Midway through the British Open, Stephen Ames was asked his thoughts about the 2006 PGA Tour season. More specifically, about a season that has seen the rise of previously unheralded players such as U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Ames himself, the winner of The Players Championship, at the expense of bigger names.
Looking over his shoulder at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Ames chuckled.
“Tiger hasn’t played as much. That’s probably the biggest reason, wouldn’t you’d say?” Ames said. “I’m guessing he’ll win this week and then he’ll end up being dominant by the end of the year.
“Don’t worry. If he has anything to say about it, I’m sure he will be.”
In one clinical dissection, Tiger Woods may have indeed put an end to what has been a thoroughly unpredictable season.
Between eight first-time winners, and the 72nd-hole meltdown at Winged Foot by Phil Mickelson, the man who was in the best position to eliminate any sort of mystery about the player of the year had shown that nothing in professional golf is a certainty.
“That’s the great thing about the game right now, having so many guys in position to win,” said Rod Pampling, who won the Bay Hill Invitational this year after Greg Owen missed out on his first win by collapsing late. “Week in and week out, anyone who enters a tournament can win it. The depth is so strong now that you’ll still get a lot of the regulars at the top, but you’ll still have the guy who comes from out of nowhere win it.”
Do you remember the story line that dominated in 2004, 2005 and the early months of 2006, whether golf was being controlled by a Big Three – Woods, Mickelson and Vijay Singh – a Big Four, adding Ernie Els, or even a Big Five, which included Retief Goosen? In the previous two years, those players won a combined 43 tournaments around the world and six of a possible eight major championships.
While the biggest names have made their presence felt in the game’s biggest events – Mickelson winning the Masters and Woods taking the British Open – there hasn’t been the week-to-week excellence by the stars that harken comparisons to Nicklaus, Palmer and Player. Singh, who averaged almost six victories a year from 2003-05, has but one. Els, coming off knee surgery that cost him most of 2005, and Goosen, who will attempt to defend his 2005 triumph in The International, have yet to win.
Even with Mickelson’s win at Augusta, and Woods’ victory overseas in his third event following an extended absence after his father’s death, there are some who would argue that no group of players will consistently wield a major advantage over the rank and file anymore.
“You talk about the Big Three, Four or Five, but that could be extended to 10 so quickly,” Pampling said.
Added Bart Bryant: “That’s going to be the norm now. There may be times when a player gets hot and dominates here and there, but for the most part, this is going to be the typical cycle. I have a feeling that this year may be more typical than people realize; I know Tiger’s been dominant and Vijay has been dominant, but we’re moving into a time where there’s more winners with the money being spread around.”
Ames counters that if Woods or Mickelson were to win the year’s final major, next week’s PGA Championship, they would have to be regarded as having had a “dominant” season. That would make CBS happy, should they battle down the stretch at Medinah Country Club. But Pampling figures fans will still be OK with whomever wins.
“There’s no Arnie’s Army any more,” Pampling said. “Tiger’s still a huge favorite with the fans, but everything is spread out right now. … If someone unknown wins, they still become a public favorite pretty quickly.”
