What If?

While this week was another great win by Rickie Fowler, once again Henrik Stenson was in there with a chance.  Stenson is, in my mind at least, the best ball striker in the game.  I love his simple, powerful action.  He gives that ball a wonderful thump, and moves it both ways with ease.  

I think he and Rickie are now the two best players in the game without a Major, and I'd love to see both of them break through and get one.  

Moe Norman would likely have really enjoyed Stenson's swing.  He'd have said that Henrik plays through the course--not around it.  He would have liked the way the club stays in front of him and his arms and the club stay in the fairway on every shot.  Not much can go wrong with a move like that.

It occurred to me again, as I watched Henrik swing, and use that magic three wood off the tee instead of a driver, what if Tiger Woods taken the same approach?  What if Tiger, instead of flattening out his swing and sticking with whaling away at the driver, had elected to play his stinger off the tee, using a three wood or his two iron?  Was it Hoylake where he won the Open only hitting one or two drivers the entire week?  Or did he even hit one driver that week?  I'm getting old, so I forget these things. Anyway, I have many times said that the rest of the players should be awfully thankful that Tiger never stopped trying to go for length off the tee with the driver.  If he had adopted Stenson's approach, as well as Tiger played his mid and long irons--and the way he could putt--one has to wonder how many tournaments he'd have won.  Then again, I guess he's done pretty well doing it his way.

Oh well, we can all talk about the "what ifs."  All I know is, that Stenson is sure nice to watch.  For my money, he's got the best swing in the game.  Man, what if Stenson could putt like Jordan Spieth? There I go with another "what if."