News

Tigerless

Published

18 years ago

Jun 20, 2008

Tiger Woods, the leader of the tour pack, the benchmark for contemporary golf, the icon of fitness and dedication for millions is on the sidelines for the rest of the year. And tour players are licking their chops. As Stuart Cink said with a smile, “It’s time to make hay while the sun shines.”

Stuart meant no offense or disrespect, but he humorously voiced what other players have said, and what must cross every player’s mind: Now is the time to chalk up those wins, get a major on my resume, and make a name for myself.

Hmm.

With Tiger absent, will heretofore runners-up suddenly turn into champions? Will the Rory Sabbatinis rise to legendary dominance and achieve the heights of his bravura? Will real talent step out of Tiger’s shadow of intimidation and showcase something we haven’t seen before? Will a new star be born, and will this young golf god be ready, flexing, and waiting to clash with Tiger when he returns?

Not bloody likely.

There is a tournament every single week, and Tiger plays scant few of them, so every week there is an opportunity for any player to win, with or without Tiger in the field. So why all the happy-dancing and talk of a golden opportunity to chalk up wins? I think any teenager out there can answer that question. There’s a humungous difference between your parents being upstairs vs. your parents away on vacation. And you workers who go head-to-head with your boss everyday, you are well-aware of the great difference between your boss being down the hall vs. out of the office. Tiger is out of the office.

We all have our invisible constraints, things that tie us down emotionally, people or challenges that intimidate or shrink us, scenarios that seemingly force us to act in ways that we wouldn’t naturally act otherwise. Tiger has that influence on many tour players, perhaps all of them. The question is, will all that vanish just because he’s sidelined?

Until Tiger returns, you’ll be reading a lot of speculation and opinion, much more eloquent and pointed and ridiculous than mine. Right now, my advice to tour players is to put on your darkest sunglasses, because the eyes of Tiger are upon you. He’ll be watching and taking names.

Let me ask you this, dear fan: Will we all feel that for every subsequent tournament this year that the second-best player won? When we turn on our TV, will we feel as though we spent big bucks on a famous Broadway play, only to see the understudy in the leading role?

Some of you (I’ve read with stupefied shock) are glad that Tiger is out of the picture. You’re darned sick of having him dominate and you want to give the other players a chance. I think the old-time comics had the best response to people like that: a pie in the face.

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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.

2 Comments

Tim Schoch

Jun 24, 2008 at 7:10 pm

At first I was let down that Tiger wouldn’t make an appearance the rest of the year. But there is something fun about anticipating all the suitors to the #1 spot now clawing at each other for a win.

I know you like Phil’s and Ernie’s chances, and who can argue…still, without the Shadow of the Tiger clouding the minds of all tour players–which it has done in the past, whether Tiger played or not– I think this will be a season of surprises.

Reply Report comment
Juansky

Jun 24, 2008 at 12:56 pm

This is the time for Els to make his move to become #1, that is if he can putt.

Mickelson has the best chances to win as long as he can keep the bogey man away.

As a fan It will be a bit disappointing not having the Apex of golf talent on the field. But on the other hand, it will be fun watching the vultures tear away at the carcass left behind by the Tiger.

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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

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

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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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

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

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

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.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

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.