T1B

goddamn, now we got quadraphonic (pray for him) commentators.

rack you fukkers.

17th hole upcoming. Watson has to make up his shot here.

I'm rooting like crazy for Watson but I just don't have a great feeling about this right now.

So, if they like, stay tied for 50 holes or so, do they go to penalty kicks?

Cink just in the left rough.

Watson deep in the left rough.

That could be it.

not good for Watson. be lucky to play back into the fairway for a legit third shot to the green.

Watson may have lost his ball

They found his ball. Horrendous lie.

Cink would really have to choke now.

He barely advanced it.

Guess they can begin inscribing Cink's name on the jug.

groan.

What a damn shame. I can barely watch this anymore.

Oh well. Rack that old fukk anyway for causing me to pretty much get shit done at work today.

Hard to believe that Watson almost eagled this hole about an hour or so ago. He's going to have a tough time getting a bogey now.

Cink took care of business...props to him.

BSmack wrote:Looks like Tom might be yipping his 4-5 footers. Not a good sign.

I have never before wished I was wrong about something as this. But tell me you just didn't know on 18 that Watson would decelerate on that putt and push it?

Great show by Tom. And a memo to the USGA, if Tom Watson is not in at Pebble next year it will be a fucking travesty.

was forced to watch this at a doo, there might have been some warning about Cink taking his hat off, the children started crying and the cat shit all over the carpet.

BSmack wrote:

BSmack wrote:Looks like Tom might be yipping his 4-5 footers. Not a good sign.

I have never before wished I was wrong about something as this.

You, me, and probably about 50 million others.

I must confess this hurt as bad as any team loss I've ever endured. I wanted him to win so damn badly...my freaking nerves were on pins and needles. And he seemingly had it in the bag.

To be sooo close to immortality, doing what's never been done by anyone ever before and what may never come even remotely close to happening again.... only to have it slip away at the end like that. That's tough.

just watched the missed put at 18 on a news replay.

Geejus keeerist, hit the fukkin' ball, alice.

Damn.

Was the shot before that a chip or just another weak as putt?

smackaholic wrote:just watched the missed put at 18 on a news replay.

Geejus keeerist, hit the fukkin' ball, alice.

Damn.

Was the shot before that a chip or just another weak as putt?

was off the the back of the green, but used the putter.

Get used to hearing this take...
http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil ... olf,177401

Watson didn't sink the winning putt on the 18th and played poorly in the playoff...how does Cink become a villian for winning? It didn't produce the Hollywood finish but if every improbable story came true, wouldn't they loose their luster? It was fun just to think he could've won but he didn't get the job done when the tournament was in his grasp. It doesn't take away from his great career but today wasn't his day...good on Cink for not crumpling amidst the feelgood story.

Shoalzie wrote:Get used to hearing this take...
http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil ... olf,177401

Watson didn't sink the winning putt on the 18th and played poorly in the playoff...how does Cink become a villian for winning?

Of course Cink isn't a "villain" and the article didn't even try to portray that other than tongue in cheek.

Dumbass, you were the guy who said Watson would roll Cink in the playoff, when anybody with a clue knew Watson was running on fumes by then. You're also the dumbass who said you didn't care who won. Wtf? How does one watch any sporting event w/o a vested rooting interest? If you don't care who wins, then why fucking watch? Or is that just the Shoalzie way of covering all bets while grabbing your ass with both hands?

Fuck off. I'm still pissed that Watson lost and don't need to read any mealy mouthed fucking takes from a naive fool right now.

Relax, sugar...it'll be okay.

Relax? I'm quite relaxed. Enough to punt you into next week if you're stupid enough to run your obsequious yap about things of which you have no clue.... again.

Todd--At least I haven't started a Tigers thread this year...

Nice job by your Yankees sweeping our asses this weekend, by the way.

War Wagon wrote:How does one watch any sporting event w/o a vested rooting interest?

How does one even have a vested rooting interest if they aren't, first and foremost, a fan of the actual game?

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

War Wagon wrote:How does one watch any sporting event w/o a vested rooting interest?

How does one even have a vested rooting interest if they aren't, first and foremost, a fan of the actual game?

It would appear that query is directed towards moi, yes?

Easy answer.

I don't play golf anymore than I've played football. I root for my homies. Hard. Tom Watson is a homeboy.

If there's nothing of a local interest, I could give a toss.

Golf is a fine game and one I'm sure I would have been quite addicted to, had the opportunity ever presented itself. Alas, it didn't. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the skill involved.

You could have carried the clubs though, dave...

But you couldn't carry my jock strap, shorty.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

War Wagon wrote:How does one watch any sporting event w/o a vested rooting interest?

How does one even have a vested rooting interest if they aren't, first and foremost, a fan of the actual game?

For me, I root for Lefty (when he plays)...I can still watch the event even if my guy or team isn't in it. You think I avoid watching the Super Bowl every year because my piece of shit of team will never be there?

How could you not root for Watson this weekend? He became the sentimental choice for pretty much everyone. He won his first 5 Open Championships before I was born or when I was a wee lad. It would've been cool to see him win but it didn't happen. Whenever I've seen him play in these events, I've always admired his demeanor and class. He's a great ambassador to the sport...more than what we can say for that cussing, club-throwing Cablinasian.

War Wagon wrote:To be sooo close to immortality, doing what's never been done by anyone ever before and what may never come even remotely close to happening again.... only to have it slip away at the end like that. That's tough.

He'll have one last chance at St. Andrews next year. But it's not a real chance. St. Andrews is Tiger's personal reserve and Tom will likely remember that he's 60 year old Tom Watson, not 29 year old Tom Watson. Sadly, his putter will never become less balky than it is now. He's not the first in that regard, nor will he be the last. Peter Aliss won't say it, but I will. Tom Watson was the greatest links golfer of all time. Rack him.

It just sucks that his approach on 18 wasn't even a bad shot. He landed the ball on the front part of the green and got one unlucky bounce that caused the ball to roll so much.

MuchoBulls wrote:It just sucks that his approach on 18 wasn't even a bad shot. He landed the ball on the front part of the green and got one unlucky bounce that caused the ball to roll so much.

Yea, but he should have realized in his position that long was dead. If there was even a scintilla of doubt (which he expressed in the press conference afterward) he should have gone with the shorter club, rolled the ball up on the front of the green, two putted and waltzed away with the Claret Jug.

BSmack wrote:

MuchoBulls wrote:It just sucks that his approach on 18 wasn't even a bad shot. He landed the ball on the front part of the green and got one unlucky bounce that caused the ball to roll so much.

Yea, but he should have realized in his position that long was dead. If there was even a scintilla of doubt (which he expressed in the press conference afterward) he should have gone with the shorter club, rolled the ball up on the front of the green, two putted and waltzed away with the Claret Jug.

One little problem with that. What happens when your short shot hits one of those ridiculous moguls the limeys like to put in front of the greens?

I think when tom hit that shot, he was thinking it was perfect. He said he hit it just like he intended to. Problem is, the fukkin' thing ran like a four iron rather than an 8 iron.

Wood's have always been a slobbering bitch. I've always thought that man-child needed a scolding that was long coming.

smackaholic wrote:One little problem with that. What happens when your short shot hits one of those ridiculous moguls the limeys like to put in front of the greens?

If it had, he still would have had a better chance to get up and down than buried in the collar behind the green. He would have had a ton of green to work with and an uphill slope.

I think when tom hit that shot, he was thinking it was perfect. He said he hit it just like he intended to. Problem is, the fukkin' thing ran like a four iron rather than an 8 iron.

That's links golf for you.

Sorry, bri, but, me and the best links golfer ever disagree.

Purposely landing short might make sense if you need to make bogey. He needed par. To par the hole you generally want to be n the green with that second shot, not short where you still have a good chance of getting up and in.

It's pretty simple. He hit a good shot and got a bad break.

smackaholic wrote: It's pretty simple. He hit a good shot and got a bad break.

Like at 17 when he drove it past the green, he was being aggressive as hell and going for it, which I loved. His strategy for 71-1/2 holes was freaking brilliant. His 3rd shot on 18, maybe he should've chipped instead of putted, but what do I know. It was his call, too bad he couldn't have got it closer, but he still had a fairly easy putt considering all the putts he had made up until then. Then, for some reason, with the tournament on the line, he lost his nerve. Go figure.

I guess it really shows how fucking hard what he was trying to accomplish is to get done. Play nearly flawless golf, put yourself in great position to win, and have one final shot where your body fails to do what your mind commands it to do.

It was a great run and a great story that just didn't have the ending most everyone hoped for. He'll probably go out and win the Sr. British Open next week just for shits and grins.

smackaholic wrote:Sorry, bri, but, me and the best links golfer ever disagree.

Chew on this...

From the middle of the 18th fairway, Watson was thinking about hitting a 9-iron, then settled on an 8-iron. The ball soared right at the flag, then bounced hard and fast over the back of the green. His putt back up the slope ran 8 feet past the hole.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090719/ap_ ... itish_open

Watson also said the same in his interview.

Purposely landing short might make sense if you need to make bogey. He needed par. To par the hole you generally want to be n the green with that second shot, not short where you still have a good chance of getting up and in.

It's pretty simple. He hit a good shot and got a bad break.

The intention would have been to have the ball roll up on the green. What you're failing to understand is that golf is a game of controlling your misses as much as it is making great shots. The correct miss on that hole would have been short of the green allowing for a longer, uphill chip or putt that Watson would have been able to play with a far greater deal of precision.

BSmack wrote:
The intention would have been to have the ball roll up on the green. What you're failing to understand is that golf is a game of controlling your misses as much as it is making great shots. The correct miss on that hole would have been short of the green allowing for a longer, uphill chip or putt that Watson would have been able to play with a far greater deal of precision.

Your arguement makes sense, if making 5 is the goal. It wasn't. He needed to make 4. And the best way to make 4 is play the fukking hole, the way you would normally play it. Purposely laying up short to leave yourself an easier "up and in" then if you went long was not a good idea, especially when you factor in those fukking bumps that are short.

In the end, he played what he thought was the right shot. Maybe he hit it a bit strong, maybe the wind gusted a bit, maybe it just happened to land on a bit of a down slope that caused it to take off. We can monday morning QB this to death and looking back, after the fact, I'm sure he is thinking, maybe I shoulda hit the 9, but, it don't work that way.

I'll end it with Watson's own words.

Tom Watson wrote:"It could have been a hell of a story," he said. "I should've a hit a 9-iron on the last hole. I hit the 8-iron too far. Worst of all, I hit a lousy putt. It tears at my gut. In the playoff, I hit one bad shot after another."