Wind Rain And Tiger Woods

"The people who are the real heroes at the ATT National Golf Tournament in Bethesda, Maryland, are the folks that cleared this golf course of debris and downed trees after the big storm in the area Friday night. As I watched the action on Saturday with no fans, and trees down on almost every hole, I was amazed that everything was back together Sunday, where they could finish with some semblance of normalcy."

If you read my introductory blog, I made some parrallel refrences to the direction of Tiger Woods and Dale Earnhardt Jr’s career over the past four years. That’s where the similarity stops. Tiger could be more realistically compared with Dale Jr’s father Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Intimidator moniker would fit well with Tiger.

As I watched third round tournament leader Brendon de Jonge warm up prior to fourth round action, even Nick Faldo commented on the Golf Channel, that golf’s Intimidator(He wears red shirts and black pants on Sunday) had set up next to de Jonge on the practice tee to perhaps intimidate the youngster. It must have done some good, because Brendon de Jonge from Zimbabwe would shoot six over seventy-seven and wind up with a T-11 finish.

The story was different however, for fellow playing partner Bo Van Pelt. Van Pelt seemed to be unaware of what the Intimidator was doing for most of the afternoon as he appeared to be busy chewing his gum and keeping up.  In fact,  both players were tied at 8 under par when they both birdied 15 and went to 9 under par.

The 16th hole would be , in my estimation, where the tournament was won by Tiger. Tiger Woods pulled his tee shot on the 16th, and easiest hole on the course, but got somewhat lucky when the ball hit an apologetic  fan who ended up with an autographed golf glove. Van Pelt hit his drive to the garden spot on the left center of the fairway. Tiger would lay up to where he could, as he had done all day hit that laser guided pitching wedge. Van Pelt pulled his shot left but just short of the sand trap.

Bo Van Pelt had a very awkward shot where he would have to stand in the trap and hit out of medium rough, ball way above his feet. He caught the ball too far up on the club face. and basically chile dipped it. I don’t think he ever recovered from that shot. Both players would have to settle for bogey and go to the next tee.

Van Pelt would bogey 17 and 18 in the closing holes and all Tiger Woods had to do was was make par to shoot 69 on the day and capture the 74th win of his career, and the third on the season. The win vaulted the Intimidator into position A on the FedEx points list , as well as pushed him ahead of Jack Nicklaus on the all time win list. The only one still ahead of him on this list is Slammin Sammy Snead  at 82 wins.

Tiger had to work for this win, and I feel Bo Van Pelt was a formidable challenge. He will remain, at least for the time being, in 4th place on the World Golf Rankings. He will play next week at The Greenbrier, and then take some time to get ready for the British Open later in the month. What a coincidence, that he will begin his assault on Sam Sneads record at Sam’s place in West Virginia.

Tiger Wood is without doubt, one of the best long distance lag putters I have ever seen. On greens that started to firm up on Sunday afternoon, after the rain, and were approaching 14 on the stemp meter he continued all afternoon to either leave his par puts inside the leather, and oh yeah, some of them dropped. I hate to say it, although I believe he will never be as good as he was, he is still a cut above everyone else on any tour.