2006: how one "idiot" shot changed the entire season
Now that the majors are over, let's recap what could have been. We could have been looking at the following tie in majors: Phil Mickelson, 2 majors v. Tiger Woods, 2 majors. Both probably win Player of the Year.
But because of the lunacy of Phil Mickelson on the final hole at the U.S. Open, we are left with Tiger Woods asserting his dominance again (and Phil reverting back to the sloppy Phil of old). The Big Five, which became the Big Two, is now back to the Big One. Only Jack Nicklaus is Tiger Woods' competitor now.
8 Comments:
It was no idiot shot by Phil, please. His play that week and that day placed him in that position with that pressure. His talent wouldn't allow him to do any better.
No excuses for Phil. Tiger earns his tournaments, he is dominant. If Phil as the Greg Norman syndrome, it has nothing to do with Tiger. Phil is not Tiger's peer, no matter what the press tries to trump up.
The golf media is trying to create competition for Tiger. He has none, when he's playing well. Also, he doesn't need any...and neither does the viewer. The viewer will watch Tiger with or without competition...and if Tiger is not leading, they turn off the TV.
Phil didn't do himself any favors that whole last day of the US open with his wild driver. It's only on 18 where everyone has turned their focus.
Phil, or anyone else won't be in Tiger's league until they can at least putt as well under pressure as Tiger does. He seems to will putts into the hole. The only guy that used to be close was Els, and I'm not sure he's in the same catagory any more.
Personally though, I would like to see some more competition, but some that is not steam cooked by the media, but honest back and forth on the course. I think the final round of the Masters in 2004 was the best round of golf I had seen, because of the back and forth.
I enjoy watching history. Period.
Step up world.
(they are going to start playing nike ads in the background...like who is the next tiger woods, instead of "I am tiger woods")
Phat's 18th hole debacle will go down in history as one of the great pholds in a major. After Palmer and Snead did it (as well as a host of lesser lights) they were never the same. Phil won't be either - despite what that blowhard member of his phat posse, Pelz, says.
I generally don't like cliches but there is an element of truth to the one circulating now that: If Tiger's on his game nobody can beat him but if Phil's on his game other players still have a chance.
Tiger simply never falters when he gets his nose out in front in a major.
Here's my prediction: Tiger is going to dominate the majors for the next few years using his 3 and 5 woods as his control shot off of the tee. In the past he used the 'stinger' but he has recently commented that the long-iron is too limited in terms of the types of shots and distances he can hit it.
After winning the PGA he attributed some of his success to the use of his 3 and 5 woods which he said were more versatile in terms of shape and distance. He also said he was playing second shots from the same positions he needed driver to reach in 1999.
If TW keeps using those two clubs off the tee on a lot of holes and uses the driver as a specialty club I think he will be back where he was around 2000 - winning half of the majors he tees it up in.
You could be right. At the moment Tiger's still just about human with the driver in his hands - but a machine without it. He dissected Hoylake and Medinah. Hogan would (probably) have been impressed.
As for Phil, it's hard to comprehend how the No. 2 player in the world had to use 2 drivers at Winged Foot. Even with the benefit of having fade and draw drivers he still missed the fairway on the wrong side on 17 and 18. Can't he work the ball either way? He's still great to watch though, and the US Open was a classic.
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Phil's performance at the Open was entertaining in part because he was winging it. Watching someone make incredible shots to recover from a high-handicapper style tee shot makes for great television. I watch Phil rooting for him because his game is amazing and funamentally flawed at the same time.
Tiger is a phenomenon and mentally hard as nails, but perfection is hard to root for.
We see ourselves (well as we imagine ourselves on the course - who do you know that considers a 69 a bad round) in Phil & company. Great shots strung together with disaster always lurking.
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