Tiger Woods didn’t quite know what to expect this time last week. He had just gone through a skins game that was, for the most part, meaningless save for pride, and he did well enough to finish second. Still, he remained nowhere close to peak form — or, at the very least, the form that he felt he needed to contend in the upcoming Zozo Championship. And while he showed up with a win in mind, he was a mere two months removed from arthroscopic knee surgery. Even publicly, he acknowledged the need to temper expectations, and not because he had zero knowledge of the pride of the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan.
True enough, Woods started slow. He opened on the 10th hole with three straight bogeys, and were numbers the sole indicator of fortunes, he would have been counted out right there and then; not since 1983 had any player managed to carve victory after incurring such a handicap. At the same time, all and sundry, including the record 20,000 or so on hand to witness his exploits, knew he would grind his way to respectability. And he did. Quickly. In fact, he found himself tied for the lead after making nine birdies in his last 14 holes to close with a 64. Postponement of the second round did nothing to cool him down; another 64 followed by a 66 gave him a three-shot cushion entering the final 18. And from there, he kept the margin — even through yet another suspension of play — for the triumph.
Needless to say, the outcome was significant for Woods. It gave him his 82nd victory on tour, tying Sam Snead for the all-time record in career wins. More importantly, it put him in the running for a captain’s selection to the Presidents Cup. That he just so happens to be the skipper of Team USA serves only to underscore the value of the development; now, nobody can say he’s merely favoring himself with an at-large pick. And, make no mistake; the pressure is on him to be the first playing chief since Hale Irwin in 1994. For all his travails inside the ropes and off the course, he remains arguably the sport’s biggest crossover star. His active participation would make sponsors of the biennial competition extremely happy.
In any case, Woods continues to prove his relevance beyond merely riding on his accomplishments. He has padded his resume anew, perhaps too early to build momentum for a major run, but never too late to stamp his class over a generation who prefers to speak of him in the past tense. In this regard, the Zozo Championship isn’t so-so. It’s significant. And while it’s fine to say he’s back, it’s more accurate to say he has never really left the scene. He is, after all, who he is: still first among equals.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
