As extraordinary as it seems, things in the world of golf are just as they were a year ago.
First, Tiger Woods is once again on the sidelines, sadly, yes, back problems, yes.
Woods went all out of sorts in Dubai, a place where he has performed well, just as he had in years past at Torrey Pines.
The 14-time major champion barely made it out of the starting blocks this time in the Middle East. He struggled through a painful 77 to open his week. He said it wasn’t painful but back home it was a painful thing for us to watch. Woods walked gingerly, at one point had trouble getting in and out of a steep bunker and showed a swing that was short on fluidity.
That swing and the 77 it produced spurred Brandel Chamblee of the Golf Channel to immediately declare Woods: “The oldest looking 41-year-old man in the history of the game.”
Yes, this Tiger Woods looks nothing like the guy we used to know and by Friday morning, he was headed back to the States with back spasms accompanying him. Woods also made off with a million bucks for his troubles, a great deal by Donald Trump’s standards. Word has it that Chamblee will be looking for studies linking back spasms and 40 mile-per-hour winds.
This side trip to Dubai has thrown this comeback thing into the familiar realm of the unknown, which is where we found Tiger Woods this time last year.
Deja vu all over again.
Meanwhile, over in another desert, Hideki Matsuyama found himself trailing 54-hole leader Ben An by four shots going into the final round of the Phoenix Open. An, a fixture on the European Tour, was in position to win on the PGA Tour for the first time. But this was the TPC Scottsdale, Matsuyama’s playground, mind you.
Things were going great for An, a pair of birdies on the front got him to 18-under and looking good. The back nine was a different story.
Back-to-back bogeys opened the door for Matsuyama and a bunch of other contenders including Webb Simpson.
An failed to birdie either of the back nine par fives and suddenly he was in a tailspin. Matsuyama took the lead with birdies on both, getting to 17-under after a birdie at the par 15. Up ahead, Simpson finished birdie-birdie to post 17-under.
Matsuyama would miss great birdie chances with 10-footers at 16 and 17 then no birdie at 18. Once again, Hideki found himself in a Phoenix Open playoff. This time Simpson was there, trying to win for the first time since 2013.
New PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan’s worst nightmare then became reality.
The playoff was dragging on, seems neither Matsuyama or Simpson could find a birdie and the Super Bowl was kicking off.
Those clicks you heard were millions of golf viewers switching channels and leaving Webb and Hideki to fend for themselves. Note to Commissioner Monahan: start the final round earlier next year.
It took four holes, that’s a lot of overtime but eventually, it was Matsuyama driving it in perfect position at 17 then pitching it within 10 feet while Simpson was on the green, out of position and could do no better than a putt to 20 feet. Simpson would miss, make par then Matsuyama stared down his 10-footer and sank it to defend his title.
Deja vu all over again.
So now you have Matsuyama making himself one of the favorites to contend for a Green Jacket in April and you have an injured Tiger Woods forced to the sidelines.
Woods is supposed to play next week in Los Angeles at Riviera where he’s never had much success. They reeled him in by making his Tiger Woods Foundation the beneficiary.
Woods as been telling everyone that it’s all about that first week in April.
But now it’s all about that spasming back of his.
Deja vu all over again.
