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What's wrong with Tiger?
Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle will answer your questions every Thursday during the golf season. Click here to send him a question. It's another telltale sign of Tiger Woods' dominance that it seems like bigger news when he doesn't win than when he does. We almost expect him to win. It's like Chris Evert in her heyday, or Nebraska football. So it was mildly surprising when Woods didn't win the Tour Championship. Media hype alert: How many weeks does Woods have to go without winning before somebody writes, "What's wrong with Tiger?" The answer: Two. An Atlanta columnist wrote that story, slightly tongue in cheek, after the finish at East Lake. This week's letters:
Phil Mickelson has had a great year, but let's not get hysterical. He didn't
come within a country mile of winning a major this year, and at neither Torrey
Pines or East Lakes was he paired with Tiger on Sunday. That's not exactly
staring at Tiger eye-to-eye. Mickelson's victories over Tiger don't compare with
Darren Clarke's at the Match Play Championship or Hal Sutton's at the Players.
Sutton ran smack before, during and after that tournament and backed it up all
the way. Sutton's win at the Player's was the best of 2000, aside from Tiger's
at Pebble Beach and St.
Andrews. It's like this, Bill. Tiger is in a class by himself. No argument there. Mickelson, however, has established himself as the best of the rest for the time being. Check back next year.
Dottie Pepper beat Fred Couples the other day on a par-three course. Does
this prove that the LPGA's best can compete with
men? No, Nina, but it proves if you ever play Dottie Pepper in a match, you'd better bring money. She doesn't like to lose.
I have heard that Tiger Woods can bench-press 375 pounds. Looking at his body
frame, I find that a little hard to
believe. Tiger is ripped, George. I don't know about 375, but I've heard he can do at least 300. Gee, just talking about this is making me hungry. How about you?
Has the USGA tested Tiger's Nike
ball? Yes. All balls used in competition must first be approved by the USGA.
I was intrigued by your "Underground Golfer" column on the new
Titleist Pro V1 392. Yours is the first piece I've read that is not
thinly-disguised marketing. I went through a sampling process at the beginning
of this season and have been playing the Precept MC Tour Premium (a.k.a. the
Nike Tour Accuracy) ever since, having played the Strata and Revolution in the
past. I'd be curious to know if you've tried the Precept/Nike ball, and if the
Titleist blew that away,
too. I guess that means you like the Precept, Charles. I haven't played it yet but a dozen fell into my hands at an outing the day I was replying to you, so I will soon ... as long as winter doesn't arrive in Pittsburgh next week.
Gary, just wanted to chime in with my own Scotty Cameron putter experience. I
purchased a Cameron Newport 2 about a year ago, and it sat idle for three months
during a period when I didn't play. I was shocked to pull it out and find my own
"antique" putter staring at me, covered with rusty oxidation. I, too,
was not told anything about the care and feeding of my putter when I bought it.
Only after visiting a local Edwin Watts golf shop was I told, "Oh yeah, you
have to oil a putter like that regularly -- didn't they give you the oil rag
that goes with it?" So evidently you should keep the putter dry, and rub it
with one of these Titleist oil rags after each use, and eventually the inside of
your putter cover will be oily enough to continue to protect it if you don't use
it for a while. Funny that Titleist doesn't make this clear on these awesome
putters. Thanks, Colin. It's oil over from here on in.
Gary, does the House of Kangaroo have a Web site? I would be interested in
checking out those gloves you
mention. You can find HOK kangaroo leather gloves on the Web only at Fogdog.com and igogolf.com. Last time I checked, both charged $14.95 apiece, although igogolf.com had a two-for $26 special.
Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
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