Tiger!

[Hidy Ho]

USVirgin said:

I don't know about that. Dimarco might have putted ugly (with that claw grip), but not poorly. He had 27 putts to Tiger's 29 in the final round and 110 to 115 for the tournament. A 1.5 putting average isn't too bad for Augusta, IMO. Tiger drove the ball poorly, but he hit more GIR than Dimarco for the tournament, believe it or not.

 

I just looked it up: pgatour.com

 

Good point ...

 

However, if I'd think it's hard to shake-off what ifs (42 on the back 9 in the morning) and a couple of really makeable putts on the front nine.

[dean]

DiMarco's iron play was so good for the final 18 holes that he had lots of putts in makable range (5-10 feet). I think he only made one really long putt. He's got to being feeling snakebitten, after losing the PGA championship in a playoff and losing in the final round of the match play tournament. I would like to see Tiger win a major by coming back from 3 or four strokes on the back nine. People remember Arnold Palmer for coming back fro 7 shots down to win the U.S. Open. They don't mention that he lost the U.S. Open several years later with a big lead to Billy Casper (the same Billy Casper that shot 106 at the Masters last week).

[Zorro]

Tiger has nothing really to prove.

 

He is the best golfer ever.

 

Take Tiger out of a golf tournament and watch how the TV ratings dip.

 

He has been primarily responsible for a huge upswing in the popularity of golf over the last 7 or 8 years.

 

When he hangs up his clubs his records will stand the test of time.

[dean]

Maybe, then, Tiger should retire, like Bobby Jones did at the age of 28 after winning the first Grand Slam of golf?

[Guest]

Zorro said:

Tiger has nothing really to prove.

 

He is the best golfer ever.

 

Take Tiger out of a golf tournament and watch how the TV ratings dip.

 

He has been primarily responsible for a huge upswing in the popularity of golf over the last 7 or 8 years.

 

When he hangs up his clubs his records will stand the test of time.

 

TV ratings don't make you the best golfer of all time, titles do.

 

Jack Nicklaus still has some impressive records, especially in the majors.

 

Until Tiger surpasses them, and he is more than capable of doing so, Jack is King.

 

Keep in mind that Tiger has yet to deal with children, major injuries and real competition, unlike Jack.

 

Would you rate Ernie, Phil and Vijay over Palmer, Watson, Trevino and Player? I wouldn't.

 

Throw in technology handicaps and it only makes Nicklaus look even better. And how many times did he finish second? Some 54 times on the PGA tour alone I recall.

 

Not a flame but too many people when comparing the best athlete in any sport don't look back far enough.

 

What about Sam Snead? Some argue he's the greatest ever Certainly faced major competition and won a record number of titles.

 

Still, right now, if my life was riding on a putt I would ask Tiger to hit it ahead of anyone, but as for the "best ever" you're premature.

[JJsushi]

Jazz said:

 

I think Tiger, looking black, doesn't help him to become more popular with Thai . Ironically, he's more Thai than black.

 

Never heard that one from Thais, usually I hear from Thais that they don't think he cares for Thailand or being Thai. Seems like they can't get excited for a guy that does not get excited about them.

 

I can't blame Tiger, after all he is AMERICAN and not Thai. He has no connection to Thaland aside from his mother being Thai. You can't be all things to all people. Good for PR stuff but for a young guy he has enough on his plate without having to worry about embracing Thais. Maybe if he was half Chinese i am sure his handlers would make efforts to capitalize on marketing him to the Chinese market. The Thai market is pretty insignificant when your on the world stage as he is. I bet his marketing effect is greater in Japan than it will ever be in Thailand.

[Steve]

I've been told teasingly by a TG once that "..we can have baby and he good like Tiger Woods.." Some do let you know he's part Thai.

 

37 is young in golf. You lose a bit in how long you can drive, but experience, mental toughness, etc. gets better over time for a lot of golfters. One of the rare sports I know where you can get better as you enter into your 30s instead of declining.

 

Tiger can retire now and be known as one of the greatest but he has to exceed Nickalaus and Palmer I think to be called the greatest.

[BadaBing]

chocolat steve said:

One of the rare sports I know where you can get better as you enter into your 30s instead of declining.

 

Truly thought you would have added to your rare sports " chasing BG's " eh Grandpa

 

Bada Bing

[Hidy Ho]

>>I can't blame Tiger, after all he is AMERICAN and not Thai. He has no connection to Thaland aside from his mother being Thai.<<

 

I agree with you ... *BUT* in a sense, he's lucky that he looks black. Thus he's accepted as "American" .. and many people may even forget about his ethnicity.

 

Now, if his Asian feature was more pronounced, I'm not sure he would have been as embraced as "American". But that's my pet peeve about being "American".

[Dali]

jjsushi said:

 

Maybe if he was half Chinese i am sure his handlers would make efforts to capitalize on marketing him to the Chinese market. The Thai market is pretty insignificant when your on the world stage as he is. I bet his marketing effect is greater in Japan than it will ever be in Thailand.

 

Interesting point. Last year there was a picture and brief article in Golf Magazine about a promising young 1/2 Thai + 1/2 Korean girl who looks like a potential future star on the LPGA tour. She grew up in Thailand, but is now in the US working with David Ledbetter.

 

I asked a Thai woman I know in Bangkok if she had heard of her. She said yes, Thais know about her but don't like her, because she declared Korean as her nationality for the LPGA tour, despite having grown up in Thailand and never living in Korea. I'm sure that is because of the potential huge sponsorship $$$ she can get from Korean companies (as did Se Ri Pak).

 

 

I totally agree that Jack is still the greatest until Tiger wins more majors (which he is in a great position to do).

 

The point about Jack's runner-up finishes is also a good one. And he finished second in more majors than he won... which in comparison highlights Tiger's record of 'closing the deal' when in a position to do so... another reason he should eventually break Jack's record (though I've always been a big Jack fan and thus hope he comes close but doesn't quite do it).