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The Masters

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2009 08:06 AM

Masters Sunday is usually one of the more fun days on the sports calendar and this is shaping up like it could be a good one. The course is a bit less "tricked up" and the weather looks better than either have been in recent years so it's more likely this year for someone to get hot and put up a low score. Add all that to the always-present possibility that one of the leaders misses a handful of the courses risk/reward landing areas and blow up into the mid-70s and at least a dozen or more names and story-lines could be in play. Kenny Perry (age 48 and w/o a major win to date) - and Angel Cabrera (the Argentinian who out-dueled Tiger to win the US Open two years back) are tied for the lead at -11 Past US Open winner Jim Furyk will be in the second-to-last group 3 shots off the lead, while Tiger & Phil (paired together, both at -4) are two of the 16 players within 7 shots of the leaders.

cooby Apr 12 2009 09:01 AM

Am I a bad person for liking that fact that Tiger is struggling? It's not that I don't like him; but enough of him for awhile, you know?

Kong76 Apr 12 2009 09:41 AM

I'm glad he's not in the running, the attention he gets becomes insufferable. I was able to watch ESPN this morning without finding out how long he likes his two minute eggs cooked and what color socks he'll be sporting.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2009 10:07 AM

I root against Tiger too although have no particular reason for doing so. Just find it more fun to pull for underdogs I guess. But he's only "struggling" if you use a different definition of struggling for him than you'd use for most others. Consider that 150 or so golfers enter your average tournament, and even the much more exclusive Masters takes in 90; an "off" week for Tiger means that he still usually finishes in the top 10. When other guys - even top ones - have bad weeks they finish in the back of the pack and don't even make the Friday cut-off. It's why he's NOT out of the running even at 7 shots back and why you (and the network) virtually always have to pay attention where he is. His case is not just your usual ESPN star-sucking overkill (T.O. sneezes ... Film at Eleven!!). He truly is that far ahead of everyone else and therefore that much more important.

Rockin' Doc Apr 12 2009 10:38 AM

Tiger is a phenomenal talent that dominates his sport as few others do theirs. His confidence, determination, and competitive drive seems to be beyond that of even other professional athletes. His dominance has led to the incessant coverage of Tiger's every move no matter his position on the leaderboard. I appreciate his phenomenal talent, but I too enjoy golf tournaments far more when he is an also ran and the media is forced to focus on his peers, if only for a week.

Methead Apr 12 2009 07:28 PM

The golf is great, but I can watch the Masters for the course alone. So beautiful, yet so brutal.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2009 08:17 PM

="Rockin' Doc":3oz4u2xz]His dominance has led to the incessant coverage of Tiger's every move no matter his position on the leaderboard. I appreciate his phenomenal talent, but I too enjoy golf tournaments far more when he is an also ran and the media is forced to focus on his peers, if only for a week.[/quote:3oz4u2xz] My point kinda was that he's virtually never an also-ran. Even when you think he is he still isn't and therefore they have to pay attention to him. Today he was 7 shots down to start the round with 18 others either tied or ahead of him and he still fought his way back to the point where he had a putt to tie for the lead with two holes to go. Anyway, fun day all around (except for that thing in Miami). The round got REAL interesting towards the middle there as both Tiger & Phil made charges while the leaders were mostly treading water and it became about an 8-man free-for-all there briefly. Gotta suck to be Kenny Perry right about now. He had the thing in his hands but bogeyed both 17 & 18 to fall into the three man playoff. Twas probably his last best shot at a major. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 10:45 AM As if on cue, Tiger proves FK (and the networks) right by charging to within a stroke of the lead before falling off on 17 and 18. Heck of a win for Cabrera who seemed to be blowing up earlier in the day. Kenny Perry probably had the worst night of sleep of his life. Farmer Ted Apr 13 2009 12:28 PM ESPN.com had a "Tiger Watch" section. Who. Gives. A. Shit. Cabrera wins an unbelievable tournament but all we hear about for 70 holes is Tiger Fucking Woods. He has become the Yankees of golf. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 01:13 PM I have to disagree there. ESPN, CBS and every other network that covers golf gives Tiger Woods all that coverage because people give a shit. In fact, for a lot of the people watching, he is the only one for which feces are offered. He is arguably the famous athlete in the world, he is a talent, much like Michael Jordan, that we may only see once per generation. And unlike a lot of guys featured on ESPN, he is worth every bit of the hype. He really is that good. He really might be the best golfer that ever lived. He is not the Yankees. If he were, he would be able to buy the best parts of his competitor's games and make them his own. The Yankee analogy fails in individual sports. Unless you can buy better equipment that give you an unfair edge. Richie Rich and Batman might be the Yankees, Tiger Woods is not. None of this, of course, means you have to root for him. Or like him. Or like the coverage. But you can't blame the networks for covering a story worth covering. Personally, I like the fact that he's getting a double-chin. metirish Apr 13 2009 01:33 PM I like Woods but have no problem seeing others win . Watching Woods and Mickelson pay together was fun , they clearly do not like each other much , this picture is great. Phil Mickelson, left, and Tiger Woods shake hands on the 18th at the end of their final round. Photograph: Shaun Best/Reuters Perry might never have a chance like that again, I suppose the three that were in the playoff might not. HahnSolo Apr 13 2009 02:23 PM Here is what struck me about Kenny Perry yesterday. My brother in law was watching with me and when both Tiger and Phil got to -10 or -9, he asked me: "does Perry know their scores?" And I said, oh, yeah, he knows. Some handle it OK, some don't. But all afternoon, Perry was parring along, watching Tiger and Phil go from 4 under to 6 to 8 to 10, and he never sputtered. Then when Tiger and Phil fall out of contention, he hits the shot of his life off the tee at 16 to within a foot and birdies. At 48 without ever winning a Major, and after withstanding the pressure of a charge from the game's top 2 golfers, and pulling off that tee shot, all he needs to do is go par/par on 17 and 18. Heck, bogey/par would do it. And I guess the pressure got to him, because on 3 of his last four holes (17, 18, playoff 1, and playoff 2) he hit horrendous shots. The underrated or forgotten shots for Cabrera were his tee shot and birdie putt on 16, which sandwiched Perry's great tee shot. Edgy DC Apr 13 2009 02:27 PM Golf is a humbling sport, and that's a humbling course. Playing conservatively as hell, a simple par is still takes a heck of a lot. Centerfield Apr 13 2009 02:33 PM I think history proves me wrong, but I think on a course like Augusta, it would be easier on Sunday afternoon to be chasing than be the one being chased. HahnSolo Apr 13 2009 08:14 PM ="Edgy DC":3rhp4m6t]Golf is a humbling sport, and that's a humbling course. Playing conservatively as hell, a simple par is still takes a heck of a lot.[/quote:3rhp4m6t] True that, but he had gone something like 25 straight holes without a bogie, which I guess makes it even more frustrating for him.