Tiger Working With...Stevie!? Definitely Not With Marty Hackel!

Golfweek posts some Getty images of Tiger's early morning practice at Whistling Straits. They reveal Stevie working harder than ever on Tiger's swing.

I know he's just holding a club on his head, but it really is a pathetic sight. Get this man a swing coach!

Meanwhile Robert Lusetich analyzes all things Tiger and brings his always fresh take to the table. And while you might laugh at the "Where's Marty Hackel When You Need Him?" portion of the piece, he does bring up a fair point about Tiger's goatee.

In retrospect, I should’ve known something was awry when Woods played the opening round with a goatee. I’ve seen him sporting facial hair many times when he arrives at tournaments, but by Thursday, he’s always clean shaven. Not this week.

I even asked him whether the goatee might face the razor after an opening 4-over 74, which was his worst-ever score at Firestone (Sunday‘s 77 has since replaced it in the record books).

“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll see.”

Though it's not as awful looking as Jon Stewart's goatee, it's not exactly going to have the Accenture's knocking on his door. Or perhaps that's the point, he has accepted that things will never be the same. Particularly on the corporate endorsement front.

"Tiger Woods has never looked worse." **

77 final round at Firestone where in years past he could have shot that left-handed, on his knees in the rain.

Update on 2010-08-08 17:55 by Geoff

**Steve Elling on Sunday's round and the state of Tiger's game:

He's obviously going through tough stretches because his personal life has hurt his golf game," said Anthony Kim, who played alongside Woods on Sunday. "It's obviously not where he wants to be. But he's a tough guy. He's the most mentally tough guy you're going to meet, and I think he'll be fine.

"It's just a matter of time before golf becomes a priority to him again and he starts grinding and he starts winning golf tournaments."

If Kim's first-blush analysis is accurate, it's hard to imagine why golf isn't a priority for Woods already. The quickest way for him to rehab his image would be to reel off a win or two, but he's headed in completely the other direction, and Phil Mickelson had a chance to supplant him as world No. 1 if he finished fourth or better Sunday afternoon.

After the round, Woods looked as deflated, crestfallen, exhausted and downcast as anybody can recall seeing him, as a pro or amateur. He was the guy cleaning up after the horses in the parade, the caboose on the tournament train, and there's no indication there are brighter horizons coming.

This AP photo by Amy Sansetta says it all (thanks to reader Peter).

And we have our first in-print declaration by a golf writer suggesting that Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin pass up the chance to select Tiger Woods.

Pavin said he plans to meet with Woods this week at Whistling Straits to "gauge his interest" in participating in the Ryder Cup. Why bother? Woods' interest has never been stirred by these team events that he has privately considered an intrusive obligation on his time and talent.

Woods wisely never says anything publicly about his distaste for what he considers an over-hyped exhibition with no upside or financial benefits. But he never goes out of his way to sound excited about the biennial affair either.

In a news conference before this week's WGC event at Firestone, Woods gave the same robotic response to three successive questions trying to ferret out his enthusiasm for being a captain's pick if necessary.

"I'm planning on playing my way into the team," he repeated.

That arrogance-masked-as-humor was easier to stomach when Woods could back it up with his clubs. Now that he seems incapable at the moment of summoning up greatness by the sheer force of his will, he could have simply said, "I plan to play my way on, but if I don't I hope my captain understands that I want to be there and help the U.S. retain the cup in any way I can."

Yet Another Reason Captain Pavin Should Thank Captain Azinger

With only one week left for Woods to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup team on points, it's looking less and less likely that he will make the team on points, leaving Captain Corey Pavin with a tough decision to make: to select Woods with one of four Captain's picks.

Now, some of you will surely let me know that it's unfathomable to leave Tiger off the team, and the other American options aren't exactly enticing when you look at his breakdown. But the Americans did take the Cup back in 2008 without Woods and unless he shows dramatic improvement over his next ten rounds, it's hard to see him helping the team this year.

In the past, this Captain's decision would be made the Sunday night after next week's PGA, but you'll recall that part of Paul Azinger's sweeping changes for 2008 included four captain's selections to be made well after the PGA, closer to the Cup. To refresh my memory, I tweeted Azinger for confirmation:

Pavin now has until September 7th to make his selections.

In a newly posted interview, the Captain talks about how he's confident Woods will make the team on points and sounds like he'll pick him if necessary.

But the other looming question remains: would Tiger accept a Captain's pick. This week it sure didn't sound that way.

Thanks to Captain Azinger, this won't be an issue for another month.

Rory And Phil All Smiles Talking About...Grasses!?

That's what Rusty Miller reports. By the looks of that Getty Image I'd have guessed they were watching one of Tiger's tee shots. Or something else your devious caption minds will suggest.

Drumbeat Continues For Tiger To Hire Hank Haney**

Well, not yet, I was kidding, but isn't it a matter of time before it starts after this round at Firestone?

Update on 2010-08-06 02:28 by Geoff

**The reviews are in, starting with SI's Gary Van Sickle:

He hit only five fairways, 11 greens and had 32 putts, the worst of which were a couple from inside four feet that didn't even catch a piece of the cup.

Bob Harig writes:

So much for the good vibes, positive feelings and overall excellence that punctuated every previous professional appearance for Tiger Woods at Firestone Country Club.

The world's No. 1 golfer shot his worst score ever in 45 rounds dating back to 1997 on Firestone's South course, home of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Steve DiMeglio notes that the No. 1 ranking appears to be in jeopardy:

If Woods doesn't improve his standing, he could fall from the top of the official world golf rankings, where he has resided the past 270 weeks. Mickelson can supplant Woods if he wins or finishes fourth or better and Woods finishes outside of the top-37 and Lee Westwood is tied for second or worse.

And Shane Bacon at Yahoo wasn't writing about Tiger's shirt, which looked like it'd been run over by a Flushing Meadows line resurfacing machine.

Well, that was ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

“I'm planning on playing my way into the team.”

Steve Elling on his exchange with Tiger Woods today over the possibility of going as a captain's pick.

Later, ESPN.com’s Bob Harig asked Woods whether a meeting with Pavin was unnecessary, a roundabout attempt to get Woods to verbally commit to playing regardless of how he made the 12-man U.S. team.

No luck with the knuckleball offering, either.

“I think if I do well this week, I should sew up my spot,” he said.

Woods drew laughs with his stubbornness, but with a simple answer, he could have cleared up the discussion and ended the questions. Let the speculation continue. This time, he rekindled the speculative bonfire himself.

Perhaps pride forbids him from even contemplating the need to be a captain's pick, or maybe he's just that confident he'll make it on points. Or both.