TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tiger Ready To Prowl

The Associated Press

Tiger will begin competition in Marana, Ariz., at the Accenture Match Play Championship.

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2009

Updated: 02/22/2009 09:37 am

Since winning the U.S. Open on a wounded knee in June, Tiger Woods has been out of sight but not out of mind. Without the world's No. 1 player to make news on a golf course for the past eight months, the game's top story became the effect of Woods' absence.

Now, Tiger is ready to return, announcing Friday he will begin competition in Marana, Ariz., at this week's Accenture Match Play Championship. The sound you just heard was a window of opportunity for golf's mere mortals being slammed shut.

An old adage suggests it wise to "get while the getting is good." After all, what better time is there to be a professional golfer not named Tiger Woods than when Tiger Woods is not playing golf?

Looking back, a handful of players made the most of that opportunity. Several others dropped the ball - and saw it roll under a bus.

Five Players Who Need No Apologies

Padraig Harrington: No golfer played bigger while the cat was away. Remember, Woods finished second in the Masters and won the U.S. Open. If healthy, he would have been a huge favorite in the year's final two majors.

But Woods didn't play and Harrington won the British Open and the PGA Championship for his second and third major championships. Did someone say "Paddy Slam?"

Kenny Perry: The 48-year-old journeyman won three titles while Woods was on the sideline, including the Buick Open, where Tiger is a past champion. Perry also won last season's Memorial in May, two weeks before the U.S. Open - when Woods was taking time off to rest the troublesome knee.

Anthony Kim: The charismatic, third-year pro won twice last year - once before the Open and once after - in events that would have ordinarily featured a healthy Woods.

Also, without Woods' shadow looming over all others during the Ryder Cup, Kim earned far more notice and applause than would have ever been possible.

Camilo Villegas: In his third PGA Tour season, the former Florida Gator imported from Colombia broke into the win circle last year with a pair of titles. Both - the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship - were events in which Woods was the defending champion but did not play. Now that's taking advantage of a good thing.

Vijay Singh: The big Fijian cashed in - literally - on Woods' absence. Singh was the first player other than Tiger to win the tour's Fed Ex Cup. With victories in the opening two events of the season-ending playoff series, Singh earned a $10 million bonus. Woods-like money. The only difference was Woods always smiled.

Five Players Who Sucked Air

Phil Mickelson: What happens to the No. 2 player in the world when No. 1 goes away? Wrong. Mickelson has talked long and hard about being Woods' chief rival, so during the eight months Tiger was gone, guess what happened? Mickelson dropped from No. 2 to No. 5, failing to win in nine events where there was no Tiger. That's showing 'em.

Adam Scott: How long has it been that the heartthrob Australian will be the next big thing in golf? Too long. Scott does have two significant wins - the 2004 Players and 2006 Tour Championship - but he has not claimed a title against a field that included Woods in nearly five years. And he didn't win after Woods sat down, either.

Ernie Els: The fact he's one of the most likeable guys in golf does not excuse the Big Easy from being hugely disappointing. "I want to win more majors and start giving Tiger a run for his money," Els stated in early 2007 while starting a three-year plan.

Now, beginning year three of the three-year plan, Els' results look the same with or without Tiger.

Nick Faldo: You are right; the six-time major champ left the tee box for the broadcast booth, but that didn't stop the Englishman from an ugly shank.

Europe won four out of five Ryder Cups, including three in a row, when playing against a Woods-led U.S. team. Faldo was named European captain and gets waxed by an American team minus its best player. Jolly good show, ol' man.

Sergio Garcia: What's a "hadn't lived up to the hype" story without golf's pouting Spaniard? El Nino did win May's Players Championship that Woods skipped. Give him credit for that. But, still looking for his first major title, Garcia looked much like he always does against Woods, finishing second and failing to win while Woods was absent.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT