Couples tired of talk about Tiger's private life

By Ryan Ballengee
Jun 6, 2012 8:49 PM ET

Fred Couples believes it is time for critics of Tiger Woods' personal affairs to move on from the revelations about the world No. 4 after Thanksgiving 2009.

"In my opinion, that's all passed, and now he's a golfer, and he's starting to win again," Couples said at the Regions Tradition on Wednesday, according to the Birmingham News.

Couples believes Woods' extramarital affairs were wrong, but not an affront to the game of golf.

"Did he make a mistake? H€ll, yeah, he made a huge mistake," he said. "But did he ruin the game that I play? No. I wish he never would've done that. He might have 100 wins by now, and he would still be picked on."

Couples played with Woods for the first two days of last week's Memorial Tournament. The Presidents Cup captain said he texted Woods on Friday night, encouraging him to sink a few more putts to match his tee-to-green dominance at Muirfield Village GC.

The victory was the 73rd of Woods' career and his second this season. While Couples suggested Woods could win up to five times this season, any expectation of Woods winning that often well into the future, however, is absurd.

"It's hard to do something 20 straight years," he said. "I sit and laugh when I hear people talk about him, like he should win six to eight times every year."

I think they're finally ready to start moving on. This week I've noticed more talk about golf instead of the past. The building story now is can Tiger catch Sam Snead instead of what's wrong with Tiger.

To: Beat18Tiger

6/6/12

18981.2
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From: kloudy
Posts: 12781

AND AIN'T IT ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!!!

To: All

6/7/12

18981.3
Reply to 18981.1

From: Beat18Tiger
Posts: 2455

Americans love a winner — and if the winner also is playing for redemption, so much the better. Tiger Woods’ victory Sunday in the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, was just such a two-fer.

It was Woods’ first win in two years, his first since his marriage and his life publicly fell apart on Thanksgiving night 2009, under the weight of serial philandering. Since then, the world’s best golfer has been anything but — beset by injury, a rebuilt swing and broadsides from his former caddy and former coach.

All was forgiven Sunday. The old Tiger Woods was back, making a late charge, executing an impossible flop shot on 16, pumping his fist when the ball went in the hole, smiling with tournament host Jack Nicklaus at the trophy presentation.

It was Woods’ 73rd PGA Tour victory, tying Nicklaus for career wins. But it’s another Nicklaus record — 18 majors — he’s chasing. Wouldn’t you know, the U.S. Open is in two weeks in San Francisco. A victory there would be redemption, writ large.