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Wednesday, October 16, 2013
One of the most confounding and uneven seasons in Tiger Woods’ illustrious career closed with a resounding thud on Sunday in the finale of the 2013 FedEx Cup playoffs at East Lake Golf Club.
Tiger’s 22nd-place finish among 30 players in the season-ending Tour Championship dropped him from first place in the FedEx standings to second behind Henrik Stenson. More importantly, it ended any hope the world No. 1 had of finishing a drama-filled roller coaster season on a high note.
Instead, Tiger is left with an empty ending to his 2013 campaign that, despite five PGA Tour victories and a return to the top of the world rankings, can only be viewed as a disappointment when measured against the very standards the world’s best player sets for himself.
For the fifth straight year, Woods failed to win a major championship, extending his drought to 18 consecutive starts. He also dealt with multiple injuries and was mired in a pair of rules controversies that, to some, cast a shadow on his on-course credibility.
The bitter icing on that rather distasteful cake was his struggles in the playoffs, which he began more than a month ago with a sizable lead and seemed destined to win. That opportunity finally disappeared amid poor putting, wayward driving and all-around listless play at East Lake.
Does the lack of a major championship make Tiger Woods' 2013 season a disappointment?
Does the lack of a major championship make Tiger Woods' 2013 season a disappointment?
Yes
40.0%
No
60.0%
A third FedEx Cup title wasn't going to erase the disappointment of failing to win a major for the first time since the 2008 U.S. Open. Yet it would have provided a measure of redemption for Woods, who must feel like this year has been a frustrating tale of two players from start to finish.
By normal measure, a five-win PGA Tour season is a career year worthy of wide acclaim. By Tiger standards, however, the lack of a major championship and all the other static that disrupted his year time and again are hard to overlook in accessing a final grade.
Publicly, Woods says his season was a good one, and if not for his long-stated emphasis on chasing down Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships, he’d have a solid argument to rest on.
It’s not just the number of wins Tiger has in 2013, but the quality of the tournaments he captured in the process.
In addition to winning the Players Championship for the just the second time in his career, Woods claimed a pair of World Golf Championship events, including the Bridgestone Invitational back in August, in which he fired a second-round 61.
Tiger also captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational for an amazing eighth time and won at Torrey Pines, which really should be renamed in his honor considering how many titles he’s claimed there.
Couple those accomplishments with that fact that he earned well over $8 million in prize money, and you've got a great season by just about every measure—save one.
There is the one standard of excellence that Woods holds himself to that simply makes the argument that his 2013 season has fallen short of the mark. Tiger is about wining major championships, and at the age of 37, and due to the fact he’s been stuck on 14 titles since 2008, the pressure to do so has never been more intense.
It’s hard, then, to argue that Woods' five triumphs aren't trumped by his glaring goose egg in golf’s biggest events. And it’s not just the 0-for-4 in those tournaments that tell the terrible Tiger tale, but the absolute struggles he had in the majority of them.
Woods’ 13-over showing in the U.S. Open was his professional career worst in a major, and his 40th-place finish at the PGA Championship was his highest ever in that championship when making the cut.
Even Tiger’s best performance was accomplished under a dark cloud. His tie for fourth at the Masters was significantly overshadowed by his near-disqualification for a bad drop that ultimately led to two strokes being added to his second-round score.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
So if there was a measure of redemption to Tiger’s 2013 season and some momentum to be forged for 2014, it was supposed to come through a third FedEx Cup championship that would have been completed this weekend in Atlanta.
Instead, the world's top golfer struggled almost from the start of the playoffs and did so mightily at the finish. As a result, Tiger is left with one of the more perplexing seasons of his professional career.
His five victories and ascendancy to the world’s top ranking are significant accomplishments to be sure. That said, at this stage of his career, it’s about major titles. By that standard, 2013 simply doesn't measure up.
It might not be fair, but no one ever said it was easy being Tiger Woods.
B/R
Adam Scott won the first major of the 2013 season at the Masters in April. On Wednesday, that victory came full circle at the 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf. In a tournament designed to specifically showcase the four major championship winners of the current season, Scott turned in a major-like performance to slam the door his 2013 campaign on a high note with an impressive victory, finishing Round 2 with a seven-under 64 and an eight-under total score.
Benjamin Everill of the Associate Press had this tweet to congratulate Scott on his victory:
Golf in Morocco chimed in with this post on Twitter:
Here is a closer look at the newest addition to Scott's trophy case, per the tournament's official Twitter account:
It also posted a tweet with Scott holding the trophy on a green:
Scott rallied in Round 2 to overtake 2013 U.S. Open victor Justin Rose and win the trophy at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda. Rose led after Day 1 and for most of the round on Day 2, but Scott's eagle on the par-five 17th gave the Aussie enough juice to outlast the Englishman by two strokes.
Reigning PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner finished third at three under, and Padraig Harrington—who did not win a major in 2013 but was a replacement for Phil Mickelson—could not repeat his championship performance from 2012, finishing a distant fourth at three over.
Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel showed sympathy for Harrington with this tweet during Round 2:
But this tournament was about having fun, spending time on a magnificent course in Bermuda and getting a chance to reflect on the events of the past year or so, while also keeping one's golf game sharp for the upcoming season.
Just check out the 2013-14 PGA Tour season schedule for confirmation that even the best of the best need a break every once in a while.
Scott was hearing none of that on Wednesday, and at one point, neither was Rose. As two of the best international golfers in the world right now, Scott and Rose are no strangers to final-round fireworks with a trophy on the line.
Taylor Made's European Twitter account has this tweet to chronicle what was a strong start to Day 2 for Rose:
The Englishman birdied four straight holes on the front nine, but finally slipped up on No. 9 with a bogey to fall to seven under. At the same time Scott started surging, and so did the man responsible for the popular "Dufnering" craze.
Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Down two strokes from his Day 1 score after 10 holes, Dufner decided to turn it on. He birdied three of the next five holes to stay in the mix, but a bogey on No. 16 virtually ended his chances to compete despite a last-ditch birdie on No. 17.
It was Scott who played error-free golf and made the most of his chances down the stretch at Port Royal. Three birdies in his first nine holes set the tone, but the real heroics came when the tournament was on the line.
Starting with a birdie on No. 13, Scott started to make his run. He added another on No. 15 and then hit the shot of the day on No. 17 from the fairway to set himself up for a short putt for eagle. It was the final nail in the coffin.
PGA.com's Twitter account had this post to recap Scott's heroics on No. 17:
The victory is the cherry on top of a season in which Scott has quickly become one of the most feared golfers on the planet. Currently No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings, the Aussie finished inside the top five in three of four majors in 2013 and also won The Barclays tournament during the FedEx Cup playoffs.
There's no guarantee Scott qualifies for a return trip to the Grand Slam of Golf in 2014, but the way he's playing right now, it wouldn't be a surprise if all four spots have his name on them this time next year.
If this three-year-old doesn't make you question your golf game, then you're much better than most. Not only does he make these chip shots look easy, but it sounds like he's having a ton of fun doing it. BleacherReport
DAYTON - Seven players head the field after Day 1 of the Portugal Masters 2013.
The leading pack, all tied at six under par, include Chilean Felipe Aguilar, Germany's Maximilian Kieffer, England's Graeme Storm and David Lynn, Wales' Jamie Donaldson, Alvaro Quiros of Spain and Ireland's Simon Thornton.
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Kaymer has positioned himself well for a shot at joining the early leaders.
Pre-tournament favourite Martin Kaymer is three under par and in joint 30th position. Last year's winner, Shane Lowry, finished Day 1 further down the leaderboard in 52nd position at just one under.
There could have been a sole leader in the Algarve going into Day 2 had Lynn not dropped a shot on the 18th hole. He may struggle to keep up if Quiros and Storm are able to make progress on their opening round.
The Spaniard made six birdies on his opening nine holes, while the Englishman also scored six but on the final nine.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Elsewhere, potential title threat Ross Fisher shot a solid score of 66. He is four under par and well prepared to push on further up the field in Day 2.
Other notable results from players marked as worth watching in the Bleacher Report Portugal Masters preview include the 13:00 (BST) group consisting of Francesco Molinari, Joost Luiten and Nicolas Colsaerts.
The triumphant Seve Trophy trio all came in at three under. Each scored a round of 68 to join the chasers bunched together in 30th place alongside Kaymer.
Combined with the hotly tipped German, all four golfers should come to the fore over the next few days as serious contenders for this year's competition.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Fleetwood has started well.
By contrast, the fortunes of Great Britain and Ireland's joint leader Donaldson, Tommy Fleetwood and Stephen Gallacher on Day 1 were very different.
Matteo Manassero also had a shot in the daily highlight reel, and the 20-year-old prodigy lingers just behind the first day's top players in 30th place with a round of 68 for three under par.
Another Bleacher Report pre-tournament pick, Hennie Otto, did well, ending his first day at five under par in joint eighth place. He is effectively in second behind the early leaders. Meanwhile, Englishman Tom Lewis also finished one under with a round of 7, while Miguel Angel Jimenez came in on par.
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Chris Doak is fighting to retain his placing in the Race To Dubai.
Chris Doak, ranked 112th in the Race to Dubai standings, was facing up to the prospect of losing his full playing privileges going into the Portugal Masters. With a four-under opening round of 67, the Scot now has the opportunity to ensure his card is paid off for the 2014 season under his own steam.
The only withdrawal on Day 1 was Ignacio Garrido, who left the tournament at seven over par.
Heading into the second day, the likes of Fisher, Otto, Kaymer and Donaldson will be looking to come well under par to build on their early results, while Lowry seeks to salvage his status as a potential competitor after a middling first outing.
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Hennie Otto had a strong first day.
Day 1 Leaderboard
A leaderboard of the top 30 golfers after the first day can be found below. To view the full leaderboard, visit the official European Tour site.
