The Drama of Major Golf

I love the drama of a well-contested championship. The PGA Championship (last major of the season) was no exception, with my hero, Padraig Harrington, nailing his putt on the last hole to clinch the title over Sergio Garcia. Unfortunately, this championship wasn’t on the radar of the average golfer because Tiger wasn’t participating. He is the proven closer for majors and without him we are left with just a few diehards sitting in front of the television.

Back in the day, television coverage of golf championships was less extensive but still conveyed the drama of the event. We were able to watch all the players as they worked their way into the clubhouse, not just the chosen few. The story line seemed more complete back then, without the aid of pre-game and post-game interviews. It seemed that we had more heroes then as well, with players like Sam Snead, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Calvin Peete. While they didn’t win with the veracity of Tiger, we loved them anyway because we saw their journey on the television. I have watched events this year that didn’t show shots from the leader just because he wasn’t a premier player. Today the media hypes up the pre-round coverage with picks of the usual suspects, but these guys can’t close the deal. With golf, the only player that seems to do this is Tiger, and that is why he is one of the few heroes on the tour today.

Today’s media coverage is focused on the most marketable players, and most of them don’t know how to close the deal. They “choke” down the finish and we viewers are left with a bad taste in our mouths because the winner is perceived as some nobody who comes in through the backdoor. Players like Mickelson and Els should be spending their time on learning how to close the deal. My recommendation is to spend time with Baseball closers who know how to win. They need to quit working on their swings and get back to playing hard and getting it done.

-- Gerald McCullagh

The Master’s and the Ryder Cup don’t need Tiger to improve their ratings. However, we like predictability, the media understands this, and that is why golf is dead without Tiger.