The Milwaukee Post

August 9, 2013 • Milwaukee Post • 11 Tiger Woods mired in 'major' Grand Slam drought Tiger Woods is a choke. It's not an opinion. It's a fact. It wouldn't seem possible. Tiger Woods had earned a reputation as one of the toughest competitors ever. He didn't just win tournaments. He crushed the field. He won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes. He won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes. He won the 2000 British Open by eight strokes. More recently he won the 2006 PGA , Championship by five strokes. Tiger Woods has never been a choke. He's been the exact opposite of a choke. When the pressure was greatest in the Grand Slam events, he not only won but destroyed the opposition. He was the best player in the insignificant tournaments. He was the best player in the big tourneys. He was the best player, period. As a point of clarification, a choke is someone who performs significantly below his normal level of play in the pressure situations. Through the 2008, a typical Tiger Woods season meant that he won multiple tournaments, was No. 1 on the money list, and won at least one major tourney No chok. ing. It would have made as much sense to say that Bill Gates was poor as saying that Tiger Woods was a choke. In eight different years, he was No. 1 on the money list. In EVERY one of those years, he won at least one major tourney In . eight of the nine seasons in which he won at least five tournaments, he also won at least one major tourney . It all changed in 2009. For the first time in his career, he was No. 1 on the money list and didn't win a major. For only the second time in his career, he won five or more tournaments and didn't win a major. It should be noted that his personal life didn't go into a free fall until November of that year. It was the first sign of chokedom. He didn't choke in 2010 or 2011 because he couldn't choke. He wasn't good enough to be a choke. He didn't win a tourney in "HOMER" on SPORTS STEVE "The HOMER" TRUE either season. By Tiger standards, he was bad in all tournaments. In 2012, he won three events and was second on the money list. I could sell choking in the majors, but he wasn't good enough by Tiger's standards to justify the label for the Grand Slam events. He didn't win five times and he wasn't No. 1 on the money list. He has won 13 of his 14 major championships in seasons in which has been No. 1 on the money list. This year has been such a season. Tiger has dominated like he did during those major winning years. He's has won five titles and is No. 1 on the money list. He won the Bridgestone Invitational last week like he was Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes. He's the old dominate Tiger, yet he can't get a sniff of a major title. He not only hasn't won a major, he's played terribly on the weekends after playing well in the first two rounds in the three Grand Slam tourneys this season. He's got one final chance this weekend at the PGA Championship. Everything about his entire career screams that he will win the event. Everything about his recent career screams that he won't. Tiger Woods has become a choke. Or, better put, he's become a MAJOR choke. (Steve "The Homer" True, host of "Homer and Thunder Show," heard from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on 540 ESPN, can be reached at homer@espnmilwaukee.com) Former West Allis native going in Whitewater Hall of Fame Tobiasz excelled in baseball By MARK HUTCHINSON Conley News Service NEW BERLIN – Pat Tobiasz hit the books hard during his years at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and became an Academic All-American. He also hit the baseball hard, setting 13 offensive school records including career batting average (.407) and home runs (47) and season batting average (.458 in 1998). Tobiasz will be inducted into the UWWhitewater Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 2. The nine inductees will be honored at halftime of the Warhawks' 1 p.m.football game against UW-Platteville, then be formally inducted at a banquet that evening. Tobiasz is a West Allis native who lives in New Berlin and plays Land o' Lakes baseball for the Brookfield Blue Sox, reviewed his career in an email exchange: Q: Who taught you the game of baseball and what are some of your earliest memories of the sport? A: I was about 3 years old when my dad (Jack) and uncle (Larry Tobiasz of Pewaukee) placed a whiffle ball bat in my hands and proceeded to pitch to me. I can remember spending many hours with my dad playing in the backyard. In retrospect, it must have been hard for him after long, night shifts as a Milwaukee County sheriff to come home to a little boy waiting in the driveway with his bat and ball, but he happily obliged me and we always had fun together. I know my mom (Rosemary) sure enjoyed those grass and dirt stains on my pants. Q: What were the highlights and favorite memories of your Marquette High School baseball career? A: I played for a fantastic coach, Rick Bridich. I played third base, second base, first base, right field, left field and also pitched. Winning consecutive WISAA Division 1 state championships in 1992 and 1993 was definitely the highlight of my high school years. I will never forget pitching and winning the final game of the 1992 state championship against Pius and hitting a grand slam (the only one of my high school career) the following year in the state tournament to beat Wisconsin Lutheran. Q: Did you consider other colleges or have pro baseball opportunities before picking UW-Whitewater? A: I did not have pro baseball interest out of high school. I was terribly skinny and quite awkward and needed to fill out considerably. I had a few collegiate opportunities at other universities. I thank God that I selected UWW. The people, facilities, programs and location are all topnotch. They helped me prepare for life after college. I am grateful to coach (Jim) Miller and the many outstanding faculty members at that university. Q: What were the highlights of your college baseball career? A: The 1996 and 1998 teams set Whitewater records for most RBIs and home runs in a season. My very last game was memorable in a hard way. I hit a At a glance Who: Pat Tobiasz What: to be inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 2. Age: 38 Hometown: West Allis Current residence: New Berlin Profession: Senior Portfolio Manager – GE Tobiasz Capital Family: wife,Tammy, general manager at Marcus Cinema of Menomonee Falls. Education: 1993 graduate of Marquette University High School, 1998 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater home run at my final at-bat, but we lost the game and our season was over. Immediately after that game, I received the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award for the WIAC. it was very much a surprise and I was grateful to the WIAC for giving me that award. That was an emotional day all around. Q: What do you remember about March 22, 1998, when you collected four homers, 12 runs batted in and 16 total bases in one game? A: At the time it was happening, I was not aware of what I was doing. I knew I had hit the ball well, but really was so focused on the task at hand. I can't get 12 RBIs in a game without fantastic play from my teammates. I remember sitting on the bench feeling good we had won and that I had helped out. Then the scorer came up to me and asked me to sign his scorecard. coach Miller came up next and told me he thought I had set an NCAA record. The following week, I was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for all of college baseball and found out that I had, in fact, set an NCAA record. Q: Did you get any contacts from pro scouts during or after your UWW career, and if so, where did they lead? A: I had contact with several major league clubs before and after my senior season at UWW. I attended several predraft camps for the big league clubs. I signed a contract to play minor league baseball for the Madison Blackwolf of the Northern League. I am content and grateful that I had the opportunity to play professional baseball. Q: When did you learn of your UWW Hall of Fame selection and what was your reaction? A: Earlier this year, I was with my wife at a business conference in Las Vegas. Minutes earlier, I had received a call and learned that a close friend and mentor had passed away, so I was quite emotional. When the call came, all I could think about was my family – I wanted to give them the news. The previous six months had been extremely difficult on my family with the passing of my grandmother and my father-In-law within a week of each other. I knew this could put a smile on the faces of those around me. Contact Mark Hutchinson mhutchinson@conleynet.com

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