Anyone watching the 2008 British Open, won by Padraig Harrington with a 3-over, had to be wondering (as were some of the commentators): By how many strokes would Tiger Woods have won this tournament? Then when Harrington turned around a month later and one the PGA Championship as one of only two subpar performers, you had to wonder what Tiger Woods was thinking watching the tournament from home.
Well next week we can stop wondering, as Tiger Woods returns to golf and the giant asterisk that has been hanging over the Tour since his miraculous U.S. Open playoff win last June. Once again, when someone wins a Major Championship this year they will have actually beaten the best golfers in the world. How effective will Woods be? Between the reconstructed knee and thinking about his newborn, maybe not so great. But at least the Major champions this year can say they won when the greatest golfer of their time was on his couch.
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Thank god!!! I haven’t watched a LICK of golf since Tiger’s departure!!!
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 2:26 PM
I’ve missed those arms.
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 8:11 PM
Oh great, now we get months of uninformed golf commentary from Cyd about his idol, Tiger Woods…
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Just to say something substantive, given that Tiger has won only one British Open not held at St. Andrews, and that Harrington was the defending champion and defeated Tiger and 100+ other guys the year before, his chances at the Open last year would have been far slimmer than many non-golf people assume.
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 8:17 PM
I read the name Padraig Harrington last night, but not the article. I’m like, wait, that’s Tiger. Padraig is an Irish name, Tiger wasn’t born in Ireland…
I think Tiger is many people’s idol. Just my honest opinion.
on Feb 23rd, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Tiger Woods is a great player. Probably the Greatest Ever.
But he is so boring. He just leads from the front all the time. There is rarely any drama because he is so good. He reminds me of Steve Davis in Snooker or Pete Samprass at tennis. He is Boooooooooooorrrrrrrrring!!!!! And by the way he wouldn’t have even made the cut at Birkdale. He cant handle real golf weather. He shot an 81 at Muirfield one year when the wind got up a we bit. Thats 10 hanicapper golf, hardly someone who would have shot under par a windy Birkdale this year. Harrington is the wind Master and always beats Woods score when paired together and is the only person to have this record against Woods. FACT! With Harrington, he is not consistant but at least his wins are exciting and he always comes from behind which is much more fun to watch than woods finishing 12 or 26 shots ahead. Id prefer to watch paint dry thank you very much.
on Feb 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Boomer, don’t be a hater. Tiger’s a great golfer and I know what I’m talking about. Preach the love, man.
on Feb 23rd, 2009 at 5:12 PM
I’m with ya Don. But for his big arms I too am quite bored with Tiger and not looking foreword to all the gushing the media and commentators will be doing. Quite likley he’s the games greatest player. Just not terribly classie. A bit of an egomaniac and the fist pump irks me. It’s not like he cured cancer or anything sinking the putt. He’s just on his way to more millions. He lacks any sense of humility. Pro golfers were way classier back in the day. I miss ol’ Sam Sneed. He was a (yipper like me) class act. At least Jon Daly is a character.
Tiger has won so many flippin’ tourneys and made so much money (1/4 billion?) it’s time for him to step aside and let the game produce a new crew of top shelf players. He can go manage his foundation and do some good for society w/his $$$.
on Feb 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Luckily for those of us who enjoy watching the greatest golfer in history do some incredible things on the golf course, the vast majority do too. He is an inspiration.