Is Tiger Woods finished for good?

 

“With Tiger’s dismal showing in the first round of the 2015 US Open yesterday and an anticipated disaster by him in the 2nd round, the once totally dominant figure in golf is dissipating into a “Death of a Salesman” role where you feel sorry for him as a golfer rather than idolize him.” — Johnston Rhoades

 

“Woods Is Now A One-Man Soap Opera”

FORE — NOTABLE QUOTES

 

“Nobody ever wins the National Open.

Somebody else loses it.”

—Bobby Jones [editor’s note: Now known as the U.S. Open. Jones’ axiom will be tested this month in Washington, June 15-21, at the 115th U.S. Open at Chamber’s Bay.]

 

“I used to map out every step of my life,

and that’s where a lot of my trouble came.

I used to say, ‘By 18, I want to do this,

and by 20 I want to do that.’

That’s not how it works.

Life never happens the way you plan.”

—Michelle Wie, defending U.S. Women’s Open champion and youngest player to make the cut in an LPGA tournament (2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship) at the age of 13 years, 5 months, 17 days, in GOLF magazine, June 2015.

 

“Woods is now a one-man soap opera…

‘He might still be Mario Andretti,’ said one swing coach,

‘but he’s not driving a Ferrari anymore.”

—Writer Jim McCabe in GolfWeek, Feb. 2015.

 

2015 U.S. Open Odds for this coming week’s championship

PLAYER                   ODDS

Rory McIlroy            7/1

Jordan Spieth         17/2

Tiger Woods           15/1              

Phil Mickelson       25/1

Rickie Fowler         28/1

Ian Poulter             85/1

Ernie Els                 125/1

Steve Sticker         150/1

Bradley Neil         2000/1

Gunn Yang         2000/1

—VegasINSIDER.com, as of 5-17-15, gambling odds

of selected players to win this month’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay

 

“He keeps me young.”

—Butch Harmon, 70, referring to his student Rickie Fowler, 26,

winner of this year’s Players Championship and first place money $1.8 million.

 

“The lighter your grip at the top of the backswing,

the greater the muscles in the arms stretch

and the farther and faster they can contract; thus,

you do have more zip [and power] in your swing at impact.”

—John Zumerchik in NEWTON ON THE TEE: A Good Walk Through the Science of Golf.

 

 

“DJ’s glassy-eyed avoidance look — that’s gone,”

said one acquaintance. “He’s way more present.

It’s like he’s a different person.”

—Jaime Diaz, referencing Dustin Johnson’s phenomenal come back on the PGA Tour after experiencing mental and physical exhaustion, in GolfDigest, June 2015.