It's been quite a while since I posted a blog here, so thanks to all of you who have missed my blogging and/or left comments. After watching Phil Mickelson win his third Masters title this past Sunday, (and a BIG congratulations go out to you, Phil!) I felt inspired to blog again.
As those who follow the game closely know, "Lefty's" play had been very lackluster ever since winning the TOUR Championship last September. His finishes over that time: 19,45,8,24,14,30 and 35. Certainly not the type of play you would expect to preceed a major title. All of this got me to thinking about the last time Phil's play was lackluster - the latter part of the 2008 season into early 2009. Not coincidentally (in my opinion), the missing ingredient or common denominator was a certain man named Woods. Check out some numbers I just threw together on Phil on his PGA Tour play since the beginning of the 2008 season. By my count, "Lefty" has played 45 competitive PGA Tour events over that time. In 27 of those tournaments, Tiger was also in the field.
With Tiger in the field (27 tournaments):
Wins: 5 (18.5%)
Top 5's: 10 (37.0%)
Top 10's: 12 (44.4%)
Top 30's: 21 (77.8%)
Median: 14.5
Without Tiger in the field (18 tournaments):
Wins: 1 (5.6%) - note, win was the week prior to Tiger's last return
Top 5's: 3 (16.7%)
Top 10's: 5 (27.8%)
Top 30's: 12 (66.7%)
Median: 19.0
Pretty striking, isn't it? Phil was 3 1/3 times more likely to win with Tiger in the field than not! He was also 2 2/3 times more likely top have a top five finish with Tiger in the field. Given his often "go for broke" style of play, it's not too surprising that when he's out of contention, the "Tiger effect" isn't nearly as pronounced for Phil as shown by the median finishes of 14.5 with Tiger in the field vs. 19.0 without the world's #1 player amongst the competitors.
The bottom line based on the numbers of the past two plus years is that Tiger seems to inspire Phil's play. When Phil is near the top of the leaderboard, he's a MUCH better and more focused player and much more likely to place in the top 5 and/or win!
Showing posts with label golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golf. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday, August 11, 2008
Harrington Gets Double-Major!
Padraig Harrington is doing his best to take the place of one Tiger Woods while the world's #1 player in the world recovers from surgery. Harrington holed long putts on the final three holes in a very Tiger-like performance to outlast both Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis to claim his first PGA Championship by two strokes yesterday.
Congratulations to Padraig on winning his second consecutive major and third career one. He definitely has taken full advantage of Tiger being gone, hasn't he?
-----
Congratulations to Padraig on winning his second consecutive major and third career one. He definitely has taken full advantage of Tiger being gone, hasn't he?
-----
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Harrington Goes Back-to-Back at Open
The Cinderella story of Greg Norman didn't have the happy ending so many of us hoped for. With just seven holes to play it still looked quite possible though as the "Great White Shark" was tied for the lead at 7-over-par with playing partner and defending British Open champion Padraig Harrington. Fortunes quickly changed after that for the two champions as the Shark bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes, while Harrington birdied 13 and 15 and then hit the shot of the tournament - a 5-wood approach to within five feet on the par-5 17th hole. Harrington drained the eagle putt and parred the final hole for a four stroke victory over Ian Poulter. Norman ended up tied for third with Henrik Stenson.
Did any of us expect a 53-year-old to be competing in a major, let alone leading with just seven holes to play? Probably not. It was definitely like walking back in time, seeing the Shark contending, and although he didn't win, he certainly fought valiently and got everyone's attention. Yes, the Shark shot a disappointing 77 in the final round, but in reality even a good round of 72 would have lost the tournament. Greg Norman didn't lose the 2008 British Open, rather Padraig Harrington simply took control of it over the tournament's final seven holes. Harrington's approach shot which set up the eagle on the 17th was one of the bravest, most heroic shots I've ever seen. A foot shorter and perhaps he finds the rough and is struggling for par... It's perhaps a very different tournament if that happens.
So no, there was no Tiger to be found, but the old Shark certainly gave us all as many thrills as Tiger ordinarily would in a major. Harrington becomes the first back-to-back winner of a major since Tiger himself won the Open in 2005 and 2006. Congratulations to Greg Norman on putting up such a valient fight, and to Padraig Harrington on his great win!
-----
Did any of us expect a 53-year-old to be competing in a major, let alone leading with just seven holes to play? Probably not. It was definitely like walking back in time, seeing the Shark contending, and although he didn't win, he certainly fought valiently and got everyone's attention. Yes, the Shark shot a disappointing 77 in the final round, but in reality even a good round of 72 would have lost the tournament. Greg Norman didn't lose the 2008 British Open, rather Padraig Harrington simply took control of it over the tournament's final seven holes. Harrington's approach shot which set up the eagle on the 17th was one of the bravest, most heroic shots I've ever seen. A foot shorter and perhaps he finds the rough and is struggling for par... It's perhaps a very different tournament if that happens.
So no, there was no Tiger to be found, but the old Shark certainly gave us all as many thrills as Tiger ordinarily would in a major. Harrington becomes the first back-to-back winner of a major since Tiger himself won the Open in 2005 and 2006. Congratulations to Greg Norman on putting up such a valient fight, and to Padraig Harrington on his great win!
-----
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Shark Sighting at British Open!!!
No Tiger? No problem... we've got a Shark!!! A Great White Shark, that is! He's an "old" shark, but one that over the years has provided just as much drama as the world's current #1 ranked player. Yes, thanks for filling in for the Tiger so admirably the first three days of the British Open, Mr. Greg Norman!
As for the actual happenings at the tournament, round one saw U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate share the clubhouse lead with Robert Allenby after 1-under-par 69's in the most dreary of conditions. How bad was it on Thursday? Three of the world's best players - Phil Mickelson (79), Vijay Singh (80) and Ernie Els (80) - combined to go 29 over par! Phil and Ernie would manage to recover with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively on Friday to make the cut, but Vijay would go home after a 1-over-par 71. After two rounds, the surprising leader was K.J. Choi, whose 3-under-par 67 put him at a 1-under-par total of 139 - one stroke ahead of the 53-year-old Norman (aka: "The Great White Shark"). Norman matched par 70 for the second consecutive day in far calmer conditions than Thursday.
The "Shark" is perhaps best known for his heartbreaking losses over the years in the Masters than his two British Open wins... Norman recently married tennis star Chris Evert and credits her for the sudden resurgence in his play. Today's conditions were nearly as bad as Thursday's, and despite them, Norman managed a 2-over-par 72 for the third round lead - by two strokes over Choi and defending Open champion Padrig Harrington. Other than the VERY troublesome 10th hole (which he double-bogeyed), he played very steady golf, with three birdies and three bogeys to go with 11 pars.
So can he do it and become the oldest player by five years to win a major? Will it be another story of heartbreak to add to the long list of sad Sundays for the Shark? I for one will be rooting for the Shark. In a year that has seen so much drama in the golf world, a win for the Great White Shark would truly be a story even bigger than Tiger's win on one leg in the U.S. Open!
The drama of the fourth round begins at 8am ET/5am PT on your local ABC station.
-----
As for the actual happenings at the tournament, round one saw U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate share the clubhouse lead with Robert Allenby after 1-under-par 69's in the most dreary of conditions. How bad was it on Thursday? Three of the world's best players - Phil Mickelson (79), Vijay Singh (80) and Ernie Els (80) - combined to go 29 over par! Phil and Ernie would manage to recover with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively on Friday to make the cut, but Vijay would go home after a 1-over-par 71. After two rounds, the surprising leader was K.J. Choi, whose 3-under-par 67 put him at a 1-under-par total of 139 - one stroke ahead of the 53-year-old Norman (aka: "The Great White Shark"). Norman matched par 70 for the second consecutive day in far calmer conditions than Thursday.
The "Shark" is perhaps best known for his heartbreaking losses over the years in the Masters than his two British Open wins... Norman recently married tennis star Chris Evert and credits her for the sudden resurgence in his play. Today's conditions were nearly as bad as Thursday's, and despite them, Norman managed a 2-over-par 72 for the third round lead - by two strokes over Choi and defending Open champion Padrig Harrington. Other than the VERY troublesome 10th hole (which he double-bogeyed), he played very steady golf, with three birdies and three bogeys to go with 11 pars.
So can he do it and become the oldest player by five years to win a major? Will it be another story of heartbreak to add to the long list of sad Sundays for the Shark? I for one will be rooting for the Shark. In a year that has seen so much drama in the golf world, a win for the Great White Shark would truly be a story even bigger than Tiger's win on one leg in the U.S. Open!
The drama of the fourth round begins at 8am ET/5am PT on your local ABC station.
-----
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tiger Goes 91 for 14th Major!
While many golf fans yesterday were thrilled with the thought of an 18 hole Monday playoff to determine the 2008 U.S. Open Champion, many of us who watched as Tiger Woods birdie effort on 18 curled in the right edge of the cup to force today's playoff with Rocco Mediate knew that we weren't going to have the opportunity to see much of it. Yes, Monday is a workday for most of us Americans, and getting a vacation day on a Monday with zero notice is pretty much next to impossible for many (me included). And "calling in sick" of course was never an option.
My morning break from 10:45-11:00 and my 12:30-1:30 lunch would be my only opportunities to see Tiger continue to chase Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors, and Rocco try to make some history of his own. As I did some quick calculations, this meant I'd probably get to see them play the 8th or 9th hole on my break, and the 17th and 18th holes during the first half of my lunch hour. Little did I know that having that extra half hour in my lunch hour would turn out to be VERY important.
The first nine holes of the playoff were to be televised from 9-11am on ESPN, the final nine on NBC from 11am-1pm. I figured I'd bring my little portable TV into work to try to catch the NBC's coverage. Well, that turned out to be an exercise in futility as the computers in my office all but kill any VHF reception. Thankfully, I had my cellphone. With ESPN offering a constantly updated blog, I was able to keep up with the tournament almost minute to minute on my cellphone even while working.
Perhaps it was nerves, but Rocco had rough first hole, bogeying to fall one down. Both players would par the second hole. The tide turned on the par-3 third, as Tiger bogeyed and Rocco nearly holed out his tee shot, making a short birdie putt to take a one stroke lead. Both players parred the fourth hole.
Then came a remarkable stretch of 11 holes where at least one of the players made either a birdie or bogey. Rocco bogeyed the fifth to make it all square. Tiger then birdied the sixth and seventh to lead by two strokes. Tiger stumbled again on another par-3 - the 8th hole, with a bogey to lose a stroke off his lead. Rocco bogeyed the par-5 9th and the 10th holes to suddenly find himself three strokes back. It appeared to be all but over at that point.
Tiger Woods doesn't give up three stroke leads with eight holes to play very often. Rocco Mediate though was like the prize fighter who would go down, but you could never knock out. The 11th through 15th holes must have been something to see. Bogeys by Tiger on the 11th and 12th cut his lead to one. Both players birdied the par-5 13th hole. Rocco then birdied 14 to tie Tiger and then did it again on 15 to take a one stroke lead. Was this really happening? Was Tiger going to lose?
As my lunch started right at 12:30pm, I saw the players putting out on 16 for their pars. Rocco was at even par for the day, Tiger was at +1. Both players missed long birdie putts on 17 and tapped in for pars. The par-5 18th hole would again prove to be pivotal. Rocco hit first and pulled his shot into a bunker to the left of the fairway. Tiger striped his drive some 350 yards into the middle of the fairway. Rocco laid up with his approach shot, while Tiger's approach found the green about 45 feet away. Rocco's third shot is true, landing only about 15 feet away. Tiger's eagle putt was never online and ended up just under five feet from the hole. Rocco's birdie putt for the championship was left all along, rolling three feet past the hole. Tiger prowled around for seemingly forever before draining his birdie putt to tie Rocco for the lead. Rocco sank his 3-footer and with that, they were off to the 7th hole to begin a sudden death playoff. Both players had played the course in even par, 71 strokes. Yes, we were going to 91 holes and beyond!
Tiger's tee shot on the 91st hole just found the right edge of the fairway. Rocco's drive on his nemesis hole found a left fairway bunker. Rocco's second shot was hooked badly, just missing going into the bleachers. Tiger then stuck his approach a little less than 25 feet away from the pin on the right side of the green. Rocco takes a drop from his bad lie, and I mentioned to a co-worker that "it was sad that he had to lose this way"... Rocco's approach shot was about 20 feet beyond the hole. In order for the playoff to go on, either Rocco was going to have drain that putt, or Tiger would have to three-putt. It seemed that finally the 2008 Open U.S. was going to be decided. Tiger hit his putt firmly and perfectly online, but it stopped just a few inches short of the hole. He tapped in for his par, and then watched as Rocco lined up his putt to extend the match to a 92nd hole. The putt was hit firm, but read with too much break. It slid by on the high side, and with that, at 1:28 pm Pacific Time, Tiger Woods had won his 14th major. Rocco Mediate had won the hearts of millions all around the world... Seriously, how can anyone not like that guy? Three minutes later, I was back at my desk working. Blessed? You bet I was!!!... it could not have worked out more perfectly! I got to see some more history made, and boy was it amazing!!!
Congratulations to Tiger on his win, and congratulations to Rocco on such a truly inspiring performance... it wasn't too long ago that Rocco was contemplating retirement thanks to a bad back. We're all pretty thankful he didn't retire aren't we? GREAT job, Rocco! In defeat, you truly were victorious this week.
For an even more detailed breakdown of what happened today, go to the terrific www.PGATOUR.com website and this "blow by blow" account of Tiger vs Rocco...
-----
My morning break from 10:45-11:00 and my 12:30-1:30 lunch would be my only opportunities to see Tiger continue to chase Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors, and Rocco try to make some history of his own. As I did some quick calculations, this meant I'd probably get to see them play the 8th or 9th hole on my break, and the 17th and 18th holes during the first half of my lunch hour. Little did I know that having that extra half hour in my lunch hour would turn out to be VERY important.
The first nine holes of the playoff were to be televised from 9-11am on ESPN, the final nine on NBC from 11am-1pm. I figured I'd bring my little portable TV into work to try to catch the NBC's coverage. Well, that turned out to be an exercise in futility as the computers in my office all but kill any VHF reception. Thankfully, I had my cellphone. With ESPN offering a constantly updated blog, I was able to keep up with the tournament almost minute to minute on my cellphone even while working.
Perhaps it was nerves, but Rocco had rough first hole, bogeying to fall one down. Both players would par the second hole. The tide turned on the par-3 third, as Tiger bogeyed and Rocco nearly holed out his tee shot, making a short birdie putt to take a one stroke lead. Both players parred the fourth hole.
Then came a remarkable stretch of 11 holes where at least one of the players made either a birdie or bogey. Rocco bogeyed the fifth to make it all square. Tiger then birdied the sixth and seventh to lead by two strokes. Tiger stumbled again on another par-3 - the 8th hole, with a bogey to lose a stroke off his lead. Rocco bogeyed the par-5 9th and the 10th holes to suddenly find himself three strokes back. It appeared to be all but over at that point.
Tiger Woods doesn't give up three stroke leads with eight holes to play very often. Rocco Mediate though was like the prize fighter who would go down, but you could never knock out. The 11th through 15th holes must have been something to see. Bogeys by Tiger on the 11th and 12th cut his lead to one. Both players birdied the par-5 13th hole. Rocco then birdied 14 to tie Tiger and then did it again on 15 to take a one stroke lead. Was this really happening? Was Tiger going to lose?
As my lunch started right at 12:30pm, I saw the players putting out on 16 for their pars. Rocco was at even par for the day, Tiger was at +1. Both players missed long birdie putts on 17 and tapped in for pars. The par-5 18th hole would again prove to be pivotal. Rocco hit first and pulled his shot into a bunker to the left of the fairway. Tiger striped his drive some 350 yards into the middle of the fairway. Rocco laid up with his approach shot, while Tiger's approach found the green about 45 feet away. Rocco's third shot is true, landing only about 15 feet away. Tiger's eagle putt was never online and ended up just under five feet from the hole. Rocco's birdie putt for the championship was left all along, rolling three feet past the hole. Tiger prowled around for seemingly forever before draining his birdie putt to tie Rocco for the lead. Rocco sank his 3-footer and with that, they were off to the 7th hole to begin a sudden death playoff. Both players had played the course in even par, 71 strokes. Yes, we were going to 91 holes and beyond!
Tiger's tee shot on the 91st hole just found the right edge of the fairway. Rocco's drive on his nemesis hole found a left fairway bunker. Rocco's second shot was hooked badly, just missing going into the bleachers. Tiger then stuck his approach a little less than 25 feet away from the pin on the right side of the green. Rocco takes a drop from his bad lie, and I mentioned to a co-worker that "it was sad that he had to lose this way"... Rocco's approach shot was about 20 feet beyond the hole. In order for the playoff to go on, either Rocco was going to have drain that putt, or Tiger would have to three-putt. It seemed that finally the 2008 Open U.S. was going to be decided. Tiger hit his putt firmly and perfectly online, but it stopped just a few inches short of the hole. He tapped in for his par, and then watched as Rocco lined up his putt to extend the match to a 92nd hole. The putt was hit firm, but read with too much break. It slid by on the high side, and with that, at 1:28 pm Pacific Time, Tiger Woods had won his 14th major. Rocco Mediate had won the hearts of millions all around the world... Seriously, how can anyone not like that guy? Three minutes later, I was back at my desk working. Blessed? You bet I was!!!... it could not have worked out more perfectly! I got to see some more history made, and boy was it amazing!!!
Congratulations to Tiger on his win, and congratulations to Rocco on such a truly inspiring performance... it wasn't too long ago that Rocco was contemplating retirement thanks to a bad back. We're all pretty thankful he didn't retire aren't we? GREAT job, Rocco! In defeat, you truly were victorious this week.
For an even more detailed breakdown of what happened today, go to the terrific www.PGATOUR.com website and this "blow by blow" account of Tiger vs Rocco...
-----
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Tiger = Terrific!
Yes, it can sometimes be boring to watch a tournament in which Tiger Woods is competing as he seemingly always wins. Truth of the matter is though that he doesn't always win - he came in second in the Masters this year and due to injury he didn't play in the Players Championship or Memorial tournaments. Playing with an obvious hobble and wretching in pain with every shot hit with his driver, just him being out and playing at the U.S. Open was a remarkable accomplishment. After shooting a 30 on his final nine holes yesterday, he was only a shot off the lead at 2-under par at the midway point.
Today, Tiger struggled mightily all day to get the ball in the fairway, double-bogeying the first hole for the second time in three days. Through 12 holes, he was three strokes over par for round, and 1-over par for the tournament. With six holes left to play, he was five strokes behind Rocco Mediate who had gotten to 4-under par. And then came the Tiger Show: Part 74...
On the par-5 13th hole, another wayward drive somehow found a good lie on the rough that had been trampled down by the gallery. His second shot found the back fringe of the green some 65 feet away. Tiger rolled the long, right-to-left curling putt with a deft touch... as it approached the hole, it looked to have a chance. Sure enough it found the bottom of the cup. A bogey by Mediate on the same hole minutes later trimmed the margin to two strokes. A wayward drive by Tiger on 14 led to a bogey, to put him back down three. Mediate would stumble again on 15, with a double bogey that would cost him the lead. At one under par, he now was a stroke behind the steady Lee Westwood who made two birdies, a bogey and 15 pars in his round. With these developments, Tiger was still two strokes back. Mediate would bogey 16 to drop to even par. Suddenly, Westwood was the only player left in the field who was under par.
Tiger parred both 15 and 16, and then hit his tee shot into the left rough on 17. His approach to the green was well short, leaving him a tricky pitch from an awkward lie. Tiger hit his shot, and it looked right away like he hit it too hard. The ball landed only a few feet from the hole, bounced in the air and then on it's way down glanced off the flagstick and into to the cup for an improbable birdie. Westwood was being interviewed by NBC at the time, and the interviewer told him he was the only player under par and started to ask him about what it would be like to be the leader going into the final round of a major. The interviewer had to correct himself as word reached him that Tiger had birdied 17 to get to 1-under.
On the par-5 18th, Tiger was simply trying to do one thing: hit the fairway. Since he had been slicing his shots most of the day, he figured he would just play the slice with both his tee and approach shots. He grimaced in pain after hitting both shots, but as his approach stopped some 35 feet above the cup, you almost knew what was going to happen. Tiger hit the put well left of where announcer Johnny Miller seemed to think it should be hit. Nonetheless, the ball started tracking towards the hole... and once again found the bottom for another eagle! Tiger was finally in familiar territory: in the lead going into the final round of a major! If you didn't see it happening for yourself, you probably have believed it. Then again, with Tiger we've come to expect the unexpected. Three of the most amazing shots that I've EVER seen in the space of six holes. WOW!
------
Today, Tiger struggled mightily all day to get the ball in the fairway, double-bogeying the first hole for the second time in three days. Through 12 holes, he was three strokes over par for round, and 1-over par for the tournament. With six holes left to play, he was five strokes behind Rocco Mediate who had gotten to 4-under par. And then came the Tiger Show: Part 74...
On the par-5 13th hole, another wayward drive somehow found a good lie on the rough that had been trampled down by the gallery. His second shot found the back fringe of the green some 65 feet away. Tiger rolled the long, right-to-left curling putt with a deft touch... as it approached the hole, it looked to have a chance. Sure enough it found the bottom of the cup. A bogey by Mediate on the same hole minutes later trimmed the margin to two strokes. A wayward drive by Tiger on 14 led to a bogey, to put him back down three. Mediate would stumble again on 15, with a double bogey that would cost him the lead. At one under par, he now was a stroke behind the steady Lee Westwood who made two birdies, a bogey and 15 pars in his round. With these developments, Tiger was still two strokes back. Mediate would bogey 16 to drop to even par. Suddenly, Westwood was the only player left in the field who was under par.
Tiger parred both 15 and 16, and then hit his tee shot into the left rough on 17. His approach to the green was well short, leaving him a tricky pitch from an awkward lie. Tiger hit his shot, and it looked right away like he hit it too hard. The ball landed only a few feet from the hole, bounced in the air and then on it's way down glanced off the flagstick and into to the cup for an improbable birdie. Westwood was being interviewed by NBC at the time, and the interviewer told him he was the only player under par and started to ask him about what it would be like to be the leader going into the final round of a major. The interviewer had to correct himself as word reached him that Tiger had birdied 17 to get to 1-under.
On the par-5 18th, Tiger was simply trying to do one thing: hit the fairway. Since he had been slicing his shots most of the day, he figured he would just play the slice with both his tee and approach shots. He grimaced in pain after hitting both shots, but as his approach stopped some 35 feet above the cup, you almost knew what was going to happen. Tiger hit the put well left of where announcer Johnny Miller seemed to think it should be hit. Nonetheless, the ball started tracking towards the hole... and once again found the bottom for another eagle! Tiger was finally in familiar territory: in the lead going into the final round of a major! If you didn't see it happening for yourself, you probably have believed it. Then again, with Tiger we've come to expect the unexpected. Three of the most amazing shots that I've EVER seen in the space of six holes. WOW!
------
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Oglivy Slays Goliath AGAIN!
It wasn't at a major this time as it was in the 2006 U.S. Open, when Geoff Oglivy came from one stroke behind while sitting in the clubhouse to defeat both Colin Montgomery and Phil Mickelson on the 72nd hole as the two Goliath's both managed to double-bogey it, to go from one up to one down.
Still his accomplishment this weekend at the famed "Blue Monster" course in a rain-delayed event which ended on Monday afternoon was against just as stellar a field as that major win, and also included a player who hadn't lost in over six months! Yes, Tiger Woods' quest for a perfect season ended as he could only close with a four under par 68 to get to 15-under par - two strokes behind the winner and alone in 5th place. By the way, that top 5 finish was his 9th consecutive one, the most top 5's in a row he's had in his illustrious career.
Woods wasn't the only Goliath, Oglivy slayed this weekend. Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk (all of whom have been in the top 5 of the World Golf Rankings at some point in the past two years) finished a stroke back at 16 under to tie for second.
A little more than two weeks from now, the Masters begins... with Woods in top form, and Oglivy and many others looking to challenge it should be an interesing week.
-----
Still his accomplishment this weekend at the famed "Blue Monster" course in a rain-delayed event which ended on Monday afternoon was against just as stellar a field as that major win, and also included a player who hadn't lost in over six months! Yes, Tiger Woods' quest for a perfect season ended as he could only close with a four under par 68 to get to 15-under par - two strokes behind the winner and alone in 5th place. By the way, that top 5 finish was his 9th consecutive one, the most top 5's in a row he's had in his illustrious career.
Woods wasn't the only Goliath, Oglivy slayed this weekend. Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk (all of whom have been in the top 5 of the World Golf Rankings at some point in the past two years) finished a stroke back at 16 under to tie for second.
A little more than two weeks from now, the Masters begins... with Woods in top form, and Oglivy and many others looking to challenge it should be an interesing week.
-----
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Tiger Sinks Cink for #64!
PGA tour player J.B. Holmes was thisclose to earning himself the nickname "Dragonslayer" in a short span of 18 days. On February 3rd, he birdied the 18th hole and the first playoff hole to down the world's #2 player, Phil Mickelson in the FBR Open. In Wednesday's first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, Holmes had the world's #1 player, Tiger Woods on the ropes. The 64th ranked player in the field was up on Tiger by three holes with five to play. Somehow, the Tiger wriggled free with a birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle sequence to turn the tables and move forward. So close, yet so far away... Holmes has to continue to settle for the name "Philslayer,"... somehow that just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Dragonslayer."
Tiger made it through that trial and a couple of other close calls to get into today's 36 hole final match against his good friend, Stuart Cink. Not surprisingly, Tiger displayed his typical Sunday closer form, blitzing Cink with birdies early and often. Both players birdied the first hole... and that was as close as the match would be. Tiger birdied five of the next 10 holes to take a commanding 5-up lead through 11. Cink did manage to briefly make it a match again, trimming the Tiger lead to 3-up as he birdied 12 and 16, while Tiger was in the midst of making five straight pars. Birdies by Tiger on the 17th and 20th holes quickly extended the lead back to a 5-up advantage. After both players bogeyed the par-5 fifth (23rd) hole, Tiger effectively closed out with birdies on the 24th, 25th and 26th holes. Cink did manage to have a lone highlight, curling in a long 40-foot eagle putt on the 28th hole, doing a mock "Tiger pump" in celebration. Tiger had a putt of the same length and nearly holed it as well. The match ended on the next hole as Tiger stuck his approach shot to within two feet of the pin (the birdie putt was conceded), while Cink missed his birdie putt from about 12 feet.
The win was the 64th of Tiger's career putting him in sole possession of the fourth spot on the all-time list. He's as beatable as ever, isn't he Rory? Doesn't it seem like since the infamous Sabbatini comment that Tiger has become more UNBEATABLE than ever? Tiger certainly didn't need anyone to rile him up, but it appears that's exactly what has happened and this had just made things even worse for the rest of the touring players.
-----
Tiger made it through that trial and a couple of other close calls to get into today's 36 hole final match against his good friend, Stuart Cink. Not surprisingly, Tiger displayed his typical Sunday closer form, blitzing Cink with birdies early and often. Both players birdied the first hole... and that was as close as the match would be. Tiger birdied five of the next 10 holes to take a commanding 5-up lead through 11. Cink did manage to briefly make it a match again, trimming the Tiger lead to 3-up as he birdied 12 and 16, while Tiger was in the midst of making five straight pars. Birdies by Tiger on the 17th and 20th holes quickly extended the lead back to a 5-up advantage. After both players bogeyed the par-5 fifth (23rd) hole, Tiger effectively closed out with birdies on the 24th, 25th and 26th holes. Cink did manage to have a lone highlight, curling in a long 40-foot eagle putt on the 28th hole, doing a mock "Tiger pump" in celebration. Tiger had a putt of the same length and nearly holed it as well. The match ended on the next hole as Tiger stuck his approach shot to within two feet of the pin (the birdie putt was conceded), while Cink missed his birdie putt from about 12 feet.
The win was the 64th of Tiger's career putting him in sole possession of the fourth spot on the all-time list. He's as beatable as ever, isn't he Rory? Doesn't it seem like since the infamous Sabbatini comment that Tiger has become more UNBEATABLE than ever? Tiger certainly didn't need anyone to rile him up, but it appears that's exactly what has happened and this had just made things even worse for the rest of the touring players.
-----
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tiger, Vijay Gut Out Wins
Arron Baddeley played perhaps the round of his life today in the Accenture Match Play Championships against Tiger Woods, and still it wasn't good enough. 10 birdies and a bogey in 20 holes. Baddeley had chances to end the match on both the 18th and 19th holes, but both times he missed. With Baddeley playing so well, Woods had to bring his "A Game" today, and he most certainly did. Woods had 11 birdies and a bogey in his first 19 holes and then rolled in a 13-foot birdie putt on the 20th hole to finally end the match. Woods will take on K.J. Choi tomorrow in the round of 8.
20 holes though was nothing in terms of overtime play today. After beating "the Tiger slayer" Niklas Fasth yesterday, Vijay Singh had to go SEVEN extra holes to win his match today against Rod Pampling. In contrast to the Tiger-Baddeley match though, this one was a virtual snooze-fest. Singh only made three birdies all day to go with his two bogeys, but it was good enough as Pampling could only manage four birdies of his own. Bogeys were his undoing as he had four of them on the day including a fatal one on the par-5 25th hole.
Live coverage of the quarterfinals (elite-8) can be seen starting Saturday morning at 10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT on the Golf Channel. NBC takes over coverage with the semi-finals starting at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT.
-----
20 holes though was nothing in terms of overtime play today. After beating "the Tiger slayer" Niklas Fasth yesterday, Vijay Singh had to go SEVEN extra holes to win his match today against Rod Pampling. In contrast to the Tiger-Baddeley match though, this one was a virtual snooze-fest. Singh only made three birdies all day to go with his two bogeys, but it was good enough as Pampling could only manage four birdies of his own. Bogeys were his undoing as he had four of them on the day including a fatal one on the par-5 25th hole.
Live coverage of the quarterfinals (elite-8) can be seen starting Saturday morning at 10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT on the Golf Channel. NBC takes over coverage with the semi-finals starting at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT.
-----
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Appleby Ends Lefty's Week
The fans at this week's Accenture Match Play Championship were hoping that against all odds, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods would wind up facing off against each other in Sunday's 36 hole finale. The hopes for a battle between the world's two tip ranked players was thwarted though. "Lefty" played very well today against Stuart Appleby in his second round match, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough as the Aussie was even better. Mickelson lost 2-and-1 to Appleby despite making six birdies and an eagle. Appleby made nine birdies in his 17 holes of play, including one on the final hole to end the match. As for Woods, he had a relatively easy time against Arron Oberholser getting to 4-up after 11 holes, and then cruising to a 3-and-2 win with a par on 16.
-----
-----
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Lefty Seeing 3's!
Coming into this week, Phil Mickelson had won 32 tournaments in his PGA Tour career. At 11-under par, "Lefty" carried a one stroke lead over Jeff Quinney going into Sunday's final round of the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
The match-play like battle between "Lefty" and Quinney was remarkably similar to Saturday's duel. Mickelson entered Saturday's round with a four stroke lead, only to briefly lose the lead to Quinney within six holes, regaining it and then carrying the lead a short time later. On Sunday, Mickelson extended his lead to three strokes by the third hole as he birdied the first and Quinney bogeyed the third. Quinney came storming back though as birdies on six and eight got him to within a stroke of the lead. Mickelson bogeyed the ninth hole, while Quinney rolled in another birdie to take the lead at 12-under par. Just like on Saturday though, Quinney's lead was short-lived. "Lefty" birdied the 10th hole to tie for the lead. Both players birdied the 11th to get to 13-under par. On the 13th hole, Quinney's magical putter finally deserted him as he three-putted for the first time all year for a bogey. Bogeys followed at the next two holes and on the 17th. Mickelson gave one back himself on the 15th, but with Quinney's misstep on 17, it was all but over entering 18. Quinney did manage to birdie that hole, while Mickelson parred to finish the tournament at 12-under par and a two stroke win. For Mickelson, it was his 33rd career victory on the PGA Tour. Will Phil mount another charge at Tiger Woods this year for the #1 spot in the World Rankings? With a win, a second and a sixth place finish already on his 2008 resume, perhaps the answer is YES!
-----
The match-play like battle between "Lefty" and Quinney was remarkably similar to Saturday's duel. Mickelson entered Saturday's round with a four stroke lead, only to briefly lose the lead to Quinney within six holes, regaining it and then carrying the lead a short time later. On Sunday, Mickelson extended his lead to three strokes by the third hole as he birdied the first and Quinney bogeyed the third. Quinney came storming back though as birdies on six and eight got him to within a stroke of the lead. Mickelson bogeyed the ninth hole, while Quinney rolled in another birdie to take the lead at 12-under par. Just like on Saturday though, Quinney's lead was short-lived. "Lefty" birdied the 10th hole to tie for the lead. Both players birdied the 11th to get to 13-under par. On the 13th hole, Quinney's magical putter finally deserted him as he three-putted for the first time all year for a bogey. Bogeys followed at the next two holes and on the 17th. Mickelson gave one back himself on the 15th, but with Quinney's misstep on 17, it was all but over entering 18. Quinney did manage to birdie that hole, while Mickelson parred to finish the tournament at 12-under par and a two stroke win. For Mickelson, it was his 33rd career victory on the PGA Tour. Will Phil mount another charge at Tiger Woods this year for the #1 spot in the World Rankings? With a win, a second and a sixth place finish already on his 2008 resume, perhaps the answer is YES!
-----
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Phil Thrills at Riviera
When Tiger Woods has his "A Game" or even his "B Game," watching a golf tournament in which he is competing can get downright boring - unless you're Tiger of course. Tiger is not playing in this weekend's Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club here in Pacific Palisades, CA. So for one weekend at least, the world's #2 player Phil Mickelson and everyone else will have a fair shot at getting a W.
Fortunately for the L.A. golf fans, there have been several "Phil the Thrill" Mickelson sightings the past three days. Despite several erratic drives and iron shots, "Lefty" shot a one-under par 70 today to reach 11 under-par, taking a one stroke lead over Jeff Quinney going into the final round. Quinney started the day four strokes back, but actually briefly took the lead after birdieing two of his first five holes and then holing his tee shot on the 163 yard par-3 6th hole. Mickelson bogeyed the fourth hole, but then reclaimed a share of the lead with a birdie of his own on the 6th. Mickelson reclaimed sole possession of the lead on the par-5 11th hole as he birdies and Quinney bogeyed. The Mickelson lead remained two strokes until Quinney drained a 35-foot birdie put on the 18th hole. Final round coverage begins tomorrow at 3:00 ET/12 noon PT on your local CBS affiliate.
-----
Fortunately for the L.A. golf fans, there have been several "Phil the Thrill" Mickelson sightings the past three days. Despite several erratic drives and iron shots, "Lefty" shot a one-under par 70 today to reach 11 under-par, taking a one stroke lead over Jeff Quinney going into the final round. Quinney started the day four strokes back, but actually briefly took the lead after birdieing two of his first five holes and then holing his tee shot on the 163 yard par-3 6th hole. Mickelson bogeyed the fourth hole, but then reclaimed a share of the lead with a birdie of his own on the 6th. Mickelson reclaimed sole possession of the lead on the par-5 11th hole as he birdies and Quinney bogeyed. The Mickelson lead remained two strokes until Quinney drained a 35-foot birdie put on the 18th hole. Final round coverage begins tomorrow at 3:00 ET/12 noon PT on your local CBS affiliate.
-----
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tiger Tames Torrey Pines
For a three hole stretch on Sunday, Tiger Woods actually did look "beatable" as Rory Sabbatini would like to say. After getting to 21-under par and flirting with the tournament record, Tiger uncharacteristically bogeyed three consecutive holes (14 thru 16). But alas, the lead was still seven strokes after his rare misstep. A birdie on 18 sealed the amazing week for Tiger. His 19-under par total of 269 was eight strokes better than Ryudi Imada who closed with a 5-under par 67 to tie for the low round of the day. Sabbatini matched Imada's score to tie for third with Stewart Cink at 9-under par. Phil Mickelson battled a respiratory infection all weekend to finish at 6-under par and tied for sixth. 48-year-old Fred Couples closed with an even par 72 to finish at 5-under and tied for 8th. For "Boom Boom" this week marked a remarkable comeback. Back injuries plaged him all year as he only played three events in 2007. It was his first top 10 finish since the 2006 Masters where he finished third to Mickelson.
There were several highlights to Tiger's final round. A remarkable pitch from behind the green to save a par on the 9th hole - where mere mortals would have been happy to get it to within 15 feet, he stuck it to within a foot and a half. On 11, Tiger was about 65 feet away from the hole with a long curling putt for birdie. From that distance, all you're trying to do is get it close. Well, Tiger read the putt perfectly and as you can probably guess, the ball somehow found the middle of the cup after rolling for nearly 10 seconds. Check out the shot of the day, if you haven't seen it yet. For Tiger it was his fourth straight win of the Buick and his 62nd career win to tie the great Arnold Palmer for fourth on the PGA's all-time list.
-----
There were several highlights to Tiger's final round. A remarkable pitch from behind the green to save a par on the 9th hole - where mere mortals would have been happy to get it to within 15 feet, he stuck it to within a foot and a half. On 11, Tiger was about 65 feet away from the hole with a long curling putt for birdie. From that distance, all you're trying to do is get it close. Well, Tiger read the putt perfectly and as you can probably guess, the ball somehow found the middle of the cup after rolling for nearly 10 seconds. Check out the shot of the day, if you haven't seen it yet. For Tiger it was his fourth straight win of the Buick and his 62nd career win to tie the great Arnold Palmer for fourth on the PGA's all-time list.
-----
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tiger on Cruise Control at Buick
For a brief moment of yesterday's Buick Invitational, Phil Mickelson made a charge to get within five strokes of Tiger Woods. "Lefty" shot a 6-under par 30 on the back nine at Torrey Pines to get to 7-under par for the tournament. He struggled on his final nine though, shooting a 2-over 38 for a 4-under par 68 total. At five under par, Phil now finds himself 13 strokes back of Tiger. The world's #1 player shot a bogey-free 6-under par 66 to get to 18-under par, and an amazing eight strokes ahead of Stewart Cink and the rest of the field. Tiger's 62nd career win (to tie Arnold Palmer for 4th on the all-time list) is almost a foregone conclusion, the only question is the weather. There's a 90% chance of rain for the San Diego area today. So, round four may or may not be finishing today. A rare Monday finish may be in the cards. Weather permitting, live coverage of the final round starts on your local CBS affiliate at 3PM ET/12 noon PT.
-----
-----
Friday, January 25, 2008
New Year, Same Ol' Tiger...
The year may now read 2008, but for Tiger Woods, that number hardly seems to matter as he continued this year right where he left off from in 2007 - in command of a tournament at the midway point. Tiger shot a 7-under par 65 to move to 12-under par and four strokes ahead of Kevin Streelman, a third alternate who wasn't even expecting to tee it up this weekend at Torrey Pines. Stewart Cink lies another stroke back at 7-under. Boo Weekley tied for the second best round of the day with a 6-under par 66, and is amongst a group six strokes behind Tiger. Fred Couples turned in a surprising 3-under 69, and is tied for 9th at 4-under par. Amongst the other notables, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk both sit at 3-under par, while Phil Mickelson is at 1-under par after a 73. Last week's winner, K.J. Choi was amongst those to miss the even par cut line, finishing at 5-over par after a 77 today.
-----
-----
Getting My Phil of Tiger
Thankfully, neither Phil Mickelson nor Tiger Woods played either of the past two weeks when I was not watching the Golf Channel. This week marks what most would call the official start of the season as both Phil and Tiger are playing at this weekend's Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA (not far from San Diego). Woods got off to a good start, shooting a 5-under par score of 67 to finish the day tied for third, two strokes behind first round leader Troy Matteson. Mickelson wasn't too bad himself, shooting a 2-under par 70 to finish the day tied for 21st. Not bad for a guy fighting a respiratory infection. You can watch three hours of live coverage of the remainder of the second round starting at 3PM ET/12 PM PT today on the Golf Channel, and over the weekend on CBS.
-----
-----
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Kelly Tilghman & Tiger Woods are STILL friends...
... just in case you missed it or were told otherwise. And Fuzzy Zoeller is still a good friend of Tiger's as well.
Another day, another instance of the sports media being overly sensitive and not doing their research before going off on someone. This past weekend, the PGA Tour held it's first event of the season (the Mercedes-Benz Championship) in Hawaii. During the third round coverage of the tournament the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman and Nick Faldo were talking about Tiger Woods (who was not present at the event) and the chances of someone beating him. I was watching coverage of the tournament and listening to the bantor when Kelly jokingly said that the only way to test him would be to "lynch him in a back alley." Clearly, no harm was intended, but someone went off and ran a story on the non-story, causing a media uproar.
The media circus around the non-story grew to such a level that Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg had to issue a statement today. Steinberg stated "this story is a non-issue. Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly. Regardless of the choice of words used we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments. This story is a non-issue in our eyes. Case closed."
It's interesting that a golfer like Rory Sabbatini can berate a fan with an expletive-filled tirade and not even get a fine out of it (he actually got the fan ejected), yet a non-story like this can garner headlines. One can only hope that the people covering the golf world in the future would be more focused on those who are actually doing wrong (and continuing to set a bad example) like Sabbatini and doing something about it, and less focused on the politcal correctness of an innocent comment by one of the tour's most-liked and qualified commentators.
-----
Another day, another instance of the sports media being overly sensitive and not doing their research before going off on someone. This past weekend, the PGA Tour held it's first event of the season (the Mercedes-Benz Championship) in Hawaii. During the third round coverage of the tournament the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman and Nick Faldo were talking about Tiger Woods (who was not present at the event) and the chances of someone beating him. I was watching coverage of the tournament and listening to the bantor when Kelly jokingly said that the only way to test him would be to "lynch him in a back alley." Clearly, no harm was intended, but someone went off and ran a story on the non-story, causing a media uproar.
The media circus around the non-story grew to such a level that Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg had to issue a statement today. Steinberg stated "this story is a non-issue. Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly. Regardless of the choice of words used we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments. This story is a non-issue in our eyes. Case closed."
It's interesting that a golfer like Rory Sabbatini can berate a fan with an expletive-filled tirade and not even get a fine out of it (he actually got the fan ejected), yet a non-story like this can garner headlines. One can only hope that the people covering the golf world in the future would be more focused on those who are actually doing wrong (and continuing to set a bad example) like Sabbatini and doing something about it, and less focused on the politcal correctness of an innocent comment by one of the tour's most-liked and qualified commentators.
-----
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Tracking The Tiger (and Freddie) - Part Deux!
Though the Sherwood Country Club here in Thousand Oaks has been in existance for 18 years now, today was the first time that I actually took in a golf tournament there. I was up brighter and earlier than usual for a Saturday morning - 6 a.m. - so that I would be to the course nice and early and get a chance to see the 16 players hit the practice tee. Brett Wetterlich's caddy was the first person to make his way there, followed by Rory Sabbatini at 9 a.m sharp. The players and their caddies gradually kept trickling in, and then a very loud cheer came up as fan favorite Fred Couples made his way over at 9:25... I've been a big fan on Freddie's for a very long time, so getting to see him close and hitting shot after shot almost effortlessly with his picture-perfect swing was a treat in itself.
About 15 minutes later, Tiger Woods and his playing partner for today, Jim Furyk, came to the tee and lucky for me, Tiger (like Freddie) was directly in front of where I was standing. I guess I picked a good spot. The best part of Tiger's practice time was when he was going through his routine and taking very slow deliberate swings with his driver, striking the ball hard enough to only move it perhaps 20 yards. During the routine, Furyk chimed in "none of us knows what the 'heck' he's doing either!" - obviously making reference to Tiger's dominance and how he makes it look so easy on the course. The crowd, Tiger, and everyone else just busted up laughing... it was definitely an ice-breaker! Speaking of that, an ice-breaker could have been used on the golf course as there was a light dusting of frost literally everywhere even as late as 10 a.m.
As Tiger neared the end of his practice routine, the crowd started to thin out. The first group of the day - Sabbatini and Colin Montgomerie - teed off at 9:50 a.m. Given that I'm a big fan of both Freddie and Tiger, I figured I would try to follow them both as much as possible. Surveying the course, it looked like the 5th green would be an ideal place to catch a lot of play and a glimpse of everyone, so I parked myself there about 10:40 or so and watched the groups trickle in. It turned out to be a GREAT place to watch from as the pin was very close to the back edge of the green... Also, I have to admit the company there was great as well! A very nice couple from Orange County made the 45 minute drive to be there for a second straight year. For the next hour or so, that couple, along with about five or six others and I talked about all kinds of golf-related things and as we watched the players stream in. Seeing a few of the pros hitting balls into the trees and hazards made us all feel a little bit better about our own games! :)
Wetterlich and Niclas Fasth were the first pair we all saw there, followed by Couples and Lee Westwood. Henrik Stenson and Mark Calcavecchia were next and provided the first big highlight of the day as "Calc" drove the par-5 hole in two shots and narrowly missed an eagle putt. Minutes later, Luke Donald and Steve Stricker's group provided another highlight as "Strick" nearly holed out his third shot from the fairway, the ball stopping just inches from the hole as he spun it back from about 10 feet past the pin. About a half hour later, Woods and Furyk both drove the green in two shots. Both would two-putt for birdies, getting Tiger to 15 under par, and Furyk to 12 under for the tournament.
With the final grouping finished with the 5th hole, our little group disbanded and went our separate ways. I was hoping to catch back up to the Couples/Westwood group at the 9th hole, but they were already gone, so I watched Donald and Sticker play the hole before heading to the 10th green where I followed that twosome and three more as we all awaited Tiger. Woods drove the ball only about 320 yards and had a simple wedge shot to the pin, which he stuck to about two feet for a gimme birdie.
One thing that I quickly learned about Sherwood was that it takes a lot of walking to get from one hole to the next. Following a golfer isn't nearly as easy as it was at the AT&T in our nation's capital on my birthday... In another effort to catch up with Couples, I headed to the nearby 16th hole. Freddie had found the trees off the tee and scrambled to hit a great 4th shot to within four feet of the pin. It just wasn't his day today though as he missed the par putt. I followed the Couples/Westwood twosome to the 17th and 18th holes... They arrived to a rousing ovation on 18 - most of the cheers were obviously for Freddie. He settled for a 4 over par round of 76. After a year plagued by back injuries where the Masters was his only full competitive tournament of the year, it was nice just to have the opportunity to see him play.
As the groups arrived at 18, I noticed a very familiar face being interviewed by the Golf Channel - longtime resident and actor Tom Selleck of Magnum P.I. fame! Many of the fans in attendance (not me) actually got his autograph. I did get 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson's autograph, and also got to talk so Furyk for a few seconds after the round was over. Johnson gave all of us a thrill on the closing hole as he hit the flag with his approach shot. Unfortunately, the ball finished about 10 feet to the right of the hole, and he wasn't able to make the putt. He finished the day at 11 under par and in solo third place. Furyk missed his birdie chance on 18, but made a par to finish at 12 under and remain in the runner-up chair. What did Tiger do? Well, he hit his approach about eight feet under the hole, curled his putt into the left edge of the cup for his 7th birdie of the day (to go along with two bogeys) for a 5 under-par 67. At 18 under par, Tiger is now six strokes clear of the field and looks set to win his tournament again this year...
By 3 p.m., it was all over, though many of us hung around and hoped to catch one last glimpse of our favorite players - Tiger did come out about 3:45 p.m. or so, but only signed a couple of autographs... He's quite busy now that he's a father... A fun time was had by all in attendance and I look forward to attending again next year!
------
About 15 minutes later, Tiger Woods and his playing partner for today, Jim Furyk, came to the tee and lucky for me, Tiger (like Freddie) was directly in front of where I was standing. I guess I picked a good spot. The best part of Tiger's practice time was when he was going through his routine and taking very slow deliberate swings with his driver, striking the ball hard enough to only move it perhaps 20 yards. During the routine, Furyk chimed in "none of us knows what the 'heck' he's doing either!" - obviously making reference to Tiger's dominance and how he makes it look so easy on the course. The crowd, Tiger, and everyone else just busted up laughing... it was definitely an ice-breaker! Speaking of that, an ice-breaker could have been used on the golf course as there was a light dusting of frost literally everywhere even as late as 10 a.m.
As Tiger neared the end of his practice routine, the crowd started to thin out. The first group of the day - Sabbatini and Colin Montgomerie - teed off at 9:50 a.m. Given that I'm a big fan of both Freddie and Tiger, I figured I would try to follow them both as much as possible. Surveying the course, it looked like the 5th green would be an ideal place to catch a lot of play and a glimpse of everyone, so I parked myself there about 10:40 or so and watched the groups trickle in. It turned out to be a GREAT place to watch from as the pin was very close to the back edge of the green... Also, I have to admit the company there was great as well! A very nice couple from Orange County made the 45 minute drive to be there for a second straight year. For the next hour or so, that couple, along with about five or six others and I talked about all kinds of golf-related things and as we watched the players stream in. Seeing a few of the pros hitting balls into the trees and hazards made us all feel a little bit better about our own games! :)
Wetterlich and Niclas Fasth were the first pair we all saw there, followed by Couples and Lee Westwood. Henrik Stenson and Mark Calcavecchia were next and provided the first big highlight of the day as "Calc" drove the par-5 hole in two shots and narrowly missed an eagle putt. Minutes later, Luke Donald and Steve Stricker's group provided another highlight as "Strick" nearly holed out his third shot from the fairway, the ball stopping just inches from the hole as he spun it back from about 10 feet past the pin. About a half hour later, Woods and Furyk both drove the green in two shots. Both would two-putt for birdies, getting Tiger to 15 under par, and Furyk to 12 under for the tournament.
With the final grouping finished with the 5th hole, our little group disbanded and went our separate ways. I was hoping to catch back up to the Couples/Westwood group at the 9th hole, but they were already gone, so I watched Donald and Sticker play the hole before heading to the 10th green where I followed that twosome and three more as we all awaited Tiger. Woods drove the ball only about 320 yards and had a simple wedge shot to the pin, which he stuck to about two feet for a gimme birdie.
One thing that I quickly learned about Sherwood was that it takes a lot of walking to get from one hole to the next. Following a golfer isn't nearly as easy as it was at the AT&T in our nation's capital on my birthday... In another effort to catch up with Couples, I headed to the nearby 16th hole. Freddie had found the trees off the tee and scrambled to hit a great 4th shot to within four feet of the pin. It just wasn't his day today though as he missed the par putt. I followed the Couples/Westwood twosome to the 17th and 18th holes... They arrived to a rousing ovation on 18 - most of the cheers were obviously for Freddie. He settled for a 4 over par round of 76. After a year plagued by back injuries where the Masters was his only full competitive tournament of the year, it was nice just to have the opportunity to see him play.
As the groups arrived at 18, I noticed a very familiar face being interviewed by the Golf Channel - longtime resident and actor Tom Selleck of Magnum P.I. fame! Many of the fans in attendance (not me) actually got his autograph. I did get 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson's autograph, and also got to talk so Furyk for a few seconds after the round was over. Johnson gave all of us a thrill on the closing hole as he hit the flag with his approach shot. Unfortunately, the ball finished about 10 feet to the right of the hole, and he wasn't able to make the putt. He finished the day at 11 under par and in solo third place. Furyk missed his birdie chance on 18, but made a par to finish at 12 under and remain in the runner-up chair. What did Tiger do? Well, he hit his approach about eight feet under the hole, curled his putt into the left edge of the cup for his 7th birdie of the day (to go along with two bogeys) for a 5 under-par 67. At 18 under par, Tiger is now six strokes clear of the field and looks set to win his tournament again this year...
By 3 p.m., it was all over, though many of us hung around and hoped to catch one last glimpse of our favorite players - Tiger did come out about 3:45 p.m. or so, but only signed a couple of autographs... He's quite busy now that he's a father... A fun time was had by all in attendance and I look forward to attending again next year!
------
Friday, December 14, 2007
Tiger Torches Sherwood With Record 62!
It's the middle of Decemeber, the mornings here in Thousand Oaks, California have been in the lower 30's the past three days, yet one thing was as hot as the July sun today: Tiger Woods. Mr. Player of the year and all-everything else again looked as if he were in midseason form, as he poured in eight birdies and an eagle to set a new Sherwood Country Club course record with a 10-under par 62 at the 2007 Target World Challenge. Tiger's two round total of 13-under par is four strokes better than the world's #3 player, Jim Furyk. As for the other end of the scale, the argumentative and sometimes confrontational Rory Sabbatini shot a 9-over par 81, 19 strokes worse than Tiger. Rory, I think you must have looked a little beatable today. :)
-----
-----
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
