How good is Tiger Woods? Ask Ernie Els

TV Golf Commentator David Feherty on Tiger Woods

"People have accused me of being so far up Tiger's ass that he can barely make a full swing, but I maintain that he is a special person. There is no one else on the planet who can do what he does or even think of doing what he does. I have often thought, instead of showing Tiger's reaction to a shot he has hit, we really should show the reaction of those around him." But here is the next best thing.

"I am walking down the 18th fairway at Firestone Country Club with Ernie Els and Tiger. Tiger has just popped up a three-wood about 40 yards behind Ernie into some wet, nasty, and horrible six-inch rough," Feherty says. "Tiger's cursing and taking clumps out of Ohio with his three-wood. Of course, we are not showing this on TV, because we want to be able to interview him later. Ernie and I walk past Tiger's ball, and it is truly buried.

"Ernie, tied with Tiger, is in the middle of the fairway. I am standing with Ernie and my microphone is open. Ken Venturi [in the CBS booth] sends the TV commentary to me, and I say, "Tiger has 184 yards with two big red oaks overhanging the green. He has got absolutely nothing. With a stick of dynamite and a sand wedge, he might be able to move this ball 50 yards."

Steve Williams [Woods' caddie] tells me [with a hand signal] that Woods is using a
pitching wedge. Tiger takes his swing. Every muscle in his body is flung at the ball. It
looks like he has torn his nutsack. The divot went as far as I could hit the ball. I've got my microphone at my mouth thinking, what the hell was that!

The ball sails over the trees, lands behind the hole and backs up to about six feet from the flag. I open my microphone, and Ernie Els turns to me and says, 'Fuck me!'

My producer comes on in my earpiece and says, 'Was that Ernie?' I say yes. My producer says, 'Fair enough.'

I could have described that shot for 15 minutes and not done as good a job as Ernie Els did with two words. Ernie is one of the best players in the world, and, if you want to know how good Tiger really is, just ask Ernie Els!!