Tiger's performance should scare other players for next year

[senorchipotle]

Well, let's keep this guy out of the list of comparisons. I didn't see Tiger take a cheap shot head butt on Yang after the approach shot on 18...

well, just for the sake of argument, zidane is without a doubt the best midfielder that ever lived. i don't think one head butt to a crap talking totti is going to change that. i've played soccer my whole life, and there is only one that has played since pele, maradona, beckenbauer, etc. that can even be compared to him with respect to skill and execution.

[PrairieParson]

Tiger could have at least tied if he could have made some of the shorter putts on Sunday. Tiger beat almost all the rest of the field. He is still a great player. He will probably win more tournaments and will most likely break Jack N. record for most major wins. But that isn't for sure, because the man has a problem with his temperment. He's not blowing past the field any more and the stress may be showing. His anger and frustration with less than perfect could be a detriment to his over all scoring ability. Jmho.

[Laurentius]

Tiger still dominates golf in my opinion, right... last 3 weeks, 1st, 1st, 2nd.

But, this time he didn't play to win but he played not to lose. If he just attacked the PINs on Saturdays and Sundays, he would have won it by 10.

[Shindig]

But, this time he didn't play to win but he played not to lose. If he just attacked the PINs on Saturdays and Sundays, he would have won it by 10.

Didn't Cink, shortly after winning the British Open, say something about the prevent defense only preventing winning? Boy, how prescient that appears now!

[kris]

He still won 5 tournaments this year and had 2 T6 and 1 2nd in majors. Maybe an off year by Tiger standards but still a pretty damn good year!!

[chriskzoo]

He still won 5 tournaments this year and had 2 T6 and 1 2nd in majors. Maybe an off year by Tiger standards but still a pretty damn good year!!

Exactly - his standards are so high that even and "off year" would be a career year for every other player on tour. I think the wind this week was a big factor in his approach of just playnig for par the last 2 rounds, and that turned out the be a mistake. But like he said in his post-tourney interview, he thought if he could just shoot under patr (71) the final round, he would win, and that was the number.

That being said, for whatever reason it only seems to be the guys down in the rankings (Beem, Wang, May, etc.) that have been able to go toe to toe with Tiger, probably because they have nothing to lose. Ah, well, bring on the Masters 2010!

[sp33d]

The entire thing is Tiger played safe, he never plays safe. Sure he will lay up on holes if he has the lead but Saturday was the most boring golf I have ever seen him play. He will still intimidate players. Because the stats don't lie, hes lost 2 games now on Sunday with the lead but those other 56 games he beat his opponent.

Sunday tiger played safe again, I'm sure he thought his -8 would hold up to a fairly "no-name" player. No one knows him except us because were golf nerds. He screwed some putts up and that cost him the game even more so than his conservative play.

Bottom line is no one is unbeatable, even the all-mighty Tiger. If I had to play next to him i would probably pass out from the pressure alone.

Tiger had a great comeback season, I didn't think he would win 4 tournaments this year after knee surgery. But next year I think he will dominate even more so. He's still working out some kinks in his swing from having his knee done. I predict 2 majors out of him next year.

[iacas]

It was a bad day in the country for Tiger (75) and only heightened by the fact that his Tee-ball woes continue

Where and how did his "tee-ball woes continue"? People keep harping on this tee ball thing but they're full of it. He's far better off the tee than four years ago. Than six years ago. A ton better.

He could care less about 5 wins.

How much less could he care?

[DavidFehertysBike]

I kinda agree with tiger going utterley batshit for a 12 month period after the loss at the PGA. But there is the flip side. Tiger has never felt defeat on that level. Even going back to his ametuer days. How he responds to the kind of L he took on sunday will determine how sacred the tour should be.

[Mitch C]

I kinda agree with tiger going utterley batshit for a 12 month period after the loss at the PGA. But there is the flip side. Tiger has never felt defeat on that level. Even going back to his ametuer days. How he responds to the kind of L he took on sunday will determine how sacred the tour should be.

Tiger is not physically better than a lot of the other players on tour nowadays. When he first came into the game he was way longer than everybody but just a few players, he hit better iron shots, and he just dominated people. He isn't going to do that anymore. In fact, just about the only thing that really sets him apart anymore is his mental game. Despite not being a great putter statistically, he is without a doubt the best pressure putter on tour, and maybe ever. He seldom misses when it counts. So, the real question is will his mental game hold up. In fact, that is about the only question. The rest of his game is nothing special anymore. Does the mental game hold up for the rest of his career. The mental game is most evident on the greens. Most of the greats first broke down on the putting surface. We'll see. I expect he will rebound and continue to do well. But as someone noted about Palmer, he was 33 and only won one more major after that. If Tiger merely becomes an average pressure putter instead of the greatest in the world, he is going to find it a lot harder to win majors. The rest of his game does not separate him from the field.

[senorchipotle]

I kinda agree with tiger going utterley batshit for a 12 month period after the loss at the PGA. But there is the flip side. Tiger has never felt defeat on that level. Even going back to his ametuer days. How he responds to the kind of L he took on sunday will determine how sacred the tour should be.

what does the sacredness of the tour have to do with tiger playing well next year?

[iacas]

How he responds to the kind of L he took on sunday will determine how

Funny typo.

The rest of his game is nothing special anymore.

The rest of the PGA Tour would like to disagree with you. Tiger often has more shots in the bag than his playing partners in any given tournament week.

[Mitch C]

The rest of the PGA Tour would like to disagree with you. Tiger often has more shots in the bag than his playing partners in any given tournament week.

I didn't say that it wasn't good, just not awe inspiring anymore. There are better drivers of the ball. There are longer drivers of the ball. There are guys who hit there irons better. There are guys who have better short games.

Tiger may put it all together better than anyone, but not dramatically so anymore. His mind is what sets him apart.