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NOW ON GOLFWEEK TV: Hate to be Rude: David Feherty
Jeff Rude’s “Hate To Be Rude” column appears on Golfweek.com on Friday, the same day as his video show of the same name.• We saw
the essence of Tiger Woods against J.B. Holmes on Wednesday at the WGC Accenture Match Play. That’s who he is and what he does. That’s what nobody else does. Such unthinkable brilliance has defined Woods, remarkably over and over. This was merely the latest evidence of why watching golf in his era is so special.
Thing is, you could feel the unlikely comeback coming when Woods made that 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th and trimmed Holmes’ lead to 2-up with four holes to play. That was just the first domino, but then he gives off the energy that more were to fall. You could feel it, sense it, envision it, bet it and again believe it.
Three down, five holes left. Birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle. Putts made from 15, 18, 20 and 35 feet. And then his opponent misses from 8 feet at the last, failing to extend the first-round match. Just as you sensed Woods would rally and win, you sensed Holmes would miss. The energy there told us so.
This phenomenon of the inevitable recalls two quotes, one from Tom Weiskopf, one from Richard Petty.
Once discussing Jack Nicklaus’ dominance, Weiskopf said that Nicklaus knew he would beat you and that he knew that you knew he’d beat you. Petty said as much in his own way once when asked at Daytona whether he expected that Cale Yarborough would slingshot around Harry Gant on the third turn of the last lap: “I knowed it, Cale knowed it, Harry knowed it, we all knowed it.”
We have come to expect these things from Woods, the record winner of six consecutive USGA titles as a young amateur, all involving match play. Though 18-hole match play is a dicey proposition at the professional level, Woods, too, has excelled at the WGC, setting the record for most consecutive matches won, 13, in 2003-05.
The overtaking of Holmes, of course, was merely his latest Houdini act. Trip Kuehne, Steve Scott, Bob May, Matt Gogel, Chris DiMarco and many others have felt his momentum in the air. Then there was the time he won the Buick Invitational after making the cut on the number. And the times he willed his way to making a couple of major cuts when in serious jeopardy, once at the Masters and once at the PGA.
If there’s irony in his rally against Holmes, it’s that Woods has never won a major when trailing after 54 holes. Some cynics suggest he’s not a good chaser.
Come again?
• Quote of the week if not year: Michelle Wie, all of 18, said the two wrists she injured last year are
“never going to be 100 percent ever again.” Huh!? That’s either a condemnation of medical science, teenage healing powers and optimism or it’s a built-in excuse for the next three decades. Curious, however sliced.
• The best athlete in the world is not Tiger Woods. It’s John Daly. Has to be. How else do you explain his being able to get around for 18 holes with that body?
• My thorough investigation concludes there’s no credence to speculation Congress will conduct a hearing to determine whether race-car drivers and golfers are athletes. So two Sunday winners known for swinging left – Ryan Newman at Daytona and Phil Mickelson at Riviera – can sigh without fear of lowered esteem.
• You think JD arrives at Riviera’s famed “donut” hole and thinks about eating it?
• Fred Funk said he made a small wager with a friend that Woods will win all of his events in 2008. I’m not usually one to doubt Woods, but I have two words for the Funkster: “Dumb bet.” Or eight words: “Can I get a piece of that action?” If Woods maxes out at 16-for-16 or whatever, I’ll caddie for Funk for free until either one of us can’t walk – or until I reach the Mr. Magoo stage driving a motorized cart on the over-50 scene.
• WGC Match Play Wednesday is not only the most exciting Wednesday on the golf calendar, it’s the 11th most exciting day in all of golf. I put it right behind the four weekend rounds at the majors and the first two days of the Ryder Cup. If you have to ask, “What about Ryder Cup Sunday?” you haven’t been paying attention lately.
• As you watch the Match Play’s final three days, continue to expect the unexpected. At that point, there are no upsets unless there’s a Woods loss. Consider this: Over the past decade, the top 4 seeds have reached the final four times, and seeds 50 and higher have been there four times.
• I’m thinking you’ll see a foot of snow in Tucson before you’ll see Ernie Els there again.
Posted: 2/22/2008
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