Hard to put Woods' excellence into words
Off the Foul Pohl
Bart Pohlman
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Sports
He's unbelievable, really.
He's also amazing, awesome, ridiculous, fantastic, clutch and any other adjective that could be used to describe greatness.
He is Tiger Woods, and he is great. Really, really great.
As in, he's so great that it's nearly impossible to associate any litany of words with him.
He seems to transcend those 'normal' words to the point of ... well, what can you say?
And that's the thing - there isn't a word to describe him anymore.
Watch Woods play golf, watch him demolish the field, watch his focus or watch as the other golfers collapse when he's on the prowl.
What can you say?
Truth be told, you can't say anything, other than the standard 'wow.' All you can do is shrug your shoulders, shake your head and laugh every time he hits a putt to win a tournament.
It was unbelievable when Woods won the 1997 Masters - his first major championship - by an astounding 12 strokes. He made Augusta National his personal playground en route to the record victory.
It was amazing when Woods won the 2001 Masters, completing the "Tiger Slam." With that win, Woods became the first golfer in the modern era to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.
It was ridiculous when Woods chipped in for birdie on the 16th hole at Augusta during the final round of the 2005 Masters. With the added pressure of a final-round duel with Chris DiMarco, Woods' miraculous birdie is one of the best shots in golf history. After the ball drops into the cup, the crowd erupts, and Verne Lundquist's call echoes through the Georgia pines: "Oh, wow! In your life have you seen anything like it?"
It was fantastic when Woods won the 2006 British Open in emotional fashion, doing so a little more than two months after the death of his father, Earl. After missing the cut at the U.S. Open (the only time he's missed a cut in a major as a professional), Woods shot 18-under par, only one shot off his record he set in 2000 at St. Andrews.
It was clutch when Woods drained his birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2008 U.S. Open to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate, all while battling through the pain of his injured knee. Woods, of course, won the tournament in an 18-hole playoff the next day. Even a broken leg and torn ligaments can't stop this tour de force.
After that litany of magical moments, think about it.
What can you say about a guy who is the prohibitive favorite to win every time he tees it up, and when he does win, he still leaves you awestruck?
It's uncanny, unheard of and never-before-seen - all at the same time.
Since missing the cut at the 2006 U.S. Open, Woods has won 18 of the 32 tournaments he has entered on the PGA Tour.
Let that sink in for a minute. Woods has won 56 percent of the tournaments he has entered during that time span.
That's a ridiculous stretch of winning, but again, what can you say?
Everyone wants to compare Woods to 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, but the better comparison might be to Michael Jordan, the greatest player the game of basketball has ever seen and an athlete who seemingly transcended the game.
But I doubt even Jordan knows what to say about Woods.
I mean, what can you say?
Bart Pohlman is the sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Friday.
He's also amazing, awesome, ridiculous, fantastic, clutch and any other adjective that could be used to describe greatness.
He is Tiger Woods, and he is great. Really, really great.
As in, he's so great that it's nearly impossible to associate any litany of words with him.
He seems to transcend those 'normal' words to the point of ... well, what can you say?
And that's the thing - there isn't a word to describe him anymore.
Watch Woods play golf, watch him demolish the field, watch his focus or watch as the other golfers collapse when he's on the prowl.
What can you say?
Truth be told, you can't say anything, other than the standard 'wow.' All you can do is shrug your shoulders, shake your head and laugh every time he hits a putt to win a tournament.
It was unbelievable when Woods won the 1997 Masters - his first major championship - by an astounding 12 strokes. He made Augusta National his personal playground en route to the record victory.
It was amazing when Woods won the 2001 Masters, completing the "Tiger Slam." With that win, Woods became the first golfer in the modern era to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.
It was ridiculous when Woods chipped in for birdie on the 16th hole at Augusta during the final round of the 2005 Masters. With the added pressure of a final-round duel with Chris DiMarco, Woods' miraculous birdie is one of the best shots in golf history. After the ball drops into the cup, the crowd erupts, and Verne Lundquist's call echoes through the Georgia pines: "Oh, wow! In your life have you seen anything like it?"
It was fantastic when Woods won the 2006 British Open in emotional fashion, doing so a little more than two months after the death of his father, Earl. After missing the cut at the U.S. Open (the only time he's missed a cut in a major as a professional), Woods shot 18-under par, only one shot off his record he set in 2000 at St. Andrews.
It was clutch when Woods drained his birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2008 U.S. Open to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate, all while battling through the pain of his injured knee. Woods, of course, won the tournament in an 18-hole playoff the next day. Even a broken leg and torn ligaments can't stop this tour de force.
After that litany of magical moments, think about it.
What can you say about a guy who is the prohibitive favorite to win every time he tees it up, and when he does win, he still leaves you awestruck?
It's uncanny, unheard of and never-before-seen - all at the same time.
Since missing the cut at the 2006 U.S. Open, Woods has won 18 of the 32 tournaments he has entered on the PGA Tour.
Let that sink in for a minute. Woods has won 56 percent of the tournaments he has entered during that time span.
That's a ridiculous stretch of winning, but again, what can you say?
Everyone wants to compare Woods to 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, but the better comparison might be to Michael Jordan, the greatest player the game of basketball has ever seen and an athlete who seemingly transcended the game.
But I doubt even Jordan knows what to say about Woods.
I mean, what can you say?
Bart Pohlman is the sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Friday.
Be the first to comment on this story