So, Tiger wins another, putting him at 13 majors. Just for some perspective, he’s won 13 in his first 44. Jack had won 11 in his first 44 (I think Jack had more 2nds and 3rds). Also, Tiger is something like 120 under par over those 44 Majors. Jack was about 35 over par (may have a bit to do with club and ball technology). For this year, only 7 players made the cut in all 4 majors. Of those, Tiger was the only one with a composite score under par. Of all the sports records that are being broken or challenged, Nicklaus’ total majors won might be the biggest one to be broken that’s not under any shadow of cheating, banned substances, etc, etc. (The other one I can think of would be Federer breaking the majors record in tennis.)
So, Tiger wins another, putting him at 13 majors. Just for some perspective, he’s won 13 in his first 44. Jack had won 11 in his first 44 (I think Jack had more 2nds and 3rds). Also, Tiger is something like 120 under par over those 44 Majors. Jack was about 35 over par (may have a bit to do with club and ball technology). For this year, only 7 players made the cut in all 4 majors. Of those, Tiger was the only one with a composite score under par. Of all the sports records that are being broken or challenged, Nicklaus’ total majors won might be the biggest one to be broken that’s not under any shadow of cheating, banned substances, etc, etc. (The other one I can think of would be Federer breaking the majors record in tennis.)
Did you catch Gary Player’s comments on doping in pro golf?
I noticed the other day that Tiger seems to have put on some serious muscle over the past few years. Nothing freaky or unnatural, I was just surprised at how different he looks.
I believe I heard that Tiger was one of the players speaking out about PED’s. Any idea who they’re referring to?
Tiger weighed 150-160 in his last years as an amateur and he now weighs over 180.
The word was that he can bench 300 and even if that’s not true he is a huge advocate of gym work and weights.
Camilo villegas has got even bigger than tiger. He is monstrously strong.
PEDs are being used in professional Tennis and the PGA, you can bank on it.
PED’s are most likely being used on the professional tour. Gary Player’s comments of late point to further evidence of this trend.
It’s a shame but illegal drug use has permeated just about every professional sport on the planet…including golf.
And I’m not so sure it just the strength-building type. Shouldn’t golfers be able to benefit from the same kind of “recovery” PED’s in other sports. Baseball, sure there are the strength PED’s involved, but also the recovery from the daily grind of 182 games a year. Vijay still practices hours a day, at what 44, and doesn’t have back problems? I think you need to look at the older guys.
The strength thing may be a problem, but much of it is technology. Did you see the graphic on Daly, in his majors where he lead with driving distance? It has gone from 303 to 345 just in his career!
Tiger weighed 150-160 in his last years as an amateur and he now weighs over 180.
The word was that he can bench 300 and even if that’s not true he is a huge advocate of gym work and weights.
Camilo villegas has got even bigger than tiger. He is monstrously strong.
I was right behind Tiger at the US Open practice range this year for an hour and a half. He is built more like a defensive back than a golfer. His back, shoulders and arms are not only ripped, they are huge for a golfer. Villegas was about 2-3 people down from Tiger and no way is he nearly as big as Tiger. Villegas is ripped also, but Tiger is much bulkier, especially in the upper body.
I’ve also heard he can bench over 300 and wouldn’t doubt it a bit after seeing him up close. I’ve also heard his gym routine is quite confidential and he doesn’t let it out what he is doing.
I am going to display enormous naivety and say I don’t think Woods would ever do drugs.
The problem with drugs in golf is that they won’t help with a persons ability to strike the ball well.
They would help with both strength and recovery but not much else.
Woods strikes me as someone who would not and does not need to use them to win. He’s young, fit, strong and talented and he does not appear to have increased in size in a short space of time.
I’ve seen him play every year since 95 and he never appeared to have grown enormously in one particular year. He just seems to grow year on year.
The other thing is I suppose that I would like to see him beat Nicklaus’ record cleanly.
By saying Vilegas is bigger than tiger I meant when villegas started at florida (I think that’s where he went) he arrived weighing 130 something and relative to Tiger his physique has changed enormously in a much shorter period of time.
The one thing woods strength now allows him to do is hit the same distances with less effort and more control but he has been lifting now for ten years so its not hugely surprising how big he has got.
I agree though up close and personal the guy is physically very impressive.
I would agree that villegas was very small a few years ago. I was at the Open in Shinnecock in 04 and I am pretty sure he was there too and I couldn’t beleive what a skinny guy he was then.
Many of the pros now are amazingly big dudes. Ernie Els, Vijay, Todd Hamilton, Justin Rose, Ricky Barnes just to name a few are big guys that look like they could be good athletes in many sports. And a lot of the smaller guys are pretty ripped as well (Sergio for instance was next to us at Oakmont and he is pretty well built).
But as for someone that looks like they could just start to kick ass if they wanted to Tiger wins hands down. After watching him effortlessly bomb drives it is no doubt that his strength is a huge benifit to allow him to overpower a course and not get fatigued where his swing would get sloppy.
But as for golf, there are still the John Dalys and Phil Mickelsons that just don’t look like athletes to me!
"I am going to display enormous naivety and say I don’t think Woods would ever do drugs."
I’m not saying Tiger would use drugs. I’m saying look at some of the older guys, and the guys that practice for hours on end with very little injuries. Everyone is hitting the ball farther now, technology has alot to do with that.
The problem with drugs in golf is that they won’t help with a persons ability to strike the ball well.
Granted, it doesn’t help them strike the ball, but PED’s don’t help b-ball players hit the ball either, but PED’s are in baseball. It sure helps them hit it farther. A pop up suddenly becomes a HR. A 275 yd drive suddenly becomes 315.
Unfortunately those we admire most fall victim to the lure of winning and achieving more. I never thought Landis or Hamilton would ever be implicated in doping but they’re innocence is cast into doubt. Hamilton of all people never struck me as willing to cheat…
PED’s are very effective on the course. Remember…these guys are playing rounds and rounds of golf both in practice and in tournaments. The ability to hit the ball consistently hard over the course of 4 days with accuracy takes a toll on the body. PEDs allow recovery to do this over and over.
I would never say this player would use drugs or wouldn’t unless I knew the person. I at least find it plausable that Tiger doesn’t use them for the following reasons
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Even as a little kid he was way ahead of his peers, so he wouldn’t necessarily feel pressure to take drugs to succeed.
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Sure he’s bigger / more muscular than his peers, but his peers aren’t exactly known for their fitness, now are they. Tiger has always been known for his off course dedication. He’s more buff than most, but he isn’t freaky particularly for a guy who has the luxury of working out all day.
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He certainly seems smarter than a lot of athletes, certainly smart enough to realize that he makes more money from his image than he does from his winnings. He would be way better off winning half the tournaments he does with no drugs, than twice what he wins with a drug scandal.
Styrrell
I tend to agree with his reasons for not doing them but disagree that woods is not huge.
He is built like a middle weight boxer and he has grown a large amount in the last ten years.
The reasons I don’t think he does drugs or would is that talent wise there is no that comes close and he has always been fit having run xc as a youngster.
He is slightly different to landis and hamilton is that they were never even remotely close to being head and shoulders above their peers as tiger is. If they did drugs its because they needed an edge that their talent did not give them. Woods does not need them, I think he currently has enough world ranking points to actually be simultaneously ranked number one and two ahead of the current second ranked player. He is simply ona different planet.
Post his three amateur wins and turning pro he made clear that gym work and fitness were as important as the golf and for ten years he has delivered on that.
If you go too the bbc site today it says that he commented after the win yesterday that the reason that he won is that the others simply are not fit enough. He said they look tired, slopey shouldered but he said he felt as good at then of 72 holes as he did at the start.
It’s a shame but illegal drug use has permeated just about every professional sport on the planet…including golf.
Maybe **I **am being naive, but
1.) what is illegal?
2.) Does the PGA have anti-doping rules?
Just look at how Tiger’s fitness helped him win the PGA - four days over 100 and he strode down the 18th on Sunday looking as fresh as a daisy.
The other guys found shade wherever they could, Tiger just walked down the middle.
Know doubt about it…just check FIGJAM’S (Phil Mickelson) chest out…which can only be explained by PED’s. In his early years he didn’t need a manzier to keep those things in check.
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Sure he’s bigger / more muscular than his peers, but his peers aren’t exactly known for their fitness, now are they. Tiger has always been known for his off course dedication. He’s more buff than most, but he isn’t freaky particularly for a guy who has the luxury of working out all day.
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He certainly seems smarter than a lot of athletes, certainly smart enough to realize that he makes more money from his image than he does from his winnings. He would be way better off winning half the tournaments he does with no drugs, than twice what he wins with a drug scandal.
2)This was true maybe for the first couple of years he was on tour, but that is such a dead argument I’m surprised people bring it out again. All of those guys are fitness freaks. This idea that Woods is the only one who is dedicated off the course is such a bunch of malarkey. This is these guys’ livelihood. They will grab whatever advantage they can legally, and some may even go further.
3)I am really getting sick and tired of all this analysis as to why Woods this, and why Woods that. He isn’t any smarter than the other guys, he is simply a better golfer. Plain and simple. Els and Mickelson are the only guys who come even close him on natural talent, Furyk and Singh work their asses off to maximize the talent they do have, but at the end of the day, Woods works nearly as hard as Singh and Furyk, and has a little more talent than Els and Mickelson, and voila, you have 13 majors in 12 years. AS far as image and being smart to manage it, what do you think his agent gets paid for? Man, a guy wins a fw more tournaments than people are used to seeing, and he goes from being a really good golfer to being he smartest human being, solving world hunger, and probably walking on water while he’s at it for good measure.
I think we’re over-impressed w/ Tiger’s physique because we’re comparing it to other golfers. I think it’s fairly obviuos many golfer don’t even walk by the weight-room. Stand Tiger next to Vladamir Guerrero and I’m guessing we’d get a whole new perspective on just how cough b-i-g- Tiger is.
He does look great, but he also wears tight shirt, etc. If you some muscle and are lean and wear the right clothes, you can create quite the appearnace. Again, stand him next to someone 6’0 200 or more and gee, “Where’d Tiger go”?
I would not be at all surprised if the PGA has steroid use, and I’d bet it’s a lot like baseball where it’s the “mid-range” or below guys using in order to hang on or maintain a position. While baseball’s best player used steroids, I would be tremendously shocked if Woods used. It’s just hard for me to believe that he could be that damn dumb.
Again, he’s a muscular golfer … but then we’re comparing him to other golfers. How does his workout intensity, etc compare to the others? I"m guessing he works out harder and more dedicated and hence, it shows in his appearance. I think it’s pretty obvius that Mickelson and his expanding wasitline don’t workout … but that would be the “type” to use PEDs … the kind that shows up looking better than he did at 26, with a new “revolutionized” swing and striking the ball very well, all because they (in their words) “started working out”. Sure. Sure.
Is this the steroid using beast? Whoa, let me brace myself in preparation for his massiveness. grin
