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‘He’s a one dimensional player’ – What the top analysts said before Tiger’s dominant 1997 Masters win

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We’ve all done it. Golf pundits, especially those that like to bet on the sport are always trying to be ‘on’ the next big name before he or she gets too well regarded.

Equally, for no other reason than that’s what human beings do, we’ll usually try to find the negative against the supposed next ‘big thing’.

In golf, there has never been a bigger name than Tiger Woods but, if you go back far enough, you’ll find some interesting thoughts on which direction folk thought his career would take.

Last Friday, Lou Stagner, stats guru for Arccos golf, tweeted a reminder of the comments made by Golf Magazine’s top pundits and coaches way back in 1997, just after Tiger had made his first few starts on tour.

David Leadbetter, coach to many of the star players at that time, said that: ”Right now, Tiger is a one dimensional player who swings full on practically every shot…”

Whilst golf instructor Johnny Myers agreed, commenting that ‘he is too aggressive, which is probably why he’s better at match play than medal play. He swings too fast…So I think he’ll finish out of the top 10 and go winless in the majors.”

Of course, they may have been simply playing down their expectations and, of course, didn’t have the delights of Twitter to wind up the fans.

Nevertheless, probably the most surprising of the comments was from Dick Harmon, brother of Butch, Tiger’s coach for over ten years: “Tiger will win one tour event and do well to finish in the top 30. He’s not ready to handle the pressure of a major.”

Two months after these statements, Tiger won the Masters in 1997 by 12 shots at Augusta, and now sits on 15 Majors and 93 worldwide tour victories.

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19th Hole

“Is it a Titleist?” – Jerry Seinfeld shares never-before-heard details of iconic scene

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On Thursday, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the Rich Eisen Show and shared an awesome story from a “Seinfeld” episode titled “The Marine Biologist.”

In the episode, a golf ball goes into the blow hole of a whale. According to Seinfeld, that was never in the episode’s script.

Seinfeld recalls saying the night before the filming of the episode, “What if what puts the whale in distress is Kramer’s golf ball?”

“He’s hitting golf balls at the beach. George is at the beach with a girl, we haven’t connected them!”

“We write that speech the night before at two o’clock in the morning…The sea was angry that day my friend.”

 

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A post shared by Rich Eisen (@richeisen)


Kramer finishes the iconic scene by asking “Is it a Titleist?” Seinfeld told Eisen the show sought Titleist’s permission to mention its name, saying the ball had to be a Titleist. Fortunately for lovers of the iconic show, the company agreed.

If (somehow) you’re unfamiliar with the scene, check it out below.

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Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game ‘on a much more global basis’

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While speaking with Bloomberg, golf legend Phil Mickelson acknowledged that he is inching close towards retirement.

“I’m 53 now,” Phil said, “and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.”

Mickelson added that one of his focuses now is helping other young players.

“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game has provided me. I’d like them to experience that as well.”

The six-time major champion credited LIV with reaching new markets in golf to help it grow.

“I think that’s exciting for everyone involved in the game because we are going to reach markets that we didn’t reach before. I think it’s going to inspire more golf courses, inspire more manufacturers selling clubs and equipment, but also inspiring young kids to try to play golf professionally. I just see that the game of golf is going to grow on a much more global basis because of the excitement and the presence that LIV Golf has.”

Mickelson is playing at this week’s LIV Singapore and shot a first round 72 (+1).

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Tiger explains why golf has ‘negative connotations’ for daughter Sam

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While Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, has certainly inherited his father’s love for golf, his daughter, Sam, has not.

On Wednesday, Tiger made an appearance on The Today Show with Carson Daly and explained his daughter’s relationship with golf.

“Golf has negative connotations for her. When she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, I had to leave, and I was gone for weeks. So, there were negative connotations to it.

“We developed our own relationship and our own rapport outside of golf. We do things that doesn’t involve golf. Meanwhile, my son and I, everything we do is golf related.”

The nine-minute interview touches on plenty of other subjects, such as Tiger’s relationship with his late father, Earl.

It’s arguably the most open we’ve seen the 15-time major champion in an interview and is most definitely worth watching.

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