By Phil Riske | Managing Editor
(Editor’s note: My favorite professional golf tournament is right around the corner and, like last year, it’s improbable Tiger Woods will play, or if he does, will play well. Below is a column we published last April, which is still relevant given developments since then.)
CBS Sports weeps as the 2014 Masters Tournament is only six days away. Ratings will be down because Tiger Woods, who has played in 20 straight Masters, will not be able to play after surgery for a pinched nerve in his back.
This week’s gripe is about those fair-weather golf fans who say they won’t watch the tournament if Tiger’s not it in.
How unfair that is to the dozens of golfers who have played their hearts out to qualify for the prestigious event and who have been playing as well as and better than Tiger.
Golf is not one person, but media tend to make it so, just as they do with LeBron James and other pro stars.
Is the mystique and beauty of the Masters any less without Tiger? Absolutely not.
Is the winner’s status any less than that of Tiger’s. No.
Do we care if CBS makes a few million less than with Tiger in it? We doubt it.
Let’s give the players in this year’s tournament a fair shake. There just might be a new tiger lurking among them.
