Nick Faldo compares Morgan Pressel to Tiger Woods in attitude, watches Pressel struggle in LPGA Championship final

Jun 10

Nick Faldo compares Morgan Pressel to Tiger Woods in attitude, watches Pressel struggle in LPGA Championship final

HARVE DE GRACE, Md. (June 10, 2007) - Before Suzann Pettersen grabbed the LPGA Championship trophy with a display of percise power drives that will leave her peers a little shaken, Nick Faldo seemed to be leaning toward Morgan Pressel.

Faldo - one of the most ruthless golfers in history - enjoyed some of Pressel’s intimidation tactics on the range, felt she talked like a champion and even went as far as comparing her to Tiger Woods. In demeanor. Not pure skill level.

“Pressel is one determined girl,” Faldo said. “She reminds me a little of Tiger Woods in her attitude.

“Listening to her talk was interesting. She said how she didn’t want to think she needed a 66, because that was limited thinking. Her point being, What if she was 6 under after nine? Are you supposed to stop then. Thinking 66 maybe you let down as you get close to the number.

“That’s how Tiger thinks. He always believes he can do more, that anything’s possible with him.”

Believing and doing are two separate things of course. With Faldo calling the action from the Golf Channel booth, Pressel didn’t come close to a 66 ever. Instead she found bogeys early and finished with a 73 with a second major title at least in sight.

For more on Faldo’s thoughts on majors gamesmanship, stay tuned for a full column WorldGolf.com later tonight detailing Tour rookie Na On Min’s plight. You’ll also get a complete story on Pettersen’s win.

« At least Michelle Wie's 21-over is better than The Sopranos finish & David Chase copout

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18 comments

§ Jim C said on : 2007-06-10 @ 21:55
If all she actually said was that she didn't want to think she needed a 66, because that was limited thinking--my guess would be that she meant the opposite of what Faldo was saying. In her position I would have been thinking, I can shoot a 68 because I did that on Thursday. That may not give me a great chance of winning, but it could give me a chance, and I don't just want to assume that that won't be enough. I think she wanted to set the more realistic goal of 68, and of course hope for more, rather than set a goal that might be unrealistic.
§ R.L. said on : 2007-06-11 @ 01:29
I'm not sure she meant either. She plays every shot as if it could be her last. That is not a bad way to be. In fact the only time any golfer should think differently is when they have a 2 stroke lead going to the 72nd hole of a tournament.
§ Chris Baldwin® said on : 2007-06-11 @ 01:34
No Jim. According to Faldo she told him that she didn't want to limit herself, that she could be 6-under after nine in theory (her example) and then what then if she only thought 66. Faldo says that's how Tiger thinks too.

Now I'm not ready to compare Pressel to Tiger in any way myself (though she is obviously much better than Michelle Wie). But if Nick Faldo wants to, it's interesting news.
§ Stanley said on : 2007-06-11 @ 10:52
If Morgan Pressel had won the lpga championship she could have been considered the best young player around.
However her back door win at the Kraft did not prove it. There all she did was post a clubhouse lead, 3 shots behind the leader. This is something Michelle and numerous other players have done at events where they didn't have the good fortune of the leader stumbling so badly as Pettersen did there.

I would not be surprised if the 2007 Kraft was Morgan Pressel's only 2007 win on the lpga tour.
§ Alex said on : 2007-06-11 @ 12:43
Stanley,

When will Bubbles get that first win in 2007 that you have confidently predicted?
§ Joltin Joe said on : 2007-06-11 @ 12:49
"If Morgan Pressel had won the lpga championship she could have been considered the best young player around"

And if she finished 84th she might be considered the worst young player around. But alas, that honor goes to the winless millionaire.
§ Stanley said on : 2007-06-11 @ 15:05
Alex,
I predicted that she would win at some stage in 2007, I didn't give an actual tournament. The Evian, British and Canadian tournaments are all possiblities as are any other tournaments she might add to it.
§ Jim C said on : 2007-06-11 @ 15:23
Joe. Is Nancy Lopez still considered to be a young player? I know she was a one time. If so it should be noted that Michelle Wie did a lot better than Nancy,
§ Joltin Joe said on : 2007-06-11 @ 16:14
"Is Nancy Lopez still considered to be a young player?"

Ridiculous comparison. Nancy Lopez has skins on the wall and is past her prime. Wie has an empty trophy case with place holders for her imaginary green jackets, and her Ryder Cup players badges. Nancy Lopez has 48 LPGA wins, including 3 majors.

Good Lord! Why do these people have to be told over and over again?
§ Jim C said on : 2007-06-11 @ 19:12
Is US Women's Amateur Champion Kimberley Kim considered a young player? Wie made the cut, while Kim did not. But maybe Wie just got lucky. Let's wait a couple of weeks and see how the two do at the US Women's Open.
§ Shanks said on : 2007-06-12 @ 08:39
Chris, good job with the on-site blogs.
§ Alex said on : 2007-06-12 @ 09:43
Jim C,

Since you want to make comparisons, try comparing Bubbles to 18 year old Na On Min.

Without a bit of fanfare, Na finished 3rd, 12 under par, to Bubbles 84th, 21 over par.

Jim C.

Read those figures and weep.
§ Jim C said on : 2007-06-12 @ 10:35
By Wie critic standards 18 year old Min lost. Certainly none of the high finishes by Wie were ever praised like this one by Min, even though Wie finished second in the LPGA Championship at 15, and was top 5 within two shots of the lead in 3 different Majors as a 16 year old.

According to Wie critics, Kimberley Kim was a better golfer last year than Michelle Wie because she won a prestgious tournament, the Womens Amateur, while Wie won nothing. Yet even with all her struggles the past two weeks, Wie was able to make the LPGA cut, while Sim was not. It sounds like even with all her problems, Wie is still playing better than the best female amateur golfer in the world.
§ Alex said on : 2007-06-12 @ 12:30
Jim C,

I must remind you that "better" is the comparative form of "good."

Since Bubbles game is absolutely terrible, she is not playing "better than anyone.

"Worse" than 83 other golfers would be a more apt description of her atrocious play.

Bubbles has not been good by any means for close to a year.
§ Stanley said on : 2007-06-13 @ 09:17
Alex: Since you want to make comparisons, try comparing Bubbles to 18 year old Na On Min.
Without a bit of fanfare, Na finished 3rd, 12 under par, to Bubbles 84th, 21 over par.
____________

Fair play to an 18 year old Na On Min for getting her first top 5 in a major.
Michelle before turning 17, had 6 such top 5s in majors.
Were you in such praise of those?
§ Stanley said on : 2007-06-13 @ 09:22
Jim: Is US Women's Amateur Champion Kimberley Kim considered a young player?
_____

Jim,
When she won the US Amateur they made such claims. After that she made the cut at the US Womens Open finishing just 23 strokes behind Michelle. Then she played SBS missed cut, Field Open missed cut, Kraft missed cut, lpga championship missed cut. Why have they stopped with the Kimberly Kim praise? They have moved onto the next flavour that's why. It won't take them long to abandon Na On Min either.
§ putt4par said on : 2007-06-13 @ 15:05
Stanley
The media already has moved on. They have a much shorter attention span than the ordinary Wie bashers.

Look at the young lady in this story.

http://pregame.com/forums/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=134602

And god help that poor little wretch if she goes pro before all the armchair quarterbacks have had their orgy of bashing and advice giving.
§ Stanley said on : 2007-06-14 @ 18:19
Thanks putt4par for the story.

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