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Woods is shooting for 6-of-8 wins
Published on Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
We shouldn't even be talking about this: Tiger Woods winning the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
Again.
Winning it in 1999 when the tournament was called the NEC Invitational. Winning it when he was 23 years old and starting to serve notice he was the Next Nicklaus, the Next Palmer, the Next Great Thing.
He won it again in 2000, in 2001, in 2005 and in 2006.
He has won by 11 strokes (2000), by 1 stroke (1999 and 2005) and in a playoff (2001 and 2006). He has won it in the dark, in the rain and under a sweltering sun.
Hard greens, soft greens.
Thick rough, lush fairways.
Whipping wind, a silent stillness as he stands over a putt with barely a leaf wrinkling in the breeze.
Doesn't matter.
If this is Firestone Country Club, then Woods must be winning.
Again.
He'll be trying to win on this course today for the sixth time in his past eight tries, as he's within a stroke of leader Rory Sabbatini heading into the final round.
Think about that for a moment, winning 6-of-8 at unforgiving Firestone against the world's premier players.
Yes, the 2002 tournament was played in Seattle, and Woods was fourth.
At Firestone, he's 5-of-7 and going for 6-of-8.
Woods loves Firestone, praising the ''old-fashioned'' golf course. He likes the relaxed atmosphere of the Midwest, the way the tournament is so sharply run. He's motivated by the largest winner's share on the PGA tour most years ($1.35 million this season) and the outstanding field from all over the globe.
But that still doesn't explain his winning so often. The odds would be against Woods winning 6-of-8 times if he simply were paired with a star such as Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk or Stewart Cink and they were dueling one on one.
Winning 6-of-8 at almost anything seems like mission impossible when you face at least 70 other opponents, as Woods has in these tournaments.
But when Tiger Woods prowls the fairways of Firestone, you believe he'll win.
Again.
He dominates this course and this event like Michael Jordan would playing all comers on his favorite driveway hoop. He plays here like he expects to win. Even more revealing, many of the other golfers play here as if they expect Woods to win.
Again.
A strong case can be made that no one has so controlled a course in tour history as Woods has Firestone.
Sam Snead has the most victories in a PGA Tour event: eight at the Greater Greensboro Open. But that spanned 27 years and was played on two courses.
Several players have won an event six times: Harry Vardon (British Open, 1896-1914); Alex Ross (North & South Open 1902-1915); Jack Nicklaus (the Masters, 1963-86) and Snead (Miami Open, 1937-1955).
But if Woods prevails today, it's 6-of-8.
No one has come close to matching that.
And maybe, no one ever will. noweb
Terry Pluto can be reached at terrypluto2003@yahoo.com.
Get the full article here.
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