There are two obvious headlines to take from this past weekend in golf. Tiger Woods did just enough to win the ten million dollar FedEx Cup, while Phil Mickelson found his form of years past to win the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
If anyone on the PGA Tour could pass on ten million bucks, it’s Tiger. Money isn’t what motivates Tiger,competition is. The FedEx Cup was designed to bring a playoff-type atmosphere to crown the best player in golf. It has succeeded on two levels. First, most golf fans this weekend knew that Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Kenny Perry, and Jim Fyryk (amongst others) all had a chance to win the big money prize. After all, fans actually have somewhat of an understanding of what is going on is important. Secondly, the system worked.
The conclusion of the FedEX Cup was a statement of fact more so than any sort of buzzworthy headline. Although Woods failed to win a major in 2009, he was dominant in stretches with six wins and fourteen top tens in seventeen starts. If anyone outside of Woods had won the title, I wouldn’t be the only one who viewed the title holder as a mere pawn on Tiger’s board.
Phil Mickelson’s victory at the Tour Championship is rightfully the dominant headline of the weekend in sports. It’s more impressive than anything that happened on the gridiron or the asphalt when you stop to consider what Lefty has been through this year. Not only was his wife, Amy, diagnosed with breast cancer, but his mother Mary also came down with the disease. As a result, Mickleson took two months off the tour schedule in 2009, and struggled with consistency upon his return in August.
The 2009 golf season has come to a close. Tiger didn’t win a major. Instead, three first-time winners made names for themselves ( Lukas Glover, Stewart Cink, & Y.E. Yang). Argentinian Angel Cabrera showed he’s not a one-hit wonder. The fact that Phil Mickleson was able to overtake Tiger Woods from four shots down to win by three strokes on a pressure-packed season finale Sunday provided the perfect close to an interesting year in golf.
The Tour Championship could be a look back on the way things were, but also a preview the way things will be. Golf is more interesting to all parties involved when Tiger has a legitimate rival, and Phil has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to tangle with sport’s most successful and intimidating athlete. Here’s to Phil & Tiger: Thanks for making 2010 something to which we can all look forward.
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