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Date: 07 Apr 2007 07:34:44
From: Gomer
Subject: Did Tom Watson tank?
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I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on 18
(he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks right
into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits it
poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next shot.
Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend on
the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
stroke.
It all seemed odd to me.
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 18:20:22
From: Alan Baker
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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In article <Xns990B574C16E7Aonrluckydude76hotmai@216.196.97.136 >,
Gomer <keenepa322323@att.net > wrote:
> I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on 18
> (he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
> probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks right
> into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits it
> poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next shot.
> Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend on
> the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
> bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
> stroke.
> It all seemed odd to me.
1. A bunch of guys left it in that bunker.
2. Watson's putting stroke had the old hitch back in it.
So 3. No, he didn't tank.
--
"The iPhone doesn't have a speaker phone" -- "I checked very carefully" --
"I checked Apple's web pages" -- Edwin on the iPhone and how he missed
the demo of the iPhone speakerphone.
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 09:39:52
From: multi
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 07:34:44 -0500, Gomer <keenepa322323@att.net >
wrote:
>All he needs is a double to make the
>probably cut.
It's like I always told ya --- the golfers of Jack's era simply did
not know how to win.
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 09:30:05
From: No cameras and shut up
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On Apr 7, 6:34 am, Gomer <keenepa322...@att.net > wrote:
> I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on 18
> (he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
> probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks right
> into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits it
> poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next shot.
> Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend on
> the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
> bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
> stroke.
> It all seemed odd to me.
Ok try this What IF he would have made the cut ? Fine ..He has
one of theee
highest scores of those remaining. How would that feel ? Now
( sigh ) he
is off the hook .... no pressure ... Just a thought ....
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 07:40:20
From: Ben.
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On Apr 7, 9:31 am, David <dgold1...@yahoo.de > wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 09:16:24 -0500, Mike Dalecki
>
> <m...@removeclubdoctor.com> wrote:
>
> <snipped>
>
> >In other words, if he took lots of time over short putts earlier in the
> >round, but not on the 18th, then something's amiss. If, however, he
> >played previous holes in a run-and-gun manner, then what he did on 18
> >was simply an extension of how he played earlier, and doesn't
> >necessarily indicate that he tanked it.
>
> It was not only the putt, but the his entire approach to how he
> played the hole after finding the bunke with his second shot. He
> played the first bunker shot quickly, the second one even more
> quickly.
>
> The three-putt was also very quick. It seemed like a man who simply
> lost interest after he failed to get the ball out of the bunker on his
> first attempt. I am not sure that he was aware of what the cut line
> was going to be and simply decided to get off the course as quickly as
> possible.
>
> I was in schock, though, and still am today. Watson is oen of my
> all-time favorite golfers and I really wanted to see him teeing it up
> on the weekend.
>
> Congrats to Couples, who now has tied the record for consecutive
> cuts made at the Master's. He was on of the few golfers who played 18
> well, yesterday.
>
> >Mike
>
> David
Watson has always been a fast player - at least every time I've seen
him. Never seemed to waste much time over a shot or picking a club.
And why would he stand over a 15" putt for more than a second or two -
it's a tap in! I don't think he tanked it, why would he? I just
think he got sloppy...perhaps nervous, who knows. It was a missed
short putt - happens all the time.
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 21:16:33
From: David
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On 7 Apr 2007 07:40:20 -0700, "Ben." <kombi45@yahoo.com > wrote:
<snipped >
>Watson has always been a fast player - at least every time I've seen
>him. Never seemed to waste much time over a shot or picking a club.
>And why would he stand over a 15" putt for more than a second or two -
>it's a tap in! I don't think he tanked it, why would he? I just
>think he got sloppy...perhaps nervous, who knows. It was a missed
>short putt - happens all the time.
I have been watching Watson play for the better part of 30 years now
and I know that he has been a quick player. That is not the same
thing as rushing the shot, however. I never claimed that he tanked
he, and I doubt that he did. As I wrote, I believe he thought he had
already blown the cut after he did not hole out for bogie and simply
rushed the second putt. I don't attribute it to nerves, either.
He was not expecting to win, but I am sure that he wanted to make
the cut and be there on the weekend.
David
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 09:16:24
From: Mike Dalecki
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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Gomer wrote:
> I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on 18
> (he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
> probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks right
> into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits it
> poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next shot.
> Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend on
> the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
> bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
> stroke.
> It all seemed odd to me.
>
There's only one explanation (other than tanking it, which seems so out
of character with Watson that the probability seems infitesimal), is
that of Watson's short game in recent years, specifically putting.
(I'm making an extension here from putting to short game, so bear with me).
In more recent years, Watson developed a case of the yips. His short
putting was horrendous. Just unbelievably bad according to some accounts.
One way of dealing with the yips is to *not* spend so much time over a
putt, to hit it like you're reacting to it, without any time to think
about it.
Whether that kind of thing has extended to his sand game--which wouldn't
be surprising, if you think about it--then what some describe as a
run-and-gun approach to short game could explain his behavior on the
last hole. (Bob Rotella, I believe, advocates something like this for
people with short-game yips).
What I don't have is any accounts of how he played such shots earlier in
the round, which would support or refute that argument. Anybody know
anything about the earlier part of his round?
In other words, if he took lots of time over short putts earlier in the
round, but not on the 18th, then something's amiss. If, however, he
played previous holes in a run-and-gun manner, then what he did on 18
was simply an extension of how he played earlier, and doesn't
necessarily indicate that he tanked it.
Mike
--
Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com
RSG-Wisconsin 2007: June 22-24----Lawsonia!
Website: http://clubdoctor.com/rsgwis2007
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 13:00:58
From: warren montgomery
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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>
> There's only one explanation (other than tanking it, which seems so out of
> character with Watson that the probability seems infitesimal), is that of
> Watson's short game in recent years, specifically putting.
>
> (I'm making an extension here from putting to short game, so bear with
> me).
>
I watched it and it seemed to me like he thought he needed a 5 to make the
cut, so after double dipping in the bunker (something I saw 3 or 4 players
do from there, not unusual) he gunned the first one trying to make it and
then just swatted at the comeback thinking it didn't matter. Since the cut
had been as low as +7 for much of the afternoon it seemed entirely possible
to me that he didn't realize everyone at -3 had backed up.
--
Warren Montgomery (wamontgomery@att.net)
http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery
.com/rsgwis2007
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 17:00:13
From: multi
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On Sat, 7 Apr 2007 13:00:58 -0500, "warren montgomery"
<wamontgomery@worldnet.att.net > wrote:
>Since the cut
>had been as low as +7 for much of the afternoon it seemed entirely possible
>to me that he didn't realize everyone at -3 had backed up.
I don't know where all the scoreboards are located, but surely there's
one at 18?
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 14:46:56
From: Dave Lee
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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"Mike Dalecki" <mike@removeclubdoctor.com > wrote in message
news:57pndpF2dnkcsU1@mid.individual.net...
> Gomer wrote:
> > I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on
18
> > (he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
> > probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks
right
> > into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits
it
> > poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next
shot.
> > Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend
on
> > the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
> > bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
> > stroke.
> > It all seemed odd to me.
> >
>
> There's only one explanation (other than tanking it, which seems so out
> of character with Watson that the probability seems infitesimal), is
> that of Watson's short game in recent years, specifically putting.
>
> (I'm making an extension here from putting to short game, so bear with
me).
>
> In more recent years, Watson developed a case of the yips. His short
> putting was horrendous. Just unbelievably bad according to some accounts.
>
> One way of dealing with the yips is to *not* spend so much time over a
> putt, to hit it like you're reacting to it, without any time to think
> about it.
>
> Whether that kind of thing has extended to his sand game--which wouldn't
> be surprising, if you think about it--then what some describe as a
> run-and-gun approach to short game could explain his behavior on the
> last hole. (Bob Rotella, I believe, advocates something like this for
> people with short-game yips).
>
> What I don't have is any accounts of how he played such shots earlier in
> the round, which would support or refute that argument. Anybody know
> anything about the earlier part of his round?
>
> In other words, if he took lots of time over short putts earlier in the
> round, but not on the 18th, then something's amiss. If, however, he
> played previous holes in a run-and-gun manner, then what he did on 18
> was simply an extension of how he played earlier, and doesn't
> necessarily indicate that he tanked it.
>
> Mike
snip
I only saw Tom W. on the green of 18 Friday (I was busy doing my own 3
putting during much of the Master's coverage). But my reaction was that he
did an "anti-Doug Sanders" (I didn't see the sand shot). Back in 1972 (or
there-abouts) when Doug had a 30" putt to win "The Open" he took an
interminable amount of time to miss it. Tom took a very short amount of time
to miss his. In both cases I would say that they picked whatever approach
they thought would work best on a critical shot (no chance for recovery
later) in which they had no confidence.
I was really sorry to see him miss the cut like this. I remember when he was
one helluva putter.
dave
ps. BTW, my reading of Tom's body language after missing the double bogey
putt was "my God, I can't believe that I have missed yet another one of
those". I really don't think he tanked.
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 05:59:26
From: Aress Gee
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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"Dave Lee" <DaveLeeNC@ix.netcom.RemovE.com > writes:
> ps. BTW, my reading of Tom's body language after missing the double bogey
> putt was "my God, I can't believe that I have missed yet another one of
> those". I really don't think he tanked.
I thought his body language displayed "I *knew* I was
going to miss that." Which is very unfortunate.
--
+++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mr. People who use golf as some sort of status
Aress symbol are destined to go unfulfilled.
Gee -- Golf's Most Beloved Figure
+++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 16:31:10
From: David
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 09:16:24 -0500, Mike Dalecki
<mike@removeclubdoctor.com > wrote:
<snipped >
>In other words, if he took lots of time over short putts earlier in the
>round, but not on the 18th, then something's amiss. If, however, he
>played previous holes in a run-and-gun manner, then what he did on 18
>was simply an extension of how he played earlier, and doesn't
>necessarily indicate that he tanked it.
It was not only the putt, but the his entire approach to how he
played the hole after finding the bunke with his second shot. He
played the first bunker shot quickly, the second one even more
quickly.
The three-putt was also very quick. It seemed like a man who simply
lost interest after he failed to get the ball out of the bunker on his
first attempt. I am not sure that he was aware of what the cut line
was going to be and simply decided to get off the course as quickly as
possible.
I was in schock, though, and still am today. Watson is oen of my
all-time favorite golfers and I really wanted to see him teeing it up
on the weekend.
Congrats to Couples, who now has tied the record for consecutive
cuts made at the Master's. He was on of the few golfers who played 18
well, yesterday.
>Mike
David
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Date: 07 Apr 2007 14:21:51
From: Blagovest
Subject: Re: Did Tom Watson tank?
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Gomer wrote:
> I caught Friday's round on TV and how Tom Watson played his 3rd shot on 18
> (he was in the green side bunker). All he needs is a double to make the
> probably cut. Anyway, after reaching the geeen/bunker, he walks right
> into the bunker and takes no time to set up and hit the shot. He hits it
> poorly and leaves it in the bunker. Gets on the green with the next shot.
> Then hits his first putt ~3 feet past. So, with playing the weekend on
> the line, he again takes little time to line up and hit his putt for d-
> bogey. He misses. Taps in for a 7. Ends up at +9 and misses by one
> stroke.
> It all seemed odd to me.
tanked
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