The winds are a changing, hold on tight
When it comes to big names in sport, and I mean really big, people often have preconceived ideas in their head. They tend to stick to the same line of argument year in year out without fully appreciating how things can change.
Sport stars come and go. They retire, make comebacks, return from injury and either go into slumps or rediscover form in an ever-changing environment. Sadly some sports fans remain stagnant.
This was evident during some casual office banter last week.
Discussing what you may ask? Tiger Woods’ latest attempt at a comeback of course.
Just the mere mention of his name immediately triggers the same response wherever I go.
“Ah, he’ll never be as good as he was.”
The observations keep rolling in.
“If he could putt like he used to, he’ll be right up there again” or “Against the current crop of youngsters, he stands no chance.”
And while at face value, you might agree with the above statements, Tiger is about to tee it up in his fourth tournament at the Valspar Championship today with impressive stats backing his comeback all the way.
Did you know that he ranked second in driving distance and first in club head speed at the Honda Classic – where he finished 12th – a fortnight ago? But he’s 42 and over the hill.
His proximity to the hole was also better than anyone else proving there is nothing wrong with his iron play.
These very same people who dish out opinions left, right and centre, have perhaps watched a stretch of two to three holes maximum this season and then feel as if they are in a position to comment on his overall chances going forward.
There is no denying the brilliance of new wonder kid Justin Thomas and the rest of the brighteyed gang. But equally impressive are the likes of Phil Mickelson, the latest golden oldie to join the winner’s circle. (In a play-off win over Thomas just last Sunday at the World Golf Championships in Mexico mind you).
It was Phil’s first victory since the 2013 Open Championship and like Tiger, many had written him off. But here we are in 2018 with a month to go until golf’s first Major and things couldn’t be more exciting as Tiger and Phil breathe new life into the sport and hopefully renew their rivalry.
Groupings for this weekend’s tournament were announced on Tuesday and as if there wasn’t enough hype already, Woods will be playing alongside Major winner Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth.
Writing this, I do realise that Tiger might bomb out and miss the cut but more importantly he’ll have more reps under his belt heading into Augusta where he has won four green jackets.
Bar a few wayward tee shots, it looks promising, so whatever side of the fence you find yourself, let’s just sit back and enjoy the newfound buzz hurtling along the fairways.
Golf is in a good place.