Tiger Woods is believable. (Keith Allison/Flickr)
LISTEN UP, GOLF WORLD. I heard it again yesterday on the golf telecast, although I can’t recall who said it. Someone used the word “unbelievable” to describe something Tiger Woods did en route to a final-round 65 and a come-from-behind victory at the Memorial Tournament.
Oh, really?
Because I no longer find anything Tiger does on a golf course to be unbelievable. Why? Because I’ve seen it − oh, I don’t know − about a GAZILLION TIMES since the mid 1990s.
So yesterday when Tiger chipped it in from out of the cabbage for eagle on the 11th hole, when he birdied the last two holes to win by one stroke, and when he hit his approach shot on the final hole to 14 inches, I didn’t jump out of my armchair. I didn’t pump my fist. I didn’t shake my head in disbelief. I didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Not unbelievable, believable. It’s Tiger.
Still, there are those who insist after all these years that Tiger is “unbelievable.” Not to single anyone out, Jim Nantz. (And the entire CBS golf crew, NBC golf crew, Golf Channel, other golf media and basically everybody.)
And how about you, Google? You’re in on this, too. “Tiger Woods unbelievable” returns more than 100,000 results, including this headline and story from today’s Calgary Herald:
Tiger ‘unbelievable’ in Memorial rally
People, where have you been?
I’ve been watching this for 15 years. Just how many chip-ins, monster putts and stuffed iron shots do you need to see from Tiger for it to be “believable”? How many times does Tiger have to spook the other players and snatch the trophy?
(For those counting, yesterday was Tiger’s 67th PGA Tour victory, including 14 majors. And at 33, he’s still in his prime.)
Can we just drop “unbelievable” from the Tiger vocabulary starting today?
Sign the Tiger Is Believable Petition
You can help by signing the Tiger Is Believable Petition. It’s a simple show of support that only takes a few seconds.
I admit I’m new at this petition thing. In fact, this is my first one. But sometimes you have to wait for the right cause to come along, something that’s truly important. I hope you’ll join me in this worthy cause. I think if I can collect three signatures, the momentum will really start to build.
−The Armchair Golfer
We run out of superlatives when it comes to Tiger…
I enjoyed your post, and may I be the first to label it "unbelievable"!!
😉
Great post! Tiger Woods is truly amazing and can win a tournament from a variety of different situations on the golf course.
Even if he hits a not so perfect shot, I find myself saying to the TV, "He's Tiger. He can hole it out from there." And then he does.
Funny stuff…and so true!
I actually tried the one-handed flop shot yesterday for fun aside our first green. It ended up on 11 tee, about 20 yards away. I decided I needed to stick to what I knew, which is a more traditional 60-degree shot.
Tiger, I am not.
Thanks, all. I appreciate your support. Together, we can make a difference.
The root of the Unbelievable comments is probably the unspoken "I can't do that, so I can't believe anyone else can."
Tiger is great because he puts together all the aspects of golf into one efficient system. That's not unbelievable, but it is amazing!
Golf is all about percentages. Every shot has a percentage of being exactly correct, and for me that has happened very few times. Professional golfers, thru practice, natural ability and mental preparedness have increase their ability to get the exactly correct thing way more often than me.
Technically, it's possible, and believeable, to have a score of 18 for 18 holes if every shot is hit exactly correct.
So, is un-believable a word to use for Tiger? maybe for the media. But for me the few words that come to mind are superlative, bellissimo, magnifico, etc. Each language has its 'best' word for greatness.
I just feel fortunate to be able to experience what Tiger has to offer.
However many signatures you get on your petition, it is sure to be "unbelievable!"
A perfect example why golf isn't worth watching unless he's in the field.
Another perfect example of why golf isn't worth watching unless Tiger is in the field.
Looks like Yang did it for ya.
http://sportschump.net/2009/08/16/live-golf-blogchat-91st-pga-championship/1146/