I started writing this column when I was convinced no sports story this weekend could be bigger than Tiger Woods missing the cut at the British Open.Yeah, I woke up Saturday morning believing 59-year-old Tom Watson would fire a third-round 78 and plummet down the leaderboard. Now what? Watson is still the leader of the world’s most prestigious golf tournament, and I’m having trouble making sense of what this crazy golf weekend means.With Watson being a hometown hero, I know the smart thing to do would be to wrap myself in the magic and nostalgia of a Kansas City legend turning back the clock and going after a ninth major championship more than two decades removed from his prime.You know I’m not smart.A Watson victory today would be a phenomenal one-day story. In the long run, it would do damage to golf’s credibility. George Foreman did the sport of boxing no favors when he won the game’s most prestigious title — heavyweight champion — at the age of 45. OK, boxing had plenty of credibility issues long before Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994. But Foreman became a gigantic, popular symbol for why boxing should not be taken seriously. The in-their-prime competitors were so weak and unmotivated that an overweight grandfather could win a belt.Watson’s victory would be a knockout punch to Tiger’s competitors. On a weekend when Tiger laid a complete egg, none of Tiger’s real challengers seized the opportunity to grab a major championship.Beyond that, there is no other legitimate sport in which a 60-year-old could slay a field of 30-somethings. Is golf more an activity (fishing and hunting) than sport (tennis and swimming)?My good friend Greg Couch, a sports writer for Fanhouse .com, argued this point with me on the radio recently when I hosted Jim Rome’s radio show. Couch called golf a “skill.” I was incensed. I’m a huge Tiger Woods homer and was offended Couch wouldn’t recognize Tiger as an athlete.Couch conceded that Tiger was an athlete. But he said lots of athletes enjoy activities such as golf, hunting, fishing and darts.I lost the debate.Watson’s run at this British Open does make me confident of one thing. Tiger is still going to win 10 more majors. He’s still going to smash Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships.He’s still Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of any lifetime.Yeah, Tiger missed the cut and has gone more than a year without a major championship.Before Watson sustained his lead at the Open, all the instant analysis was going to center around Tiger’s “fading” dominance.Is Tiger done? Have a wife and two kids done what Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh could not — tame Tiger? Has Tiger packed on too much muscle?No, no, no. There’s nothing wrong with Tiger Woods. Let’s don’t overreact. He was playing awesome halfway through the 2008 season when his knee exploded and he basically won the U.S. Open on one leg. He’d won four of the six tournaments he entered in 2008. He finished second in the Masters. Just one year ago, Tiger was playing as good as he ever has. We so believe in his greatness that we mistakenly thought he’d stroll back onto the course in 2009 and pick up where he was in 2008. It’s never that easy with a knee injury. It always takes two years before an athlete completely recovers from a knee injury.Plus, we’ve seen Tiger go on major-championship droughts before and rebound. He spent much of 2003 and 2004 fixing his swing. He recorded just two top-10 finishes in the eight majors during that time span. He actually competed in 10 straight majors without a title.

Posted on Sat, Jul. 18, 2009 10:15 PM

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COMMENTARY

A Watson win could hurt golf’s credibility

By JASON WHITLOCK

The Kansas City Star

Photos | Watson at the British Open

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I started writing this column when I was convinced no sports story this weekend could be bigger than Tiger Woods missing the cut at the British Open.

Yeah, I woke up Saturday morning believing 59-year-old Tom Watson would fire a third-round 78 and plummet down the leaderboard.

Now what? Watson is still the leader of the world’s most prestigious golf tournament, and I’m having trouble making sense of what this crazy golf weekend means.

With Watson being a hometown hero, I know the smart thing to do would be to wrap myself in the magic and nostalgia of a Kansas City legend turning back the clock and going after a ninth major championship more than two decades removed from his prime.

You know I’m not smart.

A Watson victory today would be a phenomenal one-day story. In the long run, it would do damage to golf’s credibility.

George Foreman did the sport of boxing no favors when he won the game’s most prestigious title — heavyweight champion — at the age of 45. OK, boxing had plenty of credibility issues long before Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994.

But Foreman became a gigantic, popular symbol for why boxing should not be taken seriously. The in-their-prime competitors were so weak and unmotivated that an overweight grandfather could win a belt.

Watson’s victory would be a knockout punch to Tiger’s competitors. On a weekend when Tiger laid a complete egg, none of Tiger’s real challengers seized the opportunity to grab a major championship.

Beyond that, there is no other legitimate sport in which a 60-year-old could slay a field of 30-somethings. Is golf more an activity (fishing and hunting) than sport (tennis and swimming)?

My good friend Greg Couch, a sports writer for Fanhouse .com, argued this point with me on the radio recently when I hosted Jim Rome’s radio show. Couch called golf a “skill.” I was incensed. I’m a huge Tiger Woods homer and was offended Couch wouldn’t recognize Tiger as an athlete.

Couch conceded that Tiger was an athlete. But he said lots of athletes enjoy activities such as golf, hunting, fishing and darts.

I lost the debate.

Watson’s run at this British Open does make me confident of one thing.

Tiger is still going to win 10 more majors. He’s still going to smash Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships.

He’s still Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of any lifetime.

Yeah, Tiger missed the cut and has gone more than a year without a major championship.

Before Watson sustained his lead at the Open, all the instant analysis was going to center around Tiger’s “fading” dominance.

Is Tiger done? Have a wife and two kids done what Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh could not — tame Tiger? Has Tiger packed on too much muscle?

No, no, no.

There’s nothing wrong with Tiger Woods. Let’s don’t overreact.

He was playing awesome halfway through the 2008 season when his knee exploded and he basically won the U.S. Open on one leg. He’d won four of the six tournaments he entered in 2008. He finished second in the Masters.

Just one year ago, Tiger was playing as good as he ever has. We so believe in his greatness that we mistakenly thought he’d stroll back onto the course in 2009 and pick up where he was in 2008. It’s never that easy with a knee injury. It always takes two years before an athlete completely recovers from a knee injury.

Plus, we’ve seen Tiger go on major-championship droughts before and rebound. He spent much of 2003 and 2004 fixing his swing. He recorded just two top-10 finishes in the eight majors during that time span. He actually competed in 10 straight majors without a title.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

Posted on Sat, Jul. 18, 2009 10:15 PM

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