ESPN SportsNation Golf columnist Bob Harig

Bob Harig

Once again, plenty to chat about in golf. Thanks for participating, feel free to fire away with your questions. I'll get to as many as I can. Let's get started.

Nick (MN)

Over/Under: 17.5 Career majors for Tiger

Bob Harig

Wow, right out of the box. . . You go against Tiger at your own peril, but I don't think he is going ot make it to 18. I do think he's going to win more majors. And I say this knowing he very well could prove me wrong and I wouldn't be surprised. But if you put me on the spot, I take hte under.

Nick (Iowa)

I'm a huge Zach Johnson fan... He seems to do really well for a week or two and then drop off for a while. Is there a reason for this? Drives me nuts

Bob Harig

This s golf! Really, very, very few players maintain a contending consistency.

Alex (Anaheim)

What made the Open so difficult?

Bob Harig

The main reason, to me, is that even a well-struck drive did not always stay in the fairway. You had to be so precise off the tee. Maybe too precise. Graeme McDowell hit only 4 fairways on Sunday. Once off the fairway, the abililty to get the ball close becomes very difficult. And then everything falls from there.

Patrick (Hanover)

Certainly Tiger gets alot of just credit for the excitement level he brings but don't you feel he would rather play a US Open style event where only a few under par wins? i always feel that he doesn't really like birdie fests, he can do it if he has to but he would rather play a boring style of golf and watch everyone fall apart around him. Your thoughts?

Bob Harig

No question, Tiger prefers tournaments where par is a good score -- even though he's won numerous times by shooting 18, 20, 24 under.

Robb (Colorado)

I know lots of people will talk about Tiger's breakdown over the weekend coming from a physical aspect, but I think it is really more mental from him. In the past even when his swing might have been a work in progress, he would keep things together by being so mentally tough. He seems to have lost the edge.

Bob Harig

There very likely is a mental aspect to this. Having complete confidence, trusting what you are doing. Then again, there are also some very simple flaws in his game at the moment, such as the short game. It appears the most starightforward of chip shots still give him some trouble. And so do the short irons. When Tiger has a wedge or 9 iron in his hand, he simply is not hitting it close enough. It all adds up.

Jeff (Louisville)

How deep should we look into Tigers play on Sat and Sun? Was he simply a little off on a hard course? Was their more pressure?Crowd acting up in terms of harassing him? Drained from round 1 and 2 pairing? Fathers day weekend on his mind? I know he is inconsistent to a degree but that was 2 different golfers and im trying to wrap my mind around the Jekyll and Hyde play.

Bob Harig

Don't think the crowd or the first, second-round group had anything to do with it, nor Fathers' Day. Do think he was a bit off, the pressure perhaps causing that to happen. He simply missed too many fairways and greens after being so solid in that area the first two days -- and his putter didn't help him out much.

Jeff Todd ('Nass)

I guess with Tiger out of it there was no point for you to watch the action on Sunday?

Bob Harig

Quite the contrary, I'm required to do so either way.

Chris K (Wisconsin)

Enjoyed your tweets during the US Open. Were Furyk and McDowell put on the clock Sunday? NBC's Dan Hicks (?) announced that they were given two warnings but were not put on the clock.

Bob Harig

To my knowledge, they were not put on the clock. If anybody else wants to pass along more definitive info, feel free.

Ross (VA)

Bob, will tiger ever roar again?This is getting real tough as a tiger fan....

Bob Harig

I think what we've seen this year suggests that he will. Two wins, a second. A 36-hole lead in a major. I think he's bulding toward that again.

Dan Noal (Alameda CA)

Hi Bob thanks for the US Open coverage! Tell us your thoughts on Patrick Cantlay's decision to turn pro and your expectations on him this year and beyond.

Bob Harig

As much as I hate to see anyone leave school, this is a good decision for Cantlay. He's proven himself to be a good player, and he's simply leaving too much on the table if he remains an amateur. Plus there is the Q-school change that will come into play next year. If he fails to get his card this summer and fall through sponsor exemptions, he can go to Q school. Next year doing so will only get him on the Nationwide Tour.

JY (TO)

I am worried about this era of golf. If Tiger cant recapture his magic, and no one else steps up, parity could begin to erode the popularity of the sport. It seems the major gains the sport has made have been on the back of a dominant player (Jones, Palmer, Jack, Tiger). Thoughts?

Bob Harig

There is no question that a dominant player is a much more popular thing in golf. While it is nice to promote the idea of parity -- and there are a ton of great players -- the public for the most part likes to see one or two guys emerge. Right now, we've got nobod with more than 2 wins on the PGA Tour. Same for last year.

Andrew (WI)

What do we make of Jim Furyk's tournament and round? He was 3 holes away from a 2nd major and cementing his place as a top-5 of his generation, and let it slip away (and it seemed like he knew that this could've been a legacy-changer as it happened)

Bob Harig

Yes, it's a tough blow. At 42, how many more chances is Furyk going to get? The U.S. Open is made for him, especially a venue like Olympic where length was not necessary. A second Open, a total of 17 wins. . .that would get him strong consideration for the Hall of Fame.

David (Chicago)

Looking at venues for the next few U S Opens, which one are you most looking forward to? How do you think Merion will hold up next year due to its lack of length?

Bob Harig

Merion is going to be very, very intersting for many reasons. I'm looking forward to Chambers Bay in 2015, just to see what it's all about. The USGA rarely goes to a "new'' venue for the Open.

Bill (Norfolk, VA)

So, who do you think wins Hartford? Nah, just kidding, who is your British Open favorite?

Bob Harig

I said from the start of the year that I thought Tiger would win at Lytham. I have not picked him to win any other tournament other than Doral -- where he withdrew. So take this for what it's worth.

Ed (Long Island)

Is it time to officially abolish projecting winners of majors? With the depth of talent out there now, past history at the event, recent performance, none of it seems to matter. Just get hot for the right week and you have a shot at winning.

Bob Harig

I cannot think of a single commentator, media wag, fan who was going with Webb Simpson at the start of the week.