Dear, Dougie, RE: British Open

But you still have to tell the story too. And in this case, Tiger is the story.

Look at it this way, mustard. Tiger hasn't contended in a tournament for what, two months now. And he's gone through a bad stretch in his personal life too. And here he is just a shot off the lead of the British Open.

For the first round, you could find many stories that would be great to lead with. And great reporters will do that. Graeme McDowell leading isn't bad, but Tiger overcoming adversity is a bigger story.

 

Actually, I'd been waiting for something OTHER than Dougie to come across for my main.

And the only thing off the "feature" wire was Ed Sherman from the Trib. And his MAIN was 25 inches, 24" of which were on Ernie Els.

I went with Ferguson, with the option of getting something else for later editions.

 

Situations such as Graeme McDowell leading the Open but Tiger being the big story are why God invented sidebars. I'm sure the AP moved a bar.

That said, don't dismiss McDowell. He's a helluva player.

 

Tiger's the first-day story, and doug didn't dwell on him for long. He got to the rest of the day pretty quickly if you read the optional. The gem about mcdowell and the guy in the bar giving him a swing tip is priceless.
I thought the story was better than the first day art, BTW.

 

How can golfers be scared of one another? They're not playing against Tiger Woods. They're playing against the course. Tiger has nothing to do with the way they swing the club, or chip onto the green, or make a putt from 15 feet over a ridge.

 

They're not scared of him in a "Oh my God, I'm about to get run over by Ray Lewis" kind of way. But you can bet that anytime Tiger isn't in the field or misses a cut, like he did at the U.S. Open, the leaders sleep a lot easier on Friday and Saturday nights. Many of the top pros have been saying that for years...

 

Then what a bunch of you-know-whats. That is just weak.

 

Tiger being out of a major field changes the way you approach your game mentally, Xan. Think about it. If you're up five strokes and Brett Wetterich is the one chasing you, you play different than if Tiger is chasing you. Brett Wetterich, as good as he's been this year, doesn't have the major track record that Tiger does. (Actually, Tiger has no major track record of erasing a 54-hole deficit, but I digress.) That's all Dedo is saying. That's not weak. That's reality.

 

Here's the story: do they ever water the fuckin golf courses over there? Surrounded by all that water and the courses look as lush as Odessa, Texas in mid August. Go buy a gardening can or two for crissakes.

 

Not on the first day it isn't...

 

I want Tiger chasing me or vice-versa. I want to play with the best and beat the best, and if he isn't in contention by Sunday then what a boring final day.

Now, golf is a cool pursuit, but it is flawed by this "gentlemanly" code of conduct. If a batter can stand in a batter's box and look down the barrel of Roger Clemens' gun in Game 7 of the World Series, 55,000 fans screaming madly, then why can't a golfer line up and take a putt on 18 at Augusta on Sunday, the green jacket on the line, without complete silence. I bloody abhor that. That's my issue with golf.

Oh, and I'm not calling Dedo's argument weak. I'm calling the golfers weak for having a weak mind.

 

Anyone else remember when he was the conscience of college football?