Staring down his biggest rival in a final-round showdown, setting a scoring record, hitting shots no one else can hit, regaining his Number 1 ranking: all in a day’s work for Tiger Woods. Has the greatest player in the game today shaken off the slumpiness of his 2004 season? Is the artist formerly known as Eldrick ready to go on another epic run? Or is he just teasing us while complaining about the length of the PGA Tour season?
Let’s take a quick look at all the Woodsian news that Tiger has dropped on us this week.
Shorten the Season
Tiger thinks the PGA Tour season drags on too long. I agree. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. The game is bigger than Tiger, and it’s bigger than me (even after a hearty Scottish breakfast). The game, or more accurately, the Tour, is a year-round business. Just because Tiger doesn’t feel like playing before Doral or after the PGA Championship (or plenty of other times of the year) doesn’t mean that the Tour should hang out the “Gone Fishin'” sign for half the year.
Granted, a Tour event has a lot more zip when Tiger puts his peg in the ground. But the Tour exists to sell things to, I mean, satisfy its fans. And those fans want golf year-round. They want it in Milwaukee and Greensboro and all the other places Tiger’s travel agent hasn’t had to find in a while.
Tiger wants a shorter season? Lucky for him he already has it. He plays where he wants for his reasons. The rest of us enjoy watching his understudies go at it while he plays yachts it up on his off-weeks. As much as we like watching Tiger, only the most casual fan tunes out the game completely when he’s not on the prowl.
Back on Top
Tiger’s big win at Doral helped him hopscotch past Vijay Singh for the #1 spot in the World Golf Ranking. After exactly half a year off the apex, Tiger is barely back in front of his Fijian foe. If you’re counting at home, you know this is Tiger’s 335th week as the Number 1 player in the world. His 26-week demotion to Avis status was even longer than the 15 weeks he endured behind David Duval a few years back. This clearly matters to Tiger, especially the way he regained the title. Which leads us to…
Determining the Identity of Phil’s Father
Yes, Tiger is Phil Mickelson’s Daddy. Tiger craves dusting his rivals and establishing himself atop the pecking order in person. As much as Tiger would have enjoyed beating, say, Vijay down the stretch at Doral, Phil is his main target right now. The semi-animosity between the two is well-documented, from Phil’s equipment taunting to their ill-fated pairing at the Ryder Cup last year.
More importantly, Mickelson had a chance to put a major dent in Tiger’s armor at Doral. Phil came in as the hottest player in golf, setting records and winning fans. If he could have held off Tiger over 18 head-to-head holes, he would have established himself as the best player in the world, regardless of the ranking system. Instead, Tiger flat outplayed him. Phil didn’t implode, and his clenched-jaw demeanor after the loss bodes well for the future (I like to see Phil combative instead of acquiescent). But Tiger did what he had to do, and Phil couldn’t outrun him. Don’t worry, Phil, you’re not alone. And at least you know who your daddy is.
Broken Record
I also think it’s interesting that Tiger won such a birdiefest at Doral. He threw 27 birdies at the course, the most in his PGA Tour career, in setting the new tournament record at 24-under. As great as Tiger is, he hardly ever wins when the score gets ultra-low. He stays away from events like the Bob Hope where you need to get to 20-under just to have a chance. But he also excels at shooting a good score on a tough course or under major pressure. That he blew the doors off at Doral is like Michael Jordan dropping 60 in an early-season game against the Toronto Raptors. You knew it was possible, but it really shows how focused and intense he was at such an early stage of the season.
New Tools
Tiger switched to a new, graphite-shafted Nike Ignite T60 3-wood at Doral. It paid immediate dividends. It was his new 15-degree baby that Tiger used to get home from 298 yards out on the twelfth hole Sunday, setting up the eagle that gave him a momentum boost and a two-shot lead.
Tiger had been using a modified version of the steel-shafted, small-headed Titleist PT 970 3-wood for several years. After switching to the graphite-shafted, super-oversize Nike Ignite 460 driver last year, he followed suit with the T60 3-wood, a steel model with a 60-gram tungsten weight in the sold and a graphite shaft. Obviously, Tiger’s just like the rest of us: digging the long ball.
In addition to his prodigious 3-wood blasts, Tiger also uncorked a couple 360-plus-yard drives at Doral. He completely re-established his distance dominance over Phil Mickelson, who was nowhere close to Tiger on most of the driving holes.
That sound you just heard was the tournament committee at Augusta National wailing in horror at the thought of what Tiger might do there next month.
The Forecast: Major Things Ahead
The hard work Tiger has put in with instructor Hank Haney appears to be paying off. He’s regained the distance he lost after surgery on his left knee, and his misses aren’t as horrific as they were last year. Even with his 27-birdie barrage at Doral, there were still a few loose shots and short putts missed. I get the feeling that we’ll see Tiger put his long game and short game together for another extended stretch this season. A run at the Grand Slam? I don’t think so. But I think another green jacket is a distinct possibility, and Pinehurst #2 is looking like a good place for Tiger to win U.S. Open #3.
Photo Credits © Augusta Chronicle, Nike Golf.
Watching the round on Sunday was awesome. I don’t remember the hole, it was the par 4 he drove on Saturday, but the camera showed his swing in slow motion and at contact with the ball both of his feet were off the ground. Not only that but his head, on his downswing, moved down about half a foot. Crazy I tell you, just crazy.
I cant believe the author of this aritcle did not mention St Andrews as an amost certain victory for woods. I think he would win at st-andrews with a half set
I second rossd’s comment…St. Andrews is where all the mojo forms in the clouds and beams into TW’s muscle fibers and synapses. I, for one, can see a Slam. However, for some reason…I can also see a Mickelson repeat at Augusta. That man looks far more intenese than in the past.