SHADOW BOXERS
With all eyes on Tiger, other stars happy to fight it out in obscurity
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods’ presence has been positively overwhelming this week at the Masters.
It’s sucked the oxygen from whatever attention anyone else in the field might have gotten had he not been in the field. And that’s just fine with his fellow competitors, thank you.
Woods’ remarkable comeback from his Feb. 21, 2021, car crash outside of Los Angeles has been the story of this Masters as it begins play with Thursday’s opening round at Augusta National — and justifiably so considering how unfathomable it is that he’s here.
Woods, 46, is accustomed to the attention, but even by his standards, this week has been over the top, and the tournament doesn’t even begin until Thursday.
Everywhere he goes, the masses follow.
This may turn out to be an advantage to some of the other golf stars trying to win a green jacket this week.
Every top player has his own pressures this week, all for different reasons — whether ...
l It’s Rory McIlroy making his eighth attempt at completing the career grand slam with a first green jacket.
l Or Jon Rahm, who’s been the best player in the world for the past couple years, finally getting over the line at Augusta after contending for the past four years.
l Or Justin Thomas trying to truly contend for the first time after conceding that he’s “underachieved’’ in major championships.
l Or Jordan Spieth trying to find the magic that brought him a Masters title in 2015 along with two runner-up and two thirdplace finishes.
l Or Scottie Scheffler trying to justify his newly minted status as the No. 1 player in the world.
l Or Brooks Koepka adding a third leg to his pursuit of a career grand slam, already having won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
l Or Bryson DeChambeau trying to justify his bulk-up, speed training fitness strategy, bettering his best finish in his five Masters of a tie for 21st when he was an amateur in 2016.
The attention devoted to Woods has overshadowed the pressures that face all of the above-mentioned top players.
“It’s going to be his first tournament back in a long time,’’ Dustin Johnson said of Woods, who last competed in the 2020 Masters. “So, obviously he’s one of greatest that’s ever played this game and especially in our era, so anytime he tees it up, especially after his injuries, he’s going to take a lot of attention, which is OK with me.
“I always like sliding in a little under the radar.’’
DeChambeau, who’s been the most polarizing figure in the game in Woods’ absence, sounded delighted by the development.
“When you don’t have everybody, or a lot of people, yelling your name or chanting, it can kind of can be, I would say, almost relaxing in a sense,’’ he said. “I remember when I just won in 2020 the U.S. Open [at Winged Foot] and then coming here in the fall for the Masters, it was definitely different, a lot of eyes were on me. It was a different expectation level and definitely uncomfortable for me because I had never experienced that.
“Coming off an injury [hip and hand], not being really fully ready or not having won recently or whatnot, it’s kind of been nice going into this year’s Masters just peacefully going about my business.’’
McIlroy said he tries to “shield” himself “from as much news as possible, especially this week,’’ adding, “So not really, depending on whether you’re the center of attention or not, I think it does make it nice with the practice rounds. We were on the ninth green when Tiger and J.T. [Justin Thomas] and Freddie [Couples] teed off [Monday]. It was a mass exodus from the ninth green to the first tee, and then the back nine was lovely and quiet.
“That’s a nice way to get through the first week and sort of go about your preparation, I guess, unhindered.’’
As “relaxed’’ and “unhindered’’ as those practice rounds have been for Woods’ competitors, Woods is used to it all. He’s spent his life in a fishbowl.
Beware of Tiger this week regardless of his physical ailments.
Former PGA player Steve Elkington delivered this gem of an observation to the Golf Channel on Wednesday when discussing Woods.
“His swing looks great, his back looks great. He has only one thing to think about and that’s his [injured] leg, and that’s less than anyone else in this field is thinking about.’’