Does Tiger's record at Torrey Pines confirm that

[Patrick_Mucci]

some courses just suit the golfer's eye, ergo his mind, thus influencing/affecting his play ?

And that other courses don't suit a golfer's eye resulting in mediocre to poor play ?

Are there courses that you find exceptionally user friendly, and conversely, courses that you dread playing because you're uncomfortable on them ?

[Nigel Islam]

I had a thread this summer where I broke down Tigers wins by architect. He's won a ton of his tour events on Bell courses, Wilson courses, Mackenzie, and whoever you give Firestone to. He's never won on a Thomas course and only one pro event on a Dye course. So for Tiger I would say that is 100% true given his talent level.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Nigel, et., al.,

What is it about a course that makes it user friendly/hostile to you ?

[Jonathan Mallard]

Patrick,

It's _A_ data point.

I'd like to see a much larger sample size before using the word "confirm."

[David_Tepper]

Don't know about his Senior Tour record, but legend has it Tom Watson never won a regular Tour event in Florida. Some guys don't like putting on Bermuda, even if they are really good putters!

[Nigel Islam]

This is the link to my breakdown of Tiger's wins per course:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,52978.msg1217007.html#msg1217007

For me it is a comfort level.  I came to golf at age 22 so I can be very intimidated the first time I play a course that I want to do well on, but some courses just always keep me relaxed.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

I think it has more to do with the fact that he is playing this


as opposed to him playing this


read more here....
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/hot-athlete-romance-alert-tiger-woods-lindsey-vonn-221527094.html

[Nigel Islam]

I guess he figured it worked for Rory.......

[Sam Morrow]

I think we are reading to much into this, Tiger is a special player and we just need to realize that for the vast majority of his career he has been much better than everyone else.

[Jud_T]

Of course he'll still fold like a house of cards in majors since his short game ain't what it used to be. .  This could be the year Shivas eats crow.  Pat, I think the fact that there's 4 par 5s that are all reachable for only a select group has as much to do with his success there as comfort level.

[Nigel Islam]

I think Jud hit on a big point, the four par fives that are reachable to longer hitters description also extends to Bay Hill, Doral, and Muirfield. Certainly his success in Majors have often been on par 72s. He is a special player that is for sure.

[Garland Bayley]

I think it has more to do with mental strengths and fragilities. When he wins he knows he can, so he repeats. He will have more success at the Masters than at the other majors now, since it takes so long to get back to a familiar venue. This seems to also apply to blondes where a blonde selected him in high school, and it has been safe to go to blondes ever since.

[Matthew Rose]

I remember thinking when he won the US Open at Torrey and seeing that the next three Opens sites after that were Bethpage, Pebble, and Congressional, I told myself it was conceivable he could win four in a row. Of course, this is before his personal life (and his aura) fell apart.

He came very close at Pinehurst in both Opens there, so 2014 will be interesting to watch how he does.

[Wade Whitehead]

Tiger plays a very limited schedule on courses where he thinks he can win.  He's not playing as wide a variety of courses as we think.

WW

[William_G]

I think Emile is correct

Pat,

this is not limited to Tiger

there is no doubt that for ANY golfer there are preferred courses, it is the nature of the game

[Carl Johnson]

I think Emile is correct

Pat,

this is not limited to Tiger

there is no doubt that for ANY golfer there are preferred courses, it is the nature of the game

Excellent point.  Does anyone know if data is readily available to confirm?  (I haven't taken the time to look myself - off hand I have absolutely no idea.)

[Patrick_Mucci]

William and Carl,

I essentially stated that in my opening post.

"A" question is, what about a course makes it user friendly/hostile to you ?

[archie_struthers]

 


For sure Pat, some courses just fit your eye. The why is hard to describe but for many it's the way you shape the ball. Obviously some players like to play  a hook , some a fade,  so,that's easy to see.  Many courses are left to right or roping hit to left oriented and favor that player .

For years the knock on Nicklaus design was that Jack built everything to favor a high , holding fade.  I'm not sure there wasn't a little jealousy from the  architecture community on that one, in that he didn't pay his dues to get to pre-eminence in the trade.

On a personal note I've got a great affinity for Galloway National relative to this topic. My brain tends to be too active to be a really good player , but somehow Galloway , with its severe demands for ball striking fits. I've shot some really low scores relative to my buddies there , and just can't explain it away. It actually fits my brain , not just my eye. I'd guess some of you have similar stories.

[William_G]

William and Carl,

I essentially stated that in my opening post.

"A" question is, what about a course makes it user friendly/hostile to you ?

the eye of the beholder, QED

[Patrick_Mucci]

Archie,

Interesting.

I find that Hidden Creek fits my eye a lot more than Galloway.

[William_G]

Pat you are almost to 30000 posts.

Some more leading titles, and follow-ups and you are there...sweet! 

[Pete_Pittock]

He grew up putting poa greens. Just like southeast area golfers use to win on bermudagrass, west coast golfers thrive on poa.

[V. Kmetz]

Tiger Woods' 74 PGA Tour Wins (which does not include eight [8] Non-WGC, Non-Major Wins in Europe and four [4] Asian wins)...

...have come on 30 unique courses, half of which saw 58 of those victories:

Torrey Pines:  7 (6 Buicks +1 US Open)
Firestone: 7 (all on South?)
Bay Hill: 7
Cog Hill: 5 (all on Dubsdread?)
Muirfield Village: 5
La Costa: 4 (two Match Play)
Augusta National: 4 (+ five Top 5s, including 2 runners-up)
Warwick Hills: 3
Doral Blue: 3
Disney: 2 (multiple courses)
Medinah: 2
Pebble Beach: 2
St. Andrews: 2
Congressional: 2
Champions: 2

and 15 singletons:

TPC Summerlin
TPC Las Colinas & Cottonwood
TPC Sugar Loaf
TPC Sawgrass (+ 1994 amateur)
TPC Boston
Valhalla
Glen Abbey
Bethpage Black
Capital City Club
Harding Park
Hoylake
Quail Hollow
Southern Hills
The Gallery
The Grove

Honorable Mention: Pinehurst...2 US Opens, 2 top 5s, Oakmont - near miss in 2007.

With Woods stellar performances, it's perhaps more telling as to the noteworthy courses where he has either elected to not compete, did not comport with his major-centric schedule(s), has not experienced significant rotation or where has not performed well:

Kapalua Plantation
Riviera
Colonial
Harbour Town
Oakland Hills (DNP 2008, missed cut as amateur in 1996)
Shinnecock (WD as an amateur, t-17 in 2004)
Winged Foot (1997 t-29, 2006 -first tournament after Earl died, 1st Major missed cut)
Whistling Straits - Non-Factor in 2004 & 2010
Atlanta A.C. (t-29 in 2001, 3rd missed major cut in 2011)
Oak Hill (poor showing in 2003)
Carnoustie (a T7 and T12 isn't awful)
Turnberry (2nd missed major cut in 2009)
Troon
St. George's

Finally, I have to note that in general Woods is far, far from a mudder...his 3 Open Championships have come in the midst of comparatively benign conditions and has been decided blown off course when foul weather has reared...this is also true on USA where you never have seen Woods hoist a trophy with so much as a windbreaker on.

cheers

vk

[Bill Shotzbarger]

Finally, I have to note that in general Woods is far, far from a mudder...his 3 Open Championships have come in the midst of comparatively benign conditions and has been decided blown off course when foul weather has reared...this is also true on USA where you never have seen Woods hoist a trophy with so much as a windbreaker on.

cheers

vk

I remember it being pretty shitty at Bethpage in 2002

[David_Tepper]

V. Kmetz -

You are mistaken. Tiger won the 2000 Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Plantation in a playoff over Ernie Els. It was one of the most exciting finishes to a tournament I have ever seen.


Between the three of them, Tiger, Phil M. and Mark O'Meara have won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am eleven times. The California guys like playing in California!

DT