Maginnes: Tiger brilliant even before the red light comes on  PGATOUR.com Contributor CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A recent TV program featured Tiger's 10 best shots, and No. 1 was the chip in on the 16th hole to win the Masters three years ago. Surely you remember that unscripted Nike commercial.  Tiger Woods celebrates his third victory of 2007. (Greenwood/WireImage)
While I agree that the 10 they showed were all worthy, there are a few shots that could have been included. Tiger has an obvious flare for the dramatic. He pulls off the impossible when the merely great would not have been enough. However, some of the most impressive highlights for Tiger come long before the television cameras roll. Last year at the Deutsche Bank Championship, for example, Tiger trailed Vijay Singh by three strokes entering the final round. Tiger made a couple of early birdies over the first six holes. Then, on the 600-yard, par-5 seventh -- which no one had reached all week -- he pounced. Tiger bombed a drive and then stung a 3-wood up the hill that chased around the bunker, onto the green and settled 12 feet from the hole. Tiger would make the eagle putt and never look back. He took the lead with that putt and was never caught again. Earlier this year at the Buick Invitational, Tiger was in the penultimate group on Sunday at Torrey Pines. He trailed three players going into the final round of a tournament that he had won four times, including the two previous years. Tiger was still behind when he reached the par-5 ninth. No player in the field had eagled No. 9 all week. Tiger, in fact, was one of the few to reach the green all week. He rolled that 30-footer into the middle of the hole for the eagle on Sunday to take the lead. Not surprisingly, Tiger went on to victory. On Sunday at Quail Hollow during the final round of the Wachovia Championship, Tiger was a shot behind a duo at 11 under when he nearly drove it in the water at the downhill par-5 seventh hole. The ball was well below his feet in the rough, and Tiger was faced with 197 yards to a hole that was well protected by water in front and to the right. Tiger launched a 6-iron safely onto the top right shelf of the green. Faced with a downhill putt of 50 feet for eagle, it seemed unlikely that we were going to see a repeat. However, Tiger being Tiger, he rolled the putt right down the slope and into the middle of the hole. Tiger launched his arms into the air in triumph as the ball tracked the last couple of feet. He vaulted to the top of the heap with the eagle. Unlike after the other two eagles, Tiger was caught briefly by Steve Stricker on the back nine. In the end, though, the result was the same, and Tiger won for the first time in Charlotte. The victory will not soon be forgotten by the tremendous crowds that trailed him every step of the way. On a personal note, I often get asked if I would rather work television than radio. The answer comes in the fact that I was on the course for two of those eagles to call them live for the PGA Tour Network on XM Satellite Radio. In Boston, I was in the booth listening to the live call of Mark Carnevale. For two years we have covered every shot of the leaders on the weekend. From the first tee to the final putt we bring everything to you live. Although, I wouldn't mind making that TV money. |
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