To those who follow golf, the Russia-Ukraine-West issue, the mysteriously missing flight 370, the continuing standoffs between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the ongoing elections in India, or any other emerging crisis around the world pale in comparison to the most gigantic OMG of the news that Tiger Woods is not playing in the Masters.
Except for the exhibition match in Delhi where he shot a -9, he has had a miserable start to the season. Frustrated, because things were not going the way as ordained for the chosen one, and with a nagging back injury which now requires surgery causing his absence from competitive golf for at least three months, Tiger is surely under enormous mental pressure for realising the Holy Grail of 19 Majors. While competitors are inwardly cheering though showing outward concern (after all the perpetual number one favourite being out of the tournament gives everybody else a better chance!), badge prices for the Masters 2014 have plummeted by half, TV ratings are already sagging and the various international news reports lack the normal buildup to the drama that always unfolds on the fairways and greens of Augusta National in early April each year.
Among top golfers in their prime, Gary Player was always highly respected for his physical condition derived by his intense and disciplined exercise and fitness regime, but it did not start a trend despite his great successes. When Tiger Woods exploded on the professional circuit and won virtually every time he teed it up, his game changing prodigious drives were attributed to his gruelling gymnasium built strength and fitness.
Tiger's various back, neck, knee, vertebrae ailments are related possibly to excessive exercise based fitness and the several violent movements each day of the kind for which the human body was not designed and towards which it has not yet evolved. Will this render his comeback doubtful? After all he is older now and as he ages the rate of injuries may also increase. Don't hold your breath though - he has already lobbed out a challenge to all present and future doubters and I personally believe that he will come back to win again and surprise us all.
Anyway, with Tiger out of the present tournament the issue of who will be the winner is wide open. A whole bunch of first-time winners have emerged this year and, together with last year's crop, are already challenging the recently rising galaxy of expected winners. The latest casualty has been Matt Kuchar, who lost in a play off to Matt Jones, a first time winner in last week's Shell Open. While Kuchar is looking very good, he is beginning to falter near the finish.
He has contended in the Masters in the past. Michelson, having gotten over the pulled muscle in his obliques, is clearly showing colour and he hopes for another green jacket. McIlroy, with his final round-7 last week, has blown the trumpet of his intent - and hope he will not blow this Masters away with it.
The Australians are doing really well this year having won three times already. Adam Scott has characteristically given away a tournament that was in his pocket and is probably thinking that the pattern of the past, when he lost four shots in the closing holes to lose
The Open only to subsequently win the Masters, might repeat! Yes, the Australians have a very strong contingent in there and can be considered favourites to carry the Green Jacket down under. The South Africans, sadly, are looking lacklustre. None of them are showing the sparkle of the recent past but they have enough talent out there to pop a surprise any time and, of course, they would dearly love the tournament to be won by someone in the Southern Hemisphere, but not Australia.
Last year, the Swedes seemed insurmountable as Stenson was on a charge with the others not far behind. They appear to have lost their drive and will need a miracle to pull out a Masters win.
The English contingent of Rose, Westwood, Donald etc., appears to be finding the prospect of Augusta to be somewhat daunting this year. When any of them begin to look like winning, important aspects such as pitching and putting suffer unbelievable collapses. Among the Europeans, the Spaniard Garcia is certainly showing the most promise but I do not see him winning the Green Jacket this year - and by next year Tiger will be back!
The contest will be between the pretenders, contenders and the closers. Take your pick as to who falls into which category because the field contains enough of each.
In response to a query from an Australian friend, I must regretfully report that nobody from India is playing or looking like making it to the Masters in the foreseeable future.
The author is chairman of Mawana Sugars Ltd and co-chairman of Usha International Ltd
Except for the exhibition match in Delhi where he shot a -9, he has had a miserable start to the season. Frustrated, because things were not going the way as ordained for the chosen one, and with a nagging back injury which now requires surgery causing his absence from competitive golf for at least three months, Tiger is surely under enormous mental pressure for realising the Holy Grail of 19 Majors. While competitors are inwardly cheering though showing outward concern (after all the perpetual number one favourite being out of the tournament gives everybody else a better chance!), badge prices for the Masters 2014 have plummeted by half, TV ratings are already sagging and the various international news reports lack the normal buildup to the drama that always unfolds on the fairways and greens of Augusta National in early April each year.
Among top golfers in their prime, Gary Player was always highly respected for his physical condition derived by his intense and disciplined exercise and fitness regime, but it did not start a trend despite his great successes. When Tiger Woods exploded on the professional circuit and won virtually every time he teed it up, his game changing prodigious drives were attributed to his gruelling gymnasium built strength and fitness.
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His victories came from that, and the endowment of natural talent and thousands of hours of focused practice! His game affected golf course design, equipment design and, most importantly, all of his future competitors who now also felt that greater strength and fitness were just as important in this sport as in any other.
Tiger's various back, neck, knee, vertebrae ailments are related possibly to excessive exercise based fitness and the several violent movements each day of the kind for which the human body was not designed and towards which it has not yet evolved. Will this render his comeback doubtful? After all he is older now and as he ages the rate of injuries may also increase. Don't hold your breath though - he has already lobbed out a challenge to all present and future doubters and I personally believe that he will come back to win again and surprise us all.
Anyway, with Tiger out of the present tournament the issue of who will be the winner is wide open. A whole bunch of first-time winners have emerged this year and, together with last year's crop, are already challenging the recently rising galaxy of expected winners. The latest casualty has been Matt Kuchar, who lost in a play off to Matt Jones, a first time winner in last week's Shell Open. While Kuchar is looking very good, he is beginning to falter near the finish.
He has contended in the Masters in the past. Michelson, having gotten over the pulled muscle in his obliques, is clearly showing colour and he hopes for another green jacket. McIlroy, with his final round-7 last week, has blown the trumpet of his intent - and hope he will not blow this Masters away with it.
The Australians are doing really well this year having won three times already. Adam Scott has characteristically given away a tournament that was in his pocket and is probably thinking that the pattern of the past, when he lost four shots in the closing holes to lose
The Open only to subsequently win the Masters, might repeat! Yes, the Australians have a very strong contingent in there and can be considered favourites to carry the Green Jacket down under. The South Africans, sadly, are looking lacklustre. None of them are showing the sparkle of the recent past but they have enough talent out there to pop a surprise any time and, of course, they would dearly love the tournament to be won by someone in the Southern Hemisphere, but not Australia.
Last year, the Swedes seemed insurmountable as Stenson was on a charge with the others not far behind. They appear to have lost their drive and will need a miracle to pull out a Masters win.
The English contingent of Rose, Westwood, Donald etc., appears to be finding the prospect of Augusta to be somewhat daunting this year. When any of them begin to look like winning, important aspects such as pitching and putting suffer unbelievable collapses. Among the Europeans, the Spaniard Garcia is certainly showing the most promise but I do not see him winning the Green Jacket this year - and by next year Tiger will be back!
The contest will be between the pretenders, contenders and the closers. Take your pick as to who falls into which category because the field contains enough of each.
In response to a query from an Australian friend, I must regretfully report that nobody from India is playing or looking like making it to the Masters in the foreseeable future.
The author is chairman of Mawana Sugars Ltd and co-chairman of Usha International Ltd