Van de Velde Alert (or 2012 Golf thread)

"Here, Tiger, sign my card".

 

Since I was at the Open Woods won at Pebble in 2000 by a modest 15 strokes, I have less than no sympathy for any complaints he has about the greens. I assure you they were harder to putt for an Open, and he no problems.
The guy just can't admit imperfections to himself or others. It's why he's so screwed up. A straightforward, "I'm still having problems making the putts I have to make" would have been both honest and a good PR move.
But that's just beyond him. Too bad.

 

Could be. Still won't ever catch him, and that's what the history books will show.

 

Woods missed what, 4 putts of probably 5 feet or shorter? Those are putts the average hacker amongst us can make the majority of the time, and should be pretty easy for him to correct. At least easier than figuring out why woods or long irons might be spraying all over the place.

He makes those putts he finishes what, T-3, T -4? Not bad, and no one was beating Phil yesterday--it didn't matter who it was.

After his Dubai finish and this week, seems like Tiger's going to be in the mix on Sunday at a major or two this year. And also seems like Lefty is getting primed for strong shot at a fourth at Augusta.

 

It is going on two years now. You don't think he would have corrected his putting problems already if he could?

 

Those weren't 10-15 foot testers or 25 footers requiring the right read and speed. Those were shots the pros make 90+ percent of the time. And he missed four. That was an anomaly, putting problems or not.

 

The tour introduced a stat called "Strokes Gained Putting" in 2004, replacing the raw putting average. From '04 through '08 Tiger finished in the top 10 on tour four times and was 22nd once.

In 2010 he finished 109th, and in 2011 he was 45th.

Four-footers, 10-footers, 25-footers -- he misses a lot more than the other guys these days.

 

Its only an anomaly when you compare it to the Tiger of old. He's just another golfer now. Everyone, other than Ian Baker-Finch stripes it 300 now. Even Luke Donald can keep up with Villegas nowadays. It all comes down to putting and Tiger is one sorry putter now and he's not playing particularly well when it counts.

The turning point for me was, Tiger started Saturday on 10 and promptly went 4 under on the tougher back 9. He then birdied 2 (likely the easiest hole on the course); then failed to birdie 3, 4, 5 or 6 and parred in. A 67 yes, but still something that could have been special. Then on Sunday he again fails to make hay on the front nine while Mickelson goes 5 under on the easier 9. Tiger had back to back shots on the front 9 and did nothing. He's just a guy now; and one fast approaching "has been" status.

 

Almost no one flips a switch and becomes a better putter as they get older. Watson lost his stroke and never, ever got it back. And it was the short putts that did him in. Nicklaus said the hardest thing about golf as he got older is he couldn't hold his focus at the maximum level for four hours anymore. He would have these tiny, minor lapses, and it would result in a miss on a four footer.

He might get better for a stretch at short putts. He might get hot for a week, or half a season even. That's why I think he'll win a major again, maybe two and maybe even three. But in many respects, this is the golfer he is. This is what happens to guys as they get older. They become mortal. And putting is where it shows up the most. It's not just a phase, or something he'll figure out. It's life.

 

I was at the U.S. Open at Southern Hills that Tiger lost in 2001. Retief Goosen led wire-to-wire.

So Fuck Tiger. :