Tiger's Misery at Bay Hill

[iacas]

I dunno what's up with Tiger this week. He starts it off with a fat 3-wood. He hits balls out of bounds. He three-putts from 25 feet. And just now, Sunday at 11:40am, he's hit a ball into the water on a sub-400-yard par 4. (#3), airmailing the green by a good 25 yards.

What's up? The guy needs to finish in the top 20 or he's virtually guaranteed to lose his #1 spot again to Vijay. Ernie played badly (he's tired - I'll give him that excuse), and Retief started badly, too. All sorts of wacky stuff this week, but the wackiest has to be Tiger's play.

He dominated here four years in a row, and this year he's playing like he has a 4-day migraine. He made the cut (who couldn't at +4?), and was within a few shots of the lead. Now he's 11 back after 3 holes.

[Thrash13]

Yeah, the only thing that really surprises me about his play this week is the fact he played so well here winning 4 times in a row.

He has had such an inconsistent week overall, which is very unlike him. But he did make the cut as always. But with all the hype coming into the week about the Big 3 battling it out for the top spot, I figured he would put his foot down in a big way to maintain the top spot.

But right now, like you said, Vijay has it in his grasp once again, and barring a breakdown today, I really expect Vijay to finish no worse than 2nd. I really think he will end up winning, but a lot of things can happen in 18 holes on Sunday at Bay Hill.

[iacas]

Lovely. Just lovely.

[sevenfourate]

Im a huge Tiger fan - how can any golfer fail to be ? Or indeed be a fan of anyone who is "the best" at what they do ?

He's certainly extremely out of sorts this week though - almost as if his mind is elsewhere....Havnt watched much coverage but his scorecards are not pretty viewing by any stretch of the imagination. Ive never seen so many bogeys in one tournament from the guy.The one shot i did see was that drive OOB left,where he was so laid-off it was unreal.Perhaps he was trying to fade one and left the clubface square ...... ?

Still,"form is temporary - class is permanant" as they say,and i think he'll be back on the majors-run this year.

How many majors for Tiger in 2005 from anyone else ?

[iacas]

The one shot i did see was that drive OOB left,where he was so laid-off it was unreal.Perhaps he was trying to fade one and left the clubface square ...... ?

I don't think he was laid off. Miller attributes the pull more to his right elbow getting out away from his body, resulting in a closed clubface. Kinda like coming over the top (which you do when you want to hit a fade, just a little), a double-cross.

Vijay did it big time last week when he missed the green on the second playoff hole. And Vijay's miss is a dead pull. Now that Tiger plays a fade, that may be his miss too. It's rare he blocks one nowadays.

[sevenfourate]

Difficult to actually KNOW where he was aiming exactly,but apart from that his club at the top of his backswing appeared from what i saw,to be pointing way-left of his shoulder line and it was a pretty complete swing - not a 3/4 stinger ! The ball also appeared to have started well left and so not all of it was clubface....

One thing it definately was,is ugly !

Regarding a "cultivated" fade its hardly surprising Vijay's miss is a dead pull as every single club in the bag is outside the line on the backswing.Watch him practice on the range,taking it back on the outside of the shaft he has placed in the ground - and sure,perhaps Tiger will narrow his bad ones down to one direction only as he has been prone to a bit off "army golf" on his bad rounds.I sat behind Vijay on the practice-ground at Wentworth for the World Matchplay this year and watched him for perhaps 2 1/2 hours - AWESOME doesnt even get close.I reckon there where 20 other pro's who just sat on their bags and watched too !!!!!!!!!!