The 2009 British Open will be remembered for two things: two fails. One was the fact that Tiger Woods, the favorite to win the event, missed the cut for just the fifth time in his pro career. The other was the fact that 59-year old Tom Watson ... who led virtually the entire tournament ... hiccuped down the stretch and lost to Stewart Cink in the playoff.
There was actually a third fail (I'm not big on that "fail" word as the rest of the internets). The fact that these young bucks let a 59-year old man nearly win a major championship is insulting.
We used to always consider this era of golf as the Tiger Era. He's dominated the tour and he has placed himself on the Mount Rushmore of golfers. We all know that these guys are so skilled, so strong and so gifted right now. There may not be as much talent on a golf course than there is right now.
But how does a man who hasn't done much of anything in 20 years nearly win one of the sport's signature events?
Put this Watson stuff aside for a bit. This year has been the perfect opportunity for somebody ... anybody ... to break away from the pack and become a star. Tiger Woods is coming off major knee surgery and isn't playing as well as he used to. Phil Mickelson has been going through a horrible time with the illnesses of his wife and mother. The two biggest names (and best players) in golf are not at their best so it would figure that there would be a pack of names ready to move in to the opening.
It hasn't happened.
This isn't just a post British Open thought. I view the British Open in golf as I do the French Open in tennis. It is much different than the rest of the tour and guys who you aren't as familiar with tend to do well there. I get that. But that doesn't excuse the rest of the year.
When I look back on the 2009 season, I'll remember Tiger not winning a major (he won't win the PGA Championship), Watson nearly winning the British, Phil Mickelson's heroic climb at the U.S. Open and John Daly selling stuff outside Augusta National. None of those thoughts is about anyone else doing anything about actually winning.
That's the golf world that Tiger Woods has put us in. He's the huge elephant in the room and you know he's there. We all expect at any moment for him to put it together and start dominating again.
It would be nice if someone would step up while he's working on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment