was the champion. Did we expect a different result? Really?
Woods' fourteenth major may well turn out to be his best. He had not played in the two months since the Masters. He was still carrying a knee injury. This is not good preparation for any tournament, let alone the US Open. What those writing him off forgot is...this is Tiger Woods, he is not like the rest of us, he is - as Butch Harmon describes - Superman!
The next question we want answered is will he be at the Open? You have to think he will try, but whether he physically can is another matter. What we do know now though is that even if he is so much better than everyone else that not only does he not need to play well to win anymore - he does not have to even have two legs.
Scary isn't it!
Friday, 13 June 2008
MORE MIRACLES FROM TIGER WOODS, UNBELIEVABLE!
Not exactly a revelation I know but Tiger Woods has shown exactly why he is the best golfer of all time.
After the disappointment of losing out at the US Masters in April the world number one underwent knee surgery. In the two months since he had not completed 18 holes until the opening day of the second major of the season, the US Open at Torrey Pines.
Clearly still struggling with his injury, shown by the grimaces and winces after a number of shots, Tiger battled through a tough first day and an unusually inconsistent front nine on Friday. However, all hell broke loose after that!
Woods pushed a tee-shot at the 1st, his 10th, and had to play his second shot from a cart path. After impant Woods' damaged left leg slid and clearly the injured knee was tweaked. He limped his way up the fairway before promptly putting all concerns about the injury to one side and draining a twisting 25-footer for a birdie three.
The blue touch paper had been lit...
At the next Woods secured his second successive birdie with another superb putt, before being unfortunate not to be left with a tap-in at the tricky par three third, his 12th, before leaving a 20-footer in the jaws of the hole.
Not to worry though for Tiger, the next yielded yet another glorious birdie as all thoughts of his left knee trouble diminished and he continued his run of successive three's by adding a fifth immediately with another monster putt down the slope at the fifth.
Even the driver seemed to working properly by this point and the quality of golf on show all around the San Diego course was becoming completely and utterly enthralling. The enigmatic home-town favourite Phil Mickleson was finding a few birdies of his own as he tried to keep up with a charging Woods.
Inexplicably Woods failed to make a birdie at any of his next three holes as putts began to slide by the edge of hole rather than into the centre of the cup but the par-five 9th was to come.
Tiger casually drove hs ball ovedr 337-yards straight down the fairway before flying his fairway metal all of 280-yards to leave himself with a makeable chip for eagle, and an inward nine of just 29. Surely not?
Believe it or not...he was in fact out of miracles and out of luck for the day as the ball came to rest a few feet left of the cup and he had to settle for a birdie and a round of 68.
However, the damage has been done. Woods is well and truly in contention, his name is on the leaderboard, everybody knows it and most of all, so does he.
After the disappointment of losing out at the US Masters in April the world number one underwent knee surgery. In the two months since he had not completed 18 holes until the opening day of the second major of the season, the US Open at Torrey Pines.
Clearly still struggling with his injury, shown by the grimaces and winces after a number of shots, Tiger battled through a tough first day and an unusually inconsistent front nine on Friday. However, all hell broke loose after that!
Woods pushed a tee-shot at the 1st, his 10th, and had to play his second shot from a cart path. After impant Woods' damaged left leg slid and clearly the injured knee was tweaked. He limped his way up the fairway before promptly putting all concerns about the injury to one side and draining a twisting 25-footer for a birdie three.
The blue touch paper had been lit...
At the next Woods secured his second successive birdie with another superb putt, before being unfortunate not to be left with a tap-in at the tricky par three third, his 12th, before leaving a 20-footer in the jaws of the hole.
Not to worry though for Tiger, the next yielded yet another glorious birdie as all thoughts of his left knee trouble diminished and he continued his run of successive three's by adding a fifth immediately with another monster putt down the slope at the fifth.
Even the driver seemed to working properly by this point and the quality of golf on show all around the San Diego course was becoming completely and utterly enthralling. The enigmatic home-town favourite Phil Mickleson was finding a few birdies of his own as he tried to keep up with a charging Woods.
Inexplicably Woods failed to make a birdie at any of his next three holes as putts began to slide by the edge of hole rather than into the centre of the cup but the par-five 9th was to come.
Tiger casually drove hs ball ovedr 337-yards straight down the fairway before flying his fairway metal all of 280-yards to leave himself with a makeable chip for eagle, and an inward nine of just 29. Surely not?
Believe it or not...he was in fact out of miracles and out of luck for the day as the ball came to rest a few feet left of the cup and he had to settle for a birdie and a round of 68.
However, the damage has been done. Woods is well and truly in contention, his name is on the leaderboard, everybody knows it and most of all, so does he.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
IS TIGER READY?
Tiger Woods is still recovering from knee surgery as the draw for the first round pairings at US Open - the second major of the season - is made. So the question must be ask, is the greatest player in the game's history ready to claim his 14th major or is he back too soon?
Before the US Masters there was talk of a Grand Slam for the world number one in 2008 - of course that dream disintegrated when Trevor Immelman claimed the title at Augusta in April - now there are doubts as to if he will even see out the season. Tiger's third operation on the same knee in recent years is perhaps a sign of a chronic problem, will it affect his hunt of all of Jack Nicklaus's records?
On a brighter note for the man who seems to have everything - gorgeous wife, new born child, more money than he could ever spend and the admiration of millions of golfer and non-golfers around the world - this year's US Open is at one of his favourite venues.
Woods has already won at Torrey Pines this season when he cruised to an eight shot victory in the Buick Invitational and he has won six times there in the past - including each of his last four.
Before suffering the injury to his troublesome left knee Woods was - to all intents and purposes - untouchable. At the Buick nobody could get near him from the start of Thursday to the final putt on Sunday. Tiger was at his dominating and imperious best that week but he enters the US Open a wounded animal in more ways than one.
Not only is his knee still potentially a little short of full fitness but the elusive Grand Slam slipped away in his last outing. However, you know what they say about facing wounded animals!
Would you back Tiger this week? Or is your money going elsewhere?
Before the US Masters there was talk of a Grand Slam for the world number one in 2008 - of course that dream disintegrated when Trevor Immelman claimed the title at Augusta in April - now there are doubts as to if he will even see out the season. Tiger's third operation on the same knee in recent years is perhaps a sign of a chronic problem, will it affect his hunt of all of Jack Nicklaus's records?
On a brighter note for the man who seems to have everything - gorgeous wife, new born child, more money than he could ever spend and the admiration of millions of golfer and non-golfers around the world - this year's US Open is at one of his favourite venues.
Woods has already won at Torrey Pines this season when he cruised to an eight shot victory in the Buick Invitational and he has won six times there in the past - including each of his last four.
Before suffering the injury to his troublesome left knee Woods was - to all intents and purposes - untouchable. At the Buick nobody could get near him from the start of Thursday to the final putt on Sunday. Tiger was at his dominating and imperious best that week but he enters the US Open a wounded animal in more ways than one.
Not only is his knee still potentially a little short of full fitness but the elusive Grand Slam slipped away in his last outing. However, you know what they say about facing wounded animals!
Would you back Tiger this week? Or is your money going elsewhere?
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