Monday, April 13, 2009
CBS got exactly what it wanted Sunday afternoon. Golf’s two biggest names, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, playing together on the final day of the Masters.
Sure, they weren’t the final pairing. But just putting Woods in his “Victory” red next to Mickelson in his “Not-so-slimming” black makes people care about golf.
It’s not hard to figure out why Woods is so important. Just look at what happened to the game after Woods’ injury in the U.S. Open last season. Ratings, attendance and sponsorships took a nose dive without his fist pump and awkward high fives with his caddie around to keep everyone entertained.
As for Mickelson, well, every great player needs an adversary (or so the media will tell you). Mickelson really doesn’t match Woods in any category, but he’s the world’s No. 2 golfer and his aw-shucks personality on the course is a nice contrast to Woods’ “If you ain’t first, you’re last” mentality.
So, the odd couple teed off seven shots behind the leaders. Close enough to make the casual golf fan tune in to see if one or both could make a late charge.
For their part, Woods and Mickelson made it interesting.
Lefty hit an array of good shots, including a dazzling hook on No. 7, and tied the course record with a 30 on the front nine. Woods saved a few pars and eventually drained an eagle to push his way into the top five.
And there they were, the game’s biggest moneymakers making golf relevant again with a furious charge down the back nine.
Then on No. 17, both men bogeyed, and America turned the channel.
The avid golf fans stuck around, but you don’t need Nielson ratings to predict what happened once Woods and Mickelson fell out of contention. Just look at the enormous crowd that followed them while the leaders played in relative anonymity.
Golf revolves around Woods, and nobody else really matters. I’m not saying this is good or bad, it’s just the way it is.
In five years no one will talk about Kenny Perry’s choke in the last two holes, unless the conversation is about how Woods could have won if he had just hung on.
THE DUCK
After most of America tuned out, Angel Cabrera won his second-career major on the second playoff hole.
Cabrera used to be my favorite golfer not named Tiger Woods. I loved the image of Cabrera walking down the Oakmont Country Club fairways at the 2007 U.S. Open and feasting on cigarettes like they were Oreos. It seemed like he smoked two packs per nine holes.
Alas, Cabrera quit later that summer amid pressure from the PGA for giving it a bad reputation.
Personally, I don’t think it gets much better than a professional athlete who walks like a duck (thus his nickname “El Pato”) smoking cigs as he wins one of his sports' biggest tournaments.
He once gave hope to every plump coach-jockey with a breathing problem. At least he still waddles.
— — Edited by Realle Roth
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