He's going to go into tomorrow's final round with a great chance to win his third straight major this year. That's some pretty amazing stuff.
...needless to say, Tiger's game is in shambles right now...maybe he needs to patch things up with Butch Harmon...I dunno, it's hard to watch. ...Spieth is fun to watch...he manages his game and his emotions very well.
I don't watch that much Golf, but when I do, I enjoy the game....... and- Indeed, to this Amateur (my self); you stated it best: " ...^^^ "Spieth is fun to watch...he manages his game and his emotions very well." I'd expect one's use of the word "time off", seems redundant. What ever amount of time Tiger took off, seems like it should be (s/b) relative to His Head, and Grief....? While some forms of "Grief"; some people never get over, not in their lifetime.....! 59, I have to ask, what is the Problem with Tiger, in your Professional Opinion??? I'm beginning to think, (again keep in mind, I know little about Golf, and was never worth my weight with a set of clubs)......... with your calibrated Golf Instructor's Eye's, what are you seeing with or in Tiger....? What's he doing differently than years prior, other than losing, and what's he doing new or not doing, he used to, that may enable him to return to greatness. For some reason, I'm feeling, we may of just seen the best and last of Tiger.....and 'greatness' seems to no longer apply to Tiger or His game.......??? I have been utterly horrible with any Golf Game, less Putt Putt...., I developed a canned and instant response, when asked to play Golf, ie, "I prefer to play baseball, where I can hit the ball hard and far, and let some one else chase it; for me"...... For a sport I never could master, and only one of few sports; I have never been able to hold my own at/or playing Golf.......I'd be better off sticking with Badmitton, and Croquet, or running after and catching fireflies........!!!
...I was convinced early in the year that his swing looked very solid and was sure he'd play well this year...but golf is such a mentally fickle game... and I think for the most part, his problems have more to do with going on between his ears than what's going on physically and technically with his swing. He's not only driving/hitting the ball all over the place but his short game is in shambles too...he used have such great touch around the green as far as "getting up and down" goes, and he's no longer automatic with the putter inside 5 feet. ...his confidence seems nonexistent. I know from first hand experience that if you're not 100% committed to a certain shot on the tee box, or a certain landing spot on a chip/pitch shot, or a certain line and or speed on a putt, you're already doomed to fail. ...in the past, aside from simply being a better player than everyone else he was also mentally tougher than everyone else. He once had the ability to "tweak" his swing in the middle of a round, which is something I would not even consider trying to do. ...I really think that more than anything else, once he was publicly exposed for cheating on his wife, lost some sponsors, etc., his psyche was damaged and he suddenly became a mere mortal on the golf course...kinda like Superman wearing a cape made of kryptonite.
Been a while since Tiger has been physically and mentally healthy. But I sure would like to see him win 4 more majors.
Wow,........ Outstanding summary on Tiger's play, and state of mind,........ Thanks.....! All this makes me think, we may never see Tiger regain his game, or mindset. Sad to think (more probable than not?) Tiger may of lost not only His Mojo, and His stature, but may never recover, or find success again, in a Sport He soooo dominated, and appeared to be a Living Legend, when His A game was on, prior to His Divorce........ which sounds more like the certain ending, to a Young Man's Faerie Tale-Horror of a Career..... If one wrote a new book about Tiger's life, they'd be more than enough material, to write not just a Chapter, rather a Volume; all on its own, titled: "Life and Loss After Elin".........
For a guy whose swing is as pure (and as worked out) as it's supposed to be, he said that he chunked ("fatted") 3 irons in a row on the front side in the first round. That seems very mental to me. Especially since so many people talk about his practice shots being so good. What he's doing isn't translating to the course, and that seems to be a "between the ears" thing.
...Brian, I don't know how many times I've hit a bucket of balls on the practice tee before a round and I'd be striping my driver and hitting every iron absolutely flush...and on the practice green my chips were crisp and I'd make everything inside 6-8 feet. ...I couldn't wait to get to the first tee...and then for no apparent reason, once the actual round started I played like a 30 handicapper. ...like I said earlier, golf is such a fickle game.
...lol...yeah, I always had a "plan" when at the golf course...but unfortunately, golf, unlike Baseball, is not a team sport so you don't have your team mates to pick you up when you're not playing well...playing golf is a solo battle with the course, the elements, and that space between your ears.
There's a lot of really good young players coming up which is going to make it that much harder for veterans like Tiger & Mickelson to make any kind of big move up the ranks.
