Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright...

The inimitable Tiger does it again!! Another Major (11^th) and another rung up the ladder that will eventually carry him to Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors and beyond. Get this folks, he is 30! His 11^th major equaled Walter Hagen’s 11 and there is nobody between him and Jack now. To give you an idea of Tiger’s dominance, the Great Jack Nicklaus had won 8 majors by the age of 30. Tiger has 11 and a shot at a PGA Championship in Chicago in August (before he turns 31). It is widely agreed that 30s are the most productive years for a golfer. Jack won 9 majors between 30 and 40 years of age. If Tiger can emulate Jack in performance, only sky is the limit for this genius.

Tiger’s detractors try to make something out of nothing by saying how “he never wins coming from behind and how all of his major victories were achieved by just protecting the lead”. I have a bone to pick here. When Tiger is “in the zone”, he plays immaculate, creative golf consistently. Like this week at Hoylake, he hardly played a hole horribly. There is no way he was going to trail at any point. You need to come from behind only if you get behind. Tiger’s golf today at the Royal Liverpool was sublime. He did lead coming into Saturday and Sunday at The Open Championship. Four under-par rounds, with three in the mid-60s were simply stupendous and earned him the Claret Jug for the third time.

Usually, Tiger’s wins are credited to his long and powerful drives. He proved that theory wrong too this week. He used his driver exactly once (for a bad result) in 72 holes of golf. His extraordinary iron play and putting (oh! that silken-smooth putting) won him the Major today. In other words, finesse, not power!

May be I can pick up a golf tip or three when he returns with The Jug back to his Isleworth Community home in Windermere, 5 miles from my humble abode! Crossing my fingers! Sorry, I could not resist this snippet!