The secret’s out: golf’s new breed has taken over the PGA Tour and shoved Tiger Woods to the brink of oblivion, according to ForbesLife Magazine.
“Tiger Woods — with a new swing coach, new caddie, new management, new corporate endorsements, and more healing time — remains the most riveting vision in golf,” Robin McMillian wrote in an article posted earlier this week. “But the competitive landscape around him is changing fast: Seldom has the tour seen such an influx of hungry, young talent.”
Can’t really argue with that, although one could quibble that Sean Foley, who’s been by Tiger’s side since August 2010, was hardly a new accessory. And while Forbes was almost a year behind the tour’s promotion of the “Establishment vs. New Breed” (remember Rickie vs. Tiger, Phil vs. DJ, et al featured in last January’s FedEx Cup ad push?), McMillian updated the scenarios to include players who were hardly household names before the 2011 season began.
He recalled Charl Schwartzel birdieing the final four holes at Augusta to earn his green jacket, Rory McIlroy lapping the field at the U.S. Open, Keegan Bradley coming from five strokes back to capture the PGA Championship, and Billy Haas “hitting it stiff” from the lake to set up his sudden-death playoff win to grab the FedEx Cup.
While conceding that it may be too soon to wrest the crown from Woods’ head, McMillian overlooked Tiger’s resurgent game, focusing, instead, on his “aborted 2011 campaign.” For sure, Woods’ strong play in Australia and Chevron win at the end of the season could be aberrations, and the 14-time major champ’s soon-to-be 36-year-old, injury-ravaged knee could give out due to “the stress of a playing schedule,” as McMillian suggested.
We’re not so sure Tiger’s ready to relinquish the throne, but should he falter, McMillian suggested New England native Bradley, Haas, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, and Deutsche Bank winner Webb Simpson were five 20-somethings to “keep your eye on” in 2012.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. View all her articles here. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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