Capelle On Golf

Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have ridiculously stringent criteria on what makes a successful season. One major title or more makes a great year. No majors and the season is a disaster.

During his prime from 1962 through 1980 Nicklaus had 12 great years and seven disasters. To date, Woods has chalked up nine great years and has suffered through three disastrous campaigns.

Woods has performed admirably after his surgery with two ties for sixth in the first two majors, but all this means to him is that the count is oh and two. Two more strikes and the year is a failure.

Knowing how much they hate to go winless in the majors puts extra pressure on Nicklaus and Woods as they go into the second half of the year with two goose eggs. Nicklaus responded to the challenge by winning the 1970 British Open, the 1973 PGA, and the 1978 British Open. On three occasions he finished a stroke back at the PGA in his effort to avoid being shutout.

Woods has likewise met the avoid-the-zero  challenge in the last two majors with wins at the1999 PGA, the 2006 BO (and PGA), the 2007 PGA, and 2008 US Open which, win or lose, was going to be his last major.

Now he’s got two strikes left. He’s never played Turnberry, so there is no book on how it matches up with his game. He did finish second at the PGA in 2002 when it was held at Hazeltine, so his affinity for that layout should work in his favor.

Should Woods fail to win a major this year, his next chance will come in April, 22 months after his victory at Torrey Pines.

Besides his desire to bag #15 and inch closer to Nicklaus’ record, Tiger also has a super important winning streak on the line. There are three players in the Modern Era (1958+) who have won at least one major in four straight seasons. They include Nicklaus (1970-1973), Tom Watson (1980-1983), and Woods (1999-2002 and 2005-2008). If he can win one of the last two, he can stretch his streak to five, and possibly higher.

If Woods fails, he would have to start a new streak at age 34 and win one a year through age 38. So, realistically speaking, this is probably his last shot at doing something Nicklaus (or Watson) never could.

It is possible that Lucas Glover has busted loose and is now poised to fulfill his destiny as the next big thing in golf, that long awaited challenger to Tiger Woods golf has so long needed to make his quest to unseat Jack Nicklaus more than a mere formality.

But the record books are filled with one hit wonders in the majors. So, unless Glover validates his victory and soon, he will go down as a mediocre player who had his one day in the sun, er, clouds.

Unfortunately his win, though popular in the Glover family, was not what golf needed. Not for the business of golf. And not for us fans who have been thirsting for another win from the Top Two or that gang of young phenoms we hope will emerge as the Watson or Trevino of the Woods Era.

So far this year we’ve been “treated” to Phil Mickelson’s twin collapses and to Tiger Woods’ poor putting in both majors when a win by either in either major would have provided the tonic golf so desperately needs.

Instead we first suffered through Kenny Perry’s demise at the Masters, which lead to Angle Cabrera’s second major. Cabrera could, of course, be the great Tiger Stopper as he did beat him by a shot at the 2007 US Open. But chances are that this erratic playing 39 year old has, like the late blooming Mark O’Meara, used up his major’s magic.

Then at the Open, when 95% of the gallery at Bethpage were rooting for Mickelson, we get stuck with Lucas Glover, who’s previous best in 12 majors was a 20t at last year’s Masters.

Which brings us to the supposedly emerging young and not so young potential superstars. A win by any of the following players would have been far more satisfying because their pedigrees suggest that more majors could be in the offing.
Henrik Stenson (6t – age 32) He should be in his prime as his PLAYERS win suggested.
Rory McIlroy (10t – age 20) His first top 10 in a major, he could be on course to matching Woods, who won his first at age 21, or Nicklaus, who won his first at 22.
Sergio Garcia (10t – age 29) This is his first top 10 of the year on American soil! Garcia has two more chances to win his first major before he turns 30.
Anthony Kim (16t – age 24) He’s rapidly losing his stature as golf’s next big superstar as he’s failed to capitalize on the momentum he established last season.
Sean O’Hair (23t – age 26) He has a swing to die for and he’s obsessed with becoming a champion like his buddy Tiger, but his best in a major was a 10t at this year’s Masters.
Camilo Villegas (33t – age 27) Like Kim, he’s failed to build on what appeared to be a breakout season last year.
Adam Scott (36t – age 28) I’m not sure he belongs on the emerging stars list any longer as he failed to contend in his tenth straight major.
Andres Romero (47t – age 28) He looked like a sure thing when blitzed Carnoustie with 11 birdies on 2007, but he’s slipped to 65th in the WGR.

Others Potential Stars at the Open
Luke Donald (MC)
Martin Kaymer (MC)
Nick Watney (MC)
Zach Johnson (MC)
Justin Rose (MC)
Paul Casey (MC)

Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes were expected to blow sky high in the final round, leaving the Open in the hands of a more experienced player such as, say, Phil Mickelson. In the early going this looked like a good call when Glover shot three over on the front nine and Barnes scored six bogeys on holes 5-12.

But then both righted their vessels as Glover played the back nine in even par to win while Barnes was one under on the final six to grab a share of second place.

Now I’m sure Glover is a great guy, but it is hard to get excited about seeing him win when he’d missed the cut in his three previous Opens and had but one tour victory to his credit – not when Mickelson, who has paid his Open dues several times over, is a far more deserving winner.

Phil Mickelson Does it Again
This time Mickelson raised the hopes of his fans, who bellowed, “Let’s go Phil,” to record levels when he eagled the par five 13th hole after stuffing a long iron to five feet. But after a cautious par at 14, he three putted 15 from the edge, missing a four footer, then missed the green at the par 3 17th and failed to convert a seven foot par putt. So, just like that, he tumbled from minus four, the score that won for Glover, to two under. As he exited the stage, you could tell that he had nothing left to give the crowd, and that all he wanted was to climb aboard a jet and get back home to his family.

Mickelson set a record he’d rather not have with this fifth second in the US Open, breaking out of a tie with Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.

Tiger Woods Fails to Muster a Charge
Woods now has a chance for a top six slam after matching his 6t at the Masters in the Open. His driving was much improved over past majors, but his iron game was ordinary and his short game was spotty as the bluegrass gave him fits on several occasions.

And as for Tiger’s putting – please, let’s have no more talk about him being the best putter of all time. Yes, Tiger is above average in the clutch and he’s had his moments, but he’s blown far too many majors in the last five seasons with poor putting to be the best of all time. As Miller said, “He does not adjust well to slower greens. That may be his Achilles Heel.” And he proved it time and again on Monday as he failed to covert makeable putts that could have put him in contention.

David Duval is Back
From the 1998 Masters through the 2001 PGA David Duval finished in the top 10 in 11 of 16 majors. These included a win at the 2001 British Open and seconds at the 1998 and 2001 Masters, the later to Tiger Woods. Then, just when the player who was poised to become the Tom Watson or Lee Trevino of the Woods Era was at the peak of his powers, he dropped from sight.

Eight long years later Duval, at 37, appears to have reclaimed the magic with his 2t at the Open. If so, this quietly confident, yet superbly talented player, could challenge Tiger in a major or two over the years ahead and possibly even slow his ascent towards #19.

At first glance it would seem that the US Open is a two horse race because Ricky Barnes (-8 and 70) and Lucas Glover (-7 and 70) are three and four shots clear of the field respectively. But final round collapses in majors are not uncommon, and with these two suspects, a dual collapse could be in the cards.

Barnes started to leak oil, pulling drives badly on 10 and 11, but was lucky to escape with a bogey and a par. However, on 18 he may have foreshadowed his demise when he yanked a four foot par putt on the 18th.

As for Glover, he played holes 6-8 in four over before closing with seven pars and three birdies. So who is the real Lucas? The one who showed he can leak oil as well, or the GIR machine who closed out his round so brilliantly? We’ll discover a lot about his and Barnes’ readiness to win an Open soon enough. But should they buckle, a sizeable group of capable players stands ready to challenge for the title.

A rejuvenated David Duval (70), the 882 ranked player in the world, birdied two of his last three to tie for third at three under with Englishman Ross Fisher (69). In the process, Duval has become the number two sentimental favorite behind Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson’s roller coaster round of 69 featured four bogeys, one double bogey, and seven birdies. The last came on a curling 40-footer on the final hole that unleashed the days loudest roar from the highly supportive crowd. He stands in a tie for fifth with Hunter Mahan, who fired a 68, and Mike Weir, who looked weary as he played the final 13 in five over.

The quartet at one under includes Sean O’Hair (71), former British Open champion Todd Hamilton (71), two time US Open winner Retief Goosen (68), and long hitting Bubba Watson, who shot the low score of 67.

As for El Tigre, he fought and clawed his way to a 68, but at one over, needs to leapfrog over 14 players to defend his title. Could he do it? Well, Johnny Miller once shot a closing 63 to win the 1973 Open, but he trailed the leaders by only six shots going into the final round while Tiger’s nine behind. Still, if Barnes and Glover blow up, then he’s only four back of the duo at three under.

So who is it going to be? The odds makers have set the odd below. But as for me and the populace of Long Island and the city of New York, we’ll all be rooting for Phil – and Amy.

2/1 Ricky Barnes
2/1 Lucas Glover
6/1 Phil Mickelson
12/1 Ross Fisher
16/1 Hunter Mahan
16/1 Mike Weir
20/1 David Duval
20/1 Tiger Woods
25/1 Retief Goosen
25/1 Sean O’Hair

Enjoy!

A group of unusual suspects are hovering at the top of the leaderboard halfway through the US Open. Still, I wouldn’t expect to see any of the -3 or better crowd hoisting the trophy come Sunday, or Monday night – or whenever they conclude this rain plagued event. Among the huge surprises at the top are Ricky Barnes (-8), Lucas Glover (-7), and David Duval (-3), who must think it’s 2001 again.

Among the six players at -3 or better, Mike Weir would seem to have the best shot at winning. He’s won a major (the 2003 Masters) and he’s got 10 top 10s in the majors including three top sixes in the US Open. A win would give him nine tour victories and leave him a major or a few more wins short of the Hall of Fame.

The group at -2 includes Sean O’Hair, who won impressively at Quail Hollow, and who has stated that he plans on becoming a big time player. Also at two under is Lee Westwood, who shot a 66 today, and who finished a shot behind Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at last year’s Open.

Next comes Phil Mickelson (-1), who is already a winner just for showing up. Mickelson’s played two gritty rounds as he’s absorbed the good vibes of the crowd. Wife Amy, who stayed home, is surely appreciating the support for her husband. Should Phil win, he will become a leading candidate for Player of the Year and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

Others poised to join the hunt should the leaders falter include Steve Stricker (-1), Geoff Ogilvy (E), and Sergio Garcia (E).

And that brings us to Tiger Woods. On a day when the conditions favored his soaring tee shots and precision iron game, the best he could manage was a 69, which enabled him to make the cut with a shot to spare. For him to win #15, he’ll have to overcome the largest 36 hole deficit in Open history and notch his first major after not leading through three rounds. Though not likely, Tiger is full of surprises. If he goes out and lights up the scoreboard, the suspect group might come back to the field and he could find himself in the hunt.

Not much golf was played at Bethpage Black, but enough to cause a shift in the odds of some prominent players. The big movers were Henrik Stenson, Steve Striker, Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera, who impressed the oddsmakers with their play in the rain. Ian Poulter (33/1 – E thru 7) and Justin Leonard (40/1 – E thru 7) also joined the under 50/1 club.

The biggest disasters were European stalwarts Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington, who may have already played themselves out of contention because birdies are almost as scarce as eagles at Bethpage. A total of 461 holes were completed before the horn sounded, and only 32 birdies resulted, or one in every 14.4 holes!

The Top 10 in the World Golf Rankings
15/8 was 7/4 Tiger Woods (#1). +1 thru 6  - At least two errant tee shots out of five and his odds go up slightly.
14/1 Phil Mickelson (#2) –
25/1 Paul Casey (#3) +1 thru 5
33/1 Sergio Garcia (#4)
16/1 was 20/1 Geoff Ogilvy (#5) +1 thru 5
40/1 was 50/1 Henrik Stenson (#6) +1/6  -  Apparently he’s come back to life
25/1 was 33/1 Steve Stricker (#8) +1 thru 6  - Five pars and a bogey on the super tough 15th earns him a drop in his odds
50/1 was 40/1 Vijay Singh (#9) +1 thru 8
20/1 Jim Furyk (#10) –

Others at 50/1 or Less
50/1 was 40/1 Camilo Villegas (#12)
40/1 was 66/1 Angel Cabrera (#26) E thru 7  - Maybe Rodney’s going to get some respect!
40/1 Ernie Els (#16) –
40/1 Retief Goosen (#24) –
40/1 Rory McIlroy (#18) –
50/1 was 40/1 Sean O’Hair (#13) –
50/1 David Toms (#36) –

Dropped out of 50/1 or better
66/1 was 50/1 Kenny Perry (#7) didn’t play, but odds went up
80/1 was 50/1 Zach Johnson (#20) +2 thru 5
150/1 was 50/1 Luke Donald (#22) +5 thru 5
100/1 was 33/1 Padraig Harrington (#11) +4 thru 6 – Rocky start for twice major winner in ‘08

After spending three weeks at home polishing the big stick, Tiger Woods put on a driving performance for the ages at the Memorial Tournament, hitting 49 of 56 fairways.

But then why wouldn’t he? He had three weeks to hone his skill after The PLAYERS, he had Haney at his side monitoring every move, he was playing on the expansive confidence building fairways of Muirfield Village, and this was a regular tour event, which he can win in his sleep.

Judging from his winning percentage in the Haney Era, Tiger also has little problem winning majors as well. But I submit that his chances are much better on courses that fit his game. Like at the 2006 British Open at Hoylake where didn’t need to use his driver, or the 2008 US Open where he knows the greens so well he putts them like he owns them.

His game was also suited for the super long Bethpage Black in 2002 because he drove the ball much better back then. But since that triumph, though his driver has become the big question mark in his bag, he’s been able to win a half dozen majors while largely playing shorter clubs off the tee.

This week, however, he’s going to have to use the driver probably eight or more times a round at the super long and sure to be soggy Bethpage Black, where there is an 80% chance for rain on Friday.

So, with a major on the line and the whole golf world watching, Tiger’s newfound skill and belief in the driver will be put to the supreme test. And so he just might feel like A-Rod in the playoffs at Yankee Stadium when he steps to the plate hole after hole. Will he choke, as A-Rod has in the postseason as a Yankee (he’s hit only 4 homers in 94 at bats), or will the new Tiger hit mighty blasts that hit the short grass hole after hole as he decimates the field and brings back memories of the old Tiger of the early 2000s?

Will we see those sassy leg kicks that follow a well hit tee ball, or the cursing and club slamming that comes on the heels of his famous wide rights? That’s got to be one of the big story lines of the week. So let’s pray that the TV people have the good sense to treat us to his every swing with the driver.

After his superlative play at the Memorial it is no surprise that everyone on the planet expects Tiger Woods to record his 15th major come Sunday at Bethpage Black. But just in case he falters or someone else gets hot, we could have a winner not named Tiger.

So, for those of you who are inclined to wager a drink or a dinner on our nation’s championship, I offer the form chart below. It includes the top 10 ranked players in the world, those who Ladbroke’s think are 50/1 shots or better, and two more who deserve a look based on their play this year.

The Top 10 in the World Golf Rankings
7/4 Tiger Woods (#1) – He appears to be back on his game, and if he drives it like at he did in winning the Memorial, he’s a lock for the top four, and a blowout is possible.
14/1 Phil Mickelson (#2) – Two wins in 2009 and that impressive front nine on Sunday at Augusta shows that golf’s number two still has some game. But he finished 59t at St Jude, indicating that he’s not totally focused on his game, which is no surprise. At the Open, his emotions could get the best of him as he is sure to get enormous support from the crowd.
25/1 Paul Casey (#3) – He had a poor Memorial (63t), but look for the long ball hitting Casey, a three time winner worldwide this year,  to rebound strongly at the Open. He’s got three top 10s in his last nine majors.
33/1 Sergio Garcia (#4) – He waggled his way to a fourth place in the 2002 Open at the Black. But just when he looked like he was going to conquer the world and finally win a major, he broke up with his girlfriend. He hasn’t been the same as he’s without a top 10 in his last 10 starts.
20/1 Geoff Ogilvy (#5) – A two time winner this year, Ogilvy shot a 63 at the Memorial before fading on the back nine on Sunday, ending with a 10t. Still, his putter can get red hot, as can his iron game. But can he drive it straight enough to contend? He has one top 10 in his last five majors.
50/1 Henrik Stenson (#6) – He won The PLAYERS with an impressive final round, and he finished 3t and 4t in the last two majors last season. But he appears to be still celebrating the Fifth Major because he’s missed the cut in his last three starts. Maybe super caddy Fanny will get him back on track. He hits it high and long, so if he’s on, he’s got the right kind of game to contend.
50/1 Kenny Perry (#7) – Can he recover from his meltdown at Augusta, or is he among those who can win tour events, but not majors? His best in four starts since the Masters is a 22t. Still, his long and accurate driving could make him a threat. He finished 45t last time at the Black.
33/1 Steve Stricker (#8) – His win three weeks ago at Colonial should give him a boost of sorely needed confidence, and he did well here in 2002, finishing 16t. He’s also registered five top 10s in his last 11 majors, so his presence on the leaderboard would be no surprise. But can he, at age 42, hang tough and win his first major? He probably wonders that as much as anyone.
40/1 Vijay Singh (#9) – He continues to be a fine tour player at age 46, winning three times last year and recording two top 10s in his last four starts. But as for the majors, he hasn’t contended in one since the 2006 Open, and I wouldn’t expect him to start this week.
20/1 Jim Furyk (#10) – This consistent,  straight hitting GIR machine has been back on his game of late with three consecutive top 10s and a 10t at the Masters. He is also coming off a second at Memorial. But he will have to be on his A+ game to keep up with the long high ball hitters at Bethpage.

Others at 50/1 or Less plus two
33/1 Padraig Harrington (#11) – He’s emerged as golf’s mystery man. Just when he looked like the next great rival to Tiger, Harrington started tinkering with a swing that helped him win three majors in 13 months. His last four starts have yielded a 49t and three MCs. But who knows? Maybe he’s close, as Tiger used to be.
40/1 Camilo Villegas (#12) – At the moment he appears to be another in the long list of breakout players who end up breaking down. After winning two FedEx Cup events last year Spiderman was poised to set the world on fire. But in his last seven starts he’s recorded zero top 10s.
40/1 Ernie Els (#16) – Els will turn 40 in October, so his time is growing short for adding to his three major legacy. Still, he finished 8t at the Memorial, showing a spark of life. Seven years ago at Bethpage he was 24t.
40/1 Retief Goosen (#24) – We keep hoping and waiting for this two time major champion to put his game back together, but it looks like he’s on the slow and steady decline. He missed the cut at the Masters and followed two MCs with a 29t at St. Jude.
40/1 Rory McIlroy (#18) – Too much hype and difficulties closing out rounds means it’s not yet his time to win the big ones.
40/1 Sean O’Hair (#13) – He was very impressive in winning at Quail Hollow seven weeks ago where he drove the ball like Tiger did at the Memorial. Still, he is coming off a minor injury and his wife is set to give birth to their third child any time now, so he’s got two good reasons not to be on top of his game.
50/1 David Toms (#36) – This 42 year old continues to grind away, hoping to bolster his resume enough to make him a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. He’s got a major and 12 tour wins, including the Sony earlier this year, so an Open would get him with shouting distance. He’s also coming off a tie for second at the St. Jude.
50/1 Luke Donald (#22) – After suffering through wrist problems Donald is having a decent year with four top 10s including a second at the Hilton Head. At 31, it’s about time this Englishman blossomed into the star we’ve so long thought he would become when he entered the final round of the 2006 PGA tied with Woods for the lead.
66/1 Angel Cabrera (#26) – He’s the only man on the planet with a shot at the Grand Slam this year, and he’s won two majors out of the last eight, including the 2007 US Open. Sure, he might not be the most consistent player, but when he’s right, he’s proven he’s got the guts to close out majors. Call him golf’s Rodney Dangerfield because odds of 66 to 1 are a complete joke.
66/1 Brian Gay (#35) – I don’t know much about this guy, but he’s blown out two fields this year (by 10 and 5 shots) and he’s deadly accurate off the tee (he’s 3rd in fairways hit), so maybe he’s got a shot.

Phil Mickelson was a heavy crowd favorite at the 2002 US Open at Bethpage.

Now, seven years and two more Open heartbreakers later, Mickelson figures to have an even bigger part of the New York throng in his camp because of wife Amy’s battle with cancer.

Mickelson will turn 39 on Tuesday, so his chances of adding to his legacy in the majors are dwindling rapidly. It is also possible that his tragic loss at Winged Foot created so much emotional scar tissue that he no longer has what it takes to win the big ones, much like Arnold Palmer after he blew the 1966 US Open.

Still, Mickelson, though never a consistent performer, can’t be counted out. In 10 starts this season he’s won twice, finished in the top 10 three more times, but has five finishes of 42t or worse. So far this week, he looks to be having one of those off events, but he could bounce right back to contend at the Open as he did early this year when he won the Northern Trust after finishing 55t the week before.

His biggest challenge at the Open will come from Tiger Woods, who may play inconsistently by his standards, but you’d never know it by looking at the leaderboard. Other than the Match Play, Tiger’s won twice this year and been in the top 10 in his other four appearances.

Furthermore, he has made it a habit of contending in the majors in the Haney Era. In his last 15 majors he’s finished in the top 6 in 13 of them! (In a similar period in his career, Jack Nicklaus also recorded 13 top 6s in 15 starts from the 1970 British Open through the 1974 Masters.)

So, it is easy to assume that Tiger will be in the hunt come Sunday afternoon, and Mickelson could be. And if he and Tiger are in the last pairing, you can be sure that the crowd will be his 15th club, and one that could spell the difference.

The number 15 also applies to Tiger as that’s the major he’s gunning for. But now that he’s healed and got his game back, there will be plenty of time for the 33 year old to wins numbers 15-19+.

For now, if they are both contending on Sunday and the golf gods are at all just, they will smile on Mickelson. He’s due, and they owe him one. A win amidst the turmoil of his wife’s fight for her life would be golf’s story of the year.

Besides, one of golf’s most tortured performers won’t have long to bask in the glory of a victory because he knows the most important victory will come only when Amy returns to good health.

Tiger Woods proved in the final round of The Memorial Tournament that he is all of the way back – and them some. His closing round of 65 Tiger featured a 14 for 14 performance of the tee that was reminiscent of host Jack Nicklaus’ best with the big stick. In fact, Nicklaus called it Tiger’s “best week ever with the driver.” Tiger also tied for third in green in regulation.

So much for the physical part. With the tournament on the line Tiger, who has shown signs of weakness down the stretch of late, elevated his game during winning time, with birdies on 17 and 18 on putts of nine feet and 12 inches respectively.

His second win of the season and his 67th win PGA Tour victory underscored Tiger’s brilliance as well as the mental weakness of the Tiger Generation of pros. As the old saying goes (so to speak), the Memorial doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday.

After parring 10, Woods stepped on the accelerator (and the throats of his competitors) when he holed a chip from a horrible lie in back of the 11th green for an eagle that elicited an Augusta like roar from the patrons, and that shot shockwaves up and down the leaderboard. From that moment in,  the field went into self destruct mode. Consider these back nine disasters:

Jonathon Byrd  39  (doubles on 14 and 18)
Mark Wilson  37 (three putted one hole from two feet)
Matt Bettencourt (three bogeys on the last five holes)
Davis Love  38  (finished bogey, triple bogey)
Ernie Els  38  (two over on the final five holes)
Geoff Ogilvy  40 (a snowman on 14)

Only Tiger, with a closing 32, and seasoned pro Jim Furyk (33), who birdied 18, thrived on the final nine pressure. The rest folded like cheap lawn chairs.

Now, with the US Open to start in 11 days, Tiger’s resurgence with the driver is well timed for the super long Bethpage Black. In winning in 2002 at the Black, Woods tied for seventh in both accuracy and distance, making for a deadly combo. This week Tiger was second in accuracy off the tee, hitting 87.5% of Muirfield’s expansive fairways, while ranking 12t in distance – again an impressive statistical duo.

When you combine his improved tee balls with his laser like iron game, clutch putting, and super sharp scrambling, it is easy to see why he is now the heavy favorite to defend his Open title. Certainly the odds makers think so because, (as of 6:23ET) Ladbroke’s, the venerable English betting house has Tiger at 7/4 to win the US Open. Phil Mickelson, who will be hard-pressed to contend because of Amy’s health and his lack of play, is a distant second at 8/1. Ogilvy comes next at 16/1, and everyone else is at 20/1 or higher.

During the Woods Era it has been fascinating to watch how quickly Tiger can alter the golf world’s  perceptions of the competitiveness of the sport. One moment he’s invincible. The next the scribes are raving about Kim, McIlroy, Casey, Mickelson, Garcia, Harrington, Perry and the rest. Then, overnight, Tiger will get his A game rolling, and it’s back to a one man show.

So while we wait for a bevy of true rivals to emerge, the more the players change, the more the game at the top still remains the same.