Golf:Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke play in America for the first time since winning the US Open and British Open respectively but the one score in Akron many will scan for when the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational begins is that of Tiger Woods.
Out of golf since May 12th because of knee and Achilles tendon injuries, Woods makes his latest comeback on Firestone course in Akron, Ohio where he has won the title seven times, but also finished joint 78th out of 80 last year — on 18 over par.
World number three Martin Kaymer was looking forward to Woods’ return. “I really hope that he will play well. We need him; we really need him. Obviously what Rory did at the US Open was huge, but Tiger has been so successful over the years and it will be great if he comes back and proves that he’s the best player who ever played the game.”
British Open champion Clarke, who partners the former world number one (currently 28th) in the opening round, agreed with the German. “Tiger has been the best player in the world for a very long time. He has been the guy, certainly over my career that has set the benchmark for the rest of us.
“It is fantastic for all of world golf just to see Tiger Woods back playing again. I’m sure he will be trying to get himself back up to where he has been before and personally I don’t doubt he’ll do that. But for us to have a chance to compete against him again can only be good for the game in general.”
The 42-year-old Ulsterman, the winner in Akron in 2003, may have no doubts about Woods is still capable of, but many others are not so sure. The last of his 14 majors was 38 months ago, his last tournament win anywhere in the world 21 months ago and his last competitive round 83 days ago.
That was at Sawgrass, where he limped through the outward half in a six over par 42 before deciding to quit and give the injuries — suffered as he came fourth in the US Masters a month earlier — the time they needed to heal.
Woods insists now that he feels the best he has ‘for years’ and adds: “I’m excited to compete, to play and hopefully win the golf tournament.”
Clarke is as interested as anyone to see what transpires. “You can practise all you want and get yourself ready, but you don’t really know until you put yourself into a competitive situation how good your game is. It’ll be very interesting and, knowing Tiger like I do, I don’t think he would come back to play unless he was ready to come back and play, both physically and mentally, and ready for the challenge again.
“I think he could be a hard man to beat this week because of his record around this golf course. He loves it so much and has played so well here before. I wouldn’t be surprised for one to see him have a really, really good week.”
As big as the world championship series has become, the events are still dwarfed by the four majors and the last of the year, the US PGA Championship, comes in Atlanta next week. For that reason the likes of Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington will be happy enough just to see some progress in their games this week.
Both missed the cut at The Open — as did world number one Luke Donald and last year’s US Open champion Graeme McDowell — but such was Westwood’s disgust with his putting that he is following the lead of McIlroy in seeking the help of American Dave Stockton and also has copied Clarke and Harrington by speaking with famed sports psychologist Bob Rotella.
As for Harrington, he has split with coach, Bob Torrance after 15 years together in which the Dubliner won three majors and climbed to world number three: he is now 66th. He’ll be looking for green shoots this week and not among the flora or fauna.
