Christopher Clarey of the International Herald Tribune posits an interesting premise: that Tiger will be the sentimental favorite at the Open Championship at Hoylake this year.
… whatever happens in Hoylake from Thursday to Sunday, he will find that his swollen galleries – both here and in the world’s living rooms – will include a greater percentage than usual of those who are truly pulling for him instead of simply gawking at him.
Loss, as any great golfer understands, is part of the game, but loss, as Woods now understands, is an even bigger part of life
It’s an interesting premise, for I think that Tiger, while he is respected and perhaps even feared, has never been liked or loved by fans and competitors. His stony faced visiage, his singular focus on the game and the careful walls that he has constructed between himself and the world have, I thinked, worked to his long-term detriment.
No matter how poorly Arnold Palmer plays, I still would pay to see him. I loved following Gary Player and Chi Chi Rodriguez in the recent Senior Players Championship. And there are a number of guys on the regular Tour that I’d like to see play because I sense that they love the game as much as I do.
But other than to later be able to say that I saw him live, I don’t have any desire to see Tiger play.
And in spite of the premise that he’s now a sentimental favorite, I won’t be rooting for him at the Open. For me, the sentimental favorite will be Colin Montgomerie. The guy deserves a championship before all is said and done.
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Surely a contender as “sentimental” favourite for The Open – Darren Clarke? I find it stunning that he is able to concentrate on playing golf at all, let alone be in contention as he has recently in Ireland and Scotland.