90 replies to this topic

[Freddy Linn]

Tiger is T3 after three holes at -2...granted, the holes around the turn are birdie holes. The last four holes of AAC are awesomely difficult, including a 260-yard par 3.


Leaderboard

[cshea]

-3 through 5 for Tiger now. ESPN was speculating that he needs to finish T15 or better to qualify for the FedEx Playoffs, which he said was a goal of his. Good start.

As an aside, after CaddyGate, how much is CBS pulling for a Scott/Woods pairing on Sunday?

[Average Reds]

As an aside, after CaddyGate, how much is CBS pulling for a Scott/Woods pairing on Sunday?

If they could, they would rig the tournament to ensure that this happens.

Edit: Tiger now falling apart. +5 over on his last 4 holes. Finishes the front 9 at +2 after a great start. Ouch.

Edited by Average Reds, 11 August 2011 - 10:13 AM.

[cshea]

...And the wheels have fallen off for Tiger. 2 doubles and a bogey on the final 4 holes. I'm not able to watch at work, just checking the leaderboard, so I can't comment on his play, but that is a pretty ugly set of numbers.

Edit: Ryo Ishikawa may shoot a 90 today. +15 through 13 holes, and he's about to enter the aforementioned crazy difficult final 4 holes.

Edited by cshea, 11 August 2011 - 10:37 AM.

[Average Reds]

...And the wheels have fallen off for Tiger. 2 doubles and a bogey on the final 4 holes. I'm not able to watch at work, just checking the leaderboard, so I can't comment on his play, but that is a pretty ugly set of numbers.

Edit: Ryo Ishikawa may shoot a 90 today. +15 through 13 holes, and he's about to enter the aforementioned crazy difficult final 4 holes.

I'm watching at work with the sound off through ESPN's streaming video (which is unexpectedly good.) They are following Tiger's group this morning and let me tell you, he looks absolutely lost out there.

Here are some examples: The duck hooks he hit on 18 and on 1 were simply atrocious. His second shot into 2 was 30 yards left of target. Other that the chunk and run he hit early in the round, his sand play has been ridiculously bad - he just hit a bad sand shot on 2, and then fluffed the chip, leaving him 6 feet for bogey. (Which he mercifully made.)

I can honestly say that I've never seen him look this bad. It's like watching a good amateur fall apart.

[BigSoxFan]

I'm watching at work with the sound off through ESPN's streaming video (which is unexpectedly good.) They are following Tiger's group this morning and let me tell you, he looks absolutely lost out there.

Here are some examples: The duck hooks he hit on 18 and on 1 were simply atrocious. His second shot into 2 was 30 yards left of target. Other that the chunk and run he hit early in the round, his sand play has been ridiculously bad - he just hit a bad sand shot on 2, and then fluffed the chip, leaving him 6 feet for bogey. (Which he mercifully made.)

I can honestly say that I've never seen him look this bad. It's like watching a good amateur fall apart.

I think he really is cooked. It's really depressing that Tiger's closer to being Ian Baker-Finch than he is to being Rory McIlroy at this point. Now, he's not going to explode like IBF did but he's probably settling into being another run-of-the-mill golfer.

[Average Reds]

I think he really is cooked. It's really depressing that Tiger's closer to being Ian Baker-Finch than he is to being Rory McIlroy at this point. Now, he's not going to explode like IBF did but he's probably settling into being another run-of-the-mill golfer.

I've never bought into the "Tiger's cooked" meme before, but I've also never seen him perform like this, so I guess I'll back off and default to "anything's possible."

They did an analysis of Tiger's swing on the broadcast, and it was startling to see how much things have changed. I mean, the changes he made in '98 and '99 are minor tweaks compared to the overhaul he's in the middle of now. Forgetting the personal issues that have caused a derailment in his career, I can't for the life of me understand what drove him to make such a radical change to what had always been a very solid swing.

Edited by Average Reds, 11 August 2011 - 11:07 AM.

[Average Reds]

After a birdie on 5 (Tiger's 14th) to get him back to +4, Tiger hits an atrocious second shot into the water on 6.

His body language is so bad, it's almost like he's stopped trying.

[cshea]

I don't know how much we can read into his shitty performance today, given it's his second start coming off the knee injury. I don't think he's cooked just yet. The tools are there, and we get flashes of the old Tiger where he puts it all together and goes on a tear, like he did on Sunday at Augusta. The problem is consistency. He'll go on a run, and then the wheels fall off and he'll make a bogey or two and that'll be it.

The biggest thing for him is simply to play more. He can't just show up at Major's and a select few other big events and expect to compete anymore.

[Freddy Linn]

Stricker can par in for 63.

We may see the first 62 in a major (granted, it is a par 70).


Edit: 63 it is. Here is the list:

Masters

* Nick Price, 1986, third round (9-under)
* Greg Norman, 1996, first round (9-under)

U.S. Open

* Johnny Miller, 1973 (Oakmont), final round (8-under)
* Jack Nicklaus, 1980 (Baltusrol), first round (7-under)
* Tom Weiskopf, 1980 (Baltusrol), first round (7-under)
* Vijay Singh, 2003 (Olympia Fields), second round (7-under)

British Open

* Mark Hayes, 1977 (Turnberry), second round (7-under)
* Isao Aoki, 1980 (Muirfield), third round (8-under)
* Greg Norman, 1986 (Turnberry), second round (7-under)
* Paul Broadhurst, 1990 (St. Andrews), third round (9-under)
* Jodie Mudd, 1991 (Birkdale), final round (7-under)
* Nick Faldo, 1993 (St. George’s), final round (7-under)
* Payne Stewart, 1993 (St. George’s), final round (7-under)
* Rory McIlroy, 2010 (St. Andrews), first round (9-under)

PGA Championship

* Bruce Crampton, 1975 (Firestone), second round (7-under)
* Raymond Floyd, 1982 (Southern Hills), first round (7-under)
* Gary Player, 1984 (Shoal Creek), second round (9-under)
* Vijay Singh, 1993 (Inverness), second round (8-under)
* Michael Bradley, 1995 (Riviera), first round (8-under)
* Brad Faxon, 1995 (Riviera), final round (8-under)
* Jose Maria Olazabal, 2000 (Valhalla), third round (9-under)
* Mark O’Meara, 2001 (Atlanta AC), second round (7-under)
* Thomas Bjorn, 2005 (Baltusrol), third round (7-under)
* Tiger Woods, 2007 (Southern Hills), second round (7-under)

Source: PGA Tour

Edited by Freddy Linn, 11 August 2011 - 01:21 PM.

[Dan Murfman]

Rory could should be done. He banged his hand/wrist pretty good on a root.

Edited by Dan Murfman, 11 August 2011 - 01:57 PM.

[patinorange]

Wow, long delay, but he's going to play...Almost holed it.

[BigMike]

I don't know how much we can read into his shitty performance today, given it's his second start coming off the knee injury. I don't think he's cooked just yet. The tools are there, and we get flashes of the old Tiger where he puts it all together and goes on a tear, like he did on Sunday at Augusta. The problem is consistency. He'll go on a run, and then the wheels fall off and he'll make a bogey or two and that'll be it.

The biggest thing for him is simply to play more. He can't just show up at Major's and a select few other big events and expect to compete anymore.

The problem is in pointing to 9 good holes at Augusta, anyone on the tour can have 9 good holes. Was it a flash of the old Tiger or just a Tour level player getting hot for half a course. The flashes are fewer and further between these days

I do agree with the second part. I think he needs to play. If he wants to get back to #1 next year and be Tiger again, I think he needs to commit to a full tour schedules. Play 32 events. Play the events he has always skipped because they don't fit his game, or the sponsor is wrong.

Next week will be a test. Will Tiger swallow his pride, and agree to play at the Wyndham tournament for a chance at continuing to the Fex Ed cup? Barring a huge turnaround tomorrow it looks like he will need it for the points. So far he has said he will not play due to a family committment.

[Dan Murfman]

Next week will be a test. Will Tiger swallow his pride, and agree to play at the Wyndham tournament for a chance at continuing to the Fex Ed cup? Barring a huge turnaround tomorrow it looks like he will need it for the points. So far he has said he will not play due to a family committment.

Nantz was just on the WFAN with Francesca and said he isn't playing. The speculation is it is his week to have the kids

[Freddy Linn]

Jim Huber of TBS may have just had a stroke during one of his monologues. Sustained unintelligible jibberish.

[cshea]

Man, 18 looks like a real pain in the ass . Great finishing hole. I think I'd be happy to keep it in single digits if I played that hole.

Rory's got 2 putts for a 70. Pretty impressive considering he's playing with 1 arm.

[cshea]

The leaders haven't teed off yet, but David Toms just chewed up the back 9 (-5), and has made a move up the leaderboard to -2. Toms won here in 2001, and he should be in great shape going into tomorrow.

Phil is also making a bit of a move. -2 on the day, -1 for the tournament. He's making the turn now.

Edited by cshea, 13 August 2011 - 01:04 PM.

[Freddy Linn]

Charl Schwartzel:

Masters: Won
U.S. Open: T9
British: T16
PGA: currently T11


Edit: I can see an epic logjam at -3/-2/-1 after today.

Edited by Freddy Linn, 13 August 2011 - 02:49 PM.

[Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat]

Worst. Leaderboard. Ever.

[johnmd20]

Worst. Leaderboard. Ever.

Awesome, just coming to post that. It's a brutal leaderboard, there isn't a good name on it. The only name on the leaderboard is Stricker, who is pretty much the most boring golfer in existence. I don't really care if I watch him or not.

No Rory, no Tiger, no Phil, no Donald, no Kaymer, no McDowell, no Fowler, no DJ, absolutely nobody. Since the Masters, which were awesome, albeit anti-climatic, the majors have been horrendous. Golf has had a terrible year and Tiger is disappearing, which makes things even worse.

Poor Furyk, three splashes in the last 3 holes.

[cshea]

Eh, there's no real "names" on the leaderboard, but I have still found it entertaining. The end of this course should provide for some good drama tomorrow.

Dufner and Bradley have held up surprisingly well today. We'll see what happens tomorrow when everything is on the line.

[Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat]

Bradley at least seems to have a personality. Dufner is in a coma.

I can get behind Verplank. He's sort of like an American Darren Clarke, minus the dead wife.

Edited by Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat, 13 August 2011 - 07:16 PM.

[Freddy Linn]

Reminds me of the 1990 PGA, where the top 11 finishers were run-of-the-mill tour players.

Several of these guys are going to throw up all over themselves tomorrow - either from the get-go or in the last four holes.

[RedOctober3829]

I'm rooting for native Vermonter Keegan Bradley tomorrow. He recovered quite nicely after the opening double bogey. Had a few makeable birdie putts fall out of the cup that could have had him in the lead as well.

[cshea]

The course appears to be giving up some birdie's early on today, so we may get some action today. The guys sitting at E/-1 are just teeing off now. If someone like Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Nick Watney, etc. goes out and shoots a 64 or 65, they might be in the mix at the end of the day.

[Freddy Linn]

Phil is such a shitty putter from four feet.

[cshea]

Phil is such a shitty putter from four feet.

Yeah, that bunny right there pretty much ended his tournament.

Steele is the first to throw up here. Bogey on 1, so he drops back. Bradley birdied 1, then got in trouble on 2 but just hit a hell of a bunker shot and will escape with a par. Nick Watney is playing well early, and quietly moving up the leaderboard.

[RedOctober3829]

Bradley birdied 1 to tie for the lead and made a great sand save on 2. He has played really steady since the 1st yesterday.

[Freddy Linn]

Keep an eye on Karlsson - he has won some big tournaments overseas.

[johnmd20]

Dufner dropping some medium length putts to keep himself atop the leaderboard for now. If he's in first on the back nine, he's going to be waggling 10-15 times on each swing.

[Freddy Linn]

These greens are perfect.

Getting good now. Fun to watch guys make eagles and doubles. I think you would take +1 on the last four holes right now in a heartbeat.

[cshea]

Dufner dropping some medium length putts to keep himself atop the leaderboard for now. If he's in first on the back nine, he's going to be waggling 10-15 times on each swing.

He might be the most boring golfer out there, but I think that's something that'll work to his advantage today. He doesn't seem to be phased at all by the stage. It'll be interesting to see if he can remain calm when he hits the back.

[Comfortably Lomb]

Compared to Congressional this course looks spectacular on TV (IMO!).

[johnmd20]

He might be the most boring golfer out there, but I think that's something that'll work to his advantage today. He doesn't seem to be phased at all by the stage. It'll be interesting to see if he can remain calm when he hits the back.

Yeah, he is hanging in there, I am very interested to see how this thing closes out. 15-18 are going to be awesome. At least this major is watchable, even if the leaderboard isn't covered with huge names.

And Dufner birdies, hitting another medium putt. He is playing pretty solidly.

[Freddy Linn]

Drago at -6.


Edit: What's great is that there will likely be 10 guys who won't sleep because of a double they made at some point in the tournament.

Edited by Freddy Linn, 14 August 2011 - 03:18 PM.

[RedOctober3829]

KEEGAN!

[Freddy Linn]

Dufner hit 17 greens in regulation yesterday, and I think he has only missed one today.

[johnmd20]

Keep an eye on Karlsson - he has won some big tournaments overseas.

And now he's -8, one off the lead. Good call.

[cshea]

Dufner yanks a makeable birdie putt on 10. The first sign of a dent in the armor.

[RedOctober3829]

Keegan eagled the 12th to tie again for the lead at -9, If he can get to the clubhouse at -9 or -10 I think he's in position for a playoff at the least.

[gtg807y]

Compared to Congressional this course looks spectacular on TV (IMO!).

I just got home from the AAC. The course is beautiful. It's also hot as hell out there.

[Freddy Linn]

If I was Karlsson I would feel pretty good to post -8.

[RedOctober3829]

Dufner now to -11. Bradley has a birdie putt at 14 to get to -10. What a final 4-5 holes this is shaping up to be. Who needs Tiger?

[johnmd20]

Oh Keegan. Brutal roll into the water. His chances are lost, Dufner's tourney to lose, it looks like.

[Lupe Whalewatch]

wow, water ball

[johnmd20]

wow, water ball

Unbelievable. Now it's sphincter tightening time for Dufner. Huge chip coming up, because if he throws away two strokes here, his head might explode.

[cshea]

Huge bogey save for Dufner.

[Comfortably Lomb]

CBS is really amplifying the sound of the ball going into the water - sounds like someone doing a canonball off the high board - not a golf ball.

Edited by Comfortably Lomb, 14 August 2011 - 05:15 PM.

[cshea]

Things getting somewhat interesting. Dufner in the bunker on 16, and Bradley/Verplank/Hansen get back to -7.

[RedOctober3829]

Lead for Dufner(-9) is down to 2 with 2 to go. Bradley has a birdie putt, albeit long, to go to -8.

Edited by RedOctober3829, 14 August 2011 - 05:29 PM.