Tiger Woods with son
By TZ Business News Sports Writer
The Month of July 2014 was not a good month for Tiger Woods people. I feel an obligation to report Tiger Woods failed miserably at the British Open.
There are of course good reasons why this was the case and I’ll have Tiger Woods do the explaining himself a little while later, but as we all know explanations don’t always relieve the pain of failure. Some little guy with a tongue twister name won the championship
The 25-year old Rory McIlroy won the 2014 British Open golf championship where Tiger Woods did not appear on any useful list: Tiger did not appear on the best three; he did not appear on the best five, he did not appear on the best ten, he did not appear on the best anything. It was like, o noo… not even on the best ten?
Fans may have found consolation in the explanations Tiger Woods went into the British Open golf championship unprepared, and that he’d just come out of a medical issue, but all this explaining is coming against a backdrop of mounting challenge from new comers into the sport.
Other reports say Tiger Woods has been busy being a father to his two children from his earlier marriage and has been paying less attention to golf. I guess we’re going to have to wait and see if any meaning is to come out of these explanations because time doesn’t lie!
In the meantime this McIlroy chap, some 13 years younger than Tiger, is proving quite a force to reckon with. God knows how they pronounce his name. Media reports say Rory McIlroy played wonders at the British Open a month ago; he is also the centre of golfing attention this August 2014 as he takes the limelight on the PGA Championships.
At the British Open championship, media reports said McIlroy birdied the first to go up seven strokes on Rickie Fowler but then made two bogeys in his next five holes to open the door. And while he wouldn’t know it, Sergio Garcia strolled right on through. Garcia pulled to within two of McIlroy on the back nine but a ghastly bunker shot on No. 15 ultimately undid him. Tiger Woods was nowhere to be seen.
McIlroy finished with birdie-par-par on the final three holes and an exclamation-point 360-yard drive on No. 16 to effectively shut the door on Garcia and a late-charging Rickie Fowler.
McIlroy told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi, “I knew Sergio was getting pretty close but I knew I still had the par 5s coming up on the back nine which gave me a little bit of a peace of mind.” His driver was immense all week but it was his putting that won him the tournament. He was, statistically, the fifth-best putter in the field at Hoylake.
Rory Mcilroy
With the win McIlroy becomes just the third golfer of the modern era (since the Masters started) to win three legs of the grand slam. The other two are pretty decent at golf: Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
“It’s pretty hard to describe right now, to be honest, McIlroy told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi. “All I know is that I’ve won my third major championship and I’m three legs going towards the fourth towards a career grand slam at 25. I’m feeling pretty good right now. “I feel like I’ve come a long way in the past 18 months. A lot has happened to me. My determination and hard work has really paid off.”
This August 2014 McIlroy is doing golf on the PGA. On the second Saturday of the month, the PGA Championship provided the best stretch of major championship golf all year, according to media reports.
Rory McIlroy came to the course with a 36-hole lead as many expected another runaway win based on how dialed-in he’s been for over a month now.
