WELCOME BACK TIGER

As a golf aficionado it’s with awe I welcome back Eldrick “Tiger” Woods to competition to defend his WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship around noon. His past feats are, without a hint of hyperbole, truly legendary.  If Woods was never to raise another trophy over his head again, he could eventually take satisfaction knowing that his 2008 U.S. Open victory would probably be considered the most remarkable achievement in the history of the sport while hobbled with a stress fracture and torn ACL in his left leg. However, as we all know, this week’s field is unlikely to enjoy such a luxury.

Despite the nearly nine month layoff, the prospect of Woods winning is offered at +400 on the moneyline at Sportsbook.com (info purposes only!). The next tier of favorites (Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Anthony Kim) is each going at +1500, and Mickelson just won last week at Riviera. That’s [well-deserved] respect.

In a low-stakes “February Madness” game I’m participating in, my final four is: Tiger, Phil, Ian Poulter, and Robert Karlsson. Considering the unintended consequence of Mr. Cablasian 's layoff was an opportunity to improve his short game while regaining the facility to swing hard without pain, I don’t see any reason not to anoint him the winner right now. His ability to use golf-appropriate intimidation is yet another skill that is probably not as appreciated by the casual fan; in a 1-on-1 match play format in particular.

Winning a stroke play tournament is so difficult because no matter how good the best players are, on any given week one is also competing with “hot” players. This is the same reason why the Yankees can’t be expected to be fairly considered an overwhelming favorite to win the World Series despite the gigantic edge in financial resources at the franchise’s disposal. However, how can you not love Tiger’s chance to dispatch opponents one at a time? A little research will make the not-so-surprising revelation that he dominates in the match play format for just that reason.

Common Sense.  Even Tiger’s return won’t solve the economic headwinds facing the PGA Tour this year, if not longer, so it’s good to hear former #1 Greg Norman suggest a pay cut for the players by lowering purses.  Sports is typically a recession-resistant industry, but in this economic cycle discretionary income is like a unicorn; it exists only in fantasy. The major sports leagues – MLB, NFL, and NBA – have all had layoffs, and NASCAR’s growth trajectory has taken a dramatic reversal. Playing golf, let alone regularly and well, is still beyond the reach of most and to ignore today’s zeitgeist of thrift would be retarded. Hopefully PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem has rabbit ears on this matter.