When Tiger Smiles A Lot, You Know A Tourney Isn't Important

by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 29, 2009 9:35 PM EDT

Fanhouse's Ryan Wilson brought up a great point in his recap of the third round of The Barclays. He observed the same thing I saw on Saturday - way too many smiles from Tiger.

As for the "morose and petulant" Woods, he hit plenty of poor shots Saturday, but it was hard to tell between all the smiles. Another indication that everybody isn't yet in "playoff mode." Tiger's putter did most of the heavy lifting, however, and the world's best player signed for a 67, good for a tie for seventh (4-under).

I do not want this to turn into another discussion of Tiger's on course demeanor, but let's face it: Tiger doesn't usually smile when he's at work. He cusses a bunch, smashes some clubs, and tips his cap. Basically, he acts like Jimmy Dugan for five hours.

So, when he's smiling a ton - like he was on the back nine this afternoon - and not up by fifteen shots, then that tells me something is wrong. And I think it's that Tiger doesn't particularly care this week.

Yeah, he is still cussing and slamming clubs. That's part of the package. And Woods dodged the media after each of the first two rounds of The Barclays. But, I get the impression that Woods' attitude this week is as close as it gets to "phoning it in" for him.

Maybe it's that he despises Liberty National. He described the course under repeated questioning as "interesting," meaning that he wishes this land would have remained a toxic wasteland.

During the round today, he was visibly confused and frustrated by the bizarre green complexs. At some point, I think he resigned himself to just laugh it off because the PGA Tour won't be back at Liberty National until at least 2013. And, by then, The Barclays will likely not even be a part of whatever form the FedEx Cup Playoffs take. Woods did the Tour a big favor by playing this weekend. He will likely leave Jersey City still atop the FedEx Cup standings, so maybe that is a decision he regrets.

Perhaps he is taking things lightly because he knows that he can't lose the lead this week. In fact, he knows he just has to kind of hang around well enough to stay in the top five in the FedEx Cup going into the Tour Championship. Easy enough for a guy that owns the Deutche Bank Championship and ~~Cialis Western Open~~ BMW Championship.

If my hypothesis is true, then maybe it's time to listen to Vijay Singh. Singh told the NY Post that he wishes the FedEx Cup Playoff events were clean slate. The top 100 finishers this week would move on to Boston. The top 70 there would go to Chicago, etc. Frankly, that may not make Woods care any more about these events, but it might give the tournaments themselves some more meaning and slightly less of a feeling of manufactured drama.

And as for all of the complaining about the architectural nightmare that is Liberty National, perhaps Dugan's revelation about crying and baseball should apply to golf, too.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

MAN I love that clip !!

RB – you could’ve skipped posting that article and just posted the clip. :-)

Ok – back to the point – Tiger Woods sometimes loses his temper on the course – so those occassional outbursts mean that he is “morose and petulant” all the time ? That is REALLY dumb.

I think you’re misreading his back-9 smiles today. He hasn’t been playing well, and he had been getting a little frustrated.

Today – he FINALLY got something going – three birdies in a row on the front, bogie at 10, and two more birdies the rest of the way with no bogies.

Isn’t it possible that he decided to stop getting down on himself the way he has the previous 4 rounds and just play fast and loose ? Try to have some fun even though this isn’t a course he particular likes ? I don’t know about you, but 5 birdies does wonders for my outlook on the game.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Aug 29, 2009 9:55 PM EDT reply actions

I definitely think the birdie train helped Tiger flash some more smiles, but I honestly think he doesn’t care.

I went and read Steve Elling’s piece on Tiger’s round and I think he reached the same conclusion I did.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 29, 2009 11:49 PM EDT reply actions

ah – Steve “The Seance” Elling, eh ? silly me.

Here’s what I have learned watching Tiger Woods and reading what his opponents say about him – Tiger wants to win EVERYTHING. If it’s a competition – he’s playing hard. He doesn’t quit.

Tiger was all smiles at the skins game before The Memorial – then he chipped in to win it all.

I can’t believe Elling would say something like that.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Aug 30, 2009 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions

Who has the better Sunday ?

Tiger and Wie are both 5 shots behind the leaders – who will have the better Sunday round and get closest to a win ?

I’ll take Tiger

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Aug 30, 2009 12:46 AM EDT reply actions

Me too considering that Wie’s putting has gone back downhill.

Been a Reds fan since 1996 and am desperate for a playoff run.

by Britain United on Aug 30, 2009 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, Vijay has my idea for the playoffs. However, since the sponsors would fret that Tiger would somehow implode in a tournament and no one would watch the outcome.

Been a Reds fan since 1996 and am desperate for a playoff run.

by Britain United on Aug 30, 2009 1:20 AM EDT reply actions

….it’ll never be done.

Been a Reds fan since 1996 and am desperate for a playoff run.

by Britain United on Aug 30, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions

court, off topic, Geoff Shack has

a course http://golftwitt.com/yx6n for us. Wide fairways. I bet if I aim for the center of those 60-80 yard wide landing areas “this ball will fit in that fairway”…

...from the land of pleasant living, Baltimore.

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Aug 30, 2009 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

I am getting Vegas odds for next year

on Tiger skipping the entire FedEx Series.

Britain United – Michelle will never be a great putter. There are only five great putters playing golf today – Tiger, Brad Faxon, Crenshaw, Cristie Kerr and Lorne Roberts. ALL of the others are just very, very, very, very good. Downhill is a relative term. You and I do not want to putt against Michelle Wie for Grover Cleveland’s ($1,000 dollar bills)

...from the land of pleasant living, Baltimore.

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Aug 30, 2009 11:44 AM EDT reply actions

Hey, don’t forget Dave Stockton! He’s teaching Michelle, but doesn’t seem like its sunken in yet.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Aug 30, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Anybody else see this ?

I just turned on ESPN2 for some LPGA golf – it’s about 4:29 eastern – and found out that I can buy Solheim Cup tickets…for last week. LMAO !!!!!!!

Four back – and the only name you hear is Michelle Wie. Amazing.

Hmm – I might even be able to hit fairways that wide, OEG ! (lol)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Aug 30, 2009 4:33 PM EDT reply actions

Send the first 2500 playoff points on to Atlanta ! Heath Slocum lives north of the city and is a very cool guy. Glad he finally got a win – it’s been three or four years since he’s been in the winner’s circle.

Did anybody else hear the TV guys just assuming that Slocum WILL be in the hunt for the $10 million prize at Eastlake ? He jumped from outside the second playoff week into the top 5 – but you can’t assume that he will stay in the top 5. Hard to imagine him playing his way out of The Tour Championship, but he can’t just mail it in the next two weeks and hold his spot in the top 5.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Aug 30, 2009 9:47 PM EDT reply actions