once again...my least favorite golfer comes through in the clutch
Once again, Tiger Woods shows me why he is my least favorite golfer.
The PGA Tour is running a playoff system for the first time in it's history. There's quite a bit riding on making a success of it. One hundred and forty-four of the best players are invited to the first event, a field that, by the last event, will be whittled down to thirty. One hundred and forty-four guys have the chance to be the first playoff winner. One hundred and forty-three of those guys are showing up to play in the first playoff event today. One decided he can skip the event and probably stil have a good shot of taking the championship.
Tiger Woods.
One guy blows it off. One guy thinks he's all that and a bag of chips. Well, the fact is, he is all that and more, but does he have to shove it in the collective face of the golf world?
Way to go, Tigger. Way to support the sport that gives you that kind of leverage. Way to go out of your way to help the industry that builds your mansion. Way to grow this playoff system, and the sport of golf in general.
The PGA Tour is running a playoff system for the first time in it's history. There's quite a bit riding on making a success of it. One hundred and forty-four of the best players are invited to the first event, a field that, by the last event, will be whittled down to thirty. One hundred and forty-four guys have the chance to be the first playoff winner. One hundred and forty-three of those guys are showing up to play in the first playoff event today. One decided he can skip the event and probably stil have a good shot of taking the championship.
Tiger Woods.
One guy blows it off. One guy thinks he's all that and a bag of chips. Well, the fact is, he is all that and more, but does he have to shove it in the collective face of the golf world?
Way to go, Tigger. Way to support the sport that gives you that kind of leverage. Way to go out of your way to help the industry that builds your mansion. Way to grow this playoff system, and the sport of golf in general.
Labels: Whining
John put this out here at 6:51 AM
3 Comments:
Man, oh man, John. I normally agree with you (except in the political arena), but you're awfully rough on Tiger sometimes. The guy IS a new dad after all, and he has played pretty well lately...and he IS entitled to a little time off if he wants it. I mean, sheesh...should he QUIT playing, just because he's better than most of the poeople he plays against? That would be like begrudging a good musician his prolific music production because no one else can keep up, dontchathink? Or something like that...I know there's a comparison in there somewhere...
Well, here's my issue (and I'm not disagreeing with you. Maybe I am being a little harsh).
Yeah, the guy's a new dad, but it's not like he's had no time off. In the past two months, he's played four tournaments, With 2 days of practice before each one (which is more than his average, but I'm in a generous mood) he's worked 24 days in those two months. I would have loved that arrangement when I was a new dad.
Then there's the numbers game. 144 guys were invited to play this weekend. One hundred and forty-four. It's not like 12 or 20 or 50 couldn't make it. All of them made it...except one. A year ago, before he or anyone else knew he was going to be a new dad, if you told me that the PGA Tour was going to institute a playoff system, and 143 of 144 guys would play in the first event, without blinking, I could take a very good guess at the lone hold out.
Golf has given that guy a life most of us can't even dream about. It would be nice if he gave more back to it.
To be fair, the guy does give a lot to the community through charitable donations and foundations and I applaud that. He does wonderful things in the community. When it comes to the game and fans that gave him the ability to do all that though, I think he gets very stingy.
I guess it all comes down to watching him, two years in a row, completely ignore the youngster and hundreds of other kids begging for an autograph from two feet away, where every other player we encountered was far more accomodating. Yet, the one player every one of those kids came to see was Tiger, and he treated them all like they didn't exist. Yeah, do those kids like that and it has a huge influence on my opinion. It makes me just not like the guy. Hell hath no fury like a lumberyard scorned.
I'll defer, because this whole golf thing IS your profession, and I'm sure you've seen things happen (which involve the youngster) that I will never be privvy to...I guess I just wonder sometimes if we ask too much of our "stars." I agree, he should be gracious, and generous, and if he hasn't been, then yes, I too would support your disdain. But a picture of him as a 2 year old hangs in my father's office (courtesy of yours truly) with golf club in hand, and the fact of the matter is, the kid (and he IS still a kid, in many ways) has been nothing but a product of his upbringing in many ways. Given his experience, he's not doing so badly...and if he's not good to the kids who hold him in high esteem, then boo to Tiger -- he should do better. But from those of us who can lead him? Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Just my two cents. Usually only worth half a cent, as it turns out. ;-)
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