By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Fairway grass is still dormant in these parts, but new is right around the corner in the golf world. The PGA Tour begins this week.
Stops in Hawaii, Arizona and California were nothing but a prelude to the real thing. In other words, Tiger Woods is going to play this week — his first full-fledged competition other than an occasional game with friends for pocket change since he limped past Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open last June.
It is not true that he took money from both the TV sponsors who need him and the players who know deep down that they can’t win when he is in the field.
Some of us tune into golf every week, but it’s not the same without Woods. He is so downright compelling that he even provides context for all others when he is on the sidelines.
For instance, the first two weeks in Hawaii, the winners were Geoff Ogilvy and Zach Johnson. Ogilvy won his only major in 2006 and it was the U.S. Open where Woods missed the cut, still mourning the loss of his beloved father. Johnson won his only major in 2007 and it was the Masters where Woods never broke par and missed by two shots.
In February, Nick Watney won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, site of Woods’ hit-and-wince playoff victory over Mediate. Three shots behind with five holes to play, Watney made a couple of birdies while leader John Rollins contributed two bogeys and failed to birdie the very reachable par-five 18th.
When Woods has the lead, he does not falter.
On Sunday, first Phil Mickelson and then Steve Stricker did some Rollins-like stuff. In front by four at one time, Mickelson hit driver all over the lot and fell behind by two. Stricker missed a short birdie putt on No. 17 and his so-so chip led to a bogey on the final hole. Mickelson does deserve kudos for birdies on two of the final three holes.
Earlier in the day, an 18-year-old won a pro event in Australia. Danny Lee is also the U.S. Amateur champ — the youngest amateur champion in history by 209 days over, you guessed it, Woods.
During the European Tour telecast, there was a tick-tock in the upper right hand corner, counting the days and minutes until Woods returns. Just before Lee won, it was down to three days, 1:31.
Woods had season-ending surgery on June 24 to replace the ruptured ACL in his left knee and did not begin hitting balls again until December. In January, an article in Golf Digest said that Woods’ knee would be stronger than ever and, therefore, his swing would be better.
Now 33, Woods would not return to competition unless he felt confident. He might not be major-tournament sharp, but Woods at 80 percent is better than most anybody else at 100 percent.
John Cook, a friend of Woods’ and a member of the Champions Tour, played with Woods last week and said, “I don’t see him favoring anything.”
Woods chose the WGC-Accenture Match Play championship to return to competition and the lose-and-go-home format could work against him. A few missed shots are much more damaging in an 18-hole match than they are in 72 holes of stroke play. He should dispatch the 64th seed, Brendan Jones, on Wednesday, but his second match will be against the Tim Clark-Retief Goosen winner and both are capable.
Win or lose, welcome back Tiger.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
