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No. 17
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 Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:23 pm Post subject: Tiger Woods - is he done? |
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Tiger Woods is totally, completely, unequivocally, and utterly done
By Shane Ryan
ST. ANDREWS -- "Is Tiger Woods done?"
| Quote: | This is a question I have heard several thousand times over the past year and half, from well-meaning and tiresome people alike. Today I am pleased to report that I have a definitive answer:
Yes.
Tiger Woods is done. Tiger Woods is finished. The version of Tiger Woods that is a once-in-a-generation golf talent now belongs entirely to the realm of memory.
Tiger Woods as a mediocre-to-bad professional golfer is the reality of the present, and, most importantly, the future. His performance at the British Open is more evidence that he's done, but in fact he was already done before the week began.
Tiger Woods being done is a metaphysical truth, and as such does not require additional proof. Just as a turtle cannot fly an airplane whether or not you strap him into a cockpit and wave orange pylons at him from a runway, so Tiger Woods is done whether or not you watch him on a golf course, being bad at golf.
There will never be another moment, from now until the sun burns up the earth and our future descendants run around screaming as they burn to ashes, when Tiger Woods will be a good golfer again. Long after our planet is gone, and the black holes consume our universe and existence as we know it is devoured in the expanding void and all meaning is lost to anti-matter, it will still be true that Tiger Woods was never a good golfer after 2013. Assuming time is a linear structure, Tiger Woods has ceased to be capable of golfing excellence, and will forevermore be done.
On the subject of time, the 2015 PGA Championship, which Tiger will not win, will be the last major championship at which the greatest golfer of our time will be less than 40 years old. There are some people who have won majors after their 40th birthday. Tiger Woods will not be one of them, owing to the fact that he's done.
150717-tiger-woods-518.jpg
If Tiger Woods finishes 30th at a future event, and leads the field in some esoteric category, it will not mean he's back. If he tells us that some minute swing adjustment has him on the verge of greatness, it will not mean he's back. If he's about to play on some course where he's won before, against players with less experience, it does not mean he's going to win.
There is nothing about his past that gives him a psychological advantage over anybody. He will not tie or exceed Jack Nicklaus' major record. If there is a golfer in the future who wins 15 majors, he will beat Tiger Woods by exactly one major.
Tiger Woods is done.
I would like to point out that there are many golfers who are not done. Jordan Spieth, age 21 and winner of back-to-back majors, is not done. Rickie Fowler is not done. Rory McIlroy is injured, but almost certainly not done. I just watched Hideki Matsuyama make seven birdies in ten holes. Based on that evidence, I'm ready to state that he, too, is not done. There are many others I could list who are young and great and not done, but I won't do that. You can look them up on the Internet.
Tiger Woods, though? Done.
Tiger is done for several reasons that we know and some that we don't. His national humiliation in 2009 probably didn't help, but then again, he wasn't totally done yet—as he is, beyond doubt, today. His injuries have not helped. In fact, he may be in a state of perpetual injury. His age—which, again, will only increase from this point forward, owing to the nature of time—will not help. And there's one more important factor that will also make things hard for him in the future: he's not good at golf anymore.
Someday, we may invent time machines, and then we can travel back to the year 2000. When we arrive there, Tiger Woods will not be done. Perhaps when we die, we'll get a chance to revisit our lives in some capacity, and we'll pass through that brief epoch when Tiger Woods was not done. Maybe we will eventually learn that life is a dream, or a simulation, and that Tiger Woods never truly existed, just as you and I and these words you're reading don't exist. In that case, Tiger will not be done, but nor will he be un-done. But until any of these things happen, Tiger Woods will remain done.
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http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2015/07/tiger-woods-is-totally-complet.html
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Moses
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think he's done playing pro, but he's done winning anything. There are too many great younger players who are just playing better nowadays.
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Yep, sadly as much as people are hoping he puts it together for a weekend to win another major, he's getting older and his health isn't getting any better. There are younger, more hungrier competitors on the tour every year so it'll be tough for him. Notice he isn't even making the cuts anymore to go into the weekend in the regular PGA tournaments. No major wins since 2008, and no PGA tour wins since 2013.... |
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ChickenStu
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Just like David Duval did once upon a time, or Ian Baker-Finch, or a few other prominent guys, Tiger has completely lost his golf swing. It's not that his swing isn't pretty anymore. That's OK. Jim Furyk's swing is ugly and he's been good for a long time. But you know what Furyk can do? He can repeat his swing every time. That means that he knows where his golf ball is going to go, for the most part. Tiger Woods gets on the tee and he essentially has no idea where the ball is going to go. It's amazing. He has no go-to shot. He can't stand on the tee and know that he can hit a simple cut shot that will take a ball flight that he can rely on. He can't hit a draw every time. He swings the club and it's a crapshoot as to where the ball is headed. His distance control with even short irons is way off. He also misses a ton of short putts now, and he never used to do that. It's like his feel for the game has totally left him.
I don't even like Tiger, but it's sad to watch. |
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easybreeze
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Is Tiger experiencing the biggest drop off in any sport? Kind of remind me of the Lakers. |
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Theseus
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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| He isn't done, but he isn't play well. He can turn it around though |
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Don Draper
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| He needs a Rocky II pre-montage moment. |
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Chronicle
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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How do you guys get into watching golf? I've tried it a few times but it never holds my attention very long
Do you play golf yourselves? Is that it?
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rwongega
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Don Draper
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Chronicle wrote: | How do you guys get into watching golf? I've tried it a few times but it never holds my attention very long
Do you play golf yourselves? Is that it? |
I've played a bit but I suck at it. The putting game is fun to watch for me since there's usually lots of tension. |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Chronicle wrote: | How do you guys get into watching golf? I've tried it a few times but it never holds my attention very long
Do you play golf yourselves? Is that it? |
I've never known anyone who enjoys watching golf, that doesn't like playing it. I'm sure they're out there, but only golfers spend hours watching other golfers I think in most cases. It doesn't make for a great spectator sport.
Frankly, it's hard to appreciate the nuances, the little things they do, that make a good shot a great one, unless you've played.
I never watched golf until I started playing, and, playing for money with my friends. It's only then, I understood the true meaning of a "kneeknocker" 8 to 10 foot putt. |
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gumby
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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Yes.
Tired of Espn and golf thinking he's God's gift.
Well, for a while he kinda was.
But they need to realize it's over. Been over.
At least since the cheating scandal.
I'll put it out there too, I don't like him.
Bye.
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DuncanIdaho
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Tiger isn't done. His problems right now are entirely mental. Just two years ago he was the #1 player on tour, winning several tournaments. He's hitting great in practice rounds right now, but can't get it together during tournament play. Once he gets over his mental issues he'll win again. Maybe not another major, but I'd give him a shot at Torrey Pines or any of the courses he really likes. |
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ChickenStu
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| He was good as recently as 2013, though. I think he won 3 or 4 times in 2013 and had his World Golf Ranking back in the top 5. But since the start of 2014, he has become a hack. I've never seen a formerly great player fall off like this. Sure, we've seen some greats have off years. But he is playing like a guy who doesn't even deserve his Tour card, and it's been that way for almost two full seasons. |
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Lakers#1Team
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Tiger Woods - is he done? |
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| No. 17 wrote: | | Tiger is done for several reasons that we know and some that we don't. |
My sarcasm alarm went off shortly after starting to read this and the snooze alarm went off after this quote.  |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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| DuncanIdaho wrote: | | Tiger isn't done. His problems right now are entirely mental. Just two years ago he was the #1 player on tour, winning several tournaments. He's hitting great in practice rounds right now, but can't get it together during tournament play. Once he gets over his mental issues he'll win again. Maybe not another major, but I'd give him a shot at Torrey Pines or any of the courses he really likes. |
But will his glutes ever activate again? |
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DuncanIdaho
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| ringfinger wrote: | | DuncanIdaho wrote: | | Tiger isn't done. His problems right now are entirely mental. Just two years ago he was the #1 player on tour, winning several tournaments. He's hitting great in practice rounds right now, but can't get it together during tournament play. Once he gets over his mental issues he'll win again. Maybe not another major, but I'd give him a shot at Torrey Pines or any of the courses he really likes. |
But will his glutes ever activate again? |
I'd bet on tiger winning another tourney before Spieth wins another major. |
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Hammett
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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I don't follow golf, but am just curious as to whether there is an age where players decline, similar to basketball players hitting their mid 30s.
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jodeke
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Chronicle wrote: | How do you guys get into watching golf? I've tried it a few times but it never holds my attention very long
Do you play golf yourselves? Is that it? |
I play and marvel at how pros put the ball where they want to. Short games are a thing of beauty.
Yes Eldrick's done. Every since he ran his Cadillac Escalade into a tree he's been on the decline.
When he was a man about town, foot loose and fancy free his mind was in the same place.
He misses dem ----- calls.
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LakerFan87
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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He's been done since 2009.
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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| DuncanIdaho wrote: | | ringfinger wrote: | | DuncanIdaho wrote: | | Tiger isn't done. His problems right now are entirely mental. Just two years ago he was the #1 player on tour, winning several tournaments. He's hitting great in practice rounds right now, but can't get it together during tournament play. Once he gets over his mental issues he'll win again. Maybe not another major, but I'd give him a shot at Torrey Pines or any of the courses he really likes. |
But will his glutes ever activate again? |
I'd bet on tiger winning another tourney before Spieth wins another major. |
But not Tiger winning another major before Spieth wins another major? |
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angrypuppy
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't follow golf, but I heard from someone who is close to the professional game that Tiger's problems run much deeper than just his golf swing. |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| angrypuppy wrote: | | I don't follow golf, but I heard from someone who is close to the professional game that Tiger's problems run much deeper than just his golf swing. |
Golf is almost all mental. |
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jodeke
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| ringfinger wrote: | | angrypuppy wrote: | | I don't follow golf, but I heard from someone who is close to the professional game that Tiger's problems run much deeper than just his golf swing. |
Golf is almost all mental. |
That's true. You really have to concentrate to shoot a low score. When I played a lot and shot in the high 80's I wouldn't be tired. If I broke 70 I'd be bushed. It's amazing how much energy the brain can drain.
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Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. |
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Legacy
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| Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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I don't watch golf very often, but I follow it vigorously. Tiger is a special individual who has been derailed. It's completely psychological IMO.
Like Kobe's comments on A-Rod:
| Quote: | | You're one of the best to ever do it,'" Bryant said. "I think sometimes he kind of forgets that... |
Tiger has the blood of a champion. Champions win.
Get your head right brother. We're rooting for you. |
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