Two weeks ago, Tiger Woods was the clear favorite to win the PGA Championship. He headed to Hazeltine with back-to-back wins, his driving accuracy had gone from abysmal to passable, and his short game was impeccable. But like the three previous majors, he couldn't put it together for four rounds, Y.E. Yang could, and in the days since we've been subjected to every variation of "It's clear that Tiger choked and his latest collapse signals the beginning of the end of his once-great reign." Or some such.
Never mind that Woods has five wins this year, or that after his Buick Open triumph in early August he told the media that his consistency this season, after taking eight months off to recover from reconstructive knee surgery, was "one of the things I'm probably most proud of."
Unlike the media, however, Woods' competitors don't see the world's best player slipping. If anything, it's just the opposite. Former U.S. Open champ Jim Furyk would kindly ask those folks to shut their traps. Gold Digest's John Strege points to an interesting back and forth between a reporter and Furyk following Tiger's final-round mastery at the Memorial.
Q. "Jim, after Charlotte (The Quail Hollow Championship) and the Players (Championship), Tiger wasn't really himself in those last rounds. Do you feel that there was like a vulnerability about him?"So why, after every major Tiger doesn't win, do we hear that this is proof that he's on the downside of an historic career? Because it gives lazy people something to write about. That's it.
FURYK: "I wish you'd all quit (ticking) him off. That's about all I have to say about that. Wish you'd just quit chapping him so much and make him come back and keep proving stuff. Tiger Woods is always Tiger Woods. He can't be 100 percent every week, but I'm sure he answered a lot of questions today."
Unfortunately for the rest of the tour it means that Woods will come back with something to prove. It's a silly notion, akin to Rodney Harrison or Tom Brady or Bill Belichick playing the disrespect card as the Patriots steamrolled their way to a 2007 undefeated regular season.
Just in case Woods is keeping score, in addition to Furyk, Camilo Villegas would also like it known that Tiger is just as formidable as ever. Via his Twitter Machine: "Tiger... Human after all... Not really, only for a week."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ryan, it is refreshing to see the honest reporting on Tiger's status amongst his peers. Guys like Shane Bacon and Marriotti are a couple of gossip hounds who, since they can'y write a story like Herman Melville, stir the pot up just to get readers. Their ilk are nothing but Randolh Hearst wannabes. So I 'll take my hat off to you for talking straight. Don't Bacon anf Marriotti realize we live in a crazy world and somebody could take the garbage they write to heart and catch them in a dark alley?
Kudos to Bozallan......well said.....sometimes I wonder if Bacon and Mariotti have any clue about the signifigance of Tiger's 2009 achievements....despite his failure to win a major this is arguably his best year ever.....are these two so naive to think that he SHOULD win every week.....find some new golf writers AOL!
ALL NEEGROS ARE LOOOSERS !!!!!!!!
NO YOU are the loser...
Your Spelling has some Improvement needed moron!!!
you are either 5 years old or the most ignorant person on the planet!!!
i will bet bossidy doesnt have the nuts to say that to any ones face. he is chicken**it