Should Tiger Return to Butch?

[Awsi Dooger]

IMO, it's bozo caliber to assert Tiger 2009 is superior to Tiger 2000. Naturally Tiger is going to say it. It's similar to the wanta believe baloney older athletes always use, "I'm smarter now."

LOL. Meanwhile, as a gambler I can tell you the younger guy would be a considerable favorite over his more mature less dominant self. And that's the case here. Tiger 2000 would be spotting shots, and justifiably so. It's also lame that 2001 and 2002 are lumped with 2000. Tiger in those years was not extra special, like 2000.

I'm not saying he should go back to Butch. His best season and best form ever -- by far -- were accomplished under Butch. And that will never change, the apologists notwithstanding. I think he should have stayed with Butch. But going back would be awkward for both parties, like if Steve Spurrier somehow had another opportunity to coach Florida.

I can guarantee this: If the 2009, or recent years, stats or scoring average supported Tiger as superior to 2000, then stats suddenly wouldn't be meaningless or misleading. It's pick and choose.

I also dispute that competition is better now than in 2000. It's considerably worse. The field has had a decade of Tiger pounding and has gotten very comfortable in its wimp out strategy whenever Tiger puts his name high on a leaderboard after 36 holes. These guys finish like a horse running 1:08 for 6 furlongs in a mile and a quarter race. Brakes please. For more than a month recently I posted on several golf sites that I wished Koreans were a major presence on the PGA Tour, even a fraction of their LPGA strength. The LPGA Koreans finish an event, regardless of which one is having a big week. It was hardly a stretch to project similar of YE Yang on Sunday.

This is the comical aspect: Yang shot 70 and is heralded as forging a spectacular accomplishment and upset. That's how pathetic current golf has become when Tiger noses in front. It wasn't a Miller final round or Watson at Turnberry or even Faldo with a rock solid 67 versus Norman in the '96 Masters. Tiger and his most blindfolded fans are so expectant of sweeping collapse that no one else is allowed to dare par on Sunday.

Anyway, Tiger had a strange year, flashes of excellent form surrounding woeful swing tendencies. It's the first time I've seen him avoid a major win in a year his form was very, very high at times. Tiger's putting will never look as good as Jack in terms of natural feel. On Sunday, like often in his career, after a few holes I was dismissing Tiger's chances from 10 feet on every hole. He's simply not going to make them when the mechanics are off.

[MSDOGS1976]

Speaking of Butch, I heard on TGC that Butch fired Adam Scott. What's up with that? You think he doesn't want someone who's game has headed south under his tutelage? Pretty sad if that's the case.

As far as Tiger is concerned, he just putted bad over the weekend. He putts well, he wins. Simple as that. If he had a technical problem with his stroke, he and Hank are smart enough to get that figured out. Tiger putted pretty well all year........just not this weekend. I doubt if Tiger is going into panic mode over this.

[Zeph]

Why would he be panicking over a bad putting day? He's had days like this before this year, he's had them through his entire career, everyone's got a some bad putting days. Him and Hank has probably figured the reason for his inability to make them drop on sunday already.

[iacas]

LOL. Meanwhile, as a gambler I can tell you the younger guy would be a considerable favorite over his more mature less dominant self.

Tiger wins a heck of a lot more frequently now. In that regard, he's far more dominant.

The old Tiger won by 12 or lost by 12. The new Tiger is within a few shots of the lead at all times. ONE stroke-play finish outside the top 10 this year. And I think that includes last year, too.

His best season and best form ever -- by far -- were accomplished under Butch.

Tiger disagrees. And sure, a part of him is going to say "he has to say that," but since winning is what matters, the numbers speak for themselves: he's won 22 of his last 41 events.

This is the comical aspect: Yang shot 70 and is heralded as forging a spectacular accomplishment and upset.

Yeah, tying the low round of the day, that sucks...

Did you happen to notice the starched flags??? Oakmont was soaked and not windy when Miller scraped it around in 63. If you want to include stats, go ahead. But wins are the ultimate stat, and Tiger under Hank wins a LOT more frequently than Tiger under Butch, and when he doesn't win, he finishes much higher under Hank than under Butch. And that stat tops them all.

[Sir Ryan]

If you want to include stats, go ahead. But wins are the ultimate stat, and Tiger under Hank wins a LOT more frequently than Tiger under Butch, and when he doesn't win, he finishes much higher under Hank than under Butch.

Like Sir Feherety says,

stats annoy me (:

[enduro]

,...he's won 22 of his last 41 events.

That is an absolutely astonishing, insane number. Wow.

[BASHERBAKER69]

There's another reason why Tiger should not return to Butch and it's political. Butch should not be coaching Tiger and Phil simultaneously although Im sure it would be an ego boost for him. Also, Butch works for Sky Sports and I do not know how he could be a commentator and coach Tiger regularly without one interfering with the other. I like to hear what Butch has to say on Sky with his unique viewpoint of things.

[ezmoney5150]

Yeah, a more consistent golfer who, the year after knee surgery, has finished outside of the top ten in exactly one tournament in the past 30 events, has won 22 of his last 41 events, and so on?

I have to agree with Erik. He still blocks an occasional tee shot out to the right, but he's alot better now than he was then. His putting under Hank is outstanding. He's probably the only person who thinks a 30 foot putt is going in every time. And he makes

alot of them. Just look at his front nine on Sunday at Firestone.

[lobsterzilla]

no


very no

[supr4]

no

OK. More than three quarters, over 75% of golf netizens voted democratically that Tiger should not return to Butch.

Can we accept that and move on? P.S. Tho this is a small sample of polling, I would say its statistically correct to safely predict that a majority of us members would vote no!

[redmonlee]

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[Three Putt]

Yes

Hank is too mechanical.

[Grndslmhttr3]

OK. More than three quarters, over 75% of golf netizens voted democratically that Tiger should not return to Butch.

Eh it's tough to come to a real conclusion when only 72 people actually voted in the poll.

[is2linda]

Everybody is so fast a pointing blames. Who knows... Maybe its the coaches, maybe its his family, or maybe its just tiger. Either way, i think when tiger switched to Hank, hes been playing a lot more consistently. I just think its a bad year for tiger. I mean the guy did break his leg last year playing golf...

[Clambake]

A number of people here keep pointing to him having a bad year. Let's see, following reconstructive knee surgery and months of rehab, so far in 2009 TW is:

#1 on Money List
#1 in number of wins (5 so far; 6 if you count the Notah Begay tourney)
#1 on FedEx Cup points
#1 on Top Ten finishes with 12
#1 in scoring average
#2 in scrambling
#3 in average of birdies
#6 in total ball striking
#9 in total driving
#1 in final round scoring average
T6 at the Masters
T6 at the US Open
2nd at the PGA


Granted, I'm sure TW is disappointed that he didn't pick up a major or two, and he was certainly disappointed he didn't make some of the clutch putts in the last couple tourneys - he holds himself to the highest standards and is disappointed every time he doesn't win. But how in the world does the above qualify as a "bad year", even by the lofty TW standards????

[DavidFehertysBike]

Theres nothing wrong with tigers ballstriking. He has always been erratic with the driver. The field has caught up to Tiger and he can no longer physically dominate the tour like he used to. Most of them can hit all of the same shots that Tiger does. He has to putt to beat these guys, now.

And Tiger is not having a bad year. He is hands down the player of the year.

[is2linda]

Nah, with the economy down the PGA crew as well as other club manufactures paid tiger over 500 million dollars to slow down his pace so that us amateurs thinks there is a chance to beat tiger.

The golf marketers believe that ever since tiger has injured his knee, golf sales have gone up. More and more new comers practiced hard diligently to win at least one tournament, purchasing new clubs and going out to field more and more. Shortly after Tiger's return, sales dropped drastically. They came to the conclusion that most people were discourage when Tiger steps on the field.

Upon hours and hours of research, National Geography co-op with the Myth Busters did a research on Tiger Woods. It seems that in fact Tiger never misses green. Upon a secretive interview he states that he misses occasionally to make us noobs feel good about ourselves when we miss a 10 foot putt. Sometimes he gets his stunt double, Liger Woods, to play the rest of his round because Tiger would break all the course record and crush the American Dream.

[Duffy]

I think he looks pretty manly just as he is.