Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Will “fit and happy” Woods rediscover on-course cheer?
The photos depict it, Rory McIlroy’s been saying it, now it’s up to the Abu Dhabi Golf Club to confirm that at long last, Tiger Woods is happy and fighting fit again.
That the 14-times major champion should choose the European Tour’s first big event of the season to make his 2012 debut in favour of one of his favourite courses at Torrey Pines in California is one thing.
Woods’ results at Torrey Pines have been astonishing – seven wins including his last major at the U.S. Open in 2008 – while his rare forays to the Middle East have been equally impressive, two Dubai Desert Classic wins in six attempts with only one finish outside the top five.
More noticeable however is the American’s demeanour, critics say his huge appearance fee in the UAE capital might have something to do with it, but surely money no longer lures Woods. He wants to start winning again.
Whether he can do that in Abu Dhabi, with the spotlight firmly on him and a quality field including the world’s top four players, remains to be seen.
Should he find the going tough perhaps we will see the same surly Woods stomp around the course, spitting freely and winning no fans with his attitude.
But again, just like the money, surely those days are behind him.
Charismatic “People’s Champion” Seve Ballesteros dies
Ask anyone you know you has attempted the game of golf “Which golfer’s style would you most like to copy?” and they will most likely say the dazzling Severiano Ballesteros.
The Spaniard’s flare and touch were what stood him apart, and here follows reaction from his friends and rivals. There will never be anyone quite like him again.
Record 18-times major winner Jack Nicklaus: “Today golf lost a great champion and a great friend. We also lost a great entertainer and ambassador for our sport. I have always had wonderful respect for Seve’s ability, how he played the game, and the flair he brought to the sport. It was his creativity, his imagination and his desire to compete which made him so popular not only in Europe but throughout American galleries too.
“He was a great entertainer. No matter the golf that particular day, you always knew you were going to be entertained. Seve’s enthusiasm was just unmatched by anybody I think that ever played the game…Seve was, without argument, a terrific player — his record speaks for itself — but more important was his influence on the game especially throughout Europe.
“Through the years his involvement with the Ryder Cup, as both a player and captain, served to further elevate the stature of the matches. He was probably the most passionate Ryder Cup player we’ve ever had. I think his team mates always rallied around him and that passion of his. He was Europe’s emotional and spiritual leader, the heart and soul of their team. The Ryder Cup was something that was very, very special to Seve and Seve was very special to us.” — Statement.
Fourteen-times major champion Tiger Woods: “I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Seve Ballesteros. I always enjoyed spending time with him at the Champions dinner each year at the U.S. Masters. Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game. His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed. His death came much too soon.” — Twitter.
Six-times major winner Nick Faldo: “He was a leader; bringing the spotlight to the European Tour, paving the way to European success at the Masters and bringing his relentless passion to the Ryder Cup. Today I would call him Cirque du Soleil. For golf he was the greatest show on earth. I was a fan and so fortunate I had a front row seat.” — Statement.
Why all the fuss about being world number one?
To much fanfare, Lee Westwood has ended the 281-week reign of Tiger Woods as golf’s world number one yet the fact the Briton has not won a major raises a couple of questions — Do rankings reward consistency rather than great achievement? And how much do they really matter?
According to former world number one and six-times major winner Nick Faldo, the answer is not as much as the big tournaments.
“It’s interesting how times have changed, how you can get to be number one without winning a major,” Faldo said. “I never understood the points scoring system, even in my day.
“But I wanted to be number one. It is a nice one to win. But majors are the one, because you have to go and win them and finish them off.”
There is a similar situation in women’s tennis where Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki is the year-end number one without a grand slam to her name. The 20-year-old last month dethroned American Serena Williams, who has not played since winning her 13th grand slam title at Wimbledon in July.
With such obvious talents as 14-times major winner Tiger and Serena it seems bizarre that golf and tennis set such importance on the vagaries of a ranking system, when other sports set less store by them.
Spain top the FIFA soccer rankings, yet you are unlikely to see them tagged as world number one in the media or referred to as such by fans. Rightly, the World Cup win is considered their ultimate achievement.
i think the main problem is the ranking systems are so complex. Why cant it just be number of top 10 finishes in a year or something with majors carrying double weight?
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Resident Left Field Expert
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