2008 Woodie Awards
Tiger the talk of Magnolia Lane during The Masters
Off the foul Pohl
Bart Pohlman
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Sports
For four days each year, the best golfers in the world travel to Augusta National Golf Club for the tradition unlike any other, more commonly known as The Masters.
Entering the 2008 edition of the most prestigious tournament around, one man has been the talk of Magnolia Lane: Tiger Woods.
Not that it should be a surprise.
After all, Woods has won 13 major championships in his career, second all-time to Jack Nicklaus. He has 64 career victories on the PGA Tour, which puts him in third place on the all-time list.
So it stands to reason that, as always, Woods should be a prohibitive favorite any time he tees it up.
But a 1-1 favorite?
Well, yes, actually.
Woods has won nine of his last 11 tournaments worldwide, including 7 of 9 on the PGA Tour. His two non-wins? Those were second and fifth-place finishes - not exactly bad.
Woods' latest run is really an unprecedented streak in the modern age, and can only be upstaged by Byron Nelson's streak of 11 straight tournament wins in 1945.
When Woods is not playing his best golf (his "B" game, so to speak), he is usually still the favorite to win. So it's safe to say that when he's on a streak like this, he's going to be a big favorite - even a 1-1 favorite.
On top of that, Woods said earlier this year that winning the Grand Slam is not only possible, but "easily within reason."
Now, that doesn't sound very Tiger-like, considering Woods is usually quite humble with his comments. But, on second thought, can you argue against the truth in Woods' words?
With the way he's been playing, winning the Grand Slam isn't just "easily within reason," it's downright probable.
That's saying quite a bit, considering the Grand Slam has only been completed once, by Bobby Jones in 1930 when he won the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open and British Amateur.
No one has won the modern slam, and only Woods has come close. From 2000-2001, Woods completed the "Tiger Slam" when he held all four major championship trophies at one time, but not in the same calendar year.
Entering the 2008 edition of the most prestigious tournament around, one man has been the talk of Magnolia Lane: Tiger Woods.
Not that it should be a surprise.
After all, Woods has won 13 major championships in his career, second all-time to Jack Nicklaus. He has 64 career victories on the PGA Tour, which puts him in third place on the all-time list.
So it stands to reason that, as always, Woods should be a prohibitive favorite any time he tees it up.
But a 1-1 favorite?
Well, yes, actually.
Woods has won nine of his last 11 tournaments worldwide, including 7 of 9 on the PGA Tour. His two non-wins? Those were second and fifth-place finishes - not exactly bad.
Woods' latest run is really an unprecedented streak in the modern age, and can only be upstaged by Byron Nelson's streak of 11 straight tournament wins in 1945.
When Woods is not playing his best golf (his "B" game, so to speak), he is usually still the favorite to win. So it's safe to say that when he's on a streak like this, he's going to be a big favorite - even a 1-1 favorite.
On top of that, Woods said earlier this year that winning the Grand Slam is not only possible, but "easily within reason."
Now, that doesn't sound very Tiger-like, considering Woods is usually quite humble with his comments. But, on second thought, can you argue against the truth in Woods' words?
With the way he's been playing, winning the Grand Slam isn't just "easily within reason," it's downright probable.
That's saying quite a bit, considering the Grand Slam has only been completed once, by Bobby Jones in 1930 when he won the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open and British Amateur.
No one has won the modern slam, and only Woods has come close. From 2000-2001, Woods completed the "Tiger Slam" when he held all four major championship trophies at one time, but not in the same calendar year.
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