"Remember, he won the US Open on one leg."

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John Huggan catches up with Hank Haney about the state of Tiger and managed to glean a few subtle notes about his possible pre-Masters schedule and his future.

"I'm sure his target is to be ready for the Masters. But to do that properly he'll have to play a couple of times before he gets to Augusta. He can't just show up not having played for so long. I know he pulled it off at the US Open, but ten months is a long time. He needs to have played some serious golf – maybe two events – before April. That sounds like a reasonable goal."

And this has to be music to Tim Finchem's ears...

"I can see him playing a bit more than normal in the short-term. His leg will be stronger than it has ever been. While his ligament will be at 85 per cent, the rest of the muscles around it will be in better shape than ever. So he will be capable of more than I have ever seen before. I really can't see this whole thing as anything but a positive. Remember, he won the US Open on one leg."

Tiger-The-Caddy Photo Caption Fun

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I passed on all of the "news" about Tiger's caddying gig as part of a Buick campaign. The more interesting news comes in this Michael Buteau piece where Tiger's agent and Buick's advertising man are letting the world know they are considering an extension on his deal, pending a few minor details like, say, the survival of the company!

Meanwhile, something about the body language of contest winner John Abel needs to be captured in a caption (thanks to reader Al for the link)...

"Where other players such as Ben Crenshaw and Geoff Ogilvy enjoy deconstructing the playing field, Woods has channeled his energy into taking it apart."

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Jaime Diaz does a nice job analyzing Tiger's press conference from last week. He's trying to put Tiger's design career in perspective, and like a lot of us, is not entirely sure what to make of it. Of course, he quotes me about the incredible number of oceanfront holes Tiger managed to grab from the development. But I thought this was a more interesting observation from Diaz because it could very well speak to the quality of designs Woods produces:

Still, even with his injury, his career as an architect holds more unknowns than his return as a golfer. As a player Woods never has appeared particularly passionate about design. His highest praise for courses tended to be sound bites such as "It fits my eye" or "It's all right there in front of you." Those he didn't like were dismissed with the all-purpose, "It is what it is." Where other players such as Ben Crenshaw and Geoff Ogilvy enjoy deconstructing the playing field, Woods has channeled his energy into taking it apart.

"You'd think a middle-class kid who grew up on scruffy public courses might want to give something back to the game that has given him so much."

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Had he asked, I could have warned Tiger that this would be the type of reaction he would get to his latest design venture. Then again, with an 8-figure design fee and seven oceanfront holes to play with, he might not care what anyone thinks!

From Alan Shipnuck's Hot List, which also gives Phil a nod for his Entourage appearance over Tiger's "cringe inducing" Today Show interview:

1. Tiger. He announced his third golf course design project, and once again it's an exclusive development for the mega-rich. You'd think a middle-class kid who grew up on scruffy public courses might want to give something back to the game that has given him so much.

You know, come to think of it, everything Tiger's doing now seems like the calculated image-enhancing stuff Phil used to do and the stuff Phil is doing now reminds me more of humorous image stuff Tiger did a few years ago.

"I thought I would have been itchy to get back..."

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While Doug Ferguson analyzes the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour's various soft spots in light of the recent economic collapse, I think Tiger's answer in the Today Show interview to the question about getting away from the game is more disturbing.

Check out the video here.

He was asked if it has been good to get away and replied that he: "thought I would have been itchy to get back but after going through it I'm really not that itchy to get back," then cites the inability to rotate on his knee as the reason he doesn't have the itch.

"But just a step lower, the market is vulnerable."

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The Wall Street Journal's John Paul Newport says the news isn't all bad for golf. There are still a lot of rich people!

In North America alone, there are more than 40,000 families with investable assets of $30 million or more, according to the CapGemini/Merrill Lynch World Wealth Report, and approximately 300,000 U.S. taxpayers with reported annual incomes greater than $1 million, according to the IRS. Among them are many golf nuts. To say nothing of the huddled masses of superrich abroad.
However...
New residential golf developments in the U.S. are few and far between, leading to a net standstill in golf-course openings generally. More courses closed than opened in both 2006 and 2007, according to the National Golf Foundation, a sharp contrast to the course-building boom that started in the 1990s.

Even top-drawer designers are feeling the pinch. "I've got quite a few projects in the U.S.," Mr. Nicklaus told me recently, "but they have all kind of slowed down or are on hold or are kind of waiting until the economy turns a little bit." Tom Doak, the celebrated designer of Pacific Dunes in Oregon and Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand, doesn't lack for work but in recent months has seen two of the courses he designed struggle: St. Andrews Beach in Australia is closed and for sale, and Beechtree in Maryland will shut down in December.

"The people I really worry about are the young designers and apprentices coming up, and the talented course superintendents and club pros who are suddenly out of a job," Mr. Doak said.
Now this is interesting...
For golfers still clinging to jobs, there is an upside. Less demand and more supply equals bargains. But even many seemingly successful clubs and golf communities aren't filled to capacity, which often means higher fees and assessments for members and, in some cases, extreme difficultly leaving without taking a bath.
Could this be the moment that private clubs in the U.S. start going semi-private like our friends in Scotland? Or will they go down in flames before taking a little outside play?

Meanwhile, there's still Tiger's project for the super wealthy, which prompted Newport's column. Now, those of us invited to the press conference launching Punta Brava were forbidden from asking personal life questions. Perhaps because he'd filled his quota for the month in this Today Show interview?

"Yep, we've been looking."

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Alan Bastable asks Tiger a few different questions about his course design work, including this...

Q: All three of your courses will be private and ultra high-end. What about Joe Public?

A: When it's all said and done, I will have a whole portfolio of golf courses — not just high-end private courses.

Q: Are you currently looking to develop a public course?

A: Yep, we've been looking.

There are plenty of millitary courses that could use some love and care. If Tiger ever wants to do some different charity work that is consistent with his family history, he could do some really great things for our nation's servicemen and women.

Just a thought.

"We're just happy to be coming back to a great golf course."

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In Leonard Shapiro's story on Tiger's tournament moving to Aronimink for two years, I couldn't help but wonder after reading this what they'll do if the players inevitably fall in love with Aronimink and dread returning to dreary Congressional.

McLaughlin said he was "thrilled" that the tournament will return to Congressional after 2011, despite the close vote. "It gives us clarity that we know we will be back in Washington at Congressional from 2012 to 2014. It's difficult to speculate on why the vote was so close this time. We're just happy to be coming back to a great golf course."

Stevie To Make Commentating Debut; Looks To Rebrand Image As Gallery-Eating, Camera-Heaving Lunatic

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From our friends at Brener-Zwikel:

STEVE WILLIAMS MAKES HIS COMMENTATOR DEBUT AT INAUGURAL KIWI CHALLENGE
Famed caddie for Tiger Woods will join NBC team for Nov. 15-16 telecast of Challenge Season event featuring Kim, Scott, Snedeker and Mahan

NEW YORK (Oct. 6, 2008) – Steve Williams, who is accustomed to being in front of the camera toting Tiger Woods’ golf bag, will find himself in front of the camera toting an NBC microphone across two golf courses in his native New Zealand.

The Wellington-born Williams will make his TV commentator debut at the inaugural Kiwi Challenge, which will be televised in HDTV on NBC Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16 in the United States.

In New Zealand, the Kiwi Challenge will air on Sky TV Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 from 8:30-10:30 p.m. (NZ time).

One of the most famous caddies in the world, Williams will serve as an on-course commentator for the event, which features United States Ryder Cup heroes Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan joining Adam Scott and Brandt Snedeker in a 36-hole, stroke-play event that offers one of the largest winner’s checks in golf -- $1.5 million -- out of the $2.6 million purse.

“This is my first experience at this,” Williams said. “I’m doing this because the Kiwi Challenge will bring great exposure for New Zealand and give New Zealanders the opportunity to see four of the world’s best players in one group. Seldom would we have four players of this quality at a tournament.”
Country first!
Walton plans to use Williams as a way to bring the beauty of New Zealand in general and the two courses in particular to a worldwide viewing audience. Williams will not only discuss his native land’s points of interest along with noteworthy elements of the two courses and what they mean to the players, but he’ll provide insight on what golf means to New Zealanders.

"The telecast will weave vignettes about both properties and shots of other points of interest in New Zealand in with the golf competition. And Steve will be a big part of that,” Walton said.
Boy, I can't wait for those insights.  

Tiger Walking Around Dubai?

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Thanks to Tuco for this CNN video of Tiger Woods' Dubai project with the usual stuff from Tiger about how it'll be playable for the average man yet still challenging for him.

More interesting than that, if you can believe it, is the footage of Tiger walking. It probably was shot a good while ago, but if it's post surgery as the reporter seems to indicate, he looks to be getting around pretty well.

 


Second Ryder Cup Question: Did Tiger's Absence Help?

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Brian Murphy makes a compelling point:

But Tiger and the Ryder Cup, no matter what he says publicly, and no matter how supportive he is in the Team Room, are a weird mix. I always flash back to the moment in ‘04 at Oakland Hills when we were pressing Tiger on whether or not he cared about the Ryder Cup, and Tiger finally had enough and asked us: “How many majors has Jack Nicklaus won?” Dutifully, we all answered “18.” Tiger then asked, “And what’s his Ryder Cup record?” When we all sat there like dumbstruck sheep, unable to produce the answer, Tiger sat back, satisfied.

Team USA has now won as many Ryder Cups without Tiger (one) as it has with Tiger in five other Cups. Tiger was part of a losing team in 1997, 2002, ‘04 and ‘06, and while there are tons of reasons other than Tiger why they lost those Cups, I had a feeling that his absence would be important two ways.

One, it would allow Team USA to operate in a Tiger-free zone, not worrying about what he thinks or says, or having to answer any questions about him. His absence allowed rookies like Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim and J.B. Holmes to play and act more naturally.

Azinger has said that a key moment in the week was the Thursday night pep rally in front of 4,000 that was supposed to only be attended by the Captain. Then the team decided to crash it and apparently bonded. I couldn't help but think that Tiger would not have wanted to attend because of the security issues and the desire to get his rest prior to a long day one.

But there's also this key point from Mike Adamson in The Guardian:

Likewise it is hard, albeit not impossible, to imagine the debutants Anthony Kim and Boo Weekley playing with such uninhibited personality were they in Woods's shadow. Although Azinger lost the world's best player, it is not too much of a stretch to suggest that his uplifting captaincy has also benefited from the absence of such an intimidating figure in the team room.

Think Tiger's absence helped?

"The stroke that followed will go down as the greatest final-hole putt in the history of major-championship golf."

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This passage from Jaime Diaz's definitive account of the Tiger Woods knee saga would generate some fun debate, and since the news has been so dark lately...

The stroke that followed will go down as the greatest final-hole putt in the history of major-championship golf. There are plenty of candidates: grinding mid-rangers by Bobby Jones at Winged Foot, Payne Stewart at Pinehurst, Gary Player, Mark O'Meara and Phil Mickelson at Augusta, Seve Ballesteros at St. Andrews; no-brainer bombs by Jerry Barber at Olympia Fields, Hale Irwin at Medinah and Costantino Rocca at St. Andrews. But none of them surpassed Woods for the blend of setting, situation and reaction. And only Jones, arguably, had as much disappointment to face by missing. Never in golf has such a dramatically set stage had such a fulfilling resolution. As a final validation of a true stroke at the moment of truth, a close-up, slow-motion replay revealed that the alignment line on Woods' ball never wiggled until it fell into the hole.
I'm biased because I was standing there and thought the whole thing was pretty swell, but does Jaime have it right? Greatest final hole putt?