Memorial win would make this the year of the Tiger
TIGER WOODS could end his five year winless streak at the Memorial this week.
Not so long ago, that sentence would have seemed ridiculous.
How times have changed for the former World No1.
Just 12 months ago, Woods was being led from his car with five prescription drugs in his system.
He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after being found asleep at the wheel.
Personal issues combined with a painful back injury appeared to herald the end to a great career.
Yet a year later, he’s showing positive signs and holding his own among the world’s elite.
Woods remains the biggest draw in golf and his renaissance has been remarkable. Since returning to action with a T9 at the Hero World Challenge in December, he has recorded five top-15 finishes in nine events overall.
He has contended at The Honda Classic (12th), Valspar Championship (T2), Arnold Palmer (T5) and in his last outing, The Players Championship (T11).
Can he secure his first win since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational this week? Many believe so given his record at Muirfield Village.
Tiger has triumphed here five times before – in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 and 2012 – and boasts three other top-five finishes in his 15 appearances.
That’s a top-five ratio of around 53 per cent.
A high class field will tee it up at The Memorial – including joint 12/1 favourites Rory Mcilroy, Jason Day, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson.
But Woods, who is priced at 18s behind the likes of Justin Thomas (14s) and Jordan Spieth (16s), will relish the chance to beat the best.
There are strong rumours the 14-times Major champion will play the Irish Open in Ballyliffan in July, which would be a massive coup for the tournament.
But his immediate focus is on the States, where it’s still bonanza time when he’s in town.
We all hoped the hype around Tiger’s return from injury would be realised in tangible terms, but it’s his performances that have been beyond any reasonable expectation. He is currently No10 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained overall, so the evidence is stacking up that he can enter the winner’s enclosure in 2018.
But after setting the bar so high pre-2013, Woods – who has 79 PGA Tour victories to his name – knows he’ll only truly be back when he actually WINS.
I fully expect him to be in contention this week and for the buzz he creates to inspire those around him.
It’ll be tough, but anything is possible when Tiger has belief and momentum on his side.
THIS week’s Italian Open will stage the second instalment of the lucrative Rolex Series.
With another €7m on offer, it’s a great time of the year to cash in.
I do wonder if the mindset of our top players would change if we could add another handful of these mega money events to the European calendar.
The facilities are better in the US and the competition is deeper, but money always talks.
As well as the eight events on the current Rolex
Series, there’s no reason why the Middle Eastern tournaments at the start of the year couldn’t be added to the schedule.
That would cover the first couple of months leading into the Masters and Sawgrass before players could return to Europe for the current run of events prior to the US Open.
With the climax to the European season offering big money events, you can see how it would be easier to attract more players to stay at home.
The more star names we keep on these shores, the more the tour will blossom. The Rolex Series has helped close the gap on the PGA Tour, but one final push could tilt the balance in our favour.