Tiger Woods Fails to Break Par at AT&T

Golf FanHouse ^ | 7-4-2010 | Mick Elliott

[conservativebuckeye]

Ordinary local golfers sometimes break par on ordinary local courses. Very few of them would ever be able to break par on a PGA tour course and certainly couldn’t do it with consistency. The course this week was difficult even by professional standards. I’m not defending Tiger in anyway. Actually, I’m taking pleasure in watching this guy’s game in the crapper.

[steve86]

Ok, it makes sense that the course is harder.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

I have never been involved in golf in any way, shape, or form but don't ordinary local golfers sometimes break par?"

I've been golfing for 25 years and I have yet to break 100.

But I've been faithful to my wife.

[FlyVet]

Old man tiger is now 35. Old by golf standards. 4 majors behind Jack. Jack won his last major at age 46, but that was an anomaly. Wouldn't expect Tiger to do that.

But let's say age 42. So, he would have 7 years to win 5 majors for the record.

He might be able to do that. Maybe. Barring more injuries to his knee or his back.

Every time he re-tooled his swing, he stopped winning for a while, and out came the "What's wrong with Tiger?" boo-birds.

Now they're out again.

He's a jerk. He might have been on steroids.

But...5 majors in 7 years...he might be able to do that. Maybe.

When he was a rookie, Jack said "That kid's gonna break my record."

Was that because Jack liked him, or was that because Jack wanted to put pressure on him, in hope that Tiger wouldn't break his record? Think Jack wants his record broken in his lifetime? Think Jack doesn't know gamesmanship?

We report, you decide.

[Frantzie]

Jack in his prime was staggering. He hit the ball a mile. Phil is 40 now and at times is playing some of his best golf ever. What is staggering about Phil is he is now one of the longest drivers on the tour. Only guys ahead of him are Alvaro Quiros, Bubba Watson and maybe one or two others. Phil is a bomber and blows past Tiger now.

Phil at the Masters hit some incredible iron shots. Pretty damn good for a guy who’s wife is still very sick. He owned Tiger most of last year. Tiger was fell apart at the last tourney of the year in Shanghai while Phil won. The fans loved Phil and were not happy with Tiger telling photographers to stop taking pictures.

Tiger may beat Jack’s record but he will be a bit like Barry Bonds. Was it the steroids or HGH?

[FlyVet]

Heard one of the PGA pros say that if you don't shoot -6 or better consitently on your home course, forget about turning pro.

I was at my best a 15 handicap, so I could shoot maybe 84 on the home course. Just a few times.

When I played a few serious championship courses off the back tees, I was lucky to break 100. I suspect on a major championship course, I would have been lucky to break 120.

Even on some of these cheap tournaments, where the pros shoot 15-20 under par for the four rounds...those courses are really, really tough for mere mortals. Those guys are damn good.

[FlyVet]

I got to Jack's major tournament near Phoenix in 1995 or 96, the Tradition, last time he won it.

Strange story, didn't have a ticket, didn't expect to get one, but said what the hell, I'll drive up there and see what happens.

Was walking around the parking lot, asking about tickets, and up comes this "scalper" selling tickets.

Except he wasn't really "scalping", I think he was a PGA plant or something, he only "scalped" me for about 20 bucks. In like Flynn.

Anyway, I witnessed Jack Himself hit maybe the last dozen practice driver shots on the range.

You might as well have recorded one drive on your video camera, then press rewind, press play.

He was that precise. Every shot was a carbon copy. Maybe 280 yards out there, classic Nicklaus fade, takeoff angle, ball flight, perfect.

The green under the flag was white. Because all the balls were peppered around it.

I thought, "Damn. No wonder this guy won all those tournaments.".

And he won that one, too. His last Senior Major victory.

Wish I could watch that again. All the big old boys were there. Player, Palmer, Weiskopf, you name it. Calvin Peete was having an awful time of it, he was 20-some over par and obviously couldn't wait to get off the course.

[dfwgator]

Looks like Jack’s record is safe.

[FlyVet]

Vijay had his best run around age 40, as did Mark O’Meara. But it’s unusual. Usually the putting is shot by then. Nerves.

[dr_lew]

I've got a book of cartoons by H.T. Webster, who drew for newspaper syndication in the 1930's and 40's. It was a Book-of-the-Month club selection that my parents got in the 1950's. H.T. Webster created "Mr. Milquetoast", and a section of the book devoted to him is entitled "The Timid Soul". In one of these selections Mr. Milquetoast is standing in the clubhouse talking on the phone. Behind him are two middle aged guys saying:

Y'know what I shot this afternoon? A rott'n 79! I'm through with the filthy game! An' this time I mean it!

Don't talk to me about putrid golf! I came in with an 81. When a man shoots over 80 he'd better give up th' game, an' that's what I'm gonna do

Mr. Milquetoast says,

Uh - never mind operator. Cancel that call

A caption at the bottom reads,

Mr. Milquetoast ran to
the locker room to phone
his wife the big news,
that he broke 100

... I read these cartoons when I was a kid, and these numbers meant nothing to me. I didn't take up golf 'til my late thirties, but it's amazing how some things never change.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

He's a jerk. He might have been on steroids.

Majors won
Jack Nicklauus 18
*TiHgHer Woods 14

All time home runs

*Barry Bonds 762
Hank Aaron 755

[FlyVet]

Bonds certainly screwed himself. He was Hall of Fame without the steroids. 500 HR/400 steals at least. And all those Gold Gloves. Dummy.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

The roid era ended what little interest I had left in a sport I could not get enough of 15 years earlier.

[conservativebuckeye]

That’s what happened with Watson. In someways, Watson is putting better now than he did 20 years ago.

[newfreep]

NO question Tiger was on steroids until AFTER the Torry Pines Open and his "rehab" from the Canadian doc busted on HGH drugs he gave to many athletes. After that, the PGA began testing for HGH and PEDs and Tiger is MUCH LESS bulky now.

I believe Tiger was "ridin' dirty" through many of those 14 majors.

[Frantzie]

Yup. What was sad is when you were a little kid on Tv you could not really see anything when Jack was in his prime. BW Tv for much of the time and small TVs. Arnold was good but when Jack turned up he was crushing it with persimmon wood drivers etc. He had the complete game.

It is amazing how these guys can hit the same shot over and over especially Jack.

[csmusaret]

I can remember when David Duval had that kind of ability. Now it’s painful to watch him try to regain the old magic.

[FlyVet]

I saw Duval at the Tucson Open before he made his big run, still an unknown. About all I remember is him hitting a really bad shot out of a fairway bunker, then slamming his club into the sand in disgust.

Funny how some players are so great for a while, then lose it. Johnny Miller, Ian Baker-Finch...

[FlyVet]

I was skeptical about the steroid allegations until he was associated with that doctor who got busted for trafficking HGH. He can afford the best in the world, so no need to go anywhere near a doc like that.

As far as the weight gain goes, I weigh 30% more than I did in high school (I was a really skinny kid), and I'm not fat now, size 31 waist, and certainly don't take 'roids. People just gain weight as they age.

[50sDad]

It is out in the open, and he will never have the focus he has had in the past, because in his life, he is no longer God. No matter how he lied to himself, everybody now knows he is a sleezebag, and he KNOWS everybody knows his dirty little secret.