Forget about Phil and his staying away – Tiger is always the big story
With Phil Mickelson not around to face the music, golf fans can look forward to a good news story as Tiger Woods returns to the fairways at this week’s US PGA Championship.
In an ideal world, defending Champion Mickelson would have been at Southern Hills, reliving the success against the odds last year at Kiawah Island when he became the oldest Major winner at nearly 51.
But the American has not been seen on the course since February following his controversial comments about the PG Tour and Greg Norman’s Saudi Arabia-backed
LIV Golf circuit.
And he has perhaps been advised that turning up in Tulsa would have been a bad move.
So while Mickelson remains a golfing pariah, Woods will dominate the action over the opening couple of rounds as everyone waits to see what sort of physical condition he is in.
The 46-year-old managed all four rounds at Augusta and played some excellent golf, until his lack of tournament play caught up with him over the weekend.
He has not played any event since, although he has been up to Southern Hills in Oklahoma to check out the venue – one he won the US PGA at in 2007.
Like everyone else, Sky Sports commentator Robert Lee is thrilled that Woods is back, he just hopes that Tiger is taking the right medical advice as the 15-time Major winner picks and chooses his competitions.
“We had the will he, won’t he, right up until the start of The Masters, but we have to think he is going to play at Southern Hills,” Lee told The Sunday Post.
“In Tiger’s mind, he’s playing. He has been to the course to play it a couple of times and he’s invested spending time with a local pro to get that bit more knowledge.
“I was amazed he played at Augusta because that is a very difficult walking course plus you have shots from a lot of different lies, but he got round the four days.
“What we have to remember is that Tiger is used to a life of pain and he’s played like that for a long time.
“We just hope that he is doing this in a programme with medical experts because this is the last hurrah.
“It’s off the charts excitement that he is coming to St Andrews in July. Golf wise, can he contend there? Absolutely.
“Southern Hills is not the longest, it’s more of a thinking man’s course. And thinking your way around the course should suit Tiger.”
One player who should be eager to get back into Major competition after his runner’s up finish at Augusta is Rory Mcilroy.
The Northern Irishman produced fireworks in his Sunday 64, but Lee doesn’t want Rory giving himself too much to do on the final day again.
However, after an eight-year hiatus, the commentator is hopeful that Mcilroy will claim one of the game’s biggest prizes.
“Rory’s having a good season and I think he’ll win a Major this year,” stated Lee.
“I used to pull for Tiger until 2010, 2011, but since then I’ve pulled for Rory because he can do things I never could.
“He plays with a bit of swashbuckle, capable of utter brilliance and once he gets going, it’s like an avalanche.
“But he needs a good start, so he’s in the thick of it by halfway.
“Coming second at Augusta was great and he wasn’t too far off in the end, but it was second by coming charging up the field.
“You want Rory in contention so he’s in the last couple of groups on the Sunday because we know what he’s capable of in the last round.”
Lee admits that he could easily make a case for any of the top20 players to have a strong week at Southern Hills, although he is interested to see how Masters Champion and World number one Scottie Scheffler fares.
“I had Scottie to win this season, but to have the run he did winning four times and culminating in The Masters was astonishing,” he said.
“But Scottie is a seriously good player. He showed that as a rookie at the Ryder Cup, where he didn’t back off at all.
“Southern Hills is a ball-striker’s course.
“The greens are not very receptive, so it’s all about tee to green golf and him and Jon Rahm are two of the best at that.”