Saturday's Tiger (69) Drama: Chunks Of Two Kinds
The Twittersphere barely lit up Saturday as more Tiger Woods drama overshadowed the early Hero World Challenge coverage and the stellar play of Jordan Spieth (and that was before the 21-year-old posted 63 and a seven shot lead, Steve DiMeglio reports). 
While Twitter was fairly quiet (or golf writers were out...golfing), Golf Channel's Tiger Tracker was all over Tiger's temperature and vomiting drama. And after he gutted out a 69 with two more flubbed wedge shots, Woods explained why he played on.
From Bob Harig's ESPN.com report:
"I like to compete,'' said Woods, who is at 216, even par. "If I can go, I can go. I'll give it everything I have. This is different. I wasn't in pain. Just was a bit under the weather.''
Woods had a 102-degree fever on Friday but thought he might be past the problems. Instead, they got worse. Woods looked terrible on the driving range, and several times stopped and bent over as if to vomit. He nonetheless birdied the first hole then added a bogey and birdie on the front side to turn in 35.
Adam Schupak of Golfweek describes Saturday's two chunked wedges and says they overshadow what has been the more glaring issue: putting.
Who would’ve thought his driver would look like the least rusty club in his bag in Woods' first competitive rounds since missing the cut at the PGA Championship in August? The chipping woes that plagued his first two rounds continued. He chunked a chip a few feet from the Bermuda rough on the sixth hole and made bogey and then repeated Thursday’s blunder at 13 by lifting his head and stubbing it from a collection area. The ball returned to his feet and led to bogey. How bad has the chipping been? Well, fans were placing bets on Twitter if he’d do it again and someone created a parody account named “@DidTigerChunk.”
While his chipping shortcomings make for easy fodder, they have disguised how poorly he has putted so far. Woods hasn’t made a putt outside of 12 feet in three rounds.
Golf Central's report on the Woods drama and post-round comments.
Tiger also revealed after the round that his early year schedule will be different, getting the hopes up of tournament directors in Phoenix, Pebble Beach and Los Angeles that he may add one of the events he used to play regularly. My money is on Phoenix.
Jason Sobel reports for GolfChannel.com.
Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 10:40 PM
Reader Comments (48)
When a pro chunks or thins a chip I usually think to myself - "Ah, that's one shot we have in common!" It's not much fun to actually think every time Tiger has a chip will he chunk it? The commentators even said the same. Amazing when the bet before was "Will he hole it?"
I found myself watching him to see if he would do just that. It says more about me than Tiger.
Since you like details I will be watching the golf channel and reading this site while I am taking a dump in the toliet.
Perhaps he left it on the side of the first tee?
So glad to hear you'll be using a toilet.
They are reporting (fawning over) what poor Tiger is "not doing", his tough chipping against the grain off of tight lies, (he is dead last BTW) and "predicting great things for him in 2015" rather than focusing on the other 17 players beating his pants off. Can't watch it, and won't.
Congratulations to Mr. Spieth on his apparent win (back-to-back wins forthcoming). Will read the official results tomorrow, or later this evening.
Adam...always use my remote guide to see whats on GC. If it's Morning Drive or their other talking shows, I now skip it.
That being said on the 1 and a million chance I ever play Isleworth, I'm putting everything around the greens. Even leaving Tiger out of it, guys were chunking it left and right, sheez.
Competting for what? 18 man field. Good grief.
the golf channel has become unwatchable, except for those late night overseas euro tournaments with baboons running around. its tiger all the time and then tiger lays a big one and they still go tiger all the time about what lays on the ground. Its especially annoying to hear a new kid on the block like Speith get compared to Tiger but then they will say BUT he really isnt like Tiger but he IS like Tiger. I mean this has got to be the most weasely way to get into Tigers pants. It will never stop.
The more interesting approach would be to ask Phil to come to one of TIgers events and do some commentary! Phils always absent from TIgers events....the hate must run sooooooo deep.
" guys were chunking it left and right, sheez"
Must have been their technique...like Tiger. By the way elf, how many is "left and right"? I must have missed the barrage of chunks from the rest of the field.
If you don't see that the trends you seem to dislike at golf channel and here? are the same trends that are going on everywhere, then you are not paying attention.
@ Russ Felix, I agree the drama is getting to be too much. Every event where he plays now there seems to be some huge drama unfolding where he's playing it up huge. You'd think he'd have a better sense of himself and start trying to play things down.
I think he did puke all over himself, but it happened on Thursday.
I'm certainly not making excuses for him: I mean good God he just double-chunked at 13 today AGAIN! Perfect drive, and walks away with an 8. I was just trying to explain where I thought elf was coming from.
Good lord maybe he does have the chipping yips. In which case, he can kiss any more majors goodbye, no matter how well he is hitting the ball.
Walker just double-chunked it right after Tiger. What the hell.
If I had a nickel for every time someone complains about too much Tiger coverage on GC, and does by blogging on a site whose bread 'n butter is Tiger coverage, well I'd have a lot of nickels.
BTW, has anyone seen the Hero motorcycle? Have they run any commercials? Is Speith going to get a cruiser on 18 later? Odd sponsor...
According to Chico, all due to technique. Perhaps, like the seniors at our club say every year, the fairways are too tight, they need more cushion. LOL
Because I would say whatever it was, can it be repliacted? Because the game is about the best under the stick, and I'm not computing the reasoning.
I think they go off of the World Rankings. The defending Champion is exempt, then like the first 13 available from the World Rankings list, then like 4 sponsor's exemptions. I am sure Furyk "qualified" as in the Top 14, as did Phil. If an invitee passes, they go right on down the list of "qualified" players. I THINK???
Someone help us out if that is not correct.
I think they go off of the World Rankings. The defending Champion is exempt, then like the first 13 available from the World Rankings list, then like 4 sponsor's exemptions. I am sure Furyk "qualified" as in the Top 14, as did Phil. If an invitee passes, they go right on down the list of "qualified" players. I THINK???
Someone help us out if that is not correct.