Why didn't Padraig chip sideways???

**TheGeekGolfer** · August 10, 2009

OK...I know there's a 'Bridgestone Thread', but I wanted to ask this question directly.

Why did Padraig go at the pin on his 4th shot at 16? Why not chip a bit sideways to the right, where you have more green to work with?

Padraig has a 1 stroke lead on 16, Tiger has a sure birdie (after a phenomenal shot!). Padraig is sitting in a downhill lie behind the green with water staring him in the face if he goes long. I know he 'wants' to make par so then he would be tied with Tiger going into 17. But, he should at least give himself a look at it. Sure, he could pull that shot off, but he lost the tournament on that bad shot/decision.

Chip it sideways to the right and leave yourself (at worst?) a 25 ft. and have a chance at par (the way he was putting on Sat. and most of Sunday, I'd take those chances). He would most likely make bogey, but then he'd only be 1 shot behind and could make a birdie going in to try and tie Tiger.

I think Tiger got to him and he didn't think it through!

**jonnythan** · August 10, 2009

He did the same thing all the rest of us do: went for the hero shot.

It's especially tough if your playing partner just stuck his approach shot a foot from the pin and you put yours in the rough behind the green. You want to save face by putting your chip right next to the pin. But we all know how going for the hero shot versus playing it safe goes.

Besides, it's hard to fault the guy for playing to win. He was playing not to lose in the beginning of the day when he was up by 3, and where did that get him? Nowhere - his lead was gone within 4 holes.

**DavidFehertysBike** · August 10, 2009

I agree, he was too agressive there, and on top of that, he made a bad swing at it. I would have just taken my bogey and lived to fight on. If Paddy was only one back with two holes to go, then at least he gives himself a chance. The snowman on 16 ended his chances.

**jonnythan** · August 10, 2009

I think it's easy to say what you would have done , but let's put you in the rough behind the hole following a poor approach shot one shot back from Tiger on hole 16 on Sunday on a course he's won 6 times right after he just plunked his approach shot 1 foot from the hole and is looking at birdie and see what you actually do.

**MSDOGS1976** · August 10, 2009

Tiger said Paddy was rushed with his decision to analyze the shot because they were on the clock.

**DavidFehertysBike** · August 10, 2009

I think it's easy to say what you

Chipout safely and take my bogey..... Trying to hit hero shots with tiger woods is exactly why so many players around him fall off.

**jonnythan** · August 10, 2009

When he was playing safe, Tiger was running away with it. It was hole 16 and Tiger just hit birdie - he had to do something. It's easy to say now that he should have played it safe, but what if he hit a great chip and got up and down? No one would be questioning it.

**SubPar** · August 10, 2009

With Tiger in for the easy birdie, Paddy might have felt he had to try to make a miracle par. If he made par and went into the last two holes even with Woods, he might have chance to win. Even if he made bogey he was probably going to lose it, so why not go for the par?

You can't know exactly what was in his head, but there is an argument for this line of thinking.

Good discussion here:

PGA Tour Confidential: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

PGA Tour veteran Brad Faxon joins our experts this week to weigh in on Tiger's 70th win, Harrington's collapse and picks for the PGA Championship.

SubPar

**jonnythan** · August 10, 2009

That's exactly my point. With Woods being Woods and playing the way he plays, Padraig couldn't just settle for bogey on 16 with Tiger sinking a birdie.

Well, maybe he could, but it wouldn't have been very smart. He had a few strokes to give to the #2 and really had no choice but to play to win.

***iacas*** · August 10, 2009

Paddy has a good short game. I think going one down with two to play wasn't an option - he wanted to win.

He just hit a bad shot. He could have landed it on the back of the green - even a little short of that - he just didn't judge the lie well, and it shot out.

Play to the right and you basically concede the tournament to Tiger.

**enduro** · August 10, 2009

He had to. If he got Bogey he would have been down a stroke with 2 to play and really no way to make that up on the last 2. He absolutly needed a par.

Great players make great shots. He just caught that one bad. It happens. He made the right play for that situation but didn't execute. He had to do it.

**pittpanther** · August 10, 2009

Why didn't Paddy chip sideways? Because Tiger punked him, that's why.

Say what you want - when Tiger took that lead in the first four holes, he was also sending a message to Paddy. Tiger's shot on 16 was just the last straw - Paddy knew that being down 1 after 16 was equivalent to a loss, so he went for the par. The "punking" is the fact that Paddy didn't believe he could make up one shot on Tiger in the final two holes. That's the effect that Tiger has on other golfers. I can't imagine how demoralizing it must have been for Paddy to see his lead evaporate so quickly...

Besides, it's hard to fault the guy for playing to win. He was playing not to lose in the beginning of the day when he was up by 3, and where did that get him? Nowhere - his lead was gone within 4 holes.

**Shindig** · August 10, 2009

While I don't know if Harrington said anything about it yet, Sean O'Hair was in a similar situation a few years ago at the Players.

He and Phil were close with two holes to play (incidentally, also on the clock). Phil puts his tee shot in the middle of the green on 17 - that beautiful island green at TPC Sawgrass. Sean goes for the pin - back right, the smallest landing area. Splash. Re-tee, splash. Long story short, Phil wins. But O'Hair was asked about it, and he said he had to go for the pin - he was playing for the win. Someone estimated that those two balls in the water cost him something like $700,000. But I suspect most of the top players on tour would risk that amount for a chance at the win.

**Jay-Bird** · August 10, 2009

He made a horrible shot at a very inopportune time. I believe that Padraig would/could get that up and down 75% of the time. He had NO OTHER option than to go for it.

I also believe that if the opponent were anyone other than Tiger, Paddy would've been fine. I think the mere presence of Tiger adds an immeasurable amount of pressure to any shot.

**Zeph** · August 10, 2009

I think he made the right call, but hit a bad shot. The clock thing may have affected him, surely Tiger's approach affected him. Well judged or not, he didn't play a good shot.

**TheGeekGolfer** · August 10, 2009

That's exactly my point. With Woods being Woods and playing the way he plays, Padraig couldn't just settle for bogey on 16 with Tiger sinking a birdie.

People say.. "Tiger being Tiger..." ok, but Padraig needs to start thinking about himself as the one to beat. Padraig could go birdie/birdie, par/birdie to win or tie it. And, Tiger is not without 'folding' a bit in those situations, no it doesn't happen all the time, but remember what he did at the Masters when he chipped in on 16 (a similar, incredible shot). DiMarco kept the pressure on and Tiger went

bogey/bogey to finish and it went to a playoff where DiMarco missed a chip-in to win it by inches. Tiger has not always played 17/18 that great this year, uh... the Masters (what, like 6 over on 17/18 including bogey/bogey on Sunday). Did the same thing at the US Open, didn't finish the rounds well. Point is, give yourself a chance to make up 1 stroke, don't end it there! I'm obviously nowhere near their level, but even I say (within my scoring goals), ok...take bogey here and I know I'm capable of making a couple of birdies coming in.

**Zeph** · August 10, 2009

I'm obviously nowhere near their level, but even I say (within my scoring goals), ok...take bogey here and I know I'm capable of making a couple of birdies coming in.

We are talking about the last two holes of Phoenix South Course, the World Golf Championship, 2 shots behind Tiger Woods. At the same time, Tiger could make a birdie or two.

So, he could go for bogey and rely on Tiger messing up or making two birdies on the last two, or getting that shot close. He chose the latter, which unfortunately turned out bad.

**DavidFehertysBike** · August 10, 2009

People say.. "Tiger being Tiger..." ok, but Padraig needs to start thinking about himself as the one to beat. Padraig could go birdie/birdie, par/birdie to win or tie it. And, Tiger is not without 'folding' a bit in those situations, no it doesn't happen all the time, but remember what he did at the Masters when he chipped in on 16 (a similar, incredible shot). DiMarco kept the pressure on and Tiger went

I agree. Thats what i would have done too. Dont gamble your whole tournament on one shot with 2 holes remaining.

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Why didn't Padraig chip sideways???

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