We've all been there. That's what golf does to you, even the best.

fetch, stevie boy!

It is so surprising to see a player who prides himself on his strength of mind allow his opponents to know what he is thinking. Hogan and Nicklaus certainly got upset, but would never allow their opponenets to know it. Something tells me there is more to this and these outburts are a product of something going on off the course, trouble at home perhaps? There are alot rumors saying as much.

He who is without sin please cast the first stone - or something like that. In other words... let's not be too holier than thou... who among has not tossed one in anger. I like the fact that he's into it. Would you prefer Jim Furyk's exciting disposition all day long? Me neither. Throw 'em if you got 'em.

What did Jones say?

Something like, "Golf some times raises emotions that cannot be sustained with the club still in ones hand."

Fortunately, guys like Palmer never had cameras on them every minute of every rond.

What did he make on the hole??

Looks like someone needs to attend a The First Tee class on the Nine Core Values.

@DavidStamm...what rumors? Do tell or link.

Tiger needs to get himself a club throwing coach. His hands were never high enough at the top, and his weight transfer was poor, resulting in a weak release of the club. Study the picture of Tommy Bolt and look at how he has himself in a very strong position to really get it out there. Bolt is making sure that club will never be seen again.

"There are alot rumors saying as much."

how would you possibly know that Stamm? some kind of gossip guru now? golf club atlas' perez hilton?

why both speculating on someone's personal life, even if it is tiger? get a life.

The definitive treatise on the subject, by Richard Russell, would describe Woods as having performed "The Whirler" as distinct from "The Hammer" or "The Snapper". That the club has not progressed very far forward of the tee suggests the full hammer has not been undertaken on this occasion. That's after allowing for the fact that the driver does not fly as far as the putter or the sand wedge.

He has also performed an essential manouevre, according to Grand Master Bolt, by throwing forward of the tee, thereby saving energy retrieving it - for throwers without a stevie, that is.

See Richard Russell's My Baby Got The Yips, Aurum Press, 2004

everyone missed the big picture question (sorry for the pun)...

How did this guy get the camera past security?

I was playing in a tournament and a guy threw his putter into a bush. He couldn't find it and asked the rest of the group to help look. I started to walk over when the other guy in the group says "I will help you look for your ball all day, but you are on your own looking for your club." I turned around.

Ugly. Makes me wonder what would Earl do.

We should not compare Eldrick's style to Tommy Bolt until TW can generate that "Huey landing in the bush" sound.

Not to be a holier than thou type, but I have never thrown a club. Sworn like a sailor fresh on shore leave, sure, but never thrown a club.

I'd like to see if anyone has footage of Nicklaus, Player, Watson. Snead, et al, throwing clubs.

The Tiger worship shtick has grown very old, and recent shining light on his antics equally so. He's a great player, but I don't think I'd want my kids to follow him for a round when he was having an off-day.

i threw a lot of clubs in the past. i've broken a few too. i stopped after slinging a putter that took an unexpected skip off the cart path (throwing a lovely shower of sparks) and deep into a water hazard. i could not afford to leave the putter where it ended up, and (not having a stevie of my own) had to go into the lake after it. it took 10 minutes or so, and i found several dozen balls before locating the putter. the dip cooled me off, and underlined for me the ridiculousness of what i was doing, as did playing the rest of the round in soaking wet clothes. i have not thrown or broken a club in anger since. i still cuss on occasion.

nobody doubts tiger's intensity and desire to win. i think drawing general conclusions about his character or home life(!) from his actions in the heat of anger are also unwarranted. but it is a fact that he looks silly when he does this stuff.

i'm also wondering why this episode didn't show up in the all-tiger's-shots-and-granola-bars wrap up the tv guys insist on showing two or three times per broadcast regardless of where tiger is on the leaderboard.

He's a fiery competitor.

Sergio, on this very site particpiants have said there were rumors that there was trouble on the home front. I've also takled to some that are in the know and they have also confirmed this, but no specifics have been said.

As for the perosnal attacks, go for it. I've got a a great life. How's your putting?

No Class

Whether you have a problem with Tiger's conduct or not, it seems to be getting more frequent and more overt. Very strange.

I think I actually did notice a tiny little stride break.

"...As for the personal attacks, go for it. I've got a a great life. How's your putting?"

Well played David, that is one of the best comebacks I've read on this blog!

+1 on My Baby's Got the Yips. Hilarious.


As for Tiger, I think he's got to be a little fried after Hazeltine. Clearly going through the motions a bit. Not appropriate behavior, but the media attention to it is about as played out as the behavior itself.

As for myself, I think that cursing is just about the greatest thing ever invented. Better than any pharmaceutical for warding off mental illness. I like to curse at god, in particular, especially if he's being a douchebag.

Even still, I have never, ever thrown a club in anger.

I have, however, tossed one at my bag once after a GOOD drive, and the shaft snapped in two. That was dumb. Probably god getting me back for all those times I cursed him out. Sneaky little bugger.

This is probably a well-known quote to frequenters of this site (even to golfers generally, or at least it oughta be!), but Henry Longhurst, to my mind, had the last word on club throwing: 'The most exquisitely satisfying act in the world of golf is that of throwing a club. The full back swing, the delayed wrist action, the flowing follow-through, followed by that unique whirring sound, reminiscent only of a passing flock of starlings, are without parallel in sport'.

It's just a pity that Woods' lackadaisical effort would have produced only a muted 'unique whirring sound'. It is also a pity that someone (the 'user') has taken down the YouTube video, so we can't all enjoy it, again ... and again ... and again ...

Somehow I don't think it was the voluntary decision of the "user" to take down the video.

Golf has been served brilliantly by the quality of it's Champions over the years. These performances by Woods are inexcusable. He has a responsibility to the sport to uphold the level of behaviour of Jack, Tom, Arnie, Ben, Bobby, Walter, Gene, Harry.... all of them. Tiger is easily the worst behaved, most ill mannered Champion we have ever seen.

Pennsylvania club pro Deacon Palmer to his young son Arnold, after catching him throwing a club:

"If you ever do that again, you are done playing. Then you can start working down at the mill monday morning."

He didn't. Ever. Heck, even John McEnroe was through hurling rackets at 33.

J-Mack

To my mind, Longhurst is a touch too literate, urbane and sophisticated to be the last word on this subject.

"I never threw a club that didn't deserve it". T. Bolt, quoted in Russell, see above.

that was kind of a drop-kick one-bounce helicopter move into the fescue...very creative :o)

That was a very high risk maneuver. That type of tomohawk move will often break the shaft and then you add to the degree of difficulty for proximity to the hazard, not quite a Triple Lindy but certainly right up there.

But clearly Tiger's a risk taker with the bungee jumping and all -- personally I'm a down the middle of the fairway iron-only practitioner, the only risk there is the stray sprinkler head...

Sheesh! Go without a computer for a few days and this happens? Tiger actually flung his driver into a hazard? WooHoo! Rick Reilly will not be impressed. Not that I am either. But, I remember playing this fine layout in suburban Philadelphia one fine Saturday. On a very difficult par-5, from an "iffy" lie in the fairway, I hit a low screamer straight at the flag about 260 yards away. Twenty yards in front of the green was one of those "No Carts" signs. Yep. I hit that sucker dead center on the first bounce and left a dent in it. The 3-wood then did a fine imitation of a helicopter for about 40 yards. I was playing with a priest, who just looked at me. I think that was the last time I threw one. It didn't help.

KY

This is a really important moment in your recovery. What sound was the driver making as it twirled through the air? Close your eyes and relive it. Write it down. You'll feel better for it.

Was it whuuump, whuuump, whuuump? Were The Doors playing The End? This is important.

It never occurred to me until tonight, but The Doors have been playing "The End" about my golf game for a long time...