Watching the final round of The Players Championship on Sunday afternoon, it was hard not to have a tremendous feeling of loss, or at least of an absence.
The Players, golf’s so-called “fifth major,” are certainly one of the most watchable and exciting tournaments ”“ with the incredibly difficult course and unique “stadium” concept where TPC sit in “stands” made of raised mounds of grass. It’s one of very few tournaments that even the most casual of sporting fans might tune in to watch.
Why, then, did it almost feel a bit boring, a bit lackluster, a bit anticlimactic? It was no fault of the golfers at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday, all incredibly gifted players in their own right. It was the absence of two golfers ”“ Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson ”“ who have carried the game of golf for the last two decades, a dynamic duo whose era seems to be ending.
And if that’s true, the PGA Tour desperately needs someone else to step into those shoes, or risk sliding back out of the mainstream of the American sporting consciousness.
There can be no doubt that Woods and Mickelson, the two most talented and successful golfers of this generation, move the needle: When they’re near the top of the leaderboard, especially on a final-round Sunday, ratings are invariably higher, the galleries on the course perpetually awash with a certain buzz. They’re so popular, most fans are on a first-name basis with them.
Mickelson, with his folksy, everyman style, constantly tipping his cap in appreciation of the crowd and pulling off one almost-impossible shot after another, is about as universally beloved as a professional athlete can be in this day and age.
Woods, for reasons both on and off the green, splits opinion quite a bit more; but his talent, his magnetism and his pure impact on the game of golf and how it is played, is undeniable. For the first time for many people ”“ including several young players now on the tour ”“ watching golf was fun when they were watching Woods prowl a course. Already he is the second-most successful golfer of all-time, and certainly the most impactful and influential.
For years, the pair, and especially global superstar Woods, have driven the massive growth of golf’s revenues, prize money and endorsement deals, and exponentially increased the popularity of a sport that was once seen as elitist. Frankly, Woods and Mickelson were everyone else’s meal tickets.
But as of late, both have started to see a slight decline, the result of age ”“ Mickelson ”“ and injuries ”“ Woods. That isn’t to say they didn’t have great 2013 seasons; Mickelson won the British Open with one of the most remarkable final rounds ever, while Woods won five tournaments, including The Players, and was the PGA’s player of the year.
But this season has started to look like the beginning of the end for Mickelson, who is struggling with a shaky game and injuries. Meanwhile, the injury problems that have plagued Woods for the past six years have sprung up again, keeping him out of both The Masters and The Players and likely next month’s U.S. Open ”“ the three biggest events on the American golf calendar.
While there are plenty of great golfers still out out there, the absence of both Mickelson and Woods from top form hangs over the sport. Quite simply, it’s not the same.
You only have to look at the television ratings at this year’s Masters, consistently the highest-rated golf event of the year. With Woods not playing, and Mickelson out of contention, the ratings were expected to be relatively low. Instead, they were abysmal and a near disaster for broadcaster CBS, getting the lowest weekend ratings since 1957.
The final rating for Sunday’s play was a 6.8, down 28 percent from 2003 and tied with 1993 as the lowest-rated final round since 1980. A total of 11 million viewers tuned in, down from 14.7 million in 2013 and 13.5 million in 2012. It’s not a coincidence that 2014 was also the first time in two decades that neither Mickelson nor Woods had played on the weekend. Without their star power, the regular viewer couldn’t be bothered.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of other great golfers out there; in fact, the argument could be made that golf has never been in a better situation in regards to the sheer number of young, talented players it currently has on the Tour.
Jordan Spieth, a preciously gifted 20-year-old Texan, has been in the final group on Sunday at both The Masters and The Players, while Masters champion Bubba Watson is a player with a fascinating biography and an even better game. Those are just two of a couple dozen young guns who could be ready to take up the mantle as the next superstar.
But for now, golf is hurting without its two living legends and crossover stars. Whether or not one or both is able to return to form sooner rather than later will no doubt be the deciding factor in whether golf remains a major sport or slides back to the second tier.
Without Woods and Mickelson, golf fans will again have that same empty feeling come the U.S. Open in June and the major events after that. Hopefully, it’s not a permanent condition.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Writer Cameron Dunbar on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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