No Tiger- No One Cares [BLOG]
By: Jeff Lesson
@jefflesson
Believe it or not, I was not happy at all with the news that the world number one golfer (for the time being) has been shelved after back surgery-and is likely to miss EVERY Major in 2014.
Forget the fact that even before this injury he was well past his prime and will never win another major. This is bad for golf-period.
Please forgive me if I struggle to find subject matter on "Lesson on Golf" on 97.1 The Ticket (not really).
When Eldrick Woods does not play in a single event there is often a drop of 30-50% in ticket sales and television ratings. Never before have we seen him miss an entire season since he turned professional in 1996. I fear were about to find out what happens then.
He has been the reason purses have gone up so much on the PGA Tour since he turned professional. He has been the reason any and all casual fans bother to watch or care at all about the game. He has simply been the meal ticket for everyone associated with the Tour-and exactly why the other players do not want to see him go.
Watching The Masters without Woods is akin to watching the 92 Bulls without Michael Jordan. It's just not nearly the same.
The reason we came out with the "No more Majors for Tiger" prediction back in 2010 had little to do with his swing. It had much more to do with his focus, dedication and health being nowhere near what it used to be before "the 2009 accident".
He is a 38 year old man in a 58 year old body. Between his history of elbow, knee, back and neck injuries-it is anyone's guess how long his body will last. The guess here is not very.
Arnold Palmer won his last Major at age 34. At that time no one dared to predict that would be his last one.
Jack Nicklaus won his final Major at age 46 at The Masters. However, Nicklaus lacked the litany of injuries that Tiger has suffered from throughout his career.
One has to believe reality is beginning to set in on Mr. Woods that give all of the above; he will never sniff the Jack Nicklaus record of 18 Majors.
Given that, and after sitting out a "what could have been year in 2014", one has to wonder how much longer the world number one will continue to compete on The PGA Tour. One again, the guess here is not very.
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