Will Tiger contend at the Masters this week?

[MarathonMike]

Can't wait for tomorrow, I've watched the Masters since I started playing golf at 14. Tiger was looking good in practice this week. I think it's still too early for him, but it would be awesome to see him within a few shots on Sunday. I kind of think Rory could do it this week. When he just relaxes and let's it flow, no one plays like him.

 

[rightwinger]

I think he has a couple of good rounds in him

But not four

 

[Rambunctious]

He will surprise us all...

 

[rightwinger]

He will surprise us all...

He has surprised us already

I never thought he could be competitive again

 

[JoeMoma]

I would just rather watch the Paint Drying Channel than watch golf!

 

[Manonthestreet]

Have him in my Masters pool....Cinderella story here at Augusta

 

[rightwinger]

Imagine the ratings if he is in the hunt on Sunday

 

[rightwinger]

I would just rather watch the Paint Drying Channel than watch golf!

Actually, with the way it is broadcast today

There is more action in golf than there is in football

 

[shockedcanadian]

He will go down as the biggest and fastest fall from grace, while essentially in his prime and not due to some criminal activity, injury or what have you, just excessive cheating and a divorce. It is the most absurd punch in the face of karma in sports history..

Jack Nicklauses records were all but doomed, now they are all but secure for another generation. The game is as much mental as it is physical, and Woods weak spot was a public humiliation that he couldn't ever get over. Maybe he just needed that comfort of going to his wife in a stable home (and his little secret sexcapades), once it was finished, he was out of sorts, and never returned.

I never disliked him, but not really being a golf fan, I didn't care much about any of them. After his cheating, one has to wonder, how can a guy not win ONE Master over the next decade?

 

[JoeMoma]

He will go down as the biggest and fastest fall from grace, while essentially in his prime and not due to some criminal activity, injury or what have you, just excessive cheating and a divorce. It is the most absurd punch in the face of karma in sports history..

Jack Nicklauses records were all but doomed, now they are all but secure for another generation. The game is as much mental as it is physical, and Woods weak spot was a public humiliation that he couldn't ever get over. Maybe he just needed that comfort of going to his wife in a stable home (and his little secret sexcapades), once it was finished, he was out of sorts, and never returned.

I never disliked him, but not really being a golf fan, I didn't care much about any of them. After his cheating, one has to wonder, how can a guy not win ONE Master over the next decade?

He played great until he gave up hookers and porn stars. Maybe they helped him to relax!

 

[MarathonMike]

He will surprise us all...

He's hitting it so far, if he gets hot with the putter it could get interesting!

 

[shockedcanadian]

He will go down as the biggest and fastest fall from grace, while essentially in his prime and not due to some criminal activity, injury or what have you, just excessive cheating and a divorce. It is the most absurd punch in the face of karma in sports history..

Jack Nicklauses records were all but doomed, now they are all but secure for another generation. The game is as much mental as it is physical, and Woods weak spot was a public humiliation that he couldn't ever get over. Maybe he just needed that comfort of going to his wife in a stable home (and his little secret sexcapades), once it was finished, he was out of sorts, and never returned.

I never disliked him, but not really being a golf fan, I didn't care much about any of them. After his cheating, one has to wonder, how can a guy not win ONE Master over the next decade?

He played great until he gave up hookers and porn stars. Maybe they helped him to relax!

More like it was what motivated him. He was free to be this dominant alpha male to run around and sow his oats, while it was his little secret. Who knows what viruses he brought home to his wife? Selfish really.

If you are a young multi millionaire, stay single. If sponsors tell you being married is better for the big cash, accept less cash and remain free. Unless of course, he truly fell in love and was ready to settle down, that was clearly not the case.

 

[Manonthestreet]

On the Tee.....

 

[rightwinger]

He will go down as the biggest and fastest fall from grace, while essentially in his prime and not due to some criminal activity, injury or what have you, just excessive cheating and a divorce. It is the most absurd punch in the face of karma in sports history..

Jack Nicklauses records were all but doomed, now they are all but secure for another generation. The game is as much mental as it is physical, and Woods weak spot was a public humiliation that he couldn't ever get over. Maybe he just needed that comfort of going to his wife in a stable home (and his little secret sexcapades), once it was finished, he was out of sorts, and never returned.

I never disliked him, but not really being a golf fan, I didn't care much about any of them. After his cheating, one has to wonder, how can a guy not win ONE Master over the next decade?

Tiger had a pretty serious leg injury in his last dramatic US Open victory in 2008
He has since had four back surgeries

 

[Manonthestreet]

Looks like absolute gorgeous day there....nobody making a move yet...big hitters are just now flitering onto the course
My Rookie is 1 over

 

[DGS49]

Mr. Woods had two separate and distinct catastrophe's at almost the same time - one self-inflicted and one sort-of self-inflicted.

On the personal level, he fucked up his marriage and his commercial persona through sexual and other misdeeds. He was no victim on that side.

On the golf side, he allowed himself to be distracted for a year or so (can't blame him for that), and then began to suffer injuries related to over-work and over-conditioning. Golfers ARE NOT, AND DO NOT NEED TO BE athletes. Tiger forgot that, and has tried for a long time to be an athlete, with running, weight training, hyper-stretching, and so on. In maintaining that rigorous athletic regimen, he fucked up his knee and his back, which compromised his swing in several ways, and over multiple golf-years.

Now through several surgeries and extensive rehab, he is physically ready to start golfing seriously now.

But the reason why he is a relative "favorite" this week (roughly one-in 8 chance of winning, as of this morning), is his mental toughness, which is presumably the same as before all the brouhaha. Tiger is unique in a way that only a golfer can understand. Tiger is the only golfer ever who consistently won tournaments when he was leading on Sunday morning. Other "greats," mainly Palmer were famous for winning, and for coming from behind on Sunday, but for every other "great" in the history of the game, if they were leading on Sunday morning, they only won the tournament about half the time. They would go into "protect" mode on Sunday, shoot a 73, and hope nobody caught up with them. Not so with Tiger.

Also, Augusta National is a very challenging course because of the few level areas on the fairways. 90% of fairway shots at Augusta are either uphill, downhill, or a sidehill lie, and precise approach shots are mandatory due to diabolical hole placements on the green, especially on Sunday.

Anything can happen in four days of golf. Tiger (or anyone else) can play himself out of contention with a bad round on Thursday or Friday, or be right up there with the leaders, and the same can be said of 15 others this year. But the betting odds are consistent with reality right now. There are only three or four people with as good a chance of winning as Tiger.

It will be great for TV ratings if Tiger is in contention on the weekend, and all the golfers want that, so he will have a lot of intangible support from on and off the golf course.

 

[rightwinger]

Mr. Woods had two separate and distinct catastrophe's at almost the same time - one self-inflicted and one sort-of self-inflicted.

On the personal level, he fucked up his marriage and his commercial persona through sexual and other misdeeds. He was no victim on that side.

On the golf side, he allowed himself to be distracted for a year or so (can't blame him for that), and then began to suffer injuries related to over-work and over-conditioning. Golfers ARE NOT, AND DO NOT NEED TO BE athletes. Tiger forgot that, and has tried for a long time to be an athlete, with running, weight training, hyper-stretching, and so on. In maintaining that rigorous athletic regimen, he fucked up his knee and his back, which compromised his swing in several ways, and over multiple golf-years.

Now through several surgeries and extensive rehab, he is physically ready to start golfing seriously now.

But the reason why he is a relative "favorite" this week (roughly one-in 8 chance of winning, as of this morning), is his mental toughness, which is presumably the same as before all the brouhaha. Tiger is unique in a way that only a golfer can understand. Tiger is the only golfer ever who consistently won tournaments when he was leading on Sunday morning. Other "greats," mainly Palmer were famous for winning, and for coming from behind on Sunday, but for every other "great" in the history of the game, if they were leading on Sunday morning, they only won the tournament about half the time. They would go into "protect" mode on Sunday, shoot a 73, and hope nobody caught up with them. Not so with Tiger.

Also, Augusta National is a very challenging course because of the few level areas on the fairways. 90% of fairway shots at Augusta are either uphill, downhill, or a sidehill lie, and precise approach shots are mandatory due to diabolical hole placements on the green, especially on Sunday.

Anything can happen in four days of golf. Tiger (or anyone else) can play himself out of contention with a bad round on Thursday or Friday, or be right up there with the leaders, and the same can be said of 15 others this year. But the betting odds are consistent with reality right now. There are only three or four people with as good a chance of winning as Tiger.

It will be great for TV ratings if Tiger is in contention on the weekend, and all the golfers want that, so he will have a lot of intangible support from on and off the golf course.

I think Tiger bulked up too much which led to back problems. His physical strength may have helped his drive when he was younger, but it caught up with him

I doubt that his wife divorcing him destroyed his game. Many, many, many athletes cheated on their wives

Tiger wasn’t the first, won’t be the last

 

[MarathonMike]

Ruh Roh Jordan Speith figured out how to put again. Wow 5 birdies in a row on those greens? Unreal.

 

[sealybobo]

Can't wait for tomorrow, I've watched the Masters since I started playing golf at 14. Tiger was looking good in practice this week. I think it's still too early for him, but it would be awesome to see him within a few shots on Sunday. I kind of think Rory could do it this week. When he just relaxes and let's it flow, no one plays like him.

God bless golf, America, springtime in Augusta

I hope tiger wins one more major in his career. Still he’s in the to 4 all time. Sneed, Nicholas, Palmer and Tiger

 

[sealybobo]

Mr. Woods had two separate and distinct catastrophe's at almost the same time - one self-inflicted and one sort-of self-inflicted.

On the personal level, he fucked up his marriage and his commercial persona through sexual and other misdeeds. He was no victim on that side.

On the golf side, he allowed himself to be distracted for a year or so (can't blame him for that), and then began to suffer injuries related to over-work and over-conditioning. Golfers ARE NOT, AND DO NOT NEED TO BE athletes. Tiger forgot that, and has tried for a long time to be an athlete, with running, weight training, hyper-stretching, and so on. In maintaining that rigorous athletic regimen, he fucked up his knee and his back, which compromised his swing in several ways, and over multiple golf-years.

Now through several surgeries and extensive rehab, he is physically ready to start golfing seriously now.

But the reason why he is a relative "favorite" this week (roughly one-in 8 chance of winning, as of this morning), is his mental toughness, which is presumably the same as before all the brouhaha. Tiger is unique in a way that only a golfer can understand. Tiger is the only golfer ever who consistently won tournaments when he was leading on Sunday morning. Other "greats," mainly Palmer were famous for winning, and for coming from behind on Sunday, but for every other "great" in the history of the game, if they were leading on Sunday morning, they only won the tournament about half the time. They would go into "protect" mode on Sunday, shoot a 73, and hope nobody caught up with them. Not so with Tiger.

Also, Augusta National is a very challenging course because of the few level areas on the fairways. 90% of fairway shots at Augusta are either uphill, downhill, or a sidehill lie, and precise approach shots are mandatory due to diabolical hole placements on the green, especially on Sunday.

Anything can happen in four days of golf. Tiger (or anyone else) can play himself out of contention with a bad round on Thursday or Friday, or be right up there with the leaders, and the same can be said of 15 others this year. But the betting odds are consistent with reality right now. There are only three or four people with as good a chance of winning as Tiger.

It will be great for TV ratings if Tiger is in contention on the weekend, and all the golfers want that, so he will have a lot of intangible support from on and off the golf course.

I think Tiger bulked up too much which led to back problems. His physical strength may have helped his drive when he was younger, but it caught up with him

I doubt that his wife divorcing him destroyed his game. Many, many, many athletes cheated on their wives

Tiger wasn’t the first, won’t be the last

It was the combination of a lot of things. He burned out. Lost the eye of the tiger. No pun intended.