Can Tiger overcome knee surgery?

Will Phil and Tiger have a Sunday showdown?

any thoughts?

What? No cow pasture pool players want to comment on this?

Anywho, Tiger's four back and Lefty's three back.

bump, bump

Well Huck, I guess we'll talk amongst ourselves.

Tiger's one back after a blistering 30 on his back nine ( the front nine since he started on 10).

Phil's 3 over. His stategy of leaving the driver out of the bag did him no good. You ever get the feeling Phil thinks to much?

I do.

Prediction: Tiger by 5 shots.

Well Huck, Tiger put on a show for the ages yesterday.
Two eagles on 13 and 18 then a prayer answered on 17. All on a bad knee. This guy is amazing.

Phil's out of it.

You're right... he was absolutely amazing yesterday.

YEAHHHH!!! Anyone who doubts Tiger at this point is simply in denial!!! He's the Greatest Golfer To EVER play the game!!!!

Ditto that ^

He is clutch.

Tiger may be the best, but I am so tired of watching him throw his clubs around after a bad shot. What a baby!!! Grow up!

Go, Mediate! Best of luck to you in the next 18!!!

we better enjoy this show because we will never see one like him (TIGER) again in our lifetime.

First let me say I agree Tiger is the best ever, but some of you people didn't see Jack Nicklaus in is hey day. Did you see the stats on TV yesterday that Nicklaus had 70 something top 10 finishes in majors and Tigers has 28? Do the math. Tiger may pass Nicklaus' 18 major titles, but you need to recognize the fact Nicklaus was a phenom back in the 60s and 70s.
I'm going to predict Tiger may be through for the season after Monday's playoff at the U.S. Open. That's presuming his knee is as serious as it appears.

I don't know, but I'm betting when you're as good a Tiger, and you are frustrated by injuries, and your shots aren't going where you want them to go, and there's a million plus on the line, and winning is more important to you than the prize money, a little club throwing might be understandable.

He throws his clubs because he knows he is capable of playing better than he has been playing. It comes as the result of frustration with himself, not because he is a baby.

I'm not a huge Tiger fan. But there is no ignoring his greatness.

I agree that Tiger is ONE of the best, but I still stand by my opinion that he's acting like a baby (okay more like a two-year-old) when he throws his clubs. I don't care how good or bad a player is, there's no excuse in displaying such immaturity and loss of self-control. I lost a lot of respect for the man today. Sportsmanship and class ....

YOIY
Obviously you've never seen me play golf. I can throw clubs with the best of them

I finally stopped a few years ago when a gentleman in my group told me " your not good enough to get mad playing golf".

He was right. Not trying to defend Tiger but he demands such perfection from his game that he loses his temper occasionally.

I disagree.

Loss of self control would be beating your bag with a club, throwing your bag in a water hazard, cursing the crowd.

Loss of self control is what John Daly went through at one point in his career. To compare him to Tiger would be ludicrous.

Tiger's antics are the outward manifestation of his frustrations with himself due to not performing up to the required level he has placed on himself.

You can say a lot of things about Tiger. But to say he lacks sportsmanship and class would be a misrepresentation of him. Maybe his frustration boiled over. Maybe he over reacted. But he does not lack sportsmanship and class.

Do you play golf? Or maybe a better question is; have you ever played golf at a very high level? I don't ask this to slam you personally, but anyone who has ever cared enough about golf to break 90 or spend a lot of their hard earned money doing it will make mistakes and get emotional about it. I've seen preachers who were avid club throwers and deacons cuss like no tomorrow!!! It didn't mean that they were bad people--just like Tiger isn't a bad person. Golf is very frustrating--and I'm sure that when you play golf at Tiger's level, playing like a 15 handicapper is infuriating!!! Tiger has played like a 15 handicapper this week--and yet he's in a playoff for the tournament title.

I was watching the tourney with my wife on Friday, and I told her...Off the tee, these guys aren't any better than most average golfers. Phil Mickelson only hit 12 fairways in 36 holes (Thursday and Friday). But where they are just amazing is their ability to hit two bad shots, then follow up with a great 25 ft par putt, a clutch chip, or a sand save that gives them a tap in for par.

I don't think Tiger will be done for the rest of the year, but he won't play a regular tournament again for a while. I can see him skipping the British Open, but I don't think he will. If he just played the Majors this year, it would be fine with me.

There was a good piece done by The Golf Channel on who was the best, Tiger or Jack. The players of Jack's era all think Jack is because he had Watson, Palmer, Trevino, Player, and the likes pushing him. They felt like the best 5 of the 70's were all better than the top 5 of today. I would agree with that to an extent.

The players of today say that Tiger is the best because the field is so much deeper today than it was then. They reinforced their points by pointing out how a Zach Johnson can win the Masters, and Angel Cabrerra can win the US Open and be anywhere from 15th to 150th (Rocco Mediate is 157) on the money list. Tiger doesn't have to just beat Phil, he can be beaten by 200 players. Jack didn't always win, but he very rarely got beat by anyone outside the top 15. I think this is a pretty valid argument as well.

In the end, we will only look at their winning stats. Tiger probably won't eclipse Jack's tournament win record, but I think he can beat his record of 18 Majors. If he wasn't in contention yesterday, I think he would have dropped out--but his inner drive to beat 18 Majors is what is fueling his fire.

I thought the exact same thing. I kept thinking "He's going to drop out. He's playing too poorly and hurting too bad to continue." But he wouldn't quit. Someone who had no self control would have quit in very loud fashion.

Good assessment OBTS.

And what about that language! I heard him drop 2 f-bombs Sat. You can't take your children around him to watch because he can't control that mouth. Can't something be done about that, or is he "just being Tiger"?

In answer to the question posed above, yes, I have played golf until chronic back pain forced me to stop. It is probably one of the most frustrating sports in existence. You are always in search of the perfect shot, which does not come often. It is a mental game - even more than a physical. You play and play - sometimes bad shot after bad shot - you threaten to throw your clubs into the nearest pond or sell them CHEAP in the next garage sale - UNTIL you hit the "perfect" shot. Then you are hooked again. The next shot may hook or slice - be in the woods - out of bounds - hit a tree and bounce back to hit you - doesn't matter ... you'll play until you find the next perfect shot. Yes, I played.

I'm still entitled to my opinion, and frankly I'm a little surprised that some of you are giving him a pass when it comes to a role model not controlling his temper. Not that I expected you to agree with me - just surprised that excuses would be made. Throwing his clubs down and expecting his caddy to pick up after him is just a tad bit spoiled to me. I guess I should tell my stepdaughter and son-in-law not to bother teaching their sons better sportsmanship. If you're great, it's okay to act like a baby.

I have an idea. Why don't you allow us to say whether or not we have given Tiger a pass or not?

First, his caddy. It may come as a surprise to you to find out picking up clubs is just one of the jobs that is the caddy's. And BTW, let me add he is WELL compensated for that. Another one of those jobs is to do EVERYTHING he can do to keep his golfer calm and on track. Because he realizes the better the golfer plays, the more the caddy makes. The relationship between caddy and golfer is unlike any other relationship in sports. One cannot exist, or at least flourish without the other. It is not Tiger's job to pick up clubs. It is his job to hit fairways and greens in regulation, then to make the putts no one else can make.

Second, no one said you weren't entitled to your opinion. I said I disagreed and gave reasons why. I believe you are wrong to judge Tiger until you have played at his level, with the pain with which he was playing, and with the requirements placed on him by himself and his sponsors.

I don't condone poor sportsmanship in any circumstance. I've been on the giving end of same, and all it resulted in was embarrassement and ejection. But your definition of same is obviously different than mine. I see poor sportsmanship as a player, etc., making disparaging comments about another player or blaming someone else for his poor play. Something like that. Tiger doesn't do that. Tiger's MO is not to throw clubs and act up. In fact, he is one of the most machine-like players on the tour, mostly unaffected by what is going on around him.

Again, Tiger's "outburst" was the result of his inability to play at the level he requires of himself. Not from his being a poor sport. He's one of the most stoic players ever, always focused on the game, and doing whatever he has to do to win at that game. I think he has aquitted himself as the guy who can do just that.

i don't think Tiger even realizes that he throws clubs and swears. He is sooo much of a zone, he is immune to what is around him. This is what makes him the man he is in a huge tournament. I'm an avid golfer. I do not throw clubs, but I do not play for millions of dollars. I think all of his actions are part of the fire in him.

I think you're right Twisted. Tiger tossing a club is similar to tossing a tool that has just hurt you... it's done without thought. I also think that when Tiger lets the frustration out it allows him move on to the next shot unencumbered by thought of the previous shot.

So, Twisted, what you're basically saying is that the character of the man comes out when he's "in the zone."

Oh, okay.

I'm going to jack the thread a bit here...so hold on to your hat!!!

I remember when I was in college, a young guy named Charles Barkley informed the world that he was not a role model...he was a professional athlete. It sparked a huge debate that still rages today. Are pro athletes role models?

Although at 22, I disagreed with Barkley at the time, I now agree with him and contend that they are not.

I know that young people look up to these superstars. That is undeniable. But, as a parent, when these stars screw up, that's a perfect learning opportunity for our kids to see that NOBODY is perfect. It also gives them a chance to see just how fragile the fame and fortune of pro sports is, and it provides a true teachable moment for me as a Christian parent to show my kids that everyone sins. I don't want my kids to cuss, abuse alcohol/drugs, or sleep around. But I don't think they should be kept in a vacuum until they are in HS either.

If Tiger drops an F Bomb on TV, I'm not going to shield my son from that, I'm going to allow him to realize that Tiger made a mistake. I'm not perfect, and I probably disappoint my own kids from time to time, but I'm still the one that my son wants to emulate and please every chance he gets. Tiger is no different--he's 32 years old, and he just became a parent. His child isn't really old enough for him to understand that he should act better when he's on TV. But if my son wants someone to look up to, to show him that the relentless pursuit of a dream can become a reality, I don't think that there is a better role model for that than Tiger. If he wants to learn about mental toughness, this US Open is a textbook video for that! If he wants to emulate a swing, I'd rather him watch Adam Scott all day!!! If he wants to be pure, then he needs to read his Bible. If he wants to be a dad, I would hope that he would watch me.

It's not Tiger's job to raise our kids. He's an athlete--and he has a lot of positive qualities that I'd love for my kids to copy. It's my job to temper that and help them decide what to keep and what to throw out.

[stepping down off the soapbox now]

Got goose bumps reading that. Well written!

Great post OBTS

Oh, he's aware of what goes on around him! I think he likes to show off his "stop in mid-swing" move because he hears a camera click or a shadow moves in front of him or a bird flys by. He's a showman. Don't EVER think he's not aware of his surroundings

Didn't say that. That is HIS way of being in the "zone". I have been in the zone playing golf before. It's hard to describe. Different people react differently. He's the greatest player in the world and I admire his dedication to perfection.

No, that's not he said at all.

Why is it so hard to understand the drive and ambition this man has to be his best, and when he is not his best, his frustration erupts?

With you assertion, you paint Tiger as a man with a violent character, but he has given no indication of that. In fact, he demonstrates quite the opposite.

Look at it this way, when you are driving a nail, and you hit your thumb, it is not unbelieveable that you would swear loudly and possibly throw the hammer down. Now, ampflify that about a million times. Let's say you're the best carpenter in the world, but due to an injury, you're bending nails right an left. Now imagine the frustration. You are not performing up to your potential, and regardless of what you try, you keep hitting your thumb. You know can do better. You have a client who expects the best, but yet it isn't working. You think you might swear and act demonstratively? Probably so.

Could your attack on Tiger be more related to your innate dislike for him, or others like him?

I would hope if I was a sponsor who gave him millions of dollars a year to play well while using my product, he would show enough intensity that I would have no questions to his determination to perfoum up to his potential. I would expect nothing less from a man as driven as Tiger.

BTW OBTS, you win post of the year. Fantastic.

There should be more fathers like you, OBTS. They are blessed. However, the students I teach are very impressionable and emulate the stars, superstars, and megastars.... All I have to do is watch how they dress and act - listen to how they talk.

The point in my original post is that I didn't like seeing Tiger act like a baby. That is what I would tell my children (if they were younger) and my grandchildren. I can't excuse him just because he's a great athlete, playing in a high-stakes tournament - not feeling well - hitting substandard shots, etc. In my eyes character is character; what goes into the heart, mind, soul, and body - comes out in actions and speech. All I did here on Smoaky was state my opinion.

KUDOS Bleeds!!!!

Hey guys i am at work and so i cant watch the playoff, can anyone please update the situation during the day

Me too.

Tiger is up by 2 strokes after 7 holes. He is not grimacing in pain after every wood or long iron shot--they said he took some advil before the round today.

He really looks sharp today...very focused!

Tiger -1 and Rocco +1 after 7.

At the tee on 8 Tiger hit it over the green into the trap with a 7-iron. He had an 8-iron and backed away then changed clubs.

Did he show his character?

I'm a teacher as well, so I totally understand what you are saying. Tiger hit 73 shots yesterday and he didn't throw his clubs after 71 of them. That's 97% character!!! Jesus is the only one batting 100%!!!

He was able to contain himself to having just a disappointed look on his face.

Tiger even Rocco +1

Tiger in big trouble

got out of trouble.....tiger even rocco +2

tiger even rocco +3

Tiger gave one back on 8 then Rocco bogeys 9 and 10 to put Tiger up 3.

tiger even rocco +2

Rocco can't buy a putt!!!!!

tiger +2 Rocco +3

Thanks for the updates TM

Thanks for the updates.....this is killing me

Anytime guys