He's Back... Tiger Woods Returns Next Week

plez sez: "Pssst. Hey, Phil Mickelson, I don't want you to lose your lunch, but it is being widely reported that Tiger Woods plans to return to tournament play next week in Tucson, Arizona for the Accenture Match Play Championship. As you know, he's been off healing from surgery on his left knee for the past eight months after winning his fourteenth major title in a playoff at the US Open on his one good leg. Yeah, that tournament where you barely showed up and he won it on one leg. And get this, he plans to defend the title he won last year at the Accenture Match Play Championship!"

The entire golf industry from players, tournament organizers, sponsors, fans, broadcasters, and anyone with even a marginal interest in the sport is hailing his return. In essence, NO ONE has watched any golf since he limped off the green at the US Open with that big ass trophy. He limped badly over the final few days of the U.S. Open, later saying the swelling was so bad at night that he couldn't see his knee cap. A week after winning, he had reconstructive surgery, the third operation on his left knee in five years.

Television ratings have been in the crapper through the last two majors, the Ryder Cup, and the FedEx Cup. Everyone - including plezWorld - is anxiously awaiting the return of Tiger Woods... well, I'm not sure Phil Mickelson is jumping up and down with the prospect of returning to his losing ways against one Tiger Woods.

"He was ready to go weeks ago," Stuart Appleby said at Riviera. "I don't think he needs to do a couple of laps around the track. He'll be on that horse and he'll be whipping it."

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plez sez: i can't wait... i really can't! i know the guy who won the masters also won the british open, but his name escapes me. and i have no idea (and really don't care) who won the ryder cup nor the fedex cup... if any sport needs an asterisk, it is golf for all of the trophies it has passed out in the past eight months since tiger took a break from kicking their collective butts!

i'm overdue for some real competitive magic from the man who is TIGER WOODS! i can't wait!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the golf.com article about Tiger's return to golf.

Read the ESPN.com article about Tiger Woods ending his eight month layoff.

Read the AJC.com article about Tiger's return to golf.

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Quote of the Day - 2008 British Open Style

"I just hope they've taught the engraver how to put an asterisk on the [Claret Jug]. Then everyone will know what the tournament was all about."
- Geoff Ogilvy, one of the favorites in the PGA British Open, talking about the absence of Tiger Woods due to his recovery from knee surgery for a torn ACL.

The 2008 British Open kicks off today at Royal Birkdale and most of the buzz is about who isn't there. Tiger Woods is sidelined for the remainder of the 2008 PGA Tour due to his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL and healing stress fractures in his left leg. He's won two of the past three British Opens and has four top-10 finishes in the past five years. He won the US Open a few weeks ago on a gimpy left leg.

There will be one remaining major after this weekend, the PGA Championship. Woods won it in 2006 and 2007 and finished tied for fourth in 2005.

So, in review, Tiger Woods came in second at this year's Masters, won this year's US Open, he has won three of the past four, and four of the past six British Opens and PGA Championships. The guy defines winning in sports, because he goes out for four rounds beginning with a field of over 125 golfers. So his absence opens winning the Claret Jug (the trophy for the British Open) to just about anyone on the Tour who owns a golf bag!

Phil Mickelson, recognized as the second best player behind Woods, refused to mention his name as he got his game face on for a run at his first British Open championship. When asked about Wood's absence, Mickelson is quoted as saying, "I am working hard to get my game ready for this week, and I've practiced hard. I've developed a good game plan for this event, and I am excited to compete against whoever is in the field." When asked if he could say anything in particular about Woods, Mickelson retorted, "Oh, I'm sure I could!" [Laughter]

But Mickelson could never bring himself mentioned Tiger's name!

Ernie Els, another top contender for the championship, was very frank, "I'm not overly disappointed that he's not here as a player. [There are 30 to 40] players... [that now] have a chance. I think he's so far ahead in the race, we've kind of sagged back a little bit."

And Jim Furyk had a more philosophical approach to a Tiger-less major championship, "It's just kind of a chicken attitude to walk up and say, 'Well, he's not here; now I've got a better opportunity.' In reality, that's probably true. But to look at it that way, I'd have a tough time waking up in the morning looking at myself in the mirror if that's the way I was thinking."

Read the entire ESPN.com article about how Tiger Woods is still stalking the field at the British Open here.

Read a similar article in the New York Times here.


plez sez: geoff ogilvy hit the nail on the head, the british open is up for grabs for one reason and one reason, only: Tiger Woods ain't there!

phil mickelson is still going to piss his pants if he sees a tall, slim Black guy in the crowd while trying to tee off or sink a crucial putt. ernie els is going to spend all weekend trying to steal that second place spot from mickelson... and jim furyk is probably having a hard time looking in the mirror this morning, because he knows that this year will be his best opportunity to win the British (Tiger will be back next year).

the british open and the pga championship will both be missing the greatest golfer to pull a driver out of the bag. and they'll be missing plezWorld as well, since i doubt whatever drama mickelson can generate will be enough to make me spend anytime watching the proceedings, i'll just catch up on the Internet each night.

like Barry Bond's 756th home run ball, the 2008 British Open Claret Jug needs one of these: