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do you think goosen's collapse was worse than greg norman's at the masters in 1996?

is this just further proof that goosen isn't recognized by the media as a star because i feel not much has been written or said about the breakdown. sure michael campbell won this w/ great play but goosed still gave it away.

I think that Goosen's was biger but Norman's seemed more painful because it was closer.

It was a bigger collapse in terms of the score on the final day vs. the score on the previous 3 days, but it wasn't a bigger collapse in terms of being a surprise that he didn't win the tourney. It looked like Norman had the Masters won that year, but it wasn't nearly as likely that Goosen would win yesterday. With the course set up the way it was, anything could happen and it did. He was fewer strokes ahead than Norman and the course was more upredictable than Augusta. At Pinehurst 2 yesterday, one bad break and a slight lapse in your mental game and you're toast. Evidence, the final pairing shooting a collective 25 over par.

So, yes, it was a huge collapse and larger than Normans, but it was more understandable. That's the way I see it.

Dave

The wheels really fell off the Goose yesterday, but I don't think it compares with Norman's collapse. 3 shots is nothing at Pinehurst. Norman had a 6 stroke lead and Goosen has already won this thing twice. From an historical perspective, I don't think Goosen's performance yesterday will ever take on the "stature" on Norman's '96 Masters. To put a finer point on it, you won't be seeing TGC replaying Goosen's 4th round ad nauseum or at all IMO.

I don't think it was bigger b/c he only led by 3 strokes, and it's much, much easier to screw up on Pinehurst than Augusta. However, it was surprising b/c I thought was the Goose was rock solid and he was like Tiger Woods with the lead. It's just as shocking as if Tiger Woods blew a lead.

However, the 81 looks bad, but it's easy to shoot 81 at Pinehurst, especially in Goosen's situation. It was eerily similar to Els at Shinnecock. When you feel like you can win, and then find yourself in a position where you feel like you're panicking on the inside (and I gaurantee Goosen was) all all hope is lost, you just start going through the motions and you're mentally sick. I think Goosen started to panic yesterday, and he lost everything he did the first 3 days (the putting, the driving, etc.) I think this is going to damage him a bit, but I think he's still got a few majors in him before his career's over.

Ok uncle.... all are good points and I am going to waffle on this one and say that Normans was a larger melt-down.

Just to add one more comment. You know a lot of people will make fun of these guys, call them chokers, and the media will have a field w/ them. I honestly feel really bad for Goosen, like I felt for Norman. If you listened to Retief Tuesday, here's a guy who desperately wanted to be recognized more and included in the top 3 or 4 players in the world, and was so close. And after missing those short putts on the first few holes, his confidence just totally disappeared and everything changed. And I really feel for the guy b/c he's a great guy and great player that just didn't have it, and unforuately it cost him a lot, and he may never be viewed the same. Now he's close to dropping to 6th in the world. Norman never truly recovered from his collapse, and I just hope Goosen can recover from this, 'cause this will be in the back of his mind for a while.

Goosen will recover....he has ice water in his vains. He is a top 5 player and there is no doubt about it. One could argue that Tiger has a year and a half melt down when he changed his swing.

I don't believe Goosen's melt down was that of the likes Norman has back in 1996, Norman knew Augusta National well, these guys don't know Pinehurst like they know Augusta and there's something to be said for that too.

Also, the U.S. Open is just a different kind of animal and is hard to try and win, not taking anything away from Augusta National, but it's basically the same course for the most part year in and year out...the U.S. Open run by the USGA tries to make the course have a certain playability, whereas knowing Augusta and knowing how it plays would've given Norman much more on his side that fateful April Sunday in 1996...than Goosen had yesterday...it was only his 6th competitive round at Pinehurst compared to how many Norman had at Augusta before his meltdown...

I do believe Goosen will rebound from this give away and hope he does. I'm sure a lot of guys would aptly name this course PineHurts now....

My list of meltdowns that I can remember in recent memory:

1)Jean Van de Velde, 1995 British Open
2)Greg Norman, 1996 Masters
3)Mike Reid, 1989 PGA Championship
4)Thomas Bjorn, 2003 British Open
5) Gil Morgan, 1992 US Open

I wouldn't rank Goosen's up there simply b/c it was only a 3 stroke lead early and he gave it away very early. A 3 stroke lead on a course like Pinehurst is nothing. Now if he would have gave it away on the back nine, that's a different story. But he clearly didn't have his putting touch, and his mentally he packed it in on the back nine, that's why the score was so high.

Definitely Norman's...he was so in control, he just blew it. Goosen had only a three shot lead on a course that was playing much tougher than AN in '96.

Unfortunately Goosen's 'bad' holes all came at the same time at the worst time.
In my eyes, he did nothing to "lower" himself in my opinion.
What he was doing for 3 days was awesome!

I said Norman, but Trance, I really do hate your stupid polls. :P J/K, just kidding.

I have to go with Norman simply because he had never won a Masters and desperately wanted to own a green jacket. Goosen will get over his collapse and he'll always have the 2 US Open trophies on his mantle. Norman knew that was his best shot and collapsing the way he did will always be with him......along with that empty spot in his trophy case.

I agree. When Norman fell apart, it was basically his entire game that collapsed. It was sad to watch. With Goosen yesterday, it was simply his putting. He hit over half his fairways and greens. But he had 36 putts. He had 3 holes where he 3-putted. He said before the tournament he wasn't putting well, but he survived the first 3 days okay. But yesterday, it just killed him. And if the lead was +4 when he stood on the 12th hole, I think he still would have won. But he just simply gave up after the 12th hole as he fell out of contention, that's why he shot so high.