Without Playing, Tiger Shows His Greatness

Anyone that watched the final rounds of the US Senior Open, the World Golf Championships and the Nationwide Tour's Cox Classic this Sunday witnessed an incredible number of "melt-down's" by top players coming down the stretch.

At the US Senior Open, golf's most accurate driver, Fred Funk, hits a tee shot on hole number 13 into a lie that he could not properly advance. Result- a fast triple bogey and effectively the end of his chances to capture senior golf's most coveted trophy.

John Cook suffered a back nine 39 on way to 77. Kite was within striking distance as the day started, but 75 shots later he finished 12th. Romero, this year's Senior Open survivor, won by shooting a three-over 73.

At Firestone, the perennial site of the World Golf Bridgestone Invitational, Vijay Singh didn't exactly ooze confidence over those short final putts, the last one slithering in from four-feet for the victory. As shaky as Vijay looked coming down the stretch, Phil Mickelson looked even worse bogeying three of the final four holes to hand over the title.

The Cox Classic in Omaha, Nebraska saw 54-hole leader David Branshaw succumb to Sunday afternoon's mounting pressure bogeying three straight holes to start his final nine, finishing with 40 on that inward side. He ultimately lost in sudden-death to Ryan Hietala on the first playoff hole when his 5-footer had no chance of falling.

OK, so what does all this have to do with Tiger? Just that it makes us all realize how inhuman he is on Sunday. Tiger finds a way to get it done. He does it over and over again. We've come to view his greatness as ordinary for him.

When you see some of the game's top players, in form, or they would be in the chase on the back nine late Sunday, falter this dramatically it just reaffirms how truly special Tiger is.

Did you ever doubt Tiger would win at Torrey Pines? That the putt on 18 Sunday afternoon would lip out versus lip in? That he would make another tournament saving putt on 18 Monday afternoon?

Somehow I just don't have that same vibe when watching Phil or Vijay or the rest. That to me is what makes Tiger, Tiger. We have come to expect the remarkable. And he keeps on delivering.

I can't wait to have Tiger back to show us more.

That's my view on the game.

Mark Gonsalves
CEO
Hank Haney IJGA