SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Tiger Woods was a beaten man Friday. Beaten, but not defeated.
At
least, not in his own mind. In that stubborn fantasy land, he’s
apparently undefeated forever. It’s a remarkable place, where Woods
seems to be able to erase an entire decade and convince himself that his
return to major-championship prowess is imminent.
In
Tiger’s head, he’s just a tweak away from being the best player in the
world again. Out here in the real world, the evidence to the contrary
continues to pile up.
This week’s addition to the thickening evidentiary file is his 78-72 in the U.S. Open
at Shinnecock Hills, which allowed Woods and his $20 million yacht to
depart the premises early. It’s now been five years since he played the
weekend in the Open, eight since he had a top-10 finish and, of course,
10 since he last won this event.
That
2008 Open at Torrey Pines also is the last time he won any major.
Nobody realistically expects Woods to win another, stalling out at 14 in
perpetuity, an incredible career that still feels a bit wasted.
Ah, but in his own mind there is a different view. It came out Friday when he was discussing the importance of winning majors.
Tiger Woods was not on top of his game at the 2018 U.S. Open. (AP)
“Our whole careers are pretty much measured as if you can win four times a year,” Woods said.
Then he dropped this little reminder of how it used to be: “One year, I did it three times.”
A reporter asked him, whether he’s convinced he could do it again.
“Absolutely,” he replied.
Why? he was asked
“Have you seen the way I’ve been swinging?” he shot back, smiling.
That
was a glimpse into that fantasy land between the ears – where denial
and hope, arrogance and obstinance, feed on each other. That mindset
might have helped make Woods a great champion, but now it could be a
disservice.
Fact
is, Tiger swung it well this week – not brilliantly, but well. He hit
71 percent of fairways in two rounds, and 44 percent of greens in
regulation.
Those aren’t major-winning accuracy stats. Dustin Johnson,
who is comfortably leading this tournament and played in the exact same
weather conditions as a member of Woods’ threesome, hit 79 percent of
fairways and 71 percent of greens.
Yet
to hear Woods talk, the ball striking is there and all he needs to do
is rediscover his putting stroke. Then it’s 2000 all over again.
“If
I would have putted [at Shinnecock] the way I did the beginning of the
year with this ball striking, that would be ideal,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I just haven’t done that.”
Woods’
work with the flat stick definitely was not good here and hasn’t been
good in his last several tour appearances during this 2018 comeback
season. But in Woods’ World, it’s never bad enough to ditch the Scotty
Cameron putter or hire a putting coach. He’s not relinquishing control
or admitting that he might need to make big changes.
While
the putter was bad this week, it was Woods’ failure (twice) to put an
iron shot safely onto the No. 1 green that sent him home.
The
first hole is no cupcake – none of them are here – but it’s hardly
impregnable, either. In terms of scoring, it was the second easiest of
Shinnecock’s 12 par-4 holes on Thursday.
Yet
Woods carded the worst score of the entire field on No. 1 Thursday, a
ghastly triple bogey that was triggered by an errant approach that
rolled off the back of the green. That led to a chip that rolled back
down, followed by a putt that rolled back down, followed by three more
putts for a seven.
Playing
in a chilly, misting rain Friday morning, Woods put his tee shot in
perfect position – middle of the fairway, 157 yards out. But he fanned
the approach into deep hay on the right side of the green, a nightmare
destination. The ball nestled into the thick, wet grass, and Tiger
chopped it out with little hope of it stopping on the green.
It
rolled over the opposite side and he had to chip back up. That was
followed by a two-putt that left him five-over in two days on an
unremarkable hole. And just as he did Thursday, Woods followed that
debacle with a bogey on the second.
Woods’
score relative to par bottomed out at 12-over. Then he played his best
stretch of the tourney over his final three holes – a par at No. 7 and
birdies at Nos. 8 and 9, when the putts rolled in confidently after the
pressure was off. (A legendarily clutch player exhibited none of that
old trait here.)
So
you can pick your favorite rationalization: Tiger was fine on 16 out of
18 holes; he just needs to get the putter going; those last two birdies
are a sign of what he can do; he’s farther along than anyone could have
hoped in this rebound season after two years on the shelf.
The
last one might even be true. But this was a setback for the comeback,
and it was impossible for anyone to watch Tiger Woods play Thursday and
Friday and envision him winning more majors.
Except for Tiger himself. In his mind, he’s undefeated.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
he seemed a likeable enough chap in his post round interview. why the hate?
IP > TW
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
eldrick’s yacht is a bit of overkill. you can bang Perkins waitresses on a bayliner.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
He has to be but sounds like they’re not gonna. He needs to do it himself. His laughing and all after. Fuck that guy. Don’t embarrass this country’s championship.
His most coveted tournament is gonna be a highlight full of 2nds and that...good
He has to be but sounds like they’re not gonna. He needs to do it himself. His laughing and all after. Fuck that guy. Don’t embarrass this country’s championship.
His most coveted tournament is gonna be a highlight full of 2nds and that...good
Wow. Fuck the USGA. He should be DQ'd as soon as he steps off the 18th green.
Fucking love this. Fuck these guys. If it’s not a birdie fest, they’re soft. Tom Watson loved difficult conditions because half the field was out of it before they hit a shot. No good shots are being unfairly punished.
i haven't seen the entire tourney, seen some play, but to bitch and moan that the course is too hard... i call BS. Adapt your game and play on... face the challenge head on and see where you fall. Its awesome seeing them struggle and deal with the conditions... DJ class act.. he knows what its about.
beer is good...happy fathers day gang!
Hamilton 9-13-05; Toronto 5-9-06, Toronto 8-21-09, Toronto 9-12-11, Hamilton 9-15-11....
i haven't seen the entire tourney, seen some play, but to bitch and moan that the course is too hard... i call BS. Adapt your game and play on... face the challenge head on and see where you fall. Its awesome seeing them struggle and deal with the conditions... DJ class act.. he knows what its about.
beer is good...happy fathers day gang!
Every time there is a US open match in NY it chews up the competition, whether it be Shinecock or Bethpage black, the courses are just harder and the pros are not prepared for it.
Anybody remember John Dalys 15 on a hole? That was great, lol.
Phil Mickelson running after that putt is the only redeeming thing about this year's U.S. Open. In my opinion just call it and move on to the next tournament.
Phil Mickelson running after that putt is the only redeeming thing about this year's U.S. Open. In my opinion just call it and move on to the next tournament.
I actually like to see the pros suffer. For years I've played on subpar courses out in the desert or off the beaten path and accepted it as such. These guys get a little bit of displacement and they fall apart.
I love it.
For the record I always played better on better maintained courses too, go figure...
Phil Mickelson running after that putt is the only redeeming thing about this year's U.S. Open. In my opinion just call it and move on to the next tournament.
I actually like to see the pros suffer. For years I've played on subpar courses out in the desert or off the beaten path and accepted it as such. These guys get a little bit of displacement and they fall apart.
I love it.
For the record I always played better on better maintained courses too, go figure...
Boom. Correct. The course is in fine shape. It burned out. It was slow yesterday and now it’s too fast. Man up
Not posted here in a long while and have not read what was posted. Phil was a knucklehead at first thought, but probably was just smarter than most and saved strokes. The USGA is a cumdumpster with their setups. Get over yourselves. A good shot should be rewarded, not punished by grass cut too short and gravity
I've met Rob
DEGENERATE FUK
This place is dead
"THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015
I like the course being hard, but not because the greens are a clusterfuck. It seems like you could make every course difficult by drying out the greens.
I would rather there be trees, penalizing rough, water hazards, risk/reward shots. Not greens that are shit. Chambers Bay gets a lot of grief but greens equally as bad on this top course of all time. Fire Mike Davis.
Comments
Tiger Woods living in denial following brutal U.S. Open
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Tiger Woods was a beaten man Friday. Beaten, but not defeated.
At least, not in his own mind. In that stubborn fantasy land, he’s apparently undefeated forever. It’s a remarkable place, where Woods seems to be able to erase an entire decade and convince himself that his return to major-championship prowess is imminent.
In Tiger’s head, he’s just a tweak away from being the best player in the world again. Out here in the real world, the evidence to the contrary continues to pile up.
This week’s addition to the thickening evidentiary file is his 78-72 in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, which allowed Woods and his $20 million yacht to depart the premises early. It’s now been five years since he played the weekend in the Open, eight since he had a top-10 finish and, of course, 10 since he last won this event.
That 2008 Open at Torrey Pines also is the last time he won any major. Nobody realistically expects Woods to win another, stalling out at 14 in perpetuity, an incredible career that still feels a bit wasted.
Ah, but in his own mind there is a different view. It came out Friday when he was discussing the importance of winning majors.
“Our whole careers are pretty much measured as if you can win four times a year,” Woods said.
Then he dropped this little reminder of how it used to be: “One year, I did it three times.”
A reporter asked him, whether he’s convinced he could do it again.
“Absolutely,” he replied.
Why? he was asked
“Have you seen the way I’ve been swinging?” he shot back, smiling.
That was a glimpse into that fantasy land between the ears – where denial and hope, arrogance and obstinance, feed on each other. That mindset might have helped make Woods a great champion, but now it could be a disservice.
Fact is, Tiger swung it well this week – not brilliantly, but well. He hit 71 percent of fairways in two rounds, and 44 percent of greens in regulation.
Those aren’t major-winning accuracy stats. Dustin Johnson, who is comfortably leading this tournament and played in the exact same weather conditions as a member of Woods’ threesome, hit 79 percent of fairways and 71 percent of greens.
Yet to hear Woods talk, the ball striking is there and all he needs to do is rediscover his putting stroke. Then it’s 2000 all over again.
“If I would have putted [at Shinnecock] the way I did the beginning of the year with this ball striking, that would be ideal,” he said. “Unfortunately, I just haven’t done that.”
Woods’ work with the flat stick definitely was not good here and hasn’t been good in his last several tour appearances during this 2018 comeback season. But in Woods’ World, it’s never bad enough to ditch the Scotty Cameron putter or hire a putting coach. He’s not relinquishing control or admitting that he might need to make big changes.
While the putter was bad this week, it was Woods’ failure (twice) to put an iron shot safely onto the No. 1 green that sent him home.
The first hole is no cupcake – none of them are here – but it’s hardly impregnable, either. In terms of scoring, it was the second easiest of Shinnecock’s 12 par-4 holes on Thursday.
Yet Woods carded the worst score of the entire field on No. 1 Thursday, a ghastly triple bogey that was triggered by an errant approach that rolled off the back of the green. That led to a chip that rolled back down, followed by a putt that rolled back down, followed by three more putts for a seven.
Playing in a chilly, misting rain Friday morning, Woods put his tee shot in perfect position – middle of the fairway, 157 yards out. But he fanned the approach into deep hay on the right side of the green, a nightmare destination. The ball nestled into the thick, wet grass, and Tiger chopped it out with little hope of it stopping on the green.
It rolled over the opposite side and he had to chip back up. That was followed by a two-putt that left him five-over in two days on an unremarkable hole. And just as he did Thursday, Woods followed that debacle with a bogey on the second.
Woods’ score relative to par bottomed out at 12-over. Then he played his best stretch of the tourney over his final three holes – a par at No. 7 and birdies at Nos. 8 and 9, when the putts rolled in confidently after the pressure was off. (A legendarily clutch player exhibited none of that old trait here.)
So you can pick your favorite rationalization: Tiger was fine on 16 out of 18 holes; he just needs to get the putter going; those last two birdies are a sign of what he can do; he’s farther along than anyone could have hoped in this rebound season after two years on the shelf.
The last one might even be true. But this was a setback for the comeback, and it was impossible for anyone to watch Tiger Woods play Thursday and Friday and envision him winning more majors.
Except for Tiger himself. In his mind, he’s undefeated.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
he seemed a likeable enough chap in his post round interview. why the hate?
IP > TW
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Hoping Rickie can make a charge today.....
His most coveted tournament is gonna be a highlight full of 2nds and that...good
What's the big deal? How is this making it a "mockery" like that Ass-Jack Joe Buck said?
beer is good...happy fathers day gang!
Anybody remember John Dalys 15 on a hole? That was great, lol.
Phil Mickelson running after that putt is the only redeeming thing about this year's U.S. Open. In my opinion just call it and move on to the next tournament.
I love it.
For the record I always played better on better maintained courses too, go figure...
DEGENERATE FUK
This place is dead
"THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015
"Kfsbho&$thncds" - F Me In the Brain - circa 2015
DEGENERATE FUK
This place is dead
"THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015
"Kfsbho&$thncds" - F Me In the Brain - circa 2015
I would rather there be trees, penalizing rough, water hazards, risk/reward shots. Not greens that are shit. Chambers Bay gets a lot of grief but greens equally as bad on this top course of all time. Fire Mike Davis.