[Troy75]

Let's start with Rory. What an amazing YOUNG talent. His swing is so flawless and he packs a tremendous amount of power in such a smallish frame. I'm tickled to see him rise to the top, it was bound to happen. I really do think this kid can win a bunch of majors, I just don't know how many. If he won between 5-10 majors, it really wouldn't suprise me. I'd like to see him win close to 10 or more so we can put him in Tiger's class and have a reasonable comparison between the two. Plus I like Rory's personality, he's what I prefer in the world's top player...a respectful young man who doesn't throw Fbombs around on national tv and he's not a pompous, arrogant, self centered prick.

Philly Mick's been my favorite player for a long time now and his Sunday round at Pebble Beach a few weeks back will go down as a legendary round. Not only did he win the tournament and shoot lights out but he drubbed his arch rival, Tiger Woods. Phil looks to have his game in really good shape and I would personally love to see him pick up another major or two in his career. I think he's setting up nicely for a run of great golf in his early 40's, maybe similar to Vijay's run during his early 40's..that'd be awesome for Phil and his fans.

Now to Tiger Woods. First off, Tiger's not the Tiger of yesterday and his intimidation factor was huge back then. Guys literally folded up because of it and certainly couldn't maintain their composure when he was lurking. That's no longer the case as we recently saw Robert Rock go blow for blow and knock him out in the final group at Dubai? Then comes the butt whoopin Mickleson put on him at Pebble Beach. I mean these are the kinds of rounds Tiger does to other people, not the other way around. Tiger has become just another good player who can finish in the top ten and still has the capability to win some tournaments but his putter is the deciding factor. He won most of his previous tournaments because he just couldn't miss with the putter. Now he's dropping far fewer putts and looks more normal everytime he plays golf, and I'm glad.

We need someone like a young Rory to represent the game. He's a phenomonal young talent with as bright a future as any recent golfer I've seen. I've never liked Tiger because of his on course demeanor, it's sucked to be polite about it. He's arrogant, spoiled, pampered and a whore monger. I'm reminded of what he told Alex Miceli the other day, "you're a real beauty, you know that", except that comment applies to him. I hope the young kids and veterans give him about ten good years of what he gave them...no mercy.

GO PHIL and GO RORY!!! Rory is the future of golf...Thank God!

[Texsport]

I saw that Feherty with Darren Clark during which Clark said that the young guys have no idea how good Tiger was in 2000.

He says the most amazing thing he ever witnessed was Tiger's shots.

He also said that Tiger, on the range, was something else. He'd hit his entire bag, using only a 1 square foot patch of grass, and picked every shot---never took a divot with any club!

Texsport

[sporto98]

golf with tiger contending is better- more exciting. rory is fantastic and will be around for a long time. but there will never be another player as dominant as tiger, never.

[KyCutter]

sporto98, on 06 March 2012 - 05:31 PM, said:

golf with tiger contending is better- more exciting. rory is fantastic and will be around for a long time. but there will never be another player as dominant as tiger, never.

I'm not so sure. People said the same thing about Jack and then along comes Tiger. Never is a stretch. It is unlikely, but then again until Tiger wins a few more majors and finishes second in about 18 more, Jack is still the man. There is no doubt Tiger moves the needle and will continue to do so....but the golfers that have grown up watching and modeling themselves after Tiger are making the game better too.

'Cutter

[Troy75]

Tiger certainly does move the needle and for different reasons. Many people want to see him get back to the top and are hoping he'll win the tournament. People like me, which there are many, want to see him crumble like a cookie. I've tried liking Tiger, I really did but realized his on course attitude is simply to much for me to deal with in a player his caliber. He reminds me of the average hacker that curses like a sailor, throws clubs and continually shows his ass on the golf course.

Tiger will be remembered just as much by his sucky disposition and full blown temper tantrums just as much as his play in his prime. I recently told my father that there's never been a great player conduct himself the way Tiger Woods does on the golf course. Arnie, Gary, Jack, Tom etc., to my knowledge never acted like Woods does. Having said all of that, it's SOOOOOO refreshing to think that we've got a young kid in Rory that can be the new Great Player of the modern era...and hopefully Phil can capture a couple of more majors to cap off his HOF career. Those guys are just easier to root for because they don't behave like an idiot...not to mention his adultry. I'm a married man and adultry's not part of the equation.

[Texsport]

Its amazing that some folks form opinions---good and bad---about players they have never met.

I'd have to say that they must be some of the most gullible of humans.

I certainly wouldn't trust their votes for political candidates, because if it's all about persona, instead of issues, they'd rarely know who they were voting for---and would vote for the most irrelevant of reasons.

Without touching on details or names, there are some of the biggest names in golf history who would tumble(or crumble, in this case) from grace if every such personal detail were revealed.

If I wanted to hire someone to run my company, would I chose the most skilled at performing that job, or some guy I liked a lot?

And my point is, this is about golf, not a beauty contest.

Most of us have human faults, but few have super human abilities. None of us is perfect in every area. Furthermore, each has a mental state, relaxed or intense, which contributes to best performances in stressful situations.

My demeanor in competition must likely be different than yours.

But, it's the most beautiful of sights---watching the absolute best at a difficult task---perform it as best can be witnessed.

If you're a fan, you just want to see the best perform at the peak of their ability---nothing more or less.

Texsport

This post has been edited by Texsport: 08 March 2012 - 08:49 AM

[jameskhsiao]

+1! co-sign! well said Tex! I suspected this post was a 'tiger hate rant' in disguise, . If you love golf, you enjoy watching all three of these guys. Each one of them "wow" me every time I see them tee it up! I for one, enjoy seeing an athletes raw emotion surface in the face of adversity or victory. No one appreciates when Bill Belichick or Tom Brady stand on the podium for 10 minutes and say nothing, but we all love to watch the NFL films and hear all the on field banter (yes, curse words included). In football, its called passion or emotion. In golf, its disrespect....COME ON! People call Tiger a Jerk for not answering questions or giving arrogant predictable answers, and then when they see his real emotion on the course, they call also him a jerk! which one is it? You can't have it both ways. We can all sit here and list the crappy things that any of these guys have done. Phil, in the earlier part of his career made David Simms (tin cup) look like a nice guy. Rory caught a little fame, left his long time girlfriend, and five minutes later is dating a tennis superstar. Just watch and enjoy these guys, we've all heard the "tiger is a terrible person" rant before, give it a rest. JMO.

what exactly does it mean to show your ass on the course? Methinks you needed one more negative comment to finish a thought....we should all be better off, loving golf, loving our family and firends, and stopping all the hate!

[Texsport]

Maybe some of us could use that kind of mental processing.

Neotenic thinking can actually be an advantage on the golf course--keeping it simple!

No paralysis by analysis that way.

Texsport

This post has been edited by Texsport: 09 March 2012 - 05:41 AM

[Ross Dawg]

I agree with TexSport - good post. Moreover, if you talk to pro golfers and caddies who actually know Tiger and Phil, you might be shocked at which one is more liked and respected.

Also, without taking a position one way or the other about Tiger -- people have no idea what his life is like. He has media pursuing him at every turn. No other player - Jack included I would think - has endured the media scrutiny that Tiger does day in and day out. Most people would be weary of the media if they followed you to dinner every night or even to the grocery store. There are many stories of very famous pros from past generations that were well known philanderers (privately), the media just didn't report it back then (even if they knew about it).

This post has been edited by Ross Dawg: 09 March 2012 - 08:18 AM

[Qwagmire]

In previous generations the media was respectful of a persons private life. Now its who can find what dirt to get ratings.

Media isn't about truth, it's about ratings and the almighty $$$$.

If you found out Peyton Manning was an alien with a whorehouse in Tennessee that only had left handed, one legged clientele, and you could become a millionaire for uncovering the story, would you?

[muckle skelp]

just looking forward to what could be an explosive season, imagine the Master if all three are firing on all cylinders

[KyCutter]

Texsport, on 08 March 2012 - 06:36 AM, said:

Its amazing that some folks form opinions---good and bad---about players they have never met.

I'd have to say that they must be some of the most gullible of humans.

I certainly wouldn't trust their votes for political candidates, because if it's all about persona, instead of issues, they'd rarely know who they were voting for---and would vote for the most irrelevant of reasons.

Without touching on details or names, there are some of the biggest names in golf history who would tumble(or crumble, in this case) from grace if every such personal detail were revealed.

If I wanted to hire someone to run my company, would I chose the most skilled at performing that job, or some guy I liked a lot?

And my point is, this is about golf, not a beauty contest.

Most of us have human faults, but few have super human abilities. None of us is perfect in every area. Furthermore, each has a mental state, relaxed or intense, which contributes to best performances in stressful situations.

My demeanor in competition must likely be different than yours.

But, it's the most beautiful of sights---watching the absolute best at a difficult task---perform it as best can be witnessed.

If you're a fan, you just want to see the best perform at the peak of their ability---nothing more or less.

Texsport

Tex, You and I have been around this board for a long time. I refuse to be demeaned over my opinion of Tiger's antics. Further we all vote for people we don't know and have opinions of many people we will never meet. By virtue of his golfing greatness and the technologically advanced time that he plays Tiger is absolutely going to scrutinized for his on course and of course activities. If by thinking he acts like an arrogant ass at times and would not make a good example of what golf is about when it comes to my kids and others then I am guilty as charged. I however believe there is more to the great game of golf than talent alone.....

'Cutter

[Troy75]

jameskhsiao, on 08 March 2012 - 08:12 AM, said:

+1! co-sign! well said Tex! I suspected this post was a 'tiger hate rant' in disguise, . If you love golf, you enjoy watching all three of these guys. Each one of them "wow" me every time I see them tee it up! I for one, enjoy seeing an athletes raw emotion surface in the face of adversity or victory. No one appreciates when Bill Belichick or Tom Brady stand on the podium for 10 minutes and say nothing, but we all love to watch the NFL films and hear all the on field banter (yes, curse words included). In football, its called passion or emotion. In golf, its disrespect....COME ON! People call Tiger a Jerk for not answering questions or giving arrogant predictable answers, and then when they see his real emotion on the course, they call also him a jerk! which one is it? You can't have it both ways. We can all sit here and list the crappy things that any of these guys have done. Phil, in the earlier part of his career made David Simms (tin cup) look like a nice guy. Rory caught a little fame, left his long time girlfriend, and five minutes later is dating a tennis superstar. Just watch and enjoy these guys, we've all heard the "tiger is a terrible person" rant before, give it a rest. JMO.

what exactly does it mean to show your ass on the course? Methinks you needed one more negative comment to finish a thought....we should all be better off, loving golf, loving our family and firends, and stopping all the hate!

You're wrong in that I tried to disguise my feelings toward Tiger Woods, I certainly didn't hide my disgust towards him. He's the perfect asshole IMO. His interviews are usually painful to watch because it's obvious he loathes giving interviews...particularly after a mediocre round.

There's a few words in the English language that Woods should familiarize himself with. Grace, respect, humbleness, faithful(as in a relationship), and on course etiquette(spelling?). Those are just a few shortcomings for this man and I could easily list many more.

As I stated, to be a golfer of world class caliber and to be mentioned along side Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Palmer etc., he is so devoid of those guy's character and integrity that it's just scary. I've heard some stories on his old man and it appears the apple didn't fall from the tree. He often teeters on being trashy, but he's got truckloads of money so it's just considered arrogance and rudeness. Yeah, trashy, that's it. Tiger Woods certainly exhibits trashy behavior. I also get the feeling Nicklaus and some other heavy hitters in the golf world are real tired of his antics and are really warming up to the idea of Rory dominating in the future.

[Texsport]

KyCutter, on 09 March 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

Tex, You and I have been around this board for a long time. I refuse to be demeaned over my opinion of Tiger's antics. Further we all vote for people we don't know and have opinions of many people we will never meet. By virtue of his golfing greatness and the technologically advanced time that he plays Tiger is absolutely going to scrutinized for his on course and of course activities. If by thinking he acts like an arrogant ass at times and would not make a good example of what golf is about when it comes to my kids and others then I am guilty as charged. I however believe there is more to the great game of golf than talent alone.....

'Cutter

Not defending his personal life or personality.

However, when they pick the all time greats, neither personality, manners, nor how many people you slept with are not qualifiers.

My point was that there are some pretty flawed characters who are held in the very highest regard for their golf achievements---and that goes for other sports also. Their personal lives have never been revealed, but Tiger has had to meet a much higher standard---right or wrong---and I think should be judged on his golf, just as all earlier players were.

I do not believe that modern society is just more enlightened either!

In fact, my business contacts and experiences verify that society is much less educated than any time in the last 50 or 60 years. Sensationalism rules, and politically dictated entitlements abound, but common sense loses.

Actually, Tiger's conduct in current society is much less egregious than the conduct of earlier players in more moral times. Why, the same stuff went on in the White House, and the guilty party is now acting as the front man at PGA charity events and making millions of dollars a year giving speeches to airheads who'll listen.

If the old golfing guys get a pass on conduct when judging their golfing greatness--Tiger should too--especially since times have changed so much.

I'm not introducing Tiger to my daughter--but I appreciate his golf swing--a pretty impersonal evaluation.

Texsport

This post has been edited by Texsport: 09 March 2012 - 06:49 PM

[KyCutter]

[Shambles]

muckle skelp, on 10 March 2012 - 06:54 AM, said:

just looking forward to what could be an explosive season, imagine the Master if all three are firing on all cylinders

I'm inclined to agree.

The coming season represents some real potential for excitement. Rory is showing a growing character in the face of the demands on a front runner and Tiger is showing flashes of his old self. Even PhilMick is giving some shine of his own.

This season is showing promise.


Shambles

[Andreas]

Tiger is under such extreme scrutiny that one can't really blame him for the way he acts in press conferences and in public. You'd really need to walk a mile in someone's shoes before cutting a guy down like that. The guy hasn't led a normal life for over 15 years. He's purely a product of today's crazy media driven society. I doubt Phil or Rory have 50 reporters camped outside their house. The funny thing is that as much as 'some' people hate him, they love to read about him.
Nevertheless, facts are facts, he drives TV ratings through the roof and increases attendance by 50%. The sponsors and the hundreds of thousands of the general public don't share your opinion!

Furthermore, golf in England was an old man's sport before Tiger came along, it was dying just like the grumpy old men who hobbled around their private, old boys clubs. Youngsters were just NOT interested in the sport, he single handedly exploded the sport. IMHO the whole sport, golf courses and equipment manufacturers have alot to be thankful to Tiger. You don't have to like him but that's the reality.

Personally I find Keegan Bradley's pre-shot routine (and the spitting) to be far more irritating than Tiger!!

EDIT: Apologies to Keegan Bradley, he seems to have taken the criticism he faced a few weeks ago regarding his pre shot routine and has fixed it. Well done.

This post has been edited by Andreas: 11 March 2012 - 04:11 PM

[petter7]

And now he's hurt again. (Tight left achilles)

[KyCutter]

petter7, on 11 March 2012 - 04:23 PM, said:

And now he's hurt again. (Tight left achilles)

From a purely medical perspective this is very bad news. There is only so much an extremity can take. I hope its not serious. Despite my opinion of him personally, he is undoubtedly good for the game. Hope he can bounce back for Augusta.

'Cutter

[Shambles]

KyCutter, on 12 March 2012 - 06:30 AM, said:

From a purely medical perspective this is very bad news. There is only so much an extremity can take. I hope its not serious. Despite my opinion of him personally, he is undoubtedly good for the game. Hope he can bounce back for Augusta.

'Cutter

He will undoubtedly do everything he can to get back in time for Augusta. It's good for his income. Whether he can play well enough to win is the real question.


Shambles

[petter7]

Here's a tweet from Tiger...

 Tiger Tweet.jpg (21.71K)
Number of downloads: 1

[Texsport]

petter7, on 12 March 2012 - 09:06 PM, said:

Here's a tweet from Tiger...

Tiger Tweet.jpg

With his leg problems, it was a good decision to withdraw on Sunday.

Texsport

[KyCutter]

petter7, on 12 March 2012 - 10:06 PM, said:

Here's a tweet from Tiger...

Tiger Tweet.jpg

This is indeed good to hear. If I sit quietly I can hear the Master's intro music already.....  Augusta_Dave_Loggins_instrumental.mp3 (2.56MB)
Number of downloads: 17

'Cutter

[Texsport]

KyCutter, on 13 March 2012 - 07:56 AM, said:

This is indeed good to hear. If I sit quietly I can hear the Master's intro music already..... Augusta_Dave_Loggins_instrumental.mp3

'Cutter

That's my cell phone ring 'Cutter!

Texsport

[Tour Edge Freak]

I agree that Tiger lacks certain aspects as a human being, but hey, dont we all. Rory is a great addition to golf in my opinion, and Phil, well he will be Phil. Cant wait to see what aspires at Augusta.