henniebogan1966

Butch Harmon has every right to comment on the decision Rory made as it's a big tournament. Second only to the majors in terms of OWGR points awarded. Rory needs to button it and focus on his game. Other than Quail Hollow Rory hasn't done much over here and here is where the best in the world play week in and week out. But if his choice is to play in mostly 2nd tier events across the pond, that's his business and his world ranking should and will suffer for it.

I'm just trying to understand your view on Augusta. It seems to me like you're saying that competing at Augusta is easier for Tiger than almost anyone else in the field, therefore, how he performs there is not a barometer for where his game might be. If that is the case, it begs the question about someone like Nicklaus who won 6 there, or Palmer who won 4 there or Phil who has what 3 there? I just can't wrap my head around the notion that one of the most reveered, if not the most respected major in golf is somehow "easy" for any player to win, much less Tiger. I doubt if you were to ask he, Phil, Jack, or Arnold, they'd all say each win there was earned and not given nor easy.

Wow. Couldn't help but fire a shot across the bow could you? At any rate, I've been ROOTING for Duval to make it back to his former abilities to contend and to win big events. He seems like a genuine guy and is easy to root for. Will he get back to where he was years ago? Not sure I see that in his game or his committment. But I see flashes of good play from him. But ultimately it's those poor swings and poor holes that keep holding him back.

Not for an injured MCL and achilles no. I get it. This is your bait thread. Good luck with that.

Are you trying to say that for Tiger, Augusta is easy? I want to be clear that I understand exactly what you mean by your comment before I comment further.

Clearly unacceptable behavior from a tour pro and he should be fined. In hindsight, I figured I'd better add more to this. Coming off the green on 18 Charley Hoffman took his putter and snapped it BEFORE he exited the green. If I'm to understand the standards of some here and on other golf discussion boards, this is unacceptable behavior, reflects poorly on the tour, and should be punishable at least by a fine. What say you SandTrap members?

Umm, you might want to catch Golf Central tonight. Injuries forced him to WD.

Well Tiger played pretty well at Augusta. I love how guys like to say "9 good holes at Augusta doesn't mean he's back." Ummm, he played 72 holes and on Sunday was in the mix to win. So I'm quite sure he had to play well for more than 9 holes. Either that or we're saying that the rest of the field stunk it up all week at Augusta. Is that what we're saying? Didn't think so! As to his stats, what else matters? How many women he slept with? I don't care! What he paid in his divorce settlement? I don't care. How badly his knee is hurt? I don't care. None of these things are any of my business. I don't need to know how much it's hurting, but I also can't tell you how much those injuries are affecting his ability to hit the ball well, so I can't speak to whether or not he's going in the right direction with Sean Foley. What I do know is that presumably healthy, his previous swing change took him 18 months to complete. He's been working with Foley since late last year and for most of that has either been injured, or away from the game. So you tell me. How far along should he be right now? He's played well at times, at others not so much. None of us knows how much his injuries are affecting his play. I'm concerned that he may not be playing much longer, especially if he goes under the knife again. If so, that would indeed be a shame. I've enjoyed watching him play golf and watchingh him chase Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors. It would be a shame to see injury cut that effort short.

And once again, the media did NOT make Tiger. Tiger made Tiger. His team made Tiger. The media BOUGHT IT, hook, line, and sinker and ran with it. THEY didn't do their due diligence. That's THEIR fault. Tiger was and is who he was and is. The fact he fooled them is what aggravates them and all those who believed in all of the hype of his personal life. It's why I always say that pro athletes are NOT EVER role models. They are MADE so by parents who want someone to blame for how THEIR children turn out. example: My kid is cussing and throwing clubs on the golf course. Must be Tiger's fault cause he does it, they see it, and mimick it! WRONG!!! It's YOUR fault parents for NOT teaching your children the proper way to conduct themselves and holding them accountable for their actions. Should Tiger and others in his position try to set a better example? Yes. But ultimately it is up to us as parents to lead and guide our children not Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson ,or any other athlete. As for the media, they don't make stars in this game. A player either has the talent to compete and win, or they don't. And if they win like a Phil or Tiger, they are going to get the bulk of media attention. Conversely, the guy who finishes 108th on the money list, never wins, rarely tweaks the interest of the media. Why? He doesn't win. The media NEED the players. The players don't NEED the media. As Tiger has proven.

Just one question. How did Rory fare at The Masters this year?

Absolutely I think Tiger's days are now numbered. I don't think there's any question about that. And I give Chamblee credit for having the courage to speak his mind. It doesn't make him right or righteous. It made him sound small and petty when he went after Tiger the way he did this morning. John Feinstein, another noted hater of Tiger, at least gave Tiger credit for showing up to play even when HE thought Tiger wasn't physically ready to play. So I give him credit for that bit of honesty. But now the vultures are circling and are anxiously awaiting the obituary of Tiger Woods' career. They will then rejoice as they will know that for the foreseeable future that Nicklaus' record of 18 majors is safe as even they know there is NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE on the horizon who has shown the kind of talent that Tiger once had. So haters rejoice for your time is at hand!!! Get out your red Nike Polos, black pants, and TW hats and prepare them for the biggest bonfire of your lives. Continue to live your lives vicariously thru the likes of Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, etc. for the game has been saved. LoL

The media made Tiger a megastar? I was mistaken. I thought it was his winning 6 straight USGA Jr. and Am (combined) Championships and then turned pro, won in his first season on tour, earning his tour card, then went on to average winning 1 major a year for 14 years straight. I thought it was his winning 5,6, 7, and sometimes 9 times in a sesaon amassing 71 PGA Tour wins in 14 years. I thought it was his earning more money, and bringing more money to the tour in a decade than anyone before him. I thought it was him making the game cool and helping grow the game globally. (incidentally this is something EVEN Brandel Chamblee credits him with.) Yes, Chamblee deserves credit for speaking his views openly. I give him due credit for that. But I question what his true motives here really are. I get it. We all get it. Tiger's a dirtbag of a person., So what?! He's not the first on tour to be so and won't be the last. Get over it! None of this matters as the ONLY thing that matters is his playing record. 14 majors and 71 PGA Tour wins. No one on tour right now is or will come close to those #'s over the next decade.

Actually his injury both last year and this year are both confirmed injuries. Strained MCL and achilles this year and a strain of a muscle in his neck last year. I know I know. We don't have the documents from the doc's so I guess it's not true. Geez!!! But when Phil popped up with his arthritic condition you should have seen all of the excuses flying over on TGCDB at the time for his failures. It was like all of last year didn't count! LoL It was hilarious reading.

Why? Why do you need to know the answers to those questions?

What a shock! An old-schooler from the Hogan era despises everything Tiger has come to represent. Now let me preface my next comments with this. I'm a HUGE fan of Ben Hogan. But Ben Hogan was not known to be nice to the press, nor friendly with the fans or his playing companions. He was known to cuss like a sailor in the locker room and privately, but seemed very proper before the cameras. (be they shutter or tv.) He was known to be INTENSELY private and many whom HE claimed to be friends, would later claim they never knew the man beyond handshakes before and after their competitive rounds or small talk on the range. Hogan once turned down a request from Nick Faldo for a private lesson because he didn't play their equipment. It wasn't until his accident and his survival of that accident that he became a hero to the masses. His selfless act of throwing himself in front of his wife as they saw the greyhound bus enter their lane head on, endeared him to thousands if not millions around the world of golf. He gave lessons here and there early on in his career as a means of survival to pursue his dream on tour, but hated every minute of it by all accounts because he felt his students would never commit to practice the way he did. I can go further. Where was Dan Jenkins when guys like Nick Faldo or Greg Norman or Fred Couples had their affairs and were married, and remarried. You mean none of those guys were selling a brand or an image? How about guys like John Daly and his despicable antics on and off the golf course? Where is Mr. Jenkins on THAT behavior? Or the behavior of someone like Rory Sabbatini who berates a teenage volunteer at a PGA Tour event? Has he come out against Rory for that despicable act? Or does Mr. Jenkins reserve his comments like those in the article only for Tiger Woods? To me Mr. Jenkins speaks like a jilted lover whose found out she wasn't the chosen one. Sounds to me like Mr. Jenkins had been waiting for this moment so he could unload on Tiger and it's a pity.

Once again my point is misrepresented. What I'm telling you is that while Chamblee, and anyone else is free to criticize Tiger's methods, it is only fair to evaluate his results along with those criticisms. He's been successful after each swing change and thru multiple injuries. But when someone chimes in like Bubba did, who hasn't been thru those same things as Tiger, he's speaking out of ignorance. It would be akin to my saying I understand what these guys go thru on a week to week basis preparing to play and win on tour. I don't. But neither does Bubba, or Chamblee know exactly what Tiger is going thru mentally or physically. Bubba has no clue how much the injuries may or may not be affecting Tiger's ability to complete a swing. Do you know what he's feeling in his left knee during his swing? If so, I'd love to get your input on it. But I'm going to guess you don't.

To each his own, and I would agree that if we're talking about enjoyment of the game meaning not losing a ton of golf balls, having wide fairways, little water or bunkering and relatively easy layouts overall. I've played plenty of those in my time, but found that doing so too much doesn't properly prepare me for tougher layouts.

I have nothing against any of them. They all have the right to play wherever they'd like when they'd like. But in my opinion, both should have played in this event and could have made it happen if they chose to. (speaking of both Westwood and Rory.) It was their choice and their loss. Personally I think too much was made of it as I never saw Westwood as a true #1 anyway and all Rory's done over here is win at Quail Hollow. So to me, I'm not that impressed with either as far as their work over here. Let them come play full time over here and we'll talk. Until then, they're playing mostly in 2nd tier events over there.

Of course Chamblee has the right to comment on it, but he went beyond that today. Here's a commentator with no major wins and a pedestrian professional record, who is questioning the methods of a man with 71 PGA Tour wins and 14 majors. Not only does he question his methods, but he questions why the man isn't more transparent with the media as though Tiger owes him, or anyone else that. No player does. Let's remember that WE as fans and media are NOT the show, the players are. THEY are the ones WE watch. THEY don't necessarily need us as long as someone is willing to pony up the prize money.

There's no question that controversy sells ad time so when someone like Chamblee speaks up, it tends to make headlines and garners attention for that person and network. What I saw from him today was nothing short of his questioning everything about Tiger Woods from his swing technique, his work with Foley, his knee, to his interaction with the media. My feeling that the last one there, with the media, was his real agenda. He wondered why Tiger isn't more transparent with the media, as though somehow Tiger is obligated to be so. No player is. I'm not saying that I want to know less from the players, but if a player isn't one to share a lot of comments, then so be it. Hogan wasn't known to be any friend to the media either. So what??!!!! That's the way it goes sometimes. Everyone can't be Arnold Palmer or Phil Mickelson with the media and fans, nor should they be.

Depends on the attitude you take to that golf course. Do you see it as that, or as a challenge and a great golf course with great sightlines off the tee boxes? I choose the latter. It's a geat venue and I've always been impressed by it. Can it be intimidating? You bet it can. But the joy of playing golf for me, always keeps me in a more positive frame of mind. I've never played, nor been to Pebble Beach. But man does it look intimidating, especially when the wind is up. But would I love to play it? You betcha!!! Pebble, Augusta, and Pinehurst are all courses that are on my wishlist (golf bucketlist),

And I don't blame Tiger for being defensive over the years, speaking mostly of pre-scandal era. While I can understand and appreciate that they have a job to do, no player, including Woods, is obligated to give them something they don't want to, for whatever their reasons. During the early part of the scandal, Phil chose to stay away from making any comments, and for good reason. No win situation for him no matter what he might say. On the other hand, Phil was MORE than outspoken on his feelings about the process by which clubs are approved for play during the whole Ping Zing 2 wedge controversy. And he put himself in that position by his own choice, for his own agenda. So, he was all too happy to share his feelings openly with the press. When it came to his arthritic condition, he chose to keep that to himself until a point at which he felt comfortable speaking out about it. Again, his choice. I could go on with other situations with other players who when it suits them, speak their minds, and then at other times, share very little. Tiger is CERTAINLY NOT the only player who does this, yet you would think he is. It's unfair and is a double standard which always seems to follow Tiger, but few, if any, others. Heaven forbid anyone criticize Phil Mickelson cause he's such a great guy, fist-bumping and smiling his way around the golf course. And you have commentators even today talking up how Phil spent his day on Tuesday sigining autographs, playing a pracitice round, etc. Yet there are unconfirmed reports that behind the scenes he's not well liked by his peers as the claim is he's much different behind the scenes than he is in front of the public. I don't know one way or the other, but the point is with Tiger the rules always seem to be different for judging everything he says and does, and I think it's unfair.

I just had 2 hernias repaired yesterday and am so sore today that I can barely move without pain. And that's WITH the pain meds. I can't imagine trying to play golf, hitting a golf ball on a damaged knee and achilles. I won't be ready for swinging for at least 2 weeks if not 4-6 according to the docs and research. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here and feel he should take a year off, get healthy both physically and mentally, and decide how bad he wants this anymore.

Not sure if you've ever been there but I've had the pleasure of attending two Players Championships. That hole is one of the most intimidating I've ever witnessed. But the whole course seems like that. There is very little let up in the design at all, challenging seemingly every swing you make. I love 17 for the drama it creates each day. You can't make a mistake on that hole, and yet it can provide 'the moment' a la Sergio for his win, or Tiger's "better than most" moment. Great golf course, unique design, and 3 great finishing holes.

This is just more of the Tiger hate we see going on. It's truly sad that people celebrate something like this as though they've won something. This is what happened each day on TGCDB and the reason it was shut down. Over at 4gea.com there is celebration today as well by a few who love to hate Woods and they celebrate anything bad that happens with him. I for one think Tiger should just retire, focus on his foundation and learning centers, watch the tv contract implode, and have people blaming him for it as they scramble for sponsors and money. Of course, golf will be just fine without him, albeit for a lot less money.