By Herschel Caldwell
After teasing the world he famously said “hello” to 21 years ago and a tepid effort to return to competitive play last fall, Tiger is set to open the curtain on the big stage of PGA Golf. Playing four events in five weeks will give the world an early and definitive view of his health both mental and physical.
One of his stops is a return to his hometown tournament in Los Angeles where he debuted his skills as a 16-year-old world-class amateur.
Tiger has stayed away from Riviera, which host the newly renamed Genesis Open next month, since 2006. He loves the great old course nestled in a posh area overlooking the Pacific Ocean but has never won there. “I’ve never played well at Riviera,” he said Monday as occasional rain pelted the already soggy course.
Although Riviera is like a home course, Tiger is partial to Torrey Pines where looks for a record ninth victory including the 2008 US Open this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The challenge for the PGA Tour to provide media access and public viewing of the play of Tiger’s playing partners – World #1 Jason Day and Dustin Johnson is huge regarding the number of media types from all over the world and the rights of paying patrons. Tiger’s return to active competition after a fifteen-month recovery from several back surgeries will be fader for a Tweeter storm, and fan complaints. Golf fans will be hard pressed to find coverage of the other 150 stellar entrants without a constant on-camera and comments from the announcers regarding every swing, putt, and expression of Tiger’s round. Buckle your seat belt. The inside the ropes credentialed press including, writers, photographers, security guards, tour officials will make up close viewing of Tiger’s shots on the fairways and greens almost impossible. Patience is the order of the day but just part of the event is worth the struggle to see arguably the greatest golfer of all time attempts to capture a part of an ever-fleeting claim of glory.
TV is good and you hear expert analysis, but there is nothing like the real thing and writing your own up close assessment of Tiger’s play and the ambience of the moment, so if you can get a ticket, go. This kind of historical promise doesn’t’ come around often….maybe only once in a lifetime.
Beth Harris of Associated Press also contributed to this article.