Smitten Kitten Woods just not swinger of old (it's his girlfriends fault?)

The Dominion Post ^ | 6/18/2004 | BOB HERTZEL

[the_devils_advocate_666]

David Duval couldn't do it. Vijay Singh couldn't. Neither could Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els or even Phil Mickelson.

No one could handle the greatest swinger of his generation, Tiger Woods.

When he was behind you, your lead wasn't safe, no matter how big. When he was ahead of you, you couldn't catch him, no matter how slim his lead.

By the time he was 30 he was going to be the world's greatest golfer.

Then, many theorize, Elin Nordegren did what Duval, Singh, Garcia, Els and Mickelson couldn't do. She brought Woods to his golfing knees.

While most American men discovered girls in their pizza-faced teen-aged days, their heads spinning with the hormonal cocktail that had them forever high, Woods was out perfecting his golf game.

Ah, but the man was not a monk, and so, they say, when he was finally smitten by a love kitten, his mind was blown into the rough along with far too many of his tee shots.

That, at least, is the tabloid theory.

Golfers have different theories.

In these parts, there is no finer golfer than Brad Westfall, who opens defense of his fifth West Virginia Open championship on Monday. The Tygart Lake Golf Course professional sees Woods' slump, which had lasted through seven majors as the U.S. Open bega* play Thursday, in a different light.

To Westfall, the swinger has lost his swing and isn't playing enough to get it back.

Period.

The reason Woods hasn't won a medal play tournament since October of last year (his only win this year was a match play event) is purely technical, according to Westfall, not the model he's going to marry,

"No, no, not at all," Westfall said. "There are two things that have hurt him more than anything. One, he doesn't play enough. Two, he switched swing coaches."

Woods first learned his swing from his father, then was tutored by the legendary (Tiger made him a legend) Butch Harmon, from whom he broke off a while back.

"If you look at all the articles, he's going by what Mark O'Meara, his friend, is saying," Westfall said. "But they have different swings. Even Harmon has said Tiger's swinging flatter than he used to."

A golfer's swing is his game and Woods had the best swing.

When he first came out on the tour, he had troubles off the tee, spraying the ball around. Harmon worked that out for him until Woods was hitting nearly 70 percent of the fairways.

Now he's hitting less than 60 percent and no one, not even Tiger Woods, is good enough to play any major other than the Masters from the rough.

"He's now back to being erratic," Westfall said. "His swing isn't standing up under pressure. Before, when he got the lead, everyone knew it was over. Now, they believe they have a chance."

Westfall says there are a couple of other items affecting Woods' game. "Look at Duval. He went from Titleist to Nike clubs and has not been the same since. Tiger did the same thing and has not been the same. And both of them are playing different balls f rom when they were at their peak."

Oddly, Woods' startling success has made it tougher for him to regain his spot at the top of the golf world.

"He's lifted all the players to a higher level," Westfall said.

Makes sense, but you wonder what decision he'd make if he were forced to choose between his girlfriend and his golf game.

[Independentamerican]

GOSH DARN !! IS THAT WHERE I SHOULD HAVE WENT TO SCHOOL ??? GOSH DARN IT !! Heart went pity pity pity pat and caused a little perspiration when I saw that pic .. GO TIGER

[TommyDale]

I heard he likes it when she's on top.