Tiger Woods back?

[lansdale]

I have zero interest in golf unless TW is playing, so good to see him in contentionm, five off the lead, after second round of Hero tournament. FWIW, a golfer friend said his ball speed off the tee was 180 mph, which, to him is a sign that his back might be in better shape than it's been in awhile. Interesting to see if he can hang in through Sunday, after all the late-round fades of the past few years.

[letswastemoney]

I'm a fan, but I'm skeptical after being let down so many times before.

Maybe he does well this week, and at some point a month or two from now withdraws halfway during a real PGA Tour tournament.

[letswastemoney]

He's already falling down the leaderboard. Let's see if he can steady the ship on the Back 9.

[HoofedInTheChest]

I guess he managed to get his glutes activated this weekend.

[kingfin66]

I am not a fan of Tiger Woods.

The odds are against him.

He is nearly 42-years old.

He has had multiple back surgeries.

His personal life has been a shambles.

There is no reason to expect anything from him.

Despite all of this, his first two rounds showed a guy that can still play golf. His swing looks good and he was in contention and made the cut. I don't know that I am necessary cheering for him, but I think that Tiger Woods doing well is good for golf in general. It would be kind of cool if he could recapture some of the magic and put himself in a position to have some final rounds with the young guns. Time will tell, but my expectations will remain low.

[ElKabong]

My brother has played golf since he was 7, has hits balls or played almost every day since (he's 70). At Thanksgiving dinner 1996 he said Woods would have back problems at some point b/c of his swing, well before his prime. I always remembered that conversation b/c I didn't see what he did (re: swing)

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

My brother has played golf since he was 7, has hits balls or played almost every day since (he's 70). At Thanksgiving dinner 1996 he said Woods would have back problems at some point b/c of his swing, well before his prime. I always remembered that conversation b/c I didn't see what he did (re: swing)

Has your brother noticed a difference in Tiger's swing since he came back? I would think the spinal fusion must have altered it. I only notice golf swings if they are off the wall bad. A fused spine at 40 forced me to give up the game.

[burnsy]

First off, I stink, I didn't take this game up until I couldn't play anything else. But in professional sports this "comeback" is somewhat of a pipe dream that gets a lot of hype. People are saying the NFL ratings are down, they are, but big deal when without this guy golf can't even draw flies. That's what's behind this, his best days are in the past, I have a bulging disc and have had the shots, my back is not as bad as his but there's no way he'll last for a long duration or possibly a 3 day stint against the best in the world. Yeah, he can still be a good golfer but the "greatness" is a past tense. How many times are they gonna milk this cow?

Why do they bother? Just read the OP, " No interest in golf unless TW is playing." That's why! Plus, how much can you like a game or sport if you only have interest in one player. Doesn't even make sense, just like this miraculous come back...........its another media mirage. He may win something, I highly doubt he'll ever win another major......ever.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Has your brother noticed a difference in Tiger's swing since he came back? I would think the spinal fusion must have altered it. I only notice golf swings if they are off the wall bad. A fused spine at 40 forced me to give up the game.

I can't speak for Elkabong's brother but Tiger was swinging as well as anytime in the last 10 years. His driving was fantastic and that is usually his Achilles heal. It remains to be seen whether or not he can regain his superior iron play and scrambling abilities.

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Has your brother noticed a difference in Tiger's swing since he came back? I would think the spinal fusion must have altered it. I only notice golf swings if they are off the wall bad. A fused spine at 40 forced me to give up the game.

He hasn't mentioned it at all. About the only sports we talk about is college football (non stop from August till February)

That 1996 conversation stood out to me because I never thought about woods swing. I haven't played a round since 1981 when I was in my mid 20s. Was an avid golfer thru college but didn't have time for it afterwards. My brother can talk about mechanics of a swing for hours if he had an interested audience (his buddies) , he just knows I'm not into it anymore so he doesn't bring it up much.

Golf and handicapping are alike in this sense..... In order to be really good at it, you have to immerse yourself into it. Being mediocre at golf or handicapping is frustrating. It's all in or you're spinning your wheels (just my opinion on it)

[lansdale]

Seemed like a decent outing for TW, in the middle of the pack of a group of top players. Surprised that he came back relatively strong today, despite bad 3rd round, since he's frequently tailed off in these situations in the last few years.
Maybe most important, he said his back was completely pain-free throughout, for the first time in years. Would seem to jibe with his performance.

I don't think anyone, least of all Tiger, thinks he can regain the dominance of his early career -- I'm sure he'd just like to be out there playing well -- maybe at the level of another guy his age like Stenson. Will be interesting to see if he can carry this into next year. After this tournament, his odds in the 2018 Masters' dropped from 100-1 to 28/1.

[jocko699]

Originally Posted by AndyC

I can't speak for Elkabong's brother but Tiger was swinging as well as anytime in the last 10 years. His driving was fantastic and that is usually his Achilles heal. It remains to be seen whether or not he can regain his superior iron play and scrambling abilities.

I was a single digit golfer for 25+ years but my lower back injuries caught up. I haven't played in a year and only start recently to hit balls at the range again. My goal is to actually play a round again and I think CJ and I will soon.

Now Tiger really began the workout regimen for golfers and he is truly fit so I think he can return to a form that is competitive. I noticed that his recent swing change is really using his upper back and arms. This will take the strain off his lower back but may lead to mid or upper back issues.

[horses4courses]

Tiger is one shot off the lead in this week's PGA Tour Valspar C'ship.
At 8 under after 3 rounds, he tees off at 150pm on Sunday.

One thing's for sure.
If his good form continues, golf viewing ratings will rise.

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/...ng-final-round

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

Tiger is one shot off the lead in this week's PGA Tour Valspar C'ship.
At 8 under after 3 rounds, he tees off at 150pm on Sunday.

One thing's for sure.
If his good form continues, golf viewing ratings will rise.

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/...ng-final-round

Tiger plays, I'm watching haphazardly.

Tiger on the leader board on a Sunday, and I'm glued in.

As a 40 something former collegiate golfer, the mad respect I have for this man's amazing skills is off the charts. And the pure amount of acceptance and greatness for the moment he has shown throughout his career is truly unbelievable.

DVR is already set. Masters wager in Vegas already played.

[kingfin66]

I expect ratings will be huge tomorrow. It would not be hard to imagine the ratings for tomorrow's final round surpassing those of the last several years' majors. Tiger Woods is golf.