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**DennisM** · 02-05-2007, 09:25 AM

Don't misunderstand, I'm a Tiger fan, so please, you rabid Tiger fans among us, please cool it... but I'm tired of the hype over Tiger's winning streak. It's getting to me and I'm curious if I am the only one. It seems like no matter what he does, the media spins it so he maintains the streak.

(edit) I just looked at the morning Miami Herald and their headline about the weekend of golf is, "Tiger Woods fails to win in Dubai - Henrik Stenson does - but his PGA win streak remains intact." See what I mean?

In 1945, Byron Nelson won 18 tournaments, including 11 in a row. There was virtually no foreign tour at the time, but I don't think there was actually a PGA either, so the tournaments he won were those available.

It is reasonable to argue that Byron didn't have the competition Tiger has because it was the end of the war and some of the other pros of that day were in the army or worked at home for the USO instead of playing every tournament.

On the other hand...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, because I can't immediately find out for sure, but I think I heard Byron actually played 11 weeks in a row when winning those tournaments and they were all during one season. Tiger won 7 in a row with a seasonal break and some rest periods between tournaments too, weeks he took off.

Consider, Tiger flies by private jet, but Byron drove from tournament to tournament, a hardship he probably took for granted, but a hardship none the less.

Call the equipment issue even because the courses have lengthened to take it into account.

Tiger lost in Dubai yesterday... against a field that could be considered somewhat inferior competition. It must have been a week most of the big names took off because the FBR Open didn't seem to be filled with them on the leader board either. At least in Dubai, they had some of the best European players playing.

So, regardless of his valiant effort on the back nine, Tiger lost yesterday. Is the streak over? Was there ever a streak comparable to Byron's in the first place? Is Dubai not considered a tournament in which Tiger continues the streak? Or is the whole thing just a media circus and nobody cares one way or the other?

Sheeesh! Here I am in Miami and the Super Bowl is over. I guess we have little to talk about now!

Golfbum · 02-05-2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DennisM

Don't misunderstand, I'm a Tiger fan, so please, you rabid Tiger fans among us, please cool it... but I'm tired of the hype over Tiger's winning streak. It's getting to me and I'm curious if I am the only one. It seems like no matter what he does, the media spins it so he maintains the streak.

(edit) I just looked at the morning Miami Herald and their headline about the weekend of golf is, "Tiger Woods fails to win in Dubai - Henrik Stenson does - but his PGA win streak remains intact." See what I mean?

In 1945, Byron Nelson won 18 tournaments, including 11 in a row. There was virtually no foreign tour at the time, but I don't think there was actually a PGA either, so the tournaments he won were those available.

It is reasonable to argue that Byron didn't have the competition Tiger has because it was the end of the war and some of the other pros of that day were in the army or worked at home for the USO instead of playing every tournament.

On the other hand...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, because I can't immediately find out for sure, but I think I heard Byron actually played 11 weeks in a row when winning those tournaments and they were all during one season. Tiger won 7 in a row with a seasonal break and some rest periods between tournaments too, weeks he took off.

Consider, Tiger flies by private jet, but Byron drove from tournament to tournament, a hardship he probably took for granted, but a hardship none the less.

Call the equipment issue even because the courses have lengthened to take it into account.

Tiger lost in Dubai yesterday... against a field that could be considered somewhat inferior competition. It must have been a week most of the big names took off because the FBR Open didn't seem to be filled with them on the leader board either. At least in Dubai, they had some of the best European players playing.

So, regardless of his valiant effort on the back nine, Tiger lost yesterday. Is the streak over? Was there ever a streak comparable to Byron's in the first place? Is Dubai not considered a tournament in which Tiger continues the streak? Or is the whole thing just a media circus and nobody cares one way or the other?

Sheeesh! Here I am in Miami and the Super Bowl is over. I guess we have little to talk about now!

Lord Bryon's 11 conseuctive wins did not come during an 11 week period. There were weeks when there were no tournaments back then.

As for Woods streak. Media Hype. Plain and simple. He said so himself. Bryon's streak was in one calender year, Woods streak isn't.

How can you have a STREAK when you lost tournaments in between wins? Sure he has won all the PGA events he has entered. But IMO a streak is winning everything you enter.

As for the inferior field in Dubia. I would not not call that an inferior field at all. The Top players from the European Tour were there. If that is classed as an inferior field why is it that USA can not win the RYDER CUP against guys from that field?

**DennisM** · 02-05-2007, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfbum

As for the inferior field in Dubai, I would not not call that an inferior field at all. The Top players from the European Tour were there. If that is classed as an inferior field why is it that USA can not win the RYDER CUP against guys from that field?

In retrospect, that's very true and your jab at me about the Ryder Cup was well deserved. I wonder if it crossed Tiger's mind that the guys he was losing to were the same guys he didn't play well against at the K Club?

I thought that sand storm was pretty amazing too. I wondered if it was bad enough to be a real health hazard to anyone. Imagine putting your career at risk to play in a sand storm where one stray particle might damage your vision for the rest of your life!

Thanks for the info on Byron's 11 wins. I guess travelling by car meant there couldn't be tournaments every week or those guys would have to leave Sunday and arrive Thursday ready to tee it up. I suppose they were living a dream, but it's hard to imagine how hard it must have been.

Golfbum · 02-05-2007, 05:02 PM

My thoughts on the Ryder Cup were not meant to be a "JAB" However it is true, Europeans are no longer Second Class golfers when you compare them to current PGA Members. Heck all you have to do is look at the winners of PGA events and see how many wins went to non Americans. So that goes to show that golf is expanding throughout the world and other countries are producing World Class players.

As for Bryon Nelson, put this into perspective.
Byron Nelson wins 18 tournaments in a calendar year to set an all-time PGA TOUR record-including a record 11 in a row and a record 19 consecutive rounds under 70. His total prize earnings during his 11-win streak, $30,000, would have been just over $2000 less than T32 in The FBR would have paid!
Nelson signed an endorsement deal in 1945-46 with the makers of Cheerios. He was paid $200 and 6 months worth of Cheerios!
Yes travelling by car not private jets makes a big difference in your lifestyle!

**DennisM** · 02-05-2007, 05:26 PM

If I was offered Fruit Loops, I'd do appearances for FREE!!!!!!!

srothfuss · 02-05-2007, 06:26 PM

I like Fruit Loops....

Tigers streak is comparible, but they are no way similar in my eyes.

Golfbum · 02-05-2007, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DennisM

If I was offered Fruit Loops, I'd do appearances for FREE!!!!!!!

I have heard that you are a TRAMP and will do a lot of things for FREE!!

**DennisM** · 02-06-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfbum

I have heard that you are a TRAMP and will do a lot of things for FREE!!

And I was hoping you wouldn't catch me...

white_tiger_137 · 03-02-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Consider, Tiger flies by private jet, but Byron drove from tournament to tournament, a hardship he probably took for granted, but a hardship none the less.

Everyone drove from tournament to tournament back then; He wasn't at a disadvantage.

Tiger's streak is NOT a win-everything-you-enter streak, but it IS a PGA Tour streak. Which is fine. And about taking a break, having time to cool off is the LAST thing you want when your trying to keep a streak going. (Take the feeling you get when you par 8 holes in a row, then get held up for 15 minutes on the 9th green. Multiply that feeling by 10)

jump15vc · 03-04-2007, 02:02 AM

Idon't think the streaks are comparable at all, the golf world has changed so much since byron nelson won 11 in a row its impossible to compare any streak going today to a streak from that time period. The war had a huge impact on the pga that 11 in a row is not as impressive as it sounds, fields were diluted by lack of talent due to the war and fields were also much smaller (less than 75. The pga was only one year removed from the near cancellation of the 1943 season when only 3 tournaments were held. The masters was still postponed during 1943 and aside from sam snead and ben hogan there was no real competition at the time, the trio combined for 29 wins in 1945. tournamnets often ovelapped each other, diluting fields, Ben hogan missed his chance at the grand slam in 1953 because the pga chamionship was played the same week as the british open (he won the open at carnoustie).

conversely although Tiger flys to tournaments in a private jet and has fantastic equipment, this is the norm for most top tour pros. These days fields are much tougher and there are more players capable of winning on any given week. I still believe that Tiger's streak was as much a product of media hype as anything else but had he won 11 in a row i would've considered it a far greater accomplishment than Nelson's 11.