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 ...score of 22 under or 50 on a par 72 course. Does that seem too far-fetched? Not really. To shoot that score requires no miracle shots. It requires no holing out from the fairway. It requires only hitting all the greens in regulation and the par 5’s in two. Then it requires one-putt on every green.
It may seem too much to ask or even think. But think again.
Players have already played 18 hole rounds using 16-18 putts. Players have already had rounds where they hit 18 greens. It’s not fantasy, it is reality. It’s been done. Just never by one person.
The lowest round ever played by any professional is 55! Now we’re only 5 shots away and surely no one could argue that the 55 shooter, a club pro, is as accomplished a player as Tiger Woods.
Tiger shot 59 at Isleworth and Mark O’Meara said he didn’t birdie either par 5 on the front. That takes the 59 down to at least 57 and possibly 55 with eagles on the par 5’s. At the 2000 Bell Canadian Open, on Saturday, we saw him finish birdie, eagle, birdie, eagle, 6 under for 4 holes. Both incidents showing that he has already put parts of the perfect round together.
So what exactly would be the defining criteria for the perfect round?
Hit every green in regulation, par 5’s in two and hole every putt. That’s all. If he would miss a green he would still have a chance to hole his recovery and it would still count toward the perfect round. Make birdie on every hole and make eagles on all reachable par 5’s. If a par 5 is not reachable, then for that course the “perfect round” would require only birdie on that hole. (This is required in the “perfect round” because if a green can be hit, if it is reachable by a well-struck shot, then not hitting the green, even though it is a par 5, would mean a missed shot. But even then, we would still have the “bail out” of the miracle shot: the holed recovery shot. Why? It still makes the same score that perfect execution would have, thus no “failure” exists.)
In order to fit the criteria there must be no missed opportunities. If one reaches a par 5 but fails to make the eagle and settles for birdie then it is not the perfect round. Very close but not perfect because perfection requires no missed shots, no missed putts. The rules of golf allow 2 putts on every green to make a par. The perfect round requires one putt to make a birdie. One-putt and you make birdie on every hole.
So now what do you think? Is there anyone who will argue that Tiger Woods does not have the ability to make every putt he looks at? We’ve already seen him come close to doing that, often having 23-24 putts per round.
Is there anyone who thinks that Tiger’s swing wouldn’t hold up for all 18? Is there anyone who thinks he doesn’t have the length to reach the par 5’s? Is there anyone who thinks he won’t be able to take it mentally?
We’ve seen him do so many things that were once thought impossible. Could he actually play the perfect round and shoot 22 under for one round of golf?
The answer is an unequivocal and resounding YES !
He has all the tools individually and all that would need to happen is that, on one golden day, it all falls together. Every shot goes where it’s aimed. Every putt is read correctly and stroked with proper line and pace.
And is there anyone who believes that once he had that round going, say being 11 under after 9 that he wouldn’t realize that he had the chance? Hasn’t Tiger already shown that when his motivation is sufficient he can do the nearly impossible?
Maybe that’s what this is. Maybe this IS impossible to ask. But Tiger has almost single-handedly changed the way the entire “world” of competitive golfers look at the game. Par is no longer enough. Avoiding doubles and taking birdies as they came used to be the mindset of the professional. That mindset now assures only that you will be passed up by the field because now, on Tour, the mindset is, “I have to birdie every hole”. Tiger has raised the bar because he wouldn’t accept anything less.
Remember when Curtis Strange interviewed Tiger shortly after he turned pro? Curtis the veteran thought he would "school" Tiger on his overconfidence and arrogance. Tiger was saying he plays to win every week. Curtis thought that was bragging. He told Tiger "you'll learn", meaning you can't win every week or even come close. Since then Tiger has made Curtis’ words look foolish. Curtis underestimated the man to whom he was talking. I choose not to make the same mistake.
Tiger can shoot 50. I am going on record now, 2-5-01 as predicting he will, in competition.
It will be exciting beyond our wildest dreams. Think of the pressure and glory of facing that final putt on the final green for the first perfect round of all-time. It may be just the moment for which Tiger is waiting.
Jeff Guimont
ProGolfTalk.com
Copyright Feb. 2001
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Opinions contained herein will differ 