Rookie golfer calls out Tiger Woods
There’s an unwritten rule in baseball that says rookies need to mind their own business, shut their mouths and always show veteran players respect.
Apparently these same rules don’t apply to golf. Either that, or Brendan Steele doesn’t follow them because he recently called out one of the best golfers the sport will ever see.
From SI/Golf.com:
Rookie Brendan Steele didn’t see eye-of-the-tiger intensity from Tiger Woods when he was paired with Woods in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Sunday. Steele shot 70 en route to a T17 finish, while Woods shot 75 to finish tied for 44th. Afterward, Steele said that Woods appeared to lose interest in his round Sunday once he started to struggle, according to an article in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated.
“I don’t think he gave it everything today,” Steele told SI. “Once it started going in the wrong direction, I don’t think it had his full attention.”
Here’s the deal, even if you think Tiger didn’t give it his all, you don’t say that. You tell your buddies about it when you’re kicking back a few cold ones or smoking some cigars, but you don’t tell Sports freaking Illustrated. Somebody needs to teach that boy some r.e.s.p.e.c.t. Find out what it means to me…uh, him. (To be fair, Steele had nothing but respect for Tiger before the tournament, stating that he was excited to be playing alongside one of the greats.)
That said, I think it’s obvious that Tiger lost his confidence in 2009. He clearly hasn’t been the same player since his ex-wife may-or-may-not-have taken one of his nine irons to the side of his dome and he hasn’t regained his swagger. Maybe he will eventually, but right now he’s in a major funk.
Every athlete goes through phases where they struggle with their confidence. They feel as though they’ll never get another hit, have another 100-yard rushing day or win another tournament. It happens. Tiger just needs to fight through it and find the motivation to be great again.
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Posted in: Golf
Tags: brendan steele, Headlines, Tiger Woods, tiger woods torrey pines
I say good going for the rookie! Tiger needs to hear the criticsm as well as the applause. He’s not above anyone else. Seems if there was more of this some of the vets might take the priviledge they have a little more serioiusly themselves.
Steele doesn’t have to respect Tiger, but he needs to shut his trap and not disrespect Tiger. For most competitive golfers there are times when things aren’t working and you are out of competition for a tournament. If you’re not struggling to pay the bills (like Steele might be) there is the natural tendancy to go through the motions for the remainder of the round. No need to expend energy in a losing effort. If Steele has any success and longevity in his professional career, he will find himself packing it in one day and becoming just another hypocrite.
You need to respect the players that came before you and understand their place in the game, and yours, even if you don’t respect them as men. This kid could end up being an all-time great golfer, or he could be a useless trivia question someday. Either way, he needs to earn it before opening his mouth. If this came from Els or Mickelson or Nicklaus, that’s one thing. They’ve been there, done that. But one top-25 finish isn’t enough for this guy to be commenting on a veteran golfer’s mental state, let alone an all-time great player.
Steel has played a lot of golf even though he’s young. He still knows when a player is playing like a Gak, like Woods was doing. His putting has left him and it was inevetible. I’ve lived long enough to see the greats start losing their greatness when the putts start to miss when they used to go in. Nelson,Hogan, Palmer,Niklaus,and now Woods and everyone in between. Woods has played a tremendous amount of golf in his career. He may never win another Major or he may win 2 more. He has maybe 15 PGA victories left. That’s it!
I find myself once again enraged by comments made by those with little or no knowledge about the man who made golf worth watching again. Understanding that being an elite athlete such as Tiger Woods, comes the spectrum of comments from players, writers and of course us hackers. Losing interest after falling completely out of contention, does not translate into ” losing interest”. Perhaps this doesn’t register in Brandon Steele’s brain. Tiger went through the motions to complete his round and make way for those left in contention.A devistating revealing of his personal life, along with a failed winning year, has taken it’s toll on the man! He has been crucified by every possible venue available to the media as well as the general public. And now a rookie that has the nerve to question his interest. Grow up, and maybe after you have won as many times as he, and played as many years as he, then and only then will or should you be afforded the opportunity to open your mouth and speculate as to Tiger’s frame of mind at any point in his game or life!
There is nothing wrong with speaking the truth. Tiger is playing poorly and everyone knows it.
There are a lot of people out in the world thinking you should give Tiger respect. Grow up. I for one loved Tiger and his play and what he did for the game, but he is just a man. He is not some God that you have to bow down to. It sounds to me like there are a lot of tiger worshipers out there. Come on folks he messes up just like anyone of us. Can you say “ADULTERER” that golf club found its mark when a came through the window of his car when he tried to drive off from his ex-wife and ran into a tree. He got caught. He lost sponsors due to his play. Face it folks Tiger needs some major head work. His heart is not in the game. If his Father,Earl GOD REST HIS SOUL, were here he be all over tiger’s butt. Face it folks he has lost the “Eye of the Tiger”. Respect is for your Mother and your Father. I watched Tiger grow as a young boy to the golfer he became. It was his fathers encouragement that kept him on the straight and narrow. Kept him focused. Tiger became to big for his britches so to speak. Mega money does a body good, if you know how to handel it. Tiger was thinking NAVY a woman in every port. All of this has messed up his head and he has not gotton over it. Face the facts people. Look at the stats.
Can you say FORGIVE? This rookie needs to keep his mouth shut. Anyone with any kind of sense knows that there is but one God. But people had the same type of reverence for Palmer and the Golden Bear. So why should it be any different for Tiger Woods. Good or bad this is his time of life. And before that grim November day you could not have paid these writers and fellow golfers to say the things that what always in their hearts. Nothing but jealousy and envy.
Next week no one will remember whether that was Brenda Steele or Brendan Steele that was quoted by SI–sounded like Brenda Steele to me.
If Tiger lost a step after suffering a mistake that cost him his family.That the media and rude fans remain him before and heckling while he’s trying to to play.Surely when things are going good on the course a phone call from Elin can screw things up just before the last round.Then what happen to Phil at the Northern the role model family man who have diner with the head of the PGA and Big Wigs before ever tournament finishing an impressive 35th place 1 under par 12 strokes back and have not made very showing in several tournament lately.His name was not mention in the Baddely Wins at Rivera article.Why is the press protecting Phil? Are they under instructions not to embrasses him ? They give him a free pass due to a condition he has.Why when he gets mad or not speak to the press it’s fine?Why is Tiger Woods treated with some respect like Phil.Tiger has won 14 majors compare to what Phil has won.
Please, please people – take a whiff of the air
Tiger’s a ‘has been’ – and real people don’t care
His cursing and club tossing and occasional spit
Wake up you moron – golf’s had enough of it!
I was one of only five or six people in the world who were present when he made his comment immediately after coming out of the scorer’s trailer. One of the other reporters had asked him how it felt to beat Tiger Woods. Steele winced and responded that it wasn’t a matter of beating anyone. His comment was clearly in the context of explaining that he had scored better than Tiger that day not because he beat Tiger but because neither of them was in contention to win and that Tiger was working on his game and spending an inordinate amount of time talking with him. Your speculation that Steele was calling out Tiger is way, way off base.