Tiger vs. Phil in "The Match." **MERGED**

[Tim Schoch]

Maybe it would do us all a lot of good to reflect on what we used to have to put up with during "matches" forty years ago. I'll take Phil and Tiger any day, good or bad, so long as we never have to suffer:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2H56kZTj0Y

 

Just want to say that Chi Chi was a big deal back in the day and very funny. Travino too and a few others.

 

Things were so conservative and dry back then, and golf was such a stiff sport that those guys were firecrackers and originals.

 

Tiger and Phil aren't showman or goofballs, yet they were cast in that role. Bad casting. I think two other energetic tour players should have caddied for them, egged them on and added some flair and humor.

[Johnnypenso]

I did watch a few holes on BR yesterday and it was ok. I did enjoy the Skins format from back in the day more than this though. Just my opinion, but I think two guys who are worth probably $1Billion between them playing to win another $9 million probably isn't great optics for the game of golf. It makes it all look sort of elitist. Back in the day when guys won the money list with $400-500K, winning $150k in a Skins match was a pretty big deal. This just felt like delivering a crate of ice cream to an Eskimo if you catch my drift. I'd rather see the guys show up with a guaranteed appearance fee of say $250k and then play for charity. Have one big prize for the winners' charity at the end, a smaller prize for the losers and allow the players to make side bets with a house kitty from hole to hole with the money going to their charity of choice. Be great press for the game, the Tour, the charities etc. Make it more of a fun event. Play some holes best ball with teams, some holes individual stroke play etc.

[BenSeattle]

The only thing wrong with the telecast was that they didn't have enough announcers.

 

Should have added Alec Baldwin doing his Trump impression, Kenny Banya from "Seinfeld," ("It's gold, Philly, it's gold!") Along with Sean Hannity blaming the mediocre putting on "Obama, Hillary and the far-left, freedom-hating, George Soros-sponsored Democrats."

[kidcloudkicker]

Paid $20 for it and loved every minute of it.

[lhahn]

It's not a holiday up here so watching this right now but if they do ever do this again, they need to make a new rule...when Tiger, Phil and the caddies are talking, the announcers have the STFU!!

 

Otherwise, quite enjoying the match so far...

[lowheel]

for me the big winners were

 

1. Shadow Creek

2. Darren Clarke's hair

3. Barkley's in-shape & doughnut jokes :rofl:

 

Clarkes hair is glorious. Should be in a museum for all to see!!

[stanger37]

I enjoyed it. I thought they did a good enough job of watching only 2 people play golf for 22 holes. I do think they have both become a little soft with each other, especially Tiger towards Phil. The announcers in the beginning said it best. Phil is going to win because is simply means more to Phil. Tiger has done everything in golf. Phil prepped so hard for this and it seemed like Tiger got there yesterday and played. I thought it was a good watch and I would pay $20 again today if they did an immediate rematch. But I wish Tiger had a little more fire in him, the bets he was trying to get Phil to take just seemed a little forced. Phil was in his element the whole time. I thought on the 17th hole chip in was perfect and if Tiger holes the putt on 18 or 19, would have been absolutely vintage and a perfect ending.

 

The course looked absolutely perfect and Barkley there was great as well.

[bladehunter]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Lol here comes CR again, chip in on 17 begs to differ

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

Thank you for an honest appraisal. They’re very rare around here.

 

Now we’re all dishonest ? What a bubble you’ve built for yourself.

[bladehunter]

bladehunter:

“Lol.

We just have to agree to disagree on Rory. He was wrong. There is no 2 players who could have made the match better. Drawn more fans or made more $. Unless you contest that point we’re just arguing over semantics. And that’s fruitless for either of us.

As for JT. lol. He tweeted at the show before it started and all during. They showed his tweets several times. He watched with Spieth etc at his home. So don’t go lumping someone else in to Rory’s pitty party.

Show wasn’t the miss Rory said it would be. Bottom line. Watch the new poll on the other thread. You’ll see the majority of the “ golf nerds “ as you coined us watched it here.”

––––––––––––––––

No Rory was right, just on a different level than you. Rory correctly highlighted “if they had done it 15 years ago it would have been great” (referring to the standard of their play then compared to now)… yesterday was anything but “great”, the standard was very poor and at times cringeworthy.

Sure you can take from it what you will with your rose-tinted glasses, but me and a multitude of other more impartial & rational Tiger/Golf fans had just hoped for a far better standard of golf than what we saw. Reality showed Rory did indeed have a point when he said, “if they had done it 15 years ago it would have been great”, and even the most insecure Tiger fan can admit to that truth on some level, no?

The reason I originally challenged some of your comments was because you were clearly projecting your own Tiger fanaticism/insecurities on to another golfer (Rory) simply because he had a differing opinion than you and was thinking on a different level which was the quality of their golf 15 years ago would have made this match great, or at least far better than what we saw.

Can you now admit that Rory had a point on the standard of play aspect?

 

No. I’m not at all convinced Rory could have beaten either of them yesterday. He has no standing to question standard of play. A mirror would be his first stop to start that line of talk.

[bladehunter]

Can you now admit that Rory had a point on the standard of play aspect?

 

OK, I think everyone else has had enough of you two. Move on, both of you.

 

Reading through and saw this boss. I’ll do my best. Should Be above being baited by now. But this cat is a pro with the shiniest lures I’ve seen.

[bscinstnct]

for me the big winners were

 

1. Shadow Creek

2. Darren Clarke's hair

3. Barkley's in-shape & doughnut jokes :rofl:

 

Clarkes hair is glorious. Should be in a museum for all to see!!

 

I still weep from seeing it.

[farmer]

For two legendary golfers, the quality of golf was shockingly poor. It would have been a better show if if the course setup would have allowed lots of birdies. I would have been impressed if, at the end, Phil had said "All this money is going to X+ charities.". This was a modern version of the Snead-Hogan match. Both players past their prime, strictly a TV event.

[OldTomMorris]

Surprised to see the "match" listed on the PGA Tour website schedule. Does it help or harm the PGA Tour brand??

 

https://www.pgatour....s/schedule.html

 

 

Can only help. How could it hurt ? Positive publicity, plus a chance to see the two best of an era once more.

 

If this experiment goes forward, my prediction is it won't, not sure the PGA Tour will want to be associated with that kind of "positive publicity".

 

That's cool. I just don't see the down side.? As in why does it hurt the tour ? New eyes on the game etc. much more traditional way to grow that " top golf " and larger holes etc.

 

I don't have a problem with the event per se, wasn't really to my taste and I wasn't overly excited about it but I'm looking at it from a PGA Tour brand point of view. The PGA Tour is a tax exempt "business" basically a charity so I'm not sure it looks good for them to be associated with it especially the betting side of it. Betting isn't allowed on the PGA Tour, they got an exemption for this event on the basis that all bets were for charity. Just my opinion of course.

[bladehunter]

Surprised to see the "match" listed on the PGA Tour website schedule. Does it help or harm the PGA Tour brand??

 

https://www.pgatour....s/schedule.html

 

 

Can only help. How could it hurt ? Positive publicity, plus a chance to see the two best of an era once more.

 

If this experiment goes forward, my prediction is it won't, not sure the PGA Tour will want to be associated with that kind of "positive publicity".

 

That's cool. I just don't see the down side.? As in why does it hurt the tour ? New eyes on the game etc. much more traditional way to grow that " top golf " and larger holes etc.

 

I don't have a problem with the event per se, wasn't really to my taste and I wasn't overly excited about it but I'm looking at it from a PGA Tour brand point of view. The PGA Tour is a tax exempt "business" basically a charity so I'm not sure it looks good for them to be associated with it especially the betting side of it. Betting isn't allowed on the PGA Tour, they got an exemption for this event on the basis that all bets were for charity. Just my opinion of course.

Oh. Gotcha. Hadn’t considered that angle at all. Makes sense. I’m not pro betting myself. Not really anti either. But it isn’t my thing. But betting vs non profit I do agree. Thanks for the explanation.

[Marco]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Lol here comes CR again, chip in on 17 begs to differ

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

 

No it doesn't, it was his season back from surgery and learning new swing/motor patterns

[BenSeattle]

The only thing wrong with the telecast was that they didn't have enough announcers.

 

Should have added Alec Baldwin doing his Trump impression, Kenny Banya from "Seinfeld," ("It's gold, Philly, it's gold!") Along with Sean Hannity blaming the mediocre putting on "Obama, Hillary and the far-left, freedom-hating, George Soros-sponsored Democrats."

 

On a more serious note, I think the talk about "9 million dollars!" over and over and over is vastly insulting and uncomfortably elitist. Did you here anyone say "Wow... I'll tune in because they're playing for millions?" Didn't think so. If anybody watched, it was probably largely the millennials who heard about how great Tiger and Phil used to be but just weren't into golf (or even born) in the 90's. Me...I've been watching Woody since the first U.S. Amateur title back in 1994 and Lefty since he won at Tucson as a college kid back in 1991. One more look doesn't matter at all.

 

This thing was a yawner and a "re-match," even one that adds players, isn't going to get more exciting.

[dlygrisse]

For two legendary golfers, the quality of golf was shockingly poor. It would have been a better show if if the course setup would have allowed lots of birdies. I would have been impressed if, at the end, Phil had said "All this money is going to X+ charities.". This was a modern version of the Snead-Hogan match. Both players past their prime, strictly a TV event.

 

Shockingly? What was their medal score, 69?

[OldTomMorris]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Lol here comes CR again, chip in on 17 begs to differ

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

 

No it doesn't, it was his season back from surgery and learning new swing/motor patterns

 

He won multiple times in the past when he came back from an injury and/or swing change.

 

Father Time gets a hold of every athlete in some way and its folly to deny Woods doesn't have all the same tools he had in the past both the physical and mental. Its not a slight on Woods its just a fact of life. Personally I think its undeniable, the evidence is clear.

[dwboston]

For two legendary golfers, the quality of golf was shockingly poor. It would have been a better show if if the course setup would have allowed lots of birdies. I would have been impressed if, at the end, Phil had said "All this money is going to X+ charities.". This was a modern version of the Snead-Hogan match. Both players past their prime, strictly a TV event.

 

Shockingly? What was their medal score, 69?

 

Exactly. Phil hit it great but didn't make many putts. The only bad swing he made was the approach on 18 in extra holes where he got a break and ended up in the bunker. Tiger had some loose swings off the tee early early, but grinded to save par.when he was out of position. A few more holed putts from both of them and the "they played crappy" conventional wisdom would be different.

[bscinstnct]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Lol here comes CR again, chip in on 17 begs to differ

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

 

No it doesn't, it was his season back from surgery and learning new swing/motor patterns

 

They were showing a couple of TWs Masters wins on GC yesterday. Insane. Hed get over a 12 footer and you *knew hed make it.

 

TW 1.0 aint comin back. But 3.0 has proven he can suck it up and win. If he gets hot, he could win a good bit. A Major would be redemption. Hopefully, he will get a dozen or so chances to compete in majors and bag one or 2 more.

[PZero]

They were showing a couple of TWs Masters wins on GC yesterday. Insane. Hed get over a 12 footer and you *knew hed make it.

 

TW 1.0 aint comin back. But 3.0 has proven he can suck it up and win. If he gets hot, he could win a good bit. A Major would be redemption. Hopefully, he will get a dozen or so chances to compete in majors and bag one or 2 more.

 

We have to at least be on Tiger 6.0 by now.

[bscinstnct]

They were showing a couple of TWs Masters wins on GC yesterday. Insane. Hed get over a 12 footer and you *knew hed make it.

 

TW 1.0 aint comin back. But 3.0 has proven he can suck it up and win. If he gets hot, he could win a good bit. A Major would be redemption. Hopefully, he will get a dozen or so chances to compete in majors and bag one or 2 more.

 

We have to at least be on Tiger 6.0 by now.

 

Lol, no.

 

Maybe 3.0.2

 

; )

[TorreyPines]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

Absolutely bud. The putt for the win on the 19th was terrible, and the one on the 22nd was downright embarrassing. It was probably the worst putt I've seen him hit when having to hole to win or tie, along with the tiddler he missed at the Hero World Challenge in 2013 that lost the playoff to Zach Johnson.

 

I don’t think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ’s may have been the exception as we’ve seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I’m really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Really good post as always Cool Runnings, if I recall you're also a big Tiger fan (correct me if I'm wrong!) so probably find it just as frustrating as I do. The only thing I would disagree with is that this is a 9 year post-fire hydrant trend in my eyes rather than a 2018 thing.

 

I get that he won 5 times in 2013, and his pressure game that year was better than any other post '09 season, but even then he didn't break 70 once in a final round and looked pretty damn shaky closing out those events. He shot 71 in the final round of this year's Tour Championship, which means he hasn't broken 70 on Sunday in any of his last 6 wins - he's been very fortunate that no one has really challenged him on any of these occasions.

 

Also, even in his revival seasons of 2012 and 2013, he still frittered away a lot of tournaments by blowing up when he got into contention, just like this year. There was the 2012 A&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where he shot 75 to Phil's 64, the withdrawal in the final round of the '12 WGC Cadillac after sliding well down the board, a shocking weekend at the US Open where he went from tied to the lead to T21, poor weekend at the '12 British, going from T1st after 2 rounds at the '12 PGA to finishing T11, taking himself out of contention early in round 3 of the '12 BMV Championship by making a string of bogies early in his round when the course was set up as a birdie fest.

 

Then in '13 a poor weekend at the British again cost him, the aforementioned shaky finishes in his wins (especially at the Farmers) and the playoff choke against Zach Johnson at the Hero World Challenge.

 

Pre-back surgery in 2014 continued this trend, with a meltdown final round at The Honda Classic leading to withdrawal and a final round 78 at the WGC-Cadillac after he'd played himself right back into the thick of things with a 66 in round 3.

 

Then in '15 he put himself into contention after two rounds at the Greenbrier Classic then at the Quicken Loans but folded in round 3 of each, and was tied for the lead after 2 rounds at the Wyndham Championship but ended T10 after the chipping yips that he'd seemingly cured earlier in the season came back to haunt him.

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

 

Agreed, especially the 3/4 wins being what he'd have achieved if his old mental game matched the quality of his current golf swing.

 

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Along with the pressure putting against Phil being cause for concern, the fact that he couldn't hit the green from 93 yards twice in a row in an exhibition playoff didn't give me great vibes! Fingers crossed he'll win The Hero and all this negativity of mine will be a distant memory ;)

[rainkingjr]

I had no interest in this match. Bring back the skins game. Maybe modify it to include two foursomes so we get to see 8 of the world's best players compete.

[dalehead]

Can you at least admit Rory was right in saying… “if they had done it 15 years ago it would have been great”? It certainly would have been better quality than what we saw last night? Can you at least drop the ego and concede that point?[/size][/font]

 

Yes, Rory is right. It would have been great if Tiger and Phil had squared off 15 years ago. But that's irrelevant. They didn't. And they can't go back in time now. They did play yesterday and apparently a lot of people watched. I seen to remember Rory and Rickie being lined up to do something similar a couple of years ago, but no one was interested in coming up with th money.

[GSDriver]

Glad Phil won! It was actually fun to watch, though Tiger got a bit too serious and I did expect a bit more banter between them.

 

Shadow Creek now on my must play list as was able to see it, looks like a beautiful place and definitely won't be crowded like Pebble.

[gvogel]

Ernie Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson? Really? Ralph.

[bscinstnct]

I don't have the same trust in Tiger to make key putts that he used to back in his prime. Today was another reason to think that.

 

Absolutely bud. The putt for the win on the 19th was terrible, and the one on the 22nd was downright embarrassing. It was probably the worst putt I've seen him hit when having to hole to win or tie, along with the tiddler he missed at the Hero World Challenge in 2013 that lost the playoff to Zach Johnson.

 

I don’t think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ’s may have been the exception as we’ve seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I’m really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Really good post as always Cool Runnings, if I recall you're also a big Tiger fan (correct me if I'm wrong!) so probably find it just as frustrating as I do. The only thing I would disagree with is that this is a 9 year post-fire hydrant trend in my eyes rather than a 2018 thing.

 

I get that he won 5 times in 2013, and his pressure game that year was better than any other post '09 season, but even then he didn't break 70 once in a final round and looked pretty damn shaky closing out those events. He shot 71 in the final round of this year's Tour Championship, which means he hasn't broken 70 on Sunday in any of his last 6 wins - he's been very fortunate that no one has really challenged him on any of these occasions.

 

Also, even in his revival seasons of 2012 and 2013, he still frittered away a lot of tournaments by blowing up when he got into contention, just like this year. There was the 2012 A&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where he shot 75 to Phil's 64, the withdrawal in the final round of the '12 WGC Cadillac after sliding well down the board, a shocking weekend at the US Open where he went from tied to the lead to T21, poor weekend at the '12 British, going from T1st after 2 rounds at the '12 PGA to finishing T11, taking himself out of contention early in round 3 of the '12 BMV Championship by making a string of bogies early in his round when the course was set up as a birdie fest.

 

Then in '13 a poor weekend at the British again cost him, the aforementioned shaky finishes in his wins (especially at the Farmers) and the playoff choke against Zach Johnson at the Hero World Challenge.

 

Pre-back surgery in 2014 continued this trend, with a meltdown final round at The Honda Classic leading to withdrawal and a final round 78 at the WGC-Cadillac after he'd played himself right back into the thick of things with a 66 in round 3.

 

Then in '15 he put himself into contention after two rounds at the Greenbrier Classic then at the Quicken Loans but folded in round 3 of each, and was tied for the lead after 2 rounds at the Wyndham Championship but ended T10 after the chipping yips that he'd seemingly cured earlier in the season came back to haunt him.

 

The 2018 season proves he can't close/handle pressure like he once did, still clearly good enough to win big events (eg. Tour Championship) but in the past he'd have won 3/4 times with those chances. A chip in during an exhibition match I don't see as evidence to the contrary.

 

Agreed, especially the 3/4 wins being what he'd have achieved if his old mental game matched the quality of his current golf swing.

 

 

I don't think mentally Tiger can handle the pressure quite like he use to. The Tour Champ's may have been the exception as we've seen him looking mentally fragile in the key pressure moments time and again this season. I'm really curious to see how he stacks up next season.

 

Along with the pressure putting against Phil being cause for concern, the fact that he couldn't hit the green from 93 yards twice in a row in an exhibition playoff didn't give me great vibes! Fingers crossed he'll win The Hero and all this negativity of mine will be a distant memory ;)

 

Lotta words.

 

Bottom line.

 

Couldnt walk in 2018.

 

Ranked #1199

 

Months later. Beats the crap out of everybody and wins the Tour Champ. To the cheers of the masses unseen in memory.

 

Current rank. #13

 

And as a "big TW fan" youre "frustrated"?

 

Lol, have a nice drink and enjoy ; )

[golfnoob25]

Bottom line, the par 3, 93 yard finish was dumb.

 

It ruined the validity of the event, for me.

 

I'd also be pissed if I gambled on the event. To many conceded putts.

 

I think Phil would have missed the putt on 18.

 

[LeoLeo99]

Bottom line, the par 3, 93 yard finish was dumb.

 

It ruined the validity of the event, for me.

 

I'd also be pissed if I gambled on the event. To many conceded putts.

 

I think Phil would have missed the putt on 18.

 

Didn't hear anyone in Vegas complaining. Most of the bets were on phil.