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Saturday
Dec062014

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.

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Reader Comments (48)

It couldn't have pleased the TV people that when the NBC coverage started on Saturday, Tiger had completed his round. Who would have thought he would be in the first group out both days on the weekend?
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?"
+1 Colin.

I found myself watching him to see if he would do just that. It says more about me than Tiger.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterCenter Cut
What a joke this is turning out. The golf channel and this site talking about how sick he was with all the details then I hear on the Golf Channel his girl friend won her event. The New TMZ.
Since you like details I will be watching the golf channel and reading this site while I am taking a dump in the toliet.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSidvicius
"Initially I didn't have the explosiveness."

Perhaps he left it on the side of the first tee?
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterNevrupNevrin
Maybe a pepto Bismal endorsement will be forthcoming....
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterChicago pt
As a long-time Tiger non-fan, I'll admit this was the first time I've felt sympathy for him. Dealing with the dry heaves during a tournament round would be seriously hard to stomach...
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenter3foot1
Remember when Michael Jordan was sick all those times....
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterJRP
@Sid

So glad to hear you'll be using a toilet.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterAG
When Tiger's girlfriend AND John Daly are having decidedly better comebacks than Woods, we know that the world truly has changed.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterMarky Mark
The commentators are falling all over themselves to point out the good things: look at those fairways, nice green in reg and so on. The only problem is that all the other guys are doing the same thing - and sinking putts getting up and down. Mahan and Kuchar and Westwood and the like do all of those things very well - but they don't seem to win more than just now and then. Is that where Tiger is going to be ? I think so.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
Golf Channel's shameless all-Tiger-all-the-time golf coverage has had all real golf fans throwing up for years. Guess he was just feeling our pain for a day.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterAdam B
I've never been one to buy into all the drama-theorists when he's limping, or holding his back, etc. But I'm starting to turn a little. I mean, I'm sure other pros have felt like they might puke and they don't do the full drama act on the driving range, knowing the cameras are filming. How bout some real athlete mentality here like Earl Campbell. Suck it up or don't show up. The drama is really getting old.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterRuss Felix
When The GC starts hyping the girl friend's 8th place finish in a skiing event, you know they have Jumped the Shark..... and throw in (no pun intended) TGC's continuingly showing TW's dry-heave episode, that is enough already. My gosh, enough is enough.

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPro from Dover
Think tiger won't catch Jack for the same reason Arnie and Watson never won past 34..putting. When it goes it rarely comes back for 4 rounds of a major.
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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenterjjshaka
It's either hyping the hell out of Tiger or over hyping Wei. I'm glad she won last year, but prior to that, the coverage would be all,about 32nd rank Wei. Tiger gets all the press and is dead last. Cameras were on him in Brittjsh Open while he was 12 out of the lead. Geez, Tiger won't give Golf Channel the time of day, but they still "kiss up" to him. It's rather embarrassing to watch.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterAnthony
Here's my general rule of thumb: I don't judge performance when someone a) has a fever or b) has nausea. I don't know about the rest of you, but my ability to perform athletic tasks and hand/eye coordination is impacted by both of those things.

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenterelf
102 degree temp in an adult is pretty serious. Why the hell would he play? He has got some serious issues between the ears.

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterV60
Did you see the thermometer elf? Do we trust a man who has consistently lied to the press for years?

" 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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterRuss Felix
Only three 2014 Ryder Cup members absent from TW's little "invitational"....Mickelson, Furyk, and Simpson. Mickelson and Furyk were certainly "eligible" for invite: not sure the list ran that deep for Simpson.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPro from Dover
Only three 2014 Ryder Cup members absent from TW's little "invitational"....Mickelson, Furyk, and Simpson. Mickelson and Furyk were certainly "eligible" for invite: not sure the list ran that deep for Simpson.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPro from Dover
Isn't Simpson back at Q-School this week?
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSal Bonpensiero
Was that a press conference or the Jupiter Beach Playhouse presentation of Othello? So much courage and drama. Gripping.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterGinGHIN
Russ Felix, I only watched yesterday, but yesterday I saw Walker twice, Horschel and Bradley chunk pitches. I assume that is what elf was referring to.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSari
@ Sid Vicious,

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPress Agent
Sari, I saw countless great chips and pitches. Suddenly in the rush to make excuses for Tiger, chipping and pitching has become the hardest thing for the best players in the world now. All I hear in the telecast is how hard chipping and pitching is, yet normally the commentators are saying he'll be "disappointed if he doesn't get this within two feet or hole it." Grain and grass my arse, most of these guys live in Florida and play on these grasses all the time. I someone crunched the numbers, we are probably on track for a normal amount of chunks, but in the effort to soften the exposure of Tiger's horrendous performance, they are highlighting each one.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPress Agent
Press Agent:

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSari
Tiger is 4 back with 5 to play. Of not coming in last.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
LOL:

Walker just double-chunked it right after Tiger. What the hell.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSari
I'll call the guys at Shot Link to see what the DFL finisher averages in chunked chips per week. I'm guessing DFL usually has the most.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterGinGHIN
Time to start talking about what Jordan Spieth is doing: blowing away a quality field on a difficult golf course. Very impressive.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSari
Dover, Furyk was apparently invited but withdrew, and Reed took his place.

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...
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterJH
@Press what Sari said, and Zach Johnson said he's chunked a few this week as well. We've definitely seen a lot of great chips and pitches, but their have been a LOT of chunks. And a lot of people who should know better than I say that Isleworth is a tough place to pitch it. Not to admit to watching the Over Consumption - I mean Tavistock - Cup, but I remember a number of chunk then as well.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenterelf
Everyone in the field should have to give Spieth their share of purse money, wow
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenterelf
Since we have to sit through Speith hype for the next three hours, I liken him to Kaymer. Not going to overpower the course like Rory or Bubba, but will think his way through a tough layout. Also a total gentleman in front of the camera like Kaymer. Great kid.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterJH
"Walker just double-chunked it right after Tiger. What the hell"

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
Would someone be so good as to tel me quite why Isleworth is the hardest course in Florida for the short game? Seriously, what is this magic formula that has not been replicated in other Florida courses? What is it that has the former World Number One and Isleworth regular stumped? And others for that matter?

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterCenter Cut
LOL and now Bubba Watson, Iselworth member, takes three chips to get up to the green.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSari
JH

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPro from Dover
JH

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.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPro from Dover
@Pro for first 16 it's strictly off of world rankings, top 16 who commit get in, then 2 invites which must come from the top 50 in the owgr. Furyk committed this year, but then WD with a bad back, Reed was next up on owgr list so he got in.
12.7.2014 | Unregistered Commenterelf

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