Farmers Insurance Open Thread!

Very tight broadcast. CBS hit all the notes. Nantz and Faldo talked about Tiger at the start and that was it. Later they addressed the McCarron groove thing. Pretty much nailed Scott for using the word “cheat”, which was inappropriate. Mickelson was strong in his rebuke saying he didn’t expect to be slandered… One shot of Daly’s pants from Thursday to address that…. Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was to learn the new “V” grooves aren’t “V” at all. They’re more shallow “U” grooves! The controversial Ping Wedge has deeper “U” grooves. Phil’s got a good chance to win as do several others. What can you say, “Gentleman, play away please!”

Jim Nantz, Nick Faldo talk Tiger Woods on CBS
January 30, 2010 | 2:42 pm
Coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines switched from the Golf Channel to CBS today. Anchor Jim Nantz, in his 25th year of covering golf on television and analyst Nick Faldo, winner of six major golf tournaments, chatted about Tiger Woods. Who doesn’t these days?

Courtesy of CBS, here’s what they said.

Nantz: Of course everyone knows one player not here this week, on an indefinite leave of absence is Tiger Woods. That’s no news to anyone, but when he comes back that’s really just a random guess. I am not sure he even knows. I believe he’ll be back for Augusta but we shall see. But once Tiger does return what do you believe it will be like for him?"

Faldo: "I think very much a difference. What will he be? The most powerful thing Tiger had was his presence, wasn’t it? When he stood on that tee — we used that term, ‘two up’ — he was way more than two up. You look at his lead into win ratio, it was outrageous. He had that magnetism using the power from the crowd, from the television, to elevate his game and he must have felt so good that he had the game of golf literally in the palm of his hands. And with all of that, you’ve got to have great self-esteem for that all to happen. Now, when Tiger heads to his tee, wherever that is, maybe in 2010, he’s going into a totally different environment now.

“He doesn’t know what to expect. He doesn’t know how people are going to react. He knows how the media world has reacted to him. He knows how the business world has reacted to him. This is a man, he’s the No. 1 gossip in the world and he’s a very sensitive man. He’s very sensitive to even just criticism. No, more than criticism, even just comments. I think this is going to play a very important factor for him because he now has to get back on the golf course and be comfortable with himself with so much going on. He needs to get back on the golf course….I think the important thing is can he get out there? When can he get out there? He may have to change team Tiger a little bit to get out there. So, for me, he has an awful lot to get through.

“But the priority as a golfer, chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record, is to get back out there as soon as he can so he can get comfortable in this environment. And then can he have the same self-esteem as before?”

Nantz: “With all those things now changing, do you think when he does return and given time will he be the same player that he was in the past? Will he win as frequently?”

Faldo: “That is very difficult. But he has to. But after what has gone on, I feel he has to come back and be a winner again. Then it would probably be a greater comeback then winning here (Torrey Pines) on a broken leg. That’s the most important thing. That’s his life. Golf is his life. It’s almost like he’s starting again as a kid. As we have always said, let your golf club do the talking. Go out there and win and everything will take care of itself.”

Game over…drive home safely

A classic…I DVR’d Sir Nick’s answer to a Qn on whether the use of the older Ping clubs was “cheating”, so I was able to stop it from time to time and write it down for posterity ! Beat this for (some would say) ’tap dancing around the subject" (others might say “unadulterated BS”) !!

“Well I can understand both sides of the story, um I think, as you rightly said, that the word ‘cheating’ is a bit harsh, because it, it’s grandfathered in, it’s within the rules. Phil explains it very well, and he, in fact he, he actually, he’s quite, eh, vocal and he doesn’t even think, he thinks the rules are daft, you know, they’re not quite right, and I side with many of the players where we, I would love that if everybody had been on a level playing field we’d all comply to using these new V like grooves, and I think, then every player would be judged on their ability, you know, their hands, their control and bringing all these new aspects into the game because that’s what the USGA are trying to do, is trying to get a correlation, basically, between the best drivers, the best ball strikers, you know, the lowest score will win more money at, you know, at the end of the year, so better players will be, you know, winning more tournaments, more prize money, rather than, you know, we’ve had an era where we’ve just, you know, grip it and rip it, grab a 64 degree with teeth coming out of it, and make the ball stop anywhere.”

…got that ? OK ? everyone clear now ?