Capelle On Golf

Early last year Tiger Woods brazenly asserted that ”I think it’s easily within reason,” in referring to the Grand Slam

Remember that he said that with a bum knee. Then he went out and finished second at Augusta and won the US Open before retiring for the year.

If Tiger could be so confident with a bum knee, what could he be thinking now that that his knee’s in great shape? That he’ll be shocked if he doesn’t beat today’s band of choking dogs?

But no one, not even the zipper lipped Steve Williams, is privy his Slam thoughts because Woods publicly swore off such talk after realizing the bad karma he created for himself. Those putts he missed on Sunday at the Masters were partly the result of the golf gods exacting their justice.

So, does Tiger have a chance this time around? Let’s first consider his game. He played better than he scored at Doral, but was the victim of poor putting, as he was in ‘08. His GIR average of 12.3 tied him for 12th best in the field, not bad, but about a green per round below his long term average.

His driving, however, was better than normal. He hit it long, averaging 303.3 on the measured holes, tying for 10th. And he was more accurate than normal, tying for 11th. If Tiger can hit it long and relatively straight at Augusta and his putter heats up, it could be Hello First Leg at the Masters.

While Tiger was much improved over his performance at the WGC Match Play, he’s got to log some more “reps” before he will be tournament sharp. And that could be the problem, because there are only two more events before the Masters (after this week’s Transitions Championship) – Bay Hill, where he always plays, and the Shell Houston, which he never plays. More than likely, Tiger will have 72 more holes to get ready for the Masters, which may or may not be enough.

This brings us to the venues for this year’s majors. Though Tiger has won only one Masters in his last six tries, he’s usually near the top (W, 3t, 2t, 2 in his last four), and the course fits his eye. Bethpage Black on Long Island is a bomber’s paradise, and Woods won the Open there in 2002.

He’s never played in a British Open at Turnberry, but if the course suited Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus’ games so well in 1977, who’s to say Woods won’t take to it? The final leg, the PGA, will be held at Hazeltine in Minnesota. At the 2002 PGA Woods closed with four straight birdies to finish a shot back of Rich Beem, so that course must agree with him.

Last year Tigermania caused the Slam odds at Ladbrokes to drop to 8/1 at post time. I checked the venerable British betting house to see if they were posting Sam odds this year, but could find none.

The absence of a line seem strange because this year Tiger actually has a better shot at the Slam because he’s in better health and the venues are to his liking. But he’s under the Grand Slam radar screen, and I suspect that Tiger now prefers it that way.

Well, I’ve completed my obligatory article on the Grand Slam this year. And you know what? Considering how ridiculous the whole proposition really is, it is probably one too many!