Opinion & Analysis
Tiger Woods is finished as a professional golfer
As one of the world’s biggest Tiger Woods fans, I am sad to officially say Tiger is finished. He’s done. It’s over people.
Honestly, I can’t believe Tiger’s game has been reduced to what it is today. He was a golfer who made the impossible seem easy, seemingly every week in his prime. Now he’s a shell of his former golfing self, just another guy on the PGA Tour from a scoring perspective. And he might not even be that. Brandel Chamblee postulated that we may never see Tiger on a PGA Tour tee sheet ever again, and there’s a chance he’s right.
As a golf instructor and student of the game, I have identified the compounding reasons why Tiger’s game is in a state that was unimaginable only a few years ago, and why he’ll never dominate again. I hope I’m wrong — there’s no denying that Tiger Woods has touched the life of every person in the golf industry and every golf fan in some way — but all the evidence is to the contrary.
The Death of Earl
As a child, Tiger idolized and emulated his father, Earl Woods. Publicly and privately, Earl created an ideological identity for Tiger, and one that Tiger seemed to believe wholeheartedly. He trusted Earl, and succeeded in following Earl’s vision to become everything his father wanted him to be.
To many it seemed laughable to hear Earl speak about his son and Gandhi in the same sentence, but Tiger had to wonder, “Why not?” Like everything else Earl predicted in his son’s life, if Earl said it then it had to be achievable.
When Earl died, Tiger lost his best friend, his confidant, and his guiding light that led him to his greatest successes. Who else could fill that role? Tiger was now the most celebrated athlete on the planet and on his way to billionaire status. Who could he really trust? For the first time in his life, Tiger was the boss and was left to navigate the world… on his own.
Swing Changes and Different Coaches
To master golf to any degree is a losing battle… unless you were Tiger Woods in the early 2000s.
Tiger was rocking along with Butch Harmon as his swing coach, winning every tournament in sight and setting record after record. All was right with the world, but Tiger wanted more. He wanted to become a better golfer, learn more about the game and separate himself even further from his peers.
Harmon wanted Woods to concentrate on maintaining the skills he had, and believed he was fine where he was fundamentally. He didn’t want to mess with the delicate mix of mechanics and confidence that allowed Tiger to become the most dominant golfer of all time. He knew it was a recipe for disaster. But Tiger wasn’t satisfied, and left Harmon to seek other ideas on how to hit the ball better.
Enter Hank Haney, Sean Foley and Tiger’s current coach, Chris Como. I know each personally and they are ALL great teachers, but they all have different ideas on how to best play the game. Watching Tiger’s great success with Haney, and to a lesser degree with Sean Foley, we know that Tiger could basically swing in whatever style he desired and still win. But it wasn’t fair to those teachers to expect Tiger to become a better golfer under their tutelage. Let me explain.
When you teach great golfers, you will always fight their reluctancy to change, even if that’s what they say they want. So Haney, Foley and Como had to spend at least 50 percent of their time convincing Tiger that they were telling him the right thing, and then the other 50 percent of their time working on his motion.
Like most great players, Tiger always thought he knew best, so he only used the bits of instruction he liked best and inserted them into his swing, even if they weren’t the most important bits. Tiger’s swing was anything but a lump of clay that Haney, Foley or Como could mold to perfection, and for that reason they can’t be blamed fully for his successes or his failures.
Marriage, All Hell Breaks Loose, Divorce
When Tiger married Elin Nordegren, the golf world assumed she was the one person Tiger could trust blindly in Earl’s absence, and marriage was going to make Tiger a better golfer, as it did with Jack Nicklaus.
As we all know, it didn’t exactly work out that way. I’m not here to judge Tiger, and the end result of his divorce was clear. He lost his wife, became divided from his children, and in just a few weeks went from being the most admired athlete on the planet to a laughing stock. And when Tiger looked in the mirror, who could he blame other than the reflection staring back at him?
Divorce is an evil thing. I’ve been there. It breaks down a man in ways that I can’t explain, and the impact it has on your children adds to the hurt. It makes sense that since he suffered his back injury he has been seen spending as much time with his kids as possible. Deep down, do you think Tiger really wants to be a golf rock star again? Does he want to even further separate himself from his children?
Tiger has enough money for several lifetimes, and enough business ventures to keep him relevant in golf history. If he never plays again, he knows he’ll still be the Michael Jordan of golf.
Bad Press and Hank Haney’s Book
There is no question that Tiger’s life must be a royal pain in the a** on a daily basis, but he has somehow held most of it together. Enter Hank Haney’s book.
Forget the argument of ethics, and let’s focus on the one thing that left a lasting impression on me as a player and teacher when it came to Tiger. Haney vividly described Tiger’s once invincible mental strength being reduced to sheer panic at Augusta National’s putting green at The Masters.
One thing Tiger always had in the eyes of his Tour peers was the belief that his mental game was unwavering. Players folded week after week, believing Tiger was stronger mentally than they ever would be, not to mention how good he was physically.
When Hank described the ending of their time together, it confirmed that Tiger dealt with the same neurosis and doubts all golfers do. This revelation opened the doors for Tour players to actually believe Tiger could be beat. The mystique of Tiger Woods, at least in the eyes of his competitors, faded.
The Final Breakdown of the Athletic Body
Golf is hard enough with a perfect body, not to mention one that is faltering. Tiger was once one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, but the golf fitness revolution he led influenced a new generation of golfers that started hitting it by him easily.
Tiger’s distance dominance was a big part of his past success, and his attempt to remain one of the longest players on Tour hurt his game. How many times have we heard him talk about the kinetic chain, muscle activation and explosiveness when he should be talking about scoring better? He became obsessed with fixing his body and adding more distance, and it only led to more problems.
With injury after injury piling up, Tiger’s body couldn’t take the practice sessions or the workouts that once made him unstoppable. He was shorter and more crooked off the tee relative to his peers, and his short game started to decline from a lack of reps. Even in Tiger’s five-win season in 2013, the golf world started to see how his game was changing. He needed his A-game to win, where he only used to need his C-game.
The Short Game Yips
In the golf teaching community, we all knew Chris Como inherited a broken short-game motion with Tiger, and it was ready to come to a head with Tiger’s continued focus on the long game. And as anyone who has had the chipping and pitching yips knows, you never completely get rid of them; they are just dormant until they decide to come back again.
If anyone is skilled enough to put the chipping yips to bed for good, it’s Tiger. But don’t forget the three wedge shots he dumped in the water during a corporate outing at Congressional a few months ago off a tight lie. Whatever was going through his mind, it was likely the same thought that caused him to withdraw from the Safeway Open.
The Comeback: Range vs. Course
So Jesper Parnevik and Notah Begay III said Tiger was striping it and is ready to come back and play… and then Tiger committed to the Safeway Open. The golf world was jazzed! But deep down, Tiger knows the range is not the place that tells you if you are ready or not. Anyone at the PGA Tour level can stripe it on the range or during practice rounds, especially when they’re not going full speed.
Every video of Tiger I have seen during his comeback is at practice speed, and his swing is almost cut off looking like he is still trying to guide the ball as you would with a knockdown shot. I have yet to see a series of swings at competition speed with different clubs, beginning with the driver. Until then, I am not convinced of Tiger’s mechanical or physical health.
Loss of Confidence
The nail in the coffin of a golf career? It’s withdrawing due to a lack of confidence in your game. Anyone who has played golf at the tournament level understands the doubt that can creep in at times, but that’s not the same as being afraid to compete. Tiger is afraid to compete right now. He knows that every 78 he shoots from here on out will tarnish what he has accomplished in his golf career, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Tiger knows this is his last shot. Not wanting to play until he is ready is his safety net, but will he ever be truly ready? Probably not.
- LIKE570
- LEGIT840
- WOW56
- LOL50
- IDHT14
- FLOP54
- OB63
- SHANK816
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK0
In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
- LIKE17
- LEGIT2
- WOW0
- LOL4
- IDHT1
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK19
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.
- LIKE8
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP3
- OB1
- 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
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Richy Werenski WITB 2024 (May)
Richy Werenski what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Houston Open. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1...
Wesley Bryan WITB 2024 (May)
Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple...
Adam Scott WITB 2024 (May)
Adam Scott what’s in the bag accurate as of the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (10.5 degrees)...
Pierceson Coody WITB 2024 (April)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
19th Hole7 days agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
DrRob1963
Sep 26, 2018 at 12:30 am
Hey Tom!
Where is that “Humble Pie” you ordered?
TOm who
Sep 13, 2018 at 9:32 am
How stupid do you feel lacking the intelligence to realize it was back and health problems?
B
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:56 am
Well….you’re fired! ???????????
Connor
Aug 17, 2018 at 1:05 pm
This came up on my sidebar next to the stupid broad puffing her chest out at the airport, and I seriously thought it was TMZ or some other form of trash click-bait. Come to find out it’s an article written by Tom two years ago on this very site lolololololol. Absolute TRASH journalism.
PH DE N ROTHSCHILD
Aug 13, 2018 at 3:53 pm
One should NEVER make definitive comments like you did in 2016… You absolutely made a FOOL of yourself.
Shame you are a respected journalist.
Nocklaus
Aug 1, 2018 at 4:46 am
So, what dio you say now…? Tiger leading in The Open, finishing in the top ten …
Travis
Jul 27, 2018 at 5:32 am
Yes the recent Britis Open showed us all Tigers pro golfing days are over…. can’t compete huh? Bet you feel stupid now for writing this.
Paul Blake
May 2, 2018 at 12:08 am
Yes there is a lesson, I hit a physical wall of poor health at 47! It became an effort to do any training, and arthritis was moving into my joints and back…and this was bringing on depression. Diet and Yoga were the two main answers, doctors prescriptions only made things worse.
I am 73 now, and I have zero diseases, and no arthritis at all, and I take zero prescription drugs! I train hard every day of the week, and from the comments I get, and the way I feel, the payoff has been big! Ever heard of anyone who stated getting arthritis, and then grew out of it as they got older…That is what Yoga and a very clean diet can bring you?
Tim
Dec 10, 2018 at 8:50 pm
Hi Paul,
You did all this with just yoga and diet? Can you please forward me your weekly regimen?
Thanks, Tim
Pingback: Tiger Woods Fitness Workout
Shallowface
Oct 22, 2016 at 9:53 pm
Golfers always had a complex about wanting to be considered athletes, and Tiger led the “fitness revolution.”
Now golfers are considered athletes. And, just like athletes in every other sport, they have injury riddled careers and are washed up at 40 if not sooner. Congratulations. You got what you wanted.
Sam Snead was a devotee of yoga, and was great well into his 60s. Maybe there’s a lesson there.
KK
Oct 20, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Too many injuries, too much psychological scarring, too much money, too many young lions roaming the tour. It’s a wrap.
Hahaha
Oct 6, 2018 at 5:41 am
Lol
Mad-Mex
Oct 20, 2016 at 2:10 am
Wonder how long before we see him in “Dancing with the Stars”?
Mad-Mex
Oct 20, 2016 at 12:15 am
Ballsy article in a website where Tiger worshiping is the norm, somehow I get the feeling that those who are bashing Tom also follow the Kardashians ,,,,,,,,,
devilsadvocate
Oct 19, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Wow Tom… I am one of your biggest fans on this site. That being said I am dissappointed tremendously with this article. Really what was the point? Oh right to get hits. Come on man kicking someone when they are down is low class.
JL
Oct 18, 2016 at 7:11 pm
I hate this website and most of its users.
Mad-Mex
Oct 20, 2016 at 12:37 am
Awesome! We cant stand you either, now go away,,,,,,,,,,,,
GetRichorTyTryon
Oct 18, 2016 at 1:54 am
The comment section is borderline Trump vs Hillary. I’m a HUGE Tiger fan. Although this is an opinion piece much of the statements based on his timeline are true. What bothers me is casual fans that say he needs to do this or he needs to do that and then he’ll win. Earl was a major source of stability. Too many swing changes with too little time. It’s baffling to me that Tiger needs to learn how to chip again or find his “pattern”. I guess it’s a lifelong fine tuning but it seems some, Stricker, Furyk and many others always have a solid short game. I’m not saying Tiger can’t come back and win again. Not at all. I’m saying that if you think he’s going to come back and be the dominant 2000 Tiger than I think you’re in denial.
Jack Nash
Oct 17, 2016 at 5:06 pm
The most important statement from Woods and his pulling out of Safeway was that he felt his game was “vulnerable”. People said he was stripping it. He said his back was great, but one thing will make you “vulnerable” and that’s the chipping yips. Im betting that’s what he has and he can’t break it. If there’s anyone around that can help him it’s Stricker. Sometimes the best hand action is no hand action at all. That’s who I would call. To me he’s one of the BEST wedge players in the game, and if you’re having problems with a handsy short game the best thing to do is take them right out.
Grizz01
Oct 17, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Two things not mentioned… sort of…
1. Divorce did not doom Tiger. There are plenty of athletes who get divorce and find their way. Whoring around did him in when it became public and he couldn’t/wouldn’t be humble and apologize for his behavior. That is in his head.
2. PED’s can’t be as easily used as he once used them. Can’t use them to heal up his broken body.
MIke
Oct 17, 2016 at 4:33 pm
Interesting article, I do not agree with the writer, I just hope that if he is wrong he would admit it! Very strong things to say about anyone! Tiger will come back he will win more tournaments and I even think he will win more majors!
Keith W.
Oct 17, 2016 at 1:35 pm
During the final regulation round of the U.S. Open in June, 2008, I watched in literal horror as Tiger limped and staggered around Torrey Pines trying to win on what was clearly a serious injury to his leg. While on-air commentary openly marveled at his so-called “courage” for playing in obvious pain, I became physically ill. To say that I was not impressed with his “courage” is a serious understatement. I frankly considered his recklessness immature and down-right stupid.
I turned to my guests who were watching with me in my home and I said “this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen Tiger do…he is putting his entire career in jeopardy continuing to play with this injury”. In fact when he defeated Rocco Mediate in the Monday playoff I stated out loud that this, very likely, “could be his last major championship win”. It was. Moreover, it was the first in a series of reckless mistakes that keynoted his ultimate fall from grace.
If you arrange a timeline from that weekend forward Tiger has never been the same physically, mentally, or emotionally. If you look at each of the succeeding life and career decisions (missteps), i.e., health, marriage, friendships, professional mentoring, and subsequent personal relationships he has done nothing to engender himself to anyone…most importantly himself.
Tiger tripped over his belief in his invincibility at Torrey Pines and has been stumbling to regain his balance ever since. Along the way he has fallen from being, arguably, the greatest post “Jordan” era athlete reduced now to a pitiful shadow of his former excellence. It hurts to watch, and pains me to see a hero vanquished.
Jim
Oct 17, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Good article Tom. Unfortunately we are living in a very decisive, partisan climate where anyone who disagrees with the “popular” opinion must be vilified and personally attacked. Thanks for sharing your “opinion” with us Tom.
rymail00
Oct 19, 2016 at 9:10 pm
+1
Not just this article, every article. It’s either “good article” or basically “what a POS article”. It’s to bad.
Ron Garland
Oct 17, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Tiger’s been playing Miura’s with a Nike logo for quite a while.
Tim
Dec 10, 2018 at 8:57 pm
Wrong, Tiger has played ENDO forgings basically all along since being with Nike. Miura has been a myth since Tiger started dominating the Tour late 90’s early to mid 2000’s. Starting with his Titleist contract when first turning pro. Titleist was Hoffman forgings later they used Endo forgings as well.
Steve Wozeniak
Oct 17, 2016 at 11:44 am
Actually he is an easy fix for a Professional that understands the golf swing…….the problem is getting him to stay on task for more than a half hour…….
Steve Wozeniak PGA
http://www.stevewozeniak.com
Bob Jones
Oct 17, 2016 at 10:37 am
Tiger coming back is like stepping onto a treadmill that’s turned on High. He probably got spooked when he realized what his game would really be up against in the Safeway. It’s best he retires on a high note than falling on his face trying to recapture the magic. Saving his back from further damage would be a good reason and an honest one.
Flip
Oct 17, 2016 at 10:26 am
That’s the worst case of writing I have ever viewed. What a hack
Scooter McGavin
Oct 17, 2016 at 7:22 am
Anyone know of any other golf sites? Gerting tired of the clickbait crap here.
Jim
Oct 17, 2016 at 10:34 am
Agreed…add the tough-guy keyboard commando responses to legit teaching/technique articles and responses too.
Tiger’s been done for a while. Time for Eldric to just come out and enjoy playing again….. or hang em up, dig in to business like Norman. Frankly, I don’t care what he does as long as he’s happy
talljohn777
Oct 17, 2016 at 1:09 pm
It’s Eldrick.
Pingback: ?????????????????? – ???????????????????
Matt
Oct 16, 2016 at 5:41 pm
I’m all for trying to get “hits” on stories but the fact is one person knows if he has the game or not and that’s Tiger. If I were betting on his comeback I’d say it would fail but that’s not a revelation. And if he comes back and succeeds you can back track to “he’s not the same Tiger he once was” or “I’m the first person to be happy I was wrong”. Great for your “hits” but no much for journalism. Breaking News, Alabama football is good.
Corey
Oct 16, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Tom…who are you to officially say?
Egor
Oct 16, 2016 at 2:55 pm
Click
Bait
Jack
Oct 16, 2016 at 11:31 am
Only an unintelligent, childish coat tail puller would give his attention to Tiger Woods now.
Yearight
Oct 16, 2016 at 11:28 am
Put tigers name on an article title, put a controversial statement with it, something you have no real knowledge of. Then make the title seem as though an announcement was made to get people to click on it.
Then write terribly and just restate year old arguments about tiger’s life.
Excellent “work”
Jacob
Oct 16, 2016 at 9:01 am
Shoulda stuck with Sean.
...
Oct 16, 2016 at 10:21 am
stfu
Bob
Oct 18, 2016 at 4:06 pm
Should have stuck with Butch
Jim
Oct 18, 2016 at 11:33 pm
…and sued Hank for malpractice
ooffa
Oct 16, 2016 at 6:25 am
Great article. Yep, he’s done.
J
Oct 16, 2016 at 1:29 am
I agree with some of the above posters, I don’t ever comment on these articles but I found this to be kind of an unnecessary article. Count me among those who hopes Tiger does come back, even if it’s at a fraction of his former self. He owes no one anything and it’s been a pleasure to watch him over the years. The bold title and restating of common knowledge to back up a theory is kind of cheap and tabloidish. But it put eyes on the page and clicks in the counter which seems to be the only measure of success these days.
Lob Wedge
Oct 16, 2016 at 12:41 am
Copying golfwrx posts, tweaking/editing them and pasting now qualifies as writing an article?
Which is worse.. The tweek and paste or the outright copy/paste with the golfwrx username and calling that an article.
I can’t even use my golfwrx putter covers in public anymore because of articles like these. C’mon golfwrx!
COGolfer
Oct 16, 2016 at 12:51 am
It’s turning into the TMZ of golf. Such a shame.
R C
Oct 16, 2016 at 2:09 am
+1
Nath
Oct 16, 2016 at 5:18 am
Yup
tickle me puswoo
Oct 16, 2016 at 8:29 am
yup 100%… golfwrx has become filled with average writers
Rich
Oct 17, 2016 at 3:59 am
The author of article is not a writer. He’s a golf pro, hence the issue.
Guia
Oct 16, 2016 at 12:02 am
Another speculative opinion.
The crystal ball is foggy, and as always everyone reads something different.
Athletes, always think they have something left, and usually give it several more tries. Either on the PGA Tour, or the Champions Tour.
Pingback: Tiger Woods is finished as a professional golfer | Swing Update
Rwj
Oct 15, 2016 at 9:13 pm
I believe tiger dropped out of Safeway because they announced they were pairing him with Phil. I believe he was scared to play with Phil, afraid to look foolish or get bet by him personally
D
Oct 15, 2016 at 8:11 pm
Hater
Bert
Oct 15, 2016 at 6:26 pm
Well thought out and good analysis. Thanks for your prospective Tom.
Jack
Oct 15, 2016 at 5:37 pm
Look at all the fanboys hitting the “shank” button. That was predictable, lol.
moses
Oct 15, 2016 at 7:37 pm
Yeah and the haters hitting the like button. Hmmmm
Jalan
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:29 pm
If that’s true, there are far more Tiger Fellaters than Haters. Fellaters outnumber fan boys two to one.
Jalan
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:32 pm
edit: Fellaters outnumber Haters 2 to 1
Fella
Oct 16, 2016 at 3:30 am
Regardless, they call fallate themselves
Jack
Oct 16, 2016 at 10:33 am
They’re just upset because they wasted their money on a brand new red shirt and an extra large tube of hand lotion.
Sean
Oct 15, 2016 at 5:32 pm
I have never been a big fan of TW, but I don’t think he’s done. Not by a long shot.
DrRob1963
Oct 17, 2016 at 6:04 pm
I agree! Never write off the great players. Tiger’s only 40 – Jack won that fabulous ’86 US Masters at age 46 after he had been written off by so many.
DrRob1963
Sep 26, 2018 at 12:28 am
Rereading this nearly two years later has put the biggest smile on my face!
Fabulous comeback, Tiger!
C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N
smh
Oct 15, 2016 at 4:55 pm
Click-bait.
Totally respect your opinion but you do deserve to hear that this is JUST click-bait given the headline.
Tom Stickney
Oct 15, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Not a bait and switch article just my thoughts from what I’ve seen and experienced in my 20+ years on the lesson tee.
Personally I hope I’m wrong as I am a huge Tiger fan but you can’t deny the compounding problems he’s had.
Harmon, Hank, Sean, and Chris have ALL had their work cut out for them teaching Tiger. I respect them greatly for stepping up to the plate and giving it their all. Regardless of his w/l record during their tenure with him they are all regarded as the top 1% in our field in my book.
cgasucks
Oct 15, 2016 at 8:37 pm
If you want to keep what is left of your credibility you have on this site don’t put a misleading title on your articles…
Nath
Oct 16, 2016 at 5:20 am
Officially huh!! Says who, you lol
the bishop
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:50 pm
LOL! Maybe but slow news day?
steve peake
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Not an original thought in this opinion? article
AC
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:19 pm
it’s article and someone’s opinion… good grief, people’s panties getting all wadded up.
I’ve participated at the highest level of sports, professional. Tiger’s mentality is so weak he’s become friendly and dependent on withdrawing from events to escape. When you reach that level of quit you have entered denial with no shame.
Deejaymn
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:15 pm
Someone already mentioned it but CLICKBAIT, I’m surprised he didn’t mention Brad Pitt to garner more clicks. Anyone who speaks in absolutes is a fool in my books. Hey we all know it’s uphill for tiger but hey you never know, he basically wrote a history that has been rehashed to death with no interesting insights of his own. Step up your writing game.
JJr
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:13 pm
Tom Stickney II is finished as professional writer!
I won’t go into detail.
cgasucks
Oct 15, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Quite true…he should stick to giving lessons to hackers.
Jalan
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:34 pm
When’s your next lesson with him?
cgasucks
Oct 16, 2016 at 12:13 am
Next Wednesday…
Jim
Oct 17, 2016 at 12:23 pm
hahaha! Great answer! you just redeemed this whole sh***y thread
Mark
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:36 pm
Often, the written word is Golf WRX’s Achilles’ heel. I consider this article to be one of the better ones. It is well written and well structured. If the author’s opinion differs from yours, welcome to the free world.
elslash
Oct 15, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Best writing on almost any topic in GolfWRX, possibly ever!
Jack
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:30 pm
Excellent article! Agree 100% with your opinion. Tiger has only been saying he will come back to continue his endorsement income. He has had no value whatsoever for over a year, and no future value either. You are absolutely right – he’s finished…
Brian
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Are you talking about the article, or 99% of your posts?
cocheese
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:18 pm
This clickbait style article may seriously deteriorating the integrity of this site.
R C
Oct 16, 2016 at 2:11 am
+1
ultimate hacker
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:25 pm
delete this already
Mr Muira.
Oct 15, 2016 at 7:52 pm
I hope Tiger-san keep going so i can make clubs for him, unfortunately he got too much sushi in brain.
ultimate hacker
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:24 pm
waste of time
Dwight Howard
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Tiger’s career may not be over but judging by the desperation of this article, the website may be finished
Ryan
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Read people. It literally says “Opinion and Analysis” right above the title. This is his opinion. An opinion in which a lot of people who understand golf agree with. Tiger is done. Get over it. Move on.
Titty681
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:58 pm
If you would have moved on you wouldn’t be reading this article.
Ed
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Thank you for this article. We all hate to see the inevitable ebb of that magic that make our hero’s seem superhuman. Great article Tom.
Tony Rich
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Stickney just looking for some attention…..just a weak article, please find something else to talk about. Pathetic writer, all you did was plagiarize some golf channel articles from the last 6 months. You and Chamblee should find an island together and never come back.
Markallister
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:47 am
most of this article is wrong. urcle did a bad job trying to change his swing one time too often. competition is just so much better athletically than it used to be. urcle’s body is broken.
Jafar
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:41 am
Headline should have “Opinion” in front of the title.
Mat
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:12 pm
Instead of having it in a blue, highlighted box just above it.
Jafar
Oct 16, 2016 at 7:47 am
Yah it’s not on the homepage though. So it’s clickbait. “From the Forums” uses FTF:
Why couldn’t this use Opinion:
Ugh
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:21 am
This article is / was so unnecessary.
TD
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:11 am
Why can’t I paste this dumb little the horse is beat down dead emoji?
Plus
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:11 am
I thought this was a real report on something Eldrick said. But how brave you are to let out your opinion like this, Tom.
farmer
Oct 15, 2016 at 11:03 am
No one knows the real state of Tiger’s game, but the only way to find out if it’s ready for tournament play ….. is to play tournaments. My expectations were that he would use these fall tournaments to knock the rust off, see what needs work, and then be ready for 2017. Now, playing in a limited field event, then taking off until, say, Torrey, is not a recipe for success.
Topic_Monitor
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:55 am
Please be respectful of authors and fellow WRXers. Thank You
MT
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:48 am
Agreed – delete the article. No need to mislead people just because you think his career is over.
Dumbwrx
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:46 am
There won’t be any comments on this story, I’m sure!
Jack
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:45 am
Agree 100% – Tiger is finished as a professional tour player. Zero chance he could ever come close to winning any tournament…or even finishing in the top 10 – make that top 20.
Casey
Oct 15, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Yeah, because the last time we saw him play in a tournament he finished 10th, 4 shots off the leader with a blow-up triple bogey that knocked him from contention. So care to explain why you think he’ll never play any sort of decent golf again?
Square
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:44 am
Really Tom? How about giving the guy a chance, forgive his mistakes and root for the guy who gave us the best period of professional golf in my lifetime. What a crappy article!
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:35 pm
agreed
Dj
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:33 am
Change the title. And give me my 2 minutes back. Better yet, just delete the article.
Ccshop
Oct 15, 2016 at 10:47 am
+1