Hopefully, it’s warm enough in the Bahamas to put an end to the Tiger Woods runny nose.
Hopefully, with Tiger and 17 other really good players in the field, this week’s Hero World Challenge down in the Bahamas will be a great cure from the fiasco that was “The Match” last Friday in Las Vegas.
Hopefully, Tiger can make some eight foot putts at Albany. Hopefully, he can hit a green from 93 yards out.
Hopefully, we’ll get some really, really good golf from someone.
What this year’s Hero World Challenge does most of all is remind us of Tiger’s remarkable rise and return to golf. This time last year, he was ranked 1,199 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Today he’s ranked 13th, meaning he spent last season climbing 1,166 spots. That’s a lot of work and it took its toll on Woods, who will turn 43-years-old in a little more than a month from now.
By the Ryder Cup he was out of gas and it showed.
He didn’t look a whole lot better against Phil Mickelson last Friday, but then again, Mickelson was no ball of fire either. Neither player managed to break 70 at the Shadow Creek Showdown. The course was set up for scoring and there wasn’t a stitch of wind — very unusual for this time of year out there in the desert.
Which brings us back to real golf.
Tiger will have a darn good field to compete against. He showed promise last year when he finished tied for ninth. This week, if he can managed to win, he will push his way into the world’s top 10 and could jump as high as No. 6.
In the see-saw, back-and-forth revolving door that is the No. 1 ranking, it could change again.
For unknown reasons, No. 1 Brooks Koepka is skipping this $3.5 million event which opens the door for Justin Rose. Rose, who lives in the Bahamas, can reclaim the spot with a good showing.
But most eyes will not be on Rose or anyone else outside Woods. Tiger-Mania is back thanks to No. 80 at the Tour Championship. And that gives this year’s event an entirely different look. Last year it was a matter of speculation and curiosity. This year its more expectation. Woods has carried the burden of high expectations his entire career and now it looks like his back can support that load again.
This week’s work-load is heavy.
In addition to Rose, there’s Dustin Johnson (No. 3), Justin Thomas (No. 4), Bryson DeChambeau (No. 5), Jon Rahm (No. 8) and Rickie Fowler (No. 9), from the top 10.
Jason Day (11), Xander Schauffele (12), Tony Finau (14), Patrick Reed (15), Bubba Watson (17), Alex Noren (18), Webb Simpson (19) and Patrick Cantlay (20) make up a pretty good supporting cast.
Lowest ranked player in the field is No. 32 Gary Woodland.
But one thing Tiger Woods wants everyone to know is that this elite event is a huge fund-raiser for his TGR Foundation.
“This will surpass anything I’ve ever done on the golf course,” Woods was quick to point out. “Ninety-seven percent are first generation college students,” he said of the youngsters who benefit from the Foundation’s learning center.
Impressive.
Just as impressive as the Woods comeback.
It started this week last year.
It was one heckuva journey.
