THE BMW Championship, which figures to occupy golf habitues this weekend, is being compared to the 2003 United States Open for good reason. Apart from sharing the Olympia Fields Golf Club in Cook County, Illinois, as the venue, the first stop on the FedEx Cup Playoffs rota likewise looks to sport penal conditions reminiscent of typical setups for the major tournament. And it doesn’t help that the weather slated to reign at least through the first two rounds will make the Bent grass fairways hard and Blue grass greens uninviting. Under the circumstances, players are right to expect high scores, and certainly well north of those that bombarded The Northern Trust at TPC Boston over the weekend.
Not surprisingly, eyes are on Tiger Woods as he attempts to make a good run in the event and subsequently qualify for the Tour Championship. The odds are against him, and not simply because his 2019-20 schedule has been spotty at best; he has had a roller-coaster ride of just six appearances, and thus isn’t able to produce the consistency he needs to take the measure of the cream of the US Professional Golfers Association Tour. To be sure, he remains confident of his chances. As he noted in his pre-tournament presser, “It’s a big week for me. I’m looking forward to getting out there and competing.”
Certainly, Woods has to do more than merely compete. By most estimations, he needs to finish at least sixth, and probably fourth or better, in order to improve on his 57th-place standing in the Playoffs and move to the Top 30. Else, he pointed out, “I go home” instead of trekking to the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. The good news is that he’s looking forward to the challenge, never mind his relative lack of knowledge of the South Course’s new predilections. He said he remembers little of the 2003 US Open, where he limped to 20th — 11 strokes higher than the pace winner Jim Furyk set — off a three-over-par aggregate.
In this regard, the tough conditions seem suited to assist Woods’ bid. He projected that pars “will be at a premium, [hence requiring] putting the ball in the fairway and trying to keep the ball in the correct spots. The greens are quick, hard and firm.” The assumption, of course, is that he’s up to the task. Which, considering his absence of reps, is a big question mark. And because he doesn’t have enough time to get acquainted with the layout, he is left with no choice but to turn to YouTube for the changes made since he last negotiated it.
If there’s one thing Woods deserves, though, it’s the benefit of the doubt. And, if nothing else, his effort will be worth keeping tabs on. He will keep plodding on for as long as there are holes to complete. And regardless of where he lands on the leaderboard, no one — not even his fiercest critics — can say he didn’t try.
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.
