SI cover: the Ultimate Troll

[Titleist 670]

Wow I had forgotten all about him winning 3 times in 2012. I had it in my mind that he won his own thing in December 2012 and won 5 times in 2013. That goes to show that even with 3 & 5 win seasons he's not considered successful unless he wins a major that year.

 

I think one of the reasons some people don't look at his 8 wins the way they would another player is the fact that not only were there no majors, there were a lot of tournaments that he generally is expected to win.

 

2013, 3 of his wins were at Bay Hill, Torrey, and Firestone, tournaments he's historically dominated. He won Doral, too, and I can't recall how much success he had there. So while he got a lot of wins, the fact that it was at tournaments he usually wins somewhat detracts from that in some people's eyes. The Players was by far his best win.

 

2012 he won at Bay Hill, Memorial, and Congressional, again, places I think he's historically dominated.

 

Add to that no major wins, and the fact that he seemed to fade in majors on the weekends (where he historically hadn't), and some people don't hold his 2012/2013 in as high regard as some of his other pre 2010 seasons.

[HackerD]

I read the whole thing, it's actually an excellent article, if lacking in new information or even that relevant. But Tiger still sells heading into the Masters I guess.

Agreed, good article, well written, pretty interesting.

[nochct1]

Wow I had forgotten all about him winning 3 times in 2012. I had it in my mind that he won his own thing in December 2012 and won 5 times in 2013. That goes to show that even with 3 & 5 win seasons he's not considered successful unless he wins a major that year.

 

I think one of the reasons some people don't look at his 8 wins the way they would another player is the fact that not only were there no majors, there were a lot of tournaments that he generally is expected to win.

 

2013, 3 of his wins were at Bay Hill, Torrey, and Firestone, tournaments he's historically dominated. He won Doral, too, and I can't recall how much success he had there. So while he got a lot of wins, the fact that it was at tournaments he usually wins somewhat detracts from that in some people's eyes. The Players was by far his best win.

 

2012 he won at Bay Hill, Memorial, and Congressional, again, places I think he's historically dominated.

 

Add to that no major wins, and the fact that he seemed to fade in majors on the weekends (where he historically hadn't), and some people don't hold his 2012/2013 in as high regard as some of his other pre 2010 seasons.

 

Is there another player out that is expected to win tournaments? Is any other player dominates certain tournaments we would view it as a positive.

 

Tiger wins tournaments where he's had previous success and suddenly it's not good enough. He wins The Players and it's not good enough because there's not major among his 5 wins.

 

If he wins once and it's a PGA Championship is that better than 5 wins in top tier tournaments?

[Titleist 670]

Not saying its my opinion. But thats how high the bar is for Tiger.

[SUMM1T]

I think character holds more weight in this fight than learning how to fail. He lost plenty of tournaments. He hated losing and that drove him to his greatness. Tiger relied on his father from day 1. His dad was his pillar, through great times and hard times. When his dad passed, it was only a matter of time before we saw things start to fall apart. I'm not saying Tiger wouldn't have cheated on his wife if his dad was around, but the way Tiger handled himself after that would have most definitely been different if his dad was around. I also hate dissecting the lives of people who are famous, because I have no idea what he deals with on a daily basis. I assume he has a lot of people around him that tell him what to do and how to do it. And everything you do/say is put under the magnifying glass.

 

I miss Tiger. He is the reason I got into watching, playing and working in golf. Imagine basketball without Lebron James or Steph Curry right now. It would still be fun to watch the other great players, but it would not even be close to the same as it is with them. I like watching Speith and Day duke it out, but it doesn't feel the same.

[robdalky]

I also read the article. I can't help myself. As much as I hate hate hate to say it, tiger moves the needle more than spieth, Rory, day, fowler, DJ, bubba combined... I do hope he comes back to be some sort of a contending semblance of himself because then golf has arguably the greatest stable of superstars drawing public interest ever, but I doubt it. I don't think he cares, I don't think he's any good and doesn't have the drive to get back, and I think he's done. RIP

[Titleist 670]

I think character holds more weight in this fight than learning how to fail. He lost plenty of tournaments. He hated losing and that drove him to his greatness. Tiger relied on his father from day 1. His dad was his pillar, through great times and hard times. When his dad passed, it was only a matter of time before we saw things start to fall apart. I'm not saying Tiger wouldn't have cheated on his wife if his dad was around, but the way Tiger handled himself after that would have most definitely been different if his dad was around. I also hate dissecting the lives of people who are famous, because I have no idea what he deals with on a daily basis. I assume he has a lot of people around him that tell him what to do and how to do it. And everything you do/say is put under the magnifying glass.

 

Wasn't Tiger cheating on his wife long before his father passed? One of his mistresses even said she was in bed with him when his father died.

 

Tiger also played dominating golf after his father passed, which I think was 2006.

[ohioglfr]

I thought it was well written. SI's audience includes Tiger followers who are not golfers, and there are a lot of them. Active golfers are already saturated with all the would have, should have, could have articles.

[SUMM1T]

I think character holds more weight in this fight than learning how to fail. He lost plenty of tournaments. He hated losing and that drove him to his greatness. Tiger relied on his father from day 1. His dad was his pillar, through great times and hard times. When his dad passed, it was only a matter of time before we saw things start to fall apart. I'm not saying Tiger wouldn't have cheated on his wife if his dad was around, but the way Tiger handled himself after that would have most definitely been different if his dad was around. I also hate dissecting the lives of people who are famous, because I have no idea what he deals with on a daily basis. I assume he has a lot of people around him that tell him what to do and how to do it. And everything you do/say is put under the magnifying glass.

 

Wasn't Tiger cheating on his wife long before his father passed? One of his mistresses even said she was in bed with him when his father died.

 

Tiger also played dominating golf after his father passed, which I think was 2006.

 

Yes, but we didn't have all of it come out until after his dad passed. Like I said, his father would have had a lot to say about the way Tiger handled himself after this was brought to light. I also realize that Tiger still dominated after his father passing, but I said it was only a matter of time before the collapse came. Just my 2 cents, could be wrong.

[Lodestone]

Having Earl around would have certainly helped him in his time of personal, yet highly publicized crisis. Even more likely, I think, is that Earl would have helped him handle his crisis of confidence he suffered regarding his game.

 

I am of the mind that Earl would have steered him away from making big changes in his swing. Tiger needed the one voice he trusted to tell him "Son, you are still Tiger Woods, and it doesn't matter if some 20 year old drives it past you. You have a ridiculous winning percentage, and a golf game the likes of which has never been seen. You have tens of thousands of hours invested in your swing. Don't throw it away trying to chase something that doesn't exist. You are Tiger F***king Woods! and they are not"...

 

I think that conversation, at the right time, coming from Earl Woods, would have saved Tiger a lot of grief, and might have been worth another 20 wins a half dozen or so majors.

 

Maybe, for all of the time and love Earl invested in Tiger, he failed to teach him the one thing every father needs to teach his children: How to carry on once he is gone.

[Titleist 670]

Having Earl around would have certainly helped him in his time of personal, yet highly publicized crisis. Even more likely, I think, is that Earl would have helped him handle his crisis of confidence he suffered regarding his game.

 

I am of the mind that Earl would have steered him away from making big changes in his swing. Tiger needed the one voice he trusted to tell him "Son, you are still Tiger Woods, and it doesn't matter if some 20 year old drives it past you. You have a ridiculous winning percentage, and a golf game the likes of which has never been seen. You have tens of thousands of hours invested in your swing. Don't throw it away trying to chase something that doesn't exist. You are Tiger F***king Woods! and they are not"...

 

I think that conversation, at the right time, coming from Earl Woods, would have saved Tiger a lot of grief, and might have been worth another 20 wins a half dozen or so majors.

 

Maybe, for all of the time and love Earl invested in Tiger, he failed to teach him the one thing every father needs to teach his children: How to carry on once he is gone.

 

Wait - so Earl drops a few f-bombs to Tiger about how good he is and Tiger reels off at least 6 more majors because of it?

 

Tiger was fine after Earl passed.

 

2006: 67.4 scoring average, 8 wins, 2 majors, 69.7 scoring average in the majors - won two majors the year Earl died.

2007: 69.2 scoring average, 7 wins, 1 major, 70.7 scoring average in the majors.

2008: 4 wins in 6 events, 1 major.

2009: 68.8 scoring average, 7 wins.

[Lodestone]

Having Earl around would have certainly helped him in his time of personal, yet highly publicized crisis. Even more likely, I think, is that Earl would have helped him handle his crisis of confidence he suffered regarding his game.

 

I am of the mind that Earl would have steered him away from making big changes in his swing. Tiger needed the one voice he trusted to tell him "Son, you are still Tiger Woods, and it doesn't matter if some 20 year old drives it past you. You have a ridiculous winning percentage, and a golf game the likes of which has never been seen. You have tens of thousands of hours invested in your swing. Don't throw it away trying to chase something that doesn't exist. You are Tiger F***king Woods! and they are not"...

 

I think that conversation, at the right time, coming from Earl Woods, would have saved Tiger a lot of grief, and might have been worth another 20 wins a half dozen or so majors.

 

Maybe, for all of the time and love Earl invested in Tiger, he failed to teach him the one thing every father needs to teach his children: How to carry on once he is gone.

 

Wait - so Earl drops a few f-bombs to Tiger about how good he is and Tiger reels off at least 6 more majors because of it?

 

Tiger was fine after Earl passed.

 

2006: 67.4 scoring average, 8 wins, 2 majors, 69.7 scoring average in the majors - won two majors the year Earl died.

2007: 69.2 scoring average, 7 wins, 1 major, 70.7 scoring average in the majors.

2008: 4 wins in 6 events, 1 major.

2009: 68.8 scoring average, 7 wins.

 

yep....that's my story and I'm sticking with it.. I think Earl keeps Tiger away from the big swing changes by reminding him he's Tiger F-ing Woods. I think by doing that he keeps him performing more closely to the level he had been, and for longer.

 

Swing changes = more reps= more being caught "in between patterns" = more reps = more injuries= more swing changes = downward spiral...

 

all caused by Tiger's desire to "get better"....(his words).... "better than what? Better than the best golfer by a mile anyone had ever seen?" (my words)

 

Of course, nobody really knows what would have happened in a world that never happened, but I think Earl would have kept Tiger's head on a lot straighter than Tiger was able to do with his team of sycophants.

[tannyhoban]

I don't see the article as a troll. SI used to have a feature "where are they now?", would you want to read it there?

 

It's been a long time since his last major. And the best line in the article is posited by the author. "Why can't we let it go?"

[Titleist 670]

 

yep....that's my story and I'm sticking with it.. I think Earl keeps Tiger away from the big swing changes by reminding him he's Tiger F-ing Woods. I think by doing that he keeps him performing more closely to the level he had been, and for longer.

 

Swing changes = more reps= more being caught "in between patterns" = more reps = more injuries= more swing changes = downward spiral...

 

all caused by Tiger's desire to "get better"....(his words).... "better than what? Better than the best golfer by a mile anyone had ever seen?" (my words)

 

Of course, nobody really knows what would have happened in a world that never happened, but I think Earl would have kept Tiger's head on a lot straighter than Tiger was able to do with his team of sycophants.

 

Tiger made several swing changes while Earl was around, and Haney dumped him in 2010, so he had to change from the "Haney swing" after that.

 

His play indicates his head was on straight after Earl passed away, and the cheating was around long before Earl was gone, too.

 

So in my opinion, the evidence that Tiger would have been significantly different if Earl was around doesn't necessarily add up, but I can see to a degree where people would think that.

[Lodestone]

yep....that's my story and I'm sticking with it.. I think Earl keeps Tiger away from the big swing changes by reminding him he's Tiger F-ing Woods. I think by doing that he keeps him performing more closely to the level he had been, and for longer.

 

Swing changes = more reps= more being caught "in between patterns" = more reps = more injuries= more swing changes = downward spiral...

 

all caused by Tiger's desire to "get better"....(his words).... "better than what? Better than the best golfer by a mile anyone had ever seen?" (my words)

 

Of course, nobody really knows what would have happened in a world that never happened, but I think Earl would have kept Tiger's head on a lot straighter than Tiger was able to do with his team of sycophants.

 

Tiger made several swing changes while Earl was around, and Haney dumped him in 2010, so he had to change from the "Haney swing" after that.

 

His play indicates his head was on straight after Earl passed away, and the cheating was around long before Earl was gone, too.

 

So in my opinion, the evidence that Tiger would have been significantly different if Earl was around doesn't necessarily add up, but I can see to a degree where people would think that.

 

I don't think Earl's passing had anything to do with Tiger's philandering ways. It may have affected how it was handled when it went public, but who knows?

 

Haney dumped Tiger? I thought it was the other way around. Haney may have been the one to say it first, but the handwriting was on the wall.

 

Yes, the whole thing is conjecture.

[Chrispyyz]

I think that as we get into our 40's we start to take true stock of who we are and what we've done. Tiger could be at that point and saying to himself, yes I'm rich, I've done incredible things in golf but what else do I have that is important to me. Golf may not be his driving motivator any more. Committing time and energy to his kids and other personal relationships could have a big impact on his golf game.

[Lodestone]

I think that as we get into our 40's we start to take true stock of who we are and what we've done. Tiger could be at that point and saying to himself, yes I'm rich, I've done incredible things in golf but what else do I have that is important to me. Golf may not be his driving motivator any more. Committing time and energy to his kids and other personal relationships could have a big impact on his golf game.

 

I agree. I think the one thing that could keep him motivated, if he were healthy and playing well at this point, would be to break Jack's record. I'm not sure he's given up on it, yet, but if he has, or if he does decide it's out of reach given his health, and game, I think it will be a big factor in such a decision.