Tiger Phobia

The re-appearance of the `Tiger Phobia.`

The US PGA Tour, which holds around 50 matches a year, is categorized into two types. The criteria for this is whether the `Emperor of Golf` Tiger Wood is participating or not.

The fact that the program rating of the matches that Woods participated last year was twice as higher than other matches makes us to realize his standing.

Although people say the differences in abilities between the US PGA Tour members are very slight, all of them are `mice in front of tiger` in front of Woods. We know that is true by just looking at the fact that out of 29 matches he started the final round as a leader, he won as many as 27 (93% of winning probability).

It was the same at the final 4th round of the Buick Invitational (4.5 million dollars in total prize money), on which the eyes of the golf fans around world were focused, held at the La Joya Toria Pines Golf Club (par 72) on the 17th.

Woods, who came back to the Tour in 2 month after the knee surgery, really played like the `Emperor of Golf.` Woods (16 under-par, 272 shots), who added 4 under-pars that day, showed his well being by making an easy win by 4 shots. It was the 35th win in his career.

The biggest victim of the `Tiger Phobia` that day was Phil Mikelson (USA). He was one of the two players who beat Woods, who started the final round as a leader, in the US PGA Tour (the 2000 Tour Championship). Especially, he was the consecutive winner of the 2000 and 2001 championships held at the same course, so the local media predicted the best match-up early in this season.

However, the first `Champion Group` match-up with Woods in two years since the 2001 Masters` ended dull. Mikelson stopped at even (72 shots) with Brad Faxon (USA) and ended up as a `best man` of Woods.

He, who raised a scandal by criticizing the golf club (Nike) that Woods used, seemed to show something and hit ambitious driver shots, but he destroyed himself because those shots fell into the rough. Therefore, in the matches that both players participated together (total of 96 matches), Woods marked 26 wins, and Mikelson marked 6 wins.

Mikelson confessed after the game, “I was afraid of Woods. That was not just my handicap.” On the other hand, Faxon said, “My role today was a referee for the match-up between Woods and Mikelson.” He started just one shot shy of Woods, but Faxon emptied his mind from the beginning. It shows his fear about Woods.

Now, the matter of concern and interest is the match-up between Woods and the `Princess` Ernie Els (South Africa), who is playing really well like grabbing 4 wins in 5 US PGA Tour matches this season including 2 consecutive wins during the absence of Woods. The first meeting of the two this season will be realized at the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Championship, which will be started on the 27th.

Els is also one of the victims of the `Tiger Phobia.` Can Els really drive this rising curve and be crowned as the first US PGA Tour Money King in his career? Or can Woods quiet the blast of Els and accomplish the 5th consecutive Money King title?

The concerns and interests are focused on the first match-up between the two more than any other season.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com