Thrash Talk: Random Tour Thoughts

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By Cody Thrasher via TheSandTrap.com

Thrash Talk goes inside the ropes of all three major professional tours this week.

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. In Oklahoma, it hasn't stopped raining since I got off work Friday, so I've had the chance to watch a lot of television. I can't gripe because we needed the rain, and there was plenty to watch on the tube. Golf fans received an added bonus this weekend. We got to see some of Vijay Singh's 61 at the Deutsche Bank on Sunday, and we got to see a Vijay-Tiger pairing on Monday.

Vijay might have gone low in the third round, but Tiger saved his best for last en route to winning his fifth consecutive tournament. The last month or so has sounded like a broken record. I found it very interesting that Tiger makes about $2,500 per golf shot, and I'm sure that amount is even higher after his win in Boston. Vijay didn't play all that poorly in the final round, but he obviously didn't play well enough. You can add his name to the "Tiger just kicked your a**" list.



The PGA Tour wasn't the only professional tour making headlines over the past few days, however. A decent player from the LPGA Tour picked up another victory, and the European Ryder Cup Captain made his captain's picks. There is something to talk about with each of these stories, so let's get right to it.



Twice as Good
Our Editor Erik J. Barzeski created a topic in The Sand Trap forum a month or so, and he asked the following question: Is Tiger twice as good as Phil? When I saw the topic, I was a little outraged. I thought it was so silly to say Tiger was twice as good as any of the top golfers in the world, whether it be Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, etc. Needless to say, I argued that side for quite awhile.



I would like to swallow my pride and admit defeat at this time. Tiger is at least twice as good as any golfer in the world. I am in complete awe of his play since The British Open. I watched him dominate in 1999 and 2000, but he is even better than that right now. Tiger is so much smarter than he was then, and his game is brilliant. I just wanted to get that out of the way.



Chris DiMarco is the only golfer out there that has really stood toe-to-toe with Tiger on a consistent basis, but he has fallen short as well in the head-to-head battles. And he has played well below average in his other starts. Other than the U.S. Open, Tiger has played well in every tournament this season. Who can possibly stop the Tiger-mania that's running rampant on the PGA Tour?



The obvious answer is nobody. There isn't a top golfer in the world that can hang with Tiger right now, and I'm not sure they will be able to for quite some time. Everyone is intimidated by Tiger, and some youngster will have to come along and punch Tiger right in the mouth (terminology only) just like Tiger did to the established players when he burst onto the scene in late 1996. Tiger wasn't scared of anyone back then, and that's what will have to happen to slow down the roar of the world's best.



The Wrong Picks
Ian Woosnam picked Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood as his captain's picks for the Ryder Cup at the K Club. Was anyone really surprised by his decision? Everyone expected Clarke and Westwood to get the call, but it's not what I would have done. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't have picked either one of them. In the end, they are very experienced in the team format, but their past history shouldn't be enough to get them in.



Thomas Bjorn was very upset by not getting a captain's pick, and he has a case. Even though he should have earned his own way on the team by playing well, he is still playing better than Westwood. It's tough to question Westwood's past record in the Ryder Cup, but I'm going to anyway. This is the year his luck runs out. Keep in mind his playing partners have done their fair share in foursome and fourball competition. Westwood is 1-3 in singles competition.



It's tough to knock the pick of Darren Clarke because he has truly been through a lot over the past year or so. I can live with this pick, but I would have gone with Ian Poulter. Poulter has come a long way in the past two years, and he has shown the world how much game he has. He may dress a little bit crazy, but he has played very well in recent major championships. Darren Clarke was the sentimental pick, but Ian Poulter would have been the smart, safe pick.



I made the same argument for the United States side, and Captain Tom Lehman obliged. Lehman picked Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink over past Cuppers Davis Love III and Fred Couples. The two United States picks are far and above the two European picks right now. The tide has officially shifted back towards the Americans.



This topic can be debated for another three weeks or so, and I could be dead wrong. If Europe loses, Woosnam will be second-guessed. If Europe wins, Woosnam will look like a mastermind. As recent as last week, I picked Europe to retain the Ryder Cup. However, after looking at the entire 12-man teams, the United States has a great chance to win this thing.



Annika's Sneaking Up
I have forgotten about Annika Sorenstam a little this year. The Swede changed things this past weekend at the State Farm Classic. Sorenstam fired a sizzling final-round 62 to pick up her third win of the season. That ties her with Karrie Webb and Lorena Ochoa for most LPGA wins in 2006.



All the player of the year talk has centered around Webb and Ochoa up to this point, but that needs to change. Annika is right in the thick of things, and she could steal the award with another victory or two this year. Sorenstam will be defending this week in Oklahoma as well, so she might charge to the front of the pack sooner rather than later.



It seems like the media wants Annika to disappear, so all the young guns can begin to dominate the LPGA Tour. I have fallen into that category as well throughout this season. However, the world's best female golfer isn't buying it. Sorenstam proved once again this past weekend that she is still the woman to beat, regardless of what we want or think. She still has a lot of wins left in her.



The Final Say
I will continue to hold out hope that someone jumps to the front of the pack to challenge Tiger. I can keep hoping, but it's really not going to happen. When Tiger is ready to let some competitors in the door, things might get interesting. I figured it would take Tiger another six years to catch Jack Nicklaus in major championship wins, but in all reality, he could have the record by mid-2008. That's amazing isn't it?



I'm already prepared to take some heat for second-guessing Ian Woosnam, but I wouldn't have it any other way. From top to bottom, the European team isn't as strong as the United States team now. Then again, the European team always looks worse on paper. In the past, the captain's picks have really been a key to victory, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the next few weeks. If I'm wrong, it won't be the first time.



That's all I have to say this week, and now it's your turn to tell it like it is. Can anyone stop Tiger Woods? If so, will it happen in the next couple years? Also, did Ian Woosnam make the right picks? Finally, can Annika make the comeback a reality and win another player of the year award? If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. Thanks for reading this week's Thrash Talk!



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