Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

I’ll really miss the Tiger Woods era.

I’m not really going to go down the TW road, but I don’t miss that era. I still remember the time NBC/Golf Channel showed 20+ minutes of him driving down the road after withdrawing from a tourney.

I don’t know what the deal with Phil was. I think the best excuse he could have made was that he did it to get on with play and get off the course for the guys who had a chance of winning, but he basically said he did it take advantage of the rules and to have an easier shot. I think he’s going to take a lot of heat for that one. The best I can give him is that it looks like a lot of players are at wits end out there, true to US Open form. You know how bad it is when a guy is willing to take a 10. And it’s only Saturday!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gutwrench
Honestly I like this new era with the young kids competing better than the Tiger wins everything and everyone else sucked era.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darmok N Jalad
I much prefer hearing others win then hearing how great tiger is during every tournament. It was at times like I was watching the Tiger Woods channel, all tiger, all the time. I'm not taking anything away from his wonderful gifts but I guess when you keep hearing the same thing constantly its not really that enjoyable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: satcomer and Darmok N Jalad
There are many younger players capable of winning tournaments (and deliver entertaining match-viewing), but none seem destined to be the kind of dominant player that Tiger had been.

Players who can dominate a game like Tiger don't come along very often. At one point, watching their game is electrifying because we want (or expect) to see Great Things every time they play. Just how far into the company of all-time greats will they penetrate? In Tiger's case, I watch because I still hope to see him back on his form of old - adding a few more accomplishments to his legend. Watching today's younger players doesn't deliver that particular emotional payoff.

To me, golf without Tiger is just not quite as compelling. I suspect it'll be the same for tennis without Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, or Novak Djokovic. When I was young, it was all about Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, and the like. They mark eras that are still remembered, despite all the great players that have come since. The recent era, which will be closing in a few years, seems likely to be another like it. Only time will tell.
 
My father is a long time golfer (91 years old, but father time has caught up with him) and his father (my grandfather) was a local golf pro. My Uncle was a professional golfer although he was caught using golf clubs that weren't of specification at the U.S. Open that ruined his career. Anyways, every generation has that one golfer that fans follow. Ben Hogan (my uncle used to sell his caddy a new car every year until he retired), Arnold Palmer with his army (Fans), Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and of course Tiger Woods (I'm sure there are others that I have failed to mention). Tiger Woods fanbase is even broader for he was the first black golfer that was really good and appealed to young children who inspired to be to take up golf. There will be a new golfer that fits this model, it might be one of the current crop of golfers or someone we are yet to hear from. As for myself, I had all the opportunity to become good at golf, but my temperament got the best of me when I golfed (I expected every shot to be good). I gave up the game for it stopped being fun for me, but I still enjoy watching it on TV and had gone to a bunch of pro tournaments in Michigan (when they had them). I can't remember the name of the pro that was leading the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills by 5 strokes or more. I went to Oakland Hills to see the final round and expecting to see how he was doing only to discovered that he disqualified himself from the tournament for using illegal golfballs that he accidentally used in the first 3 rounds. Golf has some strange results over the years, I remember one year a golfer lost the tournament because he signed an incorrect scorecard. Golf is for me is even fun to watch with or without Tiger Woods and there will always be the next TW to come around.
 
Agree with @ApfelKuchen that golf without Tiger is not as compelling. So it’s good to see him getting back in the mix again. IMO he has been the best golfer since Jack. Would love to see him win another and being able to play more regularly may get him there.

In his absence, i’ve enjoyed watching Rory, Justin, Jordan and Ricky (who is about my size physically). I’ve also enjoyed watching some of the women since their swings are so smooth. In fact there was a 13 yr old eighth grader who made it to the semis of the NJ Amateur this year, beating several college scholarship golfers along the way.

In the meantime I’d just love to shoot my age. May not happen for awhile as my low is 84 and I’m 71. LOL

PGA is at the course where I played my first 9 holes of golf in 1960 just after it opened. Took a 12 on the 601 yard 17th.
 
Saw some of the old Tiger yesterday. There is a lot of talent out there but it doesn't get much better than Sunday with Tiger in contention.
 
The only thing I'll miss is Ron White having more Tiger material. And chicken killing dogs.
Warning! NSFW Language. Put in you earbuds!

 
jaduff46 said:
This was so much fun for EVERYONE to watch! He was still in the hunt until the drive on 17.

Fed Ex playoffs then potentially Ryder Cup.
Click to expand...
I had a feeling he was "feelin it" after his approach shot on 2. That wasn't the easiest lie with the ball sitting up higher. When he landed the ball about a foot from the flag on 3 I knew it was going to be an exciting round. Imagine if he could have found the fairways on the front 9.
 
TonyC28 said:
Imagine if he could have found the fairways on the front 9.
Click to expand...

And imagine if Koepka didn't miss a few short putts. ;)

I guess I understand why they do it, but I'm not a fan of how the cameras will follow Tiger around and show every shot he takes even when he is out of a tournament. And then you read about it the next day in the paper and it's like "Tiger Roars" until further down in the article you learn that he's in 15th place and they finally mention the actual leader. The usual response is that's who people want to see, which as I say is understandable, but chicken or egg, is the heavy coverage of him influencing people to watch?
 
mac_in_tosh said:
And imagine if Koepka didn't miss a few short putts. ;)

I guess I understand why they do it, but I'm not a fan of how the cameras will follow Tiger around and show every shot he takes even when he is out of a tournament. And then you read about it the next day in the paper and it's like "Tiger Roars" until further down in the article you learn that he's in 15th place and they finally mention the actual leader. The usual response is that's who people want to see, which as I say is understandable, but chicken or egg, is the heavy coverage of him influencing people to watch?
Click to expand...
Golf is not the type of sport that draws in a lot of interest, except from golf fans. Non-golf fans probably couldn't name 5 current golfers not named Tiger or Phil.

Golf benefits when their most popular golfers are in the mix. Ratings go up. Interest goes up. And maybe, a non-golf fan watching because Tiger's in the hunt will actually start enjoying it and following outside of Tiger. Maybe Brooks Koepka picked up a few new fans that tuned in because Tiger was "this close".

All of the news websites and blogs have to cover Tiger as well for the same reasons. Tiger draws in the non-fans. He gets eyeballs. Koepka was awesome, but he's not drawing any interest other than folks that are into golf.

Gotta think big picture.

The PGA Tour (and golf in general) need to find the next Tiger because he's only got a few more years of relevance. Phil's gonna be on the Champions Tour and a couple and Tiger will be eligible in about 7. Hopefully someone compelling will come around soon ... because it isn't Koepka, Speith, or McIlroy (in my opinion). Maybe it's Patrick Reed with his off-course drama that captures the imagination ... but his public persona is so unlikeable.

So to answer the question, it's the chicken ... or the egg. Definitely, the chicke ... the egg ... Aggh. It's both.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyC28
ftaok said:
Hopefully someone compelling will come around soon ... because it isn't Koepka, Speith, or McIlroy (in my opinion).
Click to expand...

Speith is a 3-time major winner at 25 years of age. If he's not compelling, then I don't know who can be.
 
mac_in_tosh said:
Speith is a 3-time major winner at 25 years of age. If he's not compelling, then I don't know who can be.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying that he's not great. Of course he is. He's just a little boring and does nothing to draw in the non-golf fan.

You're gonna watch regardless. Hell, I'm watching regardless. It's the casual fan that needs some pizzazz that gets them to watch. They need a story. They need that certain, je ne sais quoi.

None of today's young guns have a good, compelling story that can capture the imagination.

Tiger was the complete package. And John Daly was compelling before Tiger showed up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back