If you watched tiger all year. His long game looks much better this tournmant. I can't remember a round where he had been this solid of the tee, especially with the driver. Just needs a lot of work on the short game.

Damn I've been out all day haven't got to watch. What are his tee balls and swings looking like there antman? Or anyone else that's been watching ?

I watched a lot. Swinging very well. Shot 69 today. I think he is poised to really play well this coming year.

Has there ever been a pro tournament with more guys chunking chips and pitches?

Has been long and straight with the driver thus far. Out driving his playing partners everyday and that was Jason day during the first round

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Chunk #6, ball traveled 3 ft maybe. The last two have been off fluffy lies.

Agree that turf conditions are affecting other players also.

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Great players, hell, even good amateurs recognize a fluffy lie and adjust accordingly. Fluffy lies usually mean you miss by just going under it. He's laying the sod over simple chip/pitch shots. Have I done it? Of course, but I work 50+ hours a week and play once every couple of months.

It's a "problem" and it's "only" around the greens on a course more perfectly manicured than most of us have ever stepped foot on. Plus, he was a member there for what, 10 years or more? You tell me he NEVER played Isleworth under similar/worse conditions?!

Fact is, you can't "chunk" a putt. Hit fairways and greens and it's not an issue, ask Jordan Speith. Eldrick's not playing well, and hasn't for awhile. I think Tiger playing well is good for golf in general (despite the fact that I dislike him). I'm not saying he can't do it, but he's currently a long way from being an elite player, IMO.

What hawktree said

Dude is a below average pro right now

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What hawktree said

Dude is a below average pro right now

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Perhaps, but you're not being honest if you can't admit his new swing looks much better. He's going to clean the short game up, that's a given. With this improved swing history says it will likely translate to success on the course.

Tiger was playing well today, 2 under par and no mistakes, until he once again chunked 2 chips on the same hole and took an 8 while basically giving up on the hole (missed a 3 footer without spending any time on it apparently). Finished with a couple birdies on the way in and shot even part 72 today.

Once he cleans up the rust and gets his short game in order, he is going to be hard to beat. Everyone I've read on twitter and seen on TV seems to say his swing looks better than it has in years.

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Once he cleans up the rust and gets his short game in order, he is going to be hard to beat.

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I think that time has come and gone. I think we are now at a point where Tiger is going to find guys like Rory and Jordan are hard to beat even when his game is on.

Unlike some of the earlier posters I still think Tigers game off the tee is still very rough. When he misses with the driver they can be huge misses. One of his misses was the furthest offline I think I've ever seen a tour pro hit a ball. It was pulled toward the tree line and then hooked so far left it almost finished two holes over.

And all this depends on his surgically repaired knee, back, etc holding up. That's far from guaranteed .

I guess I'm watching a different Tiger than some of you.

His drives and irons were better than last year. And I have no doubt that he will continue to improve. His short game was comically inept. I have no doubt that he will fix that.

But he finished dead last, 26 shots behind the winner. Spieth was amazing, so throw that out. Tiger finished 15 shots behind the pack.

Where is he going to magically pick up all these strokes? When he is driving well and hitting greens, it isn't miles better than his peers. He may be hitting par 5 with a second shot 8 iron. So what, there are dozens of guys doing the same thing today.

And as a fellow old guy, I've got news for Tiger. His body is only going to get worse with age, not better.

I don't know how anyone could watch him and say, "Yep, on his way." EXTREMELY premature.

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I don't know how anyone could watch him and say, "Yep, on his way." EXTREMELY premature.

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Blind love for their childhood hero.

What I think is sort of ironic is that the new young dominant players (like Rory and Spieth) were inspired by Tiger growing up. Now I think Tiger is getting inspiration from them as he reaches the final years of his "prime".

I think part of the reason he ditched Foley's mechanics and went back to a more natural, free-er swing is from watching Rory tear apart Valhalla and Hoylake the way he used to.

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Unlike some of the earlier posters I still think Tigers game off the tee is still very rough. When he misses with the driver they can be huge misses. One of his misses was the furthest offline I think I've ever seen a tour pro hit a ball. It was pulled toward the tree line and then hooked so far left it almost finished two holes over.

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I don't think you watched the past weekend. After his opening nine of his first round, he was very solid off of the tee, especially with his driver. It has been forever since you could say that about Tiger Woods, this is encouraging to those of us who don't hate him, because it is his first tournament without Foley as his swing coach. I agree that this past summer he looked like you described, absolutely clueless with the driver in his hand. No telling where it was going, but like I said that is why this weekend was encouraging.

Common sense would tell you that if can stop worrying so much about your long game, you can spend more time on everything else, right?

I think Tiger will have a good year IF he hits it off the tee like he did this past weekend. I don't think he will dominate, but he could definitely win some tournaments.

Right, and that's what's so encouraging. This was his FIRST tournament. With Foley, he only had a few rare spells of looking comfortable with his swing. He has traditionally taken a long time to incorporate new swing thoughts. But this one, in literally his first event, people all across the golf world immediately noticed that he looks more fluid and comfortable, and he hit it well too. Let's not forget that if you changed nothing else other than the 8 flubbed chips, he finishes 11th instead of 18th. He would be 8 under par and people would be saying "wow, his first tournament after injury, layoff, and swing changes, and he played pretty well..."

He was long and under control off the tee. There are a lot of positives there. The short game will come.

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There are a lot of positives there.

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Agreed.

Eldrick fluffers

same people said the same thing for the past few years

he done!

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Eldrick fluffers

same people said the same thing for the past few years

he done!

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He won 5 times in 2013 when he was healthy and now he's done?

Anyone else follow along today with the course opening? That was by far the most Tiger's Twitter has been used.

Some badass pics worth a look.

Yeah I looked and then did some reading about the course. Sounds nice. I like Tiger's supposed design approach, trying to make playable courses where you don't lose a lot of golf balls.

My type of course, spray and pray baby.

Could also see why Tiger would like the course

Bump!

Any majors in 2015?!?

If he's healthy, Tiger always has a great chance at Augusta. After that, I'd put his best chance at St.Andrews. He absolutely loves every bit of that place. If Rory doesn't light both those courses on fire, I'd bet TW gets atleast one.

Easy to forget that in his last healthy season (2013), he won The Players, two WGCs and two other PGA tournaments. He was also a pretty damn bad break away from being the 36 hole leader at Augusta. Though this is debatable, I think he wins the 2013 Masters if that ball misses the flagstick on 15 and settles within birdie range. Obviously we'll never know though.

Read he's starting his season in Phoenix. That par 3 hole will be insane!

Deluxe, that 2013 Masters has always been one of my argument points when people say he won't win another major. He finished four shots back, the same number of strokes the flagstick and ensuing penalty cost him. If he birdies that hole, who knows what kind of roll he gets on with the lead at Augusta.

Of course, it's possible he wouldn't have played as well as he did afterwards but Tiger having the Masters lead going into the weekend usually = amazing play.

Yes hole 17 out at Phoenix is gonna be sick

Just rewatched Tiger's Ace (mainly b/c he just tweeted it) (video)

and never noticed the failed high five... even the greats whiff on high fives

Hell yea!

Goes to surprise his GF in Italy for breaking some skiing record, and video reporter hits him in the face in a rush to the podium and knocks his (probably already fake) tooth out.

I thought this was a joke. Just saw it on ESPN. Good lord. Lol

Now that tiger has instant street cred with his new toothless, skull ski mask, thug look... how long till someone reports on the rumor that tiger was indeed responsible for Allenby's kidnapping

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Just rewatched Tiger's Ace (mainly b/c he just tweeted it) (video)

and never noticed the failed high five... even the greats whiff on high fives

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Man that seems forever ago. Miss that tiger