News

A Feat to Make Giants Weep

Published

18 years ago

Mar 16, 2008

I thought I saw a tear in Arnold Palmer’s eye while he was hugging Tiger after the young master’s Herculean putt today to win Arnie’s Invitational.

That putt had to have invoked spontaneous fist-pumping from Arnie, Jack, Watson, MIller, Snead, Hogan, Jones, and all the golf gods, here and gone, blessed enough to have tasted that rare drink of sudden victory.

My guess is that Earl Woods himself slammed his own hat down on a cloud and rose his fists of glory to the sky. Earl’s good work continues to rumble and grow within his son.

And where were all the immortal sports announcers with their favorite catch phrases? If ever there was a time to utter them, now is that freakin’ time. “BOOM!” Indeed!

That’s all I’ve got. Go read the journalistic accounts. Go peruse the hyperbolic ramblings. Go see the replay of the putt that changed golf forever. But trust me – it’s too big for your eyes or your mind. Tonight, look in the golf sky. The balance of the galaxy has been changed.

What I’ll remember and cherish from this moment is the sound — the thud and explosion when that ball dropped into the hole. The sound was physical. Its vibrations blew the hat off Tiger’s head and into his hand, too hot to handle. It stood all of us up. It struck our hearts, amazed our minds, and squeezed out tears of thankfulness that we were witness to such epic drama.

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Tim Schoch

Tim Schoch got hooked on golf by his uncle, a golf course superintendent, who gave him a set of hickory sticks he'd dredged from the bottom of the course's lake. Tim would later caddy for the private nine-holer, waiting with the other boys in the stifling caddy shack until one of the portly hacker members grunted in his direction then heaped two bags of clubs and three hours of verbal abuse on his shoulders, all for $5 per bag and a quarter tip. Tim loved it. >When you need to cover urgent expenses or consolidate debt, a $2000 loan online provides a fast and reliable solution. Check out loansonlineusa.net to explore your options and find the right terms. Tim is a writer, editor, humorist, copywriter and marketing professional, and author of 10 novels and dozens of magazine stories. He occasionally blogs about golf at www.golferblogger.com and creative writing on the blog found at www.TimWriter.com. He wrote for GolfWRX eight years ago, and is happy to be back. Tim's been on eBay since 1998. Currently, Tim and his wife run two eBay shops: www.doubleTvintage.com and www.DejaGolf.com.

11 Comments

Juansky

Mar 20, 2008 at 2:04 pm

I bet Tiger goes undefeated this year and he’ll most likely bag all 4 majors indeed. Time will tell and I just can’t wait for the first Major! It will be electrifying to say the least!

Arriba Tiger Woods!

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golfebj

Mar 19, 2008 at 9:23 am

I think we have to remind ourselves that we are watching history in the making.

Like some kids our now growing up never seeing Jordan, Gretzky, Sampras hit the court and ice. I never saw Jack and Arnie play until well past their prime but the legend is unwavering I can appreciate them.

When they greats of the game are as astounded by what they see as we are…truly something special is happening.

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Calvin

Mar 18, 2008 at 5:07 pm

Great Article!

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8thehardway

Mar 18, 2008 at 4:02 am

I certainly agree – Tiger is art… maybe martial art off the tee and a ball-striking ballet of one on the fairways. And yeah, tears of admiration is the purest response – great observation!

A small clarification – the “innocence” I spoke of is much closer to anticipation than surprise. In the 1950s Roger Bannister was closing in on a feat some thought impossible – the world’s first sub-4 minute mile and feelings of excitement, uncertainty and anticipation were everywhere. 30 years later top high school runners were breaking the 4 minute mile; in fact it was expected of them and all those wonderful feelings present during Bannister’s banner year are no longer present. Unfortunate, but that’s the way of things. However, if today’s track fans were transported back to 1954, they’ed expect Bannister to accomplish his historic feat and thus miss out on all those great feelings. Likewise, expecting a perfect season from Tiger distances us from his struggle and thus deprives us of some great feelings.

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ken

Mar 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm

I won’t say I expected it , then I wont say I was surprised.

Tiger is playing at a level thats hard to comprehend. He putts it so well you almost can ignore his wonderful ball striking.

I don’t think he missed a shot yesterday for sure not down the stretch. I knew he would get better I just had no idea how good he would get. Wow Wow Wow you da man!

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Tim Schoch

Mar 17, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Thank you! I’ve been throwing down my hat at times all day!

I think the â€œinnocenceâ€ you refer to is the element of surprise. No, we will not be surprised by any of his accomplishments. But I do not sit there â€œexpectingâ€ Tiger to perform miracles…..the thrill for me is that I know it is possible! And that equals major anticipation and the potential to see an event where, no matter what the outcome, there is not a chance of being disappointed as a viewer down to the very last putt.

BTW — Did you notice Johnny Miller tearing up when he was talking to Arnie about asking for his autograph? The best reward a hero can receive are tears of admiration. Then it is Art. That’s what Tiger is giving us. 🙂

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8thehardway

Mar 17, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Perfectly put Dave, and an excellent piece Mr. Scotch. His skills are the stuff of legends and the sound of his putts dropping in the cup will echo through time and will. 20 generations of golfers will account us fortunate indeed to have borne witness to his accomplishments.

Yet when the improbable becomes expected, something – wonder, amazement, pick your term – something innocent gets lost. Expecting the improbable dimishes it’s accomplishment; once the mind reframes a task as probable, anything short of perfection is a let down and seen, to a small extent, as a lapse in execution and this in a game where very little is perfect.

He won’t have a perfect season and very likely won’t win all the majors. Were he to win two majors and nothing more the rest of this year he would outperform almost everyone who ever played the game since it was invented and I’d frame it a staggering accomplishment. Rather than a failure to meet my expectations, he would have exceeded them..

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David Kellington

Mar 17, 2008 at 2:32 pm

We are blessed to be watching a piece of history. This will no doubt go down as one of Tigers Top 10 clutch moments, and for Mr. Palmer to be there, to embrace Tiger as he did on the 18th green was a magical moment shared between two people who have changed the face of golf like no others ever will. In my opinion this putt will be looked back on as where Tiger took over the 2008 season, on route to being the first player to ever win all four majors, as well as every tournement he played in, in one season. 2008 will be one for the books, I’m going to kick up my feet and watch history being written.

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habana

Mar 17, 2008 at 2:17 pm

I told my wife that put is never gonna make it to the hole. She smiled and said just wait

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Adam

Mar 17, 2008 at 11:28 am

I most definitely agree. I literally laughed uncontrollably for two or three minutes after that putt dropped because I couldn’t believe it. Rather than question whether he can make it though, I should question why I doubted if he could. I expected that he would win the tournament regardless of what happened on 18, but I also expected that it would be in a playoff as he lined up for the putt.

I just seems like no matter what he does, or who stands in his way…if he is locked in like he is right now, the only way he is going to get beat is if God were to strike him down in his backswing!

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Rich Clapper

Mar 17, 2008 at 9:06 am

WOW! That’s all I could say. It seems common now that every time I watch Tiger he does something I know I should expect, yet I still cannot believe. It was really special to see that sort of emotion from him as well. I keep telling myself to remove any limits of success he can reach, and honestly, I’m expecting an undefeated season, grand slam, and a bunch of scoring records. I mean, why not? He truly seems to be in a zone unlike I’ve ever seen. WOW.

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News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

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Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Check out links to all our albums below.

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

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Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

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From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.