Tiger proves his critics wrong again

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 7/26/2006

It’s amazing, really, how quick some in the media are to count you out even when it’s clear you’re the best. When Woods does not win, it’s viewed by some as a victory for golf. 

 

Ian O’Connor of USA Today Sports wrote in April, after Phil Mickelson won the Masters, “Only his [Woods’] defeat is a victory for golf and fans already savoring the possibilities of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. If Mickelson beats Woods at Winged Foot, Tiger’s reign of dominance is officially over and out.”

 

Over? Did he say over?

 

Imagine that, a national columnist thinking out loud — or should I say wishing out loud? Tiger Woods is far and away the best golfer in the world — period! Mickelson has had a nice run, but he blew the U.S. Open and a chance to win three straight Major Championships.

 

How quickly some forget that only Woods has won four straight professional Majors. During a period of grieving, Woods should have been given the benefit of recognizing his enormous personal loss. His father meant everything to him.

 

Playing in only his third tournament since April (U.S. Open, Western Open, British Open), Tiger Woods again had his critics choking on their words. The Claret Jug awarded to the champion golfer of the year will remain in the United States.

 

An emotional Woods captured his third British Open title and second in succession by grabbing the biggest prize in golf. The British Open has been played for 135 consecutive years, this time in Hoylake, England, at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

 

Hoylake in the U.K. is the birthplace of the world-famous Beatles. You might say Woods made sweet music with his precision-like performance on the par 72, 7,258-yard course that had not hosted the Open Championship in 39 years.

 

Woods has now tied Jack Nicklaus with three career wins in the British Open. Woods said, “All those emotions came pouring out of me. I guess they were locked in me for so long. I miss my dad so much I was wishing he could have watched me. I was pretty bummed out not winning the Masters, because I knew that was the last Major he was ever going  to see.”

 

Woods came into the Open knowing his critics were like sharks trying to jump on the illusion that Woods had slipped. Like all of us, Woods is human — he lost his best friend, his father Earl, on May 3 to cancer. Woods has been grieving ever since, unable to focus on his profession; he went nine weeks without playing on the PGA Tour.

 

For the first time in a Major Championship during his pro career, Woods missed the cut in the United States Open at Winged Foot. Even so, he tied the great Jack Nicklaus by finishing in the money in 39 consecutive Major Championships.

 

Pro golfers are like independent contractors: You have to qualify to play, and only the strong survive and make the cut. Woods has played in only 10 tournaments this year, but he has won three of them. Not bad — that’s nearly 30 percent.

 

Woods shot 67-65-71-67 for a 270 total to beat tough-luck Chris DiMarco, who also played great, shooting a final-round 68 and a 272 total for the tournament. DiMarco also played with a heavy heart, having lost his mother Norma this month. It was the second time that Woods has beaten DiMarco in a Major; last year, Woods beat him in the Masters.

 

Woods is the first repeat champion at the British Open since Tom Watson in 1982-83. He also tied the great Walter Hagen for number-two on the All-time Major Championship list with 11 Major wins, this one his first since turning age 30 and obviously the first of his career without his beloved father. Jack Nicklaus is number one all-time with 18 Major wins.

 

Wood’s win vaulted him to number one on this year’s PGA Money list with $4,263,555. Winning the way he won should send shock waves — he hit only one driver for four days. He used irons and a three wood to navigate all those bunkers.

 

Woods came into the Open rated number 179 on the PGA Official driving accuracy list at only 54 percent. In the Open he hit 85 percent of the fairways. For the Woods critics, remember this: Only Nicklaus has won more Majors (18) than Woods (11), and he’s only 30 years old.