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The 47-year-old PGA Tour veteran won for the third time this year. Beating two players in a playoff. Perry now stands #2 on the 2008 money list, only behind Tiger Woods.
Much has been made about Perry deciding to first skip US Open, and now the British Open. I’m of the opinion that the golf media really needs a life. Seldom has so much been written about so little. Since when has a ordinary player’s tournament scheduling been newsworthy? Tiger Woods is one thing, but I’ve been around long enough to have watched Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and others and don’t recall their decisions to play or not play a tournament dissected.
In Perry’s defense, I’ll point out the following
*- Lee Trevino chose to skip the Masters three times in spite of him being eligible to play. It may be 4, but in 1977 Trevino had back problems. That may account for him missing the tournament.
*- 1967 PGA Champion Don January refused to play the 1970 US Open at Hazeltine because of his dislike for the course.
*- Twelve time tournament winner and 1984 Vardon Trophy winner Calvin Peete never played the British Open.
*- Here’s the best comparasion to Perry. In 1969 Dave Hill, who won 13 times on tour, skipped that year’s British Open. Hill won 3 times in 1969, finished 2nd on the money list that year, was competing for a Ryder Cup spot(like Perry, and Hill made it as Kenny is likely to do), and took home the Vardon Trophy that year.
In fact Hill only played once at the British Open. If I look some more, I’m sure to find players of like ability to Perry who skipped the British Open.
This non-story has gotten to the point where non-golf writers are taking shots at Perry. Take for instance Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN who writes-
“I was going to have to miss Milwaukee [the U.S. Bank Championship], which is a tournament I’ve won,” Perry told a small gathering of reporters earlier in the week at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. “I’ve had eight top-10 finishes there.”
Is that right? Eight top-10 finishes in Milwaukee. Wow. Well, then I can certainly understand why you’d stiff the world’s oldest major, and a Birkdale course where Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller won championships. And I’m just spitballing here, but maybe you’ve had those eight top-10s because, you know, the world’s best players ARE AT THE BRITISH OPEN!
Let me fire a cannonball back at the careless and unoriginal Mr. Wojciechowski. How many times have the Milwaukee and British Opens been played the same week since Kenny Perry turned pro, not counting this year?
Once, in 2007. A simple check of golfobserver.com would have shown this. So 7 of Perry’s 8 top 10s at Milwaukee didn’t come alongside the British Open.
If you’re going to play the same broken record Gene Wojciechowski, get your facts straight. Otherwise you look like a fool. Better yet, don’t write about golf at all.
This because of comments Miller made in last Sunday’s golf broadcast.
NEW YORK — NBC Sports golf analyst Johnny Miller apologized for his description of U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate , saying the comments had “absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity.”
Mediate, a 45-year-old Pennsylvanian of Italian heritage, held a one-stroke lead over Tiger Woods during the fourth round Sunday. Miller said Mediate “looks like the guy who cleans Tiger’s swimming pool.” He also said, “Guys with the name ‘Rocco’ don’t get on the trophy, do they?”
“I apologize to anyone who was offended by my remarks,” Miller said in a statement Friday through NBC. “My intention was to convey my affection and admiration for Rocco’s everyman qualities and had absolutely nothing to do with his ethnicity. I chose my words poorly and in the future will be more careful.”
Miller be more careful? Like when he claimed to win the City Championship of San Francisco in a book he authored. Something he has never done. Miller has had a long history of making idiot comments during the broadcasts he works. The trouble is, the man is a liar too.
The apology by Miller is bogus. He didn’t feel Mediate’s name belongs on a trophy his name is on, pure and simple. Miller also could have apologized on the air Monday, but didn’t. A written statement of apology five days later is as bogus as most of the facts in the book ‘I call the shots’. I never knew Tiger Woods lost a playoff to Ed Fiori. Neither does Ed Fiori, the PGA Tour, and any golf writer/announcer around with the exception of Miller.
Johnny Miller is a disgrace to golf and television announcing. If Miller had any class he’d never work in the TV booth ever again.
This news comes two days after Woods defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff.
Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the season because of a left knee that will require more surgery, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday.
Woods had surgery to clean out cartilage April 15, but later suffered a stress fracture while preparing for his return to golf. That’s what caused his pain during the U.S. Open, which he won in a 19-hole playoff Monday over Rocco Mediate.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had yet to be made. Woods was expected to discuss his future on his web site later Wednesday.
Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms. Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering — despite the stress fracture, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required 91 holes over five days.
If the report is true, Woods would miss this year’s Ryder Cup.
Tiger was in obvious pain at times on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I also heard a report that Woods was advised by doctors not to play last week. If Tiger needs to rest for 6 months, the PGA Tour will still be there when he comes back. I just hope no long-term damage was done by Woods playing in the US Open.
On a semi related note, last Sunday’s broadcast got a 13.5 rating.(Hat tip- Ryan at GNN) Too bad for NBC the US Open isn’t played on the west coast every year, for 2009 the tournament is being played at Bethpage Black on Long Island before going to Pebble Beach in 2010.
Also note Tiger won the last US Opens played at Bethpage Black(2002) and Pebble Beach.(2000) What are the odds he could win 3 in a row?
UPDATE (James Joyner): It’s true. Woods has confirmed the story on his official site:
“I know much was made of my knee throughout the last week, and it was important to me that I disclose my condition publicly at an appropriate time. I wanted to be very respectful of the USGA and their incredibly hard work, and make sure the focus was on the U.S. Open,” said Woods. “Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery, and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee.”
A date for the knee surgery, as well as the necessary rehabilitation schedule, has not yet been determined.
“While I am obviously disappointed to have to miss the remainder of the season, I have to do the right thing for my long-term health and look forward to returning to competitive golf when my doctors agree that my knee is sufficiently healthy,” said Woods. “My doctors assure me with the proper rehabilitation and training, the knee will be strong and there will be no long-term effects.”
It’s simply amazing that he managed to play 91 holes at the U.S. Open, including a 19-hole playoff, in that condition. And win.
Bill Jempty update- It is amazing Woods managed to play 91 holes. He has both ACL(Anterior Cruciate Ligament) damage in addition to a double stress fracture of his left tibia. I hope Woods didn’t permanently cripple himself by foolishly playing last weekend. Another US Open trophy wouldn’t be worth ending his career.
There will be an 18 hole playoff tomorrow to determine the US Open Champion. 64-time PGA Tour winner, 13-time Major Champion, maybe the greatest golfer ever to play the game Tiger Woods versus five-time PGA Tour winner, Zero major champion tour journeyman Rocco Mediate. The playoff has the smell of a rout in the works for tomorrow, doesn’t it? I’ll get back to this later.
Just yesterday I wrote I was pulling for Rocco, but at the same time gave him little chance to win the US Open. Rocco, who comes off as a very nice person(at least he did when I followed him at a tournament 20 years ago) had people pulling for him this weekend. Fans shouting Rocco. He played good golf, better on Saturday than Sunday I think, and has put himself in position to win a major championship.
Except that Rocco is up against Tiger Woods. An injured, but formidable Tiger. I wasn’t surprised when Woods birdied 18 to force the playoff.
A playoff that shapes up much like the 1929 US Open did. Then it was Bobby Jones, arguably the greatest player to tee it up prior to 1950, against Al Espinosa a 7 time PGA winner. Because Espinosa was a devout Catholic, the tee-time was pushed back on Sunday in order for him to go to mass.
I’ll save you looking up how that playoff ended. Jones won it by 23 shots, 141-164. In those days a 36-hole playoff took place to determine who the Open champ was if a there was a tie after 72 holes.
Which reminds me, the USGA should finally eliminate the 18-hole playoff format they use to determine the US Open champ. A four-hole playoff like used at The British Open is a fair test, besides the USGA has dumped the 18-hole format for their other events.
Note- I always thought it dumb that once the 18-hole playoff was over, and if there was still a tie, the USGA suddenly thought sudden death was acceptable for a major championship. If it isn’t acceptable at the end of 72 holes, why should it be at the end of 90?
I looked at other playoffs that may compare to Woods vs. Mediate. On the men’s side of the equation, you have 1990 where Hale Irwin faced Mike Donald and 1994 where Ernie Els faced Loren Roberts. Irwin and Els are three-time major winners, Donald and Roberts were journeyman.
A better comparison may be the 2006 US Women’s Open where Annika Sorenstam faced off against Pat Hurst in a 18 hole playoff. Annika and Pat’s win totals 67 to 5, is almost the same as Tiger and Mediate’s 64 to 5. Annika was the #1 player in the world, maybe the best woman to play the game ever. Hurst is a career journeywoman(but unlike Mediate, Hurst has a major to her credit. The 1998 Kraft Nabisco)
Annika won the playoff in 2006 70-74.
So what do I predict tomorrow.
First what’s that 13 I mention in the title of the post.
Tiger has 13 majors
Tiger has almost 13 wins to every one of Rocco’s.(12.8 to be exact. I think that’s close enough to be called 13 to 1).
The Par 5 13th hole was pivotal in this weekend’s play. Tiger making an eagle three on Saturday compared to Rocco’s bogey six. Then on Sunday, Tiger bogied the 13th, opening the door for Rocco Mediate to win the tournament in regulation which he nearly did.
Now for my prediction- Most people will say Rocco Mediate hasn’t a prayer just like Al Espinosa did when faced with Bobby Jones. Tiger has a bum knee, and Rocco is playing well. I think the playoff will be close with Tiger coming out on top 71-73.
One last thing- I’m surprised tomorrow’s playoff isn’t in prime time also like play had been over the weekend. Instead Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate will begin their playoff at 9 a.m.
Also note Tiger is 10-1 in playoffs according to the 2007 PGA media guide book(I don’t have 2008’s) and Mediate is 2-0. Tiger has won the San Diego Open, also played at Torrey Pines, in a playoff. That was in 2006.
Tiger’s only defeat in a playoff happened up the road at the Nissan LA Open in 1998 to Billy Mayfair.
Tiger Woods shot two eagles in the final six holes to take the lead in the 2008 U.S. Open.
Tiger Woods delivered a performance worthy of prime time Saturday in the U.S. Open. He kept an East Coast television audience and a sellout crowd at Torrey Pines in suspense when his left knee buckled and he nearly dropped to the ground from the sheer pain, limping along with his club as a cane. The drama came on the last six holes, when he turned a five-shot deficit into a one-shot lead.
And the amazing array of shots that put him atop the leaderboard? Pure science-fiction.
“The stuff he does, it’s unreal,” said Rocco Mediate, who watched it all unfold from the group behind.
First came Woods’ 70-foot eagle putt on the 13th to get back in the game. Then it was a chip that he struck too hard, only to bow his head and laugh when it one-hopped into the hole for birdie on the 17th. Woods ended one of his most exciting rounds in a major with a 30-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole for a 1-under 70 and a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood.
It was pure theater at Torrey Pines, leaving 50,000 fans and even his competitors wondering what hit them.
“It’s just the most amazing display of athletic, mental power that there is, there ever was,” said Mediate, who had a three-shot lead early on the back nine until a four-hole meltdown. “Look at him. He hasn’t played in 10 weeks. There’s no surprise to me, but he hasn’t played for 10 weeks! And he comes here. So I’m not surprised. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.”
Simply amazing.
Associated Press who uses two-time Knucklehead winner Doug Ferguson to cover pro golf, now employs another similarly incompetent writer. His name is Eddie Pells. Pells writes-
Woods is in search of his 14th major win and his first U.S. Open since 2002. His seven closest pursuers (OK, so Appleby isn’t officially a ‘pursuer’) have combined for one: the PGA championship won by Davis Love III more than a decade ago.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! How can a competent golf writer forget the US Open winner from two years ago?(Geoff Ogilvy). How can a competent golf writer forget a two-time US Open champ, and three-time major winner?(Ernie Els) Both Els and Ogilvy are within two shots of Woods and within his closest seven pursuers. To make sure I wasn’t unfairly picking on this latest idiot golf writer, I checked. Els and Ogilvy were playing in the same morning group together. Both these players were through and in the clubhouse while Woods was still out on the course. There is no excuse for a golf writer to be forgetting two players of this caliber.
I ask again- Why do golf publications, newspapers, and wire services only hire the most incompetent people to cover the sport? With a few exceptions(Craig Dolch at the Palm Beach Post is one. Jason Sobel at ESPN is another.), golf writers seem to be among the dumbest people covering pro sports today.
Tiger Woods came into the 2008 U.S. Open not having played competitive golf in months while recovering from major knee surgery. The rest of the field didn’t have a chance.
There was no limping into the weekend for Tiger Woods. In fact, he put on a near record-setting display at the U.S. Open that may have left the rest of the field feeling hobbled. Pouring in birdies from distances great and small, Woods tamed Torrey Pines, shooting 5-under 30 over his final nine holes in the second round Friday to end at 2-under par. That was one stroke behind Stuart Appleby and tied with Rocco Mediate and Robert Karlsson.
Poor guys.
“People always ask me, ‘Who’s the favorite?’” Mediate said. “Well, of course, he’s the favorite. Of course he is. A lot of people said, ‘Well, he’s not going to win because he’s had, whatever, a thousand weeks off. But he’s different. It’s not the same.”
Playing in his first tournament since knee surgery after the Masters, Woods hardly looked like someone rounding back into shape, at least not at the end. He started on the back, and after an up-and-down nine holes, things turned around immediately. He made five birdies and finished one shot off the U.S. Open record for lowest nine-hole score, last accomplished by Vijay Singh in 2003. He finished the day with a 3-under 68.
“I felt if I could play well, could get back to even par, I could get back into the championship,” Woods said. “Then all of the sudden, I started raining ‘em in from everywhere.”
He’s just not like the other golfers. Or any other man to ever play this game. His opponents are resigned to the fact that, if he’s playing anywhere close to his best, he’s simply going to win.
“It’s just a matter of playing golf. He wants to go play golf, we want to go play golf,” Appleby said. “And I’ll be doing my best to accidentally throw a club towards his sore knee. It will be an accident, of course.”
Heh. I’m not sure Tiger couldn’t shoot par hopping on one leg.
But really, how to stop what looks like an unstoppable march toward victory?
Woods is in search of his 14th major win and his first U.S. Open since 2002. His seven closest pursuers (OK, so Appleby isn’t officially a ‘pursuer’) have combined for one: the PGA championship won by Davis Love III more than a decade ago.
He’ll soon be looking for his 15th major, methinks.
Update(Bill Jempty)- I had already written a long piece on how the US Open, when I saw James beat me to it. I’ll share some of my take. While Tiger is one shot out of the lead with 36 holes, I’m not ready to give him this tournament yet.
Only a week ago we had a similar storyline forming at the LPGA. #1 woman golfer Lorena Ochoa looking for her third straight major, was up by one shot going into the weekend. A golf writer I like, blogged that only the weather looked likely to slow Ochoa’s march to victory. Instead, a tour rookie(Who had finished second twice already in 08) named Yani Tseng derailed the Ochoa Grand Slam express. What’s to stop the a similar surprise from happening this weekend?
Second round leader Stuart Appleby has never won a major. The closest he has ever come was Appleby taking part in the 4-way playoff(along with Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet) at the 2002 British Open won by Ernie Els. Other than that Appleby’s only shot legit shot at a major was the 2007 Masters. He led going into the final round before finishing T7th. Appleby has won eight PGA tournaments in his career. An argument can be made for he being the best player on tour without a major championship triumph. Off the course Appleby has a interesting story. Next month will mark 10 years since his wife Renay was killed in a fluke accident while the couple was in London England. After several years spent grieving, Appleby married again and has at least two children with his new wife.
Appleby is a good player, but in spite of his having the lead he is being overshadowed by Tiger at present. The same can be said for the other golfers who are near the top of the leaderboard. Which include former major champions Davis Love III, Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, plus more than solid international golfers Miguel Jimenez, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Robert Allenby. All of these players stand within two shots of Tiger and three of Appleby.
Note- I have always liked Rocco Mediate since I watched him in person play in a PGA tournamenet about 20 years ago. Rocco, who is one shot back and tied with Tiger, would be my sentimental favorite. As much as I like Rocco, I know his chances aren’t very good on the weekend even if you took Tiger out of the equation.
I didn’t think Tiger would win this week, and with him standing one shot out of the lead, the chances are strong I’ll be wrong. What I’m trying to say is Tiger isn’t a shoo-in to win the tournament.
Tiger Woods made some interesting remarks at a press conference yesterday-
Q. What was your reaction when you heard Annika, that she would retire at the end of the season? And have you spoken with her since then? And, if so, what have you spoken about?
TIGER WOODS: I knew that was going to happen. She’s done it all. She’s been through it all. For men and women, it is two totally different things. Who knows, she might come back or not. I doubt it. I don’t see Annika ever doing anything half-ass. The time she is going to spend with her child and her family, I don’t ever see her ever wanting to come back to the game of golf in that capacity. What it takes to do that, I don’t foresee her doing it. We talked quite a bit after that.
Based on these comments, golf bloggers Ryan and Geoff have begun the speculation. That the reason Annika announced her retirement is due to her being pregnant. Could Annika of been pregnant at the time of the press conference? I don’t remember what movie it was said in, but here’s my three word reply-
Not bloody likely.
Here’s why-
Annika stated at her May 13th press conference that her last event would be the Dubai Ladies Masters . That tournament ends on December 13th 2008.
If Annika knew she was pregnant at the press conference, she would have to be at the very least four weeks pregnant.(An HPT finding out that very day she is having a baby). If Annika was 4 weeks at the time of her conference, I used an online pregnancy calculator to determine-
Her due date would be January 20, 2009
Therefore she would be 34.4 weeks pregnant minimum the day the Dubai tournament ends.
All of you raise your hands if you know a professional lady golfer who competed in a pro golf tournament at that time in her pregnancy?
Not too many hands up in the air, eh?
Therefore I hypothesize that Annika was probably not pregnant at the time of her May 13th press conference.
Other circumstantial evidence in favor of my opinion-
1- A doctor would likely tell Annika to stop playing
2- Annika would likely not want to risk both her and her first child’s health by competing.
3- Fellow Swede Carin Koch is an LPGA pro in addition to being mother to two and she and Annika know one another well. Annika would likely of known when Carin stopped playing.
A woman can play golf if she wants up to birth, but the Vicky Hurst story notwithstanding, it isn’t the most comfortable of things to do. An amateur golfer also can use a golf cart, Annika would have no such thing in Dubai.
Could Annika be pregnant? Yes. If she is, I wish Annika well.
Would she play Dubai next December if she was 34 weeks pregnant at the time? No.
Kim is 22 years old, American, and been playing the PGA Tour since 2007. From AP-
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Knee surgery prevented Tiger Woods from attempting to defend his Wachovia Championship title. Anthony Kim didn’t disappoint fans at Quail Hollow Club looking for Tiger-like brilliance.
In a near flawless performance Sunday, the 22-year-old Kim became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in six years. Following monster drives with flagstick-hitting approach shots and steady putting, Kim shot a 3-under 69 to cruise to five-shot win over Ben Curtis.
The former NCAA freshman of the year at Oklahoma won’t turn 23 until next month. But he dominated a star-studded field by finishing with a 16-under 272 total, three shots better than the previous tournament record held by Woods.
“I’m a little bit numb right now, but that walk up 18 was the best feeling of my entire life,” Kim said. “I’ll never forget that feeling. I had chills going up and down my spine. I want to recreate that as many times as possible now, so I’m really going to work hard.”
Kim earned $1,134,000 and became the youngest winner since Sergio Garcia won his third PGA Tour title in the 2002 Mercedes Championship.
Kim brought memories of Garcia, but for a different reason, when he strolled to the first tee Sunday with a four-shot lead and no PGA Tour wins. Garcia blew a six-shot lead at Quail Hollow in 2005 and lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh.
Anthony made it look easy yesterday, he was never seriously challenged. With his win, Anthony becomes one of the VERY small group of Americans under age 30 with a PGA Tour title to their credit.
Kim had a solid enough rookie season in 2007, finishing 60th on the money list. It will have to be seen if he can make this year’s Ryder Cup team. He was 24th in points before the Wachovia Championship.
Note- Can the golf media give winners credit this weekend. It’s absurd to report the name of the golfer who won a tournament in a news story only after you first mention a player who wasn’t even in the field. AP’s golf and auto racing reporters last weekend must be using the same style book.
Tiger had knee surgery last week. Jason Sobel at ESPN writes-
If Woods is indeed Superman, his kryptonite may be that left knee, which has now required three separate surgeries. He previously had a benign tumor removed in 1994, and in late 2002, he underwent a similar procedure to his most recent surgery, proving he may not be invincible, but he is indestructible. After his second surgery, he returned neither gimpy nor rusty, winning in his first start at Torrey Pines and taking two of the next three titles as well.
Expect a similar result when Woods returns after this layoff, possibly at the Memorial Tournament in late May, certainly by the U.S. Open in June. That’s because he’s not only the most talented golfer around, but he works as hard as anyone else.
Tiger isn’t Superman, he’s human like the rest of us mortals. In 2006 Tiger took nine weeks off after the Masters. In that period of time, Tiger’s father died. What did Tiger do in his first tournament back after the layoff? Miss the cut at the US Open. Talking about the Open a few weeks later, Tiger said.
‘I was rusty,’ Woods told reporters on Wednesday after holing a chip shot at the 18th hole to finish his Pro-Am round at Cog Hill before Thursday’s start of the Western Open.
‘It was very disappointing. I had good practice sessions and I thought I was prepared.’
Now I’m not saying TIger would miss the cut in his first tournament back after his surgery, but I’d be willing to make a small wager he doesn’t win in his first outing. That is a really fearless golf prediction, what do you think?
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