Tiger Woods always had an answer.
When he missed the cut at the U.S. Open for the first time in a major – his first tournament after his father died of cancer – some questioned whether he could rekindle his desire to dominate. He never finished worse than second in stroke play the rest of the season.
Phil Mickelson emerged anew as a serious threat to Woods’ domain by winning his second straight major at the Masters and nearly making it three in a row at the U.S. Open. Woods responded by winning the next two majors without breaking a sweat.
And there remained skepticism about his latest swing change, put to rest by a year that ranked among Woods’ best on the PGA Tour. He won eight times in 15 starts, six in a row to close out his season, two more majors to reach 12 for his career.
About the only thing he couldn’t answer was how he was voted AP male athlete of the year.
Woods won the award over San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, with tennis great Roger Federer a distant third. The 31-year-old Woods won for the fourth time in his career, tying the record set by Lance Armstrong, who won the past four years.
While pleased to hear he had won the award, Woods was perplexed it did not go to his good friend Federer, who continues to dominate tennis. Woods was in Federer’s box at Flushing Meadows when the Swiss star captured the U.S. Open.
“What he’s done in tennis, I think, is far greater than what I’ve done in golf,” Woods said. “He’s lost what … five matches in three years? That’s pretty good.”
Actually, Federer’s record in 2006 was an amazing 92-5, including 12 singles titles.
Woods received 260 points from sports editors across the country. Tomlinson, who already has set an NFL record of 31 touchdowns with one regular-season game left, was second with 230 points. Federer, who won three Grand Slam titles and lost in the final at the French Open, had 110 points.
Fred Couples, the former Masters champion and all-around sports nut who attended Wimbledon this year, ran through the achievements of the top three and figured it would be a tough vote to cast.
“Roger Federer is pretty sporty,” Couples said. “Tomlinson is going to pound the record by I don’t know how many TDs. It’s all great. You would think if you’re Roger Federer and you didn’t win it this year, you don’t know what else you could possibly do. But Tiger … it’s not like he’s not deserving. He’s winning 55 percent of the tournaments he plays. He’s probably ahead of Shaq’s free-throw percentage.”
Woods again made it look routine, winning at least eight PGA Tour events for the third time in his career and becoming the first player in history to capture multiple majors in consecutive seasons.
“Anytime you’re over 50 percent winning in our sports, it’s probably a good year,” Woods said. “I know how hard it is. I know what it takes to get to that point. I hate to say it, but people in the media and fans don’t understand how hard it is. Players do. The things players have said to me over the years, that means a lot.”
Balloting
Voting for the 2006 Associated Press male athlete of the year:
Tiger Woods 260
LaDainian Tomlinson 230
Roger Federer 110
Dwyane Wade 40
Ryan Howard 20
Albert Pujols 20
Floyd Landis 10
Shaun White 10
Vince Young 10
Past honorees
2005 – Lance Armstrong, cycling
2004 – Lance Armstrong, cycling
2003 – Lance Armstrong, cycling
2002 – Lance Armstrong, cycling
2001 – Barry Bonds, baseball
2000 – Tiger Woods, golf
1999 – Tiger Woods, golf
1998 – Mark McGwire, baseball
1997 – Tiger Woods, golf
1996 – Michael Johnson, track and field
1995 – Cal Ripken, baseball
1994 – George Foreman, boxing
1993 – Michael Jordan, basketball
1992 – Michael Jordan, basketball
1991 – Michael Jordan, basketball
1990 – Joe Montana, football
1989 – Joe Montana, football
1988 – Orel Hershiser, baseball
1987 – Ben Johnson, track and field
1986 – Larry Bird, basketball
1985 – Dwight Gooden, baseball
1984 – Carl Lewis, track and field
1983 – Carl Lewis, track and field
1982 – Wayne Gretzky, hockey
1981 – John McEnroe, tennis
1980 – U.S. Olympic hockey team
1979 – Willie Stargell, baseball
1978 – Ron Guidry, baseball
1977 – Steve Cauthen, horse racing
1976 – Bruce Jenner, decathlon
1975 – Fred Lynn, baseball
1974 – Muhammad Ali, boxing
1973 – O.J. Simpson, football
1972 – Mark Spitz, swimming
1971 – Lee Trevino, golf
1970 – George Blanda, football
1969 – Tom Seaver, baseball
1968 – Denny McLain, baseball
1967 – Carl Yastrzemski, baseball
1966 – Frank Robinson, baseball
1965 – Sandy Koufax, baseball
1964 – Don Schollander, swimming
1963 – Sandy Koufax, baseball
1962 – Maury Wills, baseball
1961 – Roger Maris, baseball
1960 – Rafer Johnson, track
1959 – Ingemar Johansson, boxing
1958 – Herb Elliott, track
1957 – Ted Williams, baseball
1956 – Mickey Mantle, baseball
1955 – Hopalong Cassady, football
1954 – Willie Mays, baseball
1953 – Ben Hogan, golf
1952 – Bob Mathias, track-football
1951 – Dick Kazmaier, football
1950 – Jim Konstanty, baseball
1949 – Leon Hart, football
1948 – Lou Boudreau, baseball
1947 – Johnny Lujack, football
1946 – Glenn Davis, football
1945 – Byron Nelson, golf
1944 – Byron Nelson, golf
1943 – Gunder Haegg, track
1942 – Frank Sinkwich, football
1941 – Joe DiMaggio, baseball
1940 – Tom Harmon, football
1939 – Nile Kinnick, football
1938 – Don Budge, tennis
1937 – Don Budge, tennis
1936 – Jesse Owens, track
1935 – Joe Louis, boxing
1934 – Dizzy Dean, baseball
1933 – Carl Hubbell, baseball
1932 – Gene Sarazen, golf
1931 – Pepper Martin, baseball
