Tiger Woods’ Greatness Exemplified by Marshal’s Comments

Tiger Woods’ Greatness Exemplified by Marshal’s Comments
Marshal: He Lacked Character, but I was Still Rooting for Him











Chris Chaney May 15, 2013 4:25 PM




COMMENTARY | Did Tiger Woods lie at the Players Championship?

No, not about his drop on the 14th hole during the final round; that's a different argument for a different day.

This is about "The Incident."

Let's set the scene: It's the third round of the Players Championship. Woods and his playing partner, Sergio Garcia, have 37 holes and one shot under their belts so far. Woods, who has been working the ball beautifully all week, misses one left into the gallery amongst the trees. Garcia does not. He's positioned beautifully on the right side of the fairway on the par-5 second hole at TPC Sawgrass, away by a yard, according to the PGA Tour's Shot Tracker, and therefore, the first to play.

As Garcia prepares himself, Woods is languishing in a sea of spectators, clearing room for his next shot. Once a human V is made around Woods and his preferred line, he assesses his options. He sees an opening and believes that he can hit a 5-wood up near the green. He pulls his club, almost out of habit as he continues to plot his upcoming shot in his head, mumbling yardage numbers and wind direction and ball flight when sporadic cheering comes from the spectators surrounding him.

Momentarily knocked out of his supreme focus, Woods realizes the applause is for his club choice -- one that indicates to the crowd he is going for the par-5 green in two. Woods, now aware of his misstep, attempts to quiet the crowd by putting a finger to his lips and pointing toward his playing partner who, unbeknownst to Woods, has just struck his second shot. Woods refocuses himself and goes back to crunching numbers.

Meanwhile, Garcia's second shot is right going righter. He looks in Woods' direction -- still holding his follow-through -- with an expression somewhere between disbelief and disgust.

The two continue playing under ominous skies until play is called due to weather five holes later. During the nearly two-hour rain delay, Garcia makes his gripe with Woods known, insinuating in a Golf Channel interview that Woods pulled his club as an act of gamesmanship to mess with the Spaniard.

Asked about Garcia's comments following the round, Woods said he was aware of what was said and noted that a marshal told him that Garcia had already played his shot.

The duo's past and disdain for one another made news as the incident on the second hole played the role of reignitor of the imbroglio.

The next layer of the story came out Monday, long after Woods had already raised the crystal trophy above his head. SI.com's Michael Bamberger talked to a pair of marshals who were working the second hole Saturday when "The Incident" took place.

The chief of marshals for the first three holes, John North, stood over Woods' ball after it came to rest off the tee to protect it from the stampede of fans hoping to get within an arm's reach of Woods.


Questioned about the truth of Woods' assertion that marshals had told him Garcia had played his shot prior to Woods pulling a club, North said, "Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him.

"I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We're there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character."

(North's comments have since been refuted by another marshal who admitted to telling Woods that Garcia had hit, although Woods had already pulled his club.)

Later, on Sunday afternoon, North, a graduate of the Naval Academy and Vietnam War veteran, sat watching the television broadcast from a military appreciation tent. With Woods and Garcia coming down the stretch, North said of Woods, "I hate to say it, but I was rooting for him. It tears me apart. But when he's winning ..."



But when he's winning. When he's winning, we set aside our personal grievances or feelings toward Woods the man and embrace the greatness that is Woods the golfer.

Perhaps it's part of the American psyche to place athletes up on pedestals, hoping and wishing for them to be something better than themselves, more than mortal. We want to be a part of history; it's exhilarating and memorable. We want to say, "I was there when…"

That's how North felt watching the greatest golfer of this generation Sunday afternoon, not yet 24 hours since Woods, in North's opinion, lied for his own personal gain, and in essence, threw North and his marshals under the bus.

But that's what greatness does to people in the moment. It encapsulates us; that as by a matter of proximity, we were a part of something great as well.

And sure, after the trophy's been given out and Woods has flown his private jet back to his mansion on the water in his gated community you might feel a little dirty, a little let down or disappointed in yourself for casting aside your morals to embrace something bigger than yourself.

After all, it's just sports. It's just a man hitting a ball, right?

Yes, that's true, but you know, next week, next month or next year, you're going to be rooting for Tiger Woods to do something great again just so you can say, "I was there when…"

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.



Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.

Tiger Woods’ Greatness Exemplified by Marshal’s Comments

Tiger Woods’ Greatness Exemplified by Marshal’s Comments
Marshal: He Lacked Character, but I was Still Rooting for Him











Chris Chaney May 15, 2013 4:25 PM




COMMENTARY | Did Tiger Woods lie at the Players Championship?

No, not about his drop on the 14th hole during the final round; that's a different argument for a different day.

This is about "The Incident."

Let's set the scene: It's the third round of the Players Championship. Woods and his playing partner, Sergio Garcia, have 37 holes and one shot under their belts so far. Woods, who has been working the ball beautifully all week, misses one left into the gallery amongst the trees. Garcia does not. He's positioned beautifully on the right side of the fairway on the par-5 second hole at TPC Sawgrass, away by a yard, according to the PGA Tour's Shot Tracker, and therefore, the first to play.

As Garcia prepares himself, Woods is languishing in a sea of spectators, clearing room for his next shot. Once a human V is made around Woods and his preferred line, he assesses his options. He sees an opening and believes that he can hit a 5-wood up near the green. He pulls his club, almost out of habit as he continues to plot his upcoming shot in his head, mumbling yardage numbers and wind direction and ball flight when sporadic cheering comes from the spectators surrounding him.

Momentarily knocked out of his supreme focus, Woods realizes the applause is for his club choice -- one that indicates to the crowd he is going for the par-5 green in two. Woods, now aware of his misstep, attempts to quiet the crowd by putting a finger to his lips and pointing toward his playing partner who, unbeknownst to Woods, has just struck his second shot. Woods refocuses himself and goes back to crunching numbers.

Meanwhile, Garcia's second shot is right going righter. He looks in Woods' direction -- still holding his follow-through -- with an expression somewhere between disbelief and disgust.

The two continue playing under ominous skies until play is called due to weather five holes later. During the nearly two-hour rain delay, Garcia makes his gripe with Woods known, insinuating in a Golf Channel interview that Woods pulled his club as an act of gamesmanship to mess with the Spaniard.

Asked about Garcia's comments following the round, Woods said he was aware of what was said and noted that a marshal told him that Garcia had already played his shot.

The duo's past and disdain for one another made news as the incident on the second hole played the role of reignitor of the imbroglio.

The next layer of the story came out Monday, long after Woods had already raised the crystal trophy above his head. SI.com's Michael Bamberger talked to a pair of marshals who were working the second hole Saturday when "The Incident" took place.

The chief of marshals for the first three holes, John North, stood over Woods' ball after it came to rest off the tee to protect it from the stampede of fans hoping to get within an arm's reach of Woods.


Questioned about the truth of Woods' assertion that marshals had told him Garcia had played his shot prior to Woods pulling a club, North said, "Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him.

"I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We're there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character."

(North's comments have since been refuted by another marshal who admitted to telling Woods that Garcia had hit, although Woods had already pulled his club.)

Later, on Sunday afternoon, North, a graduate of the Naval Academy and Vietnam War veteran, sat watching the television broadcast from a military appreciation tent. With Woods and Garcia coming down the stretch, North said of Woods, "I hate to say it, but I was rooting for him. It tears me apart. But when he's winning ..."



But when he's winning. When he's winning, we set aside our personal grievances or feelings toward Woods the man and embrace the greatness that is Woods the golfer.

Perhaps it's part of the American psyche to place athletes up on pedestals, hoping and wishing for them to be something better than themselves, more than mortal. We want to be a part of history; it's exhilarating and memorable. We want to say, "I was there when…"

That's how North felt watching the greatest golfer of this generation Sunday afternoon, not yet 24 hours since Woods, in North's opinion, lied for his own personal gain, and in essence, threw North and his marshals under the bus.

But that's what greatness does to people in the moment. It encapsulates us; that as by a matter of proximity, we were a part of something great as well.

And sure, after the trophy's been given out and Woods has flown his private jet back to his mansion on the water in his gated community you might feel a little dirty, a little let down or disappointed in yourself for casting aside your morals to embrace something bigger than yourself.

After all, it's just sports. It's just a man hitting a ball, right?

Yes, that's true, but you know, next week, next month or next year, you're going to be rooting for Tiger Woods to do something great again just so you can say, "I was there when…"

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.



Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.

Marc Leishman Looking Forward to U.S. Open at Merion

Marc Leishman Looking Forward to U.S. Open at Merion











Ryan Ballengee May 15, 2013 7:01 PM


COMMENTARY | Marc Leishman is playing the best golf of his life, and he couldn't be doing it at a better time.



The 2012 Travelers Championship winner has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes in his last three st
arts for the first time in nearly five full seasons on the PGA Tour. He placed tied for fourth at The Masters, then tied for ninth the very next week at the RBC Heritage, and, last week, Leishman notched a T-8 effort at The Players Championship.





The Aussie attributes the recent success to a better mental approach.



"I think mentally I'm getting better on the course," Leishman said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "I'm not getting as down on myself when I hit a bad shot. My bad holes are not as bad, and I'm not getting on streaks of bogeys anymore."



That's the kind of attitude shift that often portends a major victory. While Leishman came up short on Sunday at Augusta National, he took a lot of positives away from his play as well as seeing fellow countryman Adam Scott become the first from Oz to win a green jacket.



"It's good to know that my swing held up under the pressure. It would have been easy to hit a lot of bad shots under that pressure," he said with a laugh. "The way I handled it, I thought, was great. I learned quite a bit about myself."



Leishman's journey of self-discovery began with winning near Hartford last year. The Travelers has been a bit of a springboard for other players in recent years, including the breakthrough PGA Tour wins for 2007 champion Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson (2010) and Fredrik Jacobson (2011).



"I've matured a lot as a player since the Travelers last year," Leishman said. "I feel like I'm learning a lot and just getting better, in particular, in the last month or two. I'm just learning faster."



A little under a month from now, Leishman could have an opportunity to apply that learning at Merion in the U.S. Open. The top 60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 27 and June 10 are exempt into the U.S. Open. Leishman jumped into 58th with his finish at The Players.



The 29-year-old is excited at the prospect of playing the Philly-area track.



"I've never played there, but hopefully it will set up well for me, and I'll have a chance," Leishman said.



Merion is a bit of an enigma. So many players are aware of the club's history, site to Ben Hogan's historic win in 1950, but the Open has not been played there since 1981. Few players who will be in the field have ever set foot on the property, much less competed there. Leishman feels that favors him, taking away an advantage for the most experienced major contestants.



Perhaps the biggest edge Leishman has heading into the U.S. Open is his record on tracks where placement is a challenge. He has an outstanding record at Waialae C.C., the tight course that hosts the Sony Open in Hawaii, and two of his recent top 10s have come at Pete Dye designs -- Harbour Town and TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course -- that require precision. That should translate to Merion.



"I think it's going to be a lot of irons off the tee," Leishman said. "I like hitting my long irons off the tee. I'm hoping it'll set up well for me. There's no reason why I don't think it would set up well for me."



Despite his high confidence, Leishman is reluctant to get too far ahead of himself. One misstep at Merion could literally ruin his chances.



"I've heard the rough is going to be brutal," he said.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.