Thursday, January 31, 2008

Is This A Dead Golf Era? II

Hello. What did Lee Trevino and Bob May have in common (besides bad backs)? They could look an opponent in the eye and have no fear. And their opponents knew it wasn't an act.
Today's players have fear of Tiger, especially now that his legend has grown so much. The average score of players playing with Tiger in a final round is over par, the most famous maybe being Mike Weir shooting 80 in the 1999 PGA. This is a startling stat, because usually those players have played great to get there. Indeed, Weir had shot 3 66s prior to that 80. And since he went on to win a Masters, it's not like he was a total stiff.
How do you get rid of that fear? You start hanging around Tiger as much as possible to see he is a human, not immortal. I'd ask if I could get inside his gallery ropes and walk around with his group. Experience the crowds I saw at the Saturday 2000 Canadian Open round, which looked like a tornado following him.
Find a common interest, like fundraising. Ask Tiger for details on his foundation. Getting to know how he thinks of a non-golf topic will help understand his golf processes without being perceived as a threat.
Best of all, wear dark pants during a round.

Regards,
Steve

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