Did Tiger play 18 for second place?

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Shows how little confidence he has in his woods.

 

Well, people had lost confidence in Woods.

[Darin322]

I'm starting to think that when the OP posted the thread, he didn't try his very best so he was posting for second place. You took the safe thread Sir. Next time, post to win.

 

Meh - I thought I presented plenty of relevant facts and figures - average approach distances on 18 for birdies, Tiger's average 2-iron shot, average proximity to the hole for birdies on 18.

[DavePelz4]

I'm starting to think that when the OP posted the thread, he didn't try his very best so he was posting for second place. You took the safe thread Sir. Next time, post to win.

 

Meh - I thought I presented plenty of relevant facts and figures - average approach distances on 18 for birdies, Tiger's average 2-iron shot, average proximity to the hole for birdies on 18.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's a good, solid thread. But it tied with the "What's your most lofted wedge" thread today.

[Darin322]

I'm starting to think that when the OP posted the thread, he didn't try his very best so he was posting for second place. You took the safe thread Sir. Next time, post to win.

 

Meh - I thought I presented plenty of relevant facts and figures - average approach distances on 18 for birdies, Tiger's average 2-iron shot, average proximity to the hole for birdies on 18.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's a good, solid thread. But it tied with the "What's your most lofted wedge" thread today.

 

What's a wedge???

 

Truthfully, I NEVER lay up. In fact, I have to hit driver on every hole. I'm good like that.

[joekelli]

I think he went with 2 iron just to leave a longer iron in. a 7 iron has less chance of spinning to much and spin off the green. Would it have been awesome to see him hit driver and then stuff a wedge in close? YES! But he played it the way he thought best. He definitely had some chances to make putts throughout the round and I think being unfamiliar with the greens made it tough to putt under pressure. His reads were just a little off.

[LaymanM]

Tiger lipped out two birdies earlier in round and I saw Reed had One as well. Fun to analyze his last hole but tournament was won over 72 holes not the last one.

 

He's playing great golf again and it's fun to watch. 4 straight days of good play. I think his ball striking was just a tad off Sunday. Birdie putts were just a bit out of range.

[QMany]

Because of the pinching bunkers, I don’t think D was the play. But I think he should have hit 3W instead of 2i.

[starsail85]

If he played the par 5s properly he would have won by 8-10 shots

 

He will get there

[joekelli]

If he played the par 5s properly he would have won by 8-10 shots

 

He will get there

That 80ft eagle putt on 14 that only went 70ft hurt!

[Valtiel]

Also, given the location of that pin on 18, wouldn't having a shorter iron/wedge introduce the very real possibility of spinning back off that ridge? Seems like there would be more room for error coming in with a longer club with regards to landing area.

 

So that is yet another piece of hindsight bias there. He goes with driver and leaves himself 110 in, hits SW and spins it back off the hill, now people are screaming about NOT laying up from the tee and giving himself a club that wouldn't spin back so far.

[bladehunter]

Just read the article highlighting the strokes gained guys analysis of this hole. What I see proven is that tiger has historically proven strokes gained teachings to be flawed. He’s always hit a lot of irons off tees. Win an open Hitting 1 Driver ( or something. Like that ). And yet is very close to the all time win record and the total major record. Hmmm. Do you want to follow numbers guys or the guy who has proven he knows what’s best when it comes to wining ? I’ll take the guy striking the shots.

[tgreenwood11]

He will win with that swing.

[bladehunter]

Huge chance he hits Driver in the woods or the bunker. Very small chance he hits that 2 iron anywhere but middle of the short grass. First order is to have an approach shot. Besides. The tournament wasn’t lost on 18. It was lost with the 2 near chip ins and the several lipped ourt birdie putts.

[dlygrisse]

445 yard par 4, uphill, into the wind, with a big shelf in the middle of the green. Easy birdie hole. #WRXlife

 

I think it's a great hole in that decisions have to be made. It makes them think. Do I lay back to 180, or do I hit Driver and leave 9 iron or wedge? These are the best players on the planet, if they can't control a short to a middle iron uphill into the wind to a back shelf then they don't deserve birdie. And if you are Reed and can't control the spin on a short iron , then chunk a putt, you deserve to lose. Plain and simple.

 

The hole is really a pretty easy par for those guys, it's not long by todays standards, no real trouble. Tough birdie though.

[gatorpedsMD]

I think he had a perfect strategy but just didn't perform on the par 5s. He was green side on 5=par, wedge into 11=par, and on the green in 2 on 14=par. Which is a big fat F- for Tiger. Bet his goal was -3 and if makes one bogey he's in the playoff with PC.....

[ssfranny]

Why did he hit a 2-iron off the tee? The announcers said he had the longest approach all day - I think it was 185, uphill, into the breeze. I know he's Tiger Woods and probably had a strategy for the hole, but when you're down by 1 with one hole to go, why not play aggressively? Even for Tiger, there's got to be a correlation between distance and proximity to the cup. He's going to get a 150 yard shot (like Patrick Reed had) closer than a 185 yard shot. Why not try 3W or D and get it up the fairway?

 

Why did he hit a 2-iron off the tee? The announcers said he had the longest approach all day - I think it was 185, uphill, into the breeze. I know he's Tiger Woods and probably had a strategy for the hole, but when you're down by 1 with one hole to go, why not play aggressively? Even for Tiger, there's got to be a correlation between distance and proximity to the cup. He's going to get a 150 yard shot (like Patrick Reed had) closer than a 185 yard shot. Why not try 3W or D and get it up the fairway?

 

 

 

 

sure playing 3 wood puts him farther down there but also given how far hes hitting irons wouldve had him hitting a 9 or PW more likely he wouldve spun off green considering pin location. He shouldve hit some kind of low chaser up there with pin being on a shelf. He also hit a big cut in there which was gonna stop immediately. Had to literally fly it pin high or beyond from 185 tough shot for even the GOAT

[ssfranny]

Why did he hit a 2-iron off the tee? The announcers said he had the longest approach all day - I think it was 185, uphill, into the breeze. I know he's Tiger Woods and probably had a strategy for the hole, but when you're down by 1 with one hole to go, why not play aggressively? Even for Tiger, there's got to be a correlation between distance and proximity to the cup. He's going to get a 150 yard shot (like Patrick Reed had) closer than a 185 yard shot. Why not try 3W or D and get it up the fairway?

 

sure hed get the 150 yard shot closer theoretically but look what Reed did with GW spun it back like 30-40 feet. With that pin on multi tiered shelf no way you can hold a short iron unless you fly pin high or beyond.

[ssfranny]

exactly with as far as he hits that 2 iron or driving iron and also dude is hitting 180 yard 7 irons. Not too many par 4s he cant reach hitting 2 iron off tee. Although if he was in the rough may have helped hitting a chaser up there but then couldve went through green

[ssfranny]

If he played the par 5s properly he would have won by 8-10 shots

 

He will get there

That 80ft eagle putt on 14 that only went 70ft hurt!

 

 

true that choice to putt was bad.. hitting a running chip gets closer IMHO

[ssfranny]

This is the epitome of touring professionals v WRX crowd.....

 

that you big cat ? PM me if so... id like to buy those TGR blades when you are done with them!

 

Not tiger, they are sweet sticks though. Almost carbon copies of the forged blades he'd been gaming before.

 

prob made by Miura love to see them come out with a TGR blade

[Marco]

Tiger forgot that 2nd sucks and 3rd is even worse

[BNGL]

This is the epitome of touring professionals v WRX crowd.....

 

that you big cat ? PM me if so... id like to buy those TGR blades when you are done with them!

 

Not tiger, they are sweet sticks though. Almost carbon copies of the forged blades he'd been gaming before.

 

prob made by Miura love to see them come out with a TGR blade

 

Oh 1000 percent just like every other iron of his...I never bought into those stories. I played Nike for a few years, I never heard of those clubs coming from Moira or mizuno. I thought Tom has categorically denied that although admitting he did work for them before his time with Nike. While each may share design characteristics, I thought Nike (early Nike) came from Cleveland or Chicago? Of course it doesn't really matter, Tiger would be good with a popsicle stick attached to a pine cone.

 

 

[gmangolf]

There is nothing in Tiger's entire career that would indicate that he would play for second place. It is laughable to even suggest that.

 

That said, i wish he would have smoked driver 325 down the pipe and had a wedge in...

[vanillafunk616]

I doubt it. He's at the point in his career where 2nd vs. 10th vs. 75th means basically nothing to his finances or legacy. Everything should be about the W.

[robelinks]

Tiger’s play was superb and he gave himself a chance on 18. Casey just had a round of a lifetime.

 

I personally think the pin placements made for a pretty boring slog on Sunday – like a US Open, of old, broke out. I get it. They want to make it hard, but watching guys hit iron’s off the tee, so they can two putt for par, is just not that much fun to watch.

 

Btw, what did Stenson, Spieth, and McIlroy hit off the tee on 18 on Sunday? Never mind, you get the point…

[Marco]

The thing i wondered was how could he leave the putt short ?

 

I know it was a steep hill but man its a putt to tie, hit it past the hole at least.

[DavePelz4]

The thing i wondered was how could he leave the putt short ?

 

I know it was a steep hill but man its a putt to tie, hit it past the hole at least.

 

That was the first putt in 3+ years that truly meant something. If he were completely honest, he might say he felt a bit of pressure. He always talks about liking that feeling but it was a new feeling with this body.

[Krt22]

The thing i wondered was how could he leave the putt short ?

 

I know it was a steep hill but man its a putt to tie, hit it past the hole at least.

 

Did you watch the whole round? He blew one by like 10ft early in the round and subsequently left 5-6 putts well short

 

He hit 14 greens and only had 2 birdies and his one bogey was a 6 footer he normally drains. The putts just weren't falling, 2nd place didnt have anything to do with his tee shot on 18th

[buckeyefl]

This is the epitome of touring professionals v WRX crowd.....

 

that you big cat ? PM me if so... id like to buy those TGR blades when you are done with them!

 

I never buy equipment based on who plays it but this would be fun if for no other reason than to watch haters heads explode.

[HeadonaStick]

Why does everyone keep saying he hit 2 iron? That club is no more a 2 iron then a 3 hybrid or a 7 wood is a 3 iron. I know it sounds cooler, but c'mon. Even I can hit that crossover type club, but I can't hit a 2 iron.

I think you might be missing the point.

 

I can't say for sure what Tiger was thinking, but I suspect there were a couple of things going on.

 

First, he has played that strategy all week, and in the past, successfully. I think it was his putter that let him down on Sunday, and hitting it a long way and ending up in the rough or woods wasn't going to solve that problem. BTW, I wish my putter would "let me down" like that.

 

Second, I think that he is looking to come back and to get a feel for tournament golf again. Being in the hunt was great, but I don't think leaving his strategy to win the Valspar Championship was what he wanted to accomplish this week. Hitting a driver and potentially ending up with a bad hole at the end is contrary to simply being in the hunt, in the tournament and building his stamina. While I believe every single player at the tour level wants to win, perhaps he wasn't playing for position this week. Had this been the Master's, well then perhaps things would be different. Then again, perhaps not.

 

Third, it is a percentages game. What gives him the better odds? How often would he hit the 2-iron and be in the fairway and then hitting a longer iron to 20 feet or less and making the putt, versus how often would he hit a driver in the fairway and then hit a short iron to 15 feet or less and make the putt? He likely felt he had a better chance with the 2-iron. I didn't mention 3-wood because I don't think the difference in distance between that and the 2-iron is large enough to take the risk under almost any condition.

 

Finally, I wonder how much playing with Snedeker who was not having a great day had on Tiger's play. I would guess not at all, but I mention it because sometimes a player playing great can push their partner to step it up subconsciously. Honestly, I imagine this is a small part of what goes on in a tour player's head, and even less in Tiger's, but I'm just thinking out loud :)