2014 Honda Classic Discussion Thread

[Valleygolfer]

Henley is not used to a "Rory crowd". Rory will probably go kill the Masters...

[Mr. Desmond]

Well, that was weird, and for some reason, not entirely satisfying...

[Valleygolfer]

Well, that was weird, and for some reason, not entirely satisfying...

Well we didn't expect them to all par out, except for one.

[KrazyTrain18]

Meh, I think Rory looks dangerous this year, He's on my list for the Masters and also next week at Doral.

[colin007]

Rory does look dangerous, albeit somewhat inconsistent. Tiger and I are kicking ourselves over this bad back, he shoulda won it.

[newtogolf]

Seems odd Tiger would have the same back spasms he had last year given he had an extended off-season to heal.  I thought the back issues last year were due to an uncomfortable hotel bed, now he seems to have adopted them as his "go to" excuse when he's playing poorly.

I didn't see any shots where he winced in pain but I did miss an hour of coverage after he withdrew so maybe they showed it.  It's early in the season, hopefully he heals up (mentally and / or physically) and gets ready for the Masters.

Hard to tell where Rory's game is at, but he appears ahead of where he was last year.

[Shindig]

Seems odd Tiger would have the same back spasms he had last year given he had an extended off-season to heal.  I thought the back issues last year were due to an uncomfortable hotel bed, now he seems to have adopted them as his "go to" excuse when he's playing poorly.

Because back problems in particular are known for healing and never recurring?

[Mr. Desmond]

Because back problems in particular are known for healing and never recurring?

He should think about looking at his weight program to make sure he is lifting properly. One bad move or too much weight, and there goes the back. He could bend down to get something out of his car, and the back goes.

Who knows? The back is weird.

I've had the same spot on the lower right side go bad occasionally for 20 years from lifting or hitting too many balls. So I changed the workout and quit hitting so many balls.

[legitimatebeef]

I know it's still close but I can't see any of these guys having enough mettle to take down a bigshot like Rory.

That depends on Rory. If he can keep his foot on the gas and have another sub par round he should be golden but, a lot of guys had stellar rounds yesterday so he can't lay back.

Another birdie just brought him back to a 3 shot lead.

I am so bad at predicting the outcomes of golf tournaments. If anybody wants to make some money in the betting market, pay attention to my picks. Rory felt the heat, like most players would trying to close out a win on a really hazardous course. I got lulled into believing the Rory hype.

[Spitfisher]

He should think about looking at his weight program to make sure he is lifting properly. One bad move or too much weight, and there goes the back. He could bend down to get something out of his car, and the back goes. Who knows? The back is weird. I've had the same spot on the lower right side go bad occasionally for 20 years from lifting or hitting too many balls. So I changed the workout and quit hitting so many balls.

Maybe lay off lifting period, take up yoga or something more conducive to a golf swing. His new swing is now going on 5 years. I don't know about you but my back hurts looking at him swinging, it just looks way too hard, erratic and way to abrupt. No one needs to remind me of his previous records, that is then, this is now.

[Shindig]

He should think about looking at his weight program to make sure he is lifting properly. One bad move or too much weight, and there goes the back. He could bend down to get something out of his car, and the back goes. Who knows? The back is weird. I've had the same spot on the lower right side go bad occasionally for 20 years from lifting or hitting too many balls. So I changed the workout and quit hitting so many balls.

That's the point I was making. Although what a thing to read right before heading out to the gym... :-/

[Jakester23]

Rory is still a very good player. Most players can't hold leads. Tigers record of winning tournaments when leading on Sunday is incredible. Its a lot easier to come from behind then it is to hold a lead.

[mvmac]

Regarding Tiger's back

[Valleygolfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Seems odd Tiger would have the same back spasms he had last year given he had an extended off-season to heal.  I thought the back issues last year were due to an uncomfortable hotel bed, now he seems to have adopted them as his "go to" excuse when he's playing poorly.

Because back problems in particular are known for healing and never recurring?

Since I work with backs I can chime in here. Bad beds can definitely cause serious issues in a very short time frame. Injuries in the lower back are prone to reoccur and I would imagine he is making efforts to stay healthy via the best treatments available. If he is not able to let it heal completely and the golf swing is what aggravates the injury, he will have a difficult time staying healthy and will probably end up worse off.

[ChrisP]

Tiger just seems to be getting hurt a lot over the last few years. He's had his fair share of withdrawals, whether it be the achilles, the knee, a stiff neck or a bad back. You have to start to wonder why he's getting hurt so much? He just turned 38, not 58. Mickelson had arthritis and not even he was this banged up. It's just odd.

As for Rory, he'll be fine. This was the Honda, not Augusta. He's been steadily improving since the end of last year. He had the hooks today and it cost him, but the putter was steady and that has been his biggest weakness the last few years. That's what usually costs him tournaments. So the fact that was strong this week was a good sign. Good win for Henley. Guy is going to be racking up a lot of wins in the future.

[MS256]

Always hard to say why some people get injured and others don't but Tiger is really not a very big guy and he always got just about everything he could out of his swing. It's the reason that a Major League baseball scout will take a guy that's 6' 4" and 200 lbs. that throws 95 mph over a guy that's 5' 9" 165 lbs. that throws 95 mph. Odds are that the bigger guy won't spend as much time on the DL. Not always true but true often enough to effect draft status.

[iacas]

Tiger just seems to be getting hurt a lot over the last few years. He's had his fair share of withdrawals, whether it be the achilles, the knee, a stiff neck or a bad back. You have to start to wonder why he's getting hurt so much? He just turned 38, not 58. Mickelson had arthritis and not even he was this banged up. It's just odd.

It's not odd. The guy's hit about a bajillion golf balls. It's not the easiest motion on your back.

You basically said earlier you thought Tiger was on PEDs, so we know what you think already. I think that's a stretch.

[teamroper60]

Seems odd Tiger would have the same back spasms he had last year given he had an extended off-season to heal.  I thought the back issues last year were due to an uncomfortable hotel bed, now he seems to have adopted them as his "go to" excuse when he's playing poorly.

If you've never had a real back injury, you have no idea...    Speaking as a guy who has had back problems since an injury at the age of 16 (I am 53 now), I can tell you, back issues never go away and they sometimes pop up randomly from seemingly mundane things.   As an example, I have been dropped to my knees in pain from simply bending over to pet the dog.  So if Tiger has back issues, they aren't going away.  Ever.   He will continue to fight this for the rest of his life, let alone the rest of his professional golf career.    So no, it is not odd that he would have back spasms or back pain similar to what he had last year.    In fact, it will likely become far more common as he ages.