Golf fans were all stunned today when Tiger Woods was defeated by an unknown Y.E. Yang at the PGA championship. The lead was all Tiger's, and to have seen him blow it, well, many weren't expecting it to put it lightly. Yang is the first ever Asian golfer to ever win a major event, and this is the first time Tiger Woods ever lost a major on the last day after having held the lead.
Is this good? I don't really think so. The PGA heavily relies on Tiger Woods and the sentiment on the street is that Woods simply isn't effective as he was, and may never be again.
Woods hasn't regressed as much as people like to think. He's still won a very impressive five tourneys in 2009, and has staged some remarkable comebacks this year. Only the more serious fans realize this, but the media will be all about Tiger's lack of a major in 2009.
Yang winning is good, at the moment. But looking back 20 or 30 years from now, wouldn't you rather tell your kids or grandchildren about how the greatest golfer of all time beat some other guy in a 12-hole playoff after holing out from the fairway on 18. Wouldn't you rather have told your grandkids about how Tom Watson, the old geezer like you, won the British Open instead of pushing an 8 foot putt way to the right and self-destructing in a 4 hole playoff?
Yang will probably make few headlines anytime soon, and the once "sure prospect" of Woods beating Jack Nicklaus' record for majors one is suddenly not such a sure thing anymore.
What do people get to look to now? "Oh, I can't wait to see Tiger take revenge in the exciting series of FedEx cup event"? No! They are looking to, "Hey, Anthony Kim or Rory McIllroy are ready to take the torch next year."
Golf needs Tiger Woods just as much as he needs more majors. Tiger has given a face to golf, a sport that's sorely lacked one for so many years. Tiger is golf's Michael Jordan, and needs to return to this status in 2010.
Let's hope that 2010 brings us the return of Tiger Woods, just as the 2009 tennis season has done for Roger Federer after a disappointing 2008. While fans may have cheered on Yang as he defeated Tiger today, you can be sure they're pulling for Tiger over the long run.
Is this good? I don't really think so. The PGA heavily relies on Tiger Woods and the sentiment on the street is that Woods simply isn't effective as he was, and may never be again.
Woods hasn't regressed as much as people like to think. He's still won a very impressive five tourneys in 2009, and has staged some remarkable comebacks this year. Only the more serious fans realize this, but the media will be all about Tiger's lack of a major in 2009.
Yang winning is good, at the moment. But looking back 20 or 30 years from now, wouldn't you rather tell your kids or grandchildren about how the greatest golfer of all time beat some other guy in a 12-hole playoff after holing out from the fairway on 18. Wouldn't you rather have told your grandkids about how Tom Watson, the old geezer like you, won the British Open instead of pushing an 8 foot putt way to the right and self-destructing in a 4 hole playoff?
Yang will probably make few headlines anytime soon, and the once "sure prospect" of Woods beating Jack Nicklaus' record for majors one is suddenly not such a sure thing anymore.
What do people get to look to now? "Oh, I can't wait to see Tiger take revenge in the exciting series of FedEx cup event"? No! They are looking to, "Hey, Anthony Kim or Rory McIllroy are ready to take the torch next year."
Golf needs Tiger Woods just as much as he needs more majors. Tiger has given a face to golf, a sport that's sorely lacked one for so many years. Tiger is golf's Michael Jordan, and needs to return to this status in 2010.
Let's hope that 2010 brings us the return of Tiger Woods, just as the 2009 tennis season has done for Roger Federer after a disappointing 2008. While fans may have cheered on Yang as he defeated Tiger today, you can be sure they're pulling for Tiger over the long run.
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