Hall: PGA Tour missed chance with Woods sidelined
Stuart Hall
Feb 8, 2009
Not quite eight months ago Tiger Woods dazzled the sports world like only Woods can do, putting on a memorable five-day show en route to winning the U.S. Open. The feat took otherworldly status when it was revealed that he defeated Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff on what essentially was a bum leg.
Woods hobbled around Torrey Pines on a torn ligament in his left knee and a double stress fracture in his left leg. He has not played a round since.
This week, the PGA Tour returns to Torrey Pines for the Buick Invitational. In the months since Woods’ win outside of San Diego, there was speculation — and even hope — that fresh blood would emerge.
That has not quite pan out.
In the 28 events since, aging fortysomethings Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh and Davis Love III have combined to win a quarter of the events. Meanwhile five young guns — players under age 30 — combined to win just six events. The most recognizable names of the youth movement were Camilo Villegas, who won the FedEx Cup’s final two events, and Anthony Kim, who won a PGA Tour event and was a stalwart in the United States’ Ryder Cup victory.
As for the other three first-time twentysomething winners, who knows anything of Parker McLachlin (age 29), Chez Reavie (27) and Dustin Johnson (24)? Probably very little, but at least they went out and won.
During the same period, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson, Nos. 2 and 4, respectively in the Official World Golf Ranking, went winless. Others who went winless included Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Luke Donald and Retief Goosen.
With Woods sidelined, many of the PGA Tour’s elite had an opportunity to capitalize on his absence, to become a true contender to his No. 1 world ranking. Other than Padraig Harrington winning the year’s final two majors and climbing to No. 3 in the world, that never materialized.
“It’s like everyone is sleep-walking without Tiger playing,” CBS golf analyst Gary McCord said. “You would think these guys would be clawing to the death. With Tiger’s imminent return near, you would think they would want to jump on these guys and get going as fast as they can because when Tiger gets back he will take all the money and run. It’s amazing to me that these guys are not sprinting toward the Tiger starting line. They should be scaling the mountain instead of sitting at base camp waiting for the storm to clear. The storm is on the horizon again, yet no one can really establish themselves right now.”
On Wednesday, noted journalist Frank Deford said on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition”: “At some point, the PGA Tour became a wholly subsumed subsidiary of Tiger Woods, and without him there simply doesn't appear to be any there there. The PGA: Professional Golfers Anonymous.”
Woods’ return is nearing. The prevailing thought is that he will make a start or two before the Masters in early April. Looking at the schedule the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami (March 12-15) and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando (March 26-29) are the most plausible scenarios given his track record of 11 combined wins in those events.
How soon Woods returns to winning remains uncertain, but Woods will, no doubt, win again. Unfortunate is that he will do so without much of a challenge.
Contact Stuart Hall at golf@wral.com.
