Strangely, nobody had even asked him whether he could play 36. Not this week anyway. Not after the triumph at the Tour Championship. Everybody had so much invested in Tiger Woods’ mission impossible, everybody was so taken by the mother of all comebacks, that the mechanics of this event, the incredible challenge he faced, this rather large elephant in the room, simply passed them by.
By early afternoon on day one, however, reality had not so much bit, as chomped and chewed on Woods’ fragile physique like a dog with a bone. Back fusion surgery, is transpires, is every bit as complex as it sounds; and 36 holes are every bit as gruelling.
Jim Furyk named his foursome combinations and it leapt out that Team America were going to have to fare without their talisman after lunch. He was not coming out to play a second time, and it will be a shock if Saturday’s strategy is any different.
Tiger Woods was left out of the USA's foursomes teams in the Ryder Cup on Friday afternoon
The extent of Woods’ recovery is now obvious, as is his importance to the group. He is still sufficiently challenged by injury to be half a Ryder Cup presence. One imagines this will have been Woods’ decision too. Had he wanted to play again, no doubt Furyk would have indulged him.
It would not have helped that Woods and the self-styled Captain America, Patrick Reed, had not turned into the sure-fire winning combination many imagined. They had been chasing their match with Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood for most of the front nine, had reclaimed the advantage at the turn, but quickly surrendered it.
At the time Furyk made his second judgement call on pairings, however, Woods and Reed were only one down with four still to play. So this wasn’t a reaction to a result. The fact is, Woods wasn’t playing well, and had begun to show signs of physical deterioration. Not outright hurt, not wincing and grimacing, but just a little stiff, like a guy who a year ago was considering never hitting a ball again, before being suddenly reprieved against all odds. It was rather normal, if considered logically.
When Woods is in the form he was last weekend, it is possible to lose sight of the setbacks he has overcome. We are thinking of him again now as the Tiger of old. ‘Go on, big cat,’ cried a voice in the gallery, as Woods marched down the first. But he doesn’t bounce these days. When he rose from his seat at the opening ceremony on Thursday, it was the movement of a man only too aware of his limitations.
Woods and fourballs partner Patrick Reed slipped to defeat in their opening match on Friday
Maybe had he won 4&3 he might have felt differently about the afternoon pairings. The fact is, he was nowhere near that form, and there was a reason for that. Tournament winner, straight onto a plane bound for Europe, practice sessions, media sessions, ceremonial commitments, 18 tournaments in 2018: the Ryder Cup is a wonderful occasion, but comes at the end of the season and can feel like a slog. Certainly to a man whose fitness needs such careful managing.
Woods played some exquisite shots around Le Golf National without ever coming alight. He won two holes: the second, a par three, in which his ball was so close to the hole, Europe got to play their second, and third, shots before he needed to putt; and the ninth when 12 helpers were required to find Molinari’s ball, and Fleetwood’s ambitious putt caught downward momentum and went through the green.
The back nine, however, was a bust. No holes and no birdies for Woods, and dwindling momentum as the Europeans sparkled. Woods seemed to have sucked a little life from his partner, too. Reed is the most boisterous member of the American team; the one who cups a hand to an ear when his pairing is in the ascent, the one most likely to encourage the choruses of USA, USA.
Not on Friday. Game face Tiger is one serious hombre, the centre of attention, and that isn’t what Reed needs. He wants the European gallery focused on him for his shtick to work, he doesn’t need to be on his best behaviour around the greatest golfer of modern times. On the first tee, Europe’s fans were getting into the event with their version of the Icelandic thunderclap. They wanted their team involved.
‘Rory, Rory, start the clap,’ they sang, and Rory McIlroy turned, faced them, puts his arms above his head, and lead the giant gallery. So did Tommy Fleetwood, so did Thomas Bjorn, so did – surprisingly – Furyk, who for a man born in Pennsylvania, educated in Tucson and residing in Florida and Hawaii, showed an impressive knowledge of Iceland’s most lasting contribution to the 2016 European Championship tournament.
Woods seemed to suck some of the life out of his playing partner with a disappointing display
Then it was Tiger’s turn. ‘Tiger, Tiger, start the clap,’ they chorused. A real Tiger could not have looked any more imperiously at the multitude. He smiled politely and tipped his hat. No, he probably wasn’t glued to Euro 2016, but it was more than that. Just as Joey doesn’t share food, Tony Blair didn’t do God and Gordon Gecko didn’t do lunch, Tiger Woods doesn’t do no Icelandic thunderclap.
Nor was there much sign of the reborn, breezy, open Tiger once his match had concluded with Europe winning 3&1 – the only American defeat of the morning. He departed for lunch without comment, although his last three holes had revealed more than he would have liked. At the 15th, he played into significant rough and then pulled off his shot to have another think about his approach. At the 16th, he found water. By the 17th – at which point Europe were dormy two, thanks to Fleetwood’s 35 foot putt for birdie on 16, that rightly drew one of the loudest cheers of the day – he missed another green and appeared pained. It may have been his back, it may have been the outcome – Molinari made birdie and the match ended there – who can say? Not Woods. If he needs to be nursed through the next 48 hours he will not wish that widely broadcast. He will want this to be written off as an off day, not a struggle. He was supposed to be America’s trump card after all.
Indeed, that was what will have hurt most. That by losing the fourth fourball, Woods and Reed halted America’s momentum. They were the anchor pairing, the marquee duo, the point in the bag. Yet as Europe made gains in the afternoon, it was speculated that witnessing Woods’ vulnerability – and Molinari having the beating of him again, as he did to win The Open this summer – was the biggest boost the home side could have got. It is hard being Tiger. Any Tiger, really: old or new, but particularly new, if held to the standards of old.
hienalouca.comhttps://hienalouca.com/2018/09/28/it-is-hard-being-tiger-any-tiger-really-old-or-new-but-particularly-new/
Main photo article Strangely, nobody had even asked him whether he could play 36. Not this week anyway. Not after the triumph at the Tour Championship. Everybody had so much invested in Tiger Woods’ mission impossible, everybody was so taken by the mother of all comebacks, that the mechanics of this event, the i...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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