Notah says Tiger 50/50 for the Masters

[i*windows]

if he plays - great. If he doesn't - so what

[Llortamaisey]

Has anyone seen Tiger lately? I'm honestly asking because it's like he has fallen off the face of the earth, which is very difficult for a recognizable athlete. In the past when he has taken leaves of absence from the game, we have seen TMZ pictures of him picking up the kids, reports about him playing golf at XYZ country club with whomever, or at other sporting events like NBA games and skiing events with Vonn. I've heard and seen nothing from him other than comments made through friends and agent.

I know Tiger craves privacy but if he is truly working on his game, someone would have seen him by now.

[RiskyBusiness]

[quote name='Guia' timestamp='1427329810' post='11216613']
Notah is running interference for Tiger and really not saying anything significant, also keeping his job secure.
[/quote]

This.

[Playaway]

[quote name='tiger1bearhawk2' timestamp='1427332441' post='11216939']
Tiger has the yips and it is my belief that it may take a year of two to get this fixed and when fixed it never really goes away.

I'm not sure some of you understand how big a deal this is. Could take years to fix this. I'd be real surprised and I mean real surprised if he comes back the very next time and they don't come back.

I think some of you don't realize how big it is and I think some of you just think it goes away. It can go in to remission but it will forever be in his mind. So while he may be able to hit chips fine at Medalist I bet they will be there out on tour. I hope I'm wrong but this is serious business.

Not sure how this happened but His main goal now realistically is to just somehow get back and at least break Sneads mark.

To come back at Augusta without a tourney in between will be a disaster and an asinine decision. I will actually be kind of scared to even watch him play. The yips take time and possibly sitting on a therapists couch,
[/quote]

All of the above (with the exception of capitalizing "His"; . . . . Freudian slip??) is dead on.

He could come to The Masters and start off hitting some decent chips and think it is gone. But with yips like that it is never gone. It's in his head to stay.

If he really wants to play and I am his coach he plays chip and runs with low lofted irons and shots over anything will be a full swing flop shot. This play will handicap him a little but will not kill him.

And, as I have said, his long game except driver is good. And at Augusta you can get away with a wild driver.

I am pretty sure he will not play at Augusta. I am 10/90. A good debut would be Chambers Bay, where the quirky course could allow a nice excuse for a missed cut or worse.

[RiskyBusiness]

[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1427380228' post='11219743']
You would think that Notah would have learned from others, that when you are in Tiger's
camp, ..... no media talking ........
[/quote]

It is the other way around it would seem over the years. Working together, controlling what is leaked in a very orchestrated way.

[cphrey]

[quote name='Llortamaisey' timestamp='1427381166' post='11219887']
Has anyone seen Tiger lately? I'm honestly asking because it's like he has fallen off the face of the earth, which is very difficult for a recognizable athlete. In the past when he has taken leaves of absence from the game, we have seen TMZ pictures of him picking up the kids, reports about him playing golf at XYZ country club with whomever, or at other sporting events like NBA games and skiing events with Vonn. I've heard and seen nothing from him other than comments made through friends and agent.

I know Tiger craves privacy but if he is truly working on his game, someone would have seen him by now.
[/quote]

He practices at a very private club and in his own backyard. Not a ton of TMZ guys able to get to those places.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1427380228' post='11219743']
You would think that Notah would have learned from others, that when you are in Tiger's
camp, ..... no media talking ........
[/quote]

I see this as the opposite where TW uses Notah to share the things he wants shared. It keeps TW from having to talk and let's be honest, does Notah really provide any deep insights anyway? Very high level...he's improving...he's more likely to play in the masters...it's rarely something specific and informative.

[c7015]

if he plays I'll be excited at the chance that he could play well ... when he misses the cut It will be a shame.

on the other hand I agree with Paul Mc that it will really help Rory since a lot of the attention will move to TW and I actually would like to see him get the Career grand slam ... and it would also open up the possibility of the Rory Slam too

[Matt J]

All you guys who overemphasize the "yips" because you personally had them are comparing apples and oranges. He chunked or skulled a few chips and pitches. It's not like he got paralyzed over the ball.

If I'm out on a Sunday afternoon throwing the old pig skin around with some buddies, I don't say, "but AJ Green makes his cut more like this." I know that AJ runs a 4.5 sec 40 yard dash and I run a 5 flat on my best day. Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically. He can do lots of things you can't do. Don't let your Puritanical disdain for his personal life cloud your judgement concerning his abilities with a golf club.

Regardless, I don't care if we ever see Tiger at Augusta again. I'd watch every year, hopefully in person some years.

Edit: BTW, I've chunked hundreds of chips and pitches and never had anyone accuse me of having the "yips." I go out and practice both now and very rarely skull or chunk either. Tiger simply overemphasized practicing his full swing in order to test his back and knee and to get used to the swing changes. He thought his rock steady short game would always be there. He was wrong. I think we figured out about his short game woes at the same time he did, at Isleworth. Unfortunately I think he went home and made the same mistake.

[tiger1bearhawk2]

Tiger has been busting his tale at Medalist for those asking about no sightings. Everyday for hours upon hours. Confirmed by a few people who play at Medalist such as Olin Brown and Rosaforte, so he is truly working as hard as ever at this moment.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='tiger1bearhawk2' timestamp='1427383442' post='11220285']
Tiger has been busting his tale at Medalist for those asking about no sightings. Everyday for hours upon hours. Confirmed by a few people who play at Medalist such as Olin Brown and Rosaforte, so he is truly working as hard as ever at this moment.
[/quote]

Hopefully he's busting his tail and this isn't just a tale.

[Playaway]

[quote name='Matt J' timestamp='1427382311' post='11220071']
All you guys who overemphasize the "yips" because you personally had them are comparing apples and oranges. He chunked or skulled a few chips and pitches. It's not like he got paralyzed over the ball.

If I'm out on a Sunday afternoon throwing the old pig skin around with some buddies, I don't say, "but AJ Green makes his cut more like this." I know that AJ runs a 4.5 sec 40 yard dash and I run a 5 flat on my best day. [b][color=#ff0000] Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically.[/color][/b] He can do lots of things you can't do. Don't let your Puritanical disdain for his personal life cloud your judgement concerning his abilities with a golf club.

Regardless, I don't care if we ever see Tiger at Augusta again. I'd watch every year, hopefully in person some years.
[/quote]

[b][color=#FF0000]Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically [/color][/b]

That's right. His game is different. But those yips I saw are some of the worst I have ever seen on any competent player, at any level.

If anything his yips have been downplayed.

He shows the classical signs of yips, serious yips.

Starts laying the sod over it. That means he hits the chip fat or chunks it. It goes literally a few feet when his plan was for it to fly 15 or 20 feet. He's done that frequently.

Then, he tries to compensate for it and starts blading shots, trying not to hit the chip fat. Blading means that he hits the ball with the bottom flange and the ball flies like a line drive because it was not hit on the lofted club face. This compensation validates that the yips are imprinted on him. The media is playing it down because they know the cash cow might be done. They are riding the wave all the way to the beach.

Even with Tiger's big runaway wins early in his career, his average win margin in majors is like 1 or 2 shots. And I am sure that he will not yip every chip he looks at. What WILL happen is his short game (inside 100 feet) will not look the same. He will play more straightforward vanilla type shots. And he will not be looking to "make" but rather to not "miss". Big difference. That part alone might add 4 or 5 shots per event. And that would be a conservative guess.

Yea, his game and my game are different, but not as different as it was before he got the yips.

[tiger1bearhawk2]

[quote name='DavePelz4' timestamp='1427383734' post='11220327']
[quote name='tiger1bearhawk2' timestamp='1427383442' post='11220285']
Tiger has been busting his tale at Medalist for those asking about no sightings. Everyday for hours upon hours. Confirmed by a few people who play at Medalist such as Olin Brown and Rosaforte, so he is truly working as hard as ever at this moment.
[/quote]

Hopefully he's busting his tail and this isn't just a tale.
[/quote]

Nope, he's working long hours everyday. Probably working harder than he has in a couple years. Wouldn't you? He's trying to get back and wants to play.

[Matt J]

[quote name='Playaway' timestamp='1427383746' post='11220329']
[quote name='Matt J' timestamp='1427382311' post='11220071']
All you guys who overemphasize the "yips" because you personally had them are comparing apples and oranges. He chunked or skulled a few chips and pitches. It's not like he got paralyzed over the ball.

If I'm out on a Sunday afternoon throwing the old pig skin around with some buddies, I don't say, "but AJ Green makes his cut more like this." I know that AJ runs a 4.5 sec 40 yard dash and I run a 5 flat on my best day. [b][color=#ff0000] Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically.[/color][/b] He can do lots of things you can't do. Don't let your Puritanical disdain for his personal life cloud your judgement concerning his abilities with a golf club.

Regardless, I don't care if we ever see Tiger at Augusta again. I'd watch every year, hopefully in person some years.
[/quote]

[b][color=#FF0000]Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically [/color][/b]

That's right. His game is different. But those yips I saw are some of the worst I have ever seen on any competent player, at any level.

If anything his yips have been downplayed.

He shows the classical signs of yips, serious yips.

Starts laying the sod over it. That means he hits the chip fat or chunks it. It goes literally a few feet when his plan was for it to fly 15 or 20 feet. He's done that frequently.

Then, he tries to compensate for it and starts blading shots, trying not to hit the chip fat. Blading means that he hits the ball with the bottom flange and the ball flies like a line drive because it was not hit on the lofted club face. This compensation validates that the yips are imprinted on him. The media is playing it down because they know the cash cow might be done. They are riding the wave all the way to the beach.

Even with Tiger's big runaway wins early in his career, his average win margin in majors is like 1 or 2 shots. And I am sure that he will not yip every chip he looks at. What WILL happen is his short game (inside 100 feet) will not look the same. He will play more straightforward vanilla type shots. And he will not be looking to "make" but rather to not "miss". Big difference. That part alone might add 4 or 5 shots per event. And that would be a conservative guess.

Yea, his game and my game are different, but not as different as it was before he got the yips.
[/quote]

Agree to disagree. At his best he could lay a 60* wedge open on the tightest of lies and plunk it down within 4" of the cup 9 of 10 times. He has lots of good memories of that deadly short game in the bank to counteract the 25 bad shots he hit in 3 events.

I think it's a little "glass is half full vs. half empty" I watched all three performances and feel like if he can slow his tempo down a little, play the cut off the tee, and hone that short game he'll at least make the cut. I think by the British Open he could contend.

[golfhack13]

[quote name='tiger1bearhawk2' timestamp='1427383442' post='11220285']
Tiger has been busting his tale at Medalist for those asking about no sightings. Everyday for hours upon hours. Confirmed by a few people who play at Medalist such as Olin Brown and Rosaforte, so he is truly working as hard as ever at this moment.
[/quote]

Has anyone heard if he has been to Augusta recently? If he doesn't play a round or 2 in the next week or so, I think we have our answer.

[tgreenwood11]

It's tough to come back when your body is breaking down. Just ask A-Rod....

[Protokletos]

[quote name='Matt J' timestamp='1427382311' post='11220071']
All you guys who overemphasize the "yips" because you personally had them are comparing apples and oranges. He chunked or skulled a few chips and pitches. It's not like he got paralyzed over the ball.

If I'm out on a Sunday afternoon throwing the old pig skin around with some buddies, I don't say, "but AJ Green makes his cut more like this." I know that AJ runs a 4.5 sec 40 yard dash and I run a 5 flat on my best day. Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically. He can do lots of things you can't do. Don't let your Puritanical disdain for his personal life cloud your judgement concerning his abilities with a golf club.

Regardless, I don't care if we ever see Tiger at Augusta again. I'd watch every year, hopefully in person some years.

Edit: BTW, I've chunked hundreds of chips and pitches and never had anyone accuse me of having the "yips." I go out and practice both now and very rarely skull or chunk either. Tiger simply overemphasized practicing his full swing in order to test his back and knee and to get used to the swing changes. He thought his rock steady short game would always be there. He was wrong. I think we figured out about his short game woes at the same time he did, at Isleworth. Unfortunately I think he went home and made the same mistake.
[/quote]

Totally with you here. Everyone is overplaying the "yips" thing and comparing it to the only perspective they have--their own. Someone said it would take possibly years to fix the "yips" for Tiger. LOL, WHAT? Everyone needs to stop acting like they know how Tiger's mind works and just take the news for what it is. He's working on his game and there's a possibility we'll see him at Augusta.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='Matt J' timestamp='1427384434' post='11220409']
[quote name='Playaway' timestamp='1427383746' post='11220329']
[quote name='Matt J' timestamp='1427382311' post='11220071']
All you guys who overemphasize the "yips" because you personally had them are comparing apples and oranges. He chunked or skulled a few chips and pitches. It's not like he got paralyzed over the ball.

If I'm out on a Sunday afternoon throwing the old pig skin around with some buddies, I don't say, "but AJ Green makes his cut more like this." I know that AJ runs a 4.5 sec 40 yard dash and I run a 5 flat on my best day. [b][color=#ff0000] Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically.[/color][/b] He can do lots of things you can't do. Don't let your Puritanical disdain for his personal life cloud your judgement concerning his abilities with a golf club.

Regardless, I don't care if we ever see Tiger at Augusta again. I'd watch every year, hopefully in person some years.
[/quote]

[b][color=#FF0000]Tiger has a little different golf game than you, both mentally and physically [/color][/b]

That's right. His game is different. But those yips I saw are some of the worst I have ever seen on any competent player, at any level.

If anything his yips have been downplayed.

He shows the classical signs of yips, serious yips.

Starts laying the sod over it. That means he hits the chip fat or chunks it. It goes literally a few feet when his plan was for it to fly 15 or 20 feet. He's done that frequently.

Then, he tries to compensate for it and starts blading shots, trying not to hit the chip fat. Blading means that he hits the ball with the bottom flange and the ball flies like a line drive because it was not hit on the lofted club face. This compensation validates that the yips are imprinted on him. The media is playing it down because they know the cash cow might be done. They are riding the wave all the way to the beach.

Even with Tiger's big runaway wins early in his career, his average win margin in majors is like 1 or 2 shots. And I am sure that he will not yip every chip he looks at. What WILL happen is his short game (inside 100 feet) will not look the same. He will play more straightforward vanilla type shots. And he will not be looking to "make" but rather to not "miss". Big difference. That part alone might add 4 or 5 shots per event. And that would be a conservative guess.

Yea, his game and my game are different, but not as different as it was before he got the yips.
[/quote]

Agree to disagree. At his best he could lay a 60* wedge open on the tightest of lies and plunk it down within 4" of the cup 9 of 10 times. He has lots of good memories of that deadly short game in the bank to counteract the 25 bad shots he hit in 3 events.

I think it's a little "glass is half full vs. half empty" I watched all three performances and feel like if he can slow his tempo down a little, play the cut off the tee, and hone that short game he'll at least make the cut. I think by the British Open he could contend.
[/quote]

Matt which do you think is more important for TW and which is more important for you? The history of past success to draw upon or the current results which might not be solid as you'd like?

[nbg352]

[quote name='scratchswinger' timestamp='1427304690' post='11213737']
I am 50/50 on watching The Masters.
[/quote]
[quote name='mosesgolf' timestamp='1427316221' post='11215193']
Holy cow. Can't someone of his caliber just come back and play some GOLF. It's like he's made a mountain out of an ant hill and has to reassess every facet of his game. Jack could go out and shoot 68 at any era into his late 50s. Remember his top 10 finish at Augusta at the age of 58? Geesh just go out and PLAY. I guess that' what happens when someone has 3858 pieces of info that needs to be processed in a golf swing and chipping technique. So lame.


Totally untrue. By 1980, many "expert" pundits declared Nicklaus' career to be over. I watched him cold top two drives on successive holes. I thought they might be right. But they weren't. He trudged out of a horrible slump and the rest is history. In 1986 he earned his 18th major. I'm sure that in order for him to do that, he had to address every facet of his game. As great as Nicklaus was, it is best not to let legend get in the way of truth.
[/quote]

[nbg352]

[quote name='Playaway' timestamp='1427381518' post='11219945']
[quote name='tiger1bearhawk2' timestamp='1427332441' post='11216939']
Tiger has the yips and it is my belief that it may take a year of two to get this fixed and when fixed it never really goes away.

I'm not sure some of you understand how big a deal this is. Could take years to fix this. I'd be real surprised and I mean real surprised if he comes back the very next time and they don't come back.

I think some of you don't realize how big it is and I think some of you just think it goes away. It can go in to remission but it will forever be in his mind. So while he may be able to hit chips fine at Medalist I bet they will be there out on tour. I hope I'm wrong but this is serious business.

Not sure how this happened but His main goal now realistically is to just somehow get back and at least break Sneads mark.

To come back at Augusta without a tourney in between will be a disaster and an asinine decision. I will actually be kind of scared to even watch him play. The yips take time and possibly sitting on a therapists couch,
[/quote]

All of the above (with the exception of capitalizing "His"; . . . . Freudian slip??) is dead on.

He could come to The Masters and start off hitting some decent chips and think it is gone. But with yips like that it is never gone. It's in his head to stay.

If he really wants to play and I am his coach he plays chip and runs with low lofted irons and shots over anything will be a full swing flop shot. This play will handicap him a little but will not kill him.

And, as I have said, his long game except driver is good. And at Augusta you can get away with a wild driver.

I am pretty sure he will not play at Augusta. I am 10/90. A good debut would be Chambers Bay, where the quirky course could allow a nice excuse for a missed cut or worse.
[/quote]
It is scary. Having had the chip yips is like having had the shanks.......
Once you've had 'em, you've got 'em.

[nbg352]

In all honesty, when I saw Woods chipping so horribly and I thought of all his other injuries and what appears to be an unusually steady decline, I can manage to think of only one thing. Muhammed Ali.
I truly hope it is a grossly overstated thought......

[ozarkshooter]

[quote name='cphrey' timestamp='1427303807' post='11213633']

Notah Begay said that there’s a “50-50” chance...

[/quote]


So...pretty much either he will play or he won't. Got it.

[golfortennis]

I'm just shocked that a talking head on Golf Channel, who spent how much time on tour and really didn't do that much, by virtue of having been at a school when someone arrived years later, is now "Notah." One name only.

Or is this like those checkout stand magazines where every celebrity is referred to by first name as if they're everyone's friends or something?

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='Bluefan75' timestamp='1427386751' post='11220715']
I'm just shocked that a talking head on Golf Channel, who spent how much time on tour and really didn't do that much, by virtue of having been at a school when someone arrived years later, is now "Notah." One name only.

Or is this like those checkout stand magazines where every celebrity is referred to by first name as if they're everyone's friends or something?
[/quote]

When his full name is used some people are unsure of his "orientation."

[golfhack13]

[quote name='DavePelz4' timestamp='1427387484' post='11220805']
[quote name='Bluefan75' timestamp='1427386751' post='11220715']
I'm just shocked that a talking head on Golf Channel, who spent how much time on tour and really didn't do that much, by virtue of having been at a school when someone arrived years later, is now "Notah." One name only.

Or is this like those checkout stand magazines where every celebrity is referred to by first name as if they're everyone's friends or something?
[/quote]

When his full name is used some people are unsure of his "orientation."
[/quote]


Take a bow! Ladies and Gentleman, DavePelz4!!

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='golfhack13' timestamp='1427387716' post='11220839']
[quote name='DavePelz4' timestamp='1427387484' post='11220805']
[quote name='Bluefan75' timestamp='1427386751' post='11220715']
I'm just shocked that a talking head on Golf Channel, who spent how much time on tour and really didn't do that much, by virtue of having been at a school when someone arrived years later, is now "Notah." One name only.

Or is this like those checkout stand magazines where every celebrity is referred to by first name as if they're everyone's friends or something?
[/quote]

When his full name is used some people are unsure of his "orientation."
[/quote]


Take a bow! Ladies and Gentleman, DavePelz4!!
[/quote]

Try the veal GH...

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='nbg352' timestamp='1427386476' post='11220669']
In all honesty, when I saw Woods chipping so horribly and I thought of all his other injuries and what appears to be an unusually steady decline, I can manage to think of only one thing. Muhammed Ali.
I truly hope it is a grossly overstated thought......
[/quote]
So, because he chipped poorly, in the span of a month, you think Tiger has full on Parkinson's disease?

[nbg352]

[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1427390233' post='11221183']
[quote name='nbg352' timestamp='1427386476' post='11220669']
In all honesty, when I saw Woods chipping so horribly and I thought of all his other injuries and what appears to be an unusually steady decline, I can manage to think of only one thing. Muhammed Ali.
I truly hope it is a grossly overstated thought......
[/quote]
So, because he chipped poorly, in the span of a month, you think Tiger has full on Parkinson's disease?
[/quote]
We watched Ali deteriorate over a relatively short period of time. We all know how that turned out.
I fear for Woods long term health. I hope I am wrong and that your incredulty is justified.

[Lennon Mccartney]

[quote name='Bluefan75' timestamp='1427386751' post='11220715']
I'm just shocked that a talking head on Golf Channel, who spent how much time on tour and really didn't do that much, by virtue of having been at a school when someone arrived years later, is now "Notah." One name only.

Or is this like those checkout stand magazines where every celebrity is referred to by first name as if they're everyone's friends or something?
[/quote]
Notah Begay didn't do much???...well he has 4 pga tour stroke play wins...which is more than Rickie Fowler, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter and Brandel Chamblee combined............ to put things into perspective...

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='nbg352' timestamp='1427391081' post='11221271']
[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1427390233' post='11221183']
[quote name='nbg352' timestamp='1427386476' post='11220669']
In all honesty, when I saw Woods chipping so horribly and I thought of all his other injuries and what appears to be an unusually steady decline, I can manage to think of only one thing. Muhammed Ali.
I truly hope it is a grossly overstated thought......
[/quote]
So, because he chipped poorly, in the span of a month, you think Tiger has full on Parkinson's disease?
[/quote]
We watched Ali deteriorate over a relatively short period of time. We all know how that turned out.
I fear for Woods long term health. I hope I am wrong and that your incredulty is justified.
[/quote]
People on these forums would just say he's faking it.