Things were completely different as recently as 2009. It's no surprise that the drop in popularity has coincided with Tiger Woods' incredible fall from grace. Tiger has played very sparingly since the cheating scandal that rocked his world on and off the course two years ago. When you subtract the interest level that Woods brings, you're going to notice a difference in the crowds and the ratings. After taking most of the summer off to recover from injury, Tiger was supposed to make his triumphant return to the spotlight this weekend. That return was short lived, though, as Woods shot his worst ever opening round at a major (+7) en route to missing the cut. Not only is Tiger not ready to contend again, it remains to be seen if he'll ever get back to the level of dominance he once enjoyed. While everyone hopes he'll get it back, we can't just wait around.
It's time to move on for the time being. The game of golf has been injected with some exciting new blood. Just look at the firestorm created by Rory McIllroy following his first major title at the US Open in July. The 22-year-old Irishman leads a pack of young up-and-comers (including Keegan Bradley) who represent the future of golf. Let's be real here. The names that were dominating the last decade have been surpassed. Mickelson, Singh, and Els just aren't playing like they used to. Golf is an impossible game to master. Tiger made us forget that for awhile, but facts are facts. Age and injuries can derail a career quicker than a par 3 at Augusta. The quicker we as fans accept that this game is constantly evolving, the better. The major tournaments may be done for the year, but there's still time to peer into the window of the PGA's not-too-distant future over the next couple months. I, for one, am excited to see what's in store.
by Andrew Adamson
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