Emotional Tiger Woods Wins 11th Major

Yahoo! News (AP) ^ | 7/23/2006 | Doug Ferguson

[Pyro7480]

Emotional Tiger Woods wins 11th major

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

HOYLAKE, England - Tiger Woods bottled up his emotions when he buried his father in May. Even as he stalked the brown, baked links of the British Open on Sunday, his steely focus never wavered. Until he tapped in his final putt.

That gave him his third claret jug, his 11th major championship, but the first victory he couldn't share with Pops. And that was all too much for him.

"I saw this coming last night," said Steve Williams, the caddie and confidante who stood with him at Earl Woods' gravesite. "He played at the Masters, and it was the only time I saw him try too hard. Today, there was a calmness about him. No doubt he wanted to win this for him."

...He buried his head in Williams' shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably, chest heaving. Tears streamed down both cheeks as he hugged his wife, Elin, for the longest minute....

"I've never done that," Woods said. "But at that moment, it just came pouring out. I was pretty bummed out after not winning the Masters, because I knew that was the last major he was ever going to see. That one hurt a little bit. And to get this one ... it's just unfortunate he wasn't here to see it."

...Woods became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win golf's oldest championship in consecutive years....

...It was only the third time Woods has played since his father died May 3 after a brutal bout with cancer. Some questioned whether he could regain his focus after taking nine weeks off, especially after his 76-76 at the U.S. Open to miss the cut for the first time in a major.

[USMMA_83]

Very true...there are only a few do things without selfless detachment. Everyone else does things with a zero-sum game plan.

[dr_who_2]

Not even Clinton gets mulligens in The Open.

Correction. Bogies.

[dr_who_2]

Hitting a golf ball well is very satisfying, but not satisfying enough to make up for all my bad shots.

If, as Texasforever suggests, you're probably trying to make your father happy every time you make a shot, you're likely to leave the green feeling not just grouchy, but guilty. And that's just not right. Especially if you can't support your family by playing golf.

[dr_who_2]

you must be a dr of psychiatry? - they do like to tear everything apart in tiny pieces - leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.

You sound like you have serious issues with people who are doctors of psychiatry. Take a chill pill -- go have a relaxing game of golf!

[dr_who_2]

Tiger Woods, like Nicklaus, demonstrates at every opportunity, both on and off the links, that he is a human of admirable character. Without possesing that character, which he believes is a legacy from his father, he could not suceed at the game. Without the game, he would not have tempered his character.

In that case, he should understand the way of the sword just as well as he understands the way of the golf club!

[dr_who_2]

Do you always wax pompously?

I think what makes pompous people pompous is something that they lack: a sense of humor.

[bruinbirdman]

"Maybe Tiger's more obsessive about golf than anyone else on Earth"

Nope, that honor goes to Vijay Sing (sunup to sundown on the driving range) who will be forever trying to overcome the "cheater" tag put on him by the Asian Tour.

yitbos

[battlegearboat]

After reading your comments so far, I commend you to the deep.

You merit not a wit of recognition from this moment on and a pox be upon you.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Otherwise, I'm glad I don't know much of anything about golf and pity the poor twits who think of it as a good form of leisure time relaxation."

Really doesn't have much to do with golf as much as it has to do with the relationship Tiger and his dad had.

Earl Woods taught Tiger about golf and life. About compassion and humanitarianism. And yes, about competition and winning. His father was with him every step of the way.

This win was a gift. You don't have to be golfer to understand it.

[dr_who_2]

Thanks for recognizing my lack of merit for a wit of recognition with a pox. Pox vobiscum to you too, bud! Grrr!

[dr_who_2]

Very true...there are only a few do things without selfless detachment. Everyone else does things with a zero-sum game plan.

The former may be true (if you mean what I think you mean which is hard to tell), but if the latter is true, then it's impossible for most people to make themselves happy without making someone else miserable. By exhibiting a selfless detachment, on the other hand, it's difficult to see how anyone could be any more happy than miserable, and I so take it that most of the world is a bunch of selfish scumbags, save for a few selfless people with no feelings one way or the other.

[Alberta's Child]

There's something to be said for that. LOL.

Ken Dryden, the legendary goalie for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, skated off the ice in 1979 at the age of 31 after Montreal won their fourth Stanley Cup championship in a row (and sixth in Dryden's eight seasons with the team) and retired at the peak of his career.

That's the way to "always leave them wishing for more."

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

6'1" and 175 lbs? Hardly. Tiger works as hard or harder than any other golfer out there. Mentally, he is unequaled, like Nicklaus was in his era. He also arguably has the best short game today

I agree with all of that except if you believe he is 175lbs,then you'd believe John daly is 225. He's built like an outside linebacker these days.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Tiger had been playing since he was a tot. And he shows no signs of 'bulking up" He's just plain great.- you are pitiful get a life - jealousy is corrosive

You may need a new set of glasses, he is ripped! Geesh, you Tiger worshippers are more defensive than a muslim who has just read a Mohammad cartoon.

[bcsco]

From a poor twit, thank you veddy veddy much. Oops! I've gotta run. My tee time is coming up shortly.

[bcsco]

"Man you really have a thing for him don't you?" After 50 years of trying he still hasn't broken 100!

[verity]

Success envy?

[bcsco]

"Without possesing that character, which he believes is a legacy from his father, he could not suceed at the game. Without the game, he would not have tempered his character."

Fine observations, my friend. Tiger is enjoyable to watch, not only for his superb game, but for his humanness. He is simply a nice guy who succeeds with style.

[Pistolshot]

You, sir, and I use that title lightly, have no concept of the lessons a father can give his son in a competitive environment and help them to excel beyond their own dreams.
Here are a few examples:

Ken Griffey and Jr
Cal Ripken and Jr
Dale Earnhart and Jr

Earle Woods taught Tiger about life and competition. How to hold his head high against bigoted commentaries, such as yours.
I bet for one moment you'd like to be that good at anything, because from your comments, you fail at life.

[stevestras]

"Another asterisk on a major as Tiger looks more and more like Barry Bonds everyday."

You are an idiot.