Tiger Woods Put In 'Chokehold' By Jay Mariotti

Never thought I'd see it or read it.

Someone came right out and put the C-word on Tiger Woods.

The "choke" word.

Pointer of the finger at Woods is Jay Mariotti, columnist for Fanhouse.com, a sports publication of AOL.

In an August 16 column, Mariotti wrote:

"It was the moment that couldn't happen, the day Woods relinquished a 54-hole lead in a major, the one place in time when the greatest golfer of his generation—prepare yourself for what I'm about to say here—CHOKED away the 91st PGA Championship and let a hungrier, more focused, more composed golfer kick the stuffing out of him."

OUCH!

Choked?

Got the stuffing kicked out of him?

Jay, surely you jest.

I can speak on this as an authority. I have choked in competition.

Let me say that again: "I have choked in competition!"

It wasn't once or twice, but somewhere in high single figures.

I'm not afraid to admit it one iota.

So I know what it's like. I can see the symptoms, have suffered the disease.

I have choked in individual play and with teammates.

I readily admit it.

That being said, Tiger did not choke.

He didn't.

Absolutely, positively didn't.

When a guy chips in for eagle late in the day on you, that just goes under the category in golf, like life, S--- happens!

Tiger's putter was a nasty little gremlin to him all day.

It wasn't like he was making everything then suddenly missed low left down the stretch.

Fact is, the tournament could have ended there at 14. Tiger faced a tough birdie putt just to stay in touch. After the eagle roar for Y.E. Yang erupted then subsided, Tiger composed himself and made birdie to prolong the drama.

It could have ended there but Tiger didn't choke.

His tee shot at 17 went right over the flag. The wind got him, not his nerves.

At 18 he had to take another chance and was off by six inches.

That wasn't a choke.

There was no choking by Tiger on Sunday.

And it takes a choker to recognize a choker.

Tiger did NOT choke!

Tiger's a different cat, and there is not a choking bone in his body.

Fourteen majors say so. Seventy wins say so.