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 Pumped up: Woods emphatically celebrated when he birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff at Torrey Pines. When will he come back, and how sharp will he be when he does? Woods has returned from injuries and heartbreak before to dominate the sport, and his two-month sabbatical before this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines after undergoing knee surgery was the latest example. But with a left knee that has been operated on twice this year and three times in five years, can even this finely tuned machine return to his usual standard? Dr. Thomas Rosenberg thinks so. The surgeon in Park City, Utah, who performed the latest surgery on Woods in late June said that he was “pleased with the results” and didn’t expect Woods to suffer “any long-term effects as it relates to his career,” assuming a successful rehabilitation process. It’s likely that Woods will follow his doctors’ orders this time around, since he admittedly ignored their advice before teeing it up at Torrey Pines. Doctors were worried about the toll walking the longest venue in U.S. Open history would take on his repaired knee, not to mention the tension it would endure because of his high-speed swings. And that double stress fracture in his left tibia that only Woods’ inner circle knew about? Suffice it to say that walking 25 miles wasn’t part of the recommended rehabilitation package. So even though Woods gutted out his 14th major title, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the PGA Tour will fare during his extended absence. “It's going to be tough for the sponsors and the tour,” PGA Tour player Kenny Perry said at the Travelers Championship, the first event after Woods’ playoff victory over Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. “Tiger is our tour, and when you lose your star player, it definitely hurts.” Immediately after Woods’ season-ending announcement, officials at the BMW Championship — the third of four playoff events that comprise the FedEx Cup — announced that some ticket holders were requesting refunds. Along with those four events, Woods also will miss the British Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. And, if history is any indicator, so will millions of viewers, as a recent report pointed out that CBS- and NBC-televised PGA events receive a 111 percent increase in ratings when Woods is in contention. While ratings are likely to take a hit, it’s less clear what Woods’ absence will have on local golf courses and golf-related industries. “If there is any impact, it’d be very miniscule,” Black Gold Golf Club PGA general manager Eric Lohman said about golf rounds. “There are many factors that dictate participating in golf, such as weather, time of year, economy, disposable income and price point.” But Lohman, whose Yorba Linda club was named 2007 Retailer of the Year by KemperSports, does think the golf industry will take an indirect hit from Woods’ absence, and he used cyclist Lance Armstrong as an example. “Only serious bicycling fans could tell you who won [the Tour de France] before or after Lance, but during his streak of seven straight, everyone paid attention to see how he did,” Lohman said. “The same occurs with Tiger, and I think golf will receive the same sort of media attention recession until Tiger returns from his injury.” But amid the gray clouds looming on professional golf’s horizon, there could be a silver lining if another player seizes the moment and performs well, which would give Woods a viable challenger or two to his supremacy when he returns. A few players have given him problems — Phil Mickelson held him off at the Deutsche Bank Championship last year and Mediate made him work an extra 19 holes for this year’s U.S. Open title. But they are exceptions to the norm, as evidenced by an analysis of golf scores between 2002 and 2006 that showed top PGA Tour players averaged one stroke higher in tournaments Woods participated in. Long Beach native John Merrick, who finished tied for sixth at the U.S. Open, said participating in a tournament with Woods in the field elevates it “to a different level.” “There aren’t enough words to describe him,” Merrick said. “You think you’ve seen it all, and then every event there’s a new jaw-dropping performance that he has. It almost becomes routine.” But even without Woods for an extended period, Merrick thinks there is enough talent on the PGA Tour to keep it viable. “I think the Tour is in a good place,” he said. “The core golf fans are still going to watch the Tour. I think the tournaments will still be packed. Hopefully, we can carry the torch.” Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are perhaps the three most recognizable golfers whose brilliant careers could have been even more successful had Woods not come along. This is a good opportunity for them to add to their major titles. Or maybe a young international player such as Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Justin Rose or Camilo Villegas will tap into their vast potential and get on a roll. There also are plenty of young American-born or raised golfers who could use Woods’ absence to climb up the ladder, such as Hunter Mahan, D.J. Trahan or Anthony Kim. And, who knows, a healthy, rejuvenated and hungry Woods could return to Torrey Pines next February for the Buick Invitational eager to continue his march through the record books. “Tiger is one of the best-conditioned golfers I have ever been around, so I fully expect for him to do what is necessary to get back to competitive shape in the shortest amount of time possible and return strong next season,” Jack Nicklaus told the Associated Press. “Personally, I look forward to that return. Tiger is a great person and great champion, and he is important to the game of golf.” Legendary golf analyst Ken Venturi, who won the 1964 U.S. Open, also expects Woods to come back strong. “The thing about golfers who have longevity over a period of time — a Jack Nicklaus or Sam Snead or Arnold Palmer — is that they avoided major injuries throughout their career,” Venturi said. “It’s always a sad thing when an athlete is taken down at the peak of his career. “But when you see [Woods] make the putts and chips that he did at the Open (while playing on an injured knee), I don’t see how anyone could ever seriously consider him out of any golf tournament.” SG TIGER WOODS BY THE NUMBERS: CAREER 14: Major victories, four behind all-time leader Jack Nicklaus. 65: PGA Tour victories, third on the career list behind Sam Snead (82) and Nicklaus (73). 9: USGA titles, tied with Bobby Jones for the all-time mark. 2: Golfers who’ve won each of the four professional majors at least three times (Woods and Nicklaus). 500: Weeks spent as the world’s No. 1 player after win at Torrey Pines. AT THE 2008 U.S. OPEN 4: Double bogeys, including three on the par-4 first hole. 3: Eagles, including two on the par-5 13th hole. 1,350,000: Winner’s check, in dollars. 320.9: Average driving distance, in yards, on the ninth and 15th holes (second in the field). 0: Times Woods has failed to win when leading a major after 54 holes. |
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Digg This ArticleReaders Feedback:
It is somewhat boring when Woods is not in the field. I have always enjoyed golf tournaments, but it is just not the same. I have seen Tiger play in person at Bay Hill 5 times, 1999 Open and the 2000 open. There is a different atmosphere when he is there.
| Comment at 7/14/2008 |
