Random Tour Thoughts

Thrash Talk goes inside the ropes of all three major professional tours this week.

Thrash TalkI hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. In Oklahoma, it hasn’t stopped raining since I got off work Friday, so I’ve had the chance to watch a lot of television. I can’t gripe because we needed the rain, and there was plenty to watch on the tube. Golf fans received an added bonus this weekend. We got to see some of Vijay Singh’s 61 at the Deutsche Bank on Sunday, and we got to see a Vijay-Tiger pairing on Monday.

Vijay might have gone low in the third round, but Tiger saved his best for last en route to winning his fifth consecutive tournament. The last month or so has sounded like a broken record. I found it very interesting that Tiger makes about $2,500 per golf shot, and I’m sure that amount is even higher after his win in Boston. Vijay didn’t play all that poorly in the final round, but he obviously didn’t play well enough. You can add his name to the “Tiger just kicked your ass” list.

The PGA Tour wasn’t the only professional tour making headlines over the past few days, however. A decent player from the LPGA Tour picked up another victory, and the European Ryder Cup Captain made his captain’s picks. There is something to talk about with each of these stories, so let’s get right to it.

Twice as Good
Our Editor Erik J. Barzeski created a topic in The Sand Trap forum a month or so, and he asked the following question: Is Tiger twice as good as Phil? When I saw the topic, I was a little outraged. I thought it was so silly to say Tiger was twice as good as any of the top golfers in the world, whether it be Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, etc. Needless to say, I argued that side for quite awhile.

Tiger WoodsI would like to swallow my pride and admit defeat at this time. Tiger is at least twice as good as any golfer in the world. I am in complete awe of his play since The British Open. I watched him dominate in 1999 and 2000, but he is even better than that right now. Tiger is so much smarter than he was then, and his game is brilliant. I just wanted to get that out of the way.

Chris DiMarco is the only golfer out there that has really stood toe-to-toe with Tiger on a consistent basis, but he has fallen short as well in the head-to-head battles. And he has played well below average in his other starts. Other than the U.S. Open, Tiger has played well in every tournament this season. Who can possibly stop the Tiger-mania that’s running rampant on the PGA Tour?

The obvious answer is nobody. There isn’t a top golfer in the world that can hang with Tiger right now, and I’m not sure they will be able to for quite some time. Everyone is intimidated by Tiger, and some youngster will have to come along and punch Tiger right in the mouth (terminology only) just like Tiger did to the established players when he burst onto the scene in late 1996. Tiger wasn’t scared of anyone back then, and that’s what will have to happen to slow down the roar of the world’s best.

The Wrong Picks
Ian Woosnam picked Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood as his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup at the K Club. Was anyone really surprised by his decision? Everyone expected Clarke and Westwood to get the call, but it’s not what I would have done. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t have picked either one of them. In the end, they are very experienced in the team format, but their past history shouldn’t be enough to get them in.

Thomas Bjorn was very upset by not getting a captain’s pick, and he has a case. Even though he should have earned his own way on the team by playing well, he is still playing better than Westwood. It’s tough to question Westwood’s past record in the Ryder Cup, but I’m going to anyway. This is the year his luck runs out. Keep in mind his playing partners have done their fair share in foursome and fourball competition. Westwood is 1-3 in singles competition.

It’s tough to knock the pick of Darren Clarke because he has truly been through a lot over the past year or so. I can live with this pick, but I would have gone with Ian Poulter. Poulter has come a long way in the past two years, and he has shown the world how much game he has. He may dress a little bit crazy, but he has played very well in recent major championships. Darren Clarke was the sentimental pick, but Ian Poulter would have been the smart, safe pick.

I made the same argument for the United States side, and Captain Tom Lehman obliged. Lehman picked Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink over past Cuppers Davis Love III and Fred Couples. The two United States picks are far and above the two European picks right now. The tide has officially shifted back towards the Americans.

This topic can be debated for another three weeks or so, and I could be dead wrong. If Europe loses, Woosnam will be second-guessed. If Europe wins, Woosnam will look like a mastermind. As recent as last week, I picked Europe to retain the Ryder Cup. However, after looking at the entire 12-man teams, the United States has a great chance to win this thing.

Annika’s Sneaking Up
Annika SorenstamI have forgotten about Annika Sorenstam a little this year. The Swede changed things this past weekend at the State Farm Classic. Sorenstam fired a sizzling final-round 62 to pick up her third win of the season. That ties her with Karrie Webb and Lorena Ochoa for most LPGA wins in 2006.

All the player of the year talk has centered around Webb and Ochoa up to this point, but that needs to change. Annika is right in the thick of things, and she could steal the award with another victory or two this year. Sorenstam will be defending this week in Oklahoma as well, so she might charge to the front of the pack sooner rather than later.

It seems like the media wants Annika to disappear, so all the young guns can begin to dominate the LPGA Tour. I have fallen into that category as well throughout this season. However, the world’s best female golfer isn’t buying it. Sorenstam proved once again this past weekend that she is still the woman to beat, regardless of what we want or think. She still has a lot of wins left in her.

The Final Say
I will continue to hold out hope that someone jumps to the front of the pack to challenge Tiger. I can keep hoping, but it’s really not going to happen. When Tiger is ready to let some competitors in the door, things might get interesting. I figured it would take Tiger another six years to catch Jack Nicklaus in major championship wins, but in all reality, he could have the record by mid-2008. That’s amazing isn’t it?

I’m already prepared to take some heat for second-guessing Ian Woosnam, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. From top to bottom, the European team isn’t as strong as the United States team now. Then again, the European team always looks worse on paper. In the past, the captain’s picks have really been a key to victory, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the next few weeks. If I’m wrong, it won’t be the first time.

That’s all I have to say this week, and now it’s your turn to tell it like it is. Can anyone stop Tiger Woods? If so, will it happen in the next couple years? Also, did Ian Woosnam make the right picks? Finally, can Annika make the comeback a reality and win another player of the year award? If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. Thanks for reading this week’s Thrash Talk!

Photo Credits: © Getty Images, © Unknown.

7 thoughts on “Random Tour Thoughts”

  1. Interesting writing.

    I can see your Euro Ryder picks just as easy as the 2 Ian went with. I am not sure the captain’s picks mean as much as to sway the team favored to the US side, but Clarke and Westwood gel with the rest of the team very well. There is a team chemistry factor that counts for something. It is hard to put that in points or strokes, but the Euro team chemistry seems to have worked well in the last 10 years.

    It still comes down to which side will play better golf. Both teams have their players that are playing well and some that are struggling.

    I still think Tiger must win 4.5 points for the US to have a good chance, but Phil also needs to play well (3.5 pts) in my mind for the US team to pull it off. The US team can, but they will need some putts to fall. The course does not favor the Euro’s as much as the Belfry typically does.

    It should be fun.

  2. Don’t forget to watch records of Bjorn and Westwood at the K Club !! The englishman has two victories. The Dane lost last year event on the 17th tee the last day ! Sending balls in the water and making 11 shots to complete that hole. Westwood is far more motivate than any americans to win the ryder cup. Picks from europe have so much more experience in Ryder Cup history than Cink and Verplank. No doubt Ian Woosnam at least take one good decision so far.

  3. Glad you came around, Cody. I now submit that Tiger is now almost three times as good as Phil Mickelson, at least in the eyes of the OWGR.

    1. Woods 22.59
    2. Mickelson 8.83

    🙂 🙂 🙂

  4. You cannot take a statistical measure as Eric has and correctly state that this proves someone is x times better than someone else. This type of statistic is valid only as a predictive measure. It is not a direct qualitative measure. See Sagrin sports ratings for example. They do not prove one team is x times better than another, they only establish a basis for predicting one teams likely success when compared to a differnt team. It allows for a ranking but does not establish specific qualitative differences. The limits of this type of statistic is shown by the number of upsets that occur. Eric has refused to acknowledge any response which doesn’t disprove his math and conclusion. You cannot do that. That doesn’t mean the conclusion is correct. I have pointed out why the reasoning used is flawed and that it violates the tenents of logic. Since he has defined the acceptable response in a way which requires you to disprove his conclusion using his improper logical structure this is impossible. The truth remains that his logic is flawed and therefore his conclusion is wrong. He is not man enough to admit it however.

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