A World Without Tiger Woods
Guess what folks, golf’s biggest newsmaker is back! Wait does that mean that Rory McIlroy has changed his mind and is now playing in Hawaii this weekend? Well no. I said golf’s biggest newsmaker, not the game’s best player. Tiger Woods is back, or should I say he’s going to be back soon. According to golf.com the former number one player in the world is expected to make a return to the Waste Management Phoenix Open in three weeks. Which means golf’s biggest party just got even bigger.
Tiger’s return to Phoenix after 13 years isn’t exactly as big as him finally winning another major, but for Woods it’s important. For a guy who has barely played any completive golf over the past year, he needs the reps. The more completive rounds he can play the better. This could be the first step in getting back to a golf world that Tiger used to dominate.
June 30, 2012; Bethesda, MD, USA; Tiger Woods reads the 10th green during the third round of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Lately Woods has spent more time away from the game instead of being the face of it. With all the time he’s missed what if he was never here? What would that have meant?
First off and this is a given, golf would be much less popular. When Tiger was at his best he helped increase the popularity of the sport to a whole new level. He is the reason why many people under the age of 35 even touched a golf club. Without him Phil Knight may of had even more money to put into the Oregon football program because the Nike budget wouldn’t be as big. Woods brought eye balls to the set, golfers to the course and added money to people’s bank accounts.
What about on the course? Well things would be very different. First off if you take Tiger out of the field golfers like Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie would be major champions. Bob May and Woody Austin would go from lovable losers to major champions, an how about Chris Dimarco? The guy who fell victim to Tiger’s magic on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters would not only have a green jacket but he would of drank from the Claret Jug as well.
You remember Sean Micheel? If you don’t I hold nothing against you, he may be the most irrelevant major championship winner of the last 15 years. If it wasn’t for Tiger, Micheel may be a little more memorable as a two time major winner. Then there’s Retief Goosen who already has multiple majors by winning the US Open twice in the Woods era. The stoic South African would of had major number three and a green jacket. Then there’s the most famous South African golfer, Ernie Els. The Big Easy would of found himself in a playoff for both the Open Championship and US Open. In 2000 Els would of gone toe to toe with Miguel Angel Jimenez. Imagine that 18 hole coverage of golf’s most interesting man in the world. Cigar sales would increase that’s for sure!
Two surprising facts about a world without Tiger is the potential careers of Phil Mickelson and David Duval. At points in their careers both have spent time as Tiger’s number one competition but each would only have one more major on the record. Duval would have a seat at the Masters Champions Dinner for the rest of his life and for Phil he’d finally have his US Open Championship. So then 2006 at Winged Foot may have been totally different as Phil desperately tried to win the championship that has alluded him. Instead he’s a six time US Open runner up.
Let’s not also forget about the most famous runner up of all, Rocco Mediate. His epic duel with Woods was arguably the greatest playoff of all time, without Woods, it’s just a trophy for Rocco. Of course he’d rather have the trophy but we may prefer the playoff.
Is it a little outlandish to think of a world without Tiger? Absolutely. I know history is history and the golfing landscape would be a different place. It’s just as Woods prepares for another return to the PGA Tour the golf world looks to see if he can once again be the king of the sport. If he can’t? Well we will have the moments he gave us and continue to think about what could of been without him.