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Woods Out Of The Picture At TPC

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 8, 2008

Updated: 05/08/2008 10:16 am

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - You might as well call it "the Fifth-and-15/16 Major." This year's Players Championship, a tournament long promoted as the next best thing to a Grand Slam event, is getting no respect.

Everybody in golf is here - except for Tiger Woods. So, this is what championship golf looks like without its championship player?

By no means should an event with a $9.5 million purse - $1.71 mil to the winner - suddenly become a casual affair only because one player is absent to rehab from knee surgery. With defending champion Phil Mickelson returning, the field is set to begin first-round play today with 24 major championship winners and 49 of the top 50 from the current FedEx Cup points standings. A total of 55 golfers are international players, representing 16 countries.

Also, not to be overlooked is the fact Woods has never exactly shined on the TPC Sawgrass course. While he won here in 2001, and tops all challengers in number of NBC promotional highlights, eight times in 11 total appearances he has failed to finish in the top 10.

Nevertheless, championship golf without the one player that everybody knows just seems odd.

"Obviously, the best player in the world, he creates a stir," Jim Furyk said. "There will be less people and media around, tougher for the producer to figure out who he's going to follow Thursday and Friday.

"Obviously we miss having him out there. He is our lead story. But it is what it is. We'll still have a good tournament."

In one of the more entertaining exchanges of the week, Mickelson was questioned on a past statement that the tour is only at its best with Woods in the field.

"Am I wrong in that?" Mickelson said. "Is there any possible way that I could be wrong on that? I've been wrong about a lot of stuff, but I do believe that the tour is better with Tiger."

All the same, while the big cat is away, it's a perfect time for others to play well.

"I hate that we're missing him," Boo Weekley said. "I mean, you know, it's unfortunate that he's having to go through what he went through with his knee and so forth, but at the same time, maybe he'll take five years off and give us a chance out here. I mean, just take him a little mini-vacation or something would be great."

Certainly, with this season's pecking order still falling into place behind Woods, the Players Championship - wherever it ranks on the buzz meter - will provide a sizable helping of prestige.

"I think anybody who wins this tournament will jump to the camp that says it's the fifth major," British Open champ Padraig Harrington said.

With or without Woods as part of the field.

"Yes, we are aware that Tiger Woods isn't here," Harrington said. "But it doesn't change my approach. It's going to be just as hard to beat the player standing opposite you on 18 this week because if they are there, they're probably playing the best golf of their life."

All the same, there is statistical evidence suggesting Harrington's mind-set is one easier expressed than fulfilled.

Only one of Harrington's three PGA Tour victories - last year's British - have been earned when Woods was in the field. Furyk has 13 career victories with eight of them coming without Woods' presence. Four of Adam Scott's six wins were earned when Woods was taking off. Only one of Geoff Ogilvy's four wins came vs. Woods. All four of Steve Stricker's came when the world's No. 1 was taking a break. During half of Ernie Els' 16 PGA Tour wins, Woods was absent. Mickelson has 33 wins; 11 in events where Woods competed. Vijay Singh is 31 and 13.

"He's giving us a little bit of a break at the moment," Scott said. "Still, in saying that, there's so many good players here this week that I think your percentages are only just a little bit better."

Almost a fifth major.

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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