Posted by Jason Sobel
ATLANTA -- You're looking at the scores from this week's Tour Championship and I know what you're thinking.
Where's the clown's mouth? And the windmill hole? Do players get a free round if they make their putt on 18?
What you should really be thinking is this:
Is Boo Weekley keeping everybody's scorecards?
Sorry, a little "golf insider" humor.
What you should really, really be thinking is this:
How are these players putting up such low numbers at East Lake?
Now that, golf fans, is a valid question. Bobby Jones would be spinning in his grave if he knew how his beloved course was being carved up this week. On Thursday, Tim Clark tied a course record by shooting 62, only to see it fall two days later when Zach Johnson posted a 60. Tiger Woods has yet to see the high side of 64 through three rounds. And the overall scoring average has been less than 68 each day.
Is this the Tour Championship or the Bob Hope Classic?
I could explain the reasons for such low scores ... or I could let Tiger Woods do it, much better than I could:
"When you get greens this soft and pins this easy and greens this slow, you're going to have to make a bunch of birdies because if you've got a tight pin, if you hit a bad shot or are too conservative, more than likely you're going to have a two-putt," said Woods, who leads by three entering the final round. "This week you short side yourself you've still got 8, 9, 10, 12 paces from the side to think about making it. Or a bad shot in the center of the green normally would be try and two-putt, but now I can try to make it because you're not that far away. You fire at every flag. Even if you have a 5-iron you still fire at it because you know the ball is going to plug. You just go after it."
One more little note from Woods. When asked if this is the easiest course he's ever played as a pro, he thought about it for a good 10 seconds or so and then said, "I can't remember too many golf courses that have been easier than this one."
