Sundays, of whatever colour, are sadly not Tiger’s thing these days.
During the Swifty Bowl, or rather the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Dustin Johnson’s victory in the second LIV Golf tournament may have gone unnoticed. It seems that Jon Rahm had a similar experience that week. He expressed his emotions about not being able to play in the PGA Tour event in Phoenix while passing by the city. Rahm hopes to participate in such events again in the future, but only time will tell how the negotiations will unfold.
Upon reflection, Rahm might find relief in avoiding Phoenix this year. The weather was dreadful, but that was nothing compared to the chaos among spectators. The tournament, officially known as the Waste Management Open, has earned the nickname ‘The Wasted Open’ for a reason. The par-three 16th hole is particularly famous/notorious. When Tiger Woods scored a hole-in-one there in 1997, fans were so thrilled that beer rained from the skies. While this may have been seen as amusing back then, this year was a different story. Fans turned the viewing mounds into mudslides, and the overall behavior was so unruly that gates were closed and alcohol sales were prohibited at one point on Saturday. Players were heckled, shots were booed before being hit, fights broke out sporadically, and arrests were made. It was described as ‘Golf But Louder’ by LIV, but given the events in Arizona, the PGA Tour may want to reconsider that description. Not!
Did you hear about Tiger Woods being in Los Angeles last week for the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club? He was also there to introduce his new clothing line called Sun Day Red, a clever play on words based on the color of his signature golf shirt for the final day of tournaments. This exciting project is a collaboration with TaylorMade, as his partnership with Nike has come to an end. Despite his enthusiasm for the new venture, Woods had to cut his second round short due to “illness” after playing just six holes. The day before, he had a rough round ending with a shank caused by a severe back spasm.
Sundays, regardless of their hue, are currently not favored by Tiger. Unfortunately, it was on the day after a particular tournament three years ago when he had a severe car accident, endangering his life and causing long-lasting mobility issues. Since then, he has participated in only six official tournaments, comprising of four major championships and two Genesis Invitationals. His track record reveals three instances of withdrawal, one missed cut, and two finishes in the 40s. In other words, he has completed all four rounds only twice. Previously, he had expressed intentions of playing one tournament per month, potentially Bay Hill or the Players Championship in March. However, this plan is now uncertain. As for the Masters in April, held on one of the most challenging courses to walk, he managed to make the cut last year but had to withdraw. As it stands, it appears highly unlikely for him to surpass that performance at Augusta this time.
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