Tiger's Back

I grew up in the country and I had a golf course around my house. I dug holes all over my yard which I put cans in the bottom of the hole. This worked great until it rained an the cans would pop out of the hole. I had plastic golf balls the ones that looked liked golf balls not the ones that had holes in them.

I would have to hit over my house, around a tree with a trusty seven iron. During my golfing days to hit a ball more than 240 yards it had to be in the middle of July and dry to get all the roll I could. It seemed I was always just off the green, hardly ever putting for birdie. Put that seven iron in my hand I always had a chance to chip it in.

I have only played golf maybe five times since I moved to Rocky Mount in 1995. The last time I played was 2003. It just happened to be in a best ball tournament with the company I was working for. I never help my team on any shot off the tee but on two holes I chipped one in and the other hung on the lip.

My point this morning is this Tiger Woods is back in his element the golf course. He happens to be playing the golf course suited for his game at Augusta. He can kill it off the tee and putt for eagles on all the par five's.

Yesterday a sixty year old man beat Tiger. TV was going crazy last night about Tiger shooting 68 his lowest score ever on the first day of the Masters. Take away two eagles and Tiger was par on the day. My point this morning is this Tiger will be killing the ball off the tee as long as he cares to play professional golf. His length will keep him in this tournament because he will have a chance to make a birdie on all the par fives.

It was the rest of his game that was average yesterday. He missed an eight foot eagle putt which his scored might have made him the leader. It's the other parts of golf putting, chipping, where the shots pile up quickly. he played well enough yesterday to shoot 64 but had a 68.

Tiger is going to be on the leader board all weekend. If I was CBS or ESPN and since I only have four minutes per hour for commercials and the price of a commercial on network TV is based on how many people watch that event don't you think I would make it seemed like Tiger was the leader knowing the world will watch if Tiger is in the hunt.

Tom Watson who says that he can't play Augusta beat Tiger yesterday. Fred Couples a senior tour player beat him. Thirty three golfers broke par yesterday. If there was ever a conspiracy theory, do you suppose the people at Augusta laid the course out as easy as possible hoping Tiger would shoot well.

I think they did and Tiger responded. I don't think the rest of his game is good enough to win over four days but I'll be watching to see. CBS is counting you will be watching too.