Woods’ back among top questions in new year
The PGA Tour rings in the new year at Kapalua for the 20th straight time. After all these years, the one moment that stands above all others was the titanic battle between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els in 2000.
Both made eagle on the 18th hole to force a playoff. Both made birdie on the first extra hole. Woods ended it with a 35foot birdie putt on the next hole that was downhill and into the grain with about 6 feet of break. Equally memorable was what Els said when it was over:
“He’s 24. He’s probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s.”
Woods turned 42 on Saturday. He’s still not bigger than Jack Nicklaus when it comes to golf’s ultimate yardstick, most majors won.
But he’s still Tiger, and that means a lot.
He commands more at-
tention than major champions nearly half his age. And that’s why Woods, who makes golf mustsee TV when he’s playing, leads the list of five questions to consider for 2018.
What to expect from Tiger?
The question wasn’t much different a year ago.
Woods returned to the Hero World Challenge after a 15-month recovery from two more back surgeries, and more was made of his 24 birdies than finishing 15th against an 18-man field in an unofficial holiday event. When the new year began, he lasted three rounds over two tournaments and was out again.
This time, he is returning from fusion surgery on his lower back. Most noticeable last month in the Bahamas was his power, and Woods said in a recent blog that he is hitting a full club longer than he was before. Adding to the higher level of optimism is the amount of golf he played leading up to his return — and not the score, but the company. Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Daniel Berger all played with Woods and liked what they saw.
The measure will be the full schedule that he wants to play, though he has not said what or where that would be. And if his health is as solid as he is letting on, golf will get a full dose of Woods in the majors for the first time since 2015.
Who’s on Plane to France?
The Americans haven’t won the Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993, two months after Jordan Spieth was born. That’s old news. The Americans won the last Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, and they start 2018 with the top three players in the world ranking and five of the top eight. That means they will be favored on paper, and most American golf fans will be dismissive of Europe’s chances.