Golf's Answer To Houdini

Yogi Berra said it best when he reminded us It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.

Do you have your own personal favorite expressions with similar meaning? Here’s just a few that come to mind: “Almost Doesn’t Count …except in horseshoes”.
“Close, But No Cigar”.
“I Can’t Believe What I Just Saw”.

I’m sure there are many good ones I’ve left out. Either way, if you were watching last week’s Accenture Match Play Championships you saw what I saw, starting with Wednesday’s opening matches. If you missed it just trust me, ALL these clichés and more apply to the escape acts performed by Tiger Woods, golf’s answer to Harry Houdini. Starting his 2008 golf season the way he ended 2007, Tiger is sending his own message to all those trying to beat him; Forget About It!

We all have a soft spot in our hearts and like to root for the underdog. I’ll even admit rooting against Tiger on several occasions, including each of his US Amateur final match victories, his first wins as a pro and Masters win in 1997. Back then, I didn’t think he was worth all the hype. I’ve since learned to enjoy watching him compete, appreciate how good he is as compared to every other player and the history he’s making. Yes, I still continue to root for someone to put up a legitimate challenge each tou
ament, but I’m not holding my breath anymore. I’m also not a believe
that Phil Mickelson is that steady challenger. What’s incredible to me is that the guys who can’t beat Tiger, are the rest of the best players in the world. These guys play a different game than the rest of us, (who’s passions are to steadily break 80, 90or 100) and Tiger plays a different game than all of them. To put things into their proper prospective, think about how many times you were ever under par during a round, beyond the first few holes. Be honest now.

For those who still root against him, thinking he can’t be that good, that he’s made a deal with the devil (GB), get used to suffering for many more years. With 63 wins and A
old Palmer’s 62 victories now in his rear view mirror, Tiger takes aim next at Ben Hogan’s 64. It’s just a matter of time before he beats Jack Nicklaus’ 73, Sam Snead’s 82 and holds all the records. He can’t go undefeated for the year, can he? Of course not, that’s absurd. What about twelve in a row, beating Byron Nelson’s record of eleven? This record was always thought of as sacred, never to be broken, just like Joe Dimaggio’s 56 game hitting streak Well maybe he can’t win every tou
ament he enters, but why not the fours majors? Tiger has the unique luxury of losing and still being the big winner, especially if he pulls off the Grand Slam. My take on Tiger, “never say never”.

To put the official wrap on the Accenture Match Play, here’s the quick version of what I saw:

Simply put; Tiger was good TV. I watched in awe as he shifted into another gear on Wednesday making three birdies and an eagle, as he performed his Houdini-like escape, a 3-down with 5 to play death grip by JB Holmes. Then on Friday, he out dueled Aaron Baddley in an entertaining birdie fest, where Baddley had multiple make able putts in regulation, before losing in extra holes in sudden death. In the spirit of basketball’s March Madness, the bracket wars saw their share of early upsets by top players. The most notable was Ernie Els, who lost 6 and 5 to Jonathan Byrd in round one. Phil Mickelson’s early exit can at the hands of red hot Stuart Appleby, where birdies chirped throughout the match for both players before Mickelson made a crucial mistake, three putting on the final hole. The biggest surprise was watching Stewart Cink humiliate his opponents throughout the week, but as the final script read, IT GOT LATE EARLY for Cink, losing 8-7 to Tiger in the 36 hole final. What a surprise!

Today’s 60-second golf tip:
With all this talk about perfection, is it just me or do you see all the BAD shots I do by tour players? Here’s a few lowlights from Wednesday:
- Tiger’s opening tee shot out of bounds rightn- The tee shot on 18 of Henrik Stensen, (last year’s winner and this year’s winner of the consolation match for 3rd place). This low hook off the heel with his 3 metal (I still don’t know what to call it) was replayed by Johnny Miller and described as the worst tee shot he’d ever seen by a pro.

More and more I see bad slices off the tee, as the top players strive for the perfect plane and timing of the knees, hips, shoulders, arms and chest. Wanna get confused too? Just listen to the telecasts and see the replays of a player’s swing as they’re analyzed by the experts in spectacular super slow motion. They do a good job of showing off their knowledge, with technical terms only a physics major understands. For me, the moment I worry about my left side “getting stuck” on the down swing, not allowing the club to release (quoting Nick Faldo), I lose touch with what’s most important, squaring the club into impact. Squaring the club by turning the hands with Thumbs Down as you strike the ball, makes all the right things happen automatically, without thinking. That’s the way I like it. This discovery was the magic formula for me, “like money in the bank”, as it cured my out of control slice in the mid 1990’s.

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