On Tiger: "Not ready to contend any day soon, anyway."
The second round viewing from the Quicken Loans National was both fascinating and discouraging, as Tiger Woods made a miraculously fast recovering from back surgery only to look and sound like the same less-than-once-in-a-lifetime golfer he had become just before the surgery.
Constantly mentioning he needs "reps," Woods made clear after his 74-75 MC that his priorities lie elsewhere these days by refusing to even consider adding more to his schedule. For those hoping he'd return refreshed with the desire of old and a desire to do anything possible to win, Woods made clear this is his only start before The Open Championship at Hoylake. As the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open lures a great field the week prior to the Open, the mystery remains, why does Woods insist on getting to the UK as late as possible when a great week at Royal Aberdeen is an option?
From Karen Crouse's NY Times story on Woods missing the cut at The Quickie.
Woods said he could take “a lot of positives” from the week. “The fact that I was able to even play; I came back four weeks earlier than we thought I could,” he said. “I had no setbacks. I got my feel for playing tournament golf.”
The 16 missed greens and the missed putts, including an 8-footer at the fourth hole and a 9-footer at the sixth, both for birdies, were a product of his rust, Woods said.
From Steve DiMeglio's USA Today story:
It was just the 10th time Woods missed the 36-hole cut in 299 starts on the PGA Tour. It was his first missed cut since 2012.
"A lot of positives to take away from these last two days," said Woods, who had back surgery March 31. "Even though I missed the cut by four shots; the fact that I was able to even play (was encouraging). I came back four weeks earlier than we thought I could. I had no setbacks. I got my feel for playing tournament golf. I made a ton of little, simple little mistakes, misjudging things and missing the ball on the wrong sides and just didn't get up-and-down on little simple shots. Those are the little things I can correct, which is nice."
Jeff Rude had no problem saying what was obvious if you watched: Woods is healthy again but it'll take a lot of rounds to get his mojo back. And he has no plans to play any more than he has to.
But that might be difficult to accomplish without more competitive rounds to chip off the rust that was apparent at the Quicken Loans National.
As it stands, he isn’t expected to compete between now and then. But because he needs more fine-tuning, it would behoove him to add the Scottish Open the week before going to Royal Liverpool. Yes, he’s a creature of habit who hardly ever plays the week before a major championship, but these are extenuating circumstances.
Geoff
**John Paul Newport on Tiger's two rounds at Congressional:
Sean Foley, Wood's coach, made the analogy to a fighter pilot. "He can fly on the simulator for weeks, but the first time he sees another plane in combat, chemically it's going to be different. The adrenaline is going to be different," Foley said in an interview. The key after layoffs for any player is to quit thinking so much. "You know what to do, but it's time to trust the training and free it up."
Woods talked about the need to get "his numbers"—meaning, to get dialed in on the distance he's hitting his irons into the greens. But surprisingly his long game in both rounds looked sharper than his chipping and putting, which Woods said he had been able to practice since shortly after the surgery. He left three or four lag putts embarrassingly short, outright stubbed a chip on Thursday and took two shots to get out of a bunker on Friday.
Reader Comments (50)
Very much so. Even if Tiger was ready, I never rate him when the wind blows and he is forced to use his driver. As he showed at Lytham, he has just one game plan on the links these days
Yes.
Rust isn't his problem, technique is his problem. In his second round, Woods had a 61-yard pitch shot from a perfect lie in the fairway and missed the green! He proceeded to blow his chip seven feet past the cup and make bogey from less than 75 yards in.
It's really simple: Tiger's pitching game has gone to sh&#. That 61-yard pitch shot he hit was just like all of the other pitch shots he hits with his Foley swing (see Augusta, 2013, firing a torpedo pitch off the flagstick into the pond on Hole No. 15) – his pitches don't come in high and soft like they did from 1997 through April 2010 – rather, they fly into the greens violently; the old adage that a pitch shot should be 90 percent carry and 10 percent roll doesn't hold true for Woods anymore.
Tiger's never been a great chipper, but it's gotten worse too. However, his game is really suffering because of his terrible pitching game. And there's really no excuse, other than his new horrible Foley pitching technique. It doesn't suit him. He has nothing but time, sweet time, to practice his short game, and for it to be off as much as it is, that's not a result of rust, it's a result of faulty technique.
It was laughable to hear Tiger say the reason for his poor pitches was due to the rye grass he was playing from in D.C., as opposed to the Bermuda he had "installed" at his practice facility at his home in Florida. Seriously, Tiger? You've been out on the Tour for two decades, and that's your excuse? Wow. Tiger is in denial, and as long as he sticks with Foley, he'll never sniff another major – unless he plays at a venue where he doesn't have to hit a pitch shot all week.
Those wins included The Players Championship and two WGCs, events that attract a similar field strength to major championships.
@ Chico - What type of conditions can we expect for the Open?
Looks like a low/block type move...like he's terrified of hitting it long/left.
I'm not sure how he can swing back any further than he is. His upper body looks huge. I don't know how he did that with his back problem, but he is either wearing smaller shirts or he has passed into the "too bulky" for golf phase of his workout life.
Remember when "skinny" Tiger hit it farther, won more often and didn't get injured like "super buff" Tiger?
How has his workout regimen helped, again?
+1 Ryan. Tiger does not evoke rational thinking among the media.
I am not a Tiger fan, but am willing to bet he finds his form again. Mt guess would be sometime early next year, as he is going through the motions now to appease sponsors, pay some bills and get his reps. But wouldn't be surprised if he finds it quicker as he is only one of the top 2 players to ever live.
@Johnnycz +1 "like he's terrified of hitting it long/left." No doubt.
@ TJ Not sure "what" TW you have been viewing the past 20 years or so, but I thought he had one of the best short games ever. Recent years his short game has eroded from his once "can't miss' status of his glory years. But we can all rattle off memorable up and downs he has made in the biggest events. Seve, Player, Chi Chi, Tom Watson are short game geniuses that pop up. I would rate Tiger at worse as good as these guys were.
@ No Longer +1 "always thought Tiger's best asset was his ability to get up and down from anywhere while he was waiting to get "dialed"."
Yep....Michelle Wie too.
Tiger does look like he has further bulked up above the waist, not sure why.
Good luck with that. (But it's fun to dream, isn't it?)
The so-called "Tiger haters" here are the epitome of decorum and civility when compared to the rash of vitriol you can find just about anywhere else. We're such a classy bunch I can hardly stand it.
Of course he's a Tiger Fanboy.
Also, his swing did not look "freed up" at all. There was visibly no torque in the transition with the driver. It looked like he was not willing to let his hips start driving early for fear that the back might give out.
Statistically, Woods still has two more majors left in him (one before 40 and one after), but that is only if his back or he himself do not get in the way. A big "if"
Interesting comment yesterday made by Stacy Lewis; she refereed to Michelle as "our tour's biggest star" in discussing how much it meant to the LPGA for Wie to win, and to win at Pinehurst on the "biggest stage". At least somebody gets it --how much her winning will help the LPGA.
Does Tiger need more tournaments? absolutely. But any athlete, in any sport needs practice time before they get back to games, and right now Tiger doesn't have the practice. My guess is hat he got tired, that this was his first several days of walking a course/playing.
As to the Scottish Open, if Steinberg/Justice are to be believed, the docs don't want Tiger playing in back to back tournaments yet (which makes sense, taking it slowly coming off of surgery, time to rest etc), so why would he risk playing in the Open in order to play the Scottish the week before?
Of course the media picking apart Tiger so early is unreasonable. But that is the way 'stars' like it, or at least that's how they have formed the aura around them. Jack never needed the constant chip on his shoulder, he never needed an entourage of bodyguards. He was able to win like Tiger but still be a decent man of the people to a certain extent. Not Tiger, not from day one. This is how Earl designed it and Tiger hasn't changed a thing, so this is how it goes. The media treat him the way he's taught them to treat him. So, reps reps and more reps....he may win some more golf tournaments, he will never win the hearts of the fans.
John