Is McIlroy having one dig too many at Tiger?
Source: Agencies |
March 10, 2011, Thursday
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ONE of the brightest young stars in golf, Rory McIlroy has been making news over the last few weeks for giving his opinion on Tiger Woods, and there really isn't much good to say about the game of the No. 5 player in the world.
In an essay under McIlroy's byline in Sports Illustrated's "Golf Plus" section, McIlroy said that Woods is not playing as well as he did a couple of years ago.
"I'm not sure we are going to see him dominate again the way he did," McIlroy wrote.
"He never seemed like he would make a mistake. It's not that he's playing badly. He's simply playing badly by Tiger's standards. He's playing like an ordinary golfer. People expect more of him because of what he has achieved."
Indeed, there are questions as to whether Woods can rule golf the way he did in 2000, when his nine wins included three straight majors. Or the way he did after his father died in 2006, when he won 18 of 33 tournaments worldwide, four of eight majors and had a seven-month stretch without ever losing.
Can anything else be disputed?
The problem is that Woods, through a dozen years of unprecedented dominance, has created a culture of being off limits to other players giving honest answers.
This only looks bad on two counts. One is that it's easy to pile on Woods right now. The other is that the commentary is coming from a 21-year-old with all of two career victories, who has never faced Woods at his best.
Fickle
"That's the answer a 21-year-old would give, isn't it?" Lee Westwood said last week with a smile.
"I think having played with Tiger since 1997 or something like that ... there's an old saying that class is permanent and form is fickle. He's the classiest player I've ever played with and I'd be wise enough to know not to write him off.
"I've seen him play poorly and win tournaments," Westwood said. "He doesn't necessarily have to get back to where he was."
Last year, McIlroy talked about Woods before the Ryder Cup, when the American had yet to be added to the US team as a captain's pick.
In an interview with an Irish newspaper, he said he expected Woods to be in Wales. "I would love to face him," McIlroy said.
"Unless his game rapidly improves ... I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him."
In 2006, Stephen Ames jokingly said on the practice range about his chances, "Anything can happen, especially where he's (Woods) hitting the ball."
It was harmless humor, although the quote became far more serious in the "lift, clean and paste" era of the Internet that eliminated all context.
Some of these grudges are overcooked. Woods wasn't bothered by Sabbatini's comments as much as he was Sabbatini withdrawing from the Chevron World Challenge before the final round.
If he is guilty of anything, McIlroy believes it's getting his message out the right way. Maybe the kid should keep it short, for it was on Twitter where McIlroy made himself perfectly clear.
"Hate that the media thinks I'm taking jabs at Tiger all the time. Best that's ever lived. Ever. Just not playing his best at the minute. If he plays his best we're all screwed. Hard to dodge the Tiger questions when you get 10 every interview you do."
In an essay under McIlroy's byline in Sports Illustrated's "Golf Plus" section, McIlroy said that Woods is not playing as well as he did a couple of years ago.
"I'm not sure we are going to see him dominate again the way he did," McIlroy wrote.
"He never seemed like he would make a mistake. It's not that he's playing badly. He's simply playing badly by Tiger's standards. He's playing like an ordinary golfer. People expect more of him because of what he has achieved."
Indeed, there are questions as to whether Woods can rule golf the way he did in 2000, when his nine wins included three straight majors. Or the way he did after his father died in 2006, when he won 18 of 33 tournaments worldwide, four of eight majors and had a seven-month stretch without ever losing.
Can anything else be disputed?
The problem is that Woods, through a dozen years of unprecedented dominance, has created a culture of being off limits to other players giving honest answers.
This only looks bad on two counts. One is that it's easy to pile on Woods right now. The other is that the commentary is coming from a 21-year-old with all of two career victories, who has never faced Woods at his best.
Fickle
"That's the answer a 21-year-old would give, isn't it?" Lee Westwood said last week with a smile.
"I think having played with Tiger since 1997 or something like that ... there's an old saying that class is permanent and form is fickle. He's the classiest player I've ever played with and I'd be wise enough to know not to write him off.
"I've seen him play poorly and win tournaments," Westwood said. "He doesn't necessarily have to get back to where he was."
Last year, McIlroy talked about Woods before the Ryder Cup, when the American had yet to be added to the US team as a captain's pick.
In an interview with an Irish newspaper, he said he expected Woods to be in Wales. "I would love to face him," McIlroy said.
"Unless his game rapidly improves ... I think anyone in the European team would fancy their chances against him."
In 2006, Stephen Ames jokingly said on the practice range about his chances, "Anything can happen, especially where he's (Woods) hitting the ball."
It was harmless humor, although the quote became far more serious in the "lift, clean and paste" era of the Internet that eliminated all context.
Some of these grudges are overcooked. Woods wasn't bothered by Sabbatini's comments as much as he was Sabbatini withdrawing from the Chevron World Challenge before the final round.
If he is guilty of anything, McIlroy believes it's getting his message out the right way. Maybe the kid should keep it short, for it was on Twitter where McIlroy made himself perfectly clear.
"Hate that the media thinks I'm taking jabs at Tiger all the time. Best that's ever lived. Ever. Just not playing his best at the minute. If he plays his best we're all screwed. Hard to dodge the Tiger questions when you get 10 every interview you do."
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