Woods - should he quit?

[tikay]

I gather Tiger shot an 80 today, in the first round of the US Open. (If my memory is correct, I may even have backed him to win it, months ago, around Masters time, but that's another story).

I have maybe got the stats round my neck, but I think it was his third 80 of this season, after just one in over 1,200 previous rounds.

I just watched the highlights on USA tv, & it was painful to watch, as he duffed shot after shot.

I well recall a similar decline by Seve Ballesteros (this was before he fell ill), & I found that painful, too.

Should he keep playing, or pack his clubs in the loft & take a lucrative TV punditry deal?

I do know, or am pretty sure, that the TV companies & the bookmakers want him to continue - he is still very much someone who attracts bigger audiences than any other golfer, bar none.

I know for sure that watching him play so badly is a wretched sight. Yes yes, he was a naughty boy back in the day, & he's never been an angel, but as golfers go, I've never seen, & will never see, anyone remotely as good.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Just chanced upon this rather lovely piece about Woods.

Guess it sums up how I feel about him.

http://espn.go.com/golf/usopen15/story/_/id/13111332/tiger-woods-free-fall-going-faster-round-shooting-80-us-open

[horseplayer]

Watched a bit last night

Considering he was one of only a few players missing the massive fairways thought he actually played OK.

Slight issue that though! And if he is not hitting the fairways here he will not anywhere

[Marky147]

I didn't watch any, but a mate of mine who plays a lot said he thought he should retire, too.

He didn't back him either, so wasn't pocket talk

[BigAdz]

It's interesting, coincidence, whatever. But the first post I read was BITB, and he was ahving a bad run of things(for him) and talked it all through, got some minor dressing downs, regrouped, and felt happy about the world again.

I suspect, Tiger has yet to truly tell the world, his world even, about his sense of entitlement, and get that proper kick up the ass, because, history tells you he is probably surrounded by leeches too scared to tell him the truth about where his game and mindset is.


I would be quite happy to tell him!

[Marky147]

Do you think he can get back to where he was, or even get competitive again, mate?

[BigAdz]

Do you think he can get back to where he was, or even get competitive again, mate?

On several occasions in his career, I suspect a few of his injuries have been a bit "faux".

I recall one tourny he was moaning about his leg, after a bad start. Next day and a half he played sensational and got right back in it, and then played a bunker shot and the swing/everything looked fine, but he had taken too much sand, but the inevitable half follow through swing, letting go the club for the dramatic twist round follow through etc. He is defo a man who wins from the front, and don't like it up him, Mr Mainwaring.

He still has all the shots, and you don't go shooting 80s every week, if you can still hit the ball as far as you used to on the range, unless you are giving up too easy, or have some mental block.

That said, he will never be the force he was. Impos. The quality of players around now is far better than when he was in his pomp.

[david3103]

Back in 2000/2001 when he was in his pomp I struck a small bet with someone that he wouldn't match Jack Nicklaus' majors tally.
Silly bet only in the sense that it could have been lost within a few years and couldn't be won for a lot longer. But to refer to him as the GOAT when we've seen Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer (the latter two having been around and competitive during Nicklaus' reign) and we know of Sarazen, and Bobby Jones, Hogan, et al always looked to be the result of the hype attached to current champions as a means to sell anything and everything.

Nicklaus won his last major title at the age of 47, Watson came so frustratingly close to The Open title a couple of years ago at 59. Damn you Stewart Cink.

Tiger will probably emerge as a Team Pokerstars Pro next.

[Marky147]

Do you think he can get back to where he was, or even get competitive again, mate?

On several occasions in his career, I suspect a few of his injuries have been a bit "faux".

I recall one tourny he was moaning about his leg, after a bad start. Next day and a half he played sensational and got right back in it, and then played a bunker shot and the swing/everything looked fine, but he had taken too much sand, but the inevitable half follow through swing, letting go the club for the dramatic twist round follow through etc. He is defo a man who wins from the front, and don't like it up him, Mr Mainwaring.

He still has all the shots, and you don't go shooting 80s every week, if you can still hit the ball as far as you used to on the range, unless you are giving up too easy, or have some mental block.

That said, he will never be the force he was. Impos. The quality of players around now is far better than when he was in his pomp.

If it wasn't the same tournament, he did that on day 4 a couple months ago, and spent about an hour clenching his fist after hitting a bad ball.

Guess he'll keep collecting the money for a bit while he decides what to do.

[tikay]

Back in 2000/2001 when he was in his pomp I struck a small bet with someone that he wouldn't match Jack Nicklaus' majors tally.
Silly bet only in the sense that it could have been lost within a few years and couldn't be won for a lot longer. But to refer to him as the GOAT when we've seen Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer (the latter two having been around and competitive during Nicklaus' reign) and we know of Sarazen, and Bobby Jones, Hogan, et al always looked to be the result of the hype attached to current champions as a means to sell anything and everything.

Nicklaus won his last major title at the age of 47, Watson came so frustratingly close to The Open title a couple of years ago at 59. Damn you Stewart Cink.

Tiger will probably emerge as a Team Pokerstars Pro next.

I have tremendous admiration for Jack Nicklaus, ditto Gary Player, (you omitted Seve, why?), & I doubt I ever loved a golfer more than I do Tom Watson. As a person, Tom is the best when it comes to pro golfers, not even close.

But best golfer we've ever seen? It has to be Woods in my book, & by some way.

[nellberg]

From everything I've read, he is super-competitive, almost to a fault. He'll want it so bad he's probably trying too hard and being too tight out on the course. On the range they say his swing is still good, then quickens up appreciably when he gets on the first tee. It's brutal to watch him struggling so bad as I grew up with him having an aura of invincibility and being so consistent. He'll not be one to just be happy to make cuts and pick up some loose change, I reckon he'll set himself a timeframe with the aim of getting back to a competitive level, and then if he can't reach that he'll stop. Due to him being stubborn, that timeframe may be a good few years though. He just loves competing (who wouldn't when they've come out on the right side of almost every battle for years!) The carrot of winnings the most majors, no matter how far away that looks after a round like yesterday, is what drives him, so he'll keep grafting.  He'll never get back to what he was, but I'd love to see him make a run at a major one last time.

[RED-DOG]

WTF is the GOAT?

[Karabiner]

WTF is the GOAT?

Shaun Goater, used to play for Man citeh when they were poor.

Can also mean greatest of all time.

[JohnCharver]

Pointless retiring. All retired people do is play golf. Catch 22.

[RED-DOG]

Pointless retiring. All retired people do is play golf. Catch 22.

I lolled.