Woods ain't bad

[ChicosBailBonds]

A bunch of co-workers went down to Torrey Pines, but with my 10th anniversary Friday and Father's Day today....I was happy to be home.  Can't lie, after watching today, wouldn't have minded being there on 18.

He's just sick....that's not even factoring in what he did yesterday.

[4everwarriors]

He's the most amazing athlete in any sport, I've ever seen, bar none.

[wildbill sb]

You guys really believe all that hype Nantz and Miller and the rest of the PGA/Network shills keep shoveling at us?

wildbill sb

"Renewable energy IS homeland security"

[ChicosBailBonds]

No hype....the players now are better then ever.  The top 100 players can win any event...hell Mediate is ranked 158th and in a playoff tomorrow.

They've had to "tiger proof" courses just like they had to ban the slam dunk against Kareem.  When they're doing things like that, you're talking groundbreaking stuff.

11 majors this decade, 13 overall and the guy is 32 years old.  He's the single most dominant player in any sport I have ever seen.  I can't think of one that is more dominant, especially when you consider you have to do it on your own (can't rely on a great center, or a great pitcher or great QB).  It's all him and he continually just does it over and over and over again.

[Rollout-the-Barrel]

Wish they would have immediately had a playoff so I could watch instead of being at work tomorrow!
I'm surprised Tiger waited until he was playing to take pain meds for his knee.  Made for very good tv.

[Buzz4Prez]

can you imagine how much Tiger would have won by if he had 2 good knees and not just one? Think about how sore that has to get with walking all that time... that has to wear on you some what. I wish I could be half as good as Tiger.

[wildbill sb]

No hype....the players now are better then ever.  The top 100 players can win any event...hell Mediate is ranked 158th and in a playoff tomorrow.

They've had to "tiger proof" courses just like they had to ban the slam dunk against Kareem.  When they're doing things like that, you're talking groundbreaking stuff.

11 majors this decade, 13 overall and the guy is 32 years old.  He's the single most dominant player in any sport I have ever seen.  I can't think of one that is more dominant, especially when you consider you have to do it on your own (can't rely on a great center, or a great pitcher or great QB).  It's all him and he continually just does it over and over and over again.

Oh, I don't know about that.  Buzz could have made that putt, too, and he doesn't have much hair either.

wildbill sb

 

[ATWizJr]

Woods....got the goods.

[tower912]

I freely acknowledge that Tiger is the greatest golfer in the world and possibly the greatest athlete in the world.   I can never bring myself to root for him.   Admire, respect, am amazed by,  yes, but never root for.   I could never root for Jordan in his day either.   It is like rooting for Exxon, MicroSoft, or McDonalds.   I just can't do it.   

[Henry Sugar]

So I just made a co-worker a bet giving him Mediate +2 strokes in today's playoff.

Good?  Bad?

[ATWizJr]

Sugar - you ripped him off.  More like 2 per side.

[State]

What is it that makes grown men yell 'in the hole' after every shot?

Is it the same guy over and over or 72 different men for each shot of the round (in today's case 144 for both Rocco and Tiger).

Also, why do we need commentators on the course telling us where the ball is going?  We have aerial coverage of the ball--I don't know how many times Rodger tells us the ball 'could be buried' or 'may be in the first cut' when at home we already know where the ball ended up.


And don't even get me started on the 'Tiger Knee Coverage'---I didn't even realize Westwood was in it until his last putt.  I know we are witnessing greatness with Tiger's play but shouldn't we be allowed to see the competition as well??

OK--back to watching golf all afternoon and wishing I could hit just 1 shot like Tiger just once in my life 

[tower912]

Tiger has hit several shots I can relate to.   Near shank out of a fairway bunker, 3 to get out of the rough, burying a ball in a greenside bunker, hooking one off the course from a decent lie.....yeah, I have all of those shots.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Tiger has hit several shots I can relate to.   Near shank out of a fairway bunker, 3 to get out of the rough, burying a ball in a greenside bunker, hooking one off the course from a decent lie.....yeah, I have all of those shots.

but ours are usually on the same hole.

[chapman]

I'm not a fan, but he's damn good.  Looks like he already has the playoff in the bag, as if there was any doubt.

[Mayor McCheese]

I am not taking anything away from Tiger... but it seemed odd when -1 was the leader... and now it looks like in the playoff Par golf will win it.  Not saying I can hit shots like that because I can't, but, they are pros, for some odd reason when I was a child (10-15 years ago) I remember winners being much more under than -1.

Yes Tiger is great, but best athlete in the world, now you just are eating what ESPN and the media feeds us.  He golfs for goodness sakes, thats what people do when they retire (or now it is the thing to do at any age).  Tiger is the same man who said his children won't play soccer because it doesn't have enough contact, but he plays golf...

Love watching him play, he is the best golfer in the world, but I can't say best athlete, it is really hard to give anyone that title. 

[Pakuni]

He's the most amazing athlete in any sport, I've ever seen, bar none.

Most amazing golfer of all time.
But golfers aren't athletes any more than bowlers and professional billiards players.

[ChicosBailBonds]

So I just made a co-worker a bet giving him Mediate +2 strokes in today's playoff.

Good?  Bad?

How's this, I have Mediate in our US Open pool.  We have a snake draft and I got Rocco late so I have a shot to still win this thing.

[ChicosBailBonds]

but ours are usually on the same hole.

Els had a few yesterday on the same hole that looked familiar....Phil did also.   

[tower912]

Walk a hilly 18 carrying your bag and then repeat that statement about golfers being athletes.   I have collecte on a few bets by challenging 'athletes' to keep up with me walking a hilly course carrying my bag.   They are usually gassed and making 8's by the end if they are lucky.   Golf carts and architects that build courses that require them aren't doing anyone any favors.

[chapman]

Most amazing golfer of all time.
But golfers aren't athletes any more than bowlers and professional billiards players.

The dictionary calls an athlete:
"a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina"

By that definition, I guess I would call Tiger Woods an athlete.  Though it wouldn't stretch to all golfers.  The guys who go golfing after work and ride in the cart and have a few drinks aren't trained or skilled, nor is the guy who is sore for days because he had to walk a course.  I wouldn't say Tiger Woods is the "best", when you consider the physical strength, agility, and stamina required of Oympic athletes or players in many pro sports. 
Note the definition says physical, not mental.  You have professional bowlers and billiards players, and professional poker players with mental ability.  We wouldn't call a poker player an athlete because they have to constantly use their mind and it requires the stamina to sit through a game for hours on end. 

[Pakuni]

Walk a hilly 18 carrying your bag and then repeat that statement about golfers being athletes.   

When's the last time a professional golfer walked a hilly 18 holes carrying their bag, at least during a tournament? When you think about it, an average round for a professional golfer entails walking about 4-5 miles over four or five hours time.
Wow. Taking my kids to the zoo for a day is more athletically challenging. At least then, I'm pushing around a stroller.

And even when you do carry your own bag over a hilly course, the athletic endeavor in which you're partaking is "hiking" not golfing. Walking with a heavy bag slung over one's shoulder is not an essential element of the game of golf.

(Note: I'm not talking about difficulty here. Golf is an intensely difficult physical activity. It's just not one that requires athleticism.)

[jaybilaswho?]

What is it that makes grown men yell 'in the hole' after every shot?

I dont get this either. I hate it when someone yells get in the hole after a player tees off on a par 5. "get in the hole" in this situation does not make any sense, unless happy gilmore is playing. those are guys that do not belong on the course. they should have a magenta smock on and direct cars in the parking lot.


So they tied again....what happens another play off tomorrow?

[jaybilaswho?]

I am not taking anything away from Tiger... but it seemed odd when -1 was the leader... and now it looks like in the playoff Par golf will win it.  Not saying I can hit shots like that because I can't, but, they are pros, for some odd reason when I was a child (10-15 years ago) I remember winners being much more under than -1.

Yes Tiger is great, but best athlete in the world, now you just are eating what ESPN and the media feeds us.  He golfs for goodness sakes, thats what people do when they retire (or now it is the thing to do at any age).  Tiger is the same man who said his children won't play soccer because it doesn't have enough contact, but he plays golf...

Love watching him play, he is the best golfer in the world, but I can't say best athlete, it is really hard to give anyone that title. 

- obviously you have missed the concept of a Major Golf Tournament. These courses, typically the hardest courses in America, are made to play even harder during these tournaments. For Christ sakes, Bethpage has a warning to only expert players should play that course. The PGA has these courses groomed to punish even the slightest error (i.e. progressive rough). The fact that the no. 1 golfer in the world was only able to shoot -1 shows just how hard that golf course is. Besides, i woould rather see a tournament with the champion at -1 and the rest of the field slightly above par. That means not only competition with your opponents, but also competition with the course. If the leader is at -14, i dont care. Obviously the course is not playing to the players true ability. That kind of a tournament is just a walk in the park with nothing to watch (compare ratings of these to this US Open).

- I think the term athlete has a second dimension to it that no one ever mentions. Athletes do not have to have contact with each other (tennis, volleyball, golf). I think what makes golfers athletes, and in Tigers case the "greatest athlete in the world" is that he can do pretty much anything that he wants with that golf ball. He can put draw on it, he put fade on it, he can put the ball on the green and pull the string on it so that it rolls back to the pin from any area (notably sundays shot out of the rough and stopping the ball to keep his putt at 12 feet). He dominates the ball and his sport. Just like MJ did in basketball.   They may not be able to run 4.4 40 or hit a 95 mph fastball, but they are still athletes.

[StillAWarrior]

Since there's a debate here about whether golfers are athletes (which I think they clearly are), I'd ask this question:  which requires more athleticism -- walking 18 holes of golf (with a caddy) or playing a major league baseball game at first base?  Or other positions?

The golfer walks 4-5 miles (or so), swings hard to strike the ball dozens of times and undeniably requires a lot of hand-eye coordination.  Admittedly, the pace is faily liesurely but there really isn't much time to sit.

The baseball player spends about half of the game standing in the field with relatively limited physical activity.  Sometimes he has to run, but that is a minority of the time -- especially in a position like first base.  He spends about half of the game sitting in the dugout.  He has maybe 4-5 plate appearances and probably doesn't swing the bat more than 15-20 times.  Is the baseball player an athlete?  Of course he is.

I can't imagine comparing professional golf to billiards or bowling.  I think top level professional golfers are outstanding athletes and cannot believe anyone would argue otherwise.  And, of course, Tiger is above them all.