Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Halfway report: Tiger has some competition
— maybe
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
Nothing is ever the way it seems with Tiger Woods.
Twice this year, he has chastised the media for exaggerating performances
good and bad. It took only two tournaments at the start of the
season for someone to mention the word “slump.” After
three straight victories, including the Masters for a clean sweep
of the majors, he was deemed unbeatable.
“They make more of it when you are playing well, and they
make more of it when you are playing bad,” Woods said. “That's
just the way it is.”
Halfway through the year, the record reflects the same old Tiger.
Woods has won five times going into the British Open, same as
last year.
He has one major, same as last year.
A year ago, he holed out from the 15th fairway at Pebble Beach
for a seven-stroke comeback. In Germany this year, he holed out
from the 13th fairway to come back from 10 strokes behind on the
weekend.
Blowouts? Nothing will approach the 15-stroke victory at the U.S.
Open last year, although Woods did sleepwalk to a seven-shot win
at the Memorial last month.
Alas, there are differences.
Woods already has finished out of the top 10 five times this year
(including a major), compared with only three times all of last
year.
He has finished at least 10 strokes back in three tournaments.
The 1999 Bay Hill Invitational was the last time he was that far
behind the winner.
And unlike last year, the money race isn't over.
Woods was approaching the $5 million mark on the PGA Tour money
list at this time a year ago, twice as much money as the next
guy. He still has a comfortable lead over Phil Mickelson ($835,665),
although there are seven more tournaments worth at least $4 million,
and Woods won't play in two of those.
What does it all mean?
Tiger is still Tiger, but at least he has something that resembles
competition.
Then again, he could win the last two majors, add another World
Golf Championship or two, finish the year with 10 victories and
$10 million — and nothing will have changed.
The midterm report, looking at what a difference a year makes:
Challengers
Now: Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Both are two-time winners on
tour this year. Mickelson gets extra credit because of his seven
additional finishes in the top three, Garcia because of his youth
and charisma. Mickelson is one major away — his first one
— from being the closest thing Woods has ever had to a rival.
Then: None. The closest was Hal Sutton, almost old enough to be
Woods' father. He stared down Woods in a dramatic duel to win
The Players Championship, and proclaimed that Tiger is not a god.
Mickelson stopped Woods' winning streak in San Diego and had three
wins, but that was still two fewer than Woods — and no majors.
MIA
Now: Ernie Els and David Duval. Els hasn't been the same since
getting spooked by one bad shot in the Mercedes, a tournament
that was his to lose. He left the U.S. Open more concerned about
his own desire than taking on Tiger. Duval should get an incomplete
for a wrist injury in March. Still, he had his worst West Coast
swing in five years and has not contended on a regular basis.
Then: Duval and Davis Love III. Duval was mean, lean and winless.
Love was just winless, in the second year of a drought that would
span 62 tour events before he won this year at Pebble Beach.
Best performance in a major
Now: Retief Goosen will be remembered for his three-putt from
12 feet on the 72nd hole of the U.S. Open, but he was much better
than everyone else for the other 89 holes — the first 71
in regulation and the final 18 in his playoff win over Mark Brooks.
Then: Woods could have 16-putted the final hole at Pebble Beach
and still won.
Best final round:
Now: Scott Hoch closed with a 64 to win the Western Open, beating
out a 66 by Love.
Then: Woods and Els matched 5-under 68s, both eagled the 72nd
hole at the Mercedes, both eagled the first hole of the playoff.
Woods finally won with a 40-foot birdie putt that was downhill,
into the grain and had 6 feet of break.
Monday, Monday
Now: Woods was at three of the five tournaments that concluded
Monday. He won The Players Championship, finished 12 strokes back
at the Buick Classic and wasn't part of the 18-hole playoff at
the U.S. Open.
Then: Woods was in all three Monday finishes — his great
comeback at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the great duel with Sutton
at the Players, the great yawn at Memorial with his five-stroke
victory.
Tiger's British Open tuneup:
Now: A tie for 20th in the Western Open, fishing and golf in Ireland.
Then: A tie for 23rd in the Western Open, fishing and golf in
Ireland.
Some things never change.
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