Tiger's best chance(s) to win a Major this year?

[Clubswinger21]

I think its a sign of things to come, If he keeps wiping his drives 60 yards right, the only major he'll be able to win consistantly is the British Open. The Masters used to be thought of as the only place that suits his game, well unless he gets the driver straightened out.. Tiger may not win as many green jackets as we thought. Augusta is too long for him to use a 2 iron off every tee. It'll be interesting to see his stradegy at Oakmont which is also long with US open rough, I think he might have a tough time there aswell. That said, Tiger is the best player on tour at advancing out of long rough so you never know. In my oppinion, The PGA and British Open suit his game the best this year though. He will be able to lay back with irons off the tee at both Turnberry and Carnoustie being around 7,000 yards.

The next 3 are going to be fun, and for once the Masters wont be the best Major we see this year.

[Xt1ncT]

I think this is going to be very intirguing - certainly for Tiger fans, of which I am one.

No doubt he will spend a lot of time sorting his driver out - as I said in one of my previous threads that's been revived, I wonder if his equipment lets him down or that he just puts a bad swing on it.

I also wonder why he oes not use 3 wood more. Hecan hit it about 270-280 IIRC which is plenty far enough seeing how good he is with it off the deck and obviously with his irons.

I answer to your question, I htink the PGA and also the Open Championship will suit him more than the US Open.

[Billbill13]

I often wonder why he does not go 3-wood off the tee more often also. Although Sunday he had a couple of errand 3-wood shots too.

I like Tiger to win 2 out of the next 3 majors, maybe cause he is pissed at himself for letting this one go. He know's had he played even 3 holes better he would have his 5th jacket.

[iacas]

Augusta is too long for him to use a 2 iron off every tee.

Medinah wasn't too long for him to hit 3W off virtually every tee.

It'll be interesting to see his stradegy at Oakmont which is also long with US open rough, I think he might have a tough time there aswell. That said, Tiger is the best player on tour at advancing out of long rough so you never know.

I highly doubt that Tiger's plan for Oakmont is to be the best at advancing the ball out of the rough.

[Clubswinger21]

Medinah wasn't too long for him to hit 3W off virtually every tee.

Did i say that? anyways, Im sure it wasn't his plan to spend most of the time in the trees at augusta either. He couldnt even find a fairway with his 3 wood there. Tight fairways, Crazy bunkering, and crazy long rough = Tigers worst nightmare.. the way he's driving it. Who knows maybe the fairways will be so firm he could hit that 2 iron stinger 270 and pull out the victory, or maybe he works out his driver kinks before then. It's Tiger so obviously he's good at proving critics wrong.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Tigers best chance at a major this year is all 3 of the remaining majors. C'mon... he should be the heavy favorite in all three of them. To me that hasn't changed. Tigers driver problems at Augusta aren't new. He's always spraying it.

[Jeepthrills]

Granted he sprayed the driver, but no more than usual. His problems this year were his approach shots. He is usually a killer with his irons. I can't remember a time where he was less consistent with distance control or direction. Maybe it was the wind, but when was the last time you saw him come up short or miss so badly. All that said, if he stays out of the water on the back nine and makes the putt on 16 and he is in a playoff. He was the most consistent player there. His worst round was a 74 and his best were a pair of 72's. Every time he tees up in a major, it is his best chance to win. Zach Johnson played great. It might have been the round of his life. If they went back and played the final round again, I would still put my money on Tiger.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Granted he sprayed the driver, but no more than usual. His problems this year were his approach shots. He is usually a killer with his irons. I can't remember a time where he was less consistent with distance control or direction. Maybe it was the wind, but when was the last time you saw him come up short or miss so badly. All that said, if he stays out of the water on the back nine and makes the putt on 16 and he is in a playoff. He was the most consistent player there. His worst round was a 74 and his best were a pair of 72's. Every time he tees up in a major, it is his best chance to win. Zach Johnson played great. It might have been the round of his life. If they went back and played the final round again, I would still put my money on Tiger.

exactly, couldn't agree more.

[Billbill13]

Granted he sprayed the driver, but no more than usual. His problems this year were his approach shots. He is usually a killer with his irons. I can't remember a time where he was less consistent with distance control or direction. Maybe it was the wind, but when was the last time you saw him come up short or miss so badly. All that said, if he stays out of the water on the back nine and makes the putt on 16 and he is in a playoff. He was the most consistent player there. His worst round was a 74 and his best were a pair of 72's. Every time he tees up in a major, it is his best chance to win. Zach Johnson played great. It might have been the round of his life. If they went back and played the final round again, I would still put my money on Tiger.

Exactly...I think Tiger has to be the favorite for every major for at least the next 5-7 years. Just think how many regular season non-major wins Tiger would have if he didn't play such a limited schedule. His winning percentage is awesome.

[CMW]

I'm new here so I don't want to be rude but a forum is a place to express one's opinion even if it differs from the majority.

Many of the Tiger comments here and other places remind me of the old SNL skit with the guys sitting around talking about "Ditka" and "Da Bears." To them Ditka could do anything.

I have complete respect for Tiger and his game. I've watched him since he was an amateur. He's grown both in physical skill and mental toughness. He's proven himself by his wins.

What bothers me is all the hype that surrounds him. I heard commentators on XM radio last week talking about giving odds and taking Tiger hands down against the entire field. Please! Some act as though the other guys play just so Tiger will have someone to beat, as if they have no hope of winning.

The hype and expectation around Tiger causes me to pull for his competitors almost every time. I always like an underdog and Zach Johnson's coolness under pressure and obvious humility in the post-round interview greatly impressed me.

Contrary to what some might suggest, Tiger is human. He is fallible. He hit his shot in the water on 15. He took his chance and lost. Sure, he might beat Zach Johson if they could replay the final round. The thing is he didn't beat him when it counted.

Again, I mean no disrespect to Tiger or anyone here. However, the hype doesn't attract me as a fan.

Now I wonder who would win if Tiger and Ditka were arm-wrestled...

[Clubswinger21]

In agreement to your post above, Im not a Tiger fan, im a golf fan. I pull for Tiger's opponents everytime he has the lead on Sunday. But how could you not respect what he does and has done. I made this thread to hopefully spark some discussion on oppinion's of Tiger's game in relation to the course's we will see him play in the next 3 majors.

You could say that Tiger lost the tournament on Sunday, or because of his his iron play, but ultimately having to punch out of trees, scramble for par and having longer distances into the hole contributed to alot of those approach miss cues. To say Tiger didnt have his C game is an insult to the other players and the way the course played. Why cant you say the course was tough, and he struggled?

I've never seen him win at Augusta while hitting his driver that incredibly terrible. Its no sercret that he used his 2 iron at st.Andrews in order to avoid trouble. He's been struggling with it for a couple years now and eventually its going to start costing him tournaments, like at Augusta. If he hits his driver that bad at Oakmont.. good luck.

[mstuk]

I think its a sign of things to come, If he keeps wiping his drives 60 yards right, the only major he'll be able to win consistantly is the British Open. The Masters used to be thought of as the only place that suits his game, well unless he gets the driver straightened out.. Tiger may not win as many green jackets as we thought. Augusta is too long for him to use a 2 iron off every tee. It'll be interesting to see his stradegy at Oakmont which is also long with US open rough, I think he might have a tough time there aswell. That said, Tiger is the best player on tour at advancing out of long rough so you never know. In my oppinion, The PGA and British Open suit his game the best this year though. He will be able to lay back with irons off the tee at both Turnberry and Carnoustie being around 7,000 yards.

If you think he can win the open spraying drives 60 yrds offline at carnoustie you are totally wrong , if he does that there he will not even make the cut. have you ever played carnoustie ?

[Clubswinger21]

Not once did i say that. I said Carnoustie plays around 7,000 yards in my 1st post. The Masters plays at 7,400 +, Oakmont at just under 7,400 yards. These course's will force him to play driver on alot of holes. Where at turnberyy (the PGA) and Carnoustie he has the option of finding more fairways by hitting his stinger 3 wood, and 2 iron (if he puts it back in his bag) which he used to win the British last year.

I havent played Carnoustie (because its on the other side of the world) but I've seen the course played through the whole Big Break series held there, I saw alot of golf being played there and you're absolutely right, if he is forced into using his driver and hits it poorly he wont have a chance.. considering carnoustie has 3 foot long fescue grass lining the fairways along with brush everywhere. Its like playing with O.B. at the edge of every fairway.

[iacas]

What bothers me is all the hype that surrounds him. I heard commentators on XM radio last week talking about giving odds and taking Tiger hands down against the entire field.

Until Tiger wins 51% of the time, it's always a stupid bet. He's historically around 25%.

He hit his shot in the water on 16.

You'll want to edit that.

Again, I mean no disrespect to Tiger or anyone here. However, the hype doesn't attract me as a fan.

Hype shouldn't. 12 majors, > 25% winning percentage... that sort of stuff should.

In agreement to your post above, Im not a Tiger fan, im a golf fan. I pull for Tiger's opponents everytime he has the lead on Sunday. But how could you not respect what he does and has done. I made this thread to hopefully spark some discussion on oppinion's of Tiger's game in relation to the course's we will see him play in the next 3 majors.

I've said before and I'll say again that I like golf, but I also want to tell my grandkids some day "I watched this one guy, Tiger Woods, win 24 majors!" Telling them how you missed most of Jack Nicklaus' career but you did see one guy "almost win 16 majors" is hardly as interesting.

I root for who I like. I was rooting for Zach and Tiger on Sunday at Augusta - Zach because I think he's a good player and a good guy - and Tiger for history's sake.

To say Tiger didnt have his C game is an insult to the other players and the way the course played. Why cant you say the course was tough, and he struggled?

Struggled = C game. Not sure why you're disagreeing. Tiger had his C game. That's not disrespectful to others - they may not admit publicly, but they know with Tiger's A game four days a week they probably haven't got a shot at winning. But with his C game, or B game, they do.

[Billbill13]

Zach Johnson won the Masters by averaging 265 off the tee and never going for any par 5 in two. Regardless of how long the course Tiger could average 265 off the tee with his 3-wood and hit a long to mid iron into every par 4 at almost any of the courses listed.