Unfortunately, about typical of some of the moronic comments by Miller, clearly intended merely to provoke. Easy to like as a player, impossible to like as a commentator unless you're just a casual fan or have come to golf as just another in-your-face pro sport. And Watson had the perfect reply.
One thing Miller fails to note is that in a ridiculously high percentage of Tiger Woods' wins, players have handed him the tournament by throwing up all over themselves. In nearly every playoff he's ever been in, for instance, he's only had to make pars while other people throw it away. I'd bet even money that Nicklaus birdied a higher percentage of the time to win in playoffs than Woods has.
Also, I remember back when Jack was still playing, somebody at (I think) Golf Digest went back and looked at how many times Jack had come back to win tournaments in the last round, most of the time by shooting under par, versus how many times Palmer had, just to test the reputation of Palmer as a "charger." Factually, Nicklaus had more come-from-behind wins. I guess Miller forgets about Augusta in '86, or five birdies on the last five holes at Inverrary...
...or continuing to make birdies in the '80 U.S. Open to stay barely ahead of Aoki, or many other such "chicken" stories. (If you're a serious follower of golf, you also know that Woods has never come back to win a major when trailing after 54 holes.)
It's only smart golf to shoot as low as necessary to win a tournament, if you're serious about winning tournaments rather than impressing Johnny Miller or having people talk about how "daring" you were in your loss. To do that, if your best bet is to play to safe sides of fairways and greens, a victory is the proof that you did the right thing.
Sam Snead advocated that you go put a ball in the middle of every green on your home course, assuming the green was hit in regulation, and then see what you shoot. You'll "shoot" a score low enough to win almost any major that way, and you'll _never_ shoot over par unless you're a terrible putter--while all the "brave" golfers are knocking themselves out trying to hit it to tight pins, making birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-double, like driving with both the accelerator and the brake on.
Miller might be the biggest jerk in the history of golf. I cannot wait for the day that he says too much and NBC will be forced to fire him.
gatorcc70 2 months ago
emncaity -- good comments.
bus114 6 months ago
Unfortunately, about typical of some of the moronic comments by Miller, clearly intended merely to provoke. Easy to like as a player, impossible to like as a commentator unless you're just a casual fan or have come to golf as just another in-your-face pro sport. And Watson had the perfect reply.
emncaity 10 months ago
@emncaity
One thing Miller fails to note is that in a ridiculously high percentage of Tiger Woods' wins, players have handed him the tournament by throwing up all over themselves. In nearly every playoff he's ever been in, for instance, he's only had to make pars while other people throw it away. I'd bet even money that Nicklaus birdied a higher percentage of the time to win in playoffs than Woods has.
emncaity 10 months ago
@emncaity
Also, I remember back when Jack was still playing, somebody at (I think) Golf Digest went back and looked at how many times Jack had come back to win tournaments in the last round, most of the time by shooting under par, versus how many times Palmer had, just to test the reputation of Palmer as a "charger." Factually, Nicklaus had more come-from-behind wins. I guess Miller forgets about Augusta in '86, or five birdies on the last five holes at Inverrary...
emncaity 10 months ago
@emncaity
...or continuing to make birdies in the '80 U.S. Open to stay barely ahead of Aoki, or many other such "chicken" stories. (If you're a serious follower of golf, you also know that Woods has never come back to win a major when trailing after 54 holes.)
emncaity 10 months ago
@emncaity
It's only smart golf to shoot as low as necessary to win a tournament, if you're serious about winning tournaments rather than impressing Johnny Miller or having people talk about how "daring" you were in your loss. To do that, if your best bet is to play to safe sides of fairways and greens, a victory is the proof that you did the right thing.
emncaity 10 months ago
@emncaity
Sam Snead advocated that you go put a ball in the middle of every green on your home course, assuming the green was hit in regulation, and then see what you shoot. You'll "shoot" a score low enough to win almost any major that way, and you'll _never_ shoot over par unless you're a terrible putter--while all the "brave" golfers are knocking themselves out trying to hit it to tight pins, making birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-double, like driving with both the accelerator and the brake on.
emncaity 10 months ago
I love Tom Watson like I never loved a guy. And I don't love guys.
jpschubbs 10 months ago