Woods out of US open

[freddielong]

If Tiger went out and played his very best against everyone elses very best, would he win? I think he would.

The real question is Can Tiger still play his Very Best, he is Young enough, yes, is he fit enough can his knee survive has he really done anything since he had his last surgery, to me that is a no.

Now you have to look at the problems he has had with his knee, Tiger has as much money as he wants he will have had the best of the best in terms of surgeons looking at his knee and leg, I am sure Nike will use whatever means they have to get him fit and yet it seems to be in a worse state than it was before the surgery, I think he will have to have more surgery and another long lay off and I think they have one last chance to fix it, if not I think he will retire and live in his solid gold house surrounded by pole dancers and cocktail waitresses

 

[john0]

Agree with pretty much everything Piece said. In my opinion this current trend of Tiger-hating is down to jealousy, pure and simple.

Big Phil has been around the top of the World rankings for about the last 15 years, and people are jealous of him as most amateurs golfers like us would love to be in his position. But......do people hate Phil??? No...and do you know why?...cos he isnt an arrogant, miserable, bad tempered, moody little tw@!!!

Tiger hating isnt down to jealousy, it's down to his personality.

 

[freddielong]

Agree with pretty much everything Piece said. In my opinion this current trend of Tiger-hating is down to jealousy, pure and simple.

Big Phil has been around the top of the World rankings for about the last 15 years, and people are jealous of him as most amateurs golfers like us would love to be in his position. But......do people hate Phil??? No...and do you know why?...cos he isnt an arrogant, miserable, bad tempered, moody little tw@!!!

Tiger hating isnt down to jealousy, it's down to his personality.

I actually really dislike Phil and I am glad he never had the nads to take the world number 1 spot, I hate that inane expression he always has he looks like he is always struggleing to remember something

 

[Piece]

If Tiger went out and played his very best against everyone elses very best, would he win? I think he would.

The real question is Can Tiger still play his Very Best, he is Young enough, yes, is he fit enough can his knee survive has he really done anything since he had his last surgery, to me that is a no.

Now you have to look at the problems he has had with his knee, Tiger has as much money as he wants he will have had the best of the best in terms of surgeons looking at his knee and leg, I am sure Nike will use whatever means they have to get him fit and yet it seems to be in a worse state than it was before the surgery, I think he will have to have more surgery and another long lay off and I think they have one last chance to fix it, if not I think he will retire and live in his solid gold house surrounded by pole dancers and cocktail waitresses

I think TW has been his own worst enemy here, fuelled by his desire to win. There were times when he should have taken long breaks to get over his injuries or even not entered tournaments to get over niggles. Should he have withdrawn (or even entered?!) from the US Open in 2008? Yes, almost certainly. On reflection, who is glad he didn't? He gave the public what they wanted (and another major for him), a triumph over adversity story, but was it really wise in the long run? No. Considering this, it does make me laugh when people have a go because he withdrew after 9 holes recently...

I hope he's learnt his lesson regarding injuries.

 

[Piece]

Agree with pretty much everything Piece said. In my opinion this current trend of Tiger-hating is down to jealousy, pure and simple.

Big Phil has been around the top of the World rankings for about the last 15 years, and people are jealous of him as most amateurs golfers like us would love to be in his position. But......do people hate Phil??? No...and do you know why?...cos he isnt an arrogant, miserable, bad tempered, moody little tw@!!!

Tiger hating isnt down to jealousy, it's down to his personality.

Ah, Big Phil. Super talented, but if he'd spent more time adopting a Tiger focus on his game, he'd have won far more. Too busy entertaining the public rather than stretching his game further. Took the emergence of TW for Phil to take the game really seriously - by that time it was a bit late.

I do like Phil though for his entertainment attitude. But I'm just thinking he could have been better than he actually is....

 

[Aztecs27]

Agree with pretty much everything Piece said. In my opinion this current trend of Tiger-hating is down to jealousy, pure and simple.

Big Phil has been around the top of the World rankings for about the last 15 years, and people are jealous of him as most amateurs golfers like us would love to be in his position. But......do people hate Phil??? No...and do you know why?...cos he isnt an arrogant, miserable, bad tempered, moody little tw@!!!

Tiger hating isnt down to jealousy, it's down to his personality.

Ah, Big Phil. Super talented, but if he'd spent more time adopting a Tiger focus on his game, he'd have won far more. Too busy entertaining the public rather than stretching his game further. Took the emergence of TW for Phil to take the game really seriously - by that time it was a bit late.

Erm..There's also the small matter of his wife battling cancer..Probably didn't care much about focusing on golf.

 

[Piece]

Erm..There's also the small matter of his wife battling cancer..Probably didn't care much about focusing on golf.

Eh? Seeing as you mentioned it ... what about Tiger's Dad?

Anyway, I'm talking way back when TW emerged. Remember Phil was *Big* Phil? Flabby waistline and all that?

 

[sweatysock41]

Some people really have to be careful what they wish for - a retiring Tiger means a massive void in the game that won't be filled, if at all, for a very long time. And please don't say the game is coping already, as television ratings and attendances will testify against you.

As he spends most of his time competing in the US it is their tour that will suffer - in that I agree. Will the European tour suffer - not to the same extent. Voids left by great competitors are always filled - eventually. It was once said that no-one would match Jack Nicklaus' achievements before Tiger was even born, and when I think of who he competed against for most of his career his achievements to me are greater than Tiger's - will Tiger be able to compete for a major at 46 - I doubt it, I don't think his body will be up to it.

Tiger is a product of his time - and I think that breeds some of the dislike - he cocooned himself away behind his minders (I include his caddy in that statement)and has never been what you would call approachable.

Personally for me the game is bigger than any player - the tournaments - at least the big ones will be here long after most of todays players have been forgotten. Tiger has delighted us with his stunning performances on numerous occasions. I hope he can again but he is not bigger than the game I love, and at present is not the best, that is why I really dislike this if Tiger is missing it is devalued cr*p.
The potential to be the best is one thing - being the best at the time it really matters is another that requires everything to be right about your game and that includes your fitness.

 

[Aztecs27]

Erm..There's also the small matter of his wife battling cancer..Probably didn't care much about focusing on golf.

Eh? Seeing as you mentioned it ... what about Tiger's Dad?

Anyway, I'm talking way back when TW emerged. Remember Phil was *Big* Phil? Flabby waistline and all that?

Ah, then yes, he was too busy walking around with that weird smirk on his face.

 

[One Planer]

I've just been reading an interesting article on the BBC website about Tiger and this very subject and there is a very interesting quote from G-Mac in there. He says

"Whoever picks up that trophy next week, there's not going to be an asterisk against the name saying Tiger Woods did not play. They will be a deserving champion."

I hope he can come back and play to a decent level, in reality is it possible? Only time will tell

 

[freddielong]

Its a very true quote but an old one made last year not long after he won it I hate the way the media recycle everything

 

[bladeplayer]

I dont think any 1 on here could questions Tigers ability & what ever happens he will be recognised as ONE OF the greatest ,, I THINK Tigers problem is his attitude thats wrong ,i accept if phil had a bit more attitude he would have been world no1 by now , but tiger took it to a whole new level.. he has an indifference to everything & every one , he gives me the impression he thinks he is better than every1 , he might well be at golf, but not at been a decent person .. Steve Williams shows the same kind of arrogance aswell , tiger distanced himself from spectators , ok you might say he was in the zone , but to walk by people (who paid 100's & mayb 1000's of dollars to have the privalage of seeing him) without as much as an acknowledgement is plain rude .. you telling me the best golfer in the world could not acknowledge spectators on way to the tee , then switch on & play good golf... i think it was the way he was reared , while his parents undoubtably helped him be the best golfer in the world he lost out on the interpersonal skills ..

 

[Billysboots]

I just don't understand the ill-feeling towards Tiger......It just reeks of bitterness and jealousy that no British player will ever be anywhere near as good as him.

It's got nothing to do with jealousy at all, at least not on my part. And whilst I know certain members here are fed up that every Tiger thread gets over-run with comments about his miserable on course persona, the fact remains that it is precisely because of that that so many simply cannot warm to him.

He may well have attracted a generation of golfers to the game with his breathtaking talent, but his on course behaviour is reprihensible, and his post round interviews about as enlightening as some modern day geography teacher telling me that the world isn't flat after all.

I would love to see him acknowledge the gallery without the surly gaze, to sign the odd autograph with a smile, and to just once in a while give us an insight into what makes him tick as a golfer during a relaxed interview. The fact that he rarely does any of the above leads to what may well be unfounded criticism, but he brings it squarely on himself.

Sorry, but the likes of Luke Donald will always attract more enthusiasm from this golf fan, simply because he has not only the talent, but the humility and good grace to go with it.

 

[EZprophet]

Tiger Woods is still the best player in the world, despite what the rankings say, in the same way that Phil Mickelson is the second best player in the world. They just aren't the most "in form" players in the world, which is essentially what the world rankings show. (I'm not saying I know a better system for deciding the worlds best player though, just that the current one doesn't)

Also if Tiger retired tomorrow he would be without a doubt the best golfer of all time in my mind. Obviously Jack has more wins/majors but to use that as the decider doesn't make sense. Tiger has won 27% of the tournaments he has entered for gods sake! Thats ridiculous! Jack did something like 15%, which is amazing in itself, but Jack also did it at a time where the field was no where near as competetive as it is now.

In Jacks time, the same 5/6 guys won pretty much every week... nowadays there are 100 players who could win in each tournament. Making winning 27% even more ridiculous. Just looking at Tigers Masters victory by 12 shots and his US open victory by 15 is almost enough to show how much better he is in his time than everyone else. Jack was better than every one else in his time too, but not as much better as Tiger is in his.

 

[timgolfy]

I like Tiger being a grumpy sod on the course. Too many nice guys around, all wanting a squeaky clean image to impress the sponsors.

I'll never forget that quote he gave in a news conference over the Nick Faldo fiasco in 2006.

Q: "How will you react if Nick wants to chat on the course?"
A: "Surprised."

PMSL

 

[Piece]

I would love to see him acknowledge the gallery without the surly gaze, to sign the odd autograph with a smile, and to just once in a while give us an insight into what makes him tick as a golfer during a relaxed interview. The fact that he rarely does any of the above leads to what may well be unfounded criticism, but he brings it squarely on himself.

Sorry, but the likes of Luke Donald will always attract more enthusiasm from this golf fan, simply because he has not only the talent, but the humility and good grace to go with it.

Some of the above I do agree with, but there is an interesting point that falls out of this. Everybody criticises the way Tiger is with the media and spectators, and in some cases it is justified, but I wonder how would Donald or Westwood would cope given the same level of exposure and questioning? Westwood said himself after getting to no.1 that he was surprised at the attention he got, how much faff he had to handle, not to mention the continual banal questions from the press.... Times that by 100 and then maybe you'll get to the level of attention that TW gets. Perhaps that level of spotlight would alter how Donald or Westwood handle the media?

Just a point worth raising....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am not a great fan of the way Woods conducts himself on and off the course in terms of his behaviour but as a golfer in the last generation there hasn't been anyone to touch him until the last two years. I don't really understand all the anti-Woods feeling against his golfing performance (like I say not interested inthe behaviour side of things). I love to watch the best in any sport. Schumacher hardly made friends as he dominated the F1 world and was certainly guilty of equally bad behavious (in context) like deliberately crashing into opponents. A lot of the best footballers have all been flawed (Best etc).

On top of all this negatvitiy lets not forget he does actually put a lot back at grass roots level in the US for under-privilieged kids not only wanting to learn golf but needing a decent education with the TW Foundation. There are many pro's earning good money on the back of the increased purses that Woods commanded that do nothing to put anything back and just enjoy the rewards.

It's easy to have black and white views on someone you've only ever seen via the media and form an opinion about him based on the story's that are reported. I wonder how many might actually change their opinion if they ever had the opportunity to meet the "real" Woods away from the media glare.

 

[Piece]

I am not a great fan of the way Woods conducts himself on and off the course in terms of his behaviour but as a golfer in the last generation there hasn't been anyone to touch him until the last two years. I don't really understand all the anti-Woods feeling against his golfing performance (like I say not interested inthe behaviour side of things). I love to watch the best in any sport. Schumacher hardly made friends as he dominated the F1 world and was certainly guilty of equally bad behavious (in context) like deliberately crashing into opponents. A lot of the best footballers have all been flawed (Best etc).

On top of all this negatvitiy lets not forget he does actually put a lot back at grass roots level in the US for under-privilieged kids not only wanting to learn golf but needing a decent education with the TW Foundation. There are many pro's earning good money on the back of the increased purses that Woods commanded that do nothing to put anything back and just enjoy the rewards.

It's easy to have black and white views on someone you've only ever seen via the media and form an opinion about him based on the story's that are reported. I wonder how many might actually change their opinion if they ever had the opportunity to meet the "real" Woods away from the media glare.

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