Tiger Woods makes TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list

If you can't be People's Sexiest Man Alive, here's a decent consolation prize.

This week TIME Magazine included Tiger Woods in its 2009 list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. Woods is included in the category of "Heroes and Icons," where he joins an eclectic collection of notables including Captain Sully, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and George Clooney. The only other athletes on the list are tennis player Rafael Nadal and Filipino boxer Manny Pacquino.

"You rarely see an athlete who single-handedly changes an entire sport," Woods's friend, fellow Right Guard pitchman and Nike brother Roger Federer writes in TIME. "When Tiger couldn't play last year because of an injury, golf ratings suffered. He has changed the way golfers train and prepare themselves and has brought huge numbers of new fans to the sport, including me. I never followed golf when I was younger. Now I do."

Looks like my invitation to the World's Most Influential People dinner must have gotten lost in the mail.

Tiger Woods Gives Simple Swing Advice

Tiger Woods, who most would agree was a pretty fair junior player, was asked recently at a clinic I attended how to teach a young beginning golfer some basics, like how hard to swing.

“Obviously, you can’t tell an 8-year-old to swing at 85 percent of normal,” Woods said.
“An 8-year-old doesn’t know how to gauge something like that in the middle of a swing, or how to interpret what 85 percent of some movement is. So when I was young, my father told me that I could swing as hard as I wanted, just so long as I was in complete balance when I had finished my swing.
“At the end of a shot, I couldn’t be swaying side to side, falling back or lurching forward. I had to be in balance. I still think it’s a great tip: swing as hard as you like so long as you can be in balance. It puts you in charge of managing the speed and pace of your swing.”
That advice still works for junior players. It would work, most likely, for everyone.

Looking back, 2009 Masters will go down as one of the best

Spectators who were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National for the final round of the 2009 U.S. Masters will never forget the experience as the birdie roars returned to the undulating, par-72 layout with a vengeance.
On a sun-kissed spring afternoon in Georgia, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods led the way with a sizzling display of shot-making, charging into contention after starting the last day seven strokes off the lead.
Although both Americans ultimately fell short of a three-way playoff eventually won by Argentina’s Angel Cabrera at the second extra hole, they attracted arguably the biggest crowds ever seen at Augusta with the fans massing 30 deep around some of the greens.
Throw in a few late fireworks by overnight leaders Cabrera and American Kenny Perry and Sunday’s final round proved to be one of the most unforgettable at the Masters.
Mickelson exploded out of the gate with six birdies in seven holes to reach the turn in a record equalling six-under-par 30.
Woods, although not at his very best, rammed in a 25-footer to eagle the par-five eighth before making birdie on 13, 15 and 16 to surge into contention for the title.
The game’s two leading players got to within a stroke of the lead before slipping back over the closing stretch.
Perry, meanwhile, struck his tee shot to a foot at the par-three 16th to forge two strokes clear before allowing Cabrera back into the tournament with a bogey-bogey finish.
The messy finale to the opening major of the season — Cabrera clinched his first Green Jacket by simply parring the two playoff holes — will undermine the argument made by many that this was one of the most unforgettable finishes ever at the Masters.
However, probably only two other editions over the last 30 years at Augusta can lay claim to being more memorable.
In 1986, the 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus shot a final-round 65 featuring an explosive back nine of 30 to win his sixth Green Jacket. He eagled the par-five 15th, almost aced the 16th and birdied the 17th to complete a stunning comeback and a one-shot victory.
In 2004, Mickelson scuppered the hopes of South African Ernie Els after the pair had duelled in an epic battle of shot-making in the final round.
Els, who had led by two strokes with five holes to play, closed with a five-under-par 67 but had to settle for second place after left-hander Mickelson birdied five of the last seven holes.
The Masters has long established a reputation for the resounding birdie roars on the back nine during the final round with much of the drama focusing on the two par fives — 13 and 15.
Cold and windy conditions in 2007 and 2008 had conspired to leave Augusta strangely silent but Mickelson, Woods and company, helped by glorious weather, changed all of that in spectacular fashion in 2009.

Ping Rapture V2 Driver Review

Ping is introducing several new club families for its 2009 product lineup, clubs that will complement the existing G10 Series, i10 irons, and the i-Series and Karsten Series putter lines.
The new series are the Rapture V2, which includes driver, fairways, hybrids and irons; the S57 irons; and the iWi putters.
All the new club lines are multi-material in construction, but Ping chairman/John Solheim says in a news release, "The common material throughout all of the new products is tungsten. From the driver to the putters, we've utilized the density of tungsten in strategic locations to optimize weight distribution and maximize performance. Plus, they all offer multiple fitting variables to ensure golfers can be properly fit for every club in their bag."
Here is a thumbnail look at the new-for-2009 Ping clubs, which will begin shipping in late September, 2008:

Ping Rapture V2 Driver
Materials: 460cc titanium body with external tungsten weight pads located in back, near heel and toe.
Specifications: Available in lofts of 9, 10.5, 12 and 13.4 degrees. Standard shafts are the Ping TFC939D (in flexes of Ladies, Soft R, R, S, and X) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue (in flexes of R, S and X).
Fitting variables: Loft, shaft flex/type, shaft length, grip size/type, swingweight.
MSRP: $500 (graphite only).

Ping says:
"Tungsten weight pads position CG for lower spin and high launch with higher MOI for improved distance and accuracy. Plasma-welded, machined, variable thickness face for increased ball speed. Taller face and aggressively tapered crown. Double-Rapture alignment aid on crown."

Cobra S9-1 Driver 2009 Review

CG is the name of the game for the new Cobra S9-1 Driver. The all titanium driver has been downsized to take advantage of each loft. In addition to the optimized CG, rather dramatic changes have been made from last year’s model such as slightly narrower face and less crown surface area. The weight has been reduced by almost 6 grams to increase club-head speed - this to me is a biggie. I am an advocate on stripping unnecessary weight to increase club-head speed. This is the name of the game to gain additional yardage.
Other notables for the Cobra S9-1 is the new Hotter 9 Points technology to further increase clubface efficiency. What is this? It’s the design of the driver to maximize COR using a Dual Rhombas insert to promote higher ball speed and a more consistent ball flight across the entire club face.

Comes in three different models (excluding the S9-1 Pro): S9-1 M for swing speeds of 87-108 and ball speeds of 125-155, S9-F for swing speeds of 97 or less and ball speeds of 140 or less and finally the S9-M (offset) for swing speeds of 97 or less and ball speeds of 140 or less.

Cobra S9-1 Spec Sheet-

Face Height…….. 53 mm

Shaft Length…… 45.5

Face Area……….. 43.7

Heel to Toe…….. 107 mm

Front to Back…… 120 mm

MOI……………….. Very High

Actual Player Feedback-

“I had no slice whatsoever on any shot”
“Feels great and goes straight”
“Absolutely SWEET!”

Pros/Positives-

Absolutely great looking driver. Cobra has always come out with stellar drivers and this one is no exception. Very high MOI and balanced face makes this one of the straighter drivers on the market today. Excellent custom shaft selection such as Graphite Design, YS-6+ and YS-7+, Aldila DVS, Aldila NV, Grafalloy Prolaunch, Proforce V2, Fujikura Speedax, Rombax, and the Mitsubishi Diaman to name a few.

Cons/Negatives-

Driver is probably more geared for the average player. Lacks lower loft selection (starting at 9.5) unless you go to the Cobra S9-1 Pro model. These are not negatives to the majority of players however…
Overall Rating-
The Cobra S9-1 is definitely a great driver for the average to better than average golfer looking for distance and accuracy. A high launch driver that’s straight and long, this is the general consensus. Made Golf rating in the Golf Digest Driver reviews for 2009′. This is definitely a driver putting on your short list this spring.
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TaylorMade 2009 Burner Steel Iron Review

The TaylorMade 2009 Burner Iron is the best looking, best performing iron the company has ever produced. TaylorMade’s designers changed their approach to irons by looking at short, middle and long irons differently and the result is a set of irons that performs throughout the bag. The long irons feature Inverted Cone Technology to ensure distance remains consistent on even off centre hits and the clubface has been thinned to make each club more flexible and faster.

The clubhead is larger and combined with a wider sole to both increase MOI and lower the CG location. The result is longer irons that are as easy to hit as TaylorMade’s Rescue club but with the added benefit of accuracy and control that only irons can bring.

These advances in iron technology were also used to create the 2009 Burner middle irons which are more accurate and longer than any previous TaylorMade iron. Short irons were designed to deliver responsive, controlled clubs that kept the classic prescision looks of traditional short irons.

The result is short irons that are both classic in design but which also score highly on all counts of accuracy, forgiveness and feel. The real beauty of the TaylorMade 2009 Burner Irons is that, despite the separate design processes, the whole set combine to give the golfer a powerful weapon.

Distance gaps between each iron are even leaving no difficult, unbridgeable gaps between clubs and, throughout the bag, the 2009 Burner Irons deliver high, soft landing ball flight combined with accuracy and carry.

Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider Putter Review

Just like the original Rossa Monza Spider, only smaller? Almost, but not quite.
TaylorMade's Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider putter is, at a glance, just a smaller version of the original. The Itsy Bitsy is 20-percent smaller than the Monza Spider, to be exact. It's a mid-sized, rather than an oversized, mallet.
But the Itsy Bitsy does have a couple differences, beyond its smaller size, that show up on closer examination:
The "wings" - where the Moveable Weight Cartridges are located and used to adjust weight and feel - don't stick out as much on the Itsy Bitsy.
The alignment decal on top of the Itsy Bitsy putter head is an abbreviated version of the "full-court alignment" decal on the original. Hence, TaylorMade refers to this one as the "half-court alignment" decal. The Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider has the same steel wire-frame head construction as the original, larger putter; an aluminum core; and the Moveable Weight Technology ports on the wings. Combined, these features allow for the repositioning of weight around the perimeter, pulling the center of gravity rearward and increasing MOI.
The Rossa Itsy Bitsy Monza Spider from TaylorMade will carry an MSRP of $240.

Rossa Core Classic Putters Review

The Rossa Core Classics from TaylorMade are four putters employing traditional shapes: Two blades (the Daytona and the Lambeau) and two mallets (the Fontana and the Suzuka).
All four employ Rossa's AGSI+ clubface insert, but a new version that TaylorMade says is 50-percent softer at impact. The four models are made of soft stainless steel with a Tuscan nickel finish.
In addition to the soft feel at impact, the AGSI+ insert is designed to mitigate backspin and promote forwardspin to get the ball rolling more smoothly off the clubface.
The Rossa Core Classic putters come with a new "big bird" black tour grip, which features the new Rossa logo prominently displayed. All models are available in right-hand; the Daytona (one of the blades) is also available in left-hand. The MSRP is $142 each.

TaylorMade Burner Plus Irons Review

TaylorMade counts a lot of clubs in its Burner series, including many iron sets. So what type of golfer is the target audience for the TaylorMade Burner Plus irons? These irons, the company states, are "developed for the 10+ handicap bomber who loves his Burner driver and wants an iron that shares the same personality and the same fast-and-long qualities."
The Burner Plus irons have the highest MOI of any irons in the TaylorMade stable, according to the company. That means increased forgiveness on mis-hits and less loss of distance on off-center strikes.
The muscular clubhead design has a thick topline with a wide beveled sole. In between is a thin clubface, significant perimeter weighting and a center of gravy very low and deep to help promote a high launch and trajectory.
The Burner Plus irons also have more offset than other TaylorMade irons, discouraging a fade and promoting a draw ball flight.
The Burner Plus irons are equipped with with 47-gram TaylorMade arrow grips and TaylorMade SuperFast RE*AX 60-gram graphite shafts in S, R, M and L flexes (or SuperFast 85-gram lightweight steel in S, R and M flexes).
Standard set configuration is 4 through attack wedge, which carries an MSRP of $799 with graphite shafts or $599 with steel shafts. The clubs are also available in a Combo configuration, which includes Burner Rescue hybrids 3 and 4, then 5-iron through pitching wedge. The MSRP for the Combo set is $899 with graphite shafts and $699 with steel shafts. And there is also a Ladies configuration of Burner Rescues 4 and 5, then 6-iron through attack wedge. The MSRP for the Ladies set is $899 with graphite shafts, $699 with steel shafts.

TaylorMade Tour Preferred Irons Review

TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons is the latest high-performance set from the company, which touts them as blending "modern technology with classic design."
Classic design: The Tour Preferred irons have a thinner topline than most current irons, and are shorter heel-to-toe than most contemporary irons. That gives them the smaller "players look" at address preferred by some golfers.
Modern technology: All the usual TaylorMade bells and whistles, such as inverted cone technology. The "tour-configured" sole has softened leading and trailing edges, which are designed to minimize resistance and discourage digging.
A shallow, undercut cavity allows for repositioning weight to the perimeter, and is also home to a "vibration-management sound badge," designed to help produce a solid, pleasing sound at impact.
The TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons are targeted at low- to mid-handicappers. The stock shaft is True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts, and the stock grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Available in 2- through 9-iron, pitching wedge, attack wedge and sand wedge. MSRP for a set is $899

Golfing for Novices: Part Two

By Rhys Jones
What to keep in your golf bag.There are many golf bags available; some are designed for fashion, some for utility and some that combine both features. There are big bags, bigger bags and bags so big that they would keep everything I need for a long week-end vacation in one of the side pockets!

As a rule of thumb, you only need a golf bag large enough to hold your clubs, spare balls, your glove, keys, tees, spare pencils, ball markers, a ball retriever, suntan lotion, a plastic mac, and an umbrella.

It is also recommended that you carry in your bag: some tissue paper, sticking plasters and, whether necessary or not, some insect repellant.

A small pack of baby wipes comes in very handy; in your bag they get warmed by the heat, so when you get sweaty or a sand trap covers you with sand, a nice warm wipe can be very refreshing.

I happen to be allergic to the stings of bees, hornets and wasps, so my Epipen is an important addition to my bag. I am also hypoglycemic so I carry Lifesavers, the packs of which have to be replaced several times throughout the year because they have a tendency to melt.

You should also switch off your mobile phone before stowing it away in one of your golf bag's side pockets to prevent it from upsetting other players. You have to be considerate to you fellow players and mobile phones on a golf course are considered a nuisance as they are in restaurants. Having these items in your golf bag should provide everything you will need, even in a minor emergency (like a blister) or a major inconvenience, like a sudden rainstorm. Being prepared makes the game a great deal more fun.
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Woods leads players in support of 2016 Olympics Golf bid

World number one Tiger Woods is one of 18 of the world's leading golfers to back the International Golf Federation's (IGF) bid to have the sport included in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Woods has written personally and sent a 32-page brochure outlining the bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member for the United States.
Ireland's Padraic Harrington, winner of two majors last year, Fiji's Vijay Singh, Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and Spain's Sergio Garcia, have also written to their respective IOC members to try and restore golf to the Olympic fold for the first time for more than 100 years.
"As we have consistently stated from the outset of the bid process, it is imperative that the best players in the world support golf's Olympic effort," Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R&A and joint secretary of the IGF, said.
Dawson said in a statement this would give golf "the best chance of being selected by the IOC to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games."
The IGF's Olympic committee, which represents golf's main organisations and tours, hopes to claim one of two spots for new sports available at the 2016 Games after golf missed out on the 2012 Games.
Dawson said last year that a strokeplay competition would be the proposed format for golf at the Games, with men and women taking part. The last time Olympic medals were up for grabs in the sport was at the 1904 Games in St Louis.
Golf faces competition from baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash with the IOC's final vote taking place in October when the host city will also be chosen. Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the contenders.

Dueling duds, Tiger Vs Phil

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A supercharged duel between the world's two best players ended with a thud Sunday at the Masters, leaving someone else to claim the green jacket. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson fell apart down the stretch as Angel Cabrera won the major in a three-way sudden-death playoff. Here's a look at the pairing between Mickelson and Woods:

The quotes
"We've had some good matches in the past. I've usually been on the wrong end of it."
Mickelson, on beating Woods by one stroke overall Sunday.
"I was pretty much dead from there."
Woods, on his bogey on No. 17 after climbing within a shot of the lead before unleashing two errant drives.
The history
Sunday was the third final-round pairing between Woods and Mickelson. The others:
2001 Masters
Woods went into Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Lefty and wrapped up an unprecedented fourth straight major title -- the Tiger Slam -- with a 68. Mickelson shot 70 and settled for third, three strokes behind.
1997 PGA Championship
Their other final-round pairing in a major saw both shoot a 75 in a tournament won by Davis Love III.

Tiger woods Snubs McIlroy who will be the next Major winner

When Tiger Woods declined to play a practice round with Rory McIlroy this week, his friend Mark O'Meara told the teenager to take it as a compliment.
It meant the world No.1 already regarded the Ulsterman, who watched Woods claim his first Green Jacket on TV in his pyjamas as a seven-year old, as a genuine threat.
The American superstar knows any player whose world ranking is lower than his age has got to be the real deal.
Woods, the winner of 14 Majors, does not like to share tips or banter with players he reckons are his direct competitors. He prefers players past their peak (O'Meara and John Cook) or journeyman pros (Bubba Watson and Sean O'Hair).
Players like Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, who never tee up with Tiger, have almost had their careers defined by losing to arguably the greatest ever player. But before playing his first Major since last June's US Open, Woods acknowledged the biggest danger to his domination will come from the next generation of players like McIlroy, Danny Lee and Ryo Ishikawa, who play without fear.
He admitted: "It's just a matter of time before these guys gain experience in Major championships.
That's something that they have not done yet. Once you start getting a taste of it, start getting a feel for it, it's just a matter of time.
"But you look at their games and they certainly have the talent. It's just a matter of gaining experience."

Gary Player to play 52nd and final Masters

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) — Nine-time major champion Gary Player will play his final Masters this week, the 73-year-old South African legend announcing Monday he will call it quits after his 52nd Augusta National start.
"I've decided I would like to make this my last appearance in the tournament," Player said. "This will be my last major championship that I will play on the regular tour."
Stretching the famed Augusta National layout to 7,435 yards over the past few years has proven too much for even the fitness-focused Player.
"I'm exercising profusely, but at 73 it's difficult to build strength," he said. "The course is so long there are very few holes I can hit an iron to. It's just too long for me."
Player won the Masters in 1961, 1974 and 1978 and he is one of only five men to capture a career Grand Slam, joining an elite group that also includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods, who did it at age 24.
"I think that's the greatest feat that has ever been accomplished in world sport - to win the Grand Slam at 24," Player said.
Player's other major titles include the British Open in 1959, 1968 and 1974, the 1965 US Open and 1962 and 1972 PGA Championship.
South African Ernie Els, who followed in his countryman's globetrotting footsteps, told Player that his best round at Augusta was not one to win a title but his 77 from round two in 2007 due to his age and the tougher course.
"I've managed to break 80 the last two years. It's getting to a stage where I don't know if I can do that any more," Player said. "I'm getting old and it's getting so much tougher."
Player joked that "I'm hitting the ball so short now I can hear it land" and "the hole is getting the size of a Bayer aspirin. You wonder if you can squeeze it in there."
Having become the first golf star to dedicate himself to playing tournaments around the world, Player will break his own record for the most Masters starts with number 52 on Thursday but says he expects his mark will one day fall.
"It will be broken," Player said. "We're in our infancy when it comes to the art of the mind and the body. We haven't had the big men playing golf yet. They are coming... You will find bionic men coming out in times to come."
Player said his greatest Masters memory was his rally to win in 1978, when he birdied seven of the last 10 holes to fire a 64 and recover from seven strokes off the pace to win.
His worst memory came in 1962 when he told his caddie, "We've won," only to watch Arnold Palmer sink a long putt and overtake him for the triumph.
"I've had it all. You can't be greedy," Player said. "I'm very grateful. I realize my talent is on loan.
"I prefer ranching to golf. I'm still going to come to this tournament. I'm not getting out of golf. But there comes a time. You will not see me come back and play."
Player, who cited his nine over-50 majors as a superior feat to his nine regular ones simply because of the shorter time frame in which to win them, sees his legacy in the faces of players from around the world who now find success in majors.
"It's possible my wins energized the international players to feel like they could win," Player said. "You will see a lot more players coming from China and India, where golf is booming."

Tiger Woods' greatest Masters moments

At 8, when many of us were still lining up toy cars, Tiger Woods made his first hole-in-one.
Woods has yet to register an ace in 14 official starts at the Masters. Yet it's not as if he has struggled to produce memorable moments at Augusta National.

A look back at his five greatest:

The Chip Heard 'Round Augusta (2005): Woods' tee shot on the 16th hole of the final round left him in such an awkward spot, he had to aim 20 feet left of the pin and pray for the forces of gravity.

Woods' chip, fueled by a hill in the green, began rolling toward the cup. As if Nike had choreographed it, the ball momentarily froze, allowing for a close-up of the Swoosh. Then, Woods joked, "an earthquake happened.

"The ball's final revolution led to raucous cheers and awkward high fives between Woods and caddie Steve Williams.

"Oh my goodness!" CBS' Verne Lundquist screamed. "In your life have you seen anything like that?!

"The Perfect Ending (1997): Woods could have 13-putted the final green and still become the youngest-ever Masters champion. But by rolling in a testy 4-footer to cap a scrambling par, Woods posted the Masters' lowest score (270) and completed 72 holes without a three-putt.
Hug it out (1997): Woods shot a 40 on his opening nine. But rounds of 70-66-65 made Sunday more of a coronation than a competition. Woods' Sunday gallery contained two prominent members: Lee Elder, the first African-American to compete in the Masters (1975); and Woods' father and mentor, Earl.

After Woods holed out on the 72nd hole, he and Earl locked in a long, emotional bear hug. President Clinton called it the "best shot" he had seen all week.

The Final Dagger (2005): So juiced by his chip-in on No. 16, Woods bogeyed the 17th and 18th to finish in a tie with Chris DiMarco. But Woods claimed his fourth Green Jacket by draining a 15-foot birdie on the first playoff hole.

Fore? Four! (2001): Woods' second title featured few "Did you see that?" moments, but it hardly lacked in significance. By closing with a 68, Woods captured the "Tiger Slam"--becoming the first player to hold all four professional majors at once. Masters chairman Hootie Johnson called it "the greatest achievement in modern-day golf."

Basic Golfing Tips For Beginners: 1

By Rhys Jones
The sport of golf has really boomed in public awareness over the last 45 years. It has produced fantastic world-champions such as Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like St. Andrews, Sunningdale, Pinehurst ans Augusta.

Why has golf become so popular these days? Its the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never play perfectly.

Your scorecard, over time, will demonstrate your improvement, which keeps you playing time and time again.This is the first lesson for the novice golfer who doesn't know anything about golfing.The typical round of golf is played on a course of eighteen holes, each or which has its own 'par'. Par is the total number of shots it should take a player to complete that hole, ie all the tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short shots onto the green) and puts into the hole.This 'par' value is based on the length and difficulty of the hole in question. Pars range from three to six, so if you get the ball into the hole in four shots on a 'par four' hole, you made 'par'. However, if you took three shots, it's called a 'birdie' or five shots a 'bogie'.

'Hazards' or obstructions are usually placed before all the holes. Ponds, sand bunkers and trees are positioned in such a way as to make it more difficult to reach the green. Novice golfers should try to find a course with fewer hazards, which is therefore easier to play.

Each player keeps his or her own score, marking the total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds up their scores - the one with the lowest number is the winner.

It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game; even though the professionals make it look so easy.Take a lesson or two at the start of your golfing 'career', because it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.
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Masters awaits, giving Tiger reason to celebrate

By Tim Dahlberg, AP Sports Columnist
NEW YORK — Tiger Woods has some work to do before the Masters begins next week. His caddie could use some practice, too.
You would think they would have it all worked out by now. They've done it so many times it should be routine.
But there they were in the gloaming (I'll explain this word later) in Florida, engaged in an awkward dance of sorts on the 18th green as a bemused Arnold Palmer looked on. The fist pump was fine, but when it came time to hug and give each other high fives, neither player nor caddie seemed quite sure which should come first.
Arnie couldn't help because, in his day, celebrating a win meant tipping your hat to the crowd and shaking your playing partner's hand. Players didn't give high fives, and hugging your caddie would do nothing but get a lot of tongues wagging at the next tour stop.
I bring this up because Augusta National is a place Woods has done quite a bit of celebrating, and not all of it well. Case in point was the curling chip on the 16th green in 2005 when he and Stevie Williams ran around looking like a couple of computer nerds who had just scored their first dates.
I also bring it up because right now there's not a lot more Woods needs to work on other than his dance moves and his victory speech at the Masters.
His left knee seems as good as new, and he's hitting the ball perhaps better than he ever has. He can still make more putts when it really matters than anyone who ever played the game, and his Sunday glare remains the most intimidating look in sports since Michael Jordan was sticking his tongue out (a move Woods imitated on Sunday, by the way).
And, yes, as you may have noticed at Bay Hill, he hasn't lost his flair for the dramatic.
Nothing, of course, was going to match his last win, when he hobbled his way to an overtime victory over Rocco Mediate to win the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. But if Woods needed to make a statement that he was back, coming from five shots behind and sinking a birdie putt as flashes went off everywhere in the near darkness wasn't a bad way to do it.
Once again, the country was riveted. Once again, Woods delivered in a way that only he can.
NBC got a break when rain earlier in the day forced the conclusion into prime time, but it was Woods and Woods alone who drew a bigger television audience than watched either of the last two majors played without him. Sean O'Hair is a nice enough guy, but he was merely a role player in this drama, and his role was to be just good enough to make Woods seem even better.
Mission accomplished, and now Woods heads to Augusta fresh off his 66th PGA Tour win and in search of his fifth green jacket. At the age of 33 he's now within a handful of major wins of passing Jack Nicklaus and there aren't many who have watched him play who don't already consider him the greatest golfer ever.
Importantly, he brings a presence and star power to a sport that has sorely lacked both ever since Nicklaus and Palmer faded into the background. Woods transcends the sport, bringing eyeballs to television screens and fans to tournaments who don't know the difference between a bunker shot and a putt.
That's great for golf, which muddled along in Woods' absence only to be invigorated again by his return. But it's not so great for the Sean O'Hairs of the world, who rise up to challenge Woods only to get knocked down time and time again.
And it certainly doesn't bode well for the future of the sport because there will be a time when Woods is no longer playing and a lot of people will be no longer watching. We got a taste of it during his forced hiatus from the game and it wasn't pretty, though Padraig Harrington tried his best to make it interesting.
Golf was a niche sport before Woods arrived on the scene, and it will become one once again when he leaves. He gives people a reason to care, something the mostly robotic group of players who make up the PGA Tour can't even come close to doing.
Which, as I promised, brings us back to gloaming. It's a word golf writers tend to use when they're searching for something dramatic to describe the time of day when light is fading and darkness is about to envelop everything.
You know, precisely the time Tiger Woods decides to call it quits.
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Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org