A Masters Minus Tiger and Phil?

[Dogfish Head]

I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO AUGUSTA, the year's second major (the Kraft Nabisco Championship is the first, as Hall of Famer Carol Mann pointed out on Facebook). But what kind of Masters would it be if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson aren't in the field of 99?

Tiger Woods has back issues. (Allison)​

The 2014 Masters tees off a week from Thursday on April 10. That's just 10 days away. Both Tiger and Phil are nursing injuries. The Green Jacket men (and two women) and the CBS people might be more than a little worried about "a tradition unlike any other." Because without Woods and Mickelson it will truly be unlike any other in recent years, and not in a good way.

Phil was bullish about his game last Friday at the Valero Texas Open. ""My speed is back, my back feels great, my body feels great and I'm able to hit the ball hard again," Lefty said.

Then, on Saturday, he withdrew from the tournament with a strained oblique muscle. Swinging hard with his driver to get ready for the Masters, Mickelson hurt himself on the 1st tee, his 10th hole of the day.

"I'm going to go back to San Diego for a couple days and have a doctor take a look at it," Mickelson was quoted as saying at GolfChannel.com, "but there's really not much you can do for a pulled muscle. I hope I'll be OK to play the [Shell Houston Open] but I just don't know."

Tiger's problems are apparently worse. His deal is a bulging disk that won't require surgery, according to an unnamed source as reported by Golfweek. The winner of 14 major championships is uncertain about whether he'll tee it up at Augusta.

"It's too early to know about the Masters," Woods said at this website. "I will continue to be evaluated and work closely with my doctors."

For the players, media and fans, no Tiger and no Phil would be a different kind of trip down Magnolia Lane. I'll make that trip if I have to, but it won't be the same.


Source: A Masters Minus Tiger and Phil?

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

If either of those two miss the tournament it will be a bummer.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

They'll both be there. One or both of them might withdraw after a string of bogies but they'll both be there. I'll bet a box of balls on that.

 

[BigJim13]

I'm starting to think that my days of watching Tiger and Phil and golf in general are coming to a close.

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

I'm starting to think that my days of watching Tiger and Phil and golf in general are coming to a close.

 

[azgreg]

No one watches The Masters anyways.

 

[BigJim13]

No one watches The Masters anyways.

That may actually be the one tourney I would watch without tiger or Phil.

 

[limpalong]

Some of us are old enough to have been saddened when we saw the retirement of Nicklaus and Palmer and Watson and Trevino and Floyd and Ballesteros and ....... Seve was one you wanted to root against, but his shotmaking brought you to the edge of your chair as you would cheer for him. Trevino... with his HUGE caddy! Always looking to pull a prank on someone and always ready to joke and gab with whoever would listen. "Arnie's Army".
Bodies age and tire of constantly being pushed to the limit. Backs and necks and rotator cuffs and knees simply won't take the hitting of 500+ balls/day. There are only a few minds that can block out galleries and what's going on in your life off the course... and be able to card 4 consecutive rounds in the 60's on four consecutive days. The local club champ may be able to knock out a 67 at his home course during the member's tourney. To play weekend after weekend at different courses and post the rounds necessary to not only compete but be in the top two or three on the money list.......
Golf will survive. Golf has been enjoyed by millions since the 1800's. Before television contracts and huge endorsement deals, the money leaders on the PGA Tour would have to borrow money to drive from tourney to tourney. The money wasn't made by winning on Tour. Money was made in the rounds betting with the locals, taking their money, and getting out of Dodge.
Tiger was good for golf. Phil was good for golf. There will be a stellar player come out of nowhere in the next decade that will recharge the batteries of the youth of that era. As we oldsters sit back and remember the Nicklaus power fades and Trevino "weed whacker" swings, likewise, you will try to tell your grandkids how much better Woods was than the celebrity of their day.
Will this year's Masters "be the same" without Tiger and Phil? Of course not! If they both play injured this year, what about next... and the next... and the next. They are not infallible. They WILL retire. Life... and golf... will go on.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

I'm starting to think that my days of watching Tiger and Phil and golf in general are coming to a close.

Tiger probably won't win another grand slam or wipe the field out by 15 shots in any more Majors but you might want to keep watching. He did win 5 times last year. Not bad for an old man.

 

[BigJim13]

Tiger probably won't win another grand slam or wipe the field out by 15 shots in any more Majors but you might want to keep watching. He did win 5 times last year. Not bad for an old man.

I was just being cynical, it was a crappy day at work.

 

[azgreg]

Actually Jim, I once took a vacation day to watch The Masters.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

I just watch it at work, lol.

 

[BigJim13]

Actually Jim, I once took a vacation day to watch The Masters.

Great idea!

 

[MCDavis]

Some of us are old enough to have been saddened when we saw the retirement of Nicklaus and Palmer and Watson and Trevino and Floyd and Ballesteros and ....... Seve was one you wanted to root against, but his shotmaking brought you to the edge of your chair as you would cheer for him. Trevino... with his HUGE caddy! Always looking to pull a prank on someone and always ready to joke and gab with whoever would listen. "Arnie's Army".
Bodies age and tire of constantly being pushed to the limit. Backs and necks and rotator cuffs and knees simply won't take the hitting of 500+ balls/day. There are only a few minds that can block out galleries and what's going on in your life off the course... and be able to card 4 consecutive rounds in the 60's on four consecutive days. The local club champ may be able to knock out a 67 at his home course during the member's tourney. To play weekend after weekend at different courses and post the rounds necessary to not only compete but be in the top two or three on the money list.......
Golf will survive. Golf has been enjoyed by millions since the 1800's. Before television contracts and huge endorsement deals, the money leaders on the PGA Tour would have to borrow money to drive from tourney to tourney. The money wasn't made by winning on Tour. Money was made in the rounds betting with the locals, taking their money, and getting out of Dodge.
Tiger was good for golf. Phil was good for golf. There will be a stellar player come out of nowhere in the next decade that will recharge the batteries of the youth of that era. As we oldsters sit back and remember the Nicklaus power fades and Trevino "weed whacker" swings, likewise, you will try to tell your grandkids how much better Woods was than the celebrity of their day.
Will this year's Masters "be the same" without Tiger and Phil? Of course not! If they both play injured this year, what about next... and the next... and the next. They are not infallible. They WILL retire. Life... and golf... will go on.

Although I'm still young enough to be limp's son, this post is exactly how I feel and what I think when I hear comments like "Tiger/Phil/whoever's not playing, no reason to watch". I watched, and loved, all the guys limp mentioned. But more than that, I grew up watching THE GAME. In my opinion, if you're only watching to watch 1 player, you're really not a fan of the game. What difference does it make if it's Joe Superstar or Joe Schmoe coming back from 6 down to win on the back side on Sunday afternoon? Or getting up on Sunday 4 strokes up and then increase that lead to win? It takes the same drive, the same determination to pull it off. And, it's probably a bigger story when Joe Schmoe does it because he's not used to doing it. He stepped up that day, on that course, to be the best. In my opinion, that's a much bigger story than any superstar racking up win #87.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

Although I'm still young enough to be limp's son, this post is exactly how I feel and what I think when I hear comments like "Tiger/Phil/whoever's not playing, no reason to watch". I watched, and loved, all the guys limp mentioned. But more than that, I grew up watching THE GAME. In my opinion, if you're only watching to watch 1 player, you're really not a fan of the game. What difference does it make if it's Joe Superstar or Joe Schmoe coming back from 6 down to win on the back side on Sunday afternoon? Or getting up on Sunday 4 strokes up and then increase that lead to win? It takes the same drive, the same determination to pull it off. And, it's probably a bigger story when Joe Schmoe does it because he's not used to doing it. He stepped up that day, on that course, to be the best. In my opinion, that's a much bigger story than any superstar racking up win #87.

I feel the same way. Still, it's more exciting when the big names are in the field.