Four players have taken their turns at No. 1, the highest number between U.S. Opens in the 25-year history of golf’s world ranking. Four players won their first major in the last 12 months. Four others captured their first World Golf Championship.
And it’s largely because of a guy who’s not even playing. The presence Tiger Woods brings to golf is felt even more strongly in his absence.
Woods will not be at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., this week, missing the U.S. Open for the first time in 17 years because of lingering injuries to his left leg. Some could argue he has been missing for the last year as he has tried to mend his personal life, his health and his golf swing. He has gone 18 months without winning, paving the way for a new generation of stars to emerge. And they have.
Graeme McDowell started off by winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He erased a massive layer of Woods’ mystique at the end of the year, overcoming a four-shot deficit in the final round and beating him in a Chevron World Challenge playoff.
Louis Oosthuizen (British Open), Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship) and Charl Schwartzel (Masters) — all of them in their 20s — won the next three majors. Lee Westwood ended Woods’ five-year stay atop the world ranking, and Kaymer and Luke Donald since have gone to No. 1 in the world over the last four months.
None of that seemed possible when Woods was on top of his game, dominating to such a degree that he won nearly 30 percent of his tournaments.
Are players getting better? Or were they always this good and no one noticed? Maybe it takes Woods being gone to realize just how good he was.
“Some of the younger players came along when Tiger was on a tear, and they were in his shadow,” Mark O’Meara said. “He was bigger than life. But now that Tiger is somewhat removed from the game, they’ve been able to shine.”
With the absence of Woods — and to a lesser extent, Phil Mickelson, who has only one victory in the last year — the new landscape in golf features parity not seen in some 20 years.
U.S. Open/Facts and figures
For the 111th U.S. Open golf championship:
When: Thursday through June 19.
Site: Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) in Bethesda, Md.
The course: Congressional hosted the U.S. Open in 1964 and 1997 and hosted the 1976 PGA Championship. The PGA Tour has played 10 tournaments at Congressional — the Kemper Open, Booz Allen Classic and AT&T National.
Length: 7,574 yards. Par: 36-35—71.
Format: 72 holes of stroke play.
Cut: Top 60 and ties, and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead after 36 holes.
Playoff, if necessary: 18 holes of stroke play June 20.
Field: 156 players.
Purse: TBA ($7.5 million in 2010).
Winner’s share: TBA ($1.35 million in 2010).
Defending champion: Graeme McDowell.
Tiger update: Tiger Woods will not play in the U.S. Open (because of leg injuries) for the first time since 1994.
Noteworthy: Americans have not finished among the top three in three of golf’s last four majors.
TV (all times MDT): Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN; 1-3 p.m., KUSA-9; 3-5 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, noon-6 p.m., KUSA-9. Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., KUSA-9.
