"Think of the fun you would have, shaping shots to fit the contours of the land instead of mindlessly blasting away."

John Huggan offers nine ways Tiger Woods could improve. I'm partial to these two:

5. Use persimmon woods
Again, like the one-trip-a-year thing, you wouldn't have to do this too often. But my goodness it would be fun to see you taking on technology in such an overt way. Think of the fun you would have, shaping shots to fit the contours of the land instead of mindlessly blasting away.

6. Speak out more
Like everyone else who has been to even one of your press conferences, I'm bored to tears listening to you trot out the same old, trite phrases. You seem to think it is clever to give nothing away, but if I hear you say, "it is what it is," or "this course is all there in front of you" even one more time I will run screaming from the media centre. It isn't as if you have to be that controversial; I'd settle for interesting. So let's hear what you really think of the terribly predictable way tour courses are set up these days. Let's hear how you feel about the way modern technology has all but destroyed creativity and imagination at the top end of the game.

Comments

[Dave K]

Speak out more and effect the brand ?
You cannot be serious.
Its 33 in Melbourne Victoria today and I have just played spring valley gc ( just 2kms down the road from Kingston Heath).
The Greens were fast, the rough was- thick due to recent rains ,conditions all day were windy and hot. Tough scoring. And more of this weather to follow this week.
Ahhh!
I can't wait to see Tiger at the heath this week.Its such a raw and beautiful course. Naturally beautiful,original, penal if greedy and forgiving if you play with care. Its a masterpiece. Australia's Pine Valley perhaps..
Couple a things:
I hope he does mention the course (though doubtful)
I hope he talks about preserving courses like these (highly doubtful)
I hope he plays well and makes the cut-It will be interesting to see if he plays conservatively (like the late roger mackay) or attacks like Baddley did 9 years ago.
I'm excited.

[Pickworth]

Me too, Dave K. I had arranged a family function for next Sunday so I actually hope my promised corporate ticket does not materialise (I fully expect to drop down the pecking order like Adam Scot's ranking as the week progresses). If it does arrive, it will put me in an invidious position. I thought I was clever avoiding the Grand Final and the Spring Carnival and then enviting everyone to my house. Oh, well.

[Trysil]

"it is what it is," or "this course is all there in front of you"

It's not only Tiger. Watch this month's "Living Golf" on CNN. Interview snippets from Corey Pavin about Celtic Manor hosting next year's Ryder Cup. How did he describe the course?

Take it away Captain Pavin - "It is what it is. (this course) It's all there in front of you"

[Dave K]

Jesus is that you- Ossie Pickworth?
Gday.
My handicapper has just informed me that we too have a family function next Sunday.
I bravely told her I'd be late.
Gulp.

[titleist38]

One of the most ridiculous and pointless pieces of" journalism" I have read in a long time. At one point Mr Huggan implores Tiger to win two majors in 2010 (only two?!).-" It is really this simple. The game needs you playing at your best. No one else really matters". Does Mr Huggan love the game of golf or is he seeking to destroy it? "No one else really matters". Does anyone have Phil Mickelson's e-mail address?

[rk]

That a respectable journalist asks that an athlete "speak out" about anything other than his athletic endeavors says all that needs to be said about journalism in 2009. What Tiger does with a golf club is sublime. What Tiger thinks about the world at large is irrelevant to anyone without a press pass dangling from their too-bright golf shirt.

[John Huggan]

it is always amazing to me how supposedly literate people manage to read things that are not there. Who said anything about "the world at large?" I just want to hear what Tiger thinks about golfy stuff. Anything, else, is his business.....

[Wisconsin Reader]

First . . . Tiger attempts to be "politically correct" during his countless press conferences. Imagine if he described a golf course as Dave Hill did Hazeltine in 1970 (and we are still hearing about Hill's comments almost 40 years later.) Of course he protects his marketing "image" (like you readers would not?) He is in the business of playing golf courses as he finds them not whining about them.

Clearly Tiger, more than anyone else playing today, uses strategy and does not just "blast away" at will. Watching this week in China demonstrates Tiger perfectly content with being outdriven by 20 or more yards as he hits irons or fairway woods off the tee. He plays to the middle of the greens (with 2010 legal grooves) and tries to shape shots to the pins. The result of his strategy and ability is consistently finishing in the top five (or winning) literally every tournament he enters. If the "old equipment" was brought back, is there any doubt he would dominate even more?

[Patchy]

Huggan and his peers have only themselves to blame with every little remark and aside being trumpeted from the mountaintop such as the most recent Allenby/Kim bit of banter that was portrayed as World War III. When the press are looking first and foremost for controversy then it naturally follows that the players will avoid giving them what they want. The only candid people are the ones with the battle scars (Nicklaus, Daly, Faldo, Azinger) or the young guns who have nothing to lose. Unfortunately, the current world top 10/top 25 are not in either camp so we get a steady diet of vanilla.

[Chuck]

On the original linked page at Scotsman.com, there is a wonderful comment by a listener, "Thornton Lad", offiering his thoughts on how the golfing press could improve, including:

"... stop asking stupid questions..."

"Next time you and your fellow members of the press get a pay raise or bonus, how about you invest that in golf. Let's see, Tiger has already invested millions in his Learning Center, and you're telling that he "should do the right thing" and give away his appearance money, just once?"

"As for stumbling and bumbling at the majors, let's see you come off major knee reconstruction and compete at the highest level. See what that knee injury did to Ernie? I think Tiger accounted well for himself this year."

"As for technology, I don't see anyone close to the distance control that Tiger has. Give him a hickory, he'd still win. But give him more credit than 'Mindlessly blasting away'." [Hoylake, anybody?]

"...lastly, stop being so critical. Can't you just enjoy greatness instead of sniping away at it? But that's the way of the British Press and sports heroes, isn't it..."

[dbcooper]

titleist38,

Huggan specializes in "ridiculous and pointless pieces of journalism."

Basically, he is a boring little shill for the ET.

[Vince Spence]

"mindlessly blasting away" tells me everything I need to know about John Huggan. Can you imagine the questions HE would ask at a TW press conference? Can you blame Tiger for how he conducys himself at such pressers?

Tiger is very private. It is NONE of your business what he thinks about anything - either golf related or not

[court]

Hey - why not ? Amateur baseball uses aluminum bats, but as soon as you turn pro, you have to use wood. I have no problem making the golf pros go back to persimmon...but I think you'd have to change the damaged club rule. As hard as some of these guys hit the ball, they might have to replace a splintered head during play. Then again - just bring back Pittsburg Persimmon and that tiny head size they had before Big Bertha.

Can't agree with you on having Tiger speak out more. These modern "journalists" prove over and over that they can't be trusted with an honest answer. These people think that a candid answer is license to fictionalize and tabloid-ize the answer. I don't blame players for giving canned answers.

[Average Golfer]

Is it just me or does Tiger, winning or losing, appear to not be having any fun playing? Golf is a task better performed when loose, free, and easy. Gee, he is human?

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

I agree with Geoff, but I like #2 and #9, too. Both would eliminate superfluous distractions from Tiger's transcendental mastery of the Game.

dbcooper (is that really you? what did you do with the rest of the money?): boring little "shill"? Surely you jest!

[Hod]

Hard to believe that some people could get their panties in a twist over some friendly, good old fashioned suggestions by Huggan.

[John Huggan's Mum]

This criticism of my boy is totally unfounded.

John has always had the best interests of the game at heart.

The fact that there are so may irresponsible journalists out there is no reason to slander them all. Golf would be more fun to watch if John was in charge of the game, that's for sure.

[John Huggan]

Thanks mum.....

[John Huggan's mum]

...in the dog

[Sir Richard Gusset of Scrought's Wood]

Slight correction:

John Huggan's dad: Is my dinner still warm?

John Huggan's mum: It should be. It's in the dog.

[thusgone]

i'll take huggan's mom and dad over kostis here any day.