Capelle On Golf

I have been a little hard on Hank Haney of late because he chose to write The Big Miss, an unauthorized semi-biography/instructional on Tiger Woods.

Still, every dog deserves his day in court and Haney had his today with his appearance on Morning Drive. So, did Haney do us fans a service in writing this book, or has he unjustly become a big thorn in Tiger’s side?

I think the answer is a lot of both. Golf fans have, for a long time, wanted an inside look into Woods’ World and this book promises to provide a good sized look. “It is going to be an interesting book,” said Haney, adding that “There will be some things that surprise people.” Surprises mean new information for us to chew on, even if it is not of a salacious nature. According to Haney, The Big Miss is “Not a take down.” Still, co-author Jaime Diaz agreed to be a part of the project even though “He (Diaz) knew there would be some things that Tiger wouldn’t like.”

So, don’t expect anything about the hotties in Woods’ life. But you might get a sizeable glimpse into Tiger at home considering that Haney spent so many nights as a guest of the Woods household.

As for Tiger, the idea that Haney secretly wrote a book about him is enough to anger Woods no matter what is in it. Now we know, after learning Diaz’ perspective, that Tiger definitely won’t be liking some of the content of the book.

He might also not appreciate that Haney is evidently going to disclose some of Woods’ closely guarded trade secrets. But what the heck – according to the former instructor, “I had such a special opportunity,” and “I learned so many things, and I wanted to share them.”

Finally, there is the matter of the book’s timing – both the recent announcement of it, and its release date. Haney said that “I did not pick the release date.” Gee, when did you think it would come out? After the 2012 season after Woods might have had a chance to launce his comeback without this unwanted distraction?

Besides, according to Hank. “Tiger is not easily distracted.” Speak for yourself Hank. Woods showed his considerable annoyance at Tuesday’s press conference, calling Haney’s tome “unprofessional.” And the distraction factor will go through the roof when the book comes out a scant nine days before Woods tees it up at the Masters.

So, in the end, Haney wins, and we fans win because Hanks says that we won’t be able “to put it down.” Woods, on the other hand, could lose big time if he does read it, as Haney says he will, and then allows it to distract him from his mission.

Hank Haney and the media just don’t get it.

They think that because Tiger Woods has not read The Big Miss that he has no reason to be upset about it – yet.

“I’m not sure I understand the unprofessionalism part. He hasn’t read the book. There’s a lot of positives in there. I think he’s the greatest golfer who ever lived,” said Haney. From an unnamed writer at Fox News; “What is Woods so afraid of then? Haney isn’t a terribly controversial guy.” And then there are Jimmy Roberts and Gary Williams on the Morning Drive, who also felt Woods was off base for being upset by a book he has yet to read.

Talk about lack of empathy, or the ability to walk in another’s shoes, which one might think would be prerequisites to being a journalist or commentator.

To appreciate Woods’ point of view, you only had to watch today’s press conference at the Abu Dhabi. The press grilled him about the book, and it was obvious that Woods did not want to talk about it – and yet they persisted. Now at this point the whole world knows that Woods is not going to give up little if anything about the book in future pressers.

And yet, the media will continue to pound on him because the book is a story with legs – it is just too good to ignore. So, at a time when Woods needs desperately to concentrate on his game as he tries to reignite his career, he now has this sideshow to worry about.

The media’s point that he should not be mad about the content when he doesn’t even know what’s in it also makes no sense. For the next two months he gets to worry about what’s between the covers, and with good reason. While many have insisted that Haney wouldn’t hurt a fly, he just might reveal some of Woods’ trade secrets, and at least a few choice tidbits about life at the Woods household.

And then there is the little-talked-about co-author, Golf Digest’s Jaime Diaz. Diaz is an expert on the mental side of Woods, having followed him since his days as a junior golfer. Diaz has penned several insightful and lengthy articles on Woods’ mental state following the breaking of the scandal for the magazine, so, it is naïve to think that his contribution will be more than to just pretty up Haney’s notes.

Still, the media has a choice. They can concentrate on Woods’ game and his results. Given that he is entering the most critical year of his career, that should be enough food for thought. So, if your favorites in the media continue to harp on the book leading up to the Masters, you should dismiss them as lazy hacks.

Big surprise about Hank Haney’s upcoming book, The Big Miss: Tiger Woods is pissed.

According to Woods, “I just think this book is very self serving.” This dovetails with the point I made about Haney is the previous column – that he is one opportunistic S.O.B.

To make matters worse, the book is to be released in late March, just prior to the Masters. This is great for Haney, co-author Jaime Diaz, and the publisher because they figure to capitalize on the interest in golf as it reaches a feverish pitch in anticipation of the season’s first major.

The timing is not so great for Woods, however, who will want the focus to be on his recently resurging golf game, not the surrounding life events, personnel changes, and health issues that have hounded him going into the last two Masters.

As for us fans, we want to see if he can rebuild his career momentum in the majors, end what will be a 46 month drought in them come April, and renew his quest to beat Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.

Woods recently turned 36, so he has only 16 more majors to set the record while in his thirties. Given the uncertain long term health of his left knee, he cannot bank on having till age 46 to complete the job, the age Nicklaus was when he won his 18th. Indeed, Nicklaus won his 17th at age 40, then caught lightening in a bottle six years later. In short, Woods has got to get back on board the major winning train in 2012 or face the fact that his quest did, indeed, implode on that night in late November of 2009.

Woods has gone into the last two Masters with his legendary concentration being tested by the media circus, and now it, sadly, figures to be again. “I think it’s unprofessional and very disappointing, especially because it’s someone I worked with and trusted as a friend,” said Woods in an interview with ESPN.  He added that “There have been other one-sided books about me, and I think people understand that this book is about money. I’m not going to waste my time reading it.”

As you can see, he is not at all pleased about it. And he will be a lot less so when he is questioned about its contents upon his arrival at Augusta National after the media has had a chance to digest the book’s contents. While some may get a kick out of the soap opera-like proceedings it promises to unleash, I think most fans are, at this point, most interested in his golf game: is he now on the comeback trail, or he is finished as a major player (pun intended).

It’s coming, and soon (late March) – a tell all book about Tiger Woods written by one of the people who was closest to him, his former instructor Hank Haney.

The book is titled The Big Miss, a name that has “multiple meanings” according to Haney. That is, super wild drives and a big missed opportunity, which was not entirely made clear in Doug Ferguson’s story about the book. But, as for the wild drives, the irony is that these misses were as much a knock on Haney’s deficiency as an instructor as they are about Woods’ lack of talent with the big club.

When Woods and Haney started working together, Woods must have viewed him as a trusted friend, a belief that was probably fostered by his naiveté, and the fact that Haney was highly recommended to him by his close friend, Mark O’Meara. As a result, Woods did not require that Haney sign a confidentiality agreement, a practice that is standard for most of his employees.

And yet, from the beginning Haney, unbeknownst to Woods,  began his plotting against his boss,. According to Ferguson, “Haney said he knew all along he would be writing a book. He took notes and kept his observations in diaries, then waited to find the right publisher and someone - Diaz - to help him with the book.” And we wonder why Woods has trust issues.

The book was co-authored with Golf Digest’s Jaime Diaz, who among all writers was as close to Woods as anyone. He’s one of the best, so there is no doubt that The Big Miss will be an enjoyable read. And his participation also matches the shift in Golf Digest’s editorial policy towards Woods, which is not so protective now that he no longer writes for the magazine.

So, we have a book about Woods that will likely tell us much about his championship mindset, practices habits, workout routines, and more. And, we also have a book that reinforces the notion that Haney is a world class opportunist who used Tiger in any and every way possible to build his brand and his fortune, Woods be damned.

Here is Jay Townsend’s take on Rory McIlroy on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive today:
“He should win because of his talent.”
“He is the most talented player in the game.”

The announcers make the mistake of talking only about physical talent, perhaps because they can see a player hit shots, but cannot see inside their minds. However, a player’s results are, in large part, due to the combination of their physical and mental talent.

When the “experts” talk about Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, they always say that their mental game is what separated them from their fellow competitor.s And yet, when it comes to the rest, only physical talent is emphasized.

Personally, I am sick of hearing about talent. I want to see results. As Burt Gordon said to pool shark Eddie Felson in the movie The Hustler, “Everybody’s got talent.” Rory and Company wouldn’t be pro golfers without talent. Dustin Johnson’s got talent. So does Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and the rest.

Physical talent alone is not going to separate any of them from the pack. So, Rory’s got talent. Big deal. What’s he going to do with it? That’s what we want to see.

Mitt Romney thinks that Barack Obama plays too much golf, and he is slamming his devotion to our game in an attack ad that asks if we can stand “Fore” More Years?

Let’s get one thing straight – I am not endorsing either man. But what I am questioning is Romney’s math and his positioning of golf as a negative.

That Obama has played 1,584 holes while President is viewed by Romney as proof that Obama is a slacker who is spending way too much time on the golf course. Let’s look at this a bit closer.

Obama has been President for about 1,050 days, so he has played an average of 1.51 holes per day (1,504/1050) while in the Oval Office. Pictures of Obama show that he plays in a cart, and does not have to wait for groups in front of him. So, at worst, a round takes him four hours to complete. That works out to an average of 13 minutes and 20 seconds per hole. So, 13:20 x 1.51 holes per day = an average of 20 minutes and 8 seconds per day playing golf.

Looking at his play in this far more honest way shows that golf is nothing more than a reasonable amount of exercise. In fact, if golf is Obama’s primary means of exercise, he should probably play even more. It can also be argued that golf is a healthy diversion that enables him to perform the most stressful and important job in the world at a higher level.

And so, Mr. Romney, if you wish to gain the support of the nation’s golfers, 25 million strong, I suggest that you avoid alienating this sizeable block of voters.

Now that the hyperbole surrounding Tiger Woods’ victory at Sherwood Forest has subsided a bit, it’s time to put his victory in to perspective.

Yes, Woods closed strongly, birdying the last two holes in vintage Woods fashion. But to get himself into position for these end-of-tournament heroics, he only had to beat 16 players and stay close to one other, Zach Johnson.

Much has been made about the small size of the field, and that it is obviously easier to win with just a handful of opponents. If this was a major, or a WGC event, Woods would have had to contend with Lee Westwood, who won the Nedbank on the strength of a third round 62, or Rory McIlroy, who opened with a 64 and closed with a 65 to win in Hong Kong.

When you have players like this clogging the top of the leaderboard, the winning does not come so easy – and that’s a big part of the reason why Woods has come close, but not won at Augusta every year since his last win there in 2005. Most of those players who finished ahead of him at Augusta over the years were not at Sherwood. At this year’s Chevron Challenge, two of the three players who finished ahead of him at the Masters did not play.

Now, on to the 17 besides Woods who did “compete.” Under normal circumstances, a player does better on courses they have played on before, with Augusta being Exhibit A with it’s repeat winners. Why, I suspect that Woods could find his way to the greens at the Masters while blindfolded. Sherwood is a quirky course, so it can be argued that local knowledge is of even greater value. The proof: Woods now has five wins and four seconds in ten starts there.

The five players who finished behind Woods finished 9t, 3rd, 5th, 18th, and 11th last year – playing at Sherwood was obviously of benefit to them. The bottom nine finishers included the much heralded duo of Web Simpson, who finished 12 back of Woods, and Keegan Bradley, who was 20 back. Seven of those nine, including Chevron rookies Simpson and Bradley, had one thing in common – they did not play at Sherwood last year.

Bottom line: Tournament host Tiger Woods, who plays every year (as long as he is healthy) and who plays courses largely from memory (which is why he repeats so often at pet courses like Torrey Pines and Firestone), would enjoy a huge edge against any sized field. But that advantage grows to ridiculous proportions when he is up against a small Silly Season field of money grubbing veteran, tired world travelers, and Sherwood rookies.

That the Chevron awards WGR points is a controversial subject that has been debated all across the golfosphere. What is even worse is the number of points that Woods and other Chevron players have been given for winning this tiny fielded exhibition. This year Woods was awarded 44 points, more than several full fielded events on the PGA Tour, and enough to shoot him up from 52nd to 21st in the rankings. If the detractors, including yours truly, had their way and there were no points at this event, Woods would be ranked 63rd in the world after also deducting his points for second last year!

Remember, Woods lobbied hard for WGR points for his event. And, in his Woods-centric world view, he actually believes that this tournament’s status has been elevated in status to that of a PGA Tour event. Consider this odd exchange at the post tournament press conference:

Q.  Along the lines of exhibitions, thought, for the naysayers out there that would say, Well, yes, he is back; he won the tournament.  For those people that view it as more of an exhibition and not a true PGA tournament or a major, what would you say to that?
Woods:  We have world ranking points.

So, because he was successful in getting WGR points for this event, that is proof that this is an event of great stature.

That Woods is now dependent on points from a glorified exhibition match to rank within the top 25 in the world is somewhat sad. In addition, much has been made about foreign golfers inflating their WGR by playing in non-PGA events where it is easier to win points, a strategy that has kept Asian players like Ryo Ishikawa much higher in the rankings than they arguably deserve to be. Well, if we also took out Woods’ recent third in the Australian Open (in which he was paid a huge appearance fee), his WGR would be 86th. Considering that he had a grand total of two top tens on the PGA Tour in 2011, this would seem about right.

Given his recent form, I have no doubt that Woods will ascend into the top 10 in early 2012. It is too bad that his task will be made all the easier because of the questionable points he’s “earned” in exhibitions and an event that paid him millions just to show up.

Tiger Woods broke his victory drought with two closing birdies on putts of 13 and 10 feet to win the Chevron World Challenge. Yipee!

This is great for golf, and it is great for Woods because he is a momentum player, and this W is a significant step towards rebuilding his career momentum – something that was lost on the fateful night two years ago in Florida.

Looking ahead, it is not hard to imagine a big year for Woods in 2012. Two or three PGA Tour wins now seems very doable, and he should certainly grace the leaderboard of at least a couple of majors. This forecast is not based on tea leaves, but rather on recent evidence.

At Sherwood his iron game was, at times, spectacular. The facts: he scored two eagles and 20 birdies, an average of 5.5 per day. His short game was brilliant at times, and his stinger tee shots enabled him to consistently find the fairway when he was in a strategic mode. His continuing weakness is his driver, a club he may never master.

Woods victory was a combination of the new, his Sean Foley Swing, and the old, his competitive fire. While he was in the apologetic soul searching phase of his comeback, Woods said he would no longer engage in such exuberant celebrations, but his over-the-top fist pumps were on full display on the last two greens.

Y.E. Yang, at the 2009 PGA accused Woods of gamesmanship, that he stood too close to him at times. Evidently he is still practicing the subtle art despite the nice guy image he is promoting. On the final hole, while Zach Johnson was setting up to putt, Woods positioned himself directly in front of his opponent, and only about 15 feet away. Did this bother Johnson? Who knows for sure, but his 15 foot putt was not even close.

This season was the year of the break out for the next generation of superstars, lead by Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and Rory McIlroy, the US Open champion. Now, it appears as a soon to be 36 year old Tiger Woods is ready to rejoin the mix at the top of the game.

We have much to look forward to in 2012, including the build up to the 2012 Masters, which is a scant 17 weeks away. And now, with the resumption of Woods’ quest to beat Jack Nicklaus’ major winning record in earnest, next year is shaping up as one of the best season’s in recent memory.

Tiger Woods reminds me of the line from that tune in Damn  Yankees – “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.”

Woods wanted WGR points for his Chevron World Challenge, and now the event, with its super small field of 18 players, awards them. Graeme McDowell, last year’s winner, was awarded (gifted) 50 WGR points for edging out Woods for the win in a dramatic one hole playoff.

Woods left far from empty handed with 30 big points for his second place finish. Even with points erosion, that runner up is still worth 17.28 points. If we subtracted those ridiculous points, his WGR would drop from 52nd to 63rd!

Woods has finished first four times and second four times in nine starts at Sherwood. He finished second last year while only five months into his Foley Swing overhaul. Now he claims that he finally understands his new swing, a fact that is backed up by his recent spate of improved play, including his super strong performance in his singles match at the recent Presidents Cup.

So, a forecast of a win or second this week seems reasonable. If he “earns” 50 WGR points like McDowell last year, he would jump into the Top 20! If he finishes second and gets 30 points, he would shoot up into about the 25th position.

Let’s say Woods wins. He would be about the 19th ranked player in the world. Now, if we subtract out these points for this Silly Season event, he would be 63rd, as I mentioned above.

Something just seems wrong about this – that counting this tournament in the WGR could have such a huge impact on Woods’ WGR.

In the pre scandal days, golf was Woods’ top priority.

Sure, he was dedicated to his kids, but he could fix his schedule anyway he wanted to, not having to worry about things like visitation rights. Now he must miss tournaments, as he has said, because of family responsibilities. While it is great that he is a doting parent, his court ordered scheduling has had an impact on his comeback.

Pre-scandal Woods could play anywhere he wanted because the PGA Tour would always give him a pass to play overseas, enabling him to pick up huge appearance fees. Since he was making over a hundred million a year and had not yet seen his net worth depleted by a huge settlement, money was not quite the issue that it apparently has become. As a result, in the old days Woods played at his beloved Torrey Pines every year from 1998-2008 (winning six times), then missed a couple of years because of injury before returning to Torrey last year.

Wood’s goal in the early season of 2012 should be to rebuild his confidence, get a W as soon as possible and, most importantly, to prepare for Augusta.  Winning majors is, or at least we think it is, still his top golfing priority. So, towards that end, he should play at Torrey. The trouble is that he wants that huge appearance fee from the folks at the Abu Dhabi, and he feels he must kiss some corporate butts for his foundation. While that is all well and good, he should be arranging his schedule so that he has the best chance to resume his quest to win majors and become the Best Ever.

So, going forward, when Woods needs everything going for him to reestablish his career momentum, he must adjust his schedule to be with his children, and he also seems preoccupied with rebuilding his image, his brand, his bank account, and his portfolio of sponsors.

Life has gotten more complicated for Woods, and this could cost him his shot at the Best Ever. Given the way Woods has handicapped himself, if he can pull this off, it would nothing short of a miracle!