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Seems to me this reinforces the point I made that Vijay Singh doesn’t "count" as a role model because he had the misfortune of being born in Fiji instead of in the Good Ole USA. (Wonder if the USA is *ever* going to get over itself as being the Only Nation that Counts? And this is the case in *all* sports, not just in golf.)
This is very unfair. Actually, we’re the only nation that counts in almost any area you care to name–not just sports.
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I may have missed this in the sheer volume of postings here, but has anyone other than Tiger not only won but broken the scoring record in more than one major in a season? If the answer is no, then I think breaking the scoring records in three majors in a season (and in a row) is perhaps the most amazing of Tiger’s streaks. – Larry
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Tiger’s 2000 is simply the greatest. Just his US Open and Open wins made it so, his PGA win confirms it. Incredible stuff.
Consider this: Not only did Tiger Woods sweep all three summer majors, but he won each won of them by setting a record low score relative to par. It would have been pretty heady stuff if he’d won all three by shooting 5-under-par. Doing it the way he did will be written about for as long as there are golf writers. Or until he breaks his own records. Maybe next year. Randy
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<holding back, holding back Hogan *WON* the Open in 1953 and it is a GS only if you win all 4 in the same season. <still holding, signing off In 1953, Hogan only played 6 tournaments…he won 5 of them. Including three majors–he didn’t play the British that year, or he’d have had a great chance at winning the Grand Slam in the same year.
– Dan Driscoll Current USGA Handicap Index – 14.7 RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/driscolld.htm Keep Usenet Clean, Trash a Spammer!
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The point is not when the first black played, or even when they were allowed to use the bathrooms in the clubhouse (which was quite a bit later). The point is when black kids started considering golf as cool to play as basketball or football, rather than something you did only when you couldn’t make the team in the other sports. That happened in April of 1997, and that means we won’t see the full impact of it for 15 or 20 years.
Seems to me this reinforces the point I made that Vijay Singh doesn’t "count" as a role model because he had the misfortune of being born in Fiji instead of in the Good Ole USA. (Wonder if the USA is *ever* going to get over itself as being the Only Nation that Counts? And this is the case in *all* sports, not just in golf.) Maven
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In 1953, Hogan only played 6 tournaments…he won 5 of them. Including three majors–he didn’t play the British that year, or he’d have had a great chance at winning the Grand Slam in the same year.
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Is there a way to verify the timnig of these events? I was pretty sure that they did actually overlap. I guess the point is moot, because most people agree he wouldn’t have played in it anyways. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hogan said himself that the scheduling was not an issue. He almost didn’t complete the U. S. Open that year because of the 36 hole/day final they used to have. His revovery from the nearly fatal car wreck to regain championship from was the best sports comeback that I know about. Indeed. One could argue that after the accident Hogan, like cyclist Lance Armstrong, became an even better golfer than before the accident. What I have heard about the PGA that year is not that the event overlapped, but rather that the PGA was too close in time for Hogan to be able to bear the endurance test. Perhaps it was the next week. I would think, even given his physical state, that if the scheduling had been more convenient Hogan would have attempted to complete the Grand Slam, despite his reservations.
Before you buy.
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[snip] Does that mean that because I’m 1/16th Native American, I can legally declare myself as such? Gee, might as well. It’ll look good on the company’s employment records.
Actually, yes. There is a tribe in New England some where that will let you become a member of the tribe. Oh, by the by, they own a rather successful casino. Before you buy.
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I don’t think there’s much doubt about it. This has already been golf’s greatest season. its simply the greatest season becuase we were there, in person or eyes riveted to the idiot box. unfortunately there is no comparison to Hogan and Jones, becuase in at least my case, I was not there. the most obvious memories are always the most recent IMHO in my memory the only great year any golfer has had was one in which Greg Norman won 3 OOMs in one year, and without any co sanctioned tournaments (maybe 86)
When he blew three majors? It could have been THE greatest, but wasn’t. Tiger’s 2000 is simply the greatest. Just his US Open and Open wins made it so, his PGA win confirms it. Incredible stuff.
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I don’t think there’s much doubt about it. This has already been golf’s greatest season.
its simply the greatest season becuase we were there, in person or eyes riveted to the idiot box. unfortunately there is no comparison to Hogan and Jones, becuase in at least my case, I was not there. the most obvious memories are always the most recent IMHO in my memory the only great year any golfer has had was one in which Greg Norman won 3 OOMs in one year, and without any co sanctioned tournaments (maybe 86) regards Mark Blake Fairway: [faer-wai] "An unfamiliar tract of mown grass running directly from tee to the green. Your ball can usually be found immediately to the left or right of it." RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/blakem.htm
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Actually, the national government now uses the old Jim Crow "one-drop rule," as in "anyone with one drop of ‘black blood’ is black." So, Tiger Woods is officially black. The racist demagogues have spoken. Does that mean that because I’m 1/16th Native American, I can legally declare myself as such? Gee, might as well. It’ll look good on the company’s employment records.
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_newsday-census_ethnic_emphas… If you filled out your census form and selected "Caucasian" and "Native American" as answers to the race question, the government would classify you as an American Indian (which the government says is now the preferred term [http://www.doi.gov/bia/aitoday/q_and_a.html], so watch it, or you’ll end up in the camps–although if you tell them you’re an Indian, they’ll probably let you out).
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Not meaning to start a war here, but just for the record, what is a "black American?" Someone born in the United States of America who has dark skin and/or considers themselves to be "black" (or whatever the politically fashionable term is this year).
Actually, the national government now uses the old Jim Crow "one-drop rule," as in "anyone with one drop of ‘black blood’ is black." So, Tiger Woods is officially black. The racist demagogues have spoken.
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Both statements have some validity; however, those anthropologists who uphold the minimalist "three groups" position include Australian Aborigines, Melanesians, and other non-Africans in the general classification "Negroid". (If I recall correctly, Fiji is in the area designated as "Melanesia".)
I do not wish to enter this debate as such … however Vijay might come from Fiji but he’s not Melanesian, he’s of Indian descent. Indians have populated Fiji since 1879, when British companies utilised their labour to set up the sugar cane industry there. Cheers Colin Wilson Australian handicap: 10.4 RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/wilsonc.htm
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For that matter, Vijay Singh was on the scene well before Tiger, and he’s even darker-skinned. I suppose he doesn’t "count" because he’s not a black American, though. :-P
Not meaning to start a war here, but just for the record, what is a "black American?"
Someone born in the United States of America who has dark skin and/or considers themselves to be "black" (or whatever the politically fashionable term is this year). And what, exactly, does the hue of a person’s skin have to do with his race?
It’s one of the criteria used by anthropologists to sort humankind into three or more general groupings. (It has also been used for more sinister purposes by non-scientists and pseudo-scientists.) Vijay isn’t black because he isn’t of African descent. He’s from Fiji. And I know plenty of black folks who have lighter skin color than some white folks.
Both statements have some validity; however, those anthropologists who uphold the minimalist "three groups" position include Australian Aborigines, Melanesians, and other non-Africans in the general classification "Negroid". (If I recall correctly, Fiji is in the area designated as "Melanesia".) It just seems that in this as in all too many other areas, Tiger gets *all* the attention and *all* the credit, whether he deserves it or not. And that gets annoying. Maven
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Earth to DaveB: the "color barrier" went down long before Tiger came on the scene. There *were* black players before him.
Oh, I see. If there’s one black player on the tour, discrimination and racism has officially ended. Thank you for clearing that up for me. I guess Hank Aaron imagined all those death threats — after all, he was years after Jackie Robinson. The point is not when the first black played, or even when they were allowed to use the bathrooms in the clubhouse (which was quite a bit later). The point is when black kids started considering golf as cool to play as basketball or football, rather than something you did only when you couldn’t make the team in the other sports. That happened in April of 1997, and that means we won’t see the full impact of it for 15 or 20 years.
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For that matter, Vijay Singh was on the scene well before Tiger, and he’s even darker-skinned. I suppose he doesn’t "count" because he’s not a black American, though. :-P
Not meaning to start a war here, but just for the record, what is a "black American?" And what, exactly, does the hue of a person’s skin have to do with his race? Vijay isn’t black because he isn’t of African descent. He’s from Fiji. And I know plenty of black folks who have lighter skin color than some white folks. Randy
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Not meaning to start a war here, but just for the record, what is a "black American?" Someone born in the United States of America who has dark skin and/or considers themselves to be "black" (or whatever the politically fashionable term is this year). Actually, the national government now uses the old Jim Crow "one-drop rule," as in "anyone with one drop of ‘black blood’ is black." So, Tiger Woods is officially black. The racist demagogues have spoken.
Does that mean that because I’m 1/16th Native American, I can legally declare myself as such? Gee, might as well. It’ll look good on the company’s employment records. Randy
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In fact, it’s very easy to make the argument that nobody, not even Tiger, has played against fields of the quality we’ll see in the future, for the simple reason that black players are only now beginning to overcome the country club culture of golf
Earth to DaveB: the "color barrier" went down long before Tiger came on the scene. There *were* black players before him. (Sometimes we even hear a bit about them on the Golf Channel, when they’re in the pack chasing Nicklaus or Watson or Player or whoever the winner of the competition was.) For that matter, Vijay Singh was on the scene well before Tiger, and he’s even darker-skinned. I suppose he doesn’t "count" because he’s not a black American, though. :-P Maven
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What I have heard about the PGA that year is not that the event overlapped, but rather that the PGA was too close in time for Hogan to be able to bear the endurance test.
He couldn’t have played it even if he wanted to. They didn’t have the Concorde then (maybe just as well), and there was no way he could cross the Atlantic in time.
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Peter Kessler of The Golf Channel made a very interesting observation. He said that while Woods has faced deeper fields in 2000, Jones faced a greater number of "great" players. Therefore, he feels that Jones’ 1930 season gets the nod.
That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. When Jones was playing, golf was a hobby for rich people. A good amateur could beat the pros then, because the pros had to drive Model T’s on dirt roads from one event to another, leaving little time for sleep, and no time for exercise or even practice. Only a handful of pros made more than gas money, usually from side bets. There were probably less than 200 serious golfers in the world, and even most of them only played four or five months a year. I doubt that any player in Jones’ era spent as much time on the practice tee as a kid on a high school team does today. It’s bad enough to judge greatness by major victories when you’re talking about Trevino or Player, but it’s ridiculous to use it when you’re talking about guys like Hagen, who had virtually no competition compared to the awesome skills of today’s players. How can anyone watch a guy like Bob May, who didn’t even qualify under the regular criteria for the PGA, make drive after drive, approach after approach, putt after putt, under the most incredible pressure, and say that the competition isn’t tougher today? May’s example proves that anyone in the top 100 is capable of winning today, rather than half a dozen in Jones’ era, or maybe a couple dozen in Nicklaus’ prime. In fact, it’s very easy to make the argument that nobody, not even Tiger, has played against fields of the quality we’ll see in the future, for the simple reason that black players are only now beginning to overcome the country club culture of golf. It’s only been one generation since blacks had to worry about being lynched for being in the wrong part of town. It’s only since Tiger won the Masters that golf became something that young black athletes might prefer over the usual football and basketball. Would anyone argue that the all-white basketball teams of the 1920’s were the greatest ever? Would anyone argue that the heavyweight boxers of the 1920’s, who refused to fight black fighters, had the toughest competition? Can anyone argue that the level of play in baseball or football would improve if all the black players suddenly retired? Why should golf be different?
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Hogan said himself that the scheduling was not an issue. He almost didn’t complete the U. S. Open that year because of the 36 hole/day final they used to have. His revovery from the nearly fatal car wreck to regain championship from was the best sports comeback that I know about.
Indeed. One could argue that after the accident Hogan, like cyclist Lance Armstrong, became an even better golfer than before the accident. What I have heard about the PGA that year is not that the event overlapped, but rather that the PGA was too close in time for Hogan to be able to bear the endurance test. Perhaps it was the next week. I would think, even given his physical state, that if the scheduling had been more convenient Hogan would have attempted to complete the Grand Slam, despite his reservations.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hogan said himself that the scheduling was not an issue. He almost didn’t complete the U. S. Open that year because of the 36 hole/day final they used to have. His revovery from the nearly fatal car wreck to regain championship from was the best sports comeback that I know about. Hogan, of course, went 3 for 3 in majors in 1953, as somebody’s boneheaded move of scheduling the British Open and PGA the same week prevented Hogan from having a chance to complete the single-season modern grand slam. Would he have done it? I don’t think Hogan would have played in the PGA even if the schedule would have allowed it. The PGA was 36 hole match play then, and 36 holes a day for several days is not something that Hogan’s legs would allow. If you check the record, I think Hogan stopped playing in the PGA after his accident.
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Hogan said himself that the scheduling was not an issue. He almost didn’t complete the U. S. Open that year because of the 36 hole/day final they used to have. His revovery from the nearly fatal car wreck to regain championship from was the best sports comeback that I know about.
Some interesting comments heard last night on The Golf Channel after Tiger – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Woods completed his sweep of the summer’s major championships. The question posed to several "experts" was this: Is Tiger Woods’ 2000 season the greatest ever in the history of golf? snip Because of that, I’d have to put Woods’ season in a class above Jones’ 1930. In fact, I’d tend to put Hogan’s 1953 in a class above Jones’ 1930 for the same reason. Hogan, of course, went 3 for 3 in majors in 1953, as somebody’s boneheaded move of scheduling the British Open and PGA the same week prevented Hogan from having a chance to complete the single-season modern grand slam. Would he have done it? I don’t think Hogan would have played in the PGA even if the schedule would have allowed it. The PGA was 36 hole match play then, and 36 holes a day for several days is not something that Hogan’s legs would allow. If you check the record, I think Hogan stopped playing in the PGA after his accident. We’ll never know. Maybe yes, maybe no. By no fault of Hogan’s, I’d have to give Tiger’s 2000 the nod over Hogan’s 1953, simply because Tiger at least competed in the 4th major, and finished 5th in it. He also won the Mercedes Championship, which, though not a major, consisted of an elite field of last year’s winners. And lest anyone forget, it came down to a shootout between Woods and the world’s 2nd best player, Ernie Els — not at all unlike what we saw on the back nine at Valhalla. Both were shooting lights out at the end. And just like at the PGA, it was a shame to see one of them lose. I don’t think there’s much doubt about it. This has already been golf’s greatest season. And it ain’t over yet. Randy My golf website: http://wwwgolfer.home.mindspring.com My real-life website: http://www.goldenbrownvo.com My RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html
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Some interesting comments heard last night on The Golf Channel after Tiger Woods completed his sweep of the summer’s major championships. The question posed to several "experts" was this: Is Tiger Woods’ 2000 season the greatest ever in the history of golf?
snip Because of that, I’d have to put Woods’ season in a class above Jones’ 1930. In fact, I’d tend to put Hogan’s 1953 in a class above Jones’ 1930 for the same reason. Hogan, of course, went 3 for 3 in majors in 1953, as somebody’s boneheaded move of scheduling the British Open and PGA the same week prevented Hogan from having a chance to complete the single-season modern grand slam. Would he have done it?
I don’t think Hogan would have played in the PGA even if the schedule would have allowed it. The PGA was 36 hole match play then, and 36 holes a day for several days is not something that Hogan’s legs would allow. If you check the record, I think Hogan stopped playing in the PGA after his accident. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We’ll never know. Maybe yes, maybe no. By no fault of Hogan’s, I’d have to give Tiger’s 2000 the nod over Hogan’s 1953, simply because Tiger at least competed in the 4th major, and finished 5th in it. He also won the Mercedes Championship, which, though not a major, consisted of an elite field of last year’s winners. And lest anyone forget, it came down to a shootout between Woods and the world’s 2nd best player, Ernie Els — not at all unlike what we saw on the back nine at Valhalla. Both were shooting lights out at the end. And just like at the PGA, it was a shame to see one of them lose. I don’t think there’s much doubt about it. This has already been golf’s greatest season. And it ain’t over yet. Randy My golf website: http://wwwgolfer.home.mindspring.com My real-life website: http://www.goldenbrownvo.com My RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html
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Some interesting comments heard last night on The Golf Channel after Tiger Woods completed his sweep of the summer’s major championships. The question posed to several "experts" was this: Is Tiger Woods’ 2000 season the greatest ever in the history of golf? It seems to have come down to a debate between Bobby Jones’ sweep of all four majors in 1930 (which included the US Amateur, US Open, British Amateur and British Open) and Woods’ 2000 season. Peter Kessler of The Golf Channel made a very interesting observation. He said that while Woods has faced deeper fields in 2000, Jones faced a greater number of "great" players. Therefore, he feels that Jones’ 1930 season gets the nod. Then he went on to say that if Tiger were to win all four modern majors in a single season, he’d call it a tie. Believe me, you won’t find many bigger fans of Bobby Jones than I. But while I tend to agree with Mr. Kessler about the greater number of "great" players in Jones’ day as opposed to today, I take exception to his contention that Jones faced them in his four 1930 Grand Slam events. While he may have faced them in the U.S. and British Opens, I dare say he didn’t face the same number of "great" players in the US and British Amateur championships. Because of that, I’d have to put Woods’ season in a class above Jones’ 1930. In fact, I’d tend to put Hogan’s 1953 in a class above Jones’ 1930 for the same reason. Hogan, of course, went 3 for 3 in majors in 1953, as somebody’s boneheaded move of scheduling the British Open and PGA the same week prevented Hogan from having a chance to complete the single-season modern grand slam. Would he have done it? We’ll never know. Maybe yes, maybe no. By no fault of Hogan’s, I’d have to give Tiger’s 2000 the nod over Hogan’s 1953, simply because Tiger at least competed in the 4th major, and finished 5th in it. He also won the Mercedes Championship, which, though not a major, consisted of an elite field of last year’s winners. And lest anyone forget, it came down to a shootout between Woods and the world’s 2nd best player, Ernie Els — not at all unlike what we saw on the back nine at Valhalla. Both were shooting lights out at the end. And just like at the PGA, it was a shame to see one of them lose. I don’t think there’s much doubt about it. This has already been golf’s greatest season. And it ain’t over yet. Randy My golf website: http://wwwgolfer.home.mindspring.com My real-life website: http://www.goldenbrownvo.com My RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html