2012 Honda Classic Discussion Thread

[SergioG]

Delighted for Rory. Irish eyes are smiling :)

[zipazoid]

I'm calling it now - Tiger wins at Doral.

[mtsalmela80]

I'd say not, in fact I'll wager Rory places better than Tiger, whether he wins or not.

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I'm calling it now - Tiger wins at Doral.

[walk18]

So good to see Rory win and take #1. Maybe others will disagree, but I think he's the only one that can match Tiger's excitement factor, not to mention ability and skill in general. Maybe he can learn to throw in a few more fist pumps though!

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by mtsalmela80

I'd say not, in fact I'll wager Rory places better than Tiger, whether he wins or not.

Okay. I'll go with the guy that just shot a final-round 62 & has won Doral 6 times.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by turtleback

Or it might not have been good enough.  I don't think Rory lays up on 18 if he is tied with Tiger.

Exactly right, which brings a lot of scenarios into play.

Originally Posted by Shorty

What is that supposed to mean?

Merit......? Rory played great under pressure. Did exactly what he planned to do. Is now #1.

And here you are saying ...."Oh....I don't think he would have made those putts had x happened....."

You don't deserve to be banned, but McIlroy deserves to be judged on what he did do, not what he didn't not do had someone else done something other than what they did do.

Yeah, he deserves that, which is exactly what I did.  I'm sorry if I didn't wax on poetically about his win further.  If it gets under your feathers that I responded to speculation about a prognostication that didn't come true with further speculation based on what may have happened if that outcome would have come true, you may find it tough sledding on the internets.

Brandon

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Okay. I'll go with the guy that just shot a final-round 62 & has won Doral 6 times.

I'd like to at least see him putt well on the first couple days before I project a win for him.

Brandon

[RichF]

Yesterday's 62 shows us that Woods is clearly on the way back to being at his very best...and maybe the 'it's a process' can be finally put to bed.

However, I must warn 'The Woods Apologists' to be careful and wary with any future predicitons with 'Tiger for the 'W' at Doral', etc....have they kept their emotions in check so they don't get set up again for the let down?

Doubt it.

Having said that, he could actually get it all together and win a major this year. He might put it back together, he might get back to #1 and I, for one, hope he can do it.

I also think, the true test of him 'being back', is being paired with someone like Rors on the 4th day and carrying it home....not just a Major... anything will do.

[Zeph]

[QUOTE] Q. Would you consider yourself a better wind player now since the swing change given the last couple times -- TIGER WOODS: Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah. Q. And what can you say specifically makes you so, what is it about it? TIGER WOODS: Well, I think it's the way I'm compressing the golf ball, and it just doesn't maneuver as much. It goes much straighter, and for a longer period of time before it either falls left-to-right or right-to-left. That was the whole idea of making the changes with Sean is to get to this point, and if you look at the guys he works with, they are all really good ball-strikers, from Rosey to Hunter to Amesy, and I think I'm all right, too.[/QUOTE] Tiger has never been any good in the wind before, but lately, he seems to be in much more control. It is a very good point. The more you move the ball, the more it will be affected by the wind. By hitting the ball straighter and with less curve, you will also be affected less by the wind. This is something I've seen in my own swing. I'm working on making my own swing a bit less in-out and hit the ball straighter. It definitely makes playing in windy conditions easier. When I'm hitting a big draw in the wind, I'm always wondering where to aim and start the ball, not sure how the wind will affect it. Another positive effect of the swing changes Tiger has made. Having a little shape to the shot is fine, but the larger it gets, the harder it will be to control in windy conditions.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Zeph

Tiger has never been any good in the wind before, but lately, he seems to be in much more control. It is a very good point. The more you move the ball, the more it will be affected by the wind. By hitting the ball straighter and with less curve, you will also be affected less by the wind.

This is something I've seen in my own swing. I'm working on making my own swing a bit less in-out and hit the ball straighter. It definitely makes playing in windy conditions easier. When I'm hitting a big draw in the wind, I'm always wondering where to aim and start the ball, not sure how the wind will affect it.

Another positive effect of the swing changes Tiger has made. Having a little shape to the shot is fine, but the larger it gets, the harder it will be to control in windy conditions.

He won Doral six times. In March. In the wind. That's a ridiculous statement.

[brocks]

Another positive effect of the swing changes Tiger has made. Having a little shape to the shot is fine, but the larger it gets, the harder it will be to control in windy conditions.

The transformation in Tiger's game has been remarkable. His driving was a joke six months ago, and to be honest, it's been the weakest part of his game since around 2003. But all of a sudden, he's #1 in total driving on the PGA Tour. And yesterday, he was BOMBING it --- when he hit driver, it was in the fairway, and 20-30 yards past everybody else. Sean Foley is probably sleeping a lot better these days. He's still having issues with distance control (the downside of his new-found power), and his short game still needs work, but he's definitely putting things together. Yesterday pretty clearly showed that if his putter gets hot, he can go very, very low. As he shifts his practice priorities from the long game to the short game, the putting will become more consistent. Up to now, I've agreed with everybody else that Rory is currently the best player in the world. After yesterday, I'm not so sure. I know one round doesn't make a trend, but this didn't exactly come out of nowhere -- Tiger just needed to sink some putts. I think he smells blood now, and I think he'll be number one again before the Ryder Cup.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

He won Doral six times. In March. In the wind. That's a ridiculous statement.

I don't think so. I think it's been a very common sentiment that Tiger wasn't good in the wind. He MCed the year Watson nearly won because he couldn't handle the wind. He has historically played very poorly in the wind.

Doral wasn't necessarily windy the years he won. I specifically remember a few of those wins - including the one against Phil - when it wasn't really very windy at all.

In fact, I wondered about Tiger playing at the Honda specifically because of the wind. And his 62 in decent wind said a LOT to me.

[topspin4hand]

I would day Rory's the only one with the POTENTIAL to match Tiger's excitement factor (not sure if you meant that or not). At the moment, I'd say he still doesn't match the excitement a well-playing Tiger Woods generates but he can get there w/ prolonged domination.

Originally Posted by walk18

So good to see Rory win and take #1. Maybe others will disagree, but I think he's the only one that can match Tiger's excitement factor, not to mention ability and skill in general. Maybe he can learn to throw in a few more fist pumps though!

[colin007]

and hes hitting it so far and not really taking those violently explosive swings he was taking previously.  i love what im seeing from him.  seems like his misses now are trying to hit a fade that stays straight on him.

[TourSpoon]

So with Tiger's eagle on 18, do you think the PGA will keep the tees up? This year the hole played 50 yards shorter on average to drive up the excitement factor, which it certainly did. The Honda is now challenging Bay Hill as top Florida stop for the regular tour (not WGC).

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by iacas

I don't think so. I think it's been a very common sentiment that Tiger wasn't good in the wind. He MCed the year Watson nearly won because he couldn't handle the wind. He has historically played very poorly in the wind.

Doral wasn't necessarily windy the years he won. I specifically remember a few of those wins - including the one against Phil - when it wasn't really very windy at all.

In fact, I wondered about Tiger playing at the Honda specifically because of the wind. And his 62 in decent wind said a LOT to me.

Perhaps, but you cannot win in Miami in March six times without having to deal with the wind. To say he's not a good wind player is simple not true. His record shows it. Not to mention another six wins at Bay Hill - also in Florida in March & in the wind.

So there's 12 wins in Florida in March just in those two events. One MC doesn't negate 12 wins.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Perhaps, but you cannot win in Miami in March six times without having to deal with the wind. To say he's not a good wind player is simple not true. His record shows it. Not to mention another six wins at Bay Hill - also in Florida in March & in the wind.

So there's 12 wins in Florida in March just in those two events. One MC doesn't negate 12 wins.

I have to agree. With 12 Florida victories in March you can't say the guy has never seen wind. He also won 3 British Opens. Does the wind ever not blow at The Open?

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

So with Tiger's eagle on 18, do you think the PGA will keep the tees up? This year the hole played 50 yards shorter on average to drive up the excitement factor, which it certainly did. The Honda is now challenging Bay Hill as top Florida stop for the regular tour (not WGC).

I've played that course dozens of times, and 18 with the tees back is not hard - it's a three-shotter for everyone including the pros. The drive is easy for the pros - wide fairway, knock it as far as you can, then hit a 200y layup to the neck & wedge in.

But with the tees up? Totally changes the dynamic of it & makes it an exciting finish, wit Tiger's eagle.