Tiger's Sunday Secret: Why He Stopped Hitting Driver

Most golf fans think they've seen everything about Tiger Woods through their TV screens. But Jim Furyk, who faced Tiger in numerous final groups including an epic seven-hole playoff, saw something entirely different up close: a masterclass in psychological dominance through subtle details.

The Invisible Game Within the Game

"Playing as his partner in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, he put himself in positions where he stood to make sure that he was a dominant figure," Furyk reveals. "Not in a gamesmanship kind of way, but he knew how to make his presence known. I never really noticed it until I played alongside him as his partner."

The Sunday Transformation

While millions watched Tiger's aggressive play in early rounds, Furyk witnessed the Sunday Tiger that TV couldn't fully capture:

"Tiger usually gained a lead by hitting driver," Furyk explains. "But man, on Sunday on the back nine, he never hit driver. He hit three-wood and two iron. He never missed a fairway, rarely missed a green."

This wasn't just conservative play – it was strategic execution. With the lead, Tiger would switch to a game of precision that put constant pressure on his challengers. Each fairway hit and green in regulation meant his competitors would need to take bigger risks to catch him, often leading to costly mistakes.

"He'd put it on cruise control and apply a lot of pressure," Furyk notes. "And it was a lot of pressure. I mean, I hit the ball straight and I hit a lot of greens comparatively. But he kept hitting it 15 feet, 20 feet, 10 feet."

This relentless execution – fairway, green, safe putt, repeat – wasn't exciting golf. It was winning golf. While others tried to chase him down with heroic shots, Tiger simply removed the possibility of mistakes from his game.

The Reality of Tiger's Gallery

The experience of Tiger's gallery was something television could never fully convey. Being in the group ahead of Tiger came with unique challenges.

"Playing in front of him was a giant pain in the butt," Furyk admits. "If you were in a group that maybe had a couple guys that weren't the fastest players, you felt like a herd of elephants was coming at you all day."

This dynamic became particularly advantageous for Tiger in final rounds. With the lead, playing in the last group, the groups ahead had to contend with massive crowds moving through the course after his group passed. His comfort with this chaos, born from years of experience, gave him an edge that grew with each hole.

Living in Tiger's World

"Playing in his group gave you a little minor peek at what his daily life looked like," Furyk reflects. "The whole world's attention is on that group, so you kind of got to live in his shoes for a day."

The Lesson for Elite Performers

What made Tiger truly dominant wasn't just his obvious skills – it was his mastery of the environment that only his playing partners could see:

• Strategic positioning

• Comfort in chaos

• Psychological pressure through consistency

• The art of presence

The Next Level

"He wasn't going to give you shots," Furyk concludes. For elite performers in any field, the lesson is clear: true dominance isn't just about what the world sees – it's about mastering the invisible details that only your closest competitors will notice.

The next time you're competing at the highest level, remember: sometimes the most powerful advantages are the ones your opponents only notice when it's too late.

Your Challenge for the Week

Identify one area of your performance where you currently try to dominate through force or aggression. Design an experiment in strategic restraint: instead of overwhelming your competition with power, focus on controlling the psychological and environmental elements they can't see.

Whether it's maintaining perfect preparation routines that signal your readiness, controlling the pace of meetings or competitions, or using consistency to apply pressure rather than spectacular displays, find your version of Tiger's Sunday strategy.

Document how this shift affects not just your performance, but your opponents' behavior. Notice when strategic restraint creates more pressure than aggressive displays. The goal isn't to play it safe, but to understand when withholding your most powerful tools actually makes you more dominant.

Remember: sometimes the most devastating competitive weapon is the one your opponents only recognize when it's too late.

Watch the full episode with Jim Furyk!