Opinion & Analysis
Is it time to stop expecting great things from Tiger Woods?
Members of the crowd could be heard laughing after Tiger Woods topped a shot on the last hole of Round 1 of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. And maybe that’s the best recourse for Tiger after such a disappointing start to the season’s second major championship — just laugh it off. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that even Tiger can’t believe how poorly he is playing, and it only seems to be getting worse.
Heading into Friday, Woods finds himself 15 shots behind co-leaders Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson. It’s almost certain that he will miss the cut, and his score of 10-over-par 80 in Round 1 was only better than two other golfers in the field, one of which was playing partner Rickie Fowler (+11).
[quote_box_center]”Not very happy, that’s for sure,” Woods said after the round. “It was a tough day…The bright side is I kicked Rickie’s butt today.”[/quote_box_center]
Woods’ body language said that he didn’t feel good about the joke, but what else was there to say? Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion, hit a handful of good shots mixed in with some of the worst shots anyone has ever seen him hit in a major championship.
Is this what golf fans should come to expect of Woods? At least that’s what the numbers say.
Of Woods’ 36 competitive rounds since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, 23 have been over-par. He’d only shot one score in the 80s on the PGA Tour before 2015, but now has four 80+ rounds. The fall has been so far and so fast that it’s easy to forget that Woods is now many, many fairways over from the No. 1-ranked golfer that he used to be.
For Tiger’s sanity and our own, it’s time to stop expecting great things from his golf game, at least until he seriously contends again. And the last time he did that was…
Isn’t it a shame that we can hardly remember?
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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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.
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole21 hours ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole6 days agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Zyia
Dec 28, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Very short description. There is nothing wrong with Tigers game and i truly have knowledge of this. The truth is, that he is under force not to win. And wouldn’t you like to know!
Bobby Cunningham
Jun 20, 2015 at 10:54 pm
tigers age is irrelevant. This is 100% mental. I love tiger. It pains me to Him playing like this. No one has the right to criticize decisions in his personal life. But he does need to figure out a medication or a spiritual practice so he can forgive himself. The guy is in the best shape on tour. You can see it on his face. His mind is racing because he puts so much pressure on himself. And then in interviews he points to his swing issues. No one expects tiger to contend anymore. No one was shocked by this weekends performance. He needs some serious mental changes. Until that happens he’ll never win another tournament.
Forsbrand
Jun 20, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Tigers brain is fried. He needs to pack his clubs up and take a year off tour. He could visit every country in the world and hold clinics for young aspiring golfers and play one of the top courses with some local dignatories , top amateurs etc. not only is it what woods needs, something different from the norm, but he would be giving back to golf and also would be an excellent revenue drive for charities etc. I feel for Tiger but simply slugging it out on a range 6 hours a day is not going to cure him.
RG
Jun 20, 2015 at 1:45 am
Tiger needs to forget technique and find his rhythm.
Booger
Jun 20, 2015 at 12:36 am
Yes,yes it’s time. It’s also time to stop writing about him.
Pjm
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Tiger needs to step away from the game for 2yrs and figure out his life issues.
He will return with confidence.
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 8:41 pm
He should probably take 3 or 4 years off to repair his body and mind. Come back when he is about 45 years old.
Jeff
Jun 19, 2015 at 4:08 pm
I know how good he was but man, hasn’t he earned the right to play poorly? Just by his Player’s win in 2013 he’s qualified for lots of golf tournaments. I’m gonna suggest the guy has earned the right to shoot whatever score he shoots.
Golf Pro
Jun 19, 2015 at 1:06 pm
The “he’s 40” excuse is getting old. Theres plenty of players out there that are 40+ with only half of Tiger’s talent that are not throwing up 80s everywhere.
Tigers problem is he became obsessed with swing mechanics and he has no idea how to play by feel. Tiger has loads of talent that has been ruined by Como’s swing mechanics.
I think this issue will end his career.
Christosterone
Jun 19, 2015 at 2:27 pm
Vijay comes to mind as a performer in his 40s….his long, languid reverse C was/is the perfect swing for consistency into ones 40s….as shown by Colin Montgomerie and Tom Watson..
But Vijay’s prolific 40s record is the exception and not the rule…
Tiger would be lucky to win 50% as regularly as Vijay post 40….
Golf Pro
Jun 20, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Not that I expect him to win in his 40’s, but Tiger should be able to compete. Jim Furyk is 45 and he’s #3 in the world and known as a short hitter. Does he win? No, but he’s out there almost every week grinding and has some top 15’s.
Carl
Jun 19, 2015 at 11:26 am
Click bait
Rich
Jun 19, 2015 at 10:23 am
YES.
Kevin
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:43 am
It really is odd that he’s striping it so well on the range and then seems to lose control on the course. It is different than the decline Ian Baker Finch had in that way. I don’t think Tiger is finished, but he’s certainly on the wrong side of that razor’s edge that is high level competitive golf. It was harder for me to believe he shot 85 at the Memorial because he was doing ok at places where he had a real comfort level, The Masters is the perfect example. He was always mentally light years ahead of his competition, and this problem seems mental to me since he’s killing on the range. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Robeli
Jun 19, 2015 at 11:29 am
What role does the caddie play?
Mike
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:19 am
Golf is a brutal game because TW was one of the greatest golfers in the history of mankind. What was once the best swing in the modern era of golf and produced over a decade of greatness, excitement and countless roars from Augusta to the WGCs has evolved into a swing that struggles to break par. What’s worst is the destruction was self-inflicted. It’s a shame because TW made golf exciting to watch all four days for a very long time and who knows if we’ll ever live to see another great golfer that can win double digit majors.
Christosterone
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:41 am
Perfectly stated…not to mention he is 40. Jack didn’t win at a 25% clip from 1981-1990 either.
It’s just what happens.
That’s life.
Watching Tiger play like is reminds me of watching Jordan as a sixth man for the Wizards…sad but age slows us all down.
Woods may still have a few wins in him but we are definitely on the downside of his amazing career.
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:51 am
Was this after MJ was betting on games? Tiger and Stiney need to open the checkbook and pay Butch $5 million a year and Stevie $4 million a year. This is really disgraceful and embarassing,
Christosterone
Jun 19, 2015 at 1:54 pm
I have no idea to what you are referring.
Jordan left basketball in 94 and 95 to chase his dream of playing pro baseball for the white sox…
He hit a respectable .227 considering he hadn’t played since high school.
Jordan returned to the NBA where he led the Bulls to 3 more championships.
A few years after his final Bulls retirement he came out of retirement to play for the Wizards where he was a shell of his former self.
That is the feeling I get watching Tiger. Hope that helps answer your obtuse musings.
-Christosterone
Christosterone
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:04 am
To all the butch acolytes: tiger had a better winning percentage(by far) with Haney.
So if he should go back to anyone it should be hank. But we know that’s not gonna happen.
2007 Hoylake was a master class in golf…all 9 shots as Haney put it and putted like a god.
It is perhaps the loss of Steve Williams that has hurt him…though his age is the primary tool of degradation…
Anyhow, woods won 5 times just 2 years ago….he will figure it out and eventually pass Snead but jacks 18 seem unattainable on his current trajectory.
Christosterone
Jun 21, 2015 at 11:36 am
2006 Open Championship….my bad
Greg V
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:02 am
Fat tire bike.
Steve
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:01 am
Well it could only last 3 more years at this level. After that he wont qualify and most likely will lose his tour card, unless there is a rule for wins or majors I dont know about.
No one fears Tiger, it is sad that the second greatest golfer of all time is a joke now. Maybe he should just hang it up. When i saw his instructor on the range Tuesday, filming his swing with a phone, then Tiger looking it over. I knew it was over for this tournament. This isnt a swing problem, this is a mental problem. Maybe he should go see a shrink or someone he can clear his mind with
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:04 am
By the end of the year he will be #300th in the world.
Chris
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:20 am
After you win like 15-20 PGA Tour events, you have your tour card for life. Very important rules you know nothing about
JR
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:51 am
Its players that have been on the PGA Tour for 15yrs and have at least 20 wins.
Other players with lifetime exemptions are Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Tom Watson.
Tiger is not going way unless he just hangs ’em up…
Steve
Jun 19, 2015 at 10:36 am
Very important to who? You, me or Tiger? They dont apply to me and i am quessing you also.
Golf Pro
Jun 19, 2015 at 1:11 pm
He cant lose his card. You clearly know nothing about golf.
Steve
Jun 19, 2015 at 2:10 pm
I know that is important. I think i will play better knowing this. You seem alittle unloved, tell your boyfriend to clean your balls and shaft.
Greg V
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:01 am
He’ll be 40 in December. Many champion golfers have been able to play well in their early 40’s, but Tiger Woods has one thing going against him: the body building. All the upper body work has really caught up with his golf swing; as he nears the end of the back swing, he seems insistent to get the swing over with. The insistence is probably a result of the excess muscle, and the lack of confidence. But Tiger can’t help himself – the lunge from the top is killing him.
To my eye, that is the difference between his driving range swing and the one that catches up with him on the golf course – the rhythm and tempo are absent on the course as he tries to overpower his shots.
If he completely changes his approach to working out, and changes his approach on the course, he can play fine golf again. If I were his conditioning coach, I would get him on a fat time bike for 40 minutes a day for conditioning, and I wouldn’t let him near a weight machine. If I were his caddy, I would make him take an extra club and hit the ball softer.
Tom
Jun 19, 2015 at 8:55 am
Lets kick a man when he s down …feel better now?
other paul
Jun 19, 2015 at 8:46 am
How long until he loses his tour card? Anyone know?
Jon
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:38 am
He has a lifetime membership, so does Phil.
Jon
Jun 19, 2015 at 10:03 am
He has a lifetime membership, so does Phil. As for the Majors, he has a lifetime qualification for The Masters and the PGA Championship and exempt for The Open Championship until he is 60. After 2018 TW’s 10 year exemption will expire and he will have to qualify for the US Open.
Matto
Jun 19, 2015 at 8:05 am
Stop dipping your head so much, and stop trying to swing so godamn hard.
Done.
MartyMoose09
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:01 am
This. Looks like he’s trying to keep up with the young guys and swinging out of his shoes which throws off his balance.
Golf Pro
Jun 19, 2015 at 1:14 pm
His head dip is only 1/3 of Bubba Watson. And Bubba has no issue. Next..
Patricknorm
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:48 am
To Bobby Reyes, time to move on. How Tiger did 2 years ago doesn’t matter anymore. He’s had his back surgically repaired. Clearly there’s a disconnect between his brain and his body under pressure. Right now, Tiger is embarrassing himself in a pathetic manner. So much hatred spewing for Zack. Sometimes the truth hurts or in your case it’s a character debasement. Tiger is many moons away from contending in a major. Sad but true. Go gently Bobby. Quit beating yourself up.
dapadre
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:43 am
This is so typical of a Chinese adage:
There was a man who undertook a journey. About a quarter into the journey people asked where he was going he mentioned the name of the destination but they told him he was going the wrong way. The man told them to mind their business and even belittled them and traveled on. Further during his journey same thing, sir you are going the wrong way, same reaction. On getting to the gates of the city, the gatekeeper of the town asked whom or where he was going to meet in the city. When the man answered the gatekeeper said, Sir you are totally off course. Where you should have gone is the other direction. The man now realizing his mistake asked how do I get there? The gatekeeper said YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE EXACT SAME ROAD BACKWARDS.
The man has two options. Pretend he didnt hear the gatekeeper and enter the city NEVER reaching his destination OR, Swallow his pride go backwards, take and accept that those he met down the road may laugh and say a I TOLD YOU SO, but at least now he will reach his DESTINATION. We all know which is the wisest to do, but many dont do it.
steven
Jun 19, 2015 at 4:40 am
problem is…he is striping it on the range…but can’t take it to the course. too much adrenaline…
dapadre
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:45 am
The driving range is NO true test of a course.
Mo
Jun 21, 2015 at 11:45 pm
So true. I see lots of guys bombing it on the range, then see them later in the bush looking for a ball.
Jake Anderson
Jun 19, 2015 at 4:38 am
Woods is not a good golfer anymore. His swing is lost and he should retire.
adam
Jun 19, 2015 at 7:57 am
Is that what happens when you lose a swing? You just up and quit? The guys 40. He needs a sabbatical and quit being so technical with his swing.
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:36 pm
He needs to get his sponsors to pay Butch $5 million to take him back and $4 million to Steve Williams to get him back. My friend is a big Tiger fan and he is blubbering like a baby. He said “I never thought Tiger would be a big loser!”
Only Butch and Stevie can save Tiger now. Without Stevie – Tiger is a nobody.
The dude
Jun 19, 2015 at 4:13 am
Great article Zak! Don’t listen to these wanna be losers ripping the story. Now move on jabronies !!
S
Jun 19, 2015 at 2:33 am
Pga tour items
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121681854614
wendell
Jun 19, 2015 at 2:12 am
i hate to say this however this seems like a trolling article if i ever read one. I mean why wasn’t this article about why we shouldn’t be expecting great things from Ben Crenshaw at the Masters?
James Foster
Jun 19, 2015 at 12:40 am
Why can’t Woods just call up Butch Harmon and tell him that he needs help? Or what about David Leadbetter? Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Nick Price. Not a bad CV.
dapadre
Jun 19, 2015 at 5:34 am
One word: PRIDE. You and I and even Tiger know that Butch would have that swing back in no time. Tiger is trying to ingrate a swing that is clashing with his other swing thoughts.
Rogue Golf
Jun 19, 2015 at 6:46 am
I worked closely with Butch for a couple of days on his instructional movie a few years ago as of then he said there was no way he would ever teach Tiger again. Tiger insulted him personally in some way, he wouldn’t elaborate but he was open enough to tell me it would never happen, now that was a few years ago and time heals mostly everything but this was nearly a decade since they had parted ways.
As far as Tiger’s swing goes he is definitely on the right track, he’s getting stuck just like he used to, the club is late his lines are good, he just doesn’t trust it and the only thing that will fix that is more practice. Give the guy some time I know he wants to break Jack’s record but we have to be realistic, put in the time and not worry about the record good things will come.
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:03 am
Tiger could get the money from sponsors like that big shoe company. Pay Butch $5 million a year and Stevie Williams $4 million a year. It has to help. It would sure be better than being a disgrace and a joke.
Matt
Jun 19, 2015 at 9:05 pm
There is a 0% chance that Butch will ever teach Tiger. Everyone knows about Tiger’s pride so I don’t think he would ever initiate that discussion. More importantly, if you’re Butch Harmon, why would you even want to go back to Tiger? Every jabroni with a keyboard thinks he’s a magical savior who can swoop in and get Tiger back to his dominant ways again. So it’s better to leave everyone thinking thinking that than actually try and end up tarnishing your legacy. Also, it’s not like he’s hurting for students to teach so he doesn’t need the project or probably the money either.
Adam
Jun 19, 2015 at 12:23 am
3 wins in 2012, 5 wins in 2013 with 8 top tens in 16 events played. He finished top 20 in the Masters this year.
He still has the ability to compete, he’s just not doing it. This is the same conversation as in 2009 and he came back then. He’s a little older so I don’t expect he’ll be in the top world rankings anymore but he’s not done.
Dude
Jun 19, 2015 at 12:23 am
Such positivity on this forum.
stu
Jun 19, 2015 at 7:15 am
Tiger is doing great. His swing is coming around. He just has to stick with it! LOL. Feel better?
Pat M
Jun 19, 2015 at 12:13 am
He is 200th in the world and possibly even higher. Maybe golf should focus on players playing good golf versus hackers. It’s over.
cb
Jun 19, 2015 at 3:53 am
Pat M, remember golf is a about traditions and respect. Golf focuses on Tiger because without Tiger golf wouldn’t be where it is today. Ask the young guns who they watched and wanted to be like. They all say Tiger. Oh and the 14 majors and 79 pga tour wins has earned him some respect. Also, a hacker couldn’t finish in the top 20 at the masters.