Bamberger: "At Kiawah, Woods dabbled in some new material, and it was kind of weird, experimental and New Agey."

Michael Bamberger isn't knocking Tiger's "too relaxed" suggestion because he wants to "encourage his artistic growth" but it also means he isn't buying the 2012 PGA postmortem.

Some odd thing was going on as he played on Saturday. He did seem to be ­approaching the round in an uncharacteristic way. He looked almost detached. Now and again he stared out at the churning ocean. He stayed last week on his yacht, Privacy, and he clearly did come to shore on Saturday with some sort of different approach. But not relaxed.

The guy must get sick of hearing the word major. Major, major, major. But it’s a conversation of his own making. He set the bar higher than anyone ever has. Big Jack had 18 majors, and Tiger was going to first match and then pass. He has been stuck at 14 for four years and two months.

It will only get harder and more intense.

Comments

[BrianS]

A friend was there on the first tee/ mini practice green on Saturday AM when Tiger teed off with Vijay. Said that he could tell Tiger wasn't into it from first sight Shoulders slumped, sort of moping around, not talking to anyone in a distant sort of no caring way vs. a super intense don't mess with me way - and just terrible body language. Based on his comments, 100% agree with Bamberger - that whatever Tiger's issue on Saturday, it sure wasn't that he was just having fun and too relaxed.

[Ghost of Perry Maxwell]

TW needed this one to catch jack, going to obviously get much tougher for him

[BrianS]

I wonder what kind of odds you could have gotten on the fact that after Tiger's 2008 US Open win, Harrington would win 2 majors, and Phil and Ernie one each before Tiger got another one ? Unreal. The pressure next spring at Augusta National will be intense that is for certain.

[RickABQ]

From the article: "But the majors are in his head now in a way they’ve never been before."

True dat, but the real problem is that Tiger is no longer in the heads of his fellow competitors like before. His opponents are not collapsing under the Tiger force field in the final rounds of majors like they used to.

[greg c]

His opponents don't have to collapse to the Tiger force field in the final rounds when he can't break par in the final rounds. He just doesn't have what it takes to win majors right now, and he very well may never have it again.

[Rob]

He got whipped by 11 strokes by the best player on the planet. And now he is resorting to fake excuses.

The beginning of the end.

Maybe he wins one more major and retires with 15 - but that may be it from the look of things.

[A3]

Exposed! Poor Tigger ain't no tough guy anymore. Plus his wedge game sucks.

[Hilltop]

I thought he looked tired on Saturday morning.

[Smitty]

Jack Nicklaus won his 15th major at 38 in 1978. Tiger still has a couple of years before he falls behind Jack's pace. I will be content to wait and see what happens. I do believe he is pressing, but he has overcome this before. In 2005, he hadn't won one in three years, but he managed to win the Masters, despite throwing up on himself trying to close the deal there.

[Matt H]

I thought the new swing would help his irons. He has to get better distance control. Tiger has chipped in from over a green on each of his wins. He missed a green from inside 100 yards on Saturday at the PGA. it just doesn't add up to winning when you don't hit wedges close to the hole. FIx that and then we'll see how his nerves are in competition. I think he will win a major next year.

[Pepperdine]

I thought golf was a gentlmens game ... a sportsmans game. Most of the comments here are distressing, to say the least. It's no wonder the game has such a stigma attached to it when the very people who are supposed to be the stewards of the game insist on pushing it down into the muck.

[KLG]

@Pepperdine: Is your comment a put up job? Anyway, in answer to your query, golf is what you write. I don't think Tiger is "done" but a not inconsiderable argument can be advanced that my fellow Shackelfordians are talking about someone who is neither. Some think it doesn't matter. Some think it does. We all pretty much think he was the best golfer on the planet, probably the best ever, before 2009.

[Pepperdine]

@KLG -

Not sure what you mean by a "put up job" - but I'm not too bright, so I'm not surprised it went past me.

Anyway, kicking a guy when he's down is not what I understand golf to be about. It's one of the reasons I've made the game part of me ... I need to be humbled, and I need to be a better person - golf provides me a vehicle to learn those traits.

Two (or 150+ waitresses/strippers) wrongs don't make a right. Everybody is entitlled to their opinion - it just seems like a lot of the comments are just overloaded with spite.

[Sclaff & Foozle]

Pepperdine,

Hi! ... and welcome to the discussion! Wow, have you got us golf snarks fascinated now! Say, why do you need to be humbled and need be a better person?

[Pepperdine]

Because I'm not humble, and I'm not a good person.

[Smitty]

@Pepperdine: Are you a Canadian or something? They are always apologizing for something . . .

[Pepperdine]

Yes - I am Canadian. (and what an excellent commercial series THAT was, lol)

That being said - I wasn't apologizing to anybody ... just explaining my connection to the game, and how I viewed the comments being thrown around.

[Smitty]

@Pepperdine: I am from Detroit, and occasionally go to Windsor, Ontario, to play golf at the Donald Ross muni there. Great country, nice people, and a nice place to play golf. I know Canadians fairly well, and the ones that I am paired with often remark about how, as a people, that they are always apologizing for something. No dig at you, it was just a giggle for me, that's all. I hope to meet you someday on the links, my friend.

[Pepperdine]

@Smitty -

Feeling's mutual for meeting up on the links. I wouldn't mind seeing Detriot at some point either ... I'd like to take some photos/videos/interviews in the city. Ahh ... maybe someday! :)

[GolfFan]

You guys are wrong, he's going to win all four next year! His knee is better than ever and he's right there!


Oops, wrong alias ....