Tiger Continues to Struggle

The weather has been ideal and Firestone is in perfect condition, but for Tiger Woods none of this matters.  The #1 ranked player in the world continues to struggle and is looking at an early morning tee time on Saturday.

After an opening round 74, Tiger struggled again shooting 72 and ending up 6 over par after two rounds, 13 strokes off the lead.

Consistency Has Left Tiger Scratching his head

One of the big issues that Woods is dealing with this week is keeping the ball in play off the tee. Firestone is a demanding course and you must be in the fairway to have a change to score.  Tiger has always had an aggressive swing, but he seems to be pressing a bit.  For someone who can drive a golf ball over 300 yards at will, a slight change in his timing is all it takes.

I am impressed by how Mickelson is playing this so far this week.  Lefty is 6 under par after two rounds, tied with Justin Leonard for second place, 1 stroke of the lead.  This is uncharted territory for Mickelson and if he continues to play well, could take over the #1 ranking in the world.

Look for a great weekend of golf at Firestone.  Visit the WGC Bridgestone Invitational Leaderboard for all the action.

Tiger Woods Struggles Shoots 74

On a perfect day for golf, Tiger Woods struggled to make his way around Firestone Country Club, finishing with a 4 over 74.

There is no doubt this is a course that Tiger loves to play, but 2010 has not been Tiger’s year. Considering that he has had to battle with personal issues, it is surprising that he has played as well as he has.

If you know anything about golf, you know that focus is as big a part of golf as anything. There is no disputing that Tiger has one of the best golf swings in golf, but you can tell that he is pressing and that is a sure sign of lost confidence and concentration.

“Just because I like the golf course doesn’t mean I’m going to play well on it.”  Tiger Woods

While Tiger struggled to keep the ball in play, Phil Mickelson, who has struggled in the past shot 66 and is right in the thick of it. I am a big Phil Mickelson fan, so to see him get off to a strong start in the first round was exciting. Phil has a real chance this week to finally get over the hump and become the number 1 player in the world.

There is still a lot of golf to be played this week, but it would be great to see Phil break through and win at Firestone.

Watch out Tiger, it looks like lefty is ready to take over as #1.

Oosthuizen Wins 139th British Open

Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

On a perfect day for golf at St. Andrews, when other more seasoned professionals stumbled, Louis Oosthuizen played his game to a tee and won the 139th British Open going away.

There were many who expected the 27 year old S. African to stumble, but it never happened. While players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey struggled, this virtual unknown stepped up and hit it out of the park with a what some called a Tiger like victory.

The tide is turning as more young players are turning up the heat on tour. This year we have seen the emergence of many new winners on tour.

These players are not intimidated by the established players on tour and are showing that they have come to make a name for themselves.

I was shocked to here talk of Tiger’s decline. It is true, Wood’s does not have the fire he had even last year and his time as the top player on tour may be coming to an end. Mickelson who is a fan favorite and number 2 in the world still has it, but is spending more time with family than he is hunting for that coveted number 1 title.

Oosthuizen’s Win at the British Open is a Sign of the Times

AP Photo/Peter Morrison and others for the next dominant player on tour.

The time has come for the media and the fans to start looking at the Louis Oosthuizen’s, Rickie Fowlers, Rory McIlroy’s

I can remember at the beginning of the year when all the golf talking heads were questioning whether golf would survive without Tiger Woods. With 3 of the 4 majors complete, I would have to say that not only has professional golf survived, it is alive and well.

Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen for a great win under adverse conditions. You showed the world that you can play with the big boys. I look forward to watching you on tour, even if it means spending more time watching the European tour.

St. Andrews is the premier site for the British Open and the one most sought after.  Congratulations Louis Oosthuizen!

More information about the British Open and the history of St. Andrews.