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Time for Nine

May 03, 2013 -- 6:41pm

By Russ Evans

If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know by now that I’m an advocate of making golf fun. As my good friend Dr. Gary Wiren told me many years ago, “Golf is a game, and as such, it is meant to be enjoyed.” So anything that makes the game of golf more enjoyable, less difficult, and less time-consuming is okay by me. With that being said, I was thrilled to learn of a new initiative called ‘Time for Nine’, which is a joint venture by The PGA of America and the USGA, along with Golf Digest. The ‘Time for Nine’ initiative will be spreading the word that a little golf is better than no golf at all.

Golf Digest contributing editor Bob Carney joined me on the Golf Exchange radio show recently to discuss the idea.

“Today’s Americans are spending on average 500 more hours at the office than their parents did,” said Carney. “Most people have seen their leisure time shrink to 1-2 hours per day. A lot of us have put off playing golf because we couldn’t play 18 holes. But most of the things we do today, whether it’s going to a movie or watching a kid’s soccer game, are a couple of hours, not five hours. This idea that you have to spend half the day on the golf course just doesn’t ring true. So we decided to start promoting this: find time in your schedule for nine holes of golf. Playing nine holes is better than not playing at all.”

Golf courses are slowly getting better at offering nine-hole rates. Some courses are even promoting nine-hole rates on weekends, when traditionally only full 18-hole rounds were accepted. And for the skeptical traditionalists in the crowd who might be on the fence, you can submit a nine-hole round as an official score for a USGA handicap index. The USGA can also issue nine-hole handicaps for players competing in nine-hole leagues.

This acceptance of nine-hole rounds is a reaction to the changing face of golf. The game isn’t the same game your father played. Total rounds played have been declining each year in this country over the past decade. There are fewer private clubs today than there were 10 years ago. Many formerly private clubs are now semi-private, opening their doors to the public in order to survive. Along with courses offering more nine-hole rounds, many facilities are now allowing players on the course without collared shirts, and some are even allowing denim. There are also more opportunities for parents to play with their children, as the golf industry is finally realizing today’s junior golfers will be their bread-and-butter 10-20 years from now.

“The golf industry has struggled recently because of the down economy, but it has also struggled partly because of its own policies,” said Carney. “The industry got high and mighty there for a while, thinking every golf course had to be a championship layout that was very difficult, and in doing that drove some players away by making the game appear harder than it needs to be. Now courses are saying, ‘We want you to come out and play. We want you to bring your kids, we want you to have a good time. You don’t have to play by every single rule if you don’t want to. You don’t have to wear special golf clothes necessarily. Just get out and play. Whether it’s 18 holes or nine holes or six holes or less, we just want you to participate.’ And that is a great message, and it’s a message that will bring a lot more people to the game.”

Find time in your schedule to get out on the course more often for nine holes. For more information on the ‘Tine for Nine’ initiative, log onto www.usga.org/playnine.

Listen to Russ Evans every Sunday morning from 9-11am on Golf Exchange presented by The Honda Classic. You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/RusEvanswww.twitter.com/RusEvans. You can email him at revans@thehondaclassic.com.

 

IMG acquires IGP Sports, assumes control of The Honda Classic

Apr 15, 2013 -- 12:10pm

CORPORATE PRESS RELEASE

IMG GOLF STRENGTHENS GLOBAL RESOURCES, AND FLORIDA PRESENCE, WITH
ACQUISITION OF IGP SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
 
Acquisition of South Florida company, led by industry veteran Kenneth R. Kennerly, adds high-profile event, corporate hospitality and client representation resources as industry leader opens offices in North Palm Beach, Florida
 
IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, announced today the acquisition of IGP Sports & Entertainment Group, strengthening its resources both in the American market and globally. The acquisition will see IGP's properties, including management of the Honda Classic, and its experienced staff led by 27-year industry veteran Kenneth R. Kennerly, join IMG's Golf division immediately.
 
Having transformed the Honda Classic into one of the premier events on the PGA TOUR, Kennerly will head up IMG Golf's North American events division as the company continues to bolster its event business in North America and around the world.The acquisition also marks the opening of a new IMG Golf office in North Palm Beach, Florida. A number of key staff will relocate from other IMG offices to work in this new IMG Golf office, providing a strong presence in this important golf market.
 
"IMG has had great respect over the years for Ken Kennerly and the business he built," said Guy Kinnings, Senior Vice President and Global Head of IMG Golf. "His staff at IGP brings over 100 years of combined management and production experience to our existing global talents, and just as importantly, allows us to create an instant presence in South Florida, a market that has always been very important in the professional golf industry and where a number of our clients are based. We look forward to integrating a number of our key staff with Ken and his staff to create an office in South Florida that will be of great benefit to IMG Golf's clients and business partners."
 
After experience early in his career working for two sports marketing agencies in Washington, Kennerly moved to South Florida in 1993 to work for Jack Nicklaus' Golden Bear International. He started IGP in 1996, and acquired Executive Sports, a company that ran tournaments on the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours. In 2006, Kennerly and his team began running The Honda Classic, and not only re-established it as one of the top tournaments on the PGA TOUR, but generated record charitable donations and more than $40 Million in economic impact for the local community each year. The acquisition will also see IMG take over management of the Web.com Tour's Mid-Atlantic Championship in Washington, D.C.
 
Last month, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame honored Kennerly and his team as its Sports Contributor of the Year for their success operating the Honda Classic each year, and recognizing the tournament's impact on the South Florida community. In June, the Honda Classic will be awarded the 2013 Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. The award is presented to an individual or organization that promotes and supports the game of golf through commercial sponsorship of quality events.
 
"As someone who built his own business in golf, I have always marveled at IMG and their impact in all areas of the industry around the globe," said Kennerly. "Anyone who works in the sports management and marketing business recognizes that IMG was the founder of this industry and working for IMG has been a goal of mine from the earliest days of my career. I'm especially excited about the chance to continue having an impact in the local Palm Beach County community but now also on the national and international stage, thanks to IMG's global presence."
 
Kennerly will also contribute to IMG's global team that stages over 50 tournaments each year, manages more than 100 clients on all of the Major Tours, and is involved in every aspect of the game with its media, sales, licensing, consulting and other assets.
 
Kennerly will work closely in the North American market with Clarke Jones who will continue to operate from IMG's Cleveland offices. The move will further strengthen IMG's business in North America which recently announced key event successes, including acquiring the management and operating rights to the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the return of the popular PNC Father/Son tournament to the Champions Tour schedule, and a number of high-profile client and corporate signings.
 
About IMG
IMG Worldwide is a global sports, fashion and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG's areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging:  IMG College; IMG's Joint Ventures in China, Brazil, India and Turkey; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Golf and IMG Tennis, IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academy; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing.  More information is available at www.imgworld.com  Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/IMG_Worldwide and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IMG-Worldwide/
 
About IMG Golf
IMG Golf is the market leader in the sport with 50 years of experience and now nearly 500 staff working in different aspects of the golf business worldwide. This involves talent representation where the business started and IMG now works with over 100 of the best male and female players from over 30 countries. IMG owns, manages and stages more than 50 golf tournaments a year on every continent and on every Tour including Majors and World Golf Championships, along with special events and over 150 VIP golf days a year worldwide. IMG Golf is involved in every aspect of the game offering its partners a 360° fully integrated service and its core businesses include Media(with IMG Media in partnership with the European Tour and the Asian Tour via European Tour Productions and Asian Tour Media) and Golfing World as well as digital and social media, Golf Course Design and Management, Sales and Advisory Services, Corporate and Federation Consulting, Hospitality, Academies, Licensing, Publishing, Speakers, Broadcasters, Bid Consultancy, Corporate and Individual Brand Development. Golf was IMG's first sport and remains at the heart of IMG's global business. 
 

2013 Masters: Tiger vs. The Field

Apr 11, 2013 -- 7:50am

It's Masters time! With Tiger Woods sitting as the world's #1 golfer once again, the 2013 edition of the tournament promises to be memorable. Will Tiger win his fifth green jacket, or will he be denied for an 8th straight year? The ESPN 106.3 staff predicts “Tiger vs. The Field”:

Evan Cohen
Host (Weekdays 4 p.m.)
His pick: The Field
Give me the field. Tiger is yet to win a major since returning from his "car accident" and until he does so, I cannot pick him to win the Masters. Remember the field does include Rory McIlroy, someone who at his best is as close in ability to Tiger as anyone Woods has ever competed against.
 
*****
Jeremy Marks-Peltz
Host (Weekdays 6 p.m.)
His pick: The Field
I don't care if Tiger Woods shoots 100 under par in every non-major tournament. By his words, not mine, we should only judge him on the number of majors he's won. And that number has been 14 since 2008. Until Tiger wins a major, I'm picking the field, especially when the rest of golf is as strong as it's been in decades.
 
***** 
John Martin
Host (Weekdays 4 p.m.)
His pick: Tiger
Logic would tell you that picking one guy against the field wouldn't be the smart thing to do, especially when said guy hasn't won a Major in a long time. I typically allow logic to dictate choices like this, but sometimes you just have to throw logic to the wind and go with your heart or your gut. My gut is bigger so I'm going with that. My gut tells me that El Tigre is primed to win this bad boy, so I'm going to spit in the face of logic on this one and pick Tiger Woods. Sometimes it's fun to be illogical, even if you may look like a fool for doing so.
 
*****
Russ Evans
Host (The Golf Exchange, Sundays 9 a.m.)
His pick: The Field
Even though Tiger Woods has regained the No. 1 world ranking, has won 3 of his 5 starts this season, and is looking like a lock to don his first green jacket since 2005… I have to take the field. It’s just simple math: 92 versus 1. Too many world class players – namely Phi Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, Jason Day, etc. – more than capable of making Tiger wait yet another year for his 5th green jacket. 
 
*****
Josh Cohen
Host (Saturdays 10 a.m.)
His pick: The Field
I am taking the field, and the reason is very simple. There are many more players NOT named Tiger Woods than there are named Tiger Woods playing the Masters. This is a basic lesson in statistics and probability. Remember kids, if sport teaches us anything at all, it's that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Also, I'm 98.6% certain I stole that line from someone else. And their name was probably not Tiger Woods either.
 
*****
Kelley Bydlon
Host (Saturdays 10 a.m.)
His pick: The Field
There are 92 other players in this tournament besides Tiger Woods. Even if this was the Tiger Woods of 2000, I would still take those odds. Look, Tiger is a much better player than he was two years ago. There is little to debate there. He is a big favorite in Vegas to win this tournament for a reason, but there are just too many other good players out there right now. Whether it's Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose...the list goes on. I'll gladly take the field in this "debate".
 
*****
Ken LaVicka
Update anchor, Staff writer, Voice of FAU
His pick: Tiger
Hey, did you guys hear there are 92 other players in the field not named Tiger Woods? Lame. Tiger's been playing his best golf, BY FAR, since 2008, and when he's putting, he's just not beatable. He's putting now. He has three wins this year. His personal life in order (it's Facebook official!!!). His confidence is back. He looks like the complete package again. With Rory McIlroy playing nightmare golf for a vast portion of this calendar year and no one not named Tiger doing anything eye-brow raising, I'm going with Tiger. Tiger needs this, and so does golf.
 
*****
Stephanie Prince
Top 5 at 5 (Weekdays 5 p.m.), ESPN 106.3 Marketing Director
Her pick: Tiger
I'm taking Tiger – because I want to "take" Tiger….if ya know what I mean ;) 
 
*****
Joe Girvan
ESPN 106.3 on WPTV Sports Anchor
His pick: Tiger
I've said it for years: Tiger Woods will not break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major Championships. Don't misunderstand, though. It's not that I think Tiger will never win another Major. In fact, I think he's going to win this weekend at Augusta. With six victories in the last 13 months, including three already this season, Tiger is clearly playing the best golf we've seen from him in years.  Above all else, he's putting well. Look for Tiger to ride that flat stick to a fifth Green Jacket on Sunday.
 
*****
Emerson Lotzia
ESPN 106.3 on WPTV Sports Anchor
His pick: The Field
I'm taking the field. While Tiger is playing some of the best golf of his career right now, there are tons of other guys coming into this tournament with hot hands. I just filled out my fantasy golf roster for the Masters. Included in my lineup this week is Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Lee Westwood and Vijay Singh. I think Tiger wants to end his Major drought (now in its 5th year) too badly. Funny things happen around Augusta National and the course has a way of tripping up even the best players. 
 
*****
Brian Rowitz
Host (Weekdays 6 p.m., FSU Podcast), Producer (Weekdays 4 p.m.), FAU Football Executive Producer
His pick: Tiger
Winning really does take care of everything. When it comes to Tiger, his recent winning ways have got him believing that a new green jacket will be added to his closet this weekend. Tiger is finally showing that "I know I'm better than you" attitude that had him on top of the game for so long. If Tiger keeps it close going into Sunday, nobody in the field can go toe to toe against him without crumbling in fear, including golden boy Rory. 
 
*****
Joe Colella
Host (High School Hysteria Fridays 6 p.m.), Update Anchor
His pick: Tiger
I was ready to write something saying why it doesn’t make sense to pick one golfer against the field. How hard it is to pick someone in a sport where the only thing you can do is play well and hope no one else catches fire and does better. How, in the 17 majors since Tiger last won, there have been 16 different winners. But you know what? That’s no fun. Give me Eldrick. The man is absolutely on fire (3 wins already this year, won 6 of his last 16 events). He finally looks settled in and he’s been putting great. He’s fully healthy. Tiger Woods gets his 5th green jacket and 15th major this weekend.
 
***** 
Wells Dusenbury
Host (High School Hysteria Fridays 6 p.m.), Staff Writer
His pick: Tiger
I'm going with Tiger. He's been on a tear as of late and looks like he's regaining his once dominant form. Plus, my dark horse pick Billy Horschel didn't qualify.
 
*****
Jordan Sherwood
Host (Inside The Cage Saturdays 9 a.m.)
His pick: Tiger
Shocker, I"m picking Tiger over the field and here's why. Augusta demands an excellent putter and Woods has been working his well over the last few weeks since he reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in the world. He has always played well at Augusta with six Top 6 finishes in the last seven years. If there was ever a time for him to reclaim his throne and earn the distinction of having a legit shot to reach Jack, this weekend would be a great way to start. 
 
Don't miss the latest on the the Masters by checking in with 'ESPN 106.3 FM and 760 AM on Thursday, Friday, and throughout the weekend for leaderboard reports and the latest from Augusta.

April Rules

Apr 02, 2013 -- 9:43pm

By Russ Evans

     April is my favorite sports month of the entire year. The month begins with the end of March Madness. College basketball, especially this time of year, is more appealing to me than the NBA product – even more so since I have a dog in the fight. As a University of Florida alum, the NCAA tournament has become, since Billy Donovan’s arrival in Gainesville roughly 15 years ago, a fabulous time of year for me to root on my beloved Gators. And who doesn’t love a Cinderella story? Whether it’s Villanova in 1985, or Providence in 1987, or Loyola Marymount in 1990, or Valparaiso in 1998, or George Mason in 2006, or both VCU and Butler just two years ago, the NCAA Tournament always delivers a memorable ‘rags to riches’ story suitable for the silver screen.

     This year the Final Four is once again in Georgia, which will make Jim Nantz’s quick turnaround from hardwood to dogwood that much easier. Augusta is just a 2 hour drive from Atlanta, and the second week of April is all about the Masters. “A tradition unlike any other”, as Nantz has famously said more than once. My first Masters memory was as a 10-year-old boy watching Jack Nicklaus’ final round 63 on Easter Sunday at my grandfather’s house in Lantana. Jack of course donned his record sixth green jacket that day back in 1986. Some of my fondest Masters memories since then include Freddie Couples’ tee shot at the 12th hole magically avoiding water in 1992, Ben Crenshaw crying over his mentor Harvey Pennick’s passing upon holing the final putt in 1995, Tiger Woods’ dominating the course and the field in record setting fashion in 1997, Phil Mickelson’s mini-leap on the 18th green after holing the winning putt in 2004, Tiger Woods the following year in 2005 hanging a Nike logoed golf ball on the precipice of the 16th hole for what felt like an eternity, and of course Bubba Watson’s amazing pitching wedge last year out of the trees on the 10th hole en route to a playoff victory over Louis Oosthuizen, who earlier that week made the first Albatross that I’ve ever watched live on television. I’ve even been fortunate enough to attend the Masters in person twice, most recently in 2010. Words can’t describe how beautiful a place Augusta National Golf Club is, and I can’t wait till I have a chance to return to the Masters once again.

     The first sport I ever loved was baseball. I vividly remember watching Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, and Dave Winfield in the early 1980’s kick off each new season with spring training reps in Fort Lauderdale. I will never forget what that tiny stadium smelled like, how green the grass on the field looked, hearing small jets take off at the executive airport nearby, and hearing the roaming vendors yell “Beer Here!” To this day, the smell of Cracker Jack takes me back to those beautiful spring days of my youth. Some say that baseball is too slow, that other sports have passed it by. But I still would rather attend a Yankees-Red Sox game in the Bronx over anything else. (Except maybe a final round Sunday at the Masters.) The Major League Baseball regular season begins each April with fans of all 30 teams – even the Cubs – believing that their squad, with just enough luck, could be playing deep into October.

     And for the pigskin fans in the crowd, April also ends with the NFL Draft. I actually have a friend who prefers watching coverage of the draft over watching an actual regular season game. Although I don’t agree, I can understand his passion for a sport he loves. Sports is all about love. Loving memories from the past, and looking forward to making the new ones in the future.

Listen to Russ Evans every Sunday morning from 9-11am on Golf Exchange presented by The Honda Classic on ESPN Radio 106.3-FM/760-AM in West Palm Beach and WMEN 640 Sports in Fort Lauderdale. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RusEvans. You can email him at revans@thehondaclassic.com.

Tiger wastes a spectacular opportunity on Saturday at the Honda

Mar 03, 2013 -- 1:03am

By: Ken LaVicka

PALM BEACH GARDENS - For nine holes on Saturday it looked like Tiger Woods was gearing up for a potentially epic Sunday at PGA National. Nine holes later, and that potential almost completely disappeared.
 
Woods racked up a third straight 70 in the third round of the Honda Classic, a disappointing number considering the red-hot surge Woods made to open his morning.
 
Woods poured in birdies at the 1st and 3rd to set a blistering pace in chilly and windy conditions, and when Tiger drilled a 31-foot putt to move to -3 after 8, it looked like the world No. 2 was priming himself for excellent positioning heading into the final day. 
 
Then 10 struck.
 
In a harbinger of bad luck to come, Woods’ tee shot found moist earth and the subsequent events forced him into his first massive mistake of the day.
 
“You know, I was playing really solidly all day,” Woods lamented after his round.
 
“I caught a bad mud ball at 10 and I hit a slice hook and then made bogey there.”
 
Tiger’s dirty approach pushed him back to -2, but he was able to regain his consistency, racking up six straight pars, a chance at pulling himself further up the leaderboard still a reality.
 
Then everything blew up.
 
On the 17th, a hole Tiger had played par golf on all week and hit a miraculous 2nd shot bunker attempt to within two feet on Friday, everything fell apart.
 
Woods hit his tee shot on the par-3 short of the green. It drilled its way into the embankment just above the expanse of water separating the tee box from the scoring area. 
 
“It was considered a lot of ball because it embedded in the bank, but we didn’t know if the ball was in the hazard or not. So you don’t know, and then it’s a lost ball.”
 
Tiger settled for the drop, took a double-bogey 5, his second double of the tournament, and it was at that point that Woods’ chances for a Honda Classic title all but ended. 
 
“I just stuck [the club] in the ground a little bit, caught the wind and rode it over there and ended up making double,” said Woods of his fateful romp at 17.
 
Moments after his meltdown on 17, Tiger drilled an approach shot into the 18th grandstand for good measure, only to pull off one of his signature par saves after a drop.
 
As electrifying as Woods’ start was, his back nine, especially his implosion on 17, was just as damaging.
 
Tiger tried his best to keep things upbeat after his frustrating finish.
 
“I thought realistically 5 of 6-under par would be a good score and I thought if I could post that I would be within six or seven shots of the lead going into tomorrow at worst.”
 
Tiger sits 8 shots back of Luke Guthrie and Michael Thompson, two players without a single tour victory on their resume.
 
With temperatures dropping, sunshine increasing, and high winds expected to grow even stiffer for the Honda’s last day, the odds appear to be stacked against Tiger. 
 
On a day where it appeared Woods did a whole lot of thinking late in his round, he tried to keep from over-thinking his prospects on Sunday.
 
What will Tiger have to do to pull off a stunner?
 
“Go out there and execute, simple at that. Same thing I do every day. Hopefully I’ll get going early.”
 
Even if he does, it’s hard to imagine it will be enough.

Rory's bizarre Honda exit proof he's lacking young Tiger make-up

Mar 01, 2013 -- 1:30pm

By: Ken LaVicka

PALM BEACH GARDENS - Rory McIlroy is the future.
 
It’s the refrain we’ve heard for two years now, a notion that ballooned immensely after McIlroy’s 2012 Honda Classic victory, a win that propelled the then 22-year old to his first #1 world ranking.
 
Fast forward 12 months to the very same tournament at the very same PGA National course, and McIlroy has left us with a head-scratching, perplexing memory, and it’s not the first time it’s happened.
 
McIlroy’s horrific second day at the Honda culminated in a withdrawal after just 8 holes, the globe’s top player walking off of  the 18th green (he started at 10) after a 7-over nightmare that ensured he’d miss the eventual cut line unless an act of God took place. As McIlroy raced towards the parking lot, he briefly addressed reporters.
 
 “I’m not in a great place mentally,” he said. “I can’t really say much, guys. I’m just in a bad place mentally.”
 
The explanation machine wasn’t done churning out reasons for Rory’s duck-out.
 
Approximately 30 minutes later, the story changed. Through a PGA Tour statement, McIlroy cited “severe wisdom tooth pain” as the reason for his great disappearing act. A tweet from the stricken McIlroy followed. It read: 
 
 
So what is it? Mental or dental.
 
The issue isn’t really Rory’s withdrawal. Pros do it all the time. Most recently it was Tiger Woods with his surgically-repaired knee and Phil Mickelson with a lack of confidence. The problem with the Rory scenario is that he’s not sure what his problem actually is.
 
I’ve had wisdom tooth problems. They hurt. I can vouch for that. But for a toothache to suddenly materialize and become the over-riding reason for McIlroy’s poor play sounds a bit too convenient.
 
Is it Rory’s wisdom teeth or is it the unsure manner in which he’s approaching the game these days that had the young superstar firing shots into several of PGA National’s well-manicured roughs?
 
This has nothing to do with McIlroy’s new $100 million deal with Nike? Nothing to do with Rory missing a cut in Abu Dhabi, ditching his Nike putter just four days after signing his lucrative endorsement, then being bounced in the first round of match play last weekend in Arizona? No? Not at all?
 
Could you imagine Tiger doing this? The doubt, the criticism, the firestorm that would engulf him if he packed up his tournament mid-way through his Friday round, told media he was in “a bad place mentally”, then went to a tooth excuse not even an hour later? He’d be roundly crushed.
 
Forget about the reaction that Tiger would illicit if he pulled a Rory today. How about thinking back to Tiger even dreaming of withdrawing despite struggles in the early portions of his career? It’s not conceivable. Why? Because it just didn’t happen.
 
There’s a reason that we raise Tiger on a near mythical pedestal. Woods was relentless, focused and unflinching on his way to dominating golf for over a decade. He earned the moniker of “greatest of all-time” because, up until the sexcapades that damaged his empire, Tiger never showed the vulnerability that McIlroy has already displayed multiple times in his brief career.
 
A toothache forcing Woods out of the tournament? No way. Oversleeping and nearly missing a final day Ryder Cup tee time? Not a chance Tiger would put himself in that spot. A Sunday meltdown at the Masters like McIlroy pulled in ’11? That was an automatic green jacket for young Tiger. Woods won the greatest US Open of all-time on one leg in ‘08. Rory left an early season tournament because his tooth hurt.
 
The media and the public always want to designate an athlete “the next great one”. The downfall of Tiger, so gleefully covered by scorned press throughout the world, helped elevate Rory to the successor, the kid to knock Tiger from the top. 
 
Yes, McIlroy has won two majors by age 23, but he hardly has the feel of a legend capable of overtaking the impact and legacy Woods has put forth. In our desperation to dethrone Tiger, we fail to realize how impossible it is to shine as brightly as Woods did in his prime. Tiger gave off an air of dominance and invincibility. He was ruthless. Rory? That’s not his selling point. 
 
McIlroy is young and likeable. Bubbly and fun. He’ll win a lot of tournaments and several more majors. He’ll never overtake the legend of Tiger Woods, however, and that’s not a stretch, even with Rory still in the dawn of his career. Early on in his foray into the spotlight, Tiger set the foundation that allowed him to be mentioned in the same breath as Jack and Arnie, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. He didn’t show weakness.
 
While Rory has a fair share of big-time wins under his belt, the buzz he generates is significantly quieter than what Tiger was emitting at age 23. It will be fun to see McIlroy continue to compete and improve as the years and decades progress, but it’s almost foolish to think he’ll ever reach the apex that Tiger achieved, especially after another erratic instance like the one seen Friday at PGA National.
 
Rory is not Tiger, nor will he be Tiger, and that’s the tooth.
 
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