The Tiger Woods Thread

Armchair Andy

You know it was a good one when it's immortalised in lego!!:D

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/05/tiger-woods-chip-2005-masters-legos

HighLine

This video is doing the rounds today. Tiger putting 3 balls in the drink. We saw him hitting the ball well at a clinic a few weeks back, so I'm thinking (hoping) that he was stiff and didn't want to hit a full shot and risk aggravating the back.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/tiger-woods-hits-iron-shots-water-article-1.2638589?cid=bitly

Jimmy Iovine

HighLine wrote:

This video is doing the rounds today. Tiger putting 3 balls in the drink. We saw him hitting the ball well at a clinic a few weeks back, so I'm thinking (hoping) that he was stiff and didn't want to hit a full shot and risk aggravating the back.

I suppose when he was hitting on the range a few weeks back, it was hard to tell exactly where he was aiming and where he wanted to hit it.

He is probably still way off a return.

I hope he doesn't rush it and absolutely bomb it trying to play a tough course.

PARlance

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

He is probably still way off a return.

I thought he was way off a return 3-4 years ago and will be way off in another 4, i.e there will be no real return. His body is beaten and he ain't coming back imo.

First Up

PARlance wrote:

I thought he was way off a return 3-4 years ago and will be way off in another 4, i.e there will be no real return. His body is beaten and he ain't coming back imo.

I'm inclined to agree but there are commercial factors that mean his name will keep popping up.

His problem is that there is no way he can ease himself back in as there will be such ballyhoo and expectations around any appearance. If his golf doesn't match (and its highly unlikely that it would) there would be nowhere to hide. That might be more than even the mellower and humbler Tiger can take.

But he still has sponsors to satisfy and (big) bills to pay so if he can get to even a presentable standard I'd expect to see him doing specials in China and the like.

But a cold, wet and windy Open at somewhere like Carnoustie? I doubt it.

joxer1988

HighLine wrote: »

This video is doing the rounds today. Tiger putting 3 balls in the drink. We saw him hitting the ball well at a clinic a few weeks back, so I'm thinking (hoping) that he was stiff and didn't want to hit a full shot and risk aggravating the back.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/tiger-woods-hits-iron-shots-water-article-1.2638589?cid=bitly

Think this was all a bit of fun. He was playing closest to the pin with an army vet, who was already on the green and Tiger was joking before and after each shot exaggerating and complaining about stiffness in his back etc. As the first one plopped in the announcer had a new ball ready for him immediately, and the same after the second... But surely - surely - Tiger Woods or any pro golfer doesn't chunk a 100y chip shot 3 times in a row in a casual game (recent evidence at Augusta excepting)...

Jimmy Iovine

http://www.tigerwoods.com/news/2016/06/06/182427008/grand-central-publishing-acquires-book-by-tiger

Grand Central Publishing (GCP), a division of Hachette Book Group, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of UNTITLED TIGER WOODS 1997 MASTERS BOOK by sports icon Tiger Woods, co-written with Lorne Rubenstein. Jamie Raab, president and publisher at GCP, negotiated world rights to the book with Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management, with Gretchen Young, VP, Executive Editor at GCP editing. The book will be published in hardcover, e-book and audio editions in March 2017 in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Tiger's win at the 1997 Masters.

The book, Woods' first since his 2001 book, "How I Play Golf," will explore Woods' history with the game, the tournament itself, how golf has changed over the last 20 years and what it was like winning. Woods will open up about his relationship with father Earl Woods, dispel previous misconceptions and will candidly reveal many more stories that have never been told before.

I hope we actually see a more candid Tiger and that this isn't just a corporate pile of nonsense.

It would be interesting to hear him reading the audio book.

marvin80

Domo1982 wrote: »

Now that's quite some article! Cheers for link

Excellent article, very insightful

HighLine

No US Open or his tournament as a host, Quicken Loans for Tiger.

http://www.tigerwoods.com/news/2016/06/07/182615762/tiger-to-miss-us-open-quicken-loans-national/

LuckyGent88

confirmed to miss rest of this season. I take that to mean after tour championship anyway.

The Rape of Lucretia

He is as well off. He already has the Tiger Slam, so may as well wait for a neat start with the Masters next year and go for the calender grand slam.

The Rape of Lucretia

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

He is as well off. He already has the Tiger Slam, so may as well wait for a neat start with the Masters next year and go for the calender grand slam.

He has as much chance of doing that as I have. Which is none

Rikand

Exactly wrote: »

He has as much chance of doing that as I have. Which is none

Exactly.

mickmackey1

He was being sarcastic... I hope

Rikand

Rikand wrote: »

Exactly.

Great contribution to the discussion. :rolleyes:

Armchair Andy

Much and all as I dislike the man, Tiger not in contention on the back 9 of a Sunday major is a pity. Players looking over their shoulders waiting to see which side he'd come up on.

Would love to see him win another one.

Martin567

Armchair Andy wrote: »

Much and all as I dislike the man, Tiger not in contention on the back 9 of a Sunday major is a pity. Players looking over their shoulders waiting to see which side he'd come up on.

Would love to see him win another one.

The ironic thing about that is he never came up on anyone's shoulder on the final day of a Major!

He often threatened but he never won from behind on the final day. All of his wins were from the front.

CloudCumulus

Martin567 wrote: »

The ironic thing about that is he never came up on anyone's shoulder on the final day of a Major!

He often threatened but he never won from behind on the final day. All of his wins were from the front.

I read that as meaning physically coming up behind them because he'd be out in the last group.
I'd say he definitely put the frighteners on people. I love the young guys now and it's clear, from Snapchat even, that they're all pally but I have to say I miss the icy looks between Tiger and Phil.

slingerz

i dont think anyone can argue that having Tiger in contention on a Sunday with Day, Rory, Dustin, Speith etc. would be great TV and entertainment.

Unfortunately i dont think we will ever get to see it happen

Boskowski

I'd say we will. There is just too much talent and most importantly stubborn, single minded dedication in that man to simply go away. If he can find at least some of that dedication still in him he'll be back.

He's had a number of rough years in his private life and with his health. Back problems can end a golfers career and it may end Tiger's career, so taking the long term approach this time around is certainly the right thing. It may work out, it may not. His next comeback attempt will be his last one I think. He either does it or he'll pack it in. In his last attempt at a comeback he nearly made a show of himself and if he has to end it thats not how he wants to go.

He almost certainly won't be back to his dominant form of his prime, but I hope he'll play and he will win, too.
He's only forty and can have another 10 years at the top level as others have shown. Nicklaus won a Masters at 46, no reason Tiger couldn't do that. A comeback would be all that much sweeter after being written off by so many.

It all depends on the back. I expect him to have the best medical attention money can buy so we can hope.

Jawgap

There was a bit of talk last week about the possibility of a Major being won by someone over the age of 50 - I think it's quite possible Woods could achieve what Watson missed out on, first over 50 to win a Major?

davo10

Jawgap wrote: »

There was a bit of talk last week about the possibility of a Major being won by someone over the age of 50 - I think it's quite possible Woods could achieve what Watson missed out on, first over 50 to win a Major?

I think to win a major requires a great physical condition to compete over a full week (including practice rounds and time on the driving range), I can't see Tiger achieving that level of conditioning.

Watson nearly won because of the conditions, he wasn't the longest but he was the straightest and the smartest.

Jawgap

davo10 wrote: »

I think to win a major requires a great physical condition to compete over a full week (including practice rounds and time on the driving range), I can't see Tiger achieving that level of conditioning.

Watson nearly won because of the conditions, he wasn't the longest but he was the straightest and the smartest.

Indeed, but he's got a few years to get fit

He'll obviously never get back to being as good as he was as consistently as he was but I'd imagine he'll get back to a point where he can play reasonably regularly and will have occasional flashes where he winds back the clock - hopefully one of those will be in a Major - which I agree will be unlikely if it's a course that rewards 'bombing' it with the driver, but if it's one where shot-making is required, conditioning becomes less of an issue.

Time will tell.

First Up

Jawgap wrote:

Time will tell.

It already has.

Jawgap

First Up wrote: »

It already has.

I think the story has another chapter to run.

A few months ago, he could only hit half wedges, now it seems it's full shots at the range.

I'd say a lot depends now on how the rehab keeps progressing.

First Up

Jawgap wrote:

A few months ago, he could only hit half wedges, now it seems it's full shots at the range.

I don't know to what extent he can regain full fitness but I do know that he will never be able to hit it as far as the young guys around him and I'm not sure he has the mentality to cope with that.

His injuries in part can be blamed on his obsession with maintaining strength in an ageing body. His was always a high maintenance swing and it just caught up with him.

The likes of Watson and Nicklaus were smart (and secure) enough to adapt their game to their declining physical powers. I see no sign of that in Tiger's personality to date.

Jawgap

First Up wrote: »

I don't know to what extent he can regain full fitness but I do know that he will never be able to hit it as far as the young guys around him and I'm not sure he has the mentality to cope with that.

His injuries in part can be blamed on his obsession with maintaining strength in an ageing body. His was always a high maintenance swing and it just caught up with him.

The likes of Watson and Nicklaus were smart (and secure) enough to adapt their game to their declining physical powers. I see no sign of that in Tiger's personality to date.

He'll never get the same power back, that's for sure but there was more to his game than power and I assume he'll be making changes to 'protect' his back and give him a swing and game that gets him back into competition.....

......a bit like the way Paul Mcgrath changed his game when his knees went!

First Up

Jawgap wrote:

I assume he'll be making changes to 'protect' his back and give him a swing and game that gets him back into competition.....

That's the assumption I will be interested to see play out.

Boskowski

The British Open especially can be won by a smart not that long player with a good short game. We had several 50+ guys threatening to do it over the last years. If anyone will do it it's him.

And the funny thing is we always associate Tiger with length and strength. But the bombs got him into trouble half the time. He never could hit it consistently down the middle past everyone like eg Rory can. What won him his majors was his incredible short game.

Trampas

He has announced on his website that he intends to compete at the Safeway Open (October 13th-16th), the Turkish Airlines Open (November 3rd-6th) and the Hero World Challenge (December 1st-4th).