Losing His Stripes

-Andrew S.

Is anyone else sick of Tiger Woods? What used to be the greatest thing for golf since the rescue club for hackers is now a cancer. Fans during Sunday of the PGA Championship had the viewing session of a life time the way it unfolded at the end. Yet every shot Tiger took on the back nine, where he shot a 2 over 38 for some reason had to be showed. It lessened the excitement of the last, and really only exciting major we’ve had all year.

Everyday golf fans still love this guy because of what he has accomplished and how fast he has done it. But real fans, the fans that watched “moving day” of the RBC Canadian Open are fed up with him.

Since his accident in November that not only ruined his personal life and most likely his professional career, this guy has done nothing to prove he deserves to be on the Ryder Cup Team. Yes, he is still ranked #1 in the world, but that is largely due to Phil Mickelson’s inconsistent play week in and week out. Phil has had more than a handful of tournaments to claim the #1 spot on the world rankings, but has not been able to put together 4 solid rounds in a row. Even Lee Westwood had a chance sitting at #3. He is 108 in Fed Ex points, one spot lower than team captain Corey Pavin and #12 in Ryder Cup points. If he does not have a good finish in the Barclays this week and get into the top 100, he may not be eligible to continue to the Deutsche Bank Championship the following week.

Pavin has recently said that Tiger is “high on my list” and will be a “strong consideration” when he picks his final 4 spots. My question is why? Why take a guy that hasn’t won this year, doesn’t have a swing coach, and can’t put together a decent weekend on a team that represents the USA. We are 1-0 without Tiger on the RC team since 1997 and in RC tournaments where he has been on the team the USA is 1-4. Tiger’s RC record in 25 events is 10-13-2. And besides, who is Pavin going to pair up with Tiger in the 4somes? You think guys are going to be confident watching Tiger spray it all over the course and hit 2 out of 18 fairways? They won’t want to continually have to hit pitch outs and rescue shots to save him.

The USA needs heart and soul, not club throws, swearing outburst, and that childish grimace that Tiger seems to constantly have throughout his round. The team needs Anthony Kim’s competitiveness and Sean O’Hair’s work ethic. People are saying that AK isn’t the same since his injury, but pair him with Phil against the top European team and he will rise to the occasion.
Bubba Watson lost in a playoff last weekend at the PGA Championship, and all he cared about after was whether or not he made the Ryder Cup team. Guys like that are what team USA needs. It has the leadership in Jim Furyk, Mickelson, and Steve Stricker. It has the young wild cards that the team needs in Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan, and Bubba (If you think we don’t need that, take a look at what J.B. Holmes and Bo Weekley did on the last team). And last it has the consistent guys, guys that play week in and week out and consistently are in contention (Matt Kuchar and Jeff Overton).

With the final four picks, Captain Pavin should mirror what the team already has. Take a guy like Zach Johnson that can be a silent leader. Then take a pair of consistent shot makers like Sean O’Hair and Lucas Glover. With the last pick, take a guy with heart and soul like Anthony Kim.

Tiger seems almost desperate out there when talking about the chance of being a captain’s pick. If he is so committed to the team, why didn’t he play in more tournaments to try and ensure himself a spot on the team? In previous years, he didn’t have to play so often because he won every time he played, but not this year. He should have known this and been more committed to playing, than to hitting balls in your backyard with Stevie holding a 7 iron near his head. Practice makes perfect, but doesn’t get you on the RC team Tiger.

The naysayers to this article will argue that Phil hasn’t shown he is the #1 player in the world and has played just as bad as Tiger as of late. That is very true, but Phil did win his 3rd Green Jacket in April and had a worse off season than Tiger. Tiger cheated on his wife and lied. Phil found out in a matter of 2 weeks that not only did his mother have breast cancer, but so did his wife Amy. He also is playing through a recent diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. Compare that to Tiger, and I’d say Phil has more excuses, if he wanted to use them.

When I get together with my friends and watch the Ryder Cup in Oct., goose bumps will run up and down my body the entire weekend. Watching Boo Weekly do the bull dance down the first tee last year is something I’ll never forget. Not only should Pavin stop saying Tiger is high on his list, he should not pick him. He has already lost some to most of his playing stripes, and if it were up to me, he’d lose his American stripes too.