PGA Tour Confidential: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Every week of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors.

Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: This is too much. Tiger's front-nine 30. Tiger's hiccup after making the turn. Tiger's 8-iron. We need some sane voices here, folks. Brad Faxon, the Tour veteran and in my opinion one of the most insightful people in all of golf, is joining us today. Welcome, Brad, and welcome back everybody else. Let me start with this question: If there was one player I thought was in position to stand up to Tiger mentally, it was Padraig Harrington. Did Tiger get in his head, or did he just make bad swings, or what? We'll get to Tiger, but let's start with Paddy. Thoughts?

Brad Faxon: Thanks for inviting me to join you guys. Maybe it wasn't Tiger that got into Padraig's head as much as the rules official on the 16th tee.

Jim Herre, editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: Interesting that when Paddy and Tiger were put on the clock on the back nine, CBS said it wasn't the first bad time for Paddy. Brad, does Harrington have a rep for slow play or was he just slowing down because of the situation?

Faxon: Padraig used to be very slow, but I really believe he has sped up his game and slow play isn't an issue anymore. But couple that with playing in the last group with Tiger, and everybody would just naturally slow down.

Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: In Padraig's press conference, he said yes, the official telling him they were on the clock did, indeed, rattle him slightly on the 16th tee. In Tiger's press conference, he blamed Paddy's 16th directly on John Paramor, the European Tour rules official who put their group on the clock. Tiger said Paddy rushed his third and fourth shots at 16 because he had to. Asked if his own 8-iron shot at 16 won the tournament or if the on-the-clock incident won it, Tiger answered, "Both." He really hung Paramor out to dry.

Faxon: Ironic a European tour official put one of his own on the clock. Our guys would probably have let that go.

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I think that was a classic example of how Tiger forces players to try things they otherwise wouldn't. Paddy went for a spectacular par save because he knew that going one down with two to play against Tiger would be fatal. If he's up against Phil, Harrington probably plays a safer shot to the fat part of the green, confident that he can still make up the ground if he takes bogey.

Faxon: Also, this was really Padraig's first time in contention this year, so that might have something to do with it.

Shipnuck: I'm surprised Paddy was rattled by being on the clock. The Tour hasn't imposed a one-stroke penalty for slow play in what, 10 years? You think they're going to start now, gifting a win to Tiger? There's already enough material out there for Tiger conspiracy-theorists!