OT The Open - Tiger

[Wbbfan1]

While playing reasonably well, Tiger has left 3 or 4 Birdies on the course under ideal conditions. Tiger's drives have been great, but distance control on irons to the green is starting to make his game more difficult. Weather is ideal and if it holds up, I wonder what the low score will be. Could we see a round of 60.

Adam Scott is playing great and making his birdie opportunities, while Tiger has missed some of his. Adam so far is 7 under par

 

[Wbbfan1]

If Tiger was just putting better he would be leading the tournament instead of being 4 shots back. He's playing great off the Tee, but his irons into the green could be a little better. Instead of 14-25 foot birdie puts, he should be attempting to make birdie putts of less then 10 feet.

On an ESPN Poll 71% are rooting for Tiger to win the Open.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tiger was positioned almost the same after 36 holes at Olympic, and folks were practically giving him the trophy. After, he looked good at Congressional and shaky at Greenbrier. I like Tiger's chances, but I would not be surprised to see some loose play over the last 36.

 

[Blakeon18]

I think I read that he has used his driver 4 times out of 28 holes where you might do so. He is sticking to his conservative game plan.
Supposed to be nice weather today and a windy Sunday [good!]. Tiger and Adam Scott coming down the stretch tomorrow would be nice....Stevie Williams
could reprise his Tiger-caddy days and caddy double.

 

[John Glass]

2 bogies in the first 3 holes for Tiger

 

[Wbbfan1]

Repeat of the US Open, plays reasonably well the first two days. Starts out on the 3rd day with two bogies in first three holes.
Irons to the green and putting is his problems.

I understood his problems with his drivers and irons because he was changing his swing, but what is causing his putting problems? He's not making the putts he used to routinely make.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Tiger has got his game back under control but has to hope Adam Scott struggles coming in to have a reasonable chance tomorrow. TV probably would want a Scott vs Tiger final pairing.

Watching the Golf Channel they had an analyst on that stated that Tiger's new swing was great for his drives off the Tee, but was causing problems with his accuracy with his Irons. So far that has been the case in this tournament. Missing his irons by about 10-12 yards to the green. Ending up with 25 foot birdie putts.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Adam Scott has Tiger's 2000 swing and caddie.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Adam Scott has Tiger's 2000 swing and caddie.

And the lead entering the final round; Bodes well.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think I read that he has used his driver 4 times out of 28 holes where you might do so. He is sticking to his conservative game plan.
Supposed to be nice weather today and a windy Sunday [good!]. Tiger and Adam Scott coming down the stretch tomorrow would be nice....Stevie Williams
could reprise his Tiger-caddy days and caddy double.

When Tiger won at Royal Liverpool in 2006, he had been struggling with his driver. His solution was to hit it just once. The fairways were hard, so his stinger worked just fine.

I sure wish I had a 290-yard 2-iron in my bag! When I was at Congressional a few weeks ago, he bombed a 3-wood off the tee on #6. It's a fairly long par 5, with a pond in front of the green. Most guys were hitting driver 290-320. He hit the 3-wood 347 yards in the fairway.

 

[cardfan]

It's his putting - which of course is mental! When Scott bogied a hole, Tiger had a putt to birdie, which would have put him 3 behind Scott, but he missed it. The old Tiger would have made it and put more pressure on Scott, who later birdied. Scott leading Tiger by 5, even at the British Open is a pretty secure lead, imho. Watch out for McDowell.

 

[VAMike23]

It's his putting - which of course is mental! When Scott bogied a hole, Tiger had a putt to birdie, which would have put him 3 behind Scott, but he missed it. The old Tiger would have made it and put more pressure on Scott, who later birdied. Scott leading Tiger by 5, even at the British Open is a pretty secure lead, imho. Watch out for McDowell.

Both points are well taken.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Time for Tiger to take more chances. He's playing too conservative and his irons to the green are letting him down. Has to make birdies, can't rely on Adam Scott to shoot 5 over par for Tiger to have a chance to win.

He's used shorter clubs in an effort to keep out of the rough on his drives resulting in longer shots to the green. This is where his game has failed him, doesn't have distance control to let him be shooting at 10 foot birdie putts instead of 25 foot or longer.

Now he triple bogey's the 6th hole to fall 7 shots back. He was a couple yards short on his iron to the green that caused him to go into the bunker and the rest his history.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Only because of Adam Scott's caddy, I'm glad he didn't win. However, he has to be going through some tremendous pain as he realizes he choked to give away the Open Championship. Bogey's the last four holes, to lose the championship.

Tiger blew his chances as well with 4 bogeys and a triple bogey on the final round.

 

[Icebear]

Ernie Els, one of golf's good guys, wins. Wins a major in each of three different decades.

Tiger fades like a rock and still hasn't come from behind to win a major.

 

[cardfan]

Els was very classy and humble in victory. Man, you gotta feel bad for Scott.

Rick Reilly is probably happy Scott didd't win. He went OFF on Sportscenter last night saying the anchoring technique (with a tall putter) that Scott (and others use), is not real golf.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Ernie Els, one of golf's good guys, wins. Wins a major in each of three different decades.

Tiger fades like a rock and still hasn't come from behind to win a major.

Tiger started the round in fourth place and finished in fourth place. He started the day five shots off the lead, ends up four shots behind the leader; Hardly, a fade. So prodigious is his talent that he "struggled" to a fourth place finish in the Open Championship.

Never mind that Tiger has won 14 major championships to go along with three US Amateurs and three US Junior amateurs. Yet, there are many who hold it against him that he has not come from behind to win one.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Els was very classy and humble in victory. Man, you gotta feel bad for Scott.

Rick Reilly is probably happy Scott didd't win. He went OFF on Sportscenter last night saying the anchoring technique (with a tall putter) that Scott (and others use), is not real golf.

Change is inevitable in every sport. Rick Reilly, as a sportswriter, should understand that. Some of us might recall Dick Fosbury in 1968. Many of us laughed, myself included, until he won the gold medal. It revolutionized the sport. Chris Evert was the first player I recall effectively using the two handed backhand. How about all the equipment improvements in both tennis and golf? As far as I am concerned, it is real golf if there is no rule that says otherwise.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It seems as if half the majors are won by someone who hangs in there while others collapse, especially at the British. MacDowell's U.S. Open title at Pebble came when Dustin Johnson self-destructed. Furyk couldn't hold the lead last month at Olympic. Ogilvie won at Winged Foot when Phil and Monty doubled the 72nd hole. That was a major train wreck. I was there near the infamous trashbag and looked at my friend, wondering what had just happened and who had just won.

I feel for Scott. Hopefully, he'll be back. He was stellar for 68 holes.

Tiger played well for the first 36 but not the last 36--yet again. Maybe he'll get Jack's record--for most top 5s in majors.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Correction to my previous post that for whatever reason cannot be edited: Tiger started the round in fourth place and finished tied for third.

 

[VAMike23]

It seems as if half the majors are won by someone who hangs in there while others collapse, especially at the British. MacDowell's U.S. Open title at Pebble came when Dustin Johnson self-destructed. Furyk couldn't hold the lead last month at Olympic. Ogilvie won at Winged Foot when Phil and Monty doubled the 72nd hole. That was a major train wreck. I was there near the infamous trashbag and looked at my friend, wondering what had just happened and who had just won.

I feel for Scott. Hopefully, he'll be back. He was stellar for 68 holes.

Tiger played well for the first 36 but not the last 36--yet again. Maybe he'll get Jack's record--for most top 5s in majors.

Commentators were fair to point out Tiger's relative lack of precision (re: the old days) with his shorter irons. And Tiger himself has also admitted his short game around the greens is not quite up to its old [superlative] level. However, Tiger has been working much harder on his long game because this is where the most troubles were early on in his swing change transition. As he gets more accustomed to the swing his feel will improve and this will help his wedges and such. If nothing else, Tiger has shown he has the talent to make big changes and eventually make them second nature. He has already had a good year, just not a great one. But his progress is clear. He will still be a threat at the PGA but I think when he has more time to practice over the winter as he likes to, he will be that much tougher next year.

Do I think he will ever be as good as he was? No, but he will be better than he is now, and that will be good enough to win at least another major or two before he's done, IMO.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . .
Tiger played well for the first 36 but not the last 36--yet again. Maybe he'll get Jack's record--for most top 5s in majors.

Jack finished second an amazing 19 times in majors - a total of 37 top 2
finishes. I doubt that Tiger or anyone will ever equal that record.

 

[uconnfan68]

Commentators were fair to point out Tiger's relative lack of precision (re: the old days) with his shorter irons. And Tiger himself has also admitted his short game around the greens is not quite up to its old [superlative] level. However, Tiger has been working much harder on his long game because this is where the most troubles were early on in his swing change transition. As he gets more accustomed to the swing his feel will improve and this will help his wedges and such. If nothing else, Tiger has shown he has the talent to make big changes and eventually make them second nature. He has already had a good year, just not a great one. But his progress is clear. He will still be a threat at the PGA but I think when he has more time to practice over the winter as he likes to, he will be that much tougher next year.

Do I think he will ever be as good as he was? No, but he will be better than he is now, and that will be good enough to win at least another major or two before he's done, IMO.

He is seriously inconsistent now. He was leaving himself way too far away on those long par 4s. His putting is also shaky now. Sometimes that comes back, sometimes it doesn't. I don't like his new swing at all. Just doesn't look very natural... always forced, always hard, always too fast. I just don't think that's a lifelong swing.

 

[mauconnfan]

Tigers problems Saturday and Sunday was distance control with the approach shots.....actually hit a few good shots yest e rday that were too deep into the hard greens....liked hisdemeanor coming into 18 with the smile and acceptance.....he will beat Jack still he is that close.....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Jack finished second an amazing 19 times in majors - a total of 37 top 2
finishes. I doubt that Tiger or anyone will ever equal that record.

I totally agree. I really think that the top-5 record won't be challenged. But I see Tiger as a contender and maybe occasional winner in majors. Instead of a bunch firsts, I see some thirds and fourths until his game is more complete.

Jack had several majors basically stolen by icons like Trevino and Watson. Otherwise, his record would be at 22-24.