Golf Channel Programming - Week of 12/28

[ControlJunkie]

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but The Golf Channel has been airing hour-long recaps of all of Tiger's Major wins. I just finished watching the US Open from 2000, where Tiger won by 15 strokes and became the first person to finish double digits under par at a US Open. Simply amazing. Love him or hate him, you can't deny some of the amazing things Tiger has done, and will most likely continue to do.

It also got me even more pumped up for my trip to the US Open at Pebble Beach this coming June, as if that were even possible!

[bogeyhitter25]

Yeah I know. If he ends up playing in the Open (I'm not 100% sure when he's coming back), it won't even be close. That event was amazing.

[Chilli Dipper]

I watched some of that the other day; the Golf Channel has done "Tiger Week" at the end of December for a few years now, though they aren't marketing their programming as such right now (for obvious reasons). One story that I've always wanted to hear more about is the final of the 1995 U.S. Amateur between Tiger and "Buddy" Marucci. (I find it funny that ESPN saw the need to add quotation marks around George Marucci, Jr.'s epithet, but not Eldrick Woods'.) Marucci, a real estate executive from Philly, was twice Tiger's age and a career amateur (not even retiring from his day job at 50 to join the senior tour like Allen Doyle, David Eger, and fellow Philadelphian Jay Sigel did). Somehow, he managed to keep up with Tiger for the full 36 holes. It seems like the kind of event someone could make a decent book or movie about. Buddy captained the U.S. for the last couple of Walker Cups, and won the Senior Amateur last year once he became eligible at 55 (later than the Senior Open—another reason career amateurs usually turn pro at 50). He definitely appears to be an interesting guy.

[HoosierGolfer]

I'm really turned off by Tiger right now and have been just staying away from the GC. Why they think we want Tiger shoved down our throats right now beyond me but I could stand a whole lot less of him right now. Thank God for the Dish Network and 250 channels.

[Blades4me]

Yes his accomplishments were pretty impressive, but that was then and this is now. I'm getting really tired of watching Tiger re runs and Golf Channels love affair with him. It is really sad that the media has made Tiger bigger than the sport. Or maybe its an example of how few actually have a life.

[tntailshot]

Golf needs Tiger the golfer. Enough said.