Filed under: Golf & Tennis
Tiger Woods recently came off one of his worst performances in a while in the Bridgestone Invitational, tying for 78th place in a tournament he has obliterated in the past. This was not only the weekend that Tiger was set to embarrass himself, it was also the weekend he was supposed to give up his hold on the #1 spot in the world golf rankings.
Fortunately for Tiger, he didn't lose his position at the top. Phil Mickelson, the guy who at least appears not to cheat on his wife, was all set to take over the crown, but found that the spotlight may have been too great. He also shot a horrible score this weekend, leaving the status quo in tact for at least a little while.
Most interesting was that Mickelson was firmly positioned to take over Tiger's lead in the rankings. He came into the final day just four shots off the tournament front runner, only to get slaughtered with very poor play. This was the worst joint performance for Woods and Mickelson since 1998. Tiger is safe for now, but the world of golf is being turned on its head.
I once waited for Tiger to make his comeback. I am still waiting, but I am not holding my breath. There is the possibility that we may have lost the old Tiger Woods forever, and I am willing to accept that fact. This was the decade of the Tiger, but like Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali and other icons before him, this may be the decade where we are forced to watch his decline.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.