• NOW ON GOLFWEEK TV: Hate to be Rude: Woody Austin.
Jeff Rude’s “I Hate To Be Rude” column appears on Golfweek.com on Friday, the same day as his video show of the same name.• Strange as it sounds, I’m not sure Tiger Woods gets enough credit. I say this because, with all due respect to late gentleman Byron Nelson, Woods’ record since the British Open (nine victories – including seven consecutive – and a second in 10 worldwide starts) is richer than Nelson’s 11 in a row in 1945 because of an enormous difference in field depth and media scrutiny.
Oddly enough, Harold “Jug” McSpaden, Nelson’s close friend and runner-up 13 times in 1945, told me in 1995 that he didn’t even know Nelson was in the midst of such a streak as it was happening.
• Is Woods’ streak seven (worldwide) or five (PGA Tour)? Both. The danger here is discounting his achievement should he run his worldwide total to or past 11. Tell Ernie Els that the Dubai Desert Classic didn’t matter. And if the Miami Four-Ball counted for Nelson in 1945 when he paired with McSpaden, then Woods’ seven-stroke victory in the Target World Challenge’s elite 16-man field last December is good enough for me.
• Two biggest obstacles for Woods as he streaks along? Phil Mickelson and the Players Championship. Mickelson has played well at Doral, this week’s venue, and won at upcoming places like Augusta National, TPC Sawgrass and Torrey Pines. And Woods is 1-for-11 at the Players, though he is more equipped to handle the target golf there because he’s swinging and playing better than ever before.
• One man’s guess: The streak will hit at least 10 consecutive worldwide. That factors in victory at Doral, the Masters and the Wachovia Championship. If he goes for No. 11 at the Players, then it would finally be a major. At least this year.
• By winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, Woods tied Ben Hogan for third in PGA Tour victories at 64. Hogan, of course, had a mysterious “secret” that dimple heads still debate. Now, can you imagine how golf would explode if Woods said, “Now that I’ve tied Hogan, there’s something I want to say: I’ve got a secret, too. But I’m not going to tell you.”
You think he gets mobbed wherever he goes now? Imagine the stalking.
• Hogan and Woods share something else besides a victory total: Trance-like focus. Hogan once didn’t know his close friend Marvin Leonard was at a tournament even though he walked right next to him by a tee. And not only does Woods will in winning putts with a higher frequency of concentration, he apparently blanks out after doing so. Remarkably, he said he couldn’t recall throwing his cap down after making that 24-footer at 18. The quote: “When Stevie (caddie Williams) handed me my hat, I was like, How in the hell did he get my hat?”
• We don’t need to send Woods’ clubs or memorabilia to any Halls of Fame for exhibit. We need to send his body to medical science so doctors can slice him open and see what’s in there.
• By the way, the snake at Bay Hill traveled left to right. That’s significant because Woods has made several significant left-to-right putts over the years. For righthanders, they’re more difficult to make than right-to-left putts. Just ask the masses who tend to miss low right.
• Ernie Els became ill with the flu last weekend. See what happens when Woods wins his seventh in a row. I’m thinking he probably wasn’t the only sick touring pro.
• Nick O’Hern and Ryuji Imada, both affected by John Daly’s pro-am whiff at Bay Hill, rebounded from DQs by shooting into the top 10 at Doral after the first round. Not sure if that makes J.D. feel better or worse.
Posted: 3/21/2008
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