No more love in the Middle East for Tiger?
It appears to be the end of an era for Tiger Woods and his former love affair with the Middle East, where tournaments paid a couple of million dollars each year in appearance fees for the former world no. 1 just to play in their events. Apparently that will not be the case in 2015, according to The Telegraph’s James Corrigan:
That's what tourney directors looked like when they got the news
Tournament directors rejoiced when they received the merry news that after a year respite, Tiger Woods plans to enter the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. According to San Diego’s 10News, Woods is expected to play in his regular PGA Tour season-opener in January:
It was Rock on the receiving end of congratulatory handshakes in Abu Dhabi.
Tiger Woods’ play over the first three rounds of last week’s Abu Dhabi Championship offered the stongest indication yet that the former World Number One is capable of returning to something approaching tournament-winning form.
In his early years as a member of the European Tour, Robert Rock developed a reputation – contrary to his best efforts, of course – as a player who could be relied upon to wilt in the face of the game’s sterner challenges. A naturally gifted ball-striker with a golf swing every bit as traditonal as his tousled side-parting, the Staffordshire native excelled at delivering an end product severely at odds with his promise.
Picture perfect: Karlsson had seven birdies on Thurdsday.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club has evolved into a golfing test every bit as imposing as its monumental clubhouse (I hear it doubles as the lair of a supervillain hell-bent, naturally, on world domination). A par-72 that clocks in at a frankly ridiculous 7,600 yards, it’s a layout that places its emphasis firmly on powerful, straight hitting.
Unsurprising, then, that the upper echelons of the first round leaderboard should be dominated – and dominated thoroughly – by class ball-strikers.
Woods was eclipsed by his playing partner during the first round.
A reliable long game may be the key to consistent scoring, but explosiveness – the enigmatic key to outpacing a competitive field – hinges on one’s performance on and around the putting surface.
Former World Number One Tiger Woods (70) was consistency incarnate during the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship – he hit an incredible 17 greens in regulation – but it was the 36-year-old’s playing partner, Rory McIlroy (67), who proved the more potent scoring force.
Tiger will pocket approximately $1.5 million for his mere presence this week.
The practice of paying large sums of money (“cash-money,” or rather “Benjamins”) to high-profile players in exchange for their cooperation in granting your tournament – whether it be the Oil-Rich Emirate Open or the Isolated Authoritarian Regime of East Asia Invitational – a glimpse of their luminous selves, is common practice on most of the world’s tours.
Tiger avec Tiger
A jovial and seemingly relaxed Tiger Woods made an appearance at the venue for this week’s Abu Dhabi Championship today, and in additon to playing a practice round, the former World Number One fielded questions on everything from his fitness (tip-top shape, thanks for asking) to his burgeoning interest in that most refined of pastimes, cricket.
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