AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > March > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSlow greens? Just stroke it a little harder
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Orlando — Going into the locker room at Bay Hill Golf Club on Saturday afternoon, Tiger Woods happened into the host, Arnold (himself) Palmer. “And what did he say to you?” somebody asked Tiger.
“He said ‘Get off your butt and play a good round today,’ ” Tiger said, and he grinned amiably, with visions of the 66 he had just posted rolling around in his mind.
After the first two rounds of Arnie’s Invitational, Woods was somewhat less than sociable. It was the greens. Woods just doesn’t go taking his game around to any old tournament, like the Pods, or the Wyndham, or even Sugarloaf. But he never misses one of Palmer’s shindigs. It’s the least a guy can do for the man who says, “Don’t call me ‘The King.’ “
For the first four years of the 2000s, Bay Hill belonged to Woods. He won them back to back to back to back. Hasn’t won since. Last year he stormed out of the gate with a 64, but never broke par the rest of the week — and polished it off with a roaring 76.
After the first two rounds this week, he was only 2 under par, grinding and growling. It was the greens. Some kind of bug had made a feast of the old greens, and Bay Hill agronomists had overseeded, to the displeasure of several contestants, especially Woods, who was not particularly diplomatic about it.
Problem was, the greens were slow, and no two greens were alike, as he saw it. “Is the practice green like the greens on the course?” he was asked.
“No,” he said.
“No correlation?” He answered, “Zero. It [the practice green] is the best green on the property.”
Saturday, Woods had found a solution to his case against the greens: hit the ball closer to the hole, then hit the putts a lick harder. There you had it, and under the sun’s lowering rays, he left Bay Hill in a much more sociable mood and hovering in a cluster around the top of the leaderboard, 6 under the most popular number.
Vijay Singh lost his lead with a double bogey on the 6th hole. Nick Watney filled the gap with an eagle on the 12th, then threw it right back when he hit his tee shot out of bounds on the evil 16th. Bubba Watson, the left-handed rustic from Panhandle Florida, aroused a colony of excited guests at the end, but all he had to do was post a series of six birdies in a row finishing up. Singh chipped in the 15th and saved his place among the leaders.
At the end of the day, though, Sean O’Hair led the choir. He was also 6 under par, but he had to shoot 63 to make it, lowest round of the week, and so you had O’Hair, Tiger and three other guys breaking from the inside post at 6 under, Singh, Watson and Bart Bryant — not to be taken lightly. Remember, Bart is the Bryant who took Tiger to the cleaners in the final round of the Tour Championship by six strokes in 2005.
So, after three days the grumping about the greens had subsided somewhat, which indicated that just about everybody had decided they should hit their putts harder. And straighter, and get off Arnie’s back.
After all, it’s his tournament, his course, and if they don’t like it, all they have to do is stay home, or take it to “The King.” Sorry, your highness.
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Comments
By Najeh Davenpoop
March 16, 2008 6:06 PM | Link to this
I feel blessed that a 90 year old man is telling me to “stroke it a little harder”. I will definitely take this advice to heart. Thank you, Mr. Bisher.
By scooter11
March 17, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this
25-footer on 72nd hole stroked just hard enough.
By Ken Stallings
March 17, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
I would say this year’s finish will erase all talk of any greens’ problems!
Another magical moment in the pantheon of Tiger Woods’ career.
Ken
By jay jones
March 17, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE GREATEST (TIGER WOODS)!! HOW YOU LIKE THAT FAMER BISHER??
By Bill ladd Smith
March 19, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
Dear Mr Bisher….I have been reading your work since I was a bright=eted eight year old fan of the then Milwaukee Braves. I’ve lived in about every big city in the USA {except nothing could lure me to NYC), and read every sports page in every one of them. Yours is still the best, all others pale. Grew up in Tucker, Dekalb. Read you online now. retired in NC. Please never stop.
By Bill ladd Smith
March 19, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
Dear Mr Bisher….I have been reading your work since I was a bright=eted eight year old fan of the then Milwaukee Braves. I’ve lived in about every big city in the USA {except nothing could lure me to NYC), and read every sports page in every one of them. Yours is still the best, all others pale. Grew up in Tucker, Dekalb. Read you online now. retired in NC. Please never stop.