04/19/24
March 07, 2005
He's back: And now he has company. Tiger Woods trumped Phil Mickelson as the two went head-to-head in the final pairing at Doral. We've seen this result before, but on Sunday things were definitely different. Tiger didn't win with intimidation and Phil didn't train wreck his way through the final 18. Instead, we were treated to a terrific duel with dramatic changes in momentum. I'd love to see a rematch in about one month.
Yahoo's current most popular photo acknowledges the drama and agony of this defeat with a splash of Farkist humour.
posted by gspm at 04:00 PM on March 07, 2005
Great picture, thanks for sharing, gspm!
posted by geekyguy at 04:47 PM on March 07, 2005
That is a classic photo, gspm.
posted by dusted at 04:55 PM on March 07, 2005
Looks like he got Chris Paul'd.
posted by tieguy at 04:57 PM on March 07, 2005
Woods, Mickelson, Singh and Els are the cream of the crop. All others are also ran's. Between the four of them this could be the greatest tour year ever.
posted by geodawg55 at 08:59 PM on March 07, 2005
Tiger is back and proving he is the best. A run of the majors is entirely possible. It would be fitting for Phil to present tiger with the green jacket.
posted by redskinsruss at 11:16 PM on March 07, 2005
I couldn't believe it when Phil refused to interview with NBC after the final hole. It's not uncommon for someone like Tiger after a tough loss, but I've never heard of a reaction from Phil such as that. Knowing how close that final shot came to going in, and how they both had to grind the entire round (and tournament), it's understandable. But we've become so accustomed to Phil smiling through good, bad, and everything in between. Again, not wanting to read to much into it, but this really helps add even more appeal to the greatest rivalry currently in pro golf.
posted by dyams at 08:22 AM on March 08, 2005
Most weeks as world No.1 since 1986
posted by garfield at 09:46 AM on March 08, 2005
I have been watching golf forever, and frankly and I not a big fan of Tiger Woods. I will admit he is a great golfer, but I wouldn't say the best. If it weren't for the greats like THE BEAR, Palmer, Bobby Jones, and others, Tiger wouldn't have been the player he is today. He played a great tournament, but do you think he can keep it up?
posted by adixon716 at 09:57 AM on March 08, 2005
do you honestly think golf ancestry has anything to do with Tiger's skill?
posted by garfield at 10:27 AM on March 08, 2005
A run of the majors is entirely possible. Are you serious? I'd give 1,000 to one odds that this wont happen. I guess it's possible, anything is possible, but the chances are insanely remote. It shouldn't even be mentioned before he wins at least one or two.
posted by mayerkyl at 12:38 PM on March 08, 2005
I agree with mayerkyl there: when we were on the "Tiger Slam" trail a few years ago, he was absolutely dominating golf. More recently, he has sucked (by his lofty standards) and a few decent finishes does not dominance make. The only reason "Tiger is Back" is because the media wants it that way. This year providing the greatest run of head-to-head showdowns in the majors, on the other hand, is something I see as far more likely to occur.
posted by smithers at 12:58 PM on March 08, 2005
Other than the previously mentioned big 4, I see the following gents as likely contenders for a major this year: Goosen, DiMarco, whoever the young guy is who sponsors Burberry and swings like Tiger used to (Scott?), and Sergio. Sergio better start to produce some big wins relatively soon or he will be relegated to novelty status, the Anna Kournikova of golf. Of course, there's always the Ben Curtis's of the tour who can suprise us all at any time.
posted by mayerkyl at 01:16 PM on March 08, 2005
Are you serious? I'd give 1,000 to one odds that this wont happen. I'd put a dollar on that if a casino gave me those odds. Side note: Ian Woosnam was considered the #1 golfer in the world for 50 weeks? I never would have guessed that...
posted by grum@work at 03:54 PM on March 08, 2005
Woosnam - number one pisshead in the world for most of his adult life.
posted by JJ at 04:21 AM on March 09, 2005
It was great golf, and I can't, for the life of me, believe Phil's chip on 18 didn't go in. Like it or not, golf fans thrive on having Tiger Woods be on top (or near the top) of the leaderboards. I'm sure the TV ratings for Sunday's final round were much, much higher than a usual final round. You just have to love Woods' aggressive play, like on 16 when he went for the green again and ended up with bogey. Hopefully, all the big four (Woods, Singh, Els, Mickelson), and possibly others, will provide an exciting and memorable tournament at Augusta this year. There's nothing better than clutch golfers playing their best at the Masters.