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 Chris Gregor
 Purrrrrfection!
 Ernie was one and done
On display in his first match against big hitting J.B. Holmes, was Tiger’s uncanny ability to summon greatness when all looks lost. Standing on the 14th tee of that match, Tiger was 3-down and playing only mediocre by human standards and drown right horrible by his own. Holmes did exactly what he needed coming in, making 4 pars and a birdie. Against anyone else his performance would have been plenty good enough. Problem is, Tiger went birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle and closed with a par on 18 to turn a 3-down, 1st round exit into a 1-up win. While Tigers’ performance over those last five holes left me, and most of golfdom, just shaking our collective heads, it left the mucky-mucks at Accenture Financial, the Golf Channel and NBC Television dancing and fist pumping in the corperate tents. (Nothing harder on T.V. ratings than an early exit by the games’ biggest draw) And the likeable Holmes was contrite in his post-match comments. When asked how he felt after the match, he simply said “I don’t feel anything. I just flat got beat”. “When I was 3-up with five to go, I told myself to stay steady and not do anything stupid.” I didn’t want to give him any free holes with bogies and figured I’d try and make him beat me….. and he did”. What could I do? I mean the guy played the last five holes in five under, what are ya’ gonna’ do?” Good question J.B., one lacking an answer at this point. After dispatching Arron Oberholser 3&2 on Thursday he ran into a red hot Aaron Baddeley in Friday’s 3rd round match. Baddeley made 11 birdies during his round and forced two extra holes to decide the thing. Badds had 3 different putts for the outright win on holes 17, 18, and the first playoff hole. Missed ‘em all. Bad move. In his first opportunity to clinch the win on the 20th hole of the match, Tiger center cut a 12 footer. Game-Set and Match Aaron. Never been, in my opinion, anyone better at making critical or deal ending putts than TW. When he absolutely needs a putt to fall, it invariably does. He’s a freak that way. My gawd, Badds made 11 birdies in a round which would have flat crushed almost any other opponent, yet Tiger sent him packing. Oh by the way, Tiger made 12 birdies of his own that day.  Watch and enjoy - we may never again see the like After methodically if not spectacularly defeating the “Tank” (K.J. Choi) in the quarters and Henrik Stenson in the semi-final round, Tiger faced-off with Stewart Cink yesterday. 36 holes of me-against-you golf for all the spoils. As they strolled to the 1st tee at 7:00 AM, Cink was the quintessential sacrificial lamb. He got thrown into the Tiger cage wearing a meat necklace, a dead man walking if you will. Woods would pummel Cink 8&7 to conclude the inevitable and add yet more validity to the argument that Tiger is simply the best who hath ever swung a club. Here’s a statistic that I think speaks better to Tiger’s greatness than any other. The difference in world ranking points between #1 Woods and #2 Philly Mick, is greater than the difference between Phil and Nicholas Thompson (who?). Nikki T, by-the-way, is ranked 264th in the world. That’s right; the gap between the best golfer in the world and his closest competitor is greater than the gap between the 2nd best in the world and #264! ‘Nuff said…. |
