“Terrible US Open start for Woods” says the BBC sport website this morning, referring to Tiger Woods’ 10+ par score in the first round of the tournament. Woods, you see, shot a round of 80 which by his old standards is pretty dismal. But my question is this: we have known for a long time that Woods is on the decline. The world of golf has caught him up and passed him by and he may never again be the player was once was. But is that a good enough reason for him to be leading the news bulletins?
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson leads the field, along with America’s Dustin Johnson, both having played 15 shots less in their first round efforts, so why aren’t they making the news? The very word itself, news, should be the clue here. Woods, we know is, or rather was, one of the greatest golfers ever and his feats and exploits were rightly trumpeted by the media, but now that he is playing to amuck lower level, is this really news?
It has to be the cult of personality, once again, and perhaps the need of the media to build someone up and then knock them down when their powers appear to be on the wain. Woods has won 14 majors, which is an illustration of his brilliance as a golfer, but his slide into the ranks is not something that happened overnight. In fact, his last major win was in 2008, yet today the story of the US Open is all about Woods. Are we going to have to put up with this until he retires? Stenson and Johnson’s rounds were, from the few accounts I can find, stunningly excellent at a venue described not so much a golf course as an assault course.
I have never warmed to Woods, finding him surly and sometimes without class. Perhaps this came about because of his relentless urge to win at all costs which was instilled in him as a child. But only a fool would deny his great ability. The thing is though he is not the first sportsman who has entered the long decline. It happens to them all.
Rather than give prime billing to a fading superstar, why not acknowledge the new kids on the block who are assuming his crown? In my opinion, Woods deserves nothing more than an “and finally” section in the sports news. His decline is a story of sorts, but it isn’t news.
The BBC headline today should have been “Great US Open start for Stenson, Johnson”. Simples.
