Tiger's Is Looking Forward To 2011 Following His Near-Victory

Tiger didn't win at the Chevron World Challenge, but he was back in form, nonetheless. It was great just to see him in contention all four days. In my opinion, he played a better game this weekend than any I've seen in the last year. It's also nice to see that his fans are still cheering him on - and Tiger seems much more upbeat. To quote the writer of the article below, ". . . despite the Sunday collapse in his own tournament that saw him surrender a four-shot lead, we saw Tiger do something he hasn't done in a long time: Smile"
     . . . June

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Tiger's near-victory leaves him upbeat heading into 2011:
BY MARC FIGUEROA - For the North County Times Tuesday, December 7, 2010 5:21 pm

Yes, Tiger Woods blew a big lead down the stretch in the Chevron World Challenge. Yes, it's something he just doesn't do. Yes, with all the turmoil he has endured in the last year, it's easy to surmise that his game is not where it needs to be.

But despite the Sunday collapse in his own tournament that saw him surrender a four-shot lead, we saw Tiger do something he hasn't done in a long time: Smile.

He played well enough to win but got beat by U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who holed a 20-footer for birdie to force a playoff and then did it again to send Woods home winless for the year.

Still, Woods didn't sulk and was actually upbeat after the round.

"It was a great week, even though I didn't win," Woods told reporters after the tournament. "I'm proud of the way I played today, even though I lost."

That speaks volumes about where his head is these days. The old Tiger would have murmured something like, "I came here to win, and anything less is a failure," and then walked off in a huff.

That's essentially what he said when he returned to the Masters after a five-month hiatus --- after finishing a respectable fourth no less.

The new Tiger seems more humbled, more willing to talk (see Twitter), more patient with the swing changes he has been working on for the last three months.

Maybe we're reading this wrong. Maybe it's just the holiday spirit that has Woods so upbeat. Maybe it's the silly season that has taken some of the pressure off. Or maybe, just maybe, Woods has turned a corner.

Despite going winless for the first time in his PGA Tour career -- Woods said afterward he couldn't remember the last time he went an entire year without winning -- and losing a tournament for the first time when leading by at least three shots, he played some of his best golf of the year at Sherwood Country Club. He opened with three rounds in the 60s and had the lead after three rounds for the first time since the 2009 PGA Championship.

He lost his swing in the middle of the final round, but still had enough in him to nail his 8-iron approach shot to within 3 feet on the 72nd hole, which set up an easy birdie and nearly a victory. McDowell and his dream season got in the way, of course, but we got to see Woods play like he did when he was the world's No. 1 player. The swagger, the smile and the club-twirling were all on display in Thousand Oaks.

Was this a sign of things to come? McDowell thinks so.

"There's something a bit special about his golf game," McDowell said, "and I fully expect that mystique to return as the golf clubs start doing the talking again."

Next up for Woods is likely the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January. Woods hasn't been to the La Jolla track since his memorable one-legged win in the 2008 U.S. Open. Before that, it was four straight Buick Invitational victories.


Read Entire Article


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WOODS, Now World No 2 in Trouble, Drops to Ninth Place in Shanghai

Britain's Lee Westwood, who ended Tiger's reign as world number one this week, carded a two-under-par 70 to remain one off the lead, according to the article below. Tiger was having a bad day today and ended up in ninth spot after the second round. I hope that things improve this weekend. Tiger wll be playing in the Australian Masters Nov 11 - 14.      . . . June


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Woods drops to ninth, Westwood stays second in Shanghai
Sport | Reuters:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - World number two Tiger Woods struggled on the greens to drop to tied ninth after the second round of the HSBC Champions tournament on Friday, five shots behind leader Francesco Molinari of Italy.

Britain's Lee Westwood, who ended Woods's reign as world number one this week, carded a two-under-par 70 to remain one off the lead.

In a frustrating round, Woods lipped the pin five times, twice with short putts, and cancelled out five birdies with a corresponding number of bogeys to finish with par 72.


"I struggled a little bit today," the American told reporters. "The pins were tough. I didn't hit very good, so the score could have been worse, but also it could have been a lot better."


Westwood produced three birdies during another solid performance but the 37-year-old missed on a likely fourth when he ignored his caddie's advice over the choice of club on his second shot out of the rough on the 18th.


"Billy (Foster) said it would be best to lay up and go with a full shot because of where the flag was cut," Westwood said.


"I obviously knew better as a player and hit a five-wood and left it in just about the worst place I could. But today, as per usual, I should have listened to my caddie."


The 37-year-old, on eight-under-par is in a strong position to defend his number one world ranking from Woods, Phil Mickelson and German Martin Kaymer who could all take over at the top with a victory in Shanghai.


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LEE WESTWOOD Takes Top Spot. Tiger Woods is Now World No. 2

 Tiger Woods finally lost his No 1 place in the world Golf Rankings. It was inevitable, but it really is a testament to how far ahead of the pack Tiger was to have kept that ranking for so long. For now, the No 1 spot goes to Lee Westwood of England, the first European in 16 years to hold golf's top ranking. He called it the most satisfying achievement of his career. But don't sell Tiger short. He has the ability to grab it right back
    . . . June

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Tiger Woods is No. 2 as Westwood Takes Top Spot
CBS Evening News - CBS News:

The turmoil in his personal life has taken a toll on Tiger Woods. After a reign of more than five years as the world's number one golfer, Woods has dropped to second behind a player who's never won a major.

CBS News correspondent Tony Guida reports that when Woods congratulated Lee Westwood at a tournament four weeks ago, he knew Westwood was gunning for his crown. Sunday, after 281 weeks at the top, Woods is no. 1 no longer.

'Tiger clearly has not been the most dominant player in the world for a long, long time,' says CBS Sports' Jim Nantz.

It's mostly because Woods took a five-month break from competition this season. He needed time to try to patch his life back together after confessing to a series of extramarital affairs.

"I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in," Woods said in a press conference.

Elin Woods was having none of it. The couple divorced and Tiger's game fell apart. He hasn't finished higher than fourth since.

"It's hard to play with that kind of pressure," says golfer Lawrence Elliott.

Inspired by Woods, Elliott took up golf five years ago. He worked hard to make himself a 6 handicap. Elliott thinks Woods will work hard too.

"He'll be back next year strong as ever," says Elliott.

For now, the laurels go to Lee Westwood of England, the first European in 16 years to hold golf's top ranking. He called it the most satisfying achievement of his career.

"The game went younger and it went global," says Nantz.

Nantz notes Westwood is just one of a new crop of top players who will challenge Woods for supremacy, but Nantz says don't bet against Woods.

"You never sell Tiger Woods short when it comes to what he's going to do in golf," says Nantz.

What Woods does this week at a tournament in Shanghai could put him right back at no. 1.

Read entire article

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Tiger Plays 1-Day CHARITY Event In Thailand. He Gives Back

Tiger Woods is looking forward to giving something back to Thailand when he makes a quick visit to his mother's home country for the first time in 10 years to play a one-day skins tournament next month, according to the following article.  Apparently, all the players have agreed to donate their winnings to charity projects overseen by Thailand's king. Maybe Tiger Can still win one this year.
    . . . June 

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Tiger to give back, play 1-day event in Thailand:
The Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Tiger Woods says he's looking forward to giving something back to Thailand when he makes a quick visit to his mother's home country for the first time in 10 years to play a one-day skins tournament next month.

The Nov. 8 event is part of celebrations marking King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year on the Thai throne.

'The last time I played in Thailand was in 2000. I am really looking forward to coming back and hopefully win it all!' Woods said in a statement released Thursday by organizers.

The 14-time major winner has not won a tournament this year after stepping away from the game for nearly four months in the wake of an infidelity scandal that destroyed his image and led to the breakup of his marriage.

"The Thai people never fail to impress me with their warm and genuine hospitality. This is indeed a good opportunity to give something back to them," Woods said.

Paul Casey of England, Camilo Villegas of Colombia and Thailand's top player, Thongchai Jaidee, will also compete for total prize money of $300,000. All players have agreed to donate their winnings to charity projects overseen by Thailand's king, organizers said.

Woods' stay in Bangkok will last about 24 hours. He will fly into the Thai capital the night before the tournament after competing in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

He will make an early morning visit to pay respects to the ailing 82-year-old King Bhumibol, who has been lodged at a Bangkok hospital for more than a year, by signing a get well book at the hospital along with Thongchai, organizers said.
 
Woods will then meet Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva before proceeding to the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, a seaside province southeast of Bangkok, for the event.

All golfers will wear pink golf shirts, a sign of respect for the king that symbolizes wishes for good health.

Woods is scheduled to leave Thailand later that night for Australia to compete in the Nov. 11-14 Australian Masters in Melbourne.

Read entire article

2010 CHEVRON World Challenge With Tiger Woods And All Star Players

 The Chevron World Challenge, co-sponsored by the PGA Tour, is a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with $1.2 million awarded to the winner, according o the article below. The list of competitors includes Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Zach Johnson, Sean O’Hair, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson among others.


Tiger Woods Leads Excellent 18-Man Field at the 2010 Chevron World Challenge:
WEBWIRE – Thursday, October 14, 2010DonorsChoose.org, Project Lead the Way, Teach For America and TELACU join Tiger Woods Foundation as Tournament Nonprofit Partners

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Two of the four major championship winners from the summer – Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer – plus a trio of other major winners and a near full-house of 13 Ryder Cup participants will make up one of the most impressive, elite fields of the year when they compete at the Chevron World Challenge, Dec. 1-5, at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

The unique, $5 million event features only 18 players who will take on the demanding, 7,027-yard Sherwood Country Club layout. The Chevron World Challenge, co-sponsored by the PGA Tour, is a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with $1.2 million awarded to the winner. Jim Furyk returns as the defending champion, closing with a 5-under par 67 on Sunday last year to edge McDowell by one stroke to claim the trophy.

In its 12th year at center stage of the PGA Tour’s rigorous Challenge Season, the Chevron World Challenge annually features some of the biggest names in professional golf, and this year’s edition is no exception.
Tiger Woods, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and a four-time champion of this event, will find his hands full as he attempts to add another title to his collection. McDowell, the U.S. Open champion, and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer lend star power, but they’ve got plenty of company.

The top-heavy list of competitors also includes Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Zach Johnson, Sean O’Hair, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson.

The week kicks off with a Pro-Am on Wednesday, Dec. 1, followed by professional rounds Thursday - Sunday. Sherwood Country Club, tucked away in the Santa Monica mountains, has been the tournament’s home base for 11 years and has proven to be a worthy test for the game’s greatest stars.

Furthering its commitment to improving education in California, the Chevron World Challenge 2010 has expanded its nonprofit partners to include: DonorsChoose.org, Project Lead the Way, Teach For America and TELACU Education Foundation in addition to the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Chevron World Challenge, now in its 12th year, has raised approximately $20 million to benefit education-focused non-profits with operations in California.

Furyk’s victory last year was marked by an inspired comeback. Tied for fifth going into the final round, he leapfrogged into the winner’s circle and wound up with a 72-hole score of 13-under par 275. He won three times this year, including the regular season-ending Tour Championship. Furyk also won at the Transitions Championship and the Verizon Heritage and now has 16 PGA Tour titles to his credit.

Woods came up big in two majors – he tied for 4th at both the Masters and the U.S. Open – and picked up some traction at the first three FedEx Cup playoff events when he was a combined 18-under par. But Woods’ average driving distance was down, his scoring was up and his inconsistencies in finding fairways and greens curtailed what could have added up to more.


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Is TIGER WOODS on his way back? It's Time!

 This article puts into words what I thought about the Ryder Cup. Tiger sort of disgraced himself during one of the 4 Plays, but then so did some of the other players - and all the other matches he played in were reminiscent of the 'old' Tiger. Way to go!


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Tiger Woods is on his way back, watch out PGA:
tehran times
Tiger Woods is back.

Woods, the No. one ranked golf player in the world, seems to have regained his groove and swing at the Ryder Cup this past weekend.

He beat European representative Francesco Molinari, who was up by two through the first three holes.

Well, it's either that Tiger was lucky or he proved again to the world what he is capable of doing on the course.

We can guess it wasn't just luck this time which lead to Woods' fourth win in Ryder Cup singles. The stats prove it: Woods birdied seven holes, and also eagled once for the rest of the 15 holes. You can't do all of that with just luck. Tiger used the skills we always knew he had.

But at the start of the Ryder Cup, many questioned United States captain Corey Pavin's selection of an inconsistent Tiger Woods.

The experienced Pavin proved us wrong.

The U.S. Ryder Cup team might have lost the cup this year to Europe, but with Tiger's performance, it certainly is good news for the Professional Golf Association, and also, for Tiger himself.

He stated, "I played well today. It was nice to turn my match around like I did."

His opponent, Molinari, was content with the way he played; he just wasn't content with going against Tiger. He said, "I had a good start and I think I played all right. But if Tiger plays like that, there's not much you can do."

PGA players, you aren't competing with an inconsistent Tiger and the rest of the players anymore—you're playing with the rest of the players and the Tiger.

Read entire article

Tiger Woods Bests Francesco Molinari in Ryder Cup. Good Job!

 It's nice to hear someone saying something nice about Tiger for a change. He's had a lot of bad press lately, but I thought he did quite well at the Ryder Cup. Too bad he was part of that record bashing in the 4-play, but otherwise he showed us all that he still has it. Hope he starts winning some tournaments before he actually loses world No 1.
   . . . June


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Even though United States falls at Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods impresses by besting Francesco Molinari:

By Hank Gola DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Monday, October 4th 2010

NEWPORT, Wales – Tiger Woods may have played his best round of the year Monday in a preview of what his new swing might hold for 2011.

Woods ran his Ryder Cup singles record to 4-1-1 with a 4-and-3 drubbing of Francesco Molinari, storming back from 2-down after three holes. Woods threw seven birdies and an eagle at the overmatched Italian, who had to feel as though he was playing the best player in the world.

'I had a good start and I think I played all right,' Molinari said. 'But if Tiger plays like that, there's not much you can do.'

'I played well today,' Woods said. 'It was nice to turn my match around like I did. I've been close t playing that way for a little bit now but I'm really looking forward to the rest of the year.'

And beyond.

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Will Tiger Lose The World No 1 Spot To Westwood?

 I feel badly for Tiger. He actually played pretty well for most of the Ryder Cup. Unfortunately, he weill be remembered for the their disastrous rout in the last round of 4-Play. It was as though the entire European team caught fire as soon as they saw Tiger going down. It was simply impossible to make up that large lead. I hope that Tiger can take away something good from this game anyway
   . . . June

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Westwood moves to second; No. 1 coming soon
Golf - MiamiHerald.com:

Lee Westwood became the No. 2 player in the world on Monday, then watched his European team claim victory at the Ryder Cup.

Westwood passed Phil Mickelson to earn the second spot, and it may get even better for the Englishman. According to some reports, Westwood may be in line for the No. 1 spot as soon as next week.

Westwood is expected to be in the field Thursday at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. A big finish at St. Andrews, where he finished second at this year's British Open, could be enough to be No. 1 for the first time in his career. Westwood is also expected to play in the Portugal Masters in two weeks and it's been reported he would be No. 1 in the world with just two top-20 finishes.

So Tiger Woods kept the No. 1 spot for the 278th consecutive week, followed by Westwood and Mickelson. Steve Stricker, who defeated Westwood in Monday's Ryder Cup singles matches, stayed fourth, while FedEx Cup winner Jim Furyk, PGA Champion Martin Kaymer, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Rory McIlory and Ernie Els rounded out the top 10.

Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell remained in spots 11-13, while Edoardo Molinari and Ian Poulter both moved up one to Nos. 14 and 15, respectively. Hunter Mahan dipped two to 16th.
Retief Goosen and Anthony Kim held on to their spots from last week. Zach Johnson and British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen switched places this week with Johnson up to 19th and the South African down to 20th.
Bill Haas collected his second PGA Tour win at the Viking Classic on Sunday and moved up 25 places to No. 64.

Read more: 

Tiger Woods Answers McIlroy's Challenge

 I'd sort of like to see this young upstart get his comeuppance, myself. According to the following article,
Rory McIlroy told the BBC he would love to face Tiger one-on-one in the Ryder Cup. 'Unless his game rapidly improves,' McIlroy said, 'I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him.' Apparently, Tiger heard his challenge and offered a terse reply:  "Me too." I'd like to see that too, McIlroy!
    . . . June


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Careful what you wish for: Tiger Woods responds to McIlroy's challenge
Devil Ball Golf - Golf- Yahoo! Sports:

After all that's happened to Tiger Woods in the last year, after the Escalade and the fire hydrant and the 'transgressions' and the apologies and the tantrums and the divorce and the godawful play, we may have lost sight of an important fact: It's not that long ago that Woods was the best golfer on the planet, bar none. And thus, it may not be the wisest move, tactically speaking, for his competitors to get him riled up again.

Later this week, Woods and the 11 other best golfers of the United States will challenge their European counterparts in the Ryder Cup, a biennial tournament that's far closer in atmosphere to an SEC football game than, say, the Masters. The competition is cutthroat, the galleries are raucous, and there's actually trash-talking. No kidding. In golf.

Rory McIlroy, the Irish wunderkind, kicked off the verbal sparring a few weeks ago when he told the BBC he 'would love to face' Tiger one-on-one in the Ryder Cup. 'Unless his game rapidly improves,' McIlroy said, 'I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him.'

Fancy this, Mr. McIlroy: Woods heard your challenge. When asked at a press conference about McIlroy's comment that he'd love to face Woods one-on-one, Tiger leaned forward and offered a terse reply:
"Me too."

Not bad. Not quite an instant classic like Ivan Drago's "I must break you" from Rocky IV, but it'll do for golf's purposes.

Woods has obviously known about McIlroy's comments for several weeks -- there was a rumor going around a tournament a couple weeks back that Woods told McIlroy "careful what you wish for" -- but, as always, Woods only speaks publicly when he absolutely has to.

The U.S. and European teams will play two days of team golf for 36 holes on Friday and Saturday. The two teams only play head-to-head singles matches on Sunday. Even that's a blind draw, so McIlroy only has a one-in-12 chance of facing Woods.


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Saturday Ryder Cup Matches On NBC Will Be Tape Delayed

 According to the article below, live golf will not be available on NBC on the Saturday of the Ryder Cup. Instead it will show the entire Saturday matches in tape-delay. If you're like me, you'll be quite happy that they've done this. It means that here in North America we can watch it comfortably during the daytime instead of in the middle of the night. For the purists, I guess they'd prefer to stay up all night.


    . . . June


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NBC will show Saturday Ryder Cup matches tape delayed
Devil Ball Golf - Golf- Yahoo! Sports:

In a move that will make golf fans shrug their shoulders at Leno over Conan, the National Broadcasting Company, or NBC for short, announced that this Saturday, during the second day of the Ryder Cup, Americans will not be allowed to watch live golf.

Nope, the network that seems to make its decisions wearing a blindfold and tossing dull darts at a random decisions mat, won't give us live golf for 33.33 percent of the Ryder Cup this year, and that my friends, is ridiculous.

On Friday we get live golf. That's because ESPN has the rights to the opening day of play, and will show live golf from 2:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. While the argument could be made that ESPN doesn't have anything else to show at that time on Friday, it still gives us live golf. This is 2010.

NBC won't do that on Saturday. Instead, it will show tape-delayed golf from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. That will change on Sunday, when it decides to show live golf again, showing the singles matches from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.

What does all this mean? Here's what it means: If you are a network that can't find it in your schedule to show a big sporting event live, you should forfeit the rights.

Put it on MSNBC. Or CNBC. Hell, put it on Telemundo or Bravo for all we care. You have the outlets and resources to do so, and a lot of Americans care about this golf event as much as any of the majors. If you aren't going to show this thing live, then at least let ESPN or some other network show it live in the early hours, and you can show the tape delay later in the day.

It's ludicrous, really. As my good friend Chris Chase over at Busted Racquet has had to endure countless times with this network, NBC just doesn't get sports anymore. It bumps things to make room for Notre Dame, which is now 1-3 for the season, and continues to be the NBC of the college-football season (stubborn, confusing and downright putrid).

Read entire article

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'Tiger Woods got me to Ryder Cup' says Lee Westwood

 According to the article below, Tiger persuaded Lee Westwood to let his injury heal properly, thus making him healthy for the Ryder Cup. So Lee Westwood will be playing on Colin Montgomery's International Team and  Tigerwill be traveling to Celtic Manor this week as  part of the Corey Pavin's US Team
    . . . June


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Lee Westwood: Tiger Woods got me to Ryder Cup
Golf, Sport - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk:

Lee Westwood has said that it was Tiger Woods' advice that persuaded him to take a six-week break and get himself in what he calls “100 percent shape for the Ryder Cup”.

“I played with Tiger in the first two rounds of the Bridgestone [Invitational] back at the start of the August and I was struggling with my ruptured calf muscle,” the Europe star said.

“Tiger saw me battling on and said to me, ‘God you're stubborn. What are you doing?'

“What he said resonated with me and I thought maybe I should look at this a bit more sensibly, withdraw from that event and the following week's USPGA and do the rehab properly.

“Tiger's right, I am stubborn and if I'd carried on playing I probably wouldn't be at Celtic Manor.”
That he will be is a huge relief to his captain Colin Montgomerie in the run-up to the big showdown, which starts on Friday.

“It was dodgy for a while and that was why I was so pleased when I had the text off Lee two weeks ago saying, ‘don't worry, I'm ready'. He brings a consistency to the team that the others can rely on,” said Montgomerie. “From a captain's point of view to have that sort of player you can rely on is absolutely vital.”
Nevertheless, Montgomerie is prepared to let down Westwood, who has stated his desire to play in every session.

“I think Lee possibly won't play five matches,” he said.

In fact, Montgomerie is considering taking the unprecedented step of resting all his players in at least one of the sessions. Yesterday, Thomas Bjorn, his vice-captain, explained the rationale.

Read entire article . . .

Tiger Woods commits to Playing the Chevron World Challenge

 Well, I have to hand it to Tiger - he's trying to get back into the winning mode and I hope he succeeds before his top spot on the money list gets overtaken.  Thanks to Phil Mickelson, this gives Tiger another chance to keep his lead in the world ranking, but he'd better get busy and start winning some tournaments because it's only a matter of time before some of those smart young players catch up..
    . . . June


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Tiger Woods commits to Chevron, Phil Mickelson out of PGA Grand Slam of Golf
National golf  Examiner.com:

September 21 -- While the golf world counted down the days to Thursday’s start of (anti?) climactic FedEx Cup playoff finale, Tiger Woods added a stop to his 2010 schedule and Phil Mickelson opted out of one of his.

Following Mickelson’s turn at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club this week, Golf’s No. 1 and No. 2 will meet up in Wales at the beginning of October for the Ryder Cup and then take different routes to closing out a trying 2010 season for both

Woods commits to Chevron. Tiger, who has struggled with his mental game and shot-making since returning to golf in April, will brandish his new Sean Foley-inspired swing at the year-ending Chevron World Challenge. This, after playing in back-to-back events in China and Australia in November.

Lefty, who’s had to deal with a serious arthritic condition, will go home to rest instead of teeing it up with other 2010 major champions at next month’s PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Read More . . .

Beware Of The FedEx Cup Curse!

 It's true. So far, winning the FedEx Cup hasn't boded well for anyone. Mind you, Tiger Woods can certainly find other reasons for having a bad season this year, with all the negative publicity of the affairs and the very public breakup of his marriage. Lets hope that the Ryder Cup is luckier for Tiger.
   . . . June


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Beware, golfers, of the curse of the FedEx Cup!
Devil Ball Golf - Golf� - Yahoo! Sports:

The FedEx Cup is only three years old, yet in that time it's already amassed a dark and dreadful history of carnage. No man who's won the Cup has escaped Fate's icy clutches the next year!

(Laying it on thick? Sure we are. But hey, there was no PGA tournament over the weekend, so we've got a few over-the-top adjectives to spare.)

Anyway, there's not any kind of legend of a FedEx Cup curse, but there damn sure ought to be. Let's take a look at the winners and what happened the very next year:

2007, Tiger Woods: Just a few months after winning the FedEx Cup, Woods underwent season-ending knee surgery that took him out of the hunt for the season's final two majors. He hasn't won a major since the surgery.

2008, Vijay Singh: The season after his big win, Singh went on the DL with knee surgery -- hmm, just like Woods -- and had his worst season as a professional. He's yet to win a PGA Tour event since the 2008 FedEx Cup.

2009, Tiger Woods: Although Woods did win after the Tour Championship, he posted a godawful winless season in 2010 and didn't even qualify for a return trip to East Lake. Oh, and there was something about an Escalade and a hydrant, but we're a little fuzzy on the details.

So what can we draw from this? Is there a curse at East Lake? Does endorsing that $10 million check torpedo your next year? (Me, I'd take the chance; $10 million cures a lot of woes.) Possibly, possibly not. Either way, Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman and the other competitors may not want to make too many plans for 2011 just yet.

Read entire article . . .

There Is No Tiger at The PGA Tour Championship This Year

I had sincerely hoped that Tiger would be back in form by now but that hasn't happened. Now there will be a new FedEx Cup champion this year and he is very close to losing his top spot status. You can still see the brilliance in his play at times, which gives me hope that he will soon be back to his old form, but the consistency is lacking.
   . . . June


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No Tiger at Tour Championship is appropriate
The Associated Press:  By DOUG FERGUSON (AP) – 1 day ago


LEMONT, Ill. — Leave it to the PGA Tour to find the upside of Tiger Woods missing out on the Tour Championship.


In a press release Monday promoting the 30-man field at East Lake, it notes that Woods' failure to qualify for the last playoff event guarantees there will be a new FedEx Cup champion this year.

Phil Mickelson said it 'absolutely' will be strange not having the world's No. 1 player at the Tour Championship, although it's nothing new. Woods has only played East Lake twice in the past five years, skipping in 2006 after a long year coping with his father's death and in 2008 when he was recovering from knee surgery.

The difference, of course, is that Woods couldn't play the Tour Championship even if he wanted. He needed to shoot 65 in the final round of the BMW Championship, and it took him until the 17th hole just to get under par for the final round, and the tournament.

In an explanation he offered three times Sunday — to NBC Sports, XM Radio and the rest of the media — he blamed only himself.

"I didn't play well in the beginning of the year and I didn't play well in the middle of the year," he said.
He said he is starting to play well now, but that only shows how far he had fallen. Woods tied 12th at The Barclays, tied for 11th at the Deutsche Bank Championship and tied for 15th at the BMW Championship.

Three straight weeks out of the top 10 used to be called a slump.

Now it's called progress?

But there are other examples of Woods' weird year on the golf course.

He has gone seven consecutive tournaments out of the top 10, the longest stretch of his career. His previous worst was five straight tournaments out of the top 10. That was in 2001, between victories at the Memorial and Firestone.

And to get an idea of how he is playing, just look at when he is playing.

Woods is typically among the last to arrive because he is in or close to the lead so often. This year, he has teed off before noon in the final round at eight of his 12 tournaments.

The exceptions were the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. The other tournament was Quail Hollow, where he didn't make it to the final round after missing the cut with the highest 36-hole score of his career.

Read on . . .

Tiger Plays in the Ryder Cup but not The PGA TOUR Championship

 Tiger will be playing in the Ryder Cup - not because he earned it, but because he was a Captain's Pick. Corey Pavin elected to ask Tiger to play, but he also has the right to limit how much he plays, depending on how well he's doing. Today, he has just lost the opportunity to play in the PGA Tour Championship for the first time since 1995, although he finished strong. He just hasn't been consistent. Come on Tiger, we're still rooting for you!
   . . . June


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Pavin not scared of limiting Woods at Ryder Cup
Newsvine LONDON — Tiger Woods is not guaranteed to play in the maximum five matches against Europe in next month's Ryder Cup.

The top-ranked Woods, chosen as one of U.S. captain Corey Pavin's four wild-card picks last week, will be playing in his sixth Ryder Cup but has only been on the winning side once, in 1999.

'I am going to treat every player the same. The objective is to try to win the Ryder Cup and if in my judgment I think Tiger is to play five matches, or should play four or three, then that is what I will do — that's my call as captain,' Pavin told BBC Radio on Sunday.

"For me, it's how he's playing golf. That's my concern as far as the Ryder Cup goes."

Woods, a 14-time major winner but without a tournament victory this year, has picked up 11 points from a possible 25 in the Ryder Cup. He has won three of his five singles matches but only seven of 20 matches in foursomes and fourballs, which are played in pairs on the opening two days. He also has two halves.

Woods was missing when the U.S. won back the trophy from Europe at Valhalla, N.Y., in 2008.

"Tiger told me he will do whatever is necessary to help the team win, and that is going to be my call, and I will probably be making that decision a little bit on the fly. But I'm not afraid to not play him every match, that's for sure," Pavin said.

Read on . . .

Tiger Has ANOTHER Bad Start

 Tiger is having another bad start today. Up until now he's been able to keep top spot because the players who could unseat him having been playing so well either - but that could change anytime. Come on Tiger, pull up your socks! We still want to see you up there.
   . . . June

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Not even Cog Hill can spare Tiger a bad start - Golf
Yahoo! Sports: "LEMONT, Ill. (AP)

At this point in a strange season, slow starts should be nothing new to Tiger Woods.

This one came at a bad time.

The BMW Championship is the most pivotal playoff event, with the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings advancing to the Tour Championship in Atlanta to compete for the $10 million bonus. Woods is No. 51 in the standings and probably needs to finish around fifth.

He sure dug himself quite a hole.

Matt Kuchar had his best start of the year with a 7-under 64. Woods had his worst start at Cog Hill in five years.

He opened with a double bogey. He missed a 3-foot birdie putt at the turn. He squandered a birdie chance on another par 5 by hitting an iron into the trees. And he finished with a bogey from the bunker on the 18th hole, a sand shot so tough he was trying to make sure it didn’t go across the green and into the water.

“I just didn’t have much today,” Woods said.

It wasn’t much of a score—not considering it was Cog Hill, a course where Woods has won five times and had 11 consecutive rounds in the 60s until Thursday. Woods wound up with a 2-over 73 and was nine shots behind in a tie for 45th.

Stranger still was the way he looked at his position.

Woods looked at the leaderboard long enough while signing his card that he realized the immediate goal might not be who’s leading the tournament, but where he needs to finish to get enough FedEx Cup points to go to the Tour Championship.

“As of right now, I’m only five shots back of that spot,” he said. “That’s not bad. Guys aren’t going low at this place because the greens aren’t good enough to go low. Obviously, there’s a couple of players that have played well today. But overall, guys just aren’t tearing the place apart.”

Phil Mickelson wouldn’t mind doing that. Unfortunately for him, Rees Jones beat him to it.

Read on . . .

Tiger Woods a Captain's Pick to Ryder Cup Team

 In this case I think Tiger Woods was lucky to be a Captain's pick for the Ryder Cup team. At least this past weekend he played well enough to show that he still has the ability, but I think it was touch and go. Do you think that having Tiger play will guarantee greater attendance had anything to do with it?
   . . . June


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Tiger Woods named to Ryder Cup team
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Orange County Register updated 9/7/2010 1:49:25 PM ET

Tiger Woods is going to the Ryder Cup as a captain's pick with his 71 victories and 14 majors. So is 21-year-old Rickie Fowler, who has never won anything at all.

Corey Pavin made an obvious choice and a surprising one Tuesday morning at the New York Stock Exchange when he added Woods and Fowler, along with former major champions Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink, to an American team that will try to retain the cup.

The Ryder Cup is Oct. 1-3 at the Celtic Manor in Wales. The United States won two years ago at Valhalla, and will try to win for the first time overseas since 1993 at The Belfry.

This will be the sixth Ryder Cup team for Woods, but the first in which he needed to be picked. Woods had finished first in the standings every time, including in 2008 when he spent the second half of the year recovering from knee surgery.

'It's great to be a part of this team,' Woods said. 'I'm honored to be selected ... and looking forward to going back and having a great time with the team and hopefully, bring the Cup back'

Read on . . . 

Tiger Woods Battling To Stay In Top Spot

 Tiger is facing a whole host of potential problems while at the same time trying to play some decent golf. Over the last month he at times has shown flashes of brilliance and at others, just struggled to stay in the tournament. He's trying to keep his top spot in the world, stay in the FedEx playoffs and possibly be in the Ryder Cup. Whew!
    . . June


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Woods must battle to hold on to top spot
CNN.com: "(CNN)

 Tiger Woods faces a twin threat to his world number one spot heading into the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

Either Phil Mickelson or fellow American Steve Stricker can end his five-year reign depending on their respective performances on Monday.

Current world number two Mickelson has his 10th chance this season to overtake Woods after a series of near misses.

A top-four finish, with Woods outside the top 24, will see him over the line but their are a series of other permutations, with Mickelson trying not think about the outcome.

"I haven't paid attention to what needs to happen, but I'm looking forward to getting in the hunt and seeing if I can get off to a good start and make some birdies," Mickelson told AFP.
Defending Deutsche Bank champion Stricker could also gatecrash the party.


He must retain the title at the $7.5 million tournament, which is part of the PGA Tour playoff series, while Woods finishes outside the top nine and Mickelson not in the first three.
Stricker is in fourth place, four shots behind leader Jason Day of Australia, after the third round, with Mickelson one further behind and firmly in the mix.

Woods carded a two-under par 69 on Sunday to continue his generally improved form but is sharing 23rd and needs a strong finish to protect his status and also impress U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin.

Read On . . . .

Woods shoots 65 To Get Into Contention. Go Tiger!

 Tiger shot a great game today, continuing on the late rounds yesterday, ending up at -5. This was a very important and decisive day for Woods. He needed to make the cut and he also needed to advance to the 3rd round of the FedEx Cup Championship. Now if he could just do this again tomorrow, who knows?
   . . . June


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Snedeker is leading in Boston; Woods shoots 65
Golf - Wire - Kentucky.com: By DOUG FERGUSON - AP Golf Writer

NORTON, Mass. -- Jason Day and Brandt Snedeker played in far different conditions and wound up with a share of the lead Saturday after two rounds of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Snedeker went from the rain of Hurricane Earl to breezy conditions Saturday morning for a 7-under 64. The wind gained strength throughout the afternoon, and Day did well to post a 67 to join him atop the leaderboard.

They were at 12-under 130 and had a one-shot lead over FedEx Cup leader Matt Kuchar (65) and Charley Hoffman (67).

Tiger Woods had quite a turnaround. One day after he bogeyed four of his first six holes, he birdied four of his first seven to shoot a 6-under 65 to not only make the cut, but give himself thoughts of winning. He was seven shots behind at the halfway point. 

 .. . . . . . . . 

It was an important day for Woods, who is No. 65 in the FedEx Cup standings and needs to be among the top 70 after this week to advance to the third round of the playoffs at the BMW Championship, where he is the defending champion.

That started with making the cut, and Woods was at 5-under 137, in the middle of the pack.
"I had to shoot a good one if I was going to move on, and I was able to do that today," Woods said. "I just felt better today. I just felt more energetic and ready to go."

Woods knew he would have to find his form quickly starting on No. 1, which is the easier portion of the TPC Boston. He had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 second, drove over the green on the par-4 fourth and got up-and-down for birdie, then added birdies on the sixth and seventh holes to take the drama out of his round.
"Considering I didn't miss a shot for the first six holes ... it was a good start," he said.


Read more: 

Is Tiger Woods Climbing in FedEx Cup Standings?

 Tiger Woods has had a fistful of problems this year, not least of which has been his very public affairs and marriage breakup. His golf game has been in the pits. Hopefully, that's about to turn around. Good luck Tiger!
   . . . June

Golf Roundup - Tiger Woods Seeks to Climb in FedEx Cup Standing

By LARRY DORMAN Published: September 1, 2010

"NORTON, Mass. — Looking loose, rested and ready, Tiger Woods arrived at the T.P.C. Boston shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday. He went right to work in a practice session aimed at carrying over the positives from his final round at the Barclays last week into this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship.

With temperatures in the high 90s turning the course into a sizzling, outdoor steam room, Woods went through every club in his bag on the lower driving range and carried two baskets of balls up to the pitching area to continue working with Sean Foley, his de facto but still unofficial swing coach. Then he headed out for nine practice holes.
 
Last year, Woods needed only to maintain a pulse to get to the Tour Championship, the fourth and final event in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs, but he won the third event, the BMW Championship, and his second FedEx Cup.

Last week, he made one big jump — to 65th on the FedEx Cup points list, from 112th — with a tie for 12th place at the Barclays. He is coming to the right place to make another. Since the inception of the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2003, Woods has compiled one victory (2006), two runner-up finishes (2004, 2007) and a tie for seventh (2003) at T.P.C. Boston. His worst finish in the tournament was a tie for 40th in 2005

Read more of this article . . .