Posted on 04/10/2011 6:01:55 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There first needs to be a simple, declarative statement to settle something once and for all, an answer to a question that's been asked for days, if not months. The statement is this: Tiger Woods is back.
He is. It's official. He didn't win the Masters, but after a courageous, almost history-making performance, it's impossible not to declare the career of Woods reinvigorated from the waitress-chasing dead.
Everything was present. The charge was there. He made up seven shots in eight holes, including an eagle on eight that led to the loudest roar of the weekend. Check. Some early leaders began to fall apart once Woods closed in. Check. Rory McIlroy had a bit of premature coronation, Jean Van De Velde-ing into people's lawns. Check, check, check.
McIlroy's falter was Woods’ gain. Woods caused McIlroy to panic. No question about it.
The caddy for Woods' playing partner shook Woods' hand at the conclusion of Woods' stunning round of 67 and said to Woods: "You're back."
You're back. Yes, he is. He is.
With all due respect to winner Charl Schwartzel, it was Woods who was the biggest story of the Masters despite finishing tied for fourth and four shots back with a 278.
You had to see it in person to understand. On the course, the gallery was throaty and chaotic. People could barely contain themselves as Woods made his run. Woods was fist-pumping again. His attitude was nasty again. Some of the staff at Augusta -- those who cook the food and empty the trash -- were mesmerized, sneaking a peak at the large television screen in the press room to watch Woods.
It's possible there hasn't been such emotion for a player who didn't win in the history of the Masters.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
Let's look at it this way. From the PGA leaderboard for the Masters, taking my own count:
Total contenders:99...46 Americans, 53 foreigners.
Made the cut: 21 Americans, 28 foreigners
Missed the cut: 25 Americans, 25 foreigners
Foreigners had 28 of 53 players make the cut (53%). Americans 21 of 46 (46%). 54% of all who were eligible to contend for the cut were foreigners.
That's what I'm getting at.
“Are you kidding? He’s 35 years old. An apt comparison to Tiger, in my mind, is Tom Watson.”
No, I’m not kidding. Jack won 6 of his majors at 35+ (over a 24 year period) and Tiger is only 4 behind him now - after 11 years...and consider the conditioning available today. Not hard to imagine at all. And there are no serious competitors to Woods when he is back, this weekend notwithstanding. A couple of good rounds doesn’t make you Woods or Nicklaus, Arnold or Watson. That’s some pretty rarefied air.
Arnie only won 7 over an 8 year period. As for Watson, he won 7 total, also over an eight year period. How you could compare Watson and Woods is bewildering. Watson LIFETIME had about half the tourny wins Woods had after 11 years.
I think the reason people scoff at comparing Woods to Jack is that Jack Nicklaus is Golf personified, not his race, although some of the posts about Woods, even here, show that is somewhat a factor.
If you were comparing him to Walter Hagen, you might have an easier time, even though a lot of people really underestimate Hagen (maybe to long ago?) for some reason, he was a truly great golfer with some bad (some rumored even nasty) habits off field. Comparing him to Jack or Arnold is real tough to do, but they themselves have said it, that he is the most complete GOLFER they have ever seen. Jack believes Tiger will break his record. He is on record as saying he hopes he’s there to shake his hand when it happens.
Hard to top that for being a gentleman.
While I was impressed with most aspects of his game (like the 230 yard shot to the green off the pinestraw underneath the Eisenhower pine — vintage Tiger), he didn’t seem to have his old ability to sink the pressure putts. That was the one weakness that I noticed.
Agreed. Tiger's back nine was PAR [Birdie cancelling out the Bogey]. And McElroy folded simply because he IS a 21-year old who finally realized the enormity of the entire situation on the last day ...
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