Although PGA Tour golfers Molder and Baird should have received more press and accolades for the exciting six-hole playoff this past week at the Frys.com Open, news outlets and golf blogs proved that, in order to get readership, it is imperative to give Woods the story.
A tie for 30th position at Frys.com Open last week is hardly cause for celebration, especially when Tiger proclaimed that he had " probably one of the worst putting rounds I've ever had," missing three putts inside six feet in round-one of his comeback to PGA Tour golf. Good news is that Woods is playing golf again, possibly turning a corner in his own personal debacle and making golf his number one priority.
Tiger Woods is now a longshot in the event, no longer sporting the best odds, but with a new outlook (and a new caddie) and fans are desperately looking forward to a success story.
The Australian Open, the Presidents Cup and the Chevron World Challenge will help fans decide whether to continue to cheer for Woods, the current "underdog", or to find a new idol amidst a crowd of young golf superstars on several very competitive tours.
Tiger is on the comeback trail for sure, barely squeaking into a spot in the Chevron World Challenge, his own tournament, and is eager to reinvent himself now that, as Woods said, he has "no points coming off, so I can start rebuilding."
This is just what the fans want and need to hear from their fallen hero, who is happy to be playing golf and not just banging balls on a driving range.
Woods has also become more accessible to fans. Putting himself squarely in the public eye, from a contest to share the cover of his EA Sports game to inside-the-ropes putting opportunities, Tiger is creating opportunities for support and for a more dynamic return.
Is Tiger Woods "back"? This seems to be the Twitter question of the week. To his fans he has never left, just gone on hiatus; as for his golf game, we can only wait and see.
