Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
It’s Tiger’s world.. the rest of us just live here
I’M starting to suspect Tiger Woods is super human.
Paul Casey may have won on US soil for the first time in nine years at the Valspar Championship but it was Woods and his T2 finish that took the plaudits.
What other player has that ability to steal the show?
Other pretenders have come and gone, but no one compares to Tiger.
He hogs the limelight and boasts an X-factor that defies rational explanation.
His return from the brink after a serious back injury is simply phenomenal.
He is box-office gold. So much so, NBC – who televised the Valspar – reported their highest-rated Saturday broadcast for a golf tournament in more than a decade.
Our inclination (or desire) is to create stars every year or 18 months.
Since 2014, when Woods last held top spot in the rankings, Rory Mcilroy, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson have all sat at the summit.
Some of them have been billed as ‘the next Tiger’, but they don’t come close. They don’t sprinkle the same stardust.
The reality is: there won’t be another Tiger.
In terms of magnetism and wider appeal, he is unrivalled.
Truth be told, it is fanciful to compare the supporting cast to Woods.
You can’t equate pretenders to the peerless.
Can he win again? He has shown he is capable, but at the moment it doesn’t really matter. He’s proved he can compete and his 12th place at the Honda and T2 in Innisbrook are really positive signs.
I always hoped (at times against my better judgement) that Tiger could return to his former self, but the speed of his revival has shocked me.
It’s only 10 months ago he was led from his car, addled by prescription drugs.
The Valspar was also only his fourth tournament since undergoing a fourth back operation.
That’s simply incredible, but his desire to compete sets him apart.
He has already achieved greatness, but it’s clear he wants to add to his 14 major titles and 79 PGA Tour wins.
Could he win the Masters? At 42, time is against him, but Tiger is back prowling again. Age blunts your killer instincts but he has wisdom on his side and that counts for a lot.
I hope the likes of Rory, Dustin and Rahm relish Woods re-entering the fray.
The fear factor isn’t what it once was, but the buzz around him remains.
They should embrace the challenge of a refreshed Tiger vying for golf ’s highest honours.
Casey entered the winner’s enclosure at Valspar, but it was Woods who won his way back into the public conscience.
It was a good week for the former World No1 – but an even better one for golf.