EVEN FOR TIGER, IT'S DRIVE FOR SHOW AND PUTT FOR DOUGH. OR IS IT?

by Doug McAllister

As Tiger makes an early exit from this years PGA Playoff series, the excuses begin to buzz like flies near a cow pie! The Tiger-o-philes are quick to explain why the #1 player in the world is completely justified in his paltry play over the past few months, generally, and his dreadful play in the past few weeks, particularly: Give him a break! He's retooling his swing. You don't do that overnight. It can take months! He's got a new coach. That's why Tiger is a bit off his game. If golf were totally about driving and approach shots — the full-swing shots apparently being addressed presently by Coach Foley — I would probably wholeheartedly agree. But it isn't.

We've all heard the old cliched adage, "Drive for show and putt for dough." Quite simply the meaning here is that, regardless of the steps taken to get to the green, the real dividing line between those who win and those who don't is how the putter is working. Right?

Walter Hagen's version of this was, "Three bad shots and one good shot still makes par!" And you don't have to be a genius to note that the one good shot he was talking about was invariably a putt.

Let's face it, Tiger has never been a straight shooter from the tee. Far from it. He sprays the ball all over the course. What used to make Tiger unbeatable was his ability to scramble in and sink Hagen's good shot — the winning putt.

So what is all of this nonsense about Tiger needing time to reengineer his swing in order to win? Take a look at the putts he's missed of late. He's seen far more than his share of makeable putts and, truth be told, he has simply blown too many of them.

Or am I missing something here? Has Foley got Tiger changing his putting stroke as well? I haven't noticed bizarre new grips for Tiger. Unlike Vijay Singh, who lately changes his grip with every putt, Tiger is using the same setup, the same grip and, with the exception of a some play at the Open Championship earlier this year, the same putter.

So let's all take a deep breath and face the facts: Tiger is where he is right now because his confidence is totally blown! That's it and that's all! Foley will work with Eldrick. They'll go through the process. It will take whatever time it takes and...Voila!...without confidence it won't amount to a hill of beans! Tiger is where he is because his idyllic little life was shattered by a series of really stupid decisions and not because he somehow wore out the swing that literally set the world of golf afire in 2000.

Let's stop all of this nonsense about Tiger's losing streak is fine because he's "working things out." Let's face the music and own up to truth that Tiger just can't put his head where it needs to be right now. And — oh, yes — can we please stop with the stupidity that Tiger's slump is destroying the collective health of the Game of Golf?!

Want to realize the truth of that? Get out there, yourselves, and...

Hit 'em Long and Straight!