Chris Clouser:
Bravo on all points.
Yes, yesterday's final round was a snoozer, but many of Tiger's wins are snoozers. Obviously, it's going to be more entertaining to see a shoot-out coming down the back nine than an ugly "train wreck".
Think for a moment about Tiger's 7 majors -- easily the 2 most EXCITING victories were '99 PGA (duel with Sergio) and '00 PGA (duel with Bob May). Hmmm, now where did those 2 championships take place? Medinah and Valhalla. Anyone care to start a round table discussion on the wonders of those 2 architectural greats? His other 5 majors? 3 field-embarrassing romps, and the last 2 Masters (which, by the way, last years' was another case of Duval/Mickelson flopping at the end.
History seems to tell us that when Tiger wins he either laps the field or everyone else kinda chokes (this happens in plenty of regular tour events as well). Maybe we should set up the majors at mediocre sites to give Bob May another run? I don't think so.
My point is, I frankly don't see yesterday's debacle a direct result of the course changes. I see yesterday as a microcosm of the state of today's PGA Tour. Think about it: at Doral, Ernie Els had a Sunday meltdown that saw him coming within a whisker of blowing 8 strokes to Tiger, and then a couple of weeks later we know about Phil at Bay Hill. Add in a cup of Sergio, a pinch of Vijay, and a bit of Retief, and you see what happens when the whole gang gets together and collapses all at the same time. That's what made the scene so gruesome.
Make me a liar. Does anyone really think in their heart of hearts that any one of those players would have turned to the back nine yesterday, and made a Tiger-crushing charge, even if the course had been set up the "old" way? Vijay shot 30 on the back nine on Friday! Els and Goosen torched it on Saturday morning! Was the course THAT different Sunday afternoon???
My humble opinion is that Tiger played quite well this week and would have won anyway, regardless of set-up. Given the unbelievably calm and damp conditions, if the course had been exactly the same as previous years, he probably would have challenged his own tournament record.
Trust me on this: If Tiger continues to win tourneys this way, it will continue to get more and more boring. Someday (hopefully soon) someone's gonna step forward and challenge him, and then things will become exciting again. Don't blame the course -- it doesn't matter.