In 2008 Tiger sunk a 25' putt on the 18th hole to beat Martin Kaymer by a shot to win in Dubai..
Don't expect that to happen this week at the much ballyhooed Omega Dubai Desert Classic, where the world's top 3 ranked players are paired together for the first 2 rounds.
If you are old enough you will have found out that in romance it is all about the chase, not the conquest.
Now that Tiger is a mere mortal both in his personal life and on the golf course, I find that it makes this week's pairing much more exciting for me to watch than before.. why ??
In 2009, the invincible Tiger would be rattling the pots and pans in his partner's minds before they even teed off, and he would always sink the crucial putts, or shoot the 65 he needed ( as he did in 2008) to win. Now he is vulnerable. Now we are not sure if he can put 4 rounds together. 2 weeks ago he was 44th after a 74,71 weekend. Now he doesn't make all those 6 footers, now he misses greens from the fairway, now he misses fairways, regularly, now he leaves shots in bunkers, now he is more concerned about playing with his kids than he is about shooting 64.
So now it's back to the chase for him... that's worth watching.. he is no longer the favourite, he is no longer the best, yet...
Of the 3, Martin Kaymer is in the best form, coming off his 8 shot destruction of a very strong field in Abu Dhabi 3 weeks ago. Yes he was 28th in Qatar last week,but on a course he dislikes. “I think I have a better chance to become the Number One this week than last week because I fancy the golf course much more than Qatar, said the German. “So from this point of view, the chances are bigger and higher this week
Lee Westwood has been awful the last 2 weeks with a 64th in Bahrain and a MC last week, but he says he has sorted that out on the range last weekend and this week. He had nothing but praise for Tiger in his presser yesterday as he commented on his effect on today's young stars...
"Ten years ago when Tiger was winning by 15 at Pebble Beach, these kids were 12 years old watching him and getting a work ethic and looking at a level that you had to play the game, said Westwood. “Now these lads are 22 years old, 23 years old, and they have been doing what Tiger has been doing for ten years. "
“So they come out here professional athletes and get straight into it. It's quite amazing the likes of Matteo Manassero, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy. They used to need a bit of a bedding in period, and now they are just straight into it because they have got Tiger to emulate over the last ten years, growing up and watching it.”
All three players have a superb record at Emirates Golf Club , Woods having won the title on two occasions while Westwood was runner up last year and Kaymer, who was fourth 12 months ago, was second in 2008, finishing one stroke behind Woods.
Don't forget two men who will also be looking to be in the mix once again come the weekend. They are the last two winners of the title; the 2009 champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and the 2010 winner Miguel Angel Jiménez of Spain, who beat Westwood in a play-off 12 months ago. Honourable mention to Ernie who has won here 3 times..
The old adage is play the course in stroke play, play the man in match play.... This week is stroke play, but we will all be watching the man !
Bryan Angus
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