It’s been eight long years, so expect this party to last a while!
The Ryder Cup is one golf event I’d love to attend with all the rowdy crowds . . .
Phil is going straight to Vegas and betting $10 million on black. pic.twitter.com/laoSbiCAic
— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) October 2, 2016
Welcome Back, Eldrick!
That should be on the marquee outside the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Tucson this weekend, as Tiger Woods makes his return to the PGA tour at the Accenture Match Play Championship. He has completed his rehabilitation from knee surgery and the next step for him is competing inside the ropes of a tournament. It has only been 253 days since Tiger’s tournament victory at the U.S. Open last June, but who’s counting?
The PGA executives were, that’s who. Their sport is back on the front page of websites and newspapers all throughout the world as everyone anticipates Woods’ return. The turnstiles will be ringing in Tucson this weekend, as golf’s main attraction will be on display once again. And the tour’s corporate sponsors will be smiling; television ratings should go through the roof. The tour has struggled to keep its sponsors, but Tiger’s return should give it a much-needed shot in the arm.
It’s almost unrealistic to expect Tiger to sustain the pace he was playing at last season. His U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines was his ninth overall win in 12 2008 PGA tournament appearances, and Woods finished no worse than fifth in the other three events. He did confess in a conference call with reporters last week that it will be comforting to hit a golf ball on a healthy knee for the first time in a few years. Tiger wouldn’t elaborate further except that bones inside his knee would move on certain shots that he attempted in a round of golf. It turns out that Woods could have returned sooner to the tour but elected to wait until after the birth of his son, Charles Axel, earlier this month.
Tiger is the world’s best stroke-player, but his match-play career numbers (31-6 at Accenture) are even more impressive. Throw in his career record (6-3-1) in Ryder and President Cup play and it’s clear that the match play format could be helpful in Tiger having a successful return to the tour.
There are many unanswered questions surrounding Woods’ stamina: How will his knee react to playing competitive golf? What is the recovery time for Tiger from the day-to-day rigors of tournament play? These questions could be partially answered this weekend. Remember, he hasn’t played in a PGA event in close to nine months, and Woods will need multiple rounds of golf to knock the rust off his game.
Tiger will get ample opportunity to play a ton of golf in the match play format, as the first three rounds will consist of one 18-hole match per day. On Saturday, an 18-hole quarterfinal match will take place in the morning, followed by an 18-hole semifinal match in the afternoon. And the finals on Sunday will consist of a 36-hole championship match.
One stumbling block (for all the golfers) will be playing a PGA tournament on an unknown course. None of them will be able to determine the speed of the fairways at the Jack Nicklaus newly-designed links until after completing their practice rounds. Historically, round play in Arizona has been an adventure for golfers, as the desert climate wreaks havoc with their tee shots.
Tiger would love to confirm his playing schedule in preparation for the Masters on April 9, but he cannot. Ideally, Woods would play every other week until he arrives at Augusta. This would give him enough golf to knock off the rust and aid his pursuit of a fifth green jacket.
We never get a true read on what Tiger is thinking or how his knee rehabilitation is actually progressing. The barriers are firmly in place to keep intruders away, but if we’ve learned one thing in the past it’s that Woods is always two steps ahead of the pace.
This past weekend, the Ryder Cup was not just about golf, it was about a group of Americans coming together as one, riding the emotion generated by the flag-waving crowd at the Valhalla Country Club to defeat the Europeans.
The so-called experts gave this Tiger-less United States squad a puncher’s chance of winning the Ryder Cup. The Europeans were expected to continue its dominance over the U.S. that had extended to three straight defeats, five out of six, and eight out of 11 matches prior to this weekend. But the Americans didn’t need a miracle putt or an amazing comeback like their last victory to capture this crown.
Every questionable roster decision made by U.S. Captain Paul Azinger turned into gold this weekend. Two of Kentucky’s native sons light shined the brightest on Sunday. Kenny Perry, whose lifelong dream was to compete in a Ryder Cup event, delivered a 3-and-2 victory in the first single competition on Sunday to swing the momentum back towards the U.S. direction. And it was Campbellsville, Ky. resident J.B. Holmes’ final two birdies in his single match that set up the Americans for victory.
Other memorable scenes from the weekend include Anthony Kim’s youthful exuberance, which was on display all three days in Louisville. His attitude became infectious throughout the team, and brought out some emotional reaction even from cool, calculating Phil Mickelson on the golf course. And the fans cheering as loud as possible, “BOOOO,” as Bo Weekley did his best Happy Gilmore impersonation after a tee shot, galloping like a horse on his driver down the fairway.
The book is closed on European dominance in Ryder Cup play. This event seems to be energized once again and could retake its place as one of the top events in golf.
37th Ryder Cup
The three-day match-play competition between the United States and Europe has a way of making the world’s elite golfers wilt under the pressure of trying to capture the Ryder Cup. Over the last 25 years, it has become a hotly contested event, with the U.S. record at four wins, seven losses, and a tie, including three straight match defeats to the Europeans (the Ryder Cup takes place every two years). The competition will begin this morning at 7 AM EST on ESPN from the Valhalla Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky, and continue throughout the weekend on NBC.
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Neither school has distinguished itself as a contender for securing a spot in the ACC championship game. Wake Forest would love to duplicate their last trip to Tallahassee, when they shutout the Seminoles 30-0 two years ago. Florida State has been playing short-handed due to player suspensions and will welcome back star wide receiver Preston Parker to the lineup on Saturday. Coverage begins at 7 PM EST on ESPN2.
LSU vs. Auburn
There’s no better way to start off the SEC season than with a LSU-Auburn showdown. The “Tiger Bowl” winner could establish itself as the team to beat in the SEC West, though Alabama might have a say in the matter down the road. LSU and Auburn have split their last four meetings, with each game decided by six or fewer points. Coverage begins at 7:45 PM EST on ESPN. Click here for the official LSU-Auburn smack thread.
Georgia vs. Arizona State
The luster has been taken off this game by the Sun Devils’ overtime loss at home to UNLV last week. It’s still a big game, as the Bulldogs are in the national title hunt despite being passed in the polls by USC and Oklahoma. ASU could get back in the BCS bowl picture with an upset in Tempe on Saturday night. Coverage begins at 8 PM EST on ABC.
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees
This Sunday night, the final major league baseball game will be played at historic Yankee Stadium. The House That Ruth Built has been the home office for post-season success come October, as 100 World Series games have been played at the Stadium. This event will be nationally televised on ESPN beginning at 8 PM EST.
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