I thought it interesting that the players have described Harding Park as not setup to dominate the contest, or be the story. They said the rough is not tough, and the greens are not fast. Tiger and Steve Stricker are paired up today in the Foursome matches today, alternate shot format is always interesting to me to watch. You know how you keep smiling as your partner hits it into the rough or shortsides you in a bunker.
In the alternate shot matches how do they decide what ball to play? I mean would Tiger even consider playing a Titlest if it helped his partner?
Good question Doc. My guess is that the player hitting the tee shot uses his ball. Bit it's just a wag.
That Nike that Tiger plays is as hard as a rock, in fact in Golf Digest testing with average players they hit it shorter than any of the Nike balls. You have to really be able to compress it like Tiger to get any distance. I doubt if Steve Stricker has Tiger like swing speed. Can't you imagine the look on Tigers face if his partner pulls out a Noodle on the Tee box!! Then there is the whole deal about contracts that these players have signed to exclusively use a certain brand of ball. I guess the companies must wave that for events like this. Do you remember that shot at the Masters where Tiger chipped in from slightly off the green and the ball just hung on the cup edge with the Nike logo showing before dropping in, could you imagine that same shot with Tiger playing a Sirxon!!
Another thing, in the course of a regular PGA tour event a player can not change the ball he's playing with, to another type. If he starts with ProV1+ he can change to another ProV1+ but not to another Brand or another ball within that Brand. So he couldn't change to a ProV1 or a TourExtreme if he started with a ProV1+. But I guess that rule has to be suspended if you are going to allow the player on the Tee box chose the ball for the hole.
I just got off the phone with a rules official at the PGA HQ's. Pat said (Jokingly, but serious) They'll be playing Tigers Nike ball. He also said that Tigers ball isn't as rock hard as everyone thinks. He said that his ammo choice is the same as his custom clubs...they don't sell them in stores. But, somebody already said it, they have to play that same ball all 18.
Interesting quote by Robert Allenby on Anthony Kim: The new John Daly? Sour Grapes or the truth? Allenby on Kim