Opinion & Analysis
Achilles Last Stand? Woods’ Pursuit of Jack Again in Doubt
By Pete Pappas
GolfWRX Staff Writer
Early this season Tiger Woods said his left leg felt as strong as it’s been in years, and that he’s starting the 2012 campaign healthy for the first time in nearly eight years.
However Sunday at TPC Blue Monster he injured the same left Achilles he hurt at last year’s Masters, forcing him to pull out of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. And now his mere presence at Augusta National next month is in jeopardy.
Remember Tiger grimacing on No. 17 at the Masters in 2011 after his second shot? That same agonizing grimace appeared Sunday at No. 10 on Woods’ approach shot which veered ominously left into the lake.
When the final round began at Doral, Tiger was nine-under, playing encouraging if not spectacular golf. And the man who used to be the greatest golfer most of us have ever seen appeared well on his way towards turning another corner in his ongoing battle of patience, process, and progress.
Woods came into the WGC-Cadillac Championship reinvigorated by his final round 62, T-2 finish at The Honda Classic. The golf world was again abuzz about Tiger’s pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 majors, and optimistic of Tiger’s chances at The Masters in April.
But something was amiss to start the final round at TPC Blue Monster.
“I felt tightness in my left Achilles warming up this morning, and it continued to get progressively worse,” Woods said in a statement. “After hitting my tee shot at No. 12, I decided it was necessary to withdraw. In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary.”
Woods missed two majors in 2011 after suffering a mild medial collateral ligament sprain to his left knee and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon. The extent of damage from this most recent injury won’t be known until later in the week.
“I will get my Achilles evaluated sometime early next week,” Woods said.
But no matter what the medical tests reveal, Tiger finds himself again embroiled in the middle of controversy, right where he’s been for the better part of 18 months.
When Woods withdrew at No. 12 citing a “left leg injury” another new can of worms popped open in this always evolving Tiger-drama. And fairly or not, Woods’ backbone, durability, and swing mechanics are coming under more forceful attack than ever before.
Fighting for nothing
If Tiger’s injury is a minor one, it’s possible he won’t have to miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, his next scheduled event on the PGA Tour. However if it’s a minor injury, people will also undoubtedly question his guts; in fact, many already have.
Back when Woods withdrew from the 2011 Players Championship after shooting six-over through the first nine holes (Tiger was three-over when he withdrew Sunday at Doral), more than a few in the media crucified him, and some tour players were less than supportive or understanding.
It’s said that one time’s a point, two time’s a trend, three time’s a pattern. So Woods has a trend of not finishing? A Tiger-trend of quitting?
Calling him a quitter and particularly comparing him to John Daly’s pinhead antics (as numerous are doing) seems extreme to me. Woods is surely closer to Jack’s majors record than he is to letting himself go, smoking unfiltered Camels, rehydrating with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and swearing by a “Krispy Kreme Extreme Abs Workout”.
On the other hand about a half-dozen lost endorsements ago, I believed Tiger was the clean-cut, All-American Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes type; so I know things aren’t always how they seem with Mr. Woods. Another trend?
Throw in a few gratuitous snide remarks pointing out Tiger allegedly wanted to quit the PGA Tour and become a Navy SEAL (according to Hank Haney in his Tiger tell-all book, “The Big Miss”), and I’m left to ask, are these criticisms of Woods’ backbone fair game?
One school of thought says you never quit; ever.
Quitting is disrespectful to the field, to the game, and (should be) to your own sense of professionalism. And Woods did play through worse, winning the 2008 U.S Open on a broken leg.
Others however point out withdrawing at the Blue Monster should be considered a sign of Tiger’s maturity; and perhaps more important for Woods’ future success, his acceptance of physical limits he didn’t believe existed before, or simply chose to ignore.
Tiger’s going to fight for nothing? Not even a top-10 finish at Doral, where he already owns more WGC titles than the five players ranked immediately below him (in WGC victories) have won combined? And in the process, risk exacerbating his injury to the point where he has to take a year off again; or worse, beyond a point of repair? Absurd!
Whatever you believe, one thing is certain, it’s definitely not easy being Tiger Woods these days. And though his golf game isn’t quite the wreck it used to be, the jury is still out on his Achilles.
You can’t win majors if you can’t play majors
An Achilles injury (minor or major) isn’t exactly MLB’s Ken Griffey Jr. pinching a testicle with his protective cup. Or professional disc golfer (yes they actually get paid) Ron Russel swinging his hand into a tree during a 2000 PDGA event.
Woods had torn ligaments in his left knee when he won at Torrey Pines, and had a stress fracture en route to giving Rocco Mediate his 15 minutes of fame in that remarkable 91-hole 2008 U.S. Open (you know I love you RAM!). And Tiger’s knee troubles and Achilles injuries reappeared at the 2011 Masters, and then again that same year at the Players Championship.
You didn’t need to go to medical school to figure this one out; it’s not just possible Tiger’s body is deteriorating; it’s damn near certain it is.
Just look at Woods’ disturbing freefall since last years Masters. U.S Open? Missed because of injury. British Open? Missed because of injury. PGA Championship? Tiger missed the cut.
You can’t win majors if you can’t play majors. And if Woods is absent from Augusta this year, don’t just throw up another road block in Tiger’s pursuit of Jack; bulldoze a few gigantic boulders in that path.
Missing another major because of injury will cause greater and louder questions about the durability of Tiger’s 36 year-old body than would exist if Woods was there, competing, and lost. The Achilles injury Tiger suffered Sunday as WGC-Cadillac is the same Achilles that he injured last year at Augusta National. This is not the kind of déjà vu Woods was looking for with the 2012 Masters on the horizon.
And on top of all that, who really knows what’s going on with Tiger’s body.
Remember when Oakland Raiders halfback Bo Jackson was injured on what seemed to be a routine tackle in a 1990 playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals? That injury spiraled out of control, deteriorating cartilage and bone around his hip joint. No one could have thought those consequences would result in their wildest dreams.
Tiger has gone hard on that left side for 16 years since turning pro back in 1996. And spectators have sworn they’ve felt the ground rumble beneath them when Tiger tees off. The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body, and depending upon speed, stride, terrain and additional weight being carried or pushed, may be subject to three-to-twelve a person’s body weight during a push off. It connects the calf muscle to the heel bone and can support more than 1,000 pounds of pressure.
We’ve seen Tiger many times look like he’s come close to maxing that out.
The Rock will layeth the smackdown on your candy-(you know the rest)
Somewhere Sunday afternoon, Mediate might have been heard yelling, “I knew it!”
No matter what kind of injury this current Achilles setback winds up being for Woods, severe or minor; it’s re-opened the debate on the positive and negative effects of Woods’ new swing style. And the question in particular is, does the new Sean Foley swing cause more damage; or does it prevent further damage (as Foley claims is the case).
I’m not going to presume to understand the anatomy of a biomechanically sound golf swing. And I haven’t studied and compared Tiger’s old swing and new swings to critique it from any injury preventive perspective.
Swing mechanics certainly generate substantial tension on the body, this much I do understand. And the question then becomes, is Tiger’s new swing worsening that tension’s damage, or softening its effect?
Mediate has been adamant in making a simple, single, but profound point about Tiger’s new swing: it’s just putting too much pressure and stress on Tiger’s body. (And for what it’s worth, Mediate is not alone in this belief; add Lee Trevino to the non-believers of the Sean Foley way).
“The physical motion is wrong,” Mediate said. “To get that stress off his body is a piece of cake, but the guys working with him just don’t know. Sean knows some stuff, but what’s going on with Tiger is not correct,” he said.
The Foley camp argues Tiger wanted the swing change, is happy with the swing change, and believes the swing change is necessary to avoid further wear and tear on his injured knee and body overall.
But even if that’s the case, who’s to say Foley’s technique is the best one for Tiger? The process has been protracted, the progress dwarfed, and Tiger’s patience tested time and time again. That doesn’t exactly sound reassuring.
Father knows best
In all walks of life, we use the expression Achilles’ heel to refer to a person’s single vulnerable point. And Tiger’s vulnerable point; ironically might wind up being his actual Achilles heel.
I see only one possible way this can turn out well for Tiger. He comes back for the Masters, reveals afterwards he had an injury worse than he (eventually) announced after Doral, and wins in epic Tiger style. His fifth Masters Green Jacket,and 15th major, just three back from Jack; churn the wheels, grease the engines, Woods is back on pace to catch and surpass Nicklaus and he did it with that venerable Tiger flash!
I’d like to believe that will happen. But I don’t. Instead I’m reminded of something Tiger’s dad once said.
“I’m going to make a prediction,” Earl Woods said. “Before he’s through, my son will win 14 major championships.”
Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.
You can follow Pete on twitter @TheGreekGrind.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
- LIKE27
- LEGIT7
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT2
- FLOP3
- OB1
- SHANK2
Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
- LIKE30
- LEGIT5
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK2
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
-
19th Hole1 week agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole6 days agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole5 days agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole4 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoAddiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
Jason Powell
Mar 14, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Very valid points allowing personal opinions to seminate. However, just as Tiger is no God, Earl was no prophet. Only time will tell. If TW can pass Jack’s record, great. If he cannot, I’ll still worry about life’s pieces that really matter. Jack/Tiger’s record(s) aren’t one of them. They’re simply recreation to most of us & won’t change whether or not we are able to pay the mortgage & feed our families.
Gary Passmore
Mar 13, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Great article and awesome hard rock reference. Kudos…
rick rappaport
Mar 12, 2012 at 12:08 pm
A well written article raising good points and leaving us with something to actually think about afterwards. To me that’s the mark of something worth reading.
All I can add is the seminal lyrics from the Byrds:
To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven.
It’s not an epitaph for TW but just a reminder that nothing lasts forever, regardless of whether it’s 15 minutes of fame or 15 years.