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Golf without Tiger? Not likely
Posted: Thursday March 02, 2000 02:44 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle will answer your questions every Thursday during the golf season. Click here to send him a question. I'm beginning to think it's impossible to write a golf story of any length or substance without mentioning Tiger Woods. It's like trying to write a business story these days without mentioning the Internet. (The what? Oh, never mind.) Perhaps you have detected a trend this year. Tiger won six straight PGA Tour events, counting four from last year. In his last three outings, he has played poorly yet nearly won at Torrey Pines; had a chance to win at Riviera despite a four-putt green the last day; and went all the way to the finals of the big-deal match-play tournament at La Costa -- where, if one or two of his putts that grazed the cup and went by had gone in, he might have had a chance. If he'd been only 2 down with seven holes to play, it would've been pretty interesting to see whether the Gutmaster, Darren Clarke, would've held on to win or fallen down in front of Tiger like Tiger's first five intimidated opponents. You already know this, but Tiger has more game than anybody else on Tour. He's longer, he's straighter and he has more shots around the greens than maybe anybody else, even Phil Mickelson. So if he plays poorly, he finishes like 12th. If he plays or putts decently, he wins or comes close. If he putts well, he wins by a bunch. He's that much better than the rest, for now. Let's just hope he doesn't get bored. Meanwhile, what are we going to talk about these next two weeks with Tiger on the sidelines? Better keep those cards and letters coming.
Who's the worst player to win a major? At last, a question about majors where the answer isn't Colin Montgomerie. At least, not yet. In the modern era, the player with the thinnest résumé among major winners has to be Orville Moody. Ol' Sarge won the 1969 U.S. Open; it was the only PGA Tour event he ever won. I don't know if that makes him the worst, but he's certainly the most curious major champion of the last 40 years. Moody cashed in on the Senior tour with 11 wins, thanks to the invention of the long putter. I think he was People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive a couple of years ago, too.
Settle an argument: Does Tiger pay Butch Harmon by the hour or is he on some sort of retainer-type thing? What, you want me to watch you putt, too? O.K., Tiger, but that'll be another $12.50. Huh? No, I don't have change for a 50. You know the rules, correct change only or get off the bus ... Harmon is on a retainer, essentially a contract whose terms are not disclosed. Clarke, who also works with Harmon, doesn't pay a cent but he sends Harmon cases of exquisite, expensive red wine.
Settle a big argument: Who is the oldest cut-maker at the Masters? Why are all you people arguing? Can't we all just get along? If you must know, Gary Player was 62 years, five months, when he incredibly made the Masters cut in 1998. Guess you and your buddies were out playing for dimes at the local muni and missed it. Sam Snead held the record for 24 years before that. Snead was 61 years, 10 months, in 1974, and he topped Gene Sarazen, who was 61 years, one month, in 1963. So Jack Nicklaus, who is 60, won't break a record if he makes the cut this year. However, he became the oldest top-10 finisher with his tie for sixth in '98, the same year as Player's made cut. Did they serve Viagra at the champions dinner or something? Jack could shoot for this: The oldest player to finish in the top five was Jimmy Demaret, who tied for fifth when he was 51 in 1962.
Why is the golfer with the most eye-pleasing golf swing (Ernie Els) not winning as often as those with secondary swings? Golf is about scoring, not about about swinging. Swinging is about ball flight, not about looks. If golf was a beauty contest for swings, Arnold Palmer would've been relegated to the equivalent of the Hooters Tour and Steve Elkington would be in the Hall of Fame. Instead, I seem to recall Arnie won several events around the Middle Ages . Meanwhile, Elkington is about 20 wins light of the Hall, fewer if he throws three or four more majors in there.
Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
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