Tiger By The Numbers

It would appear that the return of Tiger Woods is still a work in process. His four days at Olympic had a Jekyl and Hyde quality. Before the cut Tiger found 21 of 28 fairways. On the weekend that number was down to 12. Not surprisingly his greens in regulation dropped by five. Tiger found eleven sand traps over the four days and only twice saved par. Then there are the weekend front nines. Clearly the front chewed on the entire field, but Tiger navigated the first two days in plus one. On Saturday and Sunday that number rose to plus eight, including a run of six over on the opening six on Sunday. The math all adds up to a seven over week.

Langley by the Numbers

St. Louisan Scott Langley wrapped his four days at Olympic with a three over 73 on Sunday. Langley finished +9 for the championship with a top 30 ranking. On the positive side Langley completed the week on the greens without a three putt, and perhaps equally impressive with only one hole over bogey – a triple at the second on the first day. Although statistics may not indicate how far off line, the Parkway South grad hit only five fairways in rounds 1, 3 and 4. He gave up eight shots to par out of the bunkers. And perhaps most emblematic of his bookend over par rounds, he found only ten greens on Thursday and again on Sunday.

Timmm  Berrrr!!!!

Lee Westwood was playing his way to the top of the leaderboard early in round four. A bogey/birdie start had him +2 and still within three when he stepped on the fifth tee. Westwood pushed his tee ball toward the tree line on the dogleg par four and knew he was in trouble. When Westwood arrived at the bottom of the hill he was greeted by St. Louisan Tom O’Toole of the USGA who informed him the ball never returned to earth. Westwood caught a ride back up the hill, double bogeyed the hole and was never a factor the rest of the day. Coincidentally it is believed the tree is the same one that held 1998 US Open winner Lee Janzen’s ball briefly before spitting it out. Is it any wonder an English player hasn’t won the American Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970?