Tiger & Another Major

[GreiginFife]

I dont dislike Tiger as a player and at his best he was peerless. Do I think he is as good now? No is the simple answer, thats not hating just having an opiniin contrary to the masses that back him into favourite every major.
Tiger at his best mesmerised and filled the rest of the field with dread, for me he no longer has this power and the other players are aware that he CAN be beat.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just a thought re majors , I wonder did everyone underestimate the bag man ?

Adam Scott seems to be doing well in majors now , is Tiger missing something Steve Williams gave him ?

Now ask me about Adam Scott - sorry mate - you may be a nice guy but with that putter - no - I really don't want you to win...

 

[MizunoMike]

Just a thought re majors , I wonder did everyone underestimate the bag man ?

Adam Scott seems to be doing well in majors now , is Tiger missing something Steve Williams gave him ?

Oh Dear

 

[Slab]

So what will it be? He has shown 5 times this year that he can destroy fields when there isnt the 'pressure' of a major resting on him, but when it is a major it doesnt go quite as well. So what is it then?

If I knew that one Greig I'd be polishing my claret jug with the sleeve of my green jacket

 

[Jdb2005]

Mental part of the game is 1 of tigers strong points, he played pretty well yesterday and an errant tee shot on the last hole let him down. He will win another major and it's to early to write him off in this one. He's 6 shots back after 1 round, he's not 6 back after 3 rounds like phil was in the open. Anything can happen.

 

[Cheifi0]

So what will it be? He has shown 5 times this year that he can destroy fields when there isnt the 'pressure' of a major resting on him, but when it is a major it doesnt go quite as well. So what is it then?

Its just little blips in form and changes in momentum from week to week. Some weeks he is just on it and is pretty much untouchable other times he doesn't quite reach his best. There is more strength in depth in the field so when he doesn't perform to maximum there are other players capable of beating him, where as before he might not have been challenged as much. 5 wins is very good and I don't think there's much difference for him performing on those weekends as there is on a major weekend. He still definitely has majors in him and the shape he keeps himself in he still has got plenty of years left that he can compete.

 

[Jdb2005]

Forgot to mention he's top of the world rankings after slipping to 50 odd. Am sure the pressure to regain top spot was on his mind and he did it. By far the best golfer I've witnessed

 

[jimbob.someroo]

Think about it, years ago Tiger was the Hunter and the field were afraid of him hence his domination but now he is the Hunted and the pressure from all his fans and the media is for him to beat Jack's record and he has failed to win in his last 18 - 20 attempts, tiger is no longer the Hunter but the Hunted. You can't tell me there is no pressure...............

Was talking to a friend about this last night.

I think he will win another major just for t'record. But, there is no longer the fear factor associated with Tiger in the last round of a major.

I'm sure someone will come up with stats to the contrary but to me, it seemed like if Tiger parred in on a back 9 on Sunday, others would crumble. Now they seem to be taking the fight to him and just going out to birdie regardless - apart from Westwood.

The way Tiger played Muirfield was stooopid. He was too busy trying not to lose it, rather than going out to win it. If he continues to go into majors with that state of mind he may struggle. But like I said, still reckon he'll get another.

 

[MizunoMike]

Was talking to a friend about this last night.

I think he will win another major just for t'record. But, there is no longer the fear factor associated with Tiger in the last round of a major.

I'm sure someone will come up with stats to the contrary but to me, it seemed like if Tiger parred in on a back 9 on Sunday, others would crumble. Now they seem to be taking the fight to him and just going out to birdie regardless - apart from Westwood.

The way Tiger played Muirfield was stooopid. He was too busy trying not to lose it, rather than going out to win it. If he continues to go into majors with that state of mind he may struggle. But like I said, still reckon he'll get another.

I like your comments and you could be right, do you think that if Tiger went back to Butch he could help turn him into a Major winner again. Butch was there with him for 8 of his wins..

Would Butch take him back or do you think Big Phil would have something to say about that ?

Big Phil is deffo a fans player and to me the best value player out there at the moment and I can't see Butch leaving Phil for Tiger.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

I like your comments and you could be right, do you think that if Tiger went back to Butch he could help turn him into a Major winner again. Butch was there with him for 8 of his wins..

Would Butch take him back or do you think Big Phil would have something to say about that ?

Big Phil is deffo a fans player and to me the best value player out there at the moment and I can't see Butch leaving Phil for Tiger.

Don't think Butch is the answer. Although I really disliked that section of his book, Hank Haney basically showed with stats that Tiger won more with him. I think Tiger won 6 majors with Hank, but at a time when fields were arguably more competitive and a couple of years past when Tiger was untouchable. I don't think it was Butch that made him that good, for 3-4 years he was jut freakishly good. He didn't seem to worry about changing his swing and just went out hunting flags.

I also reckon that if he were to get another major, he'd win a few more after that once he'd got rid of that tag of having not won one for a while.

 

[Sweep]

I have long said that if Tiger is going to beat Nicklaus's record, he has to win another major this year. He is 37 now and much has been said about him needing Mickleson's career from now on in to beat Jack (not quite now, since Phil won The Open). Let's say he has until he is 45 to realistically win a major. That gives him 7 years after this tournament. 4 majors a year gives him 28 chances and he has to win 5. Funnily enough, if we give him until he is 45 to get to 19 majors, then his win ratio from now on in is almost the same as from his first major to now. He has an amazing record, but now you have to factor in age and the younger, fitter, stronger players coming through. As many have said, the fear factor has gone.
Of course, he is the man who can prove all his doubters wrong and is probably capable of winning 4 in a year. We will see, but I think this major is a very important one for Tiger and his quest to beat Jack. Not least because he went into this one on form, which is something that hasn't really happened for a long time.

 

[londonlewis]

I don't subsrcibe to the age thing.
Tom Watson all but proved that you don't need to be under a certain age to win a major and Tom was not a product of the same era of professional golfer - i.e. having dietician, mental coaches, fitness regimen etc... so I would expect that Tiger's physical condition will be better than Watson's in comparison.

 

[triple_bogey]

Its only a matter of time before he bags that elusive 15th major. After that, they will come easier. IMO, he puts too much pressure on himself come major time.

It was only 2&half years ago when TW was sliding out of the Top 50 in the world, that many were writing him off to never win again. Fast forward to the present, 8 wins and World Number 1!

 

[bladeplayer]

Oh Dear

Haha.. was just a thought , Id be in the i wana see Tiger win majors again camp ,

im just wondering did Steve (i dont like) Williams somehow help or have a way of taking the pressure off him come the Majors?

 

[MizunoMike]

Its only a matter of time before he bags that elusive 15th major. After that, they will come easier. IMO, he puts too much pressure on himself come major time.

It was only 2&half years ago when TW was sliding out of the Top 50 in the world, that many were writing him off to never win again. Fast forward to the present, 8 wins and World Number 1!

True but Tiger is now being judged on Majors and not just tour wins and that pressure is what's it's all about so come Major time I bet he feels the pressure knowing that theses are the ones where it counts and he has failed to produce over the last 5 years.

Time will tell.

 

[carlosportsman]

True but Tiger is now being judged on Majors and not just tour wins and that pressure is what's it's all about so come Major time I bet he feels the pressure knowing that theses are the ones where it counts and he has failed to produce over the last 5 years.

Time will tell.

You say he has failed to produce it over the last 5 years but that is by the high standards he sets, if look at the records of Rory and Tiger in the last 2 years, Tiger has 4 top ten finishes to Rory's 2, the difference is that Rory's were both wins. However you can argue that Tiger is still very consistent in terms of his finishing positions in majors but until he converts one to a win then he will not be considered a success in them.

 

[Sweep]

I don't subsrcibe to the age thing.
Tom Watson all but proved that you don't need to be under a certain age to win a major and Tom was not a product of the same era of professional golfer - i.e. having dietician, mental coaches, fitness regimen etc... so I would expect that Tiger's physical condition will be better than Watson's in comparison.

Except Tom didn't win -sadly and I think we would all accept that Watson's display was exceptional in that nothing of its kind had ever been seen before. No doubt he has come close on many occasions, but Tom hasn't won a major since he was 34. Indeed, only 2 players have won over the age of 45. If Tiger ends up relying on winning majors at 59, he isn't going to beat Jack's record.

 

[NWJocko]

The way Tiger played Muirfield was stooopid. He was too busy trying not to lose it, rather than going out to win it. If he continues to go into majors with that state of mind he may struggle. But like I said, still reckon he'll get another.

In my view (for what it's worth!) this hits the nail on the head but not just at Muirfield, rather all the majors.

Because his driving is so wonky he plays ultra-defensive golf, which makes it difficult (unless his putter is red hot like in the Bridgestone last week) to make a ton of birdies.

As the courses are set up pretty tough for majors everyone is likely to make their share of bogeys but Tiger plays so defensively that it is difficult for him to compensate with the birdies........

He lays up, on a number of holes, a long way back and much further than his playing partners (this was really evident at Lytham last year when I watched him for a bit).

I wouldn't question his ability to perform under pressure, this is the guy that stiffed a 7 iron in the dark at one of the WGC's in a play-off and holed a 12ft putt at Torrey Pines to make it in (amongst numerous other examples I'm sure)

 

[Imurg]

I've said for a while now that for Tiger to be considered "back" he has to be winning Majors.
When you've won 14 of them, you're only as good as the 15th win....
I think he will win another, maybe 2 but I doubt he'll win any more than that.
As has been said, he seems to put more pressure on himself to perform in the Majors and with every one that passes that pressure is going to build.
Too early to write him off this week but, and I didn't see it so I'm relying on reports, yesterday's round was nothing more than OK..

On a side issue, I remember a while back that many were scoffing at Lee and Luke being World Number 1 without a Major to their names.
Well, the current Number 1, although he's won 14 of them, doesn't either - as far as the World rankings are concerned......

 

[Val]

I dont dislike Tiger as a player and at his best he was peerless. Do I think he is as good now? No is the simple answer, thats not hating just having an opiniin contrary to the masses that back him into favourite every major.
Tiger at his best mesmerised and filled the rest of the field with dread, for me he no longer has this power and the other players are aware that he CAN be beat.

Add to the fact he doesn't have the magic with the short stick he used to and you pretty much have the answer. His putting last Friday was unbelievable but other than that he no longer appears to hole these pressure putts he used to.

I think he puts too much pressure on himself personally and long may it continue