Will Tiger Be #1 Again?

Well there are alot of people saying no and yes but will tiger be #1 again? he wont his last 2 comps at the end of 2004, and he failed to win in the mercades 2005 tournament but he did play good! but vijay is like a machine 24 / 7 practise! most of tiger last year was worry about his marrage etc! so will this year be a fresh start and a new #1?

He and Hank Haney are working very hard on getting his driver swing back on plane and working the 'jump to the left' out of his bad swings. If he gets those things right, he'll start to play a little better tee to green.

Putting is just confidence. During the 2nd round in the Mercedes his 68 could have been 63. He missed 5 putts within 6 feet which would be tap-ins for him a few years ago.

The problem is when Tiger was Tiger he was miles ahead of everyone. The top 3 or 4 have caught up to his standards, passed him and left him in the dust. He has to play catch-up now, for the first time.

I'm sure he'll be number 1 again ... but not a 20+ times major winner like everyone predicted.

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Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
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Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)

I also believe Tiger will be number one again but he wont stay there as he did in the past.

Everyones talking about Tiger VJ and Ernie. But I'd be watching out for a quiet gentleman called Retief. My pick for number one at the end of 2005.

YES hes creeping up! but didnt see much of him in the mercedes open

There is no doubt Tiger CAN be #1 again, but I'm not sure he will be. Tiger doesn't play enough competitions and there are too many players that are at the same level. Tiger will really have to shoot the lights out to catch Vijay this year and he will have to play in almost twice the amount of tournaments he was in last year! Not only that, but he has to hold off Ernie right now as well. If Ernie wouldn't have blocked his drive off 18 tee box on Sunday, he would have moved back into the #2 position.

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Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

I think Tiger will be #1 again, but I think the question of ownership is gone. He'll be a placeholder like everyone else, but he won't keep ahold of it like he did before. (Unless, of course, the other 9 guys in the top 10 die of some mysterious disease).

I wish Tiger all the best because, let's face it, he's really something special. At the Mecedes he couldn't buy a putt and we all know that feeling. Had a few more dropped for him he'd surely have been better placed or even won it. You can't rule out such a great golfer and I'm sure he'll be back at the top soon enough. Still, it's good that Vijay is playing so well and making the competition that much more enjoyable to watch. Remember though, that there are a number of up and coming as well as established excellent tour players out there. What I find so fantastic about this great game is that "fair play" and respect come first. Tiger is the first to repect and congratulate his adversaries. For me that's always #1.

Yep very true! i think it would have bin good to see tiger win the mercades open and then we would have seen tiger Vs Vijay and thats fun to watch

tiger will be #1 again. He was one of the worst putters in the mercedes, yet his total distance to the hole was nearly half of what the rest of the field was averaging. Had he putted marginally well he would have won by at least 4 strokes, had he putted like normal he had a good chance at beating ernie's previous record of -31. Once his putting returns, the rest of the field is in serious trouble.

Yes, there is no doubt Tiger is good, but he needs to start playing more events to catch up to Vijay. Looking at the World Ranking list, every other golfer in the top 10 has played over 10 more tournaments than Tiger - Vijay has played in almost 20 more tournaments than Tiger.

I don't agree at all. I can see where he might not be as "exciting" as someone such as Tiger, but I think that he is far from boring. His dedication to the game and HIS game is top rate. Someone I as well as many others look up to as well. Granted he does not have his own video game franchise, so he's not as public as Tiger, but you can't take anything away from him for that. His attitude is also way better than Tiger's. When some has a bad round it is understandable to get upset, especially if that person is a pro. But to blame almost everything on the course is not a stand up thing to do. You saw a lot of that from Tiger last year. Years past he would say that his drives let him down, but his short game kept him in it. Now he just complains about the course. I do see the change already in his defense though. During the Mercedes he did take responsibility for his score. In short, Vijay is the true #1 (as of now) and is also a great champion and role model.

Based on the fact that the World Rankings are comprised of two years worth of stats and then factored by course difficulty and field strength, I don't see how anyone can say Vijay is NOT the best golfer in the world right now. Vijay has a bad rep because of a language barrier and because of that he has said a few things that could have been said a bit more tastefully. But, he at least he speaks his mind and has the game to back it up.

No matter how long Vijay stays on top he will never have the pressure Tiger has had though. For the last few years the story has been Tiger is the best in the world. Now, the story is how long until Tiger is back at #1. Tiger this, Tiger that..... Mr. Woods deals with these questions week in and week out. It's what the people want to hear. Because of that, Tiger faces an added pressure no one else on the course feels. And because he is the story week in and week out, it's tough for people to see anyone BUT Tiger as the world's number one player.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

I just think tiger is more fun to watch! but i think vij is a better player off the game, and he needs to play every tournament if he wants to regain the #1 in the world.

I would love to play like tiger. I sure hope he gets back into number 1. I also really thin VJ deserveds to be number 1, 10 million for a year in earnings good on you VJ.

I also agree with you Kingtc.As excitnig as Tiger? maybe not. (but that was one sweet upside down left handed five iron)
The ultimate sports professional? undouted.
VJ is precision, precision through practice and determination and the rightfully crowned World number one.
He doesn't have Tigers profile but I actually believe he is more approchable and a fantastic role model.