Tiger’s Finish At Bay Hill Is Very Travelling Golferish

I’m not one to take “satisfaction or pleasure in someone else’s misfortune”, which is how dictionary.com defines the word schadenfreude (see above), but I’m enjoying Tiger’s final round at Bay Hill simply because it’s the very way I usually finish off a 76.

I do, however, take it better than El(drick) Tigre does. He’s pissed with a 76 and I’m ready to buy an RC Cola and a Moonpie for everybody in the clubhouse when I shoot a 76. I do insist they get the canned drinks though … they’re cheaper.

El Tigre began the day 5 shots back, which would have tied his biggest comeback on the PGA Tour, has he been able to put together another miraculous effort.

He started well, with birdies on his first two holes, but stalled out and never regained the momentum he needed to stage one of his classic charges.

El Tigre ended his hopes for a Sunday charge by three-putting for double bogey on the 11th hole and his day then went from not-very-Tigerlike to even worse.

His tee ball went swimming on the par-3 17th, in honor of National Geographic’s special on Galapagos being shown on Sunday, and he carded a double bogey.

His tee ball on the 18th found the rough, forcing him to chip out. He promptly hit his third into the water, in hopes of finding the tee ball from the previous hole ( I’m guessing here ) and he made triple bogey.

You’d think Nike would give him enough free golf balls that he wouldn’t have to search for one’s he hits into the water. Sheesh !

That finish gave him a 43 on the back nine for a 6-over 76, his highest score in a regular PGA Tour event since a 76 in the third round of the Memorial four years ago, which was the last time I visited metro Columbus as a Memorial tournament attendee.

He finished tied for 22nd, ending his streak of 13 straight Top 10’s worldwide, nine of those on the PGA Tour.

Another streak down the drain.

He left the course without comment, which is completely opposite of how I leave when I shoot 76. I’m really loud about collecting all the quarters owed to me and I always comment. Always.