A lot of fans expected or hoped that Tiger Woods could take home the trophy at the Farmer’s Insurance Open. The more realistic among us took a wait-and-see attitude. What we saw was not totally encouraging. Woods in bunker after bunker, missing putts. It was a head shaker.
Woods was disappointed, although at the beginning of his final round, he was actually encouraged.
“Today was nice starting out. I hit it just as pure as can be, and then it progressively got worse as the day went on," he said after play on Sunday. “I hit so many good putts that didn't go in today and consequently probably one of the worst possible scores at 3-over.”
OK, let’s get serious here. Plus three is not the worst possible score. There were some 78s and even an 80 in the final round. What Woods meant was +3 was not a score he shoots.
He said he had higher expectations coming in to the tournament than his results showed.
"I started out hitting it pretty good out here this week. I really did, and it progressively got worse,” he added.
“We have some things that we need to work on,” he added about his new direction and new coach. “Sean ( Foley) and I have been talking about it every night. I can do it on the range, but it's a little different when I've got to bring it out here, and I've got to shape shots. I've got to hit the ball with the right trajectory. These greens are not soft. So you can't just hit any trajectory. You have to hit the proper trajectory.”
He said it was a matter of rerouting muscle memory.
“The old motor patterns are still there," he explained. "I'm going to have to fight through that. And I've done it before, and there's no reason I can't do it again.”
He pointed to a stretch between the Western Open in 1997 and the Buick Invitational in 1999 when he won just a single event. After that victory, he won seven additional titles on the PGA Tour before the end of 1999 and went into what most consider his best time ever, from US Open 2000 to the Masters of 2001, the Tiger Slam.
One issue in his swing right now, according to Woods, is the release, which is different from his previous swing.
“The release that you want to have for the good shots and full swings are the same, and even the putting stroke,” he explained. “You've got to do it. It takes reps and it takes reps under competition. You can't be afraid to go ahead and try it.”
Woods said that he felt confident that he was making progress at the end of last year with his play at the Chevron World Challenge.
“The whole year last year golf-wise came down to one golf shot, and that's what I'm so proud of—the 72nd hole of Chevron—that was it,” he said. “I needed to hit that fade. I needed to hit the 8-iron flush. I needed to get it there. I needed to hit it through the wind. And I did all those things and hit it to two-and-a-half feet. Those are fun moments.”
So Woods is not 100 percent back, but he’s at least in the bull pen, warming up.
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tiger Woods: This Is Not Your Average Slump
Over the past year, we have seen words such as “worst” and “highest” appear in the same sentence as the name Tiger Woods more times than we ever thought possible.
Call it what you will: a slump, a transition period to a new swing, etc.
And tell yourself that it’s happened before: 1998-1999, 2002-2004, etc.
If you’re a Woods fan and your middle name is optimism, then go ahead and keep on believing that this current slump is normal and that it’s only a matter of time before he snaps out of it.
But if it’s reality that you’re after, just take a look at some of these words again—“worst,” “highest,” etc.—and then decide whether you truly believe that this is a normal slump.
The fact of the matter is that Woods has a problem, and it’s a lot bigger than just his transitioning to a new golf swing.
Here is the no holds barred, cold hard truth about the current state of Woods’ game:
Woods sprayed the ball all over La Jolla, California for much of last weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. But that alone isn’t all that out of the ordinary. Aside from his amazing stretch in 1999-2000, Woods has never been a great driver of the ball and has occasionally struggled with his iron play throughout his career.
What was out of the ordinary last week, and has been for quite some time now, was Woods’ inability to use his short game and putter to rescue two terrible ball-striking days.
Woods is probably the greatest of all time at taking 74s and turning them into 70s and 69s and turning them into 65s. Heck, prior to last weekend, Woods had only recorded two over-par rounds in his entire career at Torrey Pines. Last Saturday and Sunday, he doubled that stat.
Woods got up and down just 58.33 percent of the time last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, needed 30 putts or more during three out of his four rounds, looked as if he hadn’t hit a bunker shot in years and appeared downright bewildered by those six-foot putts he used to sink like clockwork.
Woods’s exceptional short game and steady putter was the main reason why he could still contend and would often manage to finish within the top 10 at tournaments where he appeared to be playing terrible golf.
Take away the short game and putter, and now those 74s are remaining 74s and those 75s are remaining 75s, which, as strange as it is to say, makes Woods just another golfer.
Three years ago, Woods beat 156 of the best players on the face of the planet at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a broken leg.
Prior to last week, Woods had won the last five tournaments he played Torrey Pines and had never finished outside the top 10 at the picturesque oceanside municipal track since turning professional.
You could have placed a blind fold on this guy three years ago and he would have shot two-under-par at Torrey Pines.
But this is not the same Tiger Woods we’re talking about here.
Last week Woods recorded his highest 36-hole score ever at Torrey Pines, which led to his worst finish as a professional at Torrey Pines.
And there are those pesky two words making their way into the same sentence as the name Tiger Woods yet again.
Call it what you will: a slump, a transition period to a new swing, etc.
And tell yourself that it’s happened before: 1998-1999, 2002-2004, etc.
If you’re a Woods fan and your middle name is optimism, then go ahead and keep on believing that this current slump is normal and that it’s only a matter of time before he snaps out of it.
But if it’s reality that you’re after, just take a look at some of these words again—“worst,” “highest,” etc.—and then decide whether you truly believe that this is a normal slump.
The fact of the matter is that Woods has a problem, and it’s a lot bigger than just his transitioning to a new golf swing.
Here is the no holds barred, cold hard truth about the current state of Woods’ game:
- His driving is terrible.
- His iron play is even worse.
- His golf swing is hideous compared to what it used to be earlier in his career.
- His short game is as bad as it’s ever been.
- He has now been struggling on the greens for more than two years.
Woods sprayed the ball all over La Jolla, California for much of last weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. But that alone isn’t all that out of the ordinary. Aside from his amazing stretch in 1999-2000, Woods has never been a great driver of the ball and has occasionally struggled with his iron play throughout his career.
What was out of the ordinary last week, and has been for quite some time now, was Woods’ inability to use his short game and putter to rescue two terrible ball-striking days.
Woods is probably the greatest of all time at taking 74s and turning them into 70s and 69s and turning them into 65s. Heck, prior to last weekend, Woods had only recorded two over-par rounds in his entire career at Torrey Pines. Last Saturday and Sunday, he doubled that stat.
Woods got up and down just 58.33 percent of the time last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, needed 30 putts or more during three out of his four rounds, looked as if he hadn’t hit a bunker shot in years and appeared downright bewildered by those six-foot putts he used to sink like clockwork.
Woods’s exceptional short game and steady putter was the main reason why he could still contend and would often manage to finish within the top 10 at tournaments where he appeared to be playing terrible golf.
Take away the short game and putter, and now those 74s are remaining 74s and those 75s are remaining 75s, which, as strange as it is to say, makes Woods just another golfer.
Three years ago, Woods beat 156 of the best players on the face of the planet at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a broken leg.
Prior to last week, Woods had won the last five tournaments he played Torrey Pines and had never finished outside the top 10 at the picturesque oceanside municipal track since turning professional.
You could have placed a blind fold on this guy three years ago and he would have shot two-under-par at Torrey Pines.
But this is not the same Tiger Woods we’re talking about here.
Last week Woods recorded his highest 36-hole score ever at Torrey Pines, which led to his worst finish as a professional at Torrey Pines.
And there are those pesky two words making their way into the same sentence as the name Tiger Woods yet again.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tiger Woods Slips To No. 3 as Martin Kaymer Wins the Abu Dhabi Championship
Following his fantastic win in the Abu Dhabi Championship last weekend, Martin Kaymer of Germany became the second player to overtake Tiger Woods in the World Golf Rankings.
The win earned Kaymer second place in the rankings behind England’s Lee Westwood, with Tiger relegated to third and a third European, Graeme McDowell, who was third behind Kaymer in Abu Dhabi, now at No. 4 in the rankings.
Kaymer, in fact, has won four of his last eight events, including his first "major" when he took the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits last September. He is now "hot on the heels" of Westwood and will hope to stay clear of Woods in the coming weeks.
Europe in fact has six players in the top 10, with Rory McIlroy moving up to seventh place after his runner-up spot to Kaymer in Abu Dhabi. Paul Casey is in ninth place, while Luke Donald is at No. 10, but he has yet to play this year thus far.
European golf has never looked so rich, with a Ryder Cup victory last year and two "majors" won by Kaymer and McDowell (U.S. Open), plus the consistency of Westwood, particularly in the "majors," earning him the top spot in the world.
American golfers, meanwhile, seem to be going backwards, with only Woods, Steve Stricker (5), Phil Mickelson (6) and Jim Furyk (8) left in the top 10 and only Matt Kuchar (13) and Dustin Johnson (16) making the top 20.
Mickelson, who has slipped to No. 6 in the world rankings and finished down the field behind Kaymer in Abu Dhabi, will be straight out again this week in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. It is a tournament that the left-hander has won three times in the past, but he will be joined by Woods, who has won this event six times and like Mickelson is a big fan of the Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Johnson will also be in the field, as will Nick Watney, winner here in 2009, and Ben Crane, who won last year.
The highest-ranking European at Torrey Pines this week is Justin Rose, who has already played twice this year, finishing in a tie for 12th place in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and tied for 13th in the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, results that have seen him climb up to No. 29 in the world.
Most of the Europeans, in fact, will be playing in the inaugural Volvo Golf Championship in Bahrain, although these will not include Westwood, Kaymer, McDowell or McIlroy, who are all resting this weekend. The favourite to win in Bahrain therefore is Casey, closely followed by Robert Karlsson of Sweden, Ian Poulter of England and Francesco Molinari of Italy.
As for Tiger Woods, his season has yet to start, but when it does, he has every incentive to up his game in an attempt to regain his title as the world's No. 1 golfer.
The win earned Kaymer second place in the rankings behind England’s Lee Westwood, with Tiger relegated to third and a third European, Graeme McDowell, who was third behind Kaymer in Abu Dhabi, now at No. 4 in the rankings.
Kaymer, in fact, has won four of his last eight events, including his first "major" when he took the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits last September. He is now "hot on the heels" of Westwood and will hope to stay clear of Woods in the coming weeks.
Europe in fact has six players in the top 10, with Rory McIlroy moving up to seventh place after his runner-up spot to Kaymer in Abu Dhabi. Paul Casey is in ninth place, while Luke Donald is at No. 10, but he has yet to play this year thus far.
European golf has never looked so rich, with a Ryder Cup victory last year and two "majors" won by Kaymer and McDowell (U.S. Open), plus the consistency of Westwood, particularly in the "majors," earning him the top spot in the world.
American golfers, meanwhile, seem to be going backwards, with only Woods, Steve Stricker (5), Phil Mickelson (6) and Jim Furyk (8) left in the top 10 and only Matt Kuchar (13) and Dustin Johnson (16) making the top 20.
Mickelson, who has slipped to No. 6 in the world rankings and finished down the field behind Kaymer in Abu Dhabi, will be straight out again this week in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. It is a tournament that the left-hander has won three times in the past, but he will be joined by Woods, who has won this event six times and like Mickelson is a big fan of the Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Johnson will also be in the field, as will Nick Watney, winner here in 2009, and Ben Crane, who won last year.
The highest-ranking European at Torrey Pines this week is Justin Rose, who has already played twice this year, finishing in a tie for 12th place in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and tied for 13th in the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, results that have seen him climb up to No. 29 in the world.
Most of the Europeans, in fact, will be playing in the inaugural Volvo Golf Championship in Bahrain, although these will not include Westwood, Kaymer, McDowell or McIlroy, who are all resting this weekend. The favourite to win in Bahrain therefore is Casey, closely followed by Robert Karlsson of Sweden, Ian Poulter of England and Francesco Molinari of Italy.
As for Tiger Woods, his season has yet to start, but when it does, he has every incentive to up his game in an attempt to regain his title as the world's No. 1 golfer.
Tiger Woods Eager For Season to Start
For the first time in several years, Tiger Woods says, he's beginning a golf season healthy, both physically and mentally.
Woods is eager for 2011 to commence with the Farmers Insurance Open after a tumultuous 2010 that saw him go winless for the first time in his professional career. He's back at Torrey Pines as a competitor for the first time since his dramatic U.S. Open victory in a playoff over Rocco Mediate in 2008.
Although the questions still remain about his game, it has been at least four years since Woods felt this healthy to start the season, he said.
"I think it's nice to have an offseason where I wasn't in pain and recovering from something," Woods said Wednesday before his pro-am round. "I've had so many darn surgeries and everything.
"I haven't had an offseason like this. It's always been trying to somehow ... get myself to start up again," Woods said. "This was nice, to actually practice and build. It was something I haven't been able to do. That's been fun. Hopefully I can continue this."
A year ago at this time, Woods was in rehab and dealing with the fallout of his acknowledged extramarital affairs, which eventually led to a divorce. He did not return until the Masters, posted just two top-10s and decided to make changes to his swing with instructor Sean Foley.
Now he is back at Torrey Pines, where his record includes seven professional victories overall, including wins at the Farmers tournament from 2005 to 2008 and the 2008 U.S. Open he captured despite playing on a broken leg.
"In order to play this game at a high level, it helps to have a clear mind," he said. "It helps to be consistent. It helps having your life in balance. Certainly my life is much more balanced than it was in the past. That is exciting for me."
There is certainly reason for optimism for Woods, who enters the season ranked No. 3 in the world behind Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer.
Three years ago, Woods began the season with a blown-out left knee. Two years ago, he was still recovering from surgery on that knee. One year ago, his life was in shambles.
This year, he's had seven weeks to prepare since the Chevron World Challenge, where he finished second to Graeme McDowell in a playoff.
"Tiger healthy as his season begins" he said. "Trying to build on what I did last year and the end of last year. I think that's where I'm at. Sean and I have been talking about that quite a bit. We're excited about where my game has progressed over the offseason. Just get out there and play."
Woods is eager for 2011 to commence with the Farmers Insurance Open after a tumultuous 2010 that saw him go winless for the first time in his professional career. He's back at Torrey Pines as a competitor for the first time since his dramatic U.S. Open victory in a playoff over Rocco Mediate in 2008.
Although the questions still remain about his game, it has been at least four years since Woods felt this healthy to start the season, he said.
"I think it's nice to have an offseason where I wasn't in pain and recovering from something," Woods said Wednesday before his pro-am round. "I've had so many darn surgeries and everything.
"I haven't had an offseason like this. It's always been trying to somehow ... get myself to start up again," Woods said. "This was nice, to actually practice and build. It was something I haven't been able to do. That's been fun. Hopefully I can continue this."
A year ago at this time, Woods was in rehab and dealing with the fallout of his acknowledged extramarital affairs, which eventually led to a divorce. He did not return until the Masters, posted just two top-10s and decided to make changes to his swing with instructor Sean Foley.
Now he is back at Torrey Pines, where his record includes seven professional victories overall, including wins at the Farmers tournament from 2005 to 2008 and the 2008 U.S. Open he captured despite playing on a broken leg.
"In order to play this game at a high level, it helps to have a clear mind," he said. "It helps to be consistent. It helps having your life in balance. Certainly my life is much more balanced than it was in the past. That is exciting for me."
There is certainly reason for optimism for Woods, who enters the season ranked No. 3 in the world behind Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer.
Three years ago, Woods began the season with a blown-out left knee. Two years ago, he was still recovering from surgery on that knee. One year ago, his life was in shambles.
This year, he's had seven weeks to prepare since the Chevron World Challenge, where he finished second to Graeme McDowell in a playoff.
"Tiger healthy as his season begins" he said. "Trying to build on what I did last year and the end of last year. I think that's where I'm at. Sean and I have been talking about that quite a bit. We're excited about where my game has progressed over the offseason. Just get out there and play."
Monday, January 24, 2011
Fired Nurse: Tiger Woods Is Key in Hospital Cover-Up
The nurse fired for allegedly leaking Tiger Woods' medical records last year claims Tiger is partly to blame for his newfound unemployment -- spurring a massive hospital cover-up that cost him his job.
Nurse David Rothenberg -- who claims he's innocent -- filed new docs last Friday in his ongoing legal battle against the hospital that fired him ... insisting pressure from Tiger's side "may in fact be the motivation that led [the hospital] to severely punish" him.
According to the docs, Tiger's fame is "central to Mr. Rothenberg's claims that [the hospital] is engaged in a continuing cover-up" -- because if Tiger weren't a big name ... the hospital wouldn't have made such a stink about the records being leaked in the first place.
David claims the hospital is using him as a scapegoat to cover up the true reason for the leak -- the "lack of basic computer security for [the hospital's] patient health care system and the behavior of numerous doctors ... who inappropriately accessed [Tiger's] health care information."
As we previously reported, David is suing for defamation ... demanding $400,000 in damages.
Nurse David Rothenberg -- who claims he's innocent -- filed new docs last Friday in his ongoing legal battle against the hospital that fired him ... insisting pressure from Tiger's side "may in fact be the motivation that led [the hospital] to severely punish" him.
According to the docs, Tiger's fame is "central to Mr. Rothenberg's claims that [the hospital] is engaged in a continuing cover-up" -- because if Tiger weren't a big name ... the hospital wouldn't have made such a stink about the records being leaked in the first place.
David claims the hospital is using him as a scapegoat to cover up the true reason for the leak -- the "lack of basic computer security for [the hospital's] patient health care system and the behavior of numerous doctors ... who inappropriately accessed [Tiger's] health care information."
As we previously reported, David is suing for defamation ... demanding $400,000 in damages.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Fired Nurse Sues Over Leaked Tiger Woods Records
A nurse who was fired for allegedly leaking medical records of Tiger Woods that infamous day is now suing the hospital that gave him the boot.
David Rothenberg was the charge nurse on November 27, 2009, when Tiger was taken to the hospital after hitting bushes, trees and a fire hydrant.
Within hours after Tiger checked in, someone inside the hospital gained access to his patient file, using Rothenberg's computer log in and password.
Rothenberg says in his lawsuit he did sign in, but minimized the screen and walked away to do other business. He claims someone else must have used his terminal.
Rothenberg, who claims among other things that the hospital defamed him, is suing for more than $400,000 in damages.
David Rothenberg was the charge nurse on November 27, 2009, when Tiger was taken to the hospital after hitting bushes, trees and a fire hydrant.
Within hours after Tiger checked in, someone inside the hospital gained access to his patient file, using Rothenberg's computer log in and password.
Rothenberg says in his lawsuit he did sign in, but minimized the screen and walked away to do other business. He claims someone else must have used his terminal.
Rothenberg, who claims among other things that the hospital defamed him, is suing for more than $400,000 in damages.
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