Category: Golf (Page 25 of 38)

Couch Potato Alert: 4/10

Comedian Robin Williams once joked that spring was nature’s way of saying “let’s party,” and this weekend, the party will be in front of your TV. The NBA and NHL are winding down their regular seasons, while baseball is concluding its first week. And don’t forget the yearly chase for the elusive green jacket at Augusta. Too many options…not enough time to watch them all. Thank God for DVR technology. Enjoy!

All times ET…

NBA
Fri, 8 PM: New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic (ESPN2)
Sat, 7 PM: Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers (NBA TV)
Sun, 1 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ New Orleans Hornets (ABC)
Sun, 3:30 PM: Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC)
Sun, 6 PM: Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors (NBA TV)

NHL
Sat, 7 PM: Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs (CBC)
Sat, 10 PM: Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames (CBC)
Sun, 2 PM: Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks (NBC)

MLB
Sat, 4 PM: Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels (Fox)
Sun, 1 PM: New York Mets @ Florida Marlins (TBS)
Sun, 8 PM: Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers (ESPN)

PGA
Fri-Sun, check your local listing for times: The Masters @ The Augusta National Golf Club (ESPN/CBS)

Is Tiger Woods a poor sport?

Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that Tiger Woods is a ‘poor sport’ and a ‘sore loser’.

Miss a shot and Woods tosses the offending club in anger. It is a wonder he has not taken a divot out of the shin or forehead of caddie Steve Williams.

Is that how Jack Nicklaus or Ben Hogan or Bobby Jones believed in playing a game for gentlemen? Should we care?

The competitive fire in Woods’ eyes burns so hot they can burn a hole through the chest, and Tiger is so intense he has been known to walk past his own mother on the golf course and be blind to her presence.

On the opening day of the Masters, a sea of red numbers on the leaderboard posted by everybody from Chad Campbell to 50-year-old Larry Mize turned Woods green with envy.
After an inconsistent round of 70 in which his frustration showed when he slammed a club after airmailing the green on the final hole, Woods was asked what it was about him and the first round at this prestigious tournament, where in 15 tries he has never posted a score in the 60s.

“Yeah,” Woods said Thursday, barely concealing his disdain, “that’s how I won it four times too.”

Kiszla goes on to write about how competitive Woods is and whether or not we as sports fans should care whether or not he can be kind of prickly when he’s playing.

Personally, I could not care less. I think Tiger has been such a phenomenal presence in the sports world over the years that writers are trying to drum up new storylines. That’s not to say Kiszla doesn’t make good points in his article, but it almost seems nowadays that writers are finding ways to criticize Woods’ game anyway they can. The bottom line is that most great athletes have egos the size of Saturn (the planet, not the car company) and they buy into how good they are. Tiger is no exception and considering how competitive he is, it’s no surprise that he’ll toss a club after a bad shot or give a snarky comment from time to time. Most of the great ones hate to lose and Tiger is no exception.

Nine reasons to root against Tiger Woods

REAL CLEAR SPORTS.COM compiles nine reasons to root against Tiger Woods at The Masters this year:

HE’S NOT FAN FRIENDLY— Sure, everyone loves Tiger, but why? He doesn’t give autographs, stares straight ahead when walking through crowds, and offers little more than an occasional tip of the hat to acknowledge the throngs following him around the course. Not to mention he curses so loudly after hitting a bad shot that parents have to cover their children’s ears.

Woods may need all of that to maintain his supreme focus, but Arnold Palmer did all right with his career and was still more than willing to shake hands and say a few words to any fan who sought him out.

HE’S WON ENOUGH — Woods first won the Masters at the age of 21, and has done it three times since. If he wins this week he’ll have five green jackets and be within one win of tying Jack Nicklaus for the most Masters titles ever. Nicklaus would love to keep the record, but remember: It was the Golden Bear himself who predicted after seeing Woods in a practice round in 1996 that the young phenom would win more Masters than him and Palmer combined (10).

HE’S TOO SCRIPTED — Everything about Woods seems like it was pulled from some Hollywood movie of old, like the drama of last year’s U.S. Open, when he hobbled his way down the 18th hole on Sunday and then made a putt to force a playoff he eventually won. His comeback this year from knee surgery was true to form when he made an 18-footer in near darkness to cap a five-stroke comeback and win his last tournament. Nobody can possibly do those kind of things unless they’re drawn up in advance. Unless, of course, the name is Tiger Woods.

To read the rest of the reasons, click here.

Personally, I like Tiger for all the reasons listed above (outside of him not being fan friendly, that is), although I wouldn’t mind seeing a youngster emerge and give him a run for his money. Even though the general public continues to be amazed at what Tiger does on a yearly basis, I think the sport of golf would benefit from some competition. Even tennis has one of the better rivalries in sports with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, so if a young gun could challenge Tiger, professional golf would probably become even more of a spectator sport.

The Masters 2009 Preview

— Written by TSR contributor Joel Rahn

April is once again upon us and you can’t call yourself a golf fan unless you get excited to hear the light and airy magnificence of CBS’ theme song for The Masters buzzing in your ear. Who can hardly wait for the inevitable opening shot of the gorgeous Magnolias, lining both sides of “Magnolia Lane” and the television excellence of commentator Jim Nance, who undoubtedly will ramble on about the history of the Masters, Amen Corner, and the fun-loving Rae’s Creek?

The 2009 Masters has its share of storylines, but the most notable headlines are the changes applied to the course, Gary Player playing in his final Masters Week and of course, Tiger Woods.

Ever since Tiger put on a clinic at The Masters in ’97 by dismantling the field by 12 strokes, Augusta National lengthened and tightened up the course tremendously. Every year it seems that pros and critics alike that complain about these changes, but it’s hard to disagree with Club Chairman Hootie Johnson’s adjustments – especially when you consider Augusta National has the reputation of being one of the toughest tests in the sport of golf. (And quite frankly, they plan on upholding that reputation.)

The best golfers in the world – wielding the most advanced golf equipment known to man – are about to do battle against a 7,435-yard beast. It’ll be interesting to see who gets chewed up and who prevails and something to note for all the critics of the course is that Augusta is actually 10 yards shorter this year.

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