-Peter Kerasotis
Why does Tiger Woods matter, even when he doesn't ... like, say, this past week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, where Tiger finished out of the hunt, tied for 24th?
Here's why.
Because everytime I cover a golf tournament, it doesn't matter if it's a golf fan, a nominal fan, or a non-fan, people always ask me the same two questions:
1) Who's leading?
2) Where's Tiger?
People want to know how he's doing, even when he's not doing well. To not write about how he did, and where he's at, would frankly be irresponsible.
I guarantee you that back in the 1920s, when people would ask how the New York Yankees did, their other question (and maybe even their first won) was how Babe Ruth did, even when the mighty Babe struck out.
Here's why else Tiger Woods matters.
He and Michael Jordan are our two greatest athletes of this past quarter century -- two absolutely iconic figures who are probably the most recognizable sports figures in the world.
Jordan, in case you haven't noticed, is no longer playing basketball.
Tiger, on the other hand, is not only still playing golf, he is four majors away from tying Jack Nicklaus for most ever. Conceivably all four could happen this year. Yes, he is 35, with more sand occupying the bottom of his hourglass, but still. Next week we're going to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Nicklaus winning the Masters at age 46, which was also the last major he won. So if you go by that criteria, Tiger has 11 years to win five majors and become the greatest ever.
As it is, he is the greatest of his generation, far and away better than anyone else, which means he matters ... even when he doesn't.
As I wrote the other day, there are two types of people:
1) Those who are obsessed with Tiger Woods.
2) Those who are obsessed over the obsession with Tiger Woods.
Either way, we're obsessed.
We also have to write about Tiger Woods at Bay Hill because of this simple fact: He has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational a staggering six times, more than any other golfer in the 33-year history of the tournament. If it was Joe Snaphook who'd won it six times, we'd have to mention in every story how ol' Joe is playing, even if he isn't playing well. And on top of winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational six times, Tiger also won it in back-to-back years the last two times he played in it -- in 2008 and 2009. Since this was his first time back since then, we have to mention in every story how he's playing, even if he wasn't playing well.
And here's why else Tiger matters.
Although he's no longer the world's No. 1 player, he is still the world's top-ranked golfer from America. So, you know, you sort of should mention how the country's top-ranked player is playing.
But beyond that, Tiger still matters because nobody has stepped forward and made us forget about how great he is.
If we saw anything these past several weeks, as the PGA Tour swung through the Sunshine State, it's that nobody really wants the spotlight. Oh, golfers will tell you otherwise, but most of them are fine with finish near the top instead of at the top. They're perfectly content with collecting a nice six-figure paycheck from a week's work and move on to the next tournament, leaving the spotlight behind.
Sunday's final pairing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational -- Martin Laird and Spencer Levin -- shot 75 and 76, respectively, in that closing rond. Pathetic. Laird's 75, with him leaking oil all over the place, was the worst closing score by a winner in the 33-year history of that tournament. Once again, pathetic.
And the only reason why Laird could win with a closing 75 is because nobody else wanted to win it. Every time someone got the lead, or got close to the lead, they treated it like it was the front spot in an execution line.
I can't confirm this, but it wouldn't surprise me if every caddie out there had a barf bag for his golfer. Everyone, of course, except for Tiger's caddie.
Tiger, you see, loves the spotlight, loves the pressure. The great ones do. And so far, none of these so-called up-and-comers on the PGA Tour have demonstrated the kind of moxie that separates being really good to being really great.
Tiger was really great. I mean really, really great.
If anything, when you look around at the state of the PGA Tour now, we're reminded at just how hard and just how great he was to have won 71 PGA Tour events and 14 majors by the age of 33.
Will he be great again?
It's the storyline going forward.
Which is why Tiger Woods matters ... even when he doesn't.
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