Vancouver Province
for September 15, 2000

Is there anyone on the entire planet who doesn’t know who Tiger is? And the amazing part is that this man with the very apt nickname is only 24 years old. Even more amazing, he and his coach believe that he’s only 75% of where he will be!

First some thoughts on the Canadian Open. No matter how much the Royal Canadian Golf Association wants it to be so, the Canadian Open is not a national championship and would be better styled the Greater Toronto Open, or, occasionally, the Greater Montreal Open. For an "open" to be a national championship it must be rotated amongst several courses each representing various regions or styles of courses, or both, of that country. The RCGA says it can’t do this because of the workings of the PGA tour but this is nonsense. It could easily alternate dates with the Greater Vancouver Open so that the tournament would be played in three locations, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. It’s hard to believe that Winnipeg couldn’t also be fitted in.

Another thing. The effort to make the winning of the British Open, the U.S. Open and the Canadian Open a big deal is the kind of breast-beating we inferiority complexed Canadians are noted for. Only done once, in 1971, by Lee Trevino they say. Well, then, question? How many times has the British Open and U.S. Opens been won by one person in the same year and how often did that double winner bother to play the Canadian Open? That’s why Tiger looked so bewildered as he was handed that enormous monstrosity that looked more like the trophy for the annual Insurance Adjuster’s Tournament.

But, down to business. Tiger is that overworked word, unbelievable (I still cannot believe his second shot on the 72^nd hole) and he is raising some pretty serious questions.

Tiger Woods is not only beating up on his opposition he is sending some of them into oblivion. While the nothing-to-lose chaps like Bob May and Grant Waite are extending Tiger to the limit the world classers like David Duval, Davis Love III and Colin Montgomerie are seriously out of sorts after being mauled by him.

What has Tiger done to the game of golf as we know it and what will he do? Assuming he keeps right on rolling along – and remember, he is in superb physical and mental shape – what will it mean to tournament golf?

It’s not rocket science, folks. Golf tournaments rely on galleries and television. The Canadian Open this year was sold out for the first time in its history. When Tiger doesn’t play, the PGA tourney of the week has little more interest than the current event on the Buy.Com tour.

Up until now the networks knew what they were bidding on. The "Majors", (the British and American Opens, the Masters and the PGA) would draw huge galleries and audiences. The non majors would perform in accordance with how the watching public had hitherto perceived their importance. Now the only issue is, is Tiger playing? If he’s not, it’s a non-event and the people who pay the bills, the sponsors, know that and make their TV buys accordingly. Because Tiger never gives more than a week’s notice of his intention to play a tournament, this uncertainty is greatly increased.

It’s always said that no person is bigger than the game. No doubt that’s true for team sports and hitherto it’s been true for golf. Now, however, I’m not so sure. While Nicklaus and Palmer, in their day, had considerable impact on the game it wasn’t the same. No one has ever stood so far above his rivals that he can literally say that a tournament will only be a championship he’s entered. No one person has been able to financially make or break a tournament or determine whether or not an advertiser will support televising it. Until now, that is.

It’s true, of course, that life is fickle. Perhaps Tiger will come a cropper and lose his game as has happened to others. Maybe he’ll tire of the lack of challenges and find ways to lose. More likely, though, golf will have to adapt to years of Tiger Woods’ domination and as they seek ways to do so, they should thank God that this young man loves the game and its history and that he wants his place in that history.