I guess Rory Sabbatini didn't learn from Stephen Ames to keep your mouth shut when you're going up against Tiger. It's like taunting a pit bull in an alley. All you're doing is setting yourself up for a mauling.
Rory's comments on Tiger in Charlotte and again in Akron were probably the dumbest things anyone did on Tour all year. It's like sitting on the deck of the Titanic and ordering a drink with extra ice.
Just remember, you asked for it.
THEY'VE GOT A SHOT
Somebody almost has to win twice to knock off Tiger. That might be Vijay
Singh, who won in Boston in 2004 and was second to Tiger last year.
Vijay has also won at East Lake ('02).
I'd like Jim Furyk's chances a lot more if he hadn't strained his back before the Bridgestone Invitational. He held off a Tiger charge at the '05 Western and always plays well at Cog Hill.
Another guy who has been real consistent is Steve Stricker. He could sneak in under the radar and walk off with the FedEx Cup title in the unlikely event Tiger doesn't play well.
BUT THE WINNER IS . . .It doesn't matter that Tiger Woods is taking a pass on the Barclays, I still pick him to win. It seems like the playoffs were set up especially for him.
The Deutsche Bank, the second event, benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation and, oh, yeah, Tiger won there last year.
It's awfully convenient that the old Western Open, which Tiger has won three times and in which he's been the runner-up the last two years, is the third leg. I'm surprised they didn't put Bay Hill or Torrey Pines in there too. Or even Firestone, where Tiger has now won six times.
Consider this: Woods's career winning percentage is around 27%, so there's a good chance that he's going to win one of his three starts in the FedEx Cup tournaments.
Plus, he finishes in the top 10 two thirds of the time. If Tiger has a win and a top five finish, the FedEx Cup might be over in the first three weeks. What if there's no excitement and the finish is just as big a flop as the old Tour Championship?
Maybe I'm cynical, but golf already has playoffs — they're called the major championships.
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