Golf - classic or dud

I started watching golf when Faldo beat Norman at the masters but that was sorta it for him, then the Tiger era started.

The comparison with the Hendry years is spot on really but that only lasted about five years before Ronnie broke through and Ken Doherty beat Hendry at the world's in '97. And then you had Higgins and Williams too so Hendry had competition and there were some classic finals!

Tiger just felt longer and he was on his own it seemed. Genius but what's in it for me man?!

I'll give Nike credit for sticking with him at a time when scandal gets you shown the door immediately, even if I know it probably had little to do with loyalty and was just a financial risk/reward calculation that seems to have worked out.

I honestly felt a bit emotional watching him win. So he isn't a good person or a role model. Are we all really so perfect or charismatic or well-rounded?

He has had a strange life and the pressure cooker of celebrity in America doesn't exactly treat people so well, not least after a public meltdown like Tiger's.

This piece is very long but really gives context to today - his dad died, he lost his shit badly, he was injured and his body was in ruins, he fucked up his own life and made lots of stupid decisions. Somehow, and I'd say even just the physical side of it alone is remarkable, he has managed to claw his way back.

The ambiguity of his character makes it all the more interesting.

http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/feature/story/_/id/15278522/how-tiger-woods-life-unraveled-years-father-earl-woods-death

Tiger just felt longer and he was on his own it seemed. Genius but what's in it for me man?!

i've definitely enjoyed the post-Tiger gold world in the same way that i enjoyed the post-Hendry snooker world (and Ronnie, who is above and beyond either, has his own story exactly because he's better than machine precision) but given all the weirdness of race/class/cheering for alt option/you know what i mean, fairy stories

all that, anyway, the Tiger resurrection is a great story also all things considered i think he's the best player of his game of all time and this is a welcome next chapter

gold = golf lol

This is amazing. I'd have bet anything, 2-3 years ago, that this would never happen.

Such a great tourney. Felt like old all the chumps folding around the goat.

So much else to talk about today, I don't think I heard what used to be an ongoing story mentioned even once (maybe I missed it): this was the first time Tiger came from behind to win a major. Three times he was tied going into Sunday, every other time he teed off with the lead (anywhere from 1 to 10 strokes).

Yah they talked about it quite a bit on the broadcast here

Bethpage Black a monstrous golf course. Spieth going for the career grand slam but, like Mickelson, I doubt he can drive it straight enough to win round this course. Guess Koepka is the favourite going in. The Nike cap he's wearing right now is so ugly tho.

Brooks playing with Tiger and Molinari first two rounds. Tiger doubled the first . Conditions look perfect but this course is just brutal and that's with an easier PGA set up compared to how they set it up for the US Open

Had no idea Spieth is now #39 in world rankings!!

brooks strolls round in 63 like it ain't no big deal. frightening.
tiger 2 over.
nice to see tommy fleetwood at -3.
conditions look perfect.

holy cow @ Brooks, that is an insane round on this course

kinda sucks that all eyes will be on Tiger

jeez brooks. just tuning in.

Hugely impressive front nine from Jordan. Think he hit every green. Didn't think he had it in him.

I must have ducked out somewhere--I thought the PGA was always the last major on the calendar.

i'm predicting Kevin Nealon takes over the Dorf on Golf franchise

XP
They've rejigged the schedule so that the US tour ending FedEx playoffs finish in August before the start of the NFL season and so that the PGA doesn't clash with Olympic golf every four years so from now on it's
April - masters
May - PGA
June - US Open
July - Open

Lol Rory starts his day double, bogey, double, birdie, par, bogey +5 for the day thru six holes and +7 for the tourney.

DJ 4 birdies in 6 holes , -4 in second place behind Brooks who plays in the afternoon wave.
Danny Lee was in second but has dropped five shots thru 11 holes.

I really want to like Patrick Cantlay cos his back story is so compelling but man is he irritating to watch, so slow.

Another birdie for DJ. Brooks and DJ duel would be fun, the loser being the one who makes an expression first.

Lol no majors between August and March is fucked up man

Beemer! birdies 5 of the last 6 to probably make the cut. amazing around that course.

another good round from spieth. maybe he's back?

he was never gone!

maybe a little gone

DJ is my big irrational dislike so it has distressed me to learn he's doing well

DJ played in the saudi event this year so that's a reason.

brooks starts birdie, birdie and strolls about with the air of a man who is bulletproof.

kinda glad tiger isnt going to make the cut so we wont have to watch him play mid golf all weekend whilst the actual contenders get no camera time

damn fleetwood 3 boges on the back 9 i was pulling for him to put heat on brooks

this is domination

lowest 36 hole score in majors history

maybe i started that 'how many majors will spieth win' thread for....the wrong person

mind u, spieth is *second* in this. but also nowhere

he went deep into the funk and never really recovered

he's tied second in this tournament!!

i just mean generally. he's looking pretty good this weekend for sure! he just seemed so primed to make a run at quite a few majors a few years back. hard to sustain dominance

Yeah Spieth better watch it or he'll end up like Rory.

i always forget how irritating i find DJ's beard

Koepka choking!!??

4 bogeys on a row!

Lol, still leading by two with not many holes left

DJ screwed the pooch

DJ coulda won this if he just parted out 16-18.

Even as it stands with Brooks errant drive a double bogey is in play for the tie

Parred*

Really limped into this win

Catching up with the first round of the US Women's Open. Course seems p quirky especially the Greens, some ridiculously severe false fronts.

Also completely mind blown by the fact that the player in 2nd place after round one Esther Henseleit last official handicap before she turned pro was +7.1 !!!!! Imagine having to add 7 shots to your score after every round as an amateur!

Also lol at the rumoured USGAing of pebble Beach for the upcoming mens US Open. Apparently they have narrowed the fairways so much that on one of the holes a fairway bunker is now located 35 yards into the rough!

US Open at Pebble Beach is underway. Should be some good scoring in this one.

course is playing p soft today, greens holding, think it'll dry out by the weekend and be really tough.
mcginley with the great stat that rory has never won a tournament with a winning score of worse than -12. which suggests he can't win on really tough tracks. rahm and rickie going well greens look v smooth for pebble

Rickie leading. I wouldn't begrudge either he or tangent if he got a major but his hair really bothers me. I know it some charity mullet thing to do with his foundation but yeesh.