News
Tiger Woods tweets he’s completed “intensive program”
Tiger Woods has completed his course of “professional help,” the 41-year-old golfer tweeted Monday.
Woods indicated he spent the last two weeks receiving treatment somewhere outside of Florida.
“I recently completed an out of state private intensive program. I will continue to tackle this going forward with my doctors, family and friends. I am so very thankful for all of the support I’ve received.”
Woods was found sleeping at the wheel of his Mercedes sedan early Memorial Day morning less than 10 miles from his home in Jupiter, Florida.
Later in the day of May 29, he indicated his condition was the result of the interaction of the cocktail of medications he was taking in the wake of a mid-April back surgery and that alcohol was not involved.
The golfer issued a statement in mid-June indicating he was receiving help to manage medications for pain and persistent sleep issues.
Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, told ESPN at the time,
“Tiger has been dealing with so much pain physically. And that leads to insomnia and sleep issues. This has been going on for a long time.”
Woods has had four back surgeries since March of 2014. He hasn’t played a competitive round since withdrawing after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Equipment
Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Donn Rutkoff
Jul 24, 2017 at 7:26 pm
I wish him well. Would like to see him become more involved with teaching average kids, not involved in some hi PR big name big $ stuff. Just go to the high schools in big cities and give some instructions. Don’t sell yourself to those in the big time golf schools, with Harmon or Haney or Peltz. Spend time with enlisted military and their kids.
I doubt Tiger will ever play competitive again, regular or seniors. I don’t think his body can do it.
Speedy
Jul 15, 2017 at 9:47 pm
True or false, 14 major winner offered his therapist money for extra play.
captain Crunch
Jul 9, 2017 at 11:46 am
He doesn’t even play golf- why is this guy even relevant?
Tom1
Jul 6, 2017 at 1:40 pm
what’s with the hair loss add on this thread….. lol
Muck
Jul 6, 2017 at 11:35 am
Earl did a helluva job raising a golfer. Unfortunately he neglected to raise a man.
setter02
Jul 7, 2017 at 8:14 am
Ask your Dad if he’s proud of his son posting on a forum putting down a dead man…
C
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:10 am
Appropriate username for the comment.
chopstix king
Jul 23, 2017 at 12:12 pm
Why would Earl see anything wrong? After all, he was married with kids divorces in 68 in Mexico married again in 69 to Tigers mother. The apple never falls far from the tree.
Guia
Jul 5, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Best of luck to him.
Teaj
Jul 5, 2017 at 7:00 pm
why not just wish the guy good luck with his future battles weather it be golf related or addiction related?
Steve
Jul 7, 2017 at 1:58 am
Why so black and white? It is possible to think he is a pretty disgraceful human being AND still hope he sorts himself out.
setter02
Jul 7, 2017 at 8:13 am
Bubba, I didn’t know the article was about Twitler, thanks for pointing that out.
Alex
Jul 5, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Fake like votes. Please don’t, WRX. Faking opinion ratings no longer works. Woods has not completed anything in years, specifically the 2013 Bridgestone.
Desmond
Jul 5, 2017 at 11:34 am
Must have been a 24 hr intensive therapy rehab.
Two weeks? Tiger, you’re fooling yourself … and us. Gheez. Stop the insanity. 🙂
Big Mike
Jul 6, 2017 at 1:14 am
You guys are revealing your lack of understanding here. He never said he was cured after two weeks. He simply went inpatient for two weeks and is now out continuing his rehab. He will be in recovery the rest of his life as there is no cure. So give the man a break and wish him the best
Ap
Jul 5, 2017 at 10:54 am
For an ordinary person, someone who is not mentally or physically very strong, they say it actually takes about 10 real years to completely be rid of the addiction, the feeling, the taste, the desire, the thoughts of the thing that ailed you, after making yourself be completely AWAY from the thing, totally far away and nowhere near it to have it completely out your system, to one day wake up and realize, oh yeah, I am finally normal again, of that clear feeling of how it used to be before the addiction started in the first place.
2 weeks is nothing. He’ll back on the it soon, if not next month. He’ll cheat on himself again.
Teaj
Jul 5, 2017 at 6:58 pm
lol I clicked on report comment, why is report comment blue and reply grayed out? please disregard
mike
Jul 5, 2017 at 10:22 am
hmmm.. I was addicted to exactly the same 2 drugs – it took me 17 months in a hard core/no frills drug rehab to get well – if only I’d known 2 weeks was all I needed !
tazz2293
Jul 5, 2017 at 9:41 am
Hello, My name is Eldrick and I am an addict.
Sorry Charlie, just because you have completed a rehab program does not mean you are cured. You have a lifetime of struggle ahead of you. As your so called sex addiction problem has proven, once an addict always an addict.
C
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:12 am
Where did it say he was cured?
freeze
Jul 5, 2017 at 8:41 am
went to a luxury rehab for two weeks he is a hero. two weeks to overcome addiction is all it takes……………for him and his agent to spin a story. he is a joke, greatest golfer I ever seen, but now a joke.
Mb
Jul 5, 2017 at 3:50 am
They say it normally takes about 10 years completely AWAY from what addiction you had, to be completed “cured” of it, with a ton of work and getting nowhere near that addictive thing, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or sex, so you no longer have any thoughts, feelings, taste or craving about it, to get it completely out of your body’s system and out of mind – that is the joke to be human, by the way –
2 weeks ain’t gonna do jack, he’ll be off the wagon soon if not next month
Wiger Toods
Jul 4, 2017 at 5:29 pm
You are right. That smile does look a little sinister.
Big Mike
Jul 4, 2017 at 4:44 pm
Hope Tiger gets well physically and emotionally. Thank goodness he stepped up to get treatment for his addiction to pain pills. Many folks don’t and end up dead. He was a great golfer and it would be nice to see him make a comeback and then move on to the SR tour. And even better find some peace and happiness in his personal life
ooffa
Jul 4, 2017 at 4:20 pm
Completed, Really, impressive. I expected him to WD
Chuck
Jul 4, 2017 at 2:53 pm
Just in time for the pre-sentencing report!
When is his next court date?
Jacked_Loft
Jul 5, 2017 at 5:14 am
+1
Jmac
Jul 4, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Why can’t he get on a Mediterranean Diet, mix running with cycling, and do resistance/wts. training only for golf-specific motions the rest of his golfing-able life? He could be an become a new cat and begin to resemble a powerful contender again for the last 6-8 or more seasons he’s on the PGA Tour, then absolutely dominate the Champions Tour from age 50 and on!
Ude
Jul 4, 2017 at 12:34 pm
Tiger should just hang up his Nikes and stay home counting his WITB money stash …. and find another hot blond to make his painful life bearable …. or does his bad back stop him from doing that too?!!
Sx
Jul 4, 2017 at 4:47 pm
all those painkillers will kill his driver mojo and he can’t find the fairway and forget the hole
he’s gotta be one frustrated poonhound
Tom Duckworth
Jul 4, 2017 at 10:43 am
It’s too bad he didn’t take more time off to start with and really get himself healthy. In both body and spirit. I would like to see him be able to play again one day I’m sure he’s not happy with his life right now.
Big Mike
Jul 4, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Hats off to Tiger for working to declare his INDEPENDENCE from prescription pain pills this 4th of July! He is most likely taking a drug to help curb his addiction to the pain pills. This is accepted medical practice. Tiger has proven that he is like the rest of us- HUMAN. Bad things can happen to good people and many become addicted to pain pills (Prince, etc.). The good news for Tiger is that he sought treatment before it escalated even further. Many people addicted to pain pills move to heroin when their prescription wears out because they can’t afford to buy pain pills on the open market but still chase the high. Heroin is a cheap substitute and it’s causing a major epidemic of overdose deaths in our country. I wish Tiger nothing but the best as he attempts to get his life in order.
ACTUAL FACTS
Jul 4, 2017 at 10:22 am
Here’s to a healthy recovery!
Rwj
Jul 4, 2017 at 10:16 am
Wow two whole weeks, he’s so brave.
Em-Smizle
Jul 4, 2017 at 8:32 am
He left rehab cuz he wants more pills