Assessing Tiger's Memorial Week & A New Nike Contract?

Strong analysis of Tiger Woods' Memorial week--in case you were suddenly down on the lad's chances at Merion--starting with this from Robert Lusetich.

Yet at Memorial Woods hit 46 of 56 fairways — good for fifth in the field — and drove it not just straight but long.

It reflected the work Woods has put in to his driving game given the importance of tee shots at Merion, a tight course where the winner won’t have played from the long rough.

In Ohio, his short irons were inconsistent, his short game bad and his putting was abysmal.
That’s a cause for concern, but those facets of his game have been strong points all year.
And then there’s the fact that it wasn’t a slow bleed.

Woods made 15 birdies — and missed countless other chances — but uncharacteristically blew up, making three double bogeys and two triples, something he hasn’t done in a tournament in 16 years.

Gene Wojciechowski went to the top for advice on Tiger.

And just to make the point, Nicklaus told a story.

"I'll give you this one," he said, smiling. "Last U.S. Open I won I shot 72-79 the week before. I missed the cut. Atlanta. OK, how's that? And then I broke the Open record.

"So I wouldn't read too much into that."

Nicklaus got most of the facts right.

He did miss the cut at the 1980 Atlanta Classic at the Atlanta Athletic Club, but he shot 78-67. And sure enough, he went to Baltusrol and broke his own U.S. Open record for total score (272) -- a record that stood until McIlroy's performance at Congressional in 2011.

I'm with Nicklaus. I wouldn't read too much into what Woods did here. He has won big here and he's stunk it up big here too.

Three of his worst 22 finishes as a pro have come at Memorial. It happens.

Meanwhile those sleepless nights for many of you can end now that agent Mark Steinberg reveals to Bob Harig that Tiger is just about ready to sign a new deal and that he hopes it's viewed as a "bold statement." The deal will be done as soon as Steiny stops yapping to the press about it and gets the paperwork in front of Tiger, Tiger says.

This was interesting:

Earlier this year, Golf Digest, as part of an annual report on golfer's incomes, put Woods' earnings at $77-million off the course in 2012. It did not break down what he received from Nike, although the figure is believed to be more than $20 million per year. Sports Illustrated, however, as part of a recent compilation called "The Fortunate 50," pegged his total compensation at closer to $40 million annually.

Steinberg would not confirm specifics of those reports, saying only that "those numbers are traditionally low."

Traditionally low?