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Mr_frumpish t1_j93r9z1 wrote

This guy is tied for 26th in this tournament, hasn't played competitive golf in years and hasn't won a tournament since 2019. And he's getting headlines for making the cut.

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Tell me golf hasn't missed him dearly.

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Roboticpoultry t1_j945vjc wrote

After all these years he’s still a blast to watch. The fact that he’s still competitive is incredibly impressive

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The_Wach t1_j95k67a wrote

If he’s 26th in this tournament, what makes him more fun to watch than 20-25? Genuinely asking.

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Gcode__ t1_j95lujv wrote

He’s the greatest of all time. No one has ever dominated golf like Tiger did in the 2000s. Despite all his issues, he’s shown he can come back and win (masters 2019). So aside from tuning in just to watch the GOAT, people are watching with the hope to see him be competitive after his gruesome leg injury.

He’s currently 12 shots out of the lead, so he has no real chance to win it today. But it’s a great sign to see him have a good round. He also looks a bit more comfortable walking around the course which has been a big issue since his injury.

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fuckimbackonreddit9 t1_j96fal0 wrote

That 2019 Masters win was genuinely the most incredible bits of entertainment/sport I’ve ever witnessed

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slapshots1515 t1_j9602fc wrote

Some people would argue “nothing at all.” There are a segment of people who would say he’s a mid level golfer now and there are plenty of those.

For many people though, golf is really about the stories. Anyone that watched golf for the last 25 years or so knew who Tiger was and watched him change the face of golf. Those people are just happy to see him out there competing.

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Biffdickburg t1_j96f9wh wrote

Golf is more interesting with Tiger in the mix. He's like any other generational talent from any other sport. Basketball was better with Jordan playing. Hockey was better with Gretzky. Tennis with the Big 4. Like him or hate him Tiger is that dude for golf.

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jawbygibbs t1_j96kvxz wrote

Shots like almost holing out from 180 yards for an albatross and putting it in for eagle is why he’s more fun to watch.

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Morkins324 t1_j96hkps wrote

There is something about watching a one-legged man compete with some of the best in the world that is compelling. And he is practically a one-legged man.

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CyborgBee t1_j984drp wrote

Beyond the simple fact that he's Tiger, he's playing with limited leg mobility and nothing like the musculature of a modern golf pro. His technique is so good that he can still outdrive some big hitters anyway.

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zombie32killah t1_j981wys wrote

Fuck you for genuinely asking a good question I guess. I can’t think of a single other sport where watching a has been is more entertaining than watching people arguably better than that person at that point in time.

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zfxpyro t1_j94lebm wrote

It's no different to any sport where a legend has been out of action and returns. Obviously theres going to be a lot of press around him.

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orangutanoz t1_j94z8jo wrote

Palmer was getting attention for showing up at the Masters when Tiger was getting started.

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ffandyy t1_j95hz06 wrote

It’s a miracle he can even swing a club with the surgeries he’s had

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daytona955i t1_j9488cl wrote

It's Tiger. He is the story and they're all headlines.

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nurplethepurple t1_j95wned wrote

Is three years a long time for him to not win a tournament? I don’t keep up in detail but it seems like he goes away and comes back a lot doesn’t he?

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TheGeesGees t1_j96xus1 wrote

He was involved in a car crash that almost killed him two years ago now. This is his first PGA Tour event since then. They essentially had to re-build his entire right leg it was so badly damaged. So it’s pretty impressive that he’s even able to walk let alone be competitive in a tournament with the best players in the world.

Before this accident he had a lot of other issues involving his back and “marital issues” that really impacted his career and longevity.

Basically it’s just a miracle the guy can still play golf.

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nurplethepurple t1_j974k82 wrote

I completely forgot about that car crash, I guess there has just been a lot of crazy stuff happening during and since that time.

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caronare t1_j9710wd wrote

The sports world in general misses out when greatness such as he doesn’t participate.

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jomama823 t1_j946bhf wrote

Golf needs Tiger, it hasn’t been the same without him, and likely never will be.

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metalshoes t1_j94nc7b wrote

There haven’t really been any golf stars since that transcended golf in fame. He’s not a golf star, he’s a superstar.

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Fark_ID t1_j94uc6e wrote

You are saying nobody is setting their alarm for when Jordan Spieth tees off?

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Pirateshippingit t1_j96v3rf wrote

I would say Rory is the closest like popularity wise to tiger and attention wise but it’s still not even close.

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orangutanoz t1_j94ze3d wrote

Not me, but I do remember when the gallery helped tiger move a rock.

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RonyTheTiger t1_j96rmgq wrote

He’s big in golf, but Tiger Woods at that age already transcended his own sport and was a global icon.

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EXPOchiseltip t1_j96zo02 wrote

Watching Tiger play the Masters is one of my favorite things.

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Grasshop t1_j96jdho wrote

I haven’t played golf in years. Hit the driving range maybe three times in the last couple years. Watching him yesterday made me want to go play, but alas it is winter here.

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taco_helmet t1_j95g1e1 wrote

He won his first major at 22 by 12 strokes. He won a US open by 15 stokes; nobody could break par and he was 12 under. You face 40-60 of the best golfers in the world and win by 15? That record still hasn't been broken. Tiger, MJ and Gretzky stand alone in terms of athletes in my lifetime.

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mapoftasmania t1_j96bol3 wrote

Tom Brady and Lionel Messi checking in here.

And Mikaela Schiffrin just GOATed in skiing. She is the best ever, male or female, and still probably has a few years left.

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ThatRandomIdiot t1_j97hege wrote

And if you are going to include Baseball, you gotta say Mariano Rivera. Best closer there will ever be. First ever unanimous Hall of Fame.

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dumb_commenter t1_j95l3ra wrote

One can’t say that they’ve “stood alone” - but Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have displayed an almost unparalleled dominance over a sport for 20 years.

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C3PD2 t1_j95w14c wrote

If we're talking tennis dominance then it has to be about Nadal and the French Open. I'm not sure there is any other record like it in sporting history.

Nadal has won the title at Roland Garros 14 times in 17 years and his current match record stands at 112-3. He is a legitimate monster - it doesn't even make sense.

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dumb_commenter t1_j964p05 wrote

Agreed - but I think it’s hard to limit sports dominance to a single open.

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C3PD2 t1_j96cxse wrote

That was just one example of Nadal's sheer dominance on clay.

His overall record is 464-43. He won 13 consecutive clay court titles in the early 2000's and played in 18 back-to-back clay court finals. He reached the final at the French Open without dropping a single set 6 separate times.

He went 6-0 against Federer at the French Open and 14-2 on clay surface overall. Against Djokovic he's 8-2 at the French Open and 20-8 overall on clay.

Nadal isn't called the "King of Clay" for no reason!

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dumb_commenter t1_j96pow6 wrote

Agree with all that. But again if we’re talking dominance over a sport hard to limit to a single surface that represents a quarter of the season.

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C3PD2 t1_j971vww wrote

Fair enough. For me, 14 titles in 17 years and 112-3 is the definition of dominance. The French Open is also a major - it's most certainly not just "a single open" - all the best players are playing each year.

To put it in golf terms; if Justin Thomas won the next 12 straight PGA Championships he would still have a lower win rate than Nadal at the French Open. To be that much better than all your peers - when your peers are both the other best players in history - is absurd.

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dumb_commenter t1_j9722ag wrote

No objection here. He’s still one of the 3 I listed. Who are all only close to matched by one another.

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CyborgBee t1_j9855ri wrote

The comparison to Thomas doesn't work at all. In tennis, a moderately better player wins 90%+ of the time. In golf, a better player outplaces a similarly worse player like 60% of the time. There is so much more randomness in golf

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GoX14 t1_j983x56 wrote

>Tiger, MJ and Gretzky stand alone in terms of athletes in my lifetime

If we can only put men's faces on this hypothetical Mt. Rushmore, I would swap Gretzky with Messi and I think the tides are shifting increasingly towards LeBron in place of MJ, depending on age. But it's also hard to choose from...

  • Michael Phelps
  • Serena Williams
  • Mia Hamm
  • Simone Biles
  • Tom Brady
  • Tony Hawk
  • Federer
  • Usain Bolt

One of the most extraordinary things about Tiger to me is that he created the same level of excitement (or more) around golf of all things. There won't be another one.

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camerontylek t1_j95fi4d wrote

Without his injuries and personal struggles, I'd assume he'd still be one of golf's top players and winning tournaments, no? Someone said the death of his father played a roll in his competitive play?

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DLun203 t1_j95ztcr wrote

Tiger’s father was a green beret and when he died Tiger started SEAL training. Not actual SEAL training but very similar exercises. It destroyed his back and he basically had to re-learn how to swing a club without aggravating his back so much.

Then came the accident with his leg which led to another re-tooling of his swing. And he’s still playing incredible golf. After watching yesterday’s round it’s clear he’s capable of winning again.

No doubt in my mind he’d still be a top 5 golfer regularly winning tournaments if it wasn’t for the injuries.

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slapshots1515 t1_j9618fk wrote

He’s 47 now; it’s unlikely he would be as dominant now as he was. That being said, no one had ever seen anything like Tiger. Hard to tell.

The death of his father coincided with a series of bad personal decisions that ended up wrecking his marriage. It is speculative, but it certainly seems accurate that his father dying had something to do with it.

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tech405 t1_j962saz wrote

First Eagle he’s made in a long time right? In Round 3?

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grundlemania t1_j95hyca wrote

Golf won’t be able to lean on Tiger forever. Gotta figure something else out

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Pirateshippingit t1_j96vjqd wrote

I mean there’s never gonna be another tiger. That’s not debatable. Golf as a sport tho has been doing fine tho. A lot of growth over the last decade or so specially during Covid and after a lot of people who never stepped on a course before got into the game because there wasn’t much else to do. The PGA might need to find another face, although they do have Rory but the actual sport of golfing isn’t suffering

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bishop491 t1_j9cwtuf wrote

Hard upvote. If I could convert all my downvotes for what I said and give them to you, I would. Tiger fanboys are tripping over themselves to proclaim he’s a god.

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frez1001 t1_j96ln22 wrote

The tampon is working…

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Leandrys t1_j96h9rz wrote

Warms my heart to see him back. Don't know if he'll ever win again, don't care, it's just good to see him professionally functional.

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Lemon86st t1_j97bm27 wrote

Coincidently he’s banged 67 porn stars, 4 of which were under the age of 20

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bishop491 t1_j9cwns5 wrote

Sshhh! Nobody can talk negatively of Tiger. Golf has some frail egos.

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[deleted] t1_j94td0p wrote

[deleted]

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letdaboywatch t1_j94v3ih wrote

Wait did I miss something? I saw the tampon drop on JT but he actually said that? The antic was childish but funny IMO.

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ghold1971 t1_j97wcsr wrote

The guy’s amazing. Period. Just got to find a way to soak it all up. 😂

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investinlove t1_j98j7it wrote

Tiger was causing growth in golf when it was losing viewership and rounds were declining

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philsubby t1_j950e2w wrote

Fuck that's awesome!

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CleMike69 t1_j95ow31 wrote

1992 I work with a guy that has a wife who was IMGs president’s personal assistant. For a BDay gift they we’re deciding between a Tiger Woods autographed item or a Niki Taylor autograph. Since I was like 22 they figured I wanted the supermodel calendar. I was like thanks but you passed in a tiger woods autograph 😞.

The guy is a legend always has been and always will be so yes he will continue to pull big headlines.

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bishop491 t1_j95we4j wrote

Isn’t he playing in a tournament sponsored by the sort of car he completely wrecked?

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MrScarfaceX t1_j95xskt wrote

And it saved his life because of its safety features.

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