AUGUSTA – One by one they line up and take their best shot at Tiger Woods and, one by one, they leave disappointed or disillusioned, like the kids at the boardwalk arcade who can’t shoot the basketball through those tricked-up, undersized hoops.
All the Woods challengers are here this week at Augusta National trying to make themselves believe that they can beat him to the Green Jacket fitting on Sunday afternoon.
Ernie Els, whose four wins early in the year supposedly put the golf world on notice that he was ready to chase down the Tiger, lost by 19 shots to Woods at Bay Hill in the only stroke-play tournament they’ve played together in 2003.
Phil Mickelson, who has four consecutive Masters finishes in the top 7, including third-places finishes the last two years, looked poised to put a dent into Woods’ dominance until he was dusted by Woods in the final round of the Buick Invitational while paired together.
Davis Love III, coming off his Players Championship victory two weeks ago, has yet to truly challenge Woods and has, in fact, admitted to being distracted when competing against him.
David Duval, who was the No. 1 player in the world in 1999 and British Open champion in 2001, once looked like the one player with the kind of tough attitude to challenge Woods. Duval, however, is in a career freefall, having watched his world ranking plummet to 41st. He enters this week ranked 178th in driving accuracy and 173rd in scoring.
Sergio Garcia, like Duval, looked like a worthy challenger for a while, with his youthful enthusiasm just cocky enough to convince himself he could beat the best. But Garcia, currently going through some swing changes, has no idea where the ball is going.
Both Els, the British Open champ, and Mickelson, winner of 21 tour events, are perhaps the most accomplished challengers. They spoke yesterday about trying not to get caught up in competing against Woods.
“For a while, I went at it the wrong way,” Els said. “I played majors against Tiger. Let’s face it. Tiger’s going to be there. So, if you start playing Tiger on Thursday from the first tee, that’s the wrong way to go about it. You’re going to beat yourself up and not play your normal game.
“If I, with my talent, play the golf course the way I should play it, I should be there Sunday afternoon.”
Mickelson said, “If you judge [your game] by [Woods’] score then you’re not playing your best golf. It could distract you from playing your best.”
Duval, once a true challenger to Woods’ throne with 11 wins in 33 starts during one stretch in the late ’90s, is feeling the effects of his decline. Always with a grounded perspective on life, he experienced a situation while playing at the Nissan Open in L.A. in February that told him how far his star has faded.
A teenaged girl waiting near the media center saw Duval and asked him, “Are you somebody famous?”
Duval’s response was classic Duval. “I used to be,” he said.
Such is life in golf these days. It’s Tiger Woods and everyone else.
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CANNIZZARO’S MASTERS PICKS
1. Retief Goosen – Finished second last year after final round 74.
2. Tiger Woods – Only 27, gunning for third straight Green Jacket
3. Padraig Harrington – Tied for fifth last yar at Masters
4. Phil Mickelson – Way overdue. Finished third in last two Masters
5. Davis Love III – TPC champ has five top-7 finishes in last eight Masters
