2013 PGA Tour Discussion Thread

[Mavric]

He actually struck the ball pretty darn well today. He said as much. It is all about knowing where to miss, he only missed in the wrong spot once all weekend (#15 today). That is "golfing your ball" very well.

He didn't really miss "badly" as far as getting into trouble, but he was 15-20 yards wide several times. Didn't cost him any strokes but he could have gained a few more if he was firing at the pin.

[QMany]

He actually struck the ball pretty darn well today. He said as much. It is all about knowing where to miss, he only missed in the wrong spot once all weekend (#15 today). That is "golfing your ball" very well.

He didn't really miss "badly" as far as getting into trouble, but he was 15-20 yards wide several times. Didn't cost him any strokes but he could have gained a few more if he was firing at the pin.

Definltey could have fired at pins, but that is why he is so good at closing, because he doesn't fire at pins when he doesn't have to. He closes on Sunday like 92% of the time. He is the best at course management ever.

 

"I hit it so good today, it was fun. I hit it high, low, left, right, whatever I wanted except for that tee shot at 14. It could have been something really low today, I just had a bunch of lip outs."

[tschu]

He actually struggled with his approach shots today but his distance was perfect - he was pin-high several times but missed pretty badly left or right on several and still managed to post a good score. Could easily have been 4-5 strokes better - of course, most everyone could say that but if Tiger is winning with his "A-" or maybe even "B" game, watch out as he continues to put it all together.

I disagree with almost this entire post

[Mavric]

He actually struggled with his approach shots today but his distance was perfect - he was pin-high several times but missed pretty badly left or right on several and still managed to post a good score. Could easily have been 4-5 strokes better - of course, most everyone could say that but if Tiger is winning with his "A-" or maybe even "B" game, watch out as he continues to put it all together.

I disagree with almost this entire post

What don't you agree with?

 

6 - hits a tree right

9 - 20 feet left with a wedge

10- 60 feet

15- left rough probably close to 20 yards

17- 35-40 feet left

 

Id say that's several approach shots that could have been quite a bit better.

[tschu]

You're saying that because he didn't stiff 5 of his approaches that he isn't on top of his iron game?

 

6 was a really tough approach from where he drove it. Hitting that tree was about par for the course, pardon my pun, from there. It left him in position for a really easy up-and-down.

20 feet with a wedge is a bad shot? It's better than the tour average to the pin from that distance. Not sure how that's a bad shot

10 he was just being smart. You cannot go long/left and shortside yourself or you're going to make bogey. And it wasn't 60 feet, it was 40 feet. Tour average from that distance.

15 - not a good shot.

17 - a safe shot. Really the only smart shot he could have hit there.

 

Your argument is utterly ridiculous.

 

(He could, in fact, have been 2 strokes better - his drive on 14.)

[tschu]

You should watch a tournament where Tiger goes into Sunday up by 4 shots. By your logic, he'll play terribly! Every green he'll be 40 feet away from the hole!

 

You have to play the situation. He's going to aim for the safe side, or at least the center, of a lot of greens if the situation dictates it. You're asking for trouble if you shortside yourself, especially at Sawgrass. Sawgrass is the ultimate scrambling test.

 

And expecting every single iron shot to be stiff, even when Tiger is playing at his absolute best, is totally ridiculous

[tschu]

"I was the victim"

 

LOLOL, no, Sergio, you were in position to win until you went quad-double. Mentally weak.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

He actually struggled with his approach shots today but his distance was perfect - he was pin-high several times but missed pretty badly left or right on several and still managed to post a good score. Could easily have been 4-5 strokes better - of course, most everyone could say that but if Tiger is winning with his "A-" or maybe even "B" game, watch out as he continues to put it all together.

I disagree with almost this entire post

What don't you agree with?

 

6 - hits a tree right

9 - 20 feet left with a wedge

10- 60 feet

15- left rough probably close to 20 yards

17- 35-40 feet left

 

Id say that's several approach shots that could have been quite a bit better.

 

There's definitely a difference between knowing what you can do and what you have to do. I'm betting Tiger wanted to take it right at 17, but that play is incredibly risky and why risk the tournament doing that? Ask Sergio how being aggressive on that hole worked out for him.

 

Of course there were some shots he wasn't as close as he would've liked, but he recovered well. That's why he won.

[tschu]

On 17, Tiger likely aimed right where he hit it and tried to play for a baby cut that would catch the slope and get it close. In that way, he was aimed at the left side of the green, would land on the center of the green, and roll down the slope to the pin. It also gave him the chance to, in the case of mishitting his shot, he could A) make a bad swing and hit it dead straight, ending up on the far side of the green or B) make the opposite bad swing and overcook it short-right, in which case he would have accidentally stuck it pretty close to the pin. He ended up with option A, which is just fine. A 2-putt par, leaving the pressure on his competitors.

[QMany]

In Tiger's interview, he said that was his line on #17. He was going nowhere close to that pin. He wanted to hit a little pull-cut. If it stayed up on that back ledge he would have an easier two-putt and get out of there, if it cut and took the ridge he would be close. If he goes for that pin and gets steep like he did, he might be in the drink. Course management fellas. Allowing himself a miss, unlike Sergio.

[tschu]

Ha! Well there ya go, I was right. Excellent decision, Tiger

[QMany]

His cut on 17 was so smart. Short of chunking it, the WORST that could happen is pretty much what happened, getting steep and not getting up on shelf and rolling back. He was trying to hit a pull cut so his miss was a pull. He wasn't going to high-right it into the bunker. He is the best there is when it comes to course management.

[Mavric]

Holy cow. Chill out a little. You act like I'm bashing on Tiger. I just pointed out that a few of his shots were off. I know not every shot will be perfect and I understand you don't shoot directly at every pin but even then he wasn't as sharp as he could have been.

 

You're saying that because he didn't stiff 5 of his approaches that he isn't on top of his iron game? So he is always perfect on every round and to say otherwise is to bash him? Considering he hit 14 true "approach shots" (the other holes were par 5s and #14), "missing" about one third of them is not really great.

 

6 was a really tough approach from where he drove it. Hitting that tree was about par for the course, pardon my pun, from there. It left him in position for a really easy up-and-down. So he drove it in the rough with an iron and then hit a tree and that's his "A" game?

 

20 feet with a wedge is a bad shot? It's better than the tour average to the pin from that distance. Not sure how that's a bad shot. I didn't say it was bad, although that was above his average for the year. Is "tour average" the same at Tiger's "A" game?

 

10 he was just being smart. You cannot go long/left and shortside yourself or you're going to make bogey. And it wasn't 60 feet, it was 40 feet. Tour average from that distance. Same question about tour average. I couldn't bring up the PGA Tour Shot Tracker on my iPad so I found a shot-by-shot on Golf Week that said 60 feet. Even 40 feet is well above Tiger's average for the year.

 

15 - not a good shot.

 

17 - a safe shot. Really the only smart shot he could have hit there. Agree that it was a safe shot and the slope of the green probably didn't help but I tried to account for that in the number I listed but there is still room to be left of the flag without being on the other side of the slope. No reason for him to be aggressive at that point so I'll concede that one.

 

Your argument is utterly ridiculous.

 

(He could, in fact, have been 2 strokes better - his drive on 14.)

[NUance]

The thing is, even at his best Tiger shoots the occasional errant shot. But that's why he's great. Because his next shot is often a miracle to get out of that trouble.

[Mavric]

The thing is, even at his best Tiger shoots the occasional errant shot. But that's why he's great. Because his next shot is often a miracle to get out of that trouble.

This is exactly my point. He didn't hit the greatest shots ever but was still able to post a good score and win by two shots. If his game keeps coming together (and, by the wry smile and answer of "It's getting better" to the post-round question about how his game is progressing, I'm guessing he likes where he's headed), the rest of the field could be in for a long year.