Byron Nelson Plays on Without Tiger Woods (He's Human!)

yahoo.com ^ | 5/14/05 | unknown

[beyond the sea]

IRVING, Texas - The moment was packed with the kind of tension usually seen only at a major. In the locker room at the Byron Nelson Championship, players huddled around the television as Tiger Woods stood over a 15-foot putt. Upstairs in the family dining area, about 60 people set down their silverware and stopped their chatter to watch. On the course, the 1,500 fans surrounding the 18th green went stone silent.

They witnessed something that had not happened on the PGA Tour in seven years and 142 tournaments.

Woods missed the cut.

"Every guy in the locker room was watching," Jesper Parnevik said. "We're not allowed to bet, but guys were offering $1,000 he would make it."

No wonder there were no takers.

Woods made a slippery 6-foot birdie putt at Torrey Pines three years ago to make the cut on the number. He made a downhill par putt from 4 feet in the Masters two years ago to do the same thing. And who can forget that 6-foot putt in the 2000 PGA Championship to force a playoff, or that 15-footer in the dark at the Presidents Cup.

Maybe that's what was so surprising about this one.

He studied the line from both sides, consulted his caddie, then stood over the ball and went through his routine. One look at the cup. Shift his feet and give it another look. A third look and pull the trigger.

The ball broke gently to the right toward the cup, then flattened out in the final 6 inches and trickled by, a dramatic end to one of the greatest streaks in sports.

[beyond the sea]

What would define sport, then? Physical contact? Blood? Is there, or can there be a distinction between sport and competition?

Hey you hijackers.... this was supposed to be about Tiger.... not what a sport is! ;-)

By the way, raybbr, I suggest you get out a dictionary and see what it suggests that a "sport" is!

[raybbr]

You are taking this way too seriously.

[beyond the sea]

And so is chess. ------------

nope!

[beyond the sea]

rofl....

[MikefromOhio]

This streak (142 'cuts made' in a row) is one of the greatest streaks in sports, perhaps the greatest, imo.

One of the greatest, yes, but it pales in comparasion to DiMaggio's 56 game streak or Ripken's consecutive games streak....I would put it right there, actually, at number 3....

[beyond the sea]

I could give you a million reasons why your are wrong, but that would be a waste of time. . .anyone that could think as you do, not only doesn't understand golf, but doesn't understand sports.

So true.............. here's a poster who has never reached any real proficiency at the game/sport, and he spews his malarkey! What a joke!

[Dashing Dasher]

It's a walk-a-thon where the winner gets a big check.

[beyond the sea]

Ugh! When did Janet Reno cut her hair?

[MikefromOhio]

Steroids is in the PGA and LPGA. Tiger is a ripped roid head....more along the lines of a Terrel Owens or an olympic track athelete.

Yeah thats why he doesn't carry any water weight on his face or hasn't gotten humongous or anything. Where is that even written?????

[MikefromOhio]

well he had a knee injury in that time span and got married and took quite a few months off in the past few years...

that is why I put Ripken's and DiMaggio's streaks ahead of his....

[Dashing Dasher]

At least we know she doesn't need a bra.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I'll search for the article, may be embedded in the one posted. It described how roids help the fine muscles in golf better than I can.

I noticed it during Jack's Memorial Tournament in May 2000. Vijay was pressing Tiger & generally outplaying him. Tiger, who had an average short game prior to this, was displaying a superhuman short game. He held Vijay off and went on to dominate the next three years. It was during that tourney, I noticed he looked different too. Vijay, who was pissed off after the match, made an odd comment too.

Best I can tell, Vijay does not like Tiger......or Lefty.

[beyond the sea]

He plays less than most. You are correct. Most player play around 27-32 tourneys a year............. they need the loot a little more!

;-)

[raybbr]

By the way genius, have you ever broken 75 on a decent course. No, of course not. You know nothing about golf as a sport.

No. And I never will. It's too boring to try.

On clay? I'll bet you're a real star! LOL. Wouldn't want to stress out your delicate knees!

On all surfaces. Want to challange me to a set?

ROFL....... the poster hasn't a clue! If he/she tried to play four days in a row you'd need a calculator and oxygen.

I stop counting at 100 no matter what hole I am on. Oxygen? I barely use any playing golf. Now, tennis. I can lose up to ten pounds in one week playing three to four times. I have to eat heavily to maintain my 6'2" 190lbs physique when playing tennis regularly. I don't run to the bar after playing to talk to all the other duffers sitting there wishing they were able to break 75.

[beyond the sea]

Ernie...... The Big Easy..... is cool!

[beyond the sea]

That's funny.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

HE is ripped....bulked up... and his face is much larger Roids don't turn you into Arnold. Look at all the track athletes who test positive.

[beyond the sea]

$100,000 ........... must have come in tied for 7th.

;-)

[DennisR]

I believe it was actually Mark Twain who said this. But I also believe the saying was "Golf is a good walk spoiled."

Just setting the record straight. Not that the Scots may have never said this! I have had many good walks spoiled by golf. :)

[mountaineer]

Tigger's "no-cut" streak included a couple dozen events that didn't have cuts, e.g., Ryder Cup, match play, etc. so it wasn't really 142, was it? The media/Nike/PGA seem to think we'll all lose interest if they don't overhype Tiger, when the fact is he's a good enough player that people still will care (even if he is roided up and has no personality).