Thursday
Nov082012
TigeRory Elaborate On Their Bond In Another Joint Interview
They keep this up, I'm going to suspect these two are running for office together.
Interviewed by Shane O'Donoghue in what appears to be the koi pond exhibit at the Shanghai Zoo, Tiger talks about old buds (O'Meara, Vijay) but quotes like this suggest things are getting serious between the World's No. 1 and 2: "Our relationship has evolved because we played with each other a lot this year," and "we had that feeling but we just didn't share it with the public."
Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 07:01 PM
Reader Comments (34)
...you know, things like slurper, sycophant, fanboy, etc...
I love you guys. Never change!
Unless TW is secretly trying to absorb Rory's prowess with the driver thru osmosis....wake me when they show up next year wearing coordinated Nike outfits.
Seriously...I was reading about Rory's irons somewhere, and it noted he was switching from a 5.5 to a 6.0 shaft.... stiff to ''one more''....and most players of his caliber are using 6.5s or 7.0's.....the point being....he is getting a bit more ''whip'' with the softer shaft and not as much accuracy (amazing given his great iron game when he is on) and I wonder if his driver shafts are soft as well, possibly accounting for his amazing distance for his size/weight, but his poor control.
...you know, things like slurper, sycophant, fanboy, etc..."
No, DTF, these are descriptive terms to be hurled at you.
There was nothing in the interview that suggested that Rory was the latest incarnation of John Cook, Notah Begay III, Charles Howell III, etc. Those sycophants were shameless in "growing the legend" as Earl used to say. Rory comes along as honest and is not at Tiger's feet slurping around in order to find some measure of validation. It is a completely different dynamic between these two than any of those other so call "relationships."
Anyways, it is getting too hard to "growth the legend" anymore if you haven't won a major since the George W. Bush Administration.
This is a major improvement for Woods. Well done Rory.
As long as he stays away from the sycophant interviewers such as Tilghman and Feherty and does a few more of these interviews with McIlroy, it will be a good thing.
And yet, and yet...the duo act is new, but once again we have a new "very good friend" who achieved that by being a number one (this is shades of Duval, Jordan, A-Rod, Federer, etc., though some of those may also have featured other criteria).
Also new -- and maybe the shape of things to come -- Rory taking precedence. Even newer: Tiger not seeming to mind. Fairly believable -- Tiger's spontaneous reaction to the Faldo example -- not guaranteed to elicit much obeisance from Faldo the broadcaster in future. And Tiger actually commenting upon Jack and Arnie: he was almost candid there!
We'll see how long all this lasts. How much "fun" it is to play Rory if he keeps winning majors and Hisself does not.
But if this is theway of the future, it is indeed a whole new presentation from Tiger. Are all those macs and cheeses with the kds making him bland, polite and calm?
If people would take a few minutes to read an article posted or gasp! look something up (btw somebody should create something whereby its easy to do that. Perhaps call it the internet) then the statements they post on said article can be viewed in a more serious light. Of course YMMV.
If this doesn't end up with Rory lying beside a fire hydrant with a head full of Ambien and clutching his knee, then it will all have been a huge waste...
For a breakdown of Rory and Tiger's total strokes gained on tour this year, read the golf article http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/compare-rory-mcilroy-tiger-woods-2012-pga-tour-stats
A stack-and-tilt swipe with a cavity back two iron can really get the ball moving. But, it isn't evidence that Tiger can hit the driver like he used to.
It's not hard to tell who the new alpha male is.
@OWGR Yep. Fortunately I am Evelyn Wood Schooled, and it helps amass a great deal of information. Sadly, it doesn't help my typing skills.
@dtf - even better than statistical mumbo jumbo, here is a little photo for you:
http://www.golf.com/photos/2012-pga-championship-golf-equipment-tiger-woods-ernie-els/tiger-woods
Spot on elf.
When you are in the 160s in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour and near the 190s on the Euro Tour no fancy number massaging can change the fact Rory at this time in his career misses a great deal of fairways. Whether they are buy an inch, 3 feet or 40 yards.
Don't get me wrong. I like Rory and he should be the biggest and brighest star in professional golf for some time based on what he has accomplshed so far. Look we all know numbers can be massaged to show anything but if you look at it on a simply practical level Rory is not the second best driver on the PGA Tour..... But to quote an old line you can't polish a turd. The turd being driving accuracy based on todays ball and equipment.
However what Rory has is the "it" like many other golfing greats have had to recover from mistakes. And Rory tends/seems to hit the right shot at the right time that enables him to be in contention frequently and win at a good clip. It should be a fun ride for golf fans to follow.
Basically, unlike the PGA tour total driving stat, it rewards Rory for pulling driver maybe more than anyone else on tour, esp in the long hitters category
Gotta be on a promise from Nike to get Rory on the team.
And, btw, whomever it was who said Rory was playing 5.5 Rifles, er, no, he's not. Those'd be his Dad's clubs.