USGA Open, US Open redux, Tiger Woods, The Goatherd

With everyone tittering about Mr. Cabrera’s given name and its cherubic qualities, leave it to a cunning linguist like my own self to delve into the true symbolism of the new champs moniker. Cabrera in the Spanish means “goatherd.” In many situations, none more recognized than David the shepherd boy, the herdsman slew the savage beast to save the flock. While the Furyk bears not the claws nor the fangs of the lion, the Eldrick is often as much of a match as any hersdman dares to accept. Through the tall grasses of the mountain of oak, the herdsman, steadfast and strong, protected his goats against the onslaught of tigregious attacks, until he outlasted the beast and brought the flock safely to pasture. Yummm!

To answer the question of Tiger’s fitness to win at the USGA Open, take a look at the next five neo-Open venues. 2008 takes us to Torrey Pines, where the pressure will be more on Hometown Phil than on Tiger. Lest we forget, Tiger has a few wins at that venue. 2009 returns to the site of Tiger’s second Open victory at Bethpage. The course still sets up well for him, even at age 34. 2010 finds us at a new venue for Tiger, Pebble Beach. What’s that, you say? He has won there before, and by a lot? On tour and in USGA competition? Oh, must be good for him. 2011 and lo and behold, we’re at Congressional, where Tiger’s Tour Tournament (that’s alliteration) will be held the next few years. Another site with which he’ll be intimately familiar. Finally, 2012 takes a visit to Olympic Club, where the emphasis will be on lengthening and strengthening, right up the kitty’s alley (that’s not innuendo, by the way.) So, five years, five legitimate sites for two more Tiger triumphs. I see him matching Jack, Bobby, Ben and Willie with four Open triumphs by age 37.

Finally, for Freudian slips, go to this site and look at the page title way at the top of your browser. Instead of being the “official web site,” it is the “official web stie” of the 2007 US Open.