In the world of golf, this is a huge week! Tiger Woods makes his 2012 competitive debut against a strong contingent from the European Tour in Abu Dhabi, and the U.S. PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines. Essentially, the big guns will all be firing their first real salvos of the season as we move away from Hawaii and the putting contest in the California desert.
Last year, Woods also made his competitive debut in the Middle East, and posted a top 10 finish while still working hard on his new swing. This did not ultimately lead to great results in the U.S. as he injured himself at Augusta while posting a 4th place finish. After his win against a tiny field at Chevron in December and good performances in Australia and the Presidents Cup, expectations are much higher. Many see Tiger returning to dominant form.
A look at the U.S. PGA Tour would suggest that this may be a strong possibility. After the first few events of the year, it is clear that many of the young guns are not yet ready for prime time. Steve Stricker exposed this in the first event of the year in Hawaii, as he dominated on a course that the bombers should dominate. This week, another short hitter, Mark Wilson, showed the way with a strong wedge game and putter. Defending champion, and bomber, Johnny Vegas, didn’t even make the cut.
Tiger’s primary competition will clearly come from Europe. Yet, none seem to have the ability to take their game to the level that Tiger has been. The pressure will be on Luke Donald to maintain his form from 2011, which was heavily reliant upon his short game and putting. Lee Westwood is one of the best ball strikers in the world, but has trouble lighting it up with the putter for 72 holes. Rory McIlroy is still a bit inconsistent, and while he can drive it with anybody, his putter can hold him back.
With all this in mind, this week will shed quite a bit of light on who is ready to challenge Tiger for supremacy in 2012, and if Tiger is actually ready to make his ascent back up to the top of the mountain.
Stay Tuned!
Scott Cole