Tiger Woods missed cut @ Quail Hollow

[Asleep]

It was only the sixth time in 241 career starts that the world's No. 1 had missed the cut -- never by a margin this big -- and the first at a nonmajor since 2005. He finished ahead of only 11 players...

 

 

Coupled with Thursday's 74, Woods' two-day total of nine-over 153 was his highest as a pro — one more than when he missed the cut at the 2006 U.S. Open. That was his first tournament back after his father's death...

 

 

Seven-over 43 on Quail Hollow's back nine matched the worst nine-hole score of his career — equaling his efforts at the 1997 Tour Championship and at Bay Hill three years ago...

 

 

"It's frustrating," Woods said. "I didn't have much. At that point in time [the cut] was pretty much out of reach, and I was just trying to stay out of (Angel Cabrera's) way. He's the one who's leading the golf tournament, and that's kind of what you're supposed to do...

 

 

"I didn't play well, and more importantly my short game wasn't very good," Woods said after a 43 on the back nine that included back-to-back double bogeys and a three-putt on No. 15 from 3½ feet. "I get the weekend off and I get to watch to see how it is done ... how real players play golf," he said forcing a smile...

[swbyps]

I think what its the beginning of is what everyone has been criticizing Tiger for for years now. Everyone wanted Tiger to seem more human. Everyone wanted Tiger to not be so robotic. Everyone wanted Tiger to be more personable. Everyone wanted Tiger to act different on the course. Well, everyone asked for it and here it is. The guy, granted through his own actions, has been broken down. It looks like hes facing losing his family now...and 500 million! His every move is being watched and scrutinized even more so now than it was previously. Hes been pressured into trying to be this different person on the course, which just flat out is not his way of doing things. The guy is just a broken man right now. It would be naive to think that all these external pressures would not effect his game. Sure he has had pressures before, but its always been something that he has been able to control. Now, he cant keep the media at bay and hes bottling up his emotions on the course. Its not surprising at all that his game would suffer. Honestly, he was all over the place at the Masters too. He was just able to make up for it with good short game and putting. It wouldnt be surprising if he has a terrible year relative to what we are use to from him.

Then again, all that could just be BS. It may be just as simple as the guy just had a bad couple days.

[dlygrisse]

It wouldnt suprise me at all if this kind of thing happened a lot in the future, at least untill he gets his personal life back in order. From my own personal experience when you are not mentally free it is almost impossible to play golf at a high level, of course my "high Level" is shooting 75 not 85, Tigers is winning majors and world class events.

Yes Tiger is human, he might be able to compete at a high level on occasion through pure talent, experience and total focus, but untill he gets back to "normal" I see a lot of up's and downs over the next year or so.

[GaijinGolfer]

Im definetly not all that broken hearted about Tiger missing the cut but Im also not all that surprised either. He still has A LOT of distractions in his personal life.

[MtlJeff]

i really never thought i'd see him play this poorly while in top physical condition. You'd expect those scores at augusta when he's playing as a 60 year old, but not now. A really bad week for him, and you have to assume is proof that there is a lot of weight on his shoulders. I'm sure everything in his personal life is bothering him, couple that with the heat he's taking about swearing and club throwing which has to be in the back of his mind...probably just really tight/stressed out there.

[jaskanski]

Oh well. Plenty of other professional golfers miss cuts every week with much flimsier excuses. Not exactly time for massive swing change and career makeover just yet. Sometimes players just play badly...for whatever reason. Did you ever think David Duval would ever make a cut again in his life or finish second in the US Open. It's a better story than this one, but attracts less attention.

[CasualLie]

I used to think "between the ropes" he was a mentally stronger and smarter. Wrong again. If he's so bent from a personal point of view that it is going to affect his golf, then don't play. It's that simple.

"Mr. I only enter tournaments to win" is an attitude that further feeds his delusional ways. Not to make it a Phil vs Tiger issue, but it is funny how reality has presented the stark differences. I'm okay with the golf broadcast including the personal difficulties to overcome while competing (see Phil's crisis with Amy, or Olazabal's illnesses in the past, or Sean O'Hair's ridiculous Father), but not with Tiger. I'm sorry but it is truly pathetic for The Golf Channel and the other networks to turn this into a play for empathizing with Tiger. Not while he is golfing. If you want me to empathize with his personal troubles off the course, then keep the conversation off the course.

As for Tiger, the golf course may be your "sanctuary", but it is so low rent to turn it into a place to get your ego stroked while shooting a 79. Show up with your 'A' game or stay home and practice. You don't get a "pass" for struggling with your golf game because you chose to screw up your life. Fix it on your own time, not mine.

[RCGA]

[quote name='CasualLie' date='01 May 2010 - 03:30 PM' timestamp='1272736842' post='2412042']
As for Tiger, the golf course may be your "sanctuary", but it is so low rent to turn it into a place to get your ego stroked while shooting a 79. Show up with your 'A' game or stay home and practice. You don't get a "pass" for struggling with your golf game because you chose to screw up your life. Fix it on your own time, not mine.
[/quote]

Wow, you sound like you hate the guy. He had a bad round, not a big deal.

[CasualLie]

[quote name='RCGA' date='01 May 2010 - 11:07 AM' timestamp='1272737277' post='2412051']


Wow, you sound like you hate the guy. He had a bad round, not a big deal.
[/quote]

I don't hate the guy at all. I thoroughly enjoyed almost all of his tour wins, some I didn't see. I was in LV and saw his first tour win and to show what a newbie I was back then, I didn't even know who Tiger was at the time.

Keeping it to golf, my point was I find it a complete turn off to see golf turn into an episode of Oprah. When TGC was all over Tiger when he was winning, I watched it. Not all the time, but the over the top coverage didn't bother me. There were countless brilliant tournaments, rounds and shots. But just because TGC rode the Tiger tail on the way up doesn't mean they have to milk it on the way down, or worse, turn it into a major media event to be there when he rises again. That's not about golf.

I'm just saying the networks need to leave it alone until he's playing well again and Tiger himself can go a long way to making that happen by taking the lead in how the future coverage plays out starting with if he's truly not ready to compete, then let others be in the spotlight.

[ghodges]

[quote name='CasualLie' date='01 May 2010 - 02:00 PM' timestamp='1272736842' post='2412042']
You don't get a "pass" for struggling with your golf game because you chose to screw up your life. Fix it on your own time, not mine.
[/quote]

He didn't ask for a pass at all. In fact he said the EXACT opposite...

Tiger: "Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that."

[eyeguy]

Three factors that seem to contribute to his missed cut.

1.) Couldn't drive the ball straight or where he wanted to for the life of him. If you can't keep it in the fairway, 20 handicapper to world class pro isn't going to do very well scoring wise.
2.) Personal distractions (impending divorce?). Divorce eats at you like nothing else. Might account for his "didn't really care" demeanor on the back 9 of his round 2. He's worried about other more pressing things.
3.) Angel Cabrera. That guy blased drivers past him by close to 50 yards and on the fairway more often than not, also playing so well (top fo the leaderboard for a short while). Typically wouldn't affect him, but he even said, he was trying to stay out of Angel's way during the round.

The biggest stat was ONLY 6 missed cuts for an entire career of over 10 years. When you can count the number of missed cuts by the number of fingers in your hands, thats damn good golfing for a very long time.

[ckern1]

tiger will be just fine. I don't think he gives a crap about that other stuff. I think he just wants to win the players and then the US Open and then the british and then the pga. He will.

[RRyders88]

Furyk played worse than Tiger did at quail Hollow, at the Masters...then came back and won Harbourtown. its golf, relax....we all know how the game goes, and it goes that way for everyone, even Tiger once in a while. not a big deal in my opinion. i would be very surprised to see the fubuki in the bag next week though, those driving stats certainly make for both a longgggg two days, and a short week.

[130R]

Im not a huge Tiger fan; but as a spectator of the game....I will be dissapointed that he wont be playing on the weekend, as watch he or Phil make a charge on the back 9 is some of the most gripping viewing of any tournament. He will be back winning majors in the future; once he fixes both his personal life, mental game and tweaks his swing.

[StickE501]

Agree 100% with CasualLie and tncup

[Redhill]

Careful not to say anything critical of Mr. Woods. This thread could get locked.

[touch]

Distracted, and will be for some time. That is the cause.
79 was not expected. Missing the cut was not expected. Maybe these will be more normal until he gets his personal life settled. Write the check Tiger and get on with it.
Being a Phil fan, it does not bother this 30 year PGA TOUR fan a bit.

[puttingmatt]

Get over it !!! He will miss cuts, Everyone does !!! It is not like
he is the only player at this tournament. Besides this should not
surprise anyone. Give the guy a break !! Now if he misses all
cuts for the rest of the year, Then maybe, that will be something
to discuss !! Can You Say, SLUMP ?

[olkev]

[quote]Distracted, and will be for some time. That is the cause. 79 was not expected. Missing the cut was not expected. Maybe these will be more normal until he gets his personal life settled. Write the check Tiger and get on with it. Being a Phil fan, it does not bother this 30 year PGA TOUR fan a bit. [/quote]

Kinda makes you wonder what is going on behind the scenes. Is a filing for divorce coming soon? Did he fire Haney? (A thread in another forum says yes, then follows up with an ESPN report as no) More mistresses threatening to come out? (National Enquirer is reporting 121!) Equipment issues? (How many times has he changed driver shafts?) There are A LOT of story lines in this soap opera.

[fua1]

Tiger is done. It is over. He will be a good golfer, but he will not be the dominant Tiger of the past. His mind is shot. Last year his scoring average was 68.05 and #126 on tour averaged 71.14. Only 3.09 strokes a round seperate the greatest golfer ever and fighting for your job.
He has to have alot on his mind. The questions from the media used to build his confidence. Always about his good shots and mental toughness. Now they are about his personal problems or about his swing problems. This will erode his confidence. Doesn't take much off the course to cause you to loose focus on a few shots a round. I am not saying Tiger will loose his card, but even if he drops 1.5 strokes a round he goes from the greatest ever to just another good golfer. Not to mention some good young golfers coming along. McIlroy looks good, Ryo's 58, and Fowler. None of them have the personal baggage Tiger is carrying. Young and fearless. Toss in Phil makeing a major run and no way he catches Jack.

[costamesagolfer]

I'm sorry but it is very difficult to feel sorry for a Tiger. I believe that Tiger being almost forced into being more cordial to the fans and sign a few more autographs goes against his nature, and gets him out of his natural rhythm.

[ghodges]

Writing Tiger off at the rip old age of 31. Too funny. Isn't Phil like 7 yrs older or so. But Tiger is done. He is shot. He is the first person to ever go through a difficult divorce and will never recover to play top golf again. All that talent and skill is just gone.

Ummmm...sure. He may not ever be as dominant as he was, but the people writing off and saying he is done are just hoping and wishing. They want him him to be done, but I doubt if that will be the case.

[Redhill]

[quote name='fua1' date='02 May 2010 - 03:09 PM' timestamp='1272834540' post='2414212']
Tiger is done. It is over. He will be a good golfer, but he will not be the dominant Tiger of the past. His mind is shot. Last year his scoring average was 68.05 and #126 on tour averaged 71.14. Only 3.09 strokes a round seperate the greatest golfer ever and fighting for your job.
He has to have alot on his mind. The questions from the media used to build his confidence. Always about his good shots and mental toughness. Now they are about his personal problems or about his swing problems. This will erode his confidence. Doesn't take much off the course to cause you to loose focus on a few shots a round. I am not saying Tiger will loose his card, but even if he drops 1.5 strokes a round he goes from the greatest ever to just another good golfer. Not to mention some good young golfers coming along. McIlroy looks good, Ryo's 58, and Fowler. None of them have the personal baggage Tiger is carrying. Young and fearless. Toss in Phil makeing a major run and no way he catches Jack.
[/quote]


[quote name='costamesagolfer' date='02 May 2010 - 05:10 PM' timestamp='1272841806' post='2414546']
I'm sorry but it is very difficult to feel sorry for a Tiger. I believe that Tiger being almost forced into being more cordial to the fans and sign a few more autographs goes against his nature, and gets him out of his natural rhythm.
[/quote]



I agree 101% with the above. There are consequences to our actions. There is one amazing thing that has come about from all his "activities". That is the ability to focus on the golf course when there was so much inner turmoil in you everyday life. That took a lot of concentration. But maybe the golf course was a way to escape the pressure.

[worthhills]

He will never be the same again. Never.

[lagwagon23]

[quote name='ghodges' date='02 May 2010 - 05:54 PM' timestamp='1272844473' post='2414682']
Writing Tiger off at the rip old age of 31. Too funny. Isn't Phil like 7 yrs older or so. But Tiger is done. He is shot. He is the first person to ever go through a difficult divorce and will never recover to play top golf again. All that talent and skill is just gone.

Ummmm...sure. He may not ever be as dominant as he was, but the people writing off and saying he is done are just hoping and wishing. They want him him to be done, but I doubt if that will be the case.
[/quote]


He's not 31..... He turns 35 this year. No one said they hope or wish he is done. People are formulating an opinion. I saw something going wrong well before his thanksgiving mishap. Something was really off with him at last years british open for example. Throwing clubs, shanking the ball, hitting 6 inches behind the ball with a 3 wood... I have followed him for years and never seen that. I won't say he is done, but I think he has collapsed mentally.

[PlatinumNike]

[quote name='worthhills' date='03 May 2010 - 02:48 AM' timestamp='1272869304' post='2416086']
He will never be the same again. Never.
[/quote]



Anyways PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WOO HOO!

[dciraolo]

Tiger is done? I don't think so.

Didn't he miss a cut last year? And how many wins did he end up with?

Despite all of the problems from November to February (and who knows how long before then) and lack of preparation time he still finishes T-4 at the Masters?

Sure he missed another cut, but that's how golf goes sometimes. He is fighting his swing right now. He's bought into Hank's method and it's only getting worse. Once Hank is out I think we will see more consistent play from him. He needs to go back to the basics, and simplify the game. Slower swing, and go right at the hole. I've noticed that a lot of his best shots are when he doesn't try to work the ball too much.

[danbailey24]

novel idea....let's stop covering him. let him fall into obscurity like he deserves to. He deserves to live his life...he no longer deserves to be an icon in his sport...unless you believe his talents outweigh the importance of his human being...

[indianshaft]

^ Are you being sarcastic?

[kg4ever]

i like him as a golfer, i guess that will be it