Woods was in combative form during today's pre-tournament press conference.
Having endured a turbulent seven days – in which he provoked the ire of a usually timid press corps and, in missing his first cut of the year, prompted an outbreak of journalistic apostasy (examples here, here and here) – Tiger Woods returned to the media centre this evening to reinvigorate the faith of his once loyal disciples.
Rhetorical miracles weren’t performed, but the unshakable tenets of a philosophy were enumerated, cliché by laborious cliché. This was a press conference of positively catholic dimensions.
“It takes time, takes a lot of reps.”
“Augusta was nice to have happen, actually, in the big scheme of things.”
“I tend to creep back into old patterns, and that’s kind of what happened.”
Hidden amongst the familiar chaff, however, there lurked a few hints of something new. Subtle changes detectable only to the connoisseur of passive-aggressive dialogue: shifts in emphasis, tone, timbre.
Responding to the suggestion that he should go back to just feeling his way around the golf course – the ideological centrepiece of a new, heretical gospel (blame the newly-canonised Saint Peter) – Woods feigned ignorance, refusing even to recognise his interlocutor’s terms of reference.
“As far as getting back to when I was a kid and not having instructors, I’ve always had one. I’ve had my dad, I had Rudy, had John, Butch, Hank and now Sean. So I don’t really understand your question… I’ve always had a coach, so that’s why I have a hard time understanding your question of getting back to something. I’ve always done this. “
Cardinals Faldo and Chamblee, each of whom volunteered diagnoses in conference calls prior to the press conference, were dealt with more ruthlessly.
“Well, I can understand that everyone has an opinion, and [Chamblee's] entitled to his. But he’s no longer playing anymore, so, so be it…”
“[On Faldo] I always find it interesting, since they’re not in my head. They must have some kind of superpower I don’t know about.”
No ceremony would be complete, of course, without quiet reassurance and an appeal to blind faith.
“Guys, I’ve done this before. I’ve been through this. Actually a lot of you guys lived it with me, went through those periods where I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be. I had some pretty good runs after that, and this is no different.”
Woods is scheduled to play his opening rounds in the company of Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler, winner of last week’s Wells Fargo Colloquy.
Amen.
Conor Nagle
I really don’t UNDERSTAND you critics in the media. You complain when Tiger gives you stock answers and you complain when he actually shows some reaction to your questions and comments. I thought Tiger’s responses were honest and informing. I don’t see the problem here.
Tiger is right on point with Brandel Chamblee, he is entitled to his opinion like the rest of us. It is worth noting that after Tiger’s recent victory Brandel was back on the Tiger band wagon.
And Tiger is also right about Faldo. How would Nick know what’s going on in Tiger head when it seems apparently clear they don’t have a close relationship.
Lastly, how can you continue to question Tiger’s choice of coaches when he is correct that this has been his pattern. It appears to take him about 2 years to adjust to the swing changes and then he dominates. Stay tune.
I’m waiting for this very unstable Tiger to throw a punch at someone on the course. It’s obvious he cannot control his emotions at all. Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson, never, ever threw a club, or smashed one against their bag, take a purposeful divot, not talk to the reporter after a loss, swear out loud, etc. To compare Tiger to one of these guys is impossible. Tiger is the biggest bum in sports today. The puke couldn’t keep his thing in his pants while his gorgeous and devoted wife was giving birth. Go out with a few women while your wife is pregnant? Hey, way to go Tiger! Only reason his remaining sponsors haven’t dumped him is because of money. They have the same ethics as Tiger.
It really seem to bother you that Tiger has sponsors. You need to find a better outlet for all this anger and contempt.
BTW I’m pretty sure Jack has denied the press an interview after a tough round.
Let’s hear it for St. Chris. Find an outlet for that anger dude.
Interesting pairing. Tiger is playing with two guys that are better than most and certainly coming in Hot right now. Tiger will be anxious to show he is the best in this group. Guaranteed hes been pounding balls at the range while Rickie was claiming his first victory. Tiger was also likely pounding something else while Rickie was in a playoff, but that’s another chapter we won’t get into right now.
lol, I actually liked Tiger’s answer on instructors. Questioner wanted to know why he didn’t go back to how he played before he ha an instructor. But he’s always had them, there is no before
Chris just copies and pastes the same response to anything about Tiger. I don’t mind that he disagrees with the others but how about some originality.
Glad to see Tiger basically tell the golf world to sit down – shut up and wait and see what he is going to do. They have played 20 events with 19 different winners thus far and Tiger is already won one this year. The only guy to win twice – Hunter Mahan who has the same coach as Tiger.
I think Tiger just made it too look too easy for too long.
yea!!!….Chris is back!! with his S.O.S…..but i agree with Brandel…i think his swing is a wreck and looks terrible….but what do i know….i only play at my club bout 3-4 times a week…..he might make the cut this week…..
Oh my … so because you play at your club 3 times a week that qualifies you as a critic of the GOAT. I havving played much this year, but last year I was at my club at least twice during the week and every weekend. So based on my experience, Tiger swing looks good to me.
Tiger has become a ‘show me’ story. Talk is cheap. Words (both his and others) have hollow meaning until he can consistently play at a level that gives him a regular chance to win. Until then, swing away.
The one thing I agree with Tiger on is his rejection of the idea (discussed by many, including Trevino, and also most of the guys such as Zinger that Tiger completely destroyed as a 20 something)that he just needs to go back to his “natural” swing/game. As he said, he has always used a coach, and has changed his technique based (partially) on thier input. In Haney’s book, it says how much he depends on coaching, but how stubborn and hard to change he was while getting coached. IMHO, this is not a bad thing – Tiger strives beyond “good enough” but for perfection. Now whether that is achievable over a long period of time is up for question, as is the ultimate wisdom of this approach as he gets older.
*sigh* one more Tiger opinion sails into the ether . . . here goes:
1. Like Faldo says, you don’t play Golf Swing on the course, you play Golf Course. Or as T puts it, Ranger Rick isn’t showing up on gameday. I think Augusta was a good example. T had a pretty solid game together in the weeks preceding. He sees Augusta, tries to play Golf Course, and his subconscious remembers the swings he used there previously. Whang! Snap hook off the first tee! Try again…another snapper. Bang! Confidence gone! Back to playing Golf Swing. Faldo’s right about T’s fade swing leaking into his putting, too.
2. The yapping about him ‘changing his swing.’ As Haney revealed, T is very afraid of wrecking his left knee. He knows he needs a swing that his body can perform into his 40′s to have a shot at Jack’s record. So he’s trying to build that swing. Carping about the swing philosophy he’s following (Foley’s) has proven to be BS, as Foley’s other students have *also* been tour winners this year. T’s just doing what he has to do . . . with a legion of tiger-yappers who get paid by the word commenting on the process.
3. T’s still stupid-long off the tee. And when he *does* perfect the cut-fade that Hogan and Jack used to carve up golf courses, he will have the tee-to-green game that could win majors…if his putting can stand the rigors of time. If I ever see T with a belly putter, I’ll vomit all over the recliner.
Agree and hear you on the belly putter.
Frankie is wrong about one thing. Nicklaus never skated on the interviews, regardless of how difficult or what he shot. Reporters LOVED his interviews for the honesty. I remember he even talked to the press when he shot 80 in the British Open after he learned just before his round that one of his sons was in a bad car wreck.
I would remind those who fondly (but inaccurately) remember the past that Nicklaus wasn’t always everyone’s favorite uncle. And while he was consistent in his dealings with the media he wasn’t always kind and gentle. And the media demands of that era were not even close to what the top players endure today. All that being said, I have witnessed Jack at less than his best with the press. It’s true of every player, except Palmer, who I’ve never seen have a bad day.
I thought Tiger’s answers were a hell of a lot better than the questions. I think the media needs to change their “question coaches”.
After all “The Media’s” harping the past week for not getting a chance to interview Tiger LIVE (and apparently exclusively for themselves), this is the set of questions they come up with as their best? Other than the questions about Chamblee and Faldo (which are pointless to answer, as you know precisely what Tiger will say to those inane opinions), the questions from the fans last week were every bit as insightful as the best questions The Media could muster for their first foray with Tiger after their big critique of last week’s video Q&A.
Walt is right – Nickalus could be prickly. Still can, but it’s rare now. But when he was, it was honest. He didn’t suffer fools gladly. His interviews were regarded as can’t miss by the press.