June 20, 2005

Hatin' on Tiger: I don't know that another one of Cold Pizza's finest could have lamented the fact that Michael Campbell won yesterday's US Open (and Tiger Woods did not) any better than Skip Bayless does here.

posted by YukonGold to golf at 03:56 PM - 23 comments

This part I can agree with: If the New Tiger had merely gotten pars on 16 and 17, Campbell would have walked jelly-legged onto the 18th tee with a one-shot lead. I could be wrong … but with only a one-shot cushion, I don't believe Michael Campbell could have pulled off a par to win the U.S. Open and avoid an 18-hole Monday playoff against Tiger Woods. ...had it actually happened. But it didn't and his next line of The Old Tiger would have won this Open by two or three shots. is completely preposterous. if grandma had balls she'd be grandpa. I thought it was a great finish considering that everyone had inscribed Goosen's name on the trophy, but I guess we can always blame Tiger for not shooting 66 and winning it outright.

posted by YukonGold at 04:00 PM on June 20, 2005

btw, how did we forget to put our picks in this time? I'll try to remember for the Open next month.

posted by YukonGold at 04:04 PM on June 20, 2005

Tiger just simply could not make a putt, not just on Sunday, but all weekend!! People tend to blow things out of proportion, with what if this or that. Campbell deserves the trophy, he played very well and hit his PUTTS. If you cant putt, you arent going to win much on tour or a major. Id look for Tiger to catch fire in the near future.

posted by Rage Rod 74 at 04:06 PM on June 20, 2005

I thought that person in Tiger's gallery with the pom-poms looked like Skip. Now I'm sure of it.

posted by roberts at 04:19 PM on June 20, 2005

If you cant putt, you arent going to win much on tour or a major. Which makes Vijay's wins weird. If he had any putting game, seems like he'd be unbeatable right now.

posted by yerfatma at 04:36 PM on June 20, 2005

In the first two majors of the year, Tiger has a 1st and a 2nd. What a slump. He's coming out of a few-years-long stretch where he spent some time setting up his personal life as an adult and tinkering with his swing, with varying degrees of success. This isn't Mike Tyson here. Tiger will be back, even if it takes another couple of years. I will, however, hate on Skip Bayless, who is a mindless tool who makes even Stephen A. Smith look good.

posted by chicobangs at 05:04 PM on June 20, 2005

Please, I'm taking nothing away from Campbell's valiant victory Really? It sounds to me that is exactly what you are doing. I am sick of hearing about Tiger's slump. What is his world ranking? 2nd? 1st and 2nd in the first two majors? The media has got to let this one go. Skip is a wanker. Tell me a great story about a guy who played his way in to the U.S. Open and managed to be the only player at even par in one of (if not the) most difficult golf tournaments on the planet against the best field of players you can put together. Don't write some sappy ass love letter to the ghost of Tiger's past. Skip...you're fired.

posted by stofer71 at 05:30 PM on June 20, 2005

I will, however, hate on Skip Bayless, who is a mindless tool who makes even Stephen A. Smith look good. Seconded.

posted by tieguy at 05:49 PM on June 20, 2005

I can't explain why but I always root for anybody but Tiger. I like the guy and am awed by his dominance. Why do I not root for him? Regarding Skip Bayless I believe he is simply kissing ass for when he approaches Tiger for the book he has in mind. "Tiger, The Official Biography" as written by Skip Bayless.

posted by mikemora at 07:19 PM on June 20, 2005

I sure would like to be "slumping" like tiger has....

posted by daddisamm at 09:33 PM on June 20, 2005

I agree, but in professional sports 2nd place is 1st Loser. If you want to still be a winner, try real estate. The second place guy can still be a millionaire while the first place guy gets the lawsuits.

posted by Bears85 at 10:10 PM on June 20, 2005

I will, however, hate on Skip Bayless, who is a mindless tool who makes even Stephen A. Smith look good. I had one of my happier days when Bayless published his last column in the SJ Mercury News since I (sob sob) don't seem to watch Cold Pizza.

posted by billsaysthis at 10:36 PM on June 20, 2005

Did anyone see the putt at 17? I've been watching for a long time. NOBODY is thinking that Campbell is making the putt at 17; nobody. My point: don't tell me Campbell is jelly walking on the 18th if Tiger is only one off. Campbell didn't look at the leaderboard (I'm sure he knew) you get my drift; he wanted it. He honestly ROSE above it. And that is what made it unbelievable. Tiger was ranked 83rd in putting out of the 83 left on Saturday and Sunday. Tiger has never come from behind on Sunday to win a major. Campbell won the 05' Us Open.

posted by JohnnyKay at 11:49 PM on June 20, 2005

I wish everyone would stop saying Tiger is in a slump. He's a very young man and if he has changed his swing and needs to perfect it give him time he has a long career ahead of him. I will forever be his fan and you know what? Watching this past weekends round(s) of golf was if nothing else fun it kept you from going to the bathroom just to watch them fight it out on the playing field. Cambell won it fair and square and him and Tiger made golf worth watching this weekend. Congrat's to both of them.

posted by bug0103 at 01:55 AM on June 21, 2005

2004 - Phil and his breasts win the Masters and finish second in the US Open (in part because of a late three putt) - the man is lauded as having the greatest season ever and being a genius. 2005 - Tiger and his (altogether firmer) breasts win the Masters and finish second in the US Open (in part because of a late three putt) - the man is lambasted for being in a real trough of form. Skip Clueless. Kypling suggested keeping your head while those around you are losing theirs is one of the signs of being a man - Campbell did what Nicklaus used to - he kept playing his game (kept his head) while everyone else stopped playing theirs. And if you want an indication of the pressure, look no further than the Goose. He has trheatened at times in the past to wobble under pressure, but until Sunday he had always regained his composure in the end. I say 'Bravo, Michael Campbell.' - he and the golf course beat everyone else out there.

posted by JJ at 07:21 AM on June 21, 2005

Wouldn't professional golf be really boring if Tiger won every single major and tournament he entered? I'm so sick of reading the "Slump" and "What's wrong with Tiger" stories after each event. If Sergio Garcia won a major and finished second in the next everyone would be falling all over the guy! What happened to Mickelson? Write some stories about that. I could write on and on and on about some of the other top players in the world and how horribly they played (and have played this year). Anyone who played in the Open and could stay in contention on that course, regardless if they won or not, is a fantastic player. Bayless is annoying, and he writes just so he can read his own words in print.

posted by dyams at 07:49 AM on June 21, 2005

I would like to know how exactly this dumba$$ thinks that Tiger's Driver did not work. He was first in Driving for the Tourny and 1st in GIR! Yes, his putting sucked but his first sentence...doesn't make any sense at all. Idiot

posted by slump_buster at 08:43 AM on June 21, 2005

Slump? Please. I wish I was hitting my driver as bad as Tiger is (300+). Won the Masters, second in the US Open, and I do believe he has won two other tournaments. He is second in money earned, 4.8 million in 12 events. Vijay has 5.5 million in 18 events. Do the math. These are not the numbers of a guy in a slump. Making $5.15 an hour is a slump.

posted by dbt302 at 11:10 AM on June 21, 2005

STANDARD STATS. Rank Additional Statistic Info Driving Distance 308.8 3rd Driving Accuracy Percentage 55.7% 161st Greens in Regulation Pct. 71.0% Putting Average 1.746 19th Eagles (Holes per) 240.0 76th Birdie Average 4.65 1st Scoring Average 69.11 2nd Sand Save Percentage 53.7% 51st Total Driving 164 56th - - All-Around Ranking 317 6th - - Money Leaders $4,800,290 2nd - - Par Breakers 26.3% 1st Putts Per Round 28.98 67th BIRDIE STATS. Rank Additional Statistic Info Par 3 Birdie or Better Leaders 12.8% 87th Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders 20.6% 3rd Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders 56.8% 2nd Birdie or Better Conversion % 36.2% 2nd SCORING AVG. STATS. Rank Additional Statistic Info Scoring Avg. (Actual) 69.68 2nd Scoring Avg. Before Cut 69.32 2nd Round 3 Scoring Avg. 70.44 49th Final Round Scoring Average 69.80 8th OTHER STATS. Rank Additional Statistic Info Total Eagles 3 69th - - Total Birdies 186 31st - - Career Money Leaders $49,943,026 1st - - Consecutive Cuts 2 61st - - Top 10 Finishes 6 Ball Striking 60 22nd Longest Drive 408 2nd - - Scrambling 59.3% 57th Bounce Back 26.6% 8th - - Par 3 Performance +9 43rd Par 3 Avg. - 3.06 - Par 4 Performance -20 3rd Par 4 Avg. - 3.95 - Par 5 Performance -72 15th Par 5 Avg. - 4.51 -

posted by dbt302 at 11:25 AM on June 21, 2005

Did I mention that Skip ("Skip?") makes Woody Paige look like Ring Friggin' Lardner? Right, then. Just wanted to be sure.

posted by chicobangs at 01:38 PM on June 21, 2005

Cold Pizza's finest Never seen those words in the same sentence before...kinda creepy.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:16 PM on June 21, 2005

dbt302 - those first two stats kind of sum up Tiger's current approach to the game - 3rd in driving distance, 161st in driving accuracy. Mind you, the driving distance stat is misleading - that isn't the average distance of every tee shot he hits, or even of every driver he hits. If they still do it the way they used to, the PGA Tour pick a hole on the front nine and a hole on the back nine where nearly everyone is likely to hit driver (so usually a par 5) and they only measure at those two holes. He's not playing the par threes very well, is he?

posted by JJ at 03:00 AM on June 22, 2005

Yeah Tiger does have some "flaws" in his game right now caompared to the Tiger of "old" (cause you know, at age 29, he's totally lost his game). But the fact is, forget stats, tournys won this year, majors, forget it all, the guy is still the top golfer in the game year in and year out. He's number one right now and only lost that position for a very brief period of time to Vigay (I know how it's spelled, I just don't like him). In the last 376 weeks, he has been number one in the world for 344 of them!!! So in the last 7 years he has only not been number one for what, 8 months. Woopee! Yeah, he's terrible. I like watching the other guys win too. You want other players to win...Freddie, Phil, Furyk...it's just so fun to watch him hit shots that no other player in the world can hit consistantly like he does. He's is a freak when his game is on. When it's not, he's just the number one player in the world.

posted by slump_buster at 09:52 AM on June 23, 2005

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