Tigers on the mend...

[jp5]

Woods is the most popular and successful golfer of his generation so quite rightly he receives more coverage than anyone else. Despite what you think, the European Tour do it as well. Any time McIlroy is playing pretty much every shot of his is shown, as well as him strutting the fairway. I reckon the coverage might be weighted towards the Irish players this week too.

TV producers aren't stupid, they know what the majority want. Which is why we see lots of Woods, McIlroy, Mickelson - the kind of players that could get on a run either way. And likewise how I can barely remember a shot ever being shown from Brian Davis, despite him being a solid player in the US who gets his fair share of top 10s.

Dislikers of Woods clearly see things in a different light, but it will be no different for McIlroy in 5/10 years if he achieves what Woods has.

 

[hors limite]

I don't dislike Tiger and I couldn't care less about what he does in his private life. However, I despise his spitting, swearing, club chucking and the rest. He is a lousy role model to young golfers. If he does play in the Ryder Cup, I hope that Tom Watson gives him the kick up the backside that he should have got years ago.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I think it's hilarious whenever the Tiger haters get out from underneath their bridges, he is the greatest thing to have happened to golf, he brought the game to the masses, he inspired almost every golfer under the age of thirty to play the game and has played the greatest golf ever seen.

Sorry EarCat - but it is this sort of idolatory and suggestion that golf we have today wouldn't be anything like it is without Tiger that does my head in. Why? Because idolatory is nevr a good thing - and the truth is that you have absolutely no idea what golf today would have been like had Tiger Woods not existed.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So love him as much as you want - but please stop eulogising him and stop making great claims for and about him - great golfer as I accept he is / was - please!

 

[gdunc79]

Tiger can provide some great entertainment but any time he is absent it hasn't affected the amount of live golf I have watched. Recent exploits by Kaymer, Bubba, and Jiminez have provided great entertainment on a Sunday night and I haven't given Tiger a second thought.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

So love him as much as you want - but please stop eulogising him and stop making great claims for and about him - great golfer as I accept he is / was - please!

So it's OK for people to have negative opinions and not positive ones then, as long as we know.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Tiger = viewers. Plenty if he's playing well, plenty more if he's playing badly



There's irony in Phil's post as non Liverpool fans feel the same about how much coverage his team get instead of xyz team even when Liverpool are dull & boring but I wouldn't expect their fans to champion showing Liverpool less

Not sure why you needed to bring LFC into it - zero relevance as does the coverage of football which is totally different to that of golf.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So it's OK for people to have negative opinions and not positive ones then, as long as we know.

There was me thinking it was the other way around

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So it's OK for people to have negative opinions and not positive ones then, as long as we know.

I'd say have your opinions but if you must be negative about the guy be sensible and measured about it - and don't go on and on about it. Because either way it is just tedious. I'm not a great fan - and I don't think that we were or are facing golfing Armageddon if he never get's back playing at the to again - so Tiger fans - please just don't over-egg his pudding and what he has achieved for the game. Because we will never know what golf without Tiger would have been like - though we wouldn't be having this discussion is for sure.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

There was me thinking it was the other way around

To be honest Phil, it all gets a bit tiring. This thread was about Tiger being on the mend and possibly making the open, it should be about that, and it just turns into another love him\hate him thread. Everyone knows who has what opinion on Tiger, we don't need to go through it all (positive or negative) every time someone types his name.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

To be honest Phil, it all gets a bit tiring. This thread was about Tiger being on the mend and possibly making the open, it should be about that, and it just turns into another love him\hate him thread. Everyone knows who has what opinion on Tiger, we don't need to go through it all (positive or negative) every time someone types his name.

Very much a fair point :thup:

 

[EarCat]

Sorry EarCat - but it is this sort of idolatory and suggestion that golf we have today wouldn't be anything like it is without Tiger that does my head in. Why? Because idolatory is nevr a good thing - and the truth is that you have absolutely no idea what golf today would have been like had Tiger Woods not existed.

Golf was a fringe sport before 1997, only watched by people who had always watched golf, then Tiger won the masters and golf became must watch tv. No one has came along since then that has inspired kids across the world to play the game, every sport needs a talisman, darts has Taylor, football has Messi, tennis has Federer and golf has Tiger.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Golf was a fringe sport before 1997, only watched by people who had always watched golf, then Tiger won the masters and golf became must watch tv. No one has came along since then that has inspired kids across the world to play the game, every sport needs a talisman, darts has Taylor, football has Messi, tennis has Federer and golf has Tiger.

That's nonsense !

Yes Woods attracted some more people that wouldn't have normally watched golf but it was far from a fringe sport and there certainly a lot of characters in the game that attracted people - Seve being a big one.

 

[DCB]

Good news that Tiger is getting back to hitting full shots. Given that The Open starts four weeks from today, it may well be that this comes just too soon for Tiger. There's a huge difference between playing full shots on the range and being ready to take on the four rounds of a Major. He may be better targetting the WGC Bridgestone Invitational as a return , it's only a couple of weeks further down the line and then the US PGA the following week.

Whenever he returns it'll be good to see him back on the course.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Good news that Tiger is getting back to hitting full shots. Given that The Open starts four weeks from today, it may well be that this comes just too soon for Tiger. There's a huge difference between playing full shots on the range and being ready to take on the four rounds of a Major. He may be better targetting the WGC Bridgestone Invitational as a return , it's only a couple of weeks further down the line and then the US PGA the following week.

Whenever he returns it'll be good to see him back on the course.

I can't see him rushing himself back for The Open. He's already missed the US Open and the Masters and I think he realises that he has to come back from this properly. I suspect he knows that his body is creaking and that if he is to have a sniff at winning more majors, he has to make sure he is fully healed this time around.

I wonder if he is having to make any swing changes to accommodate his back as he did with his knee?

 

[Spear-Chucker]

I can't see him rushing himself back for The Open. He's already missed the US Open and the Masters and I think he realises that he has to come back from this properly. I suspect he knows that his body is creaking and that if he is to have a sniff at winning more majors, he has to make sure he is fully healed this time around.

I wonder if he is having to make any swing changes to accommodate his back as he did with his knee?

Interesting point...

Will he try to sprint to reach Jack's record and risk further damage using the swing he has or seek to protect various injuries and surgeries and take his time but at the risk of running out of opportunities? Not an easy choice?!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Golf was a fringe sport before 1997, only watched by people who had always watched golf, then Tiger won the masters and golf became must watch tv. No one has came along since then that has inspired kids across the world to play the game, every sport needs a talisman, darts has Taylor, football has Messi, tennis has Federer and golf has Tiger.

I could suggest that it's only must watch TV for those who watch these days and didn't before due to the explosion of internet and TV gambling - maybe just maybe increased viewing figures are diddly squat to do with Tiger and more to do with gambling.

As far as golf being a fringe sport - hmmm - are you telling me it's different or more popular today than pre-Tiger.

 

[DCB]

Depending on how his procedure was carried out, Tiger now has an area of his spine that will be a potential weakness the rest of his playing days. His fitness regime will need to alter to make sure he protects that area of his spine especially if he continues to swing like he did before injury.

 

[Slab]

Not sure why you needed to bring LFC into it - zero relevance as does the coverage of football which is totally different to that of golf.

Because its an ironic analogy given your desire to see the 'bigger picture' in golf at Tigers unfortunate expense while perhaps (if we're honest) not wishing the disproportionate Liverpool coverage to be curtailed by some misfortune or other

 

[Deleted member 1147]

... especially if he continues to swing like he did before injury.

I'd be intrigued to see if his tempo and ferocious power/speed through the ball are affected.

I always think that when he swings smoother he has such a wonderful iron game.