No Ifs, Ands, or Putts About It, Tiger's Been Bitten By Scotty Cameron

A true story: While covering the U.S. Open back in the late 70s, happened upon Seve Ballesteros, who, at the time, was having problems keeping his driver in play. Here's how the conversation went:

"Seve, what's up with the driver?"

Seve: "Eees no good. Eees no good. Eees like a cobra in my hands. Eeed jumps up ang bites me en zee neck....eees no good."

So you get the picture, Seve's driver was, well, no good!

Something's been jumping up and biting Tiger Woods this season. We've seen it all year. Saw it at the PGA Championship, and saw it last week at Liberty National.

Cue the 72nd hole for Tiger. He's staring down a seven-footer at 18 to tie for the lead and most likely send the event to a playoff.

We all KNOW he's going to make it, right?

Didn't even hit the hole.

As Seve said many years ago: "Eees no good...."

That little Scotty Cameron flat stick has been like a cobra, biting Tiger at various inopportune moments, such as the putt at 18.

A couple of statistics shown on the Golf Channel were most telling:

In 2007, Tiger's last full season before the knee surgery, he ranked eighth on the tour in putting from 10 to 15 feet. The same year he ranked fifth from 15 to 20 feet and 45th from 20 to 25 feet.

This season, his Tigerness ranks 42nd on tour from 10 to 15, 133rd from 15 to 20 and a ghastly 143rd from 20 to 25 feet.

Statistics never lie and Tiger's putter has been untrue to him.

Still he has those five victories and three other top 10s.

Shows us how good he really is -- even when his putter is biting him.