I know what you mean in praising Tiger to do well without playing his best, because it means he had to really try hard.

However, just think about it for a minute. If any other player was playing badly, but trying like this, what would we say?

We would all say, it was his own fault for not winning. He couldn't get the ball under control. What was he at out there.

I do think Tiger deserves alot of respect, but I think we are guilty of giving him too much praise at times. He played badly and that should be acknowledged too. He is the only one I know who can play so badly and still finish second, but he still played badly at times.

Also, sometimes in that tournament, and in many others, Tiger hits it so far off line, that he seems to avoid the hazards. For example he hit it right into the trees on one hole, but was so far right that he had absolutely no trouble from the trees. If he had been a little less offline, he would have been caught, directly behind the trees. He seems to be a very lucky player. Add to that the best player around, and you have a great combination.